MacDonald's 11th Inning Walk-Off Caps Wild Comeback
BOX SCORE FRESNO, Calif. – Staring at a seven-run deficit, the Fresno Grizzlies delivered one of the most dramatic wins of the season, erasing it all and walking off with a 10-9 win over the Stockton Ports in 11 innings Sunday night at Chukchansi Park. Cort MacDonald’s single in the
FRESNO, Calif. – Staring at a seven-run deficit, the Fresno Grizzlies delivered one of the most dramatic wins of the season, erasing it all and walking off with a 10-9 win over the Stockton Ports in 11 innings Sunday night at Chukchansi Park.
Cort MacDonald’s single in the bottom of the 11th brought home Jesus Freitez to send the home crowd home with a thrilling series victory.
The victory pulls Fresno even with Stockton in the second-half standings, making it a twelve-game sprint towards the final post-season spot in the California League North Division.
But Sunday’s night contest was everything this race has been throughout the week, a back-and-forth battle with major momentum swings and game defining moments.
Stockton built its cushion in pieces.
The Ports scratched across single runs in the second and third on a mix of errors and small ball, then blew it open in the fourth when Gavin Turley unloaded a grand slam to the left-center field scoreboard, staking Stockton to a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Grizzlies wasted no time chipping into it. Cristian Arguelles and Daniel Jackson strung together back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fourth to score Carlos Renzullo, trimming the deficit to 7-1 and giving Fresno a foothold.
The signature rally came in the sixth. Renzullo led off with a single, and Arguelles ripped a triple to right to bring him home.
Jackson followed with an RBI single of his own, Ronny Ugarte doubled him in, and after a wild pitch and a productive groundout kept the line moving, Aidan Redahan and Ashly Andujar added run-scoring singles to cap a five-run frame that pulled the Grizzlies to within one, 7-6, and sent a jolt through Chukchansi Park.
Stockton answered with a solo shot from Turley — his second of the night — in the seventh to push the lead back to 8-6, but the Grizzlies weren't done fighting.
Fresno tied it back up in the ninth. Arguelles walked and came around to score on a Jackson double, and Ugarte's RBI single, aided by a fielding error, knotted the game at 8-8 and forced extra innings.
Stockton nudged back in front in the top of the 10th on a Roman Martin RBI single, but the Grizzlies answered immediately in the bottom half.
A sacrifice bunt from Renzullo moved the automatic runner to third, and Arguelles delivered again with a game-tying single to make it 9-9.
The Ports threatened in the 11th but couldn't cash in, stranding a runner at third as Ethan Cole worked around trouble to keep the game tied.
Fresno finished it in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 11th.
Juan Martinez laid down a perfect bunt single to move the automatic runner to third.
Cort MacDonald lined a single to left to send Jesus Freitez racing home with the winning run, setting off a celebration on the Chukchansi Park infield.
Jackson was sensational all night, going 4-for-6 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored to push his average to .385, while Arguelles matched him blow for blow with a 3-for-5 night that included the triple and the game-tying single in the 10th.
Ugarte added three hits and Renzullo scored twice in a 16-hit outburst for the Grizzlies.
Sam Larson and Tanner Sagouspe steadied things on the mound with back-to-back scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Ethan Cole was the story late, working four gutsy innings and picking up the win by pitching right through the tie-and-retake battles in the ninth, 10th and 11th.
The comeback win pulls the Grizzlies even with Stockton in the California League North's second-half race as the two clubs go their separate ways over the last twelve games of the season.
The Grizzlies travel to San Bernardino to take on the Inland Empire 66ers for a six-game series, their final road trip of the season, beginning Tuesday night at 6:35pm. All broadcasts are available on FresnoGrizzlies.com/Listen.
ABOUT THE FRESNO GRIZZLIES
The Fresno Grizzlies are a proud affiliate of the Colorado Rockies organization. The club advanced to the California League playoffs in 2025 and continues to post some of Minor League Baseball's highest attended games. The 2026 season marks the Grizzlies' 25th year in Downtown Fresno.