Sacramento Stops Series with 7-0 Shutout Over Salt Lake

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Sunday seemed to be on cruise control for the Sacramento River Cats, as five different pitchers combined to hold the Salt Lake Bees to just three hits while the offense produced a pair of three-run frames for a 7-0 win on Sunday.

The River Cats (11-7/47-46) were destined for a series split thanks to the pitching in the series finale, all of which was started by Kai-Wei Teng (3-2). Continuing his recent hot stretch as a starter, Teng allowed just two hits, both of which came consecutively in the fourth. Outside of that, he scattered three hits while striking out seven Bees (7-11/36-56), his fourth straight outing of seven strikeouts or more.

Four other logged one inning each behind Teng, as the quartet of Braxton Roxby, Antonio Jimenez, Matt Gage and Ryan Watson combined to allow only one hit (allowed by Watson) and two strikeouts (one each for Gage and Watson). However, they did walk four batters, two each by Roxby and Jimenez.

Sacramento broke the scoreless tie during their at-bats in the third inning, scoring the game’s first run on a Wade Meckler sacrifice fly that scored Devin Mann, who had singled with one out.

Insurance came through in a big way thanks to a pair of three-run innings in both the fifth and sixth frames. Drew Ellis was hit by a pitch and scored on a Mann double, while McCray drove home the other pair on bases loaded single into left center. During the sixth the River Cats tallied just two hits, though they did score on another Mann knock into left field. The other two runs scored when Tyler Fitzgerald was hit with the bases loaded, while Meckler contributed his second sacrifice fly.

Thanks to a lone hit in a 1-for-5 effort, Grant McCray extended his hitting streak to seven games and is .393 (12-for-33) with six runs scored. Meanwhile, Mann ended his day at a perfect 4-for-4, which was his first four-hit game of the campaign. Mann, along with McCray and Meckler, each finished with a pair of RBI.

This marked the sixth shtuout win of the campaign for Sacramento, one that helped the River Cats come back from two games down to split the current series with the Bees at three games apiece. Additionally, this also ended the season series, which finished level at 12-12. Overall, the River Cats are 6-6-5 (W-L-S) in series this season.

The River Cats go into the All-Star Break on a high note, and they will not return to the field until Friday, July 19 when Sacramento opens a brief three-game set with the Oklahoma City Comets at Sutter Health Park beginning at 6:45 p.m. (PT).