Sacramento Scores Three Late but Falls Shy of Salt Lake

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – The Sacramento River Cats scored three runs in the final two frames, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback against the Salt Lake Bees on Friday night as they fell by a second consecutive final score of 6-4.

A solo blast from Drew Ellis in the third inning got the scoring started for the River Cats (9-7/45-46), but the Bees (7-9/36-54) responded with three of their own to quickly take a lead they never relinquished. Starting the damage was Niko Kavadas, as his 19th of the year scored a pair with one out in the frame.

Including solo shots from Matthew Lugo, which extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and Chad Stevens, the two teams combined for four homers in the frame. That marked just the sixth time this season in a Pacific Coast League game that two teams have hit four or more homers in a single inning, the last being Salt Lake and Las Vegas during the fourth inning on June 15.

Salt Lake added two more runs to their lead soon after, scoring once in the fifth on a Stevens RBI single into center and again in the seventh on a Yolmer Sánchez single into center that scored Alexander Ramirez.

In the top of the eighth the River Cats earned a pair of runs back, striking first when Osleivis Basabe doubled home Daniel Johnson on a liner to right center, while Basabe scored soon after when Thomas Gavello’s third hit of the night went through the right side for a single.

One final tally crossed the plate in the ninth, as Grant McCray led off the frame with his 13th homer of the year that travelled over the tall wall in left-center field. However, despite putting another pair on with a walk and a fielding error, Sacramento could come no closer than 6-4.

Charged with the loss was Carson Ragsdale (4-4), who allowed five runs for the first time on April 30. Over his five innings he allowed a season high eight hits, three of which were homers. It was the second straight outing allowing three homers in a game, the first River Cat to do so since RHP Tyler Beede on June 7 and June 13 in the 2017 campaign (eight total homers allowed).

Both Johnson and Ellis finished with a pair of hits, the former of which was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a double. Meanwhile, Ellis was 2-for-3 with his solo homer and walk. Outside of McCray’s homer, Basabe recorded his sixth extra-base hit of the series by logging a double and going 1-for-4.

Sacramento will look to avoid a series loss when the two teams meet tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. (PT).