Cruz Pitches Well in Chihuahuas' 8-1 Loss Saturday

Sacramento 8 El Paso 1 – Saturday
WP: McDonald (4-3)
LP: Cienfuegos (0-1)
S: None
Time: 2:21
Attn: 6,027

Sacramento starting pitcher Trevor McDonald struck out a season high nine batters in the River Cats’ 8-1 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas Saturday night at Sutter Health Park. The River Cats have won the last two games after the Chihuahuas took the first three games of the series.

Clay Dungan led off the game with a home run over the right field bullpens, El Paso’s first leadoff homer since Brett Sullivan’s on July 19, 2024 versus Sugar Land. It was the ninth time in the last 11 games and the fifth time in the last five games that El Paso scored first. Chihuahuas starter Omar Cruz pitched four shutout innings and hasn’t allowed any earned runs in eight career innings against the River Cats. Cruz hasn’t allowed any runs in eight innings over his last two starts.

Former Chihuahuas Miguel Diaz and Joey Lucchesi both threw shutout relief outings for Sacramento Saturday and former Chihuahua Daniel Johnson homered for the third straight game for the River Cats. Sacramento’s Jerar Encarnación and Grant McCray hit consecutive home runs to begin the top of the seventh, the first set of back-to-back home runs against El Paso since Brett Harris and Nick Kurtz on April 12 for Las Vegas. The Chihuahuas have gone 7-for-7 on their ABS pitch challenges over the last two games.

Box Score: Gameday: Chihuahuas 1, River Cats 8 Final Score (05/31/2025)

Team Records: El Paso (28-28), Sacramento (27-29)

Next Game: Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Mountain Time at Sutter Health Park. El Paso LHP Jackson Wolf (0-0, 4.02) vs. Sacramento RHP Carson Seymour (2-5, 3.59). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.