Five-Run Ninth Ices Game for Sacramento on Saturday

SALT LAKE CITY – A five-run ninth inning was the cherry on top of an otherwise outstanding game, as the Sacramento River Cats plated five in their final at-bats of a 9-3 victory over the Salt Lake Bees in game five of their series on Saturday.

While the whole offense found a way to contribute for the River Cats (36-38), it was Luis Matos who was the primary factor as he fell a triple shy of the cycle while reaching base safely six times. It started with a double in the first, but he was ultimately left stranded after a trio of strikeouts.

Sacramento made the Bees (28-45) pay for a pair of walks in the second, with both coming around to score on a Wade Meckler two-out RBI single. Matos joined him with an RBI knock of his own, giving him his first RBI in the contest.

Salt Lake struck back for a tally in the home half of the third, turning a double from Tucker Flint into a run on a groundout by Yolmer Sánchez.

Matos struck again in the fifth, kicking off the frame with his third homer of the season when he turned around a 1-1 pitch into right-center for the first run of the frame. Grant McCray followed that with a single, scoring all the way from first on a double down the right-field line from Bryce Eldridge.

Again the Bees managed a single tally in response, doing so in the bottom of the sixth when Matthew Lugo hit his own solo big fly to right field on a 0-2 pitch.

That hardly mattered to the River Cats, who managed five tallies in the top of the ninth that was scored on just two hits and five walks. Devin Mann had the biggest tally in the frame, breaking open the four-run contest when he doubled home both Marco Luciano and Logan Porter with only one out.

The Bees gave it one last shot in the bottom of the ninth, and started to build a comeback attempt as Niko Kavadas left the yard for his team-leading 13th blast of the season (solo homer). Salt Lake would eventually put a pair on with two outs, but Scott Alexander entered and tossed one pitch to shut the door.

Earning his third win of the season was Carson Ragsdale (3-3), who drew the start and was excellent by yielding only two runs (one homer) on three hits in six innings, the latter of which was his season high.

Matos closed his night 4-for-4, scoring once and driving in three thanks to his double and homer. Grant McCray was 2-for-5 and scored a run and pair of RBI, while four others logged just a single hit in their trip to the plate. Closing his game 2-for-3 with a double and RBI was Bryce Eldridge, his third straight and fourth multi-hit effort in his past five games. However, he exited the game upon reaching second base after logging his third double in as many games.

This win has clinched Sacramento at minimum a series split, and the River Cats will aim for the win on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. (PT).