Rally pants help Sacramento claw past Reno
The 241-pound relief pitcher, who has been on the disabled list since May 27, trotted out to coach first base in the eighth inning wearing skin-tight rally pants. With Sacramento trailing the Reno Aces 6-5, Kilby had gone back into the clubhouse to squeeze into a pair of pants that would better fit a West Sacramento little leaguer.
By the end of the inning, Kilby was jogging awkwardly back to the dugout - let's just say there wasn't much breathing room - after Sacramento had scored three runs en route to an 8-6 victory Thursday night at Raley Field.
Adam Heether and Michael Taylor opened the eighth inning with opposite-field singles, both slapping Kilby with high fives after reaching safely. Steve Tolleson followed with a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line to put runners at second and third for Wimberly. The River Cats left fielder, in his first at-bat after replacing Coco Crisp in the outfield, sliced an opposite-field double into the left-field corner to give Sacramento the lead. Eric Sogard followed with a single to score Wimberly.
"It's awesome to be able to get a big hit like that," Wimberly said. "I could feel the crowd right away. Everyone wants the opportunity to be the big guy. I just happened to get that opportunity, and I took advantage of it."
After scoring five runs in the first three innings, Sacramento batters collected only one hit between the fourth and seventh innings. That's when Kilby found it necessary to, with the help of a clubhouse manager, cram his legs into a lucky set of trousers.
Jon Hunton (4-1, 3.12), who currently leads all Pacific Coast League relief pitchers in fan voting for the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game, earned the victory by recording the final four outs.
Matt Carson went 3-for-4 for Sacramento with two doubles and two RBIs. Crisp, on a rehab assignment with Sacramento, went 0-for-3 with a walk and his first stolen base in three games with Sacramento.
With the four-game sweep of Reno, Sacramento has won seven of nine overall and eight in a row against the Aces.
"We're starting to gel together as a team, build some chemistry," Wimberly said. "We are really starting to perform and that's what's helping us get wins."