Fresno Drops Pitcher's Duel in San Jose
April 26, 2025 - California League (CalL)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release
A pitcher's duel in which neither team could plate an earned run turned on defense in the 7th inning with the Fresno Grizzlies (8-12) falling 2-1 to the San Jose Giants (12-8) Saturday evening at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.
Lebarron Johnson Jr. set career-highs in innings pitched and strikeouts while matching zeroes with San Jose's starter Jacob Bresnahan who also had a career-day.
Bresnahan struck out seven Grizzlies the first time through the order before Kelvin Hidalgo's two-out single to right field in the fourth earned the first baserunner of the day for either team.
Bresnahan exited after five while Johnson worked through six scoreless innings and the game was tied at zero heading into the seventh.
Blake Wright singled to start the inning and Tommy Hopfe hit a slow roller 50 feet up the first base line for an infield single before San Jose's first basemen threw the ball towards first anyway. The ball bounced away from the Giants and allowed Wright to come around for the first run of the game and Hopfe to get to third.
But San Jose's defense buckled down as Carlos Gutierrez caught a fly ball in right field off the bat of Felix Tena and unleashed a perfect throw home to nail Hopfe at the plate and end the inning.
San Jose then capitalized on an error from the Grizzlies as Dakota Jordan reached on an error after a soft ground ball to second. Fernando Gonzalez singled before a walk loaded the bases.
The Grizzlies kept the infield back and turned a double play on Elian Rayo, conceding the tying run and allowing Gonzalez to third.
A wild pitch let Gonzalez score what would be the winning run.
It also turned Johnson's start into a no-decision as the Grizzlies suffer the first loss in one of his starts this season.
The Grizzlies outhit the Giants for the first time in the series, but their usual stout defense committed three errors, leading to San Jose's scoring.
Fresno did flash the gloves on three ground ball double plays, giving the California League best 17.
Saturday is the first one-run loss of the season for the Grizzlies.
The series concludes in San Jose on Sunday afternoon with a 1pm start. Ismael Luciano will start for the Grizzlies against the Giants' Gerelmi Maldonado.
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.
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California League Stories from April 26, 2025
- Fresno Drops Pitcher's Duel in San Jose - Fresno Grizzlies
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