Extra Innings Tilt Opener Away from Grizzlies

BOX SCORE

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Grizzlies and Visalia Rawhide traded the lead five times over 11 innings before Pedro Blanco's RBI single in the top of the 11th edged the Grizzlies 10-9 on Tuesday night at Chukchansi Park.

The loss, in the opener of a six-game homestand, left Fresno tied with San Jose atop the California League North's second-half race with a game advantage on Stockton.

Visalia built an early cushion against Marcos Herrera, scoring a run in the second and three more in the fourth to chase him from the game and take a 4-0 lead.

Fresno answered right back in the bottom of the fourth. Sebastian Blanco singled and Cristian Arguelles double d before Wilder Dalis tripled both of them home to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Dalis then scored himself on a balk to make it 4-3.

The Grizzlies tied it in the fifth on Ronny Ugarte's RBI single that scored Jesus Freitez, and Grif Hughes settled things down on the mound, working 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of and induced two of a season-high four double plays turned by the Grizzlies.

Fresno then grabbed its first lead of the night in the sixth when Ugarte crushed a three-run homer to center field, scoring Derek Bernard and Aidan Redahan and making it 7-4.

Visalia answered with a haymaker of its own in the eighth. With two on and two out against Easton Marks, Ivan Luciano launched a three-run homer to tie the game at 7, and Ryder Helfrick followed with a solo shot on the very next pitch to put the Rawhide back in front, 8-7.

Dalis wouldn't let Fresno go quietly. He led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer to right center — his 15th homer of the season and third extra-base hit of the night — to tie it back up at 8-8, capping a night in which he finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer and three RBIs.

Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Visalia pushed its automatic runner across in the 10th, but Fresno answered right back in the bottom half on Arguelles' RBI single to tie it again.

The Rawhide finally pulled away for good in the 11th. With a pinch-runner on second to start the inning, Pedro Blanco lined a single to right to score the go-ahead run, and Visalia escaped the bottom half despite a Fresno rally that put the tying run at third base.

Manuel Olivares took the loss despite allowing just two runs — both unearned automatic runners— over three innings of relief.

Ugarte finished with two hits and four RBIs to lead the Fresno offense, while Arguelles and Freitez each reached base multiple times.

Raul Garayzar worked the final three innings for Visalia to pick up the win, and Fresno's bullpen of Hughes, Marks and Olivares combined to keep the Grizzlies in it after Herrera's rocky start, even as the final line went the Rawhide's way.

Fresno continues its homestand against Visalia on Wednesday at Chukchansi Park with first pitch scheduled for 6:50pm.

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.