Yanquiel Fernandez goes yard as Grizzlies rally past Rawhide 8-7

Fresno, CA (Thursday, June 9) – The Fresno Grizzlies (35-19) squeaked by the Visalia Rawhide (16-38) 8-7 Thursday night from Chukchansi Park. Fresno improved to 15-0 at home and 26-7 overall against Visalia in the last two seasons, outscoring the Rawhide 202-145. The Grizzlies hold a three-game division lead over the San Jose Giants with 12 games left in the first half.

Fresno’s offense tallied nine hits with four of them going for extra-bases. Yanquiel Fernandez led the charge with a double and homer. His three-run shot in the sixth initially put the Grizzlies ahead 6-5. Both Juan Brito and Braxton Fulford smashed doubles with the latter picking up one RBI on the two-bagger. Warming Bernabel supplied three hits with one of his singles plating the eventual game-winning run in the eighth. EJ Andrews Jr relished the other RBI single, which happened just prior to the Fernandez bomb.

The Visalia lineup notched nine hits with four of them going for extra-bases as well. Eight of the nine Rawhide starters enjoyed at least one hit in the loss. Both Deyvison De Los Santos and Sergio Gutierrez launched two-run taters to right. It was De Los Santos’ ninth longball of the season and Gutierrez’s first wallop of 2022. S.P. Chen and GJ Hill mustered a double apiece with Chen scoring twice. Wilderd Patino and Juan Corniel provided the other RBI singles for Visalia.

Both starting pitchers did not factor in the decision. Fresno’s McCade Brown struck out five after four-plus innings of work. Visalia’s Peniel Otano lasted three and one-third frames. Otano issued six walks before being pulled. Grizzlies’ reliever Luis Amoroso hurled two and two-thirds scoreless innings. Sergio Sanchez (6-1) earned his second victory in three evenings while Tyler Ahearn secured his third save of the year. Rawhide righty Jhosmer Alvarez (0-2) suffered the setback after two, tough frames. The clubs are back to battle tomorrow night from Chukchansi Park.

Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

• RF Yanquiel Fernandez (2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB)

• 3B Warming Bernabel (3-4, RBI, R, BB, 2 SB)

• 2B Juan Brito (1-3, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB)

Top Performers: Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• C Sergio Gutierrez (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB)

• 3B Deyvison De Los Santos (1-5, HR, 2 RBI, R)

• DH S.P. Chen (2-5, 2B, 2 R)

On Deck:

Friday, June 10 vs. Visalia Rawhide, Visalia RHP Yilber Diaz (1-0, 5.02) vs. Fresno RHP Brayan Castillo (0-3, 5.49), 6:50 pm PT

ON THAT FRES-NOTE:

Fresno skipper Robinson Cancel is one game away from 300 wins as a Minor League manager.