Grizzlies Win Wild One on Walk-Off Wild Pitch

BOX SCORE

A wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth helped the Fresno Grizzlies (48-49, 19-12 second half) walked off the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (54-43, 13-18) in dramatic fashion Tuesday night, rallying for a 5-4 win at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno.

Fresno struck first in the opening inning. Kelvin Hidalgo reached on a walk and scored when Derek Bernard’s chopped a single to left field over the third baseman, giving the Grizzlies an early 1-0 advantage.

The game turned in the fifth as Rancho Cucamonga broke through with a two-out rally against Marcos Herrera. Victor Rodrigues singled and later scored on a base hit by Jaron Elkins.

The Quakes then pulled off a double steal, with Eduardo Guerrero racing home and Elkins advancing to third on a throwing error. Emil Morales followed with an RBI single to put the Quakes ahead 3-1.

Herrera settled in after that, finishing with six innings, four hits, three runs, and nine strikeouts.

Fresno chipped away in the sixth, as Bernard walked and came around to score on a two-out single from Roynier Hernandez, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

Samuel Munoz homered to right-center in the eighth, another two out hit for Rancho Cucamonga, to extend the Quakes’ lead to 4-2, but Fresno answered immediately.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Jacob Hinderleider singled and scored on Bernard’s two-run double. Hernandez followed with a game-tying single to center, knotting the score at 4-4.

In the ninth, Yeiker Reyes walked and moved to third on a bunt single by Hinderleider and a hit-by-pitch to Hidalgo. After a pair of strikeouts, a wild pitch by Ryan Brown allowed Reyes to race home with the winning run, setting off a celebration at Chukchansi Park.

Bernard led the way, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Hernandez added a pair of hits and an RBI, while Hinderleider reached base twice and scored a run. Juan Castillo was 3-3 at the dish as well, exiting for a pinch runner late in the game.

Nathan Blasick earned the win with a perfect ninth, striking out the side.

The Grizzlies continue their homestand Wednesday night, with first pitch set for 6:50 p.m. Brody Brecht is slated to pitch for the Grizzlies against Jesus Tillero of the Quakes.

All broadcasts will be available streamed through Bally Sports Live, the MiLB App, and the Grizzlies broadcast with Tim Slack can be accessed on fresnogrizzlies.com/listen.

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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.