Fitzer's Walk-Off Completes Thursday Night Comeback

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CalL Fresno Grizzlies

Fitzer's Walk-Off Completes Thursday Night Comeback

May 30, 2025 - California League (CalL)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


Down three runs after four innings, the Fresno Grizzlies (21-27) turned the game around in the sixth and walked it off in the bottom of the ninth when Kevin Fitzer drove in Derek Bernard to defeat the Visalia Rawhide (22-26) Thursday night at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno.

Fresno scored a pair of runs in the sixth and scored the final two runs with two outs in the ninth to flip the script on the Rawhide and earn its second win of the series.

Ismael Luciano battled through four innings of the start, but a bunt single started a rally, and the Rawhide took a one run lead in the third.

Visalia added two runs in the third after two were out capitalizing first on a single and then on an error.

But Luciano limited the damage and left the game after 4 innings, trailing by 3 runs.

Fresno couldn't break through against the starter Lorenzo Encarnacion for the first five innings, but Yeiker Reyes bounced a double off the wall in left field to start the sixth. Tommy Hopfe immediately cashed him in with a ground-rule double bouncing over the right field wall.

After Kelvin Hidalgo singled, Robert Calaz lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to pull Fresno within one.

But Encarnacion escaped the inning without further damage and reliever Rocco Reid sat down all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out four.

The game remained 3-2 in Visalia's favor as Fresno's bullpen pulled together five scoreless innings from Justin Loer, Yanzel Correa, Nathan Blasick and Brady Hill.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kelvin Hidalgo legged out an infield single to start the inning, only moving to second on a ground ball by Jacob Hinderleider that led to the 2nd out.

Bernard jumped on the first pitch of the at-bat and slashed a double down the third base line to tie the game before Fitzer roped the game-winning single up the middle to score the winning run and send the 2,949 fans at Chukchansi Park home happy.

Fitzer continues his torrid pace in May, adding his fifth multi-hit game in the last ten times out. He's raised his average 115 point (up to .240) in the month and is hitting .322 in May.

The bullpen continues to stifle opposing teams and has not allowed an earned run in 14.1 innings during the first three games of the series.

Friday night the series continues as the Grizzlies transform into the Fresno Tacos, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the alternate identity.

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm and Jackson Cox will take the mound for Fresno against Junior Sanchez of Visalia.

All broadcasts will be available streamed through Bally Sports Live, the MiLB App, and accessed on fresnogrizzlies.com/watch.

Check out the Fresno Grizzlies Statistics



California League Stories from May 30, 2025


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