Hinderleider, Grizzlies Flipt Script on Rawhide
BOX SCORE After seemingly following a script for the first four games of the series, the Fresno Grizzlies (9-17) delivered a Hollywood worthy swerve with Jacob Hinderleider’s go-ahead double flipping the score into a 4-3 victory over the Visalia Rawhide (12-14) Saturday night at Valley Strong Ballpark. The Grizzlies earned
After seemingly following a script for the first four games of the series, the Fresno Grizzlies (9-17) delivered a Hollywood worthy swerve with Jacob Hinderleider’s go-ahead double flipping the score into a 4-3 victory over the Visalia Rawhide (12-14) Saturday night at Valley Strong Ballpark.
The Grizzlies earned the lead in each of their three previous losses before a big inning and a Visalia homer turned it against them in those losses.
Instead on Saturday, the Grizzlies waited for the Visalia’s biggest crowd of the series at 2,559 to return the favor.
The Grizzlies jumped in front, again, as Kelvin Hidalgo singled up the middle and Robert Calaz belted a homer (2) over the wall in left center for his second home in as many at-bats.
That gave the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead before Ismael Luciano took to the hill in the bottom of the first. A one-out walk and an error helped Visalia manufacture a run.
The Rawhide tied the game in the second, taking advantage of a hit batter, Jose Alpuria, who stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Visalia chased Luciano from the game in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff walk and then loaded the bases against Fidel Ulloa with a pair of singles.
Ulloa produced a lineout to short, a strikeout and a groundout to escape the threat unscathed.
Wilkin Paredes, who allowed three hits to the first four batters, didn’t allow another hit for the rest of his outing. Setting season highs with 7 innings pitched and 5 strikeouts while retiring the side for his final four innings of work.
Carlos Torres worked a scoreless seventh and went out for the eighth. He appeared to strikeout Yassel Soler on a 2-2 slider in the middle of the plate, but the pitch was ruled a ball, and Soler made Growlafornia’s collective guts wrench with a homer on the next pitch to put Visalia in front 3-2.
The Rawhide loaded the bases after a sacrifice bunt before Torres struck out consecutive batters to keep the game within one.
The Grizzlies got their revenge against Victor Morales in the ninth with two outs.
Morales, who worked two scoreless innings on Tuesday, retired the first five batters he faced on Saturday after entering in the 8th.
Calaz cracked a bat and an infield single that snaked it way up the middle before the shortstop Adrian Rodriguez knocked it down. The Grizzlies caught another break when Blake Wright’s bouncer was knocked down on the mound by Morales allowing the tying run to second and the winning run on base.
Hinderleider was down to two strikes before powering Morales’ offering over the head of Abdias De La Cruz in right center and sending Calaz and Wright home to put Fresno on top.
Nathan Blasick came on for the ninth and worked around a leadoff single, getting two strikeouts to seal his fourth save of the season.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon in Visalia with the Grizzlies sending Brody Brecht to the mound against Visalia’s Grayson Hitt with first pitch scheduled at 2pm.
All broadcasts will be available through the MiLB.TV app and fans can listen to the Voice of the Grizzlies, Tim Slack via the audio tab or at fresnogrizzlies.com/watch with the audio player.
----
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.