Cats Drop Finale, Split Series with Bees

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Three straight run-scoring innings proved to be the difference between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Bees on Sunday, as the Bees tallied one run each in the third through fifth innings en route to a 5-2 win over Sacramento in the series finale.

Trevor McDonald (1-1) earned the start for the River Cats (11-10), his first of the season after making four relief appearances to begin the season. Though he made it through two scoreless to start, the Bees (10-11) stung for their first run in the third when a breaking ball from McDonald bounced in the dirt for a wild pitch and allowed Gustavo Campero to score.

Each of the next two runs for Salt Lake were scored in solo home run fashion, the first from Chad Stevens as he clobbered his second of the season on the first pitch he saw in the fourth inning. In the fifth it was Campero striking again, hitting his first of the season over the wall in right field on a 1-0 offering from McDonald. That was part of a four-hit day for Campero, his first four-hit game of the season.

Salt Lake kept adding to the lead with two more in the top of the eighth, pushing across two more runs home on a two-run double into left field from Zach Humphreys. Scoring on the play was Sebastián Rivero and Chad Stevens, both of whom reached with a single.

Sacramento tallied their only pair of runs in home half of the frame, loading the bases with no outs after a pair of walks and a Brett Wisely single. A third walk in the frame, this time with the bases loaded, earned Jake Lamb his only RBI of the afternoon, putting the River Cats on the board for the first time in the game. Next up was the new arrival Victor Bericoto, who made his Triple-A debut in th contest. After singling for his first Triple-A hit in the fourth, he earned his first RBI on a single into center field that drove in a run.

However, that would be the final run for the River Cats as a double play and strikeout brought a close to the frame with no more damage done. Sacramento put a runner on in the ninth with a single from Sergio Alcántara, but despite moving into scoring position on a defensive indifference, the River Cats could not come closer that 5-2.

Right-hander Sean Hjelle tossed a scoreless outing with a pair of hits allowed, working 1.2 innings and facing just one over the minimum thanks to a double play. Also working a scoreless appearance was Ryan Watson, who clocked the final two outs for Sacramento with one strikeout. Sacramento turned four double plays throughout the contest, the first time doing so since they did it on July 9, 2024 at Salt Lake.

Bericoto led all River Cats with a pair of hits, ending his Triple-A debut 2-for-4 with an RBI. All four other hits came from different bats, one of which was Grant McCray who ended 1-for-5 while Osleivis Basabe was 1-for-3 with a walk.

This was Sacramento’s first series split of the season, as they are 2-1-1 in four series thus far. They will look to improve on that mark when they lineup for a six-game set with the El Paso Chihuahuas beginning on Tuesday, April 22nd at 5:35 p.m. (PT).