Grizzlies Season Ends Despite Late Rally
BOX SCORE The Fresno Grizzlies saw their season come to a dramatic end Thursday night, falling 7-6 to the San Jose Giants in a back-and-forth playoff battle at Excite Ballpark in San Jose. Fresno rallied late, but a pair of insurance runs by San Jose in the seventh and eighth
The Fresno Grizzlies saw their season come to a dramatic end Thursday night, falling 7-6 to the San Jose Giants in a back-and-forth playoff battle at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.
Fresno rallied late, but a pair of insurance runs by San Jose in the seventh and eighth proved just enough to hold off the Grizzlies’ ninth-inning surge.
Fresno jumped out to a quick lead in the first. Roldy Brito singled and Ethan Holliday walked before a pickoff error moved both runners up. Tanner Thach’s sacrifice fly plated Brito, and Wilder Dalis followed with an RBI single to center, staking the Grizzlies to a 2-0 advantage.
San Jose answered immediately, capitalizing on a walk and a double from Lorenzo Meola—with an error on the play helping Jhonny Level come around to score. Trevor Cohen and Lisbel Diaz each singled, and Walker Martin’s sacrifice fly gave the Giants a 3-2 lead after one.
Fresno’s defense struggled early, committing three errors in the contest.
The Giants added two more in the second, highlighted by Jhonny Level’s solo homer and a bases-loaded walk to Cameron Maldonado.
Fresno’s bullpen was called upon early, with Zack Morris and Fisher Jameson working to keep the game close.
Fresno chipped away in the sixth. Thach doubled and scored on Roynier Hernandez’s single, then Juan Castillo ripped an RBI double to center to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Grizzlies threatened again in the seventh, but a lineout and a stolen base stranded the tying run.
San Jose tacked on insurance in the seventh and eighth, with Walker Martin doubling and scoring on a single from Maldonado, and Meola driving in another run after a pickoff error. The Giants finished with nine hits and drew seven walks, making the most of their opportunities.
Down three in the ninth, Fresno mounted one last rally. Kevin Fitzer singled, Brito reached on a slow bouncer up the first base line, and Holliday laced a sharp single to load the bases.
Robert Calaz grounded into a force play, scoring two runs after a throwing error, and Thach singled to put the tying run aboard.
But a strikeout and a lineout ended the threat and the season.
Thach led the offense with two hits, two runs, and an RBI, while Brito reached base three times.
Fresno finished with 11 hits but left eight men on base, unable to overcome San Jose’s early lead and late insurance.
Walks piled up on the Grizzlies early and the offense played from behind against a confident San Jose pitching staff despite the early lead.
The Grizzlies remarkable turnaround ends at the same location that saw the low point of the season in April after a 2-10 road trip.
Fresno won 41 games in the second half and posted the 2nd best record in the California League, pulling their overall record to the 2nd best in the league as well, being eliminated by the winningest team in the Cal League this season.
This concludes the 2025 season for the Fresno Grizzlies, who finished with their first playoff appearance in the last three years and third in five years of being a Colorado Rockies affiliate.
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The Fresno Grizzlies are a proud affiliate of the Colorado Rockies organization. During the 2024 season, the Grizzlies held several California League season records, including most attended game and highest overall attendance. The team plays at Chukchansi Park, a year-round venue that hosts numerous special events.