River Cats win in 11th, 3.0 games back entering break
With a 5-4, 11th-inning win over Portland on Sunday, the River Cats will enter the Pacific Coast League All-Star break with a record of 50-41. The Cats enter the break having won 14 of their last 17 games.
Adam Heether was the hero Sunday, hitting a bases-loaded single off reliever Adam Russell in the 11th inning to score Jeff Baisley for the victory.
"It feels great getting the big hit," Heether said. "When it comes down to it, we're in extra innings, and the game is on the line. I was excited to have that opportunity and that I got a good pitch to hit."
Heether and Russell's encounter was a bit of a mental battle, dating back to an earlier encounter when the two faced off Thursday night.
"The first night (Thursday) he threw a fastball in and I got him for a double," Heether said. "We ended up winning that game so I figured he wasn't going to come in there. I thought he was going to start me off with a slider, but he ended up leaving a fastball right there and I was able to get a barrel onto it."
Russell gave up a lead-off single to Baisley into left-center. Steve Tolleson hit a bloop shot into left, advancing Baisley to third. Michael Taylor drew a full-count walk to load the bases before Heether's walk-off hit.
With a Fresno 6-4 loss against host Tacoma on Sunday, Sacramento is now 3.0 games back of the first-place Grizzlies heading into the break. Over the first half of the season, Sacramento scored 501 runs, good for fourth in the Pacific Coast League. Chris Carter led the team in home runs (19) and RBIs (64).
"I thought we had a good half," Carter said. "We started off kind of slow, but we got better."
Catcher Josh Donaldson played in 66 games for the Cats and posted a .471 slugging percentage, earning his way to the Triple-A All-Star Game.
"The second half of the first half was a lot better," Donaldson said. "I think that we are right where we want to be. We just need to keep playing and keep winning."
Sunday's game became a nail-biter in the ninth when reliever Jamey Wright entered with a 4-1 lead. Craig Cooper led off with a single to center field. Anthony Contreras hit a sharp liner to left field. Heether dove for the ball, but dropped it on the landing putting runners on first and second.
Chris Stewart doubled down the left-field line to score Cooper. Craig Stansberry followed with a single to right field to bring home Contreras. Wright was taken out in favor of Michael Benacka. Benacka gave up a bunt single to Luis Durango to load the bases with no one out and a one-run lead.
Sean Kazmar then popped up to give the Cats some breathing room. Cedric Hunter hit a ground ball into the hole at second, scoring Stewart. Mike Baxter grounded out to end the inning in a 4-4 tie.
Both teams were scoreless in the 10th. Portland blew a good scoring opportunity in the 11th when Stewart led the inning off with a walk. Stansberry moved Stewart to second with a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Fernando Hernandez struck out Durango and then Forced Kazmar to line out to Wimberly in center for the third out.
Making the start for the River Cats was Tyson Ross, who was sent down July 7 from the Oakland Athletics. The start was his first with the River Cats this year, and his first start ever at the Triple-A level. With the A's, Ross posted a 5.19 ERA in 28 appearances, including two starts.
Ross was removed on a tight pitch count with two outs in the third inning, relieved by Kyle Middleton. Ross allowed no runs and one hit, an infield single to Luis Durango in the first. He struck out and walked three batters each.
The Cats offense started off poorly in the first with a messy inning. Wimberly led off the game with a walk, but was then caught stealing at second by Stewart. Eric Sogard followed with an infield single, but was picked off at first by Portland starter Cesar Carillo. Carter walked and Dallas McPherson ended the inning on a groundout.
Contreras had a bad second inning at third base that resulted in three Sacramento runs. First, Contreras committed an error that allowed Steve Tolleson to reach first. Then Taylor hit a low line drive that ate Contreras up, giving Taylor a double and allowing Tolleson to advance to third.
Heether drove both runners home with a double into the left-field corner. The Cats added the second run on a well-executed hit-and-run. Heether took off for third, opening up the left side hole for catcher Jared Price. Price nailed the next pitch nto the hole, brining home Heether.
Sacramento spoiled a good scoring opportunity in the fifth. Price led off with a double, and advanced to third on a Wimberly sacrifice bunt. But Price would not score after Sogard hit a comebacker to Carillo, and Carter lined out to Contreras.
The River Cats' shutout hopes ended in the seventh. Contreras doubled into the right-field corner and advanced to third on a Stewart bunt single. Middleton nearly worked out of it after Craig Stansberry lined out to Sogard at second and then Stewart was picked off first. But Durango managed another infield single, a high hopper into the hole at short that brought home Contreras.
Wimberly bashed his second home run of the season in the seventh, a solo shot that bounced off the right-field foul pole.
Middleton finished his work after 4.1 innings. He allowed only one earned run and walked no batters. He struck out four and allowed seven hits. Carillo finished with 7.0 innings, four runs on nine hits and two walks.
After the All-Star break, the Cats start a 12-game road trip against the Salt Lake Bees, Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Tacoma Rainers. The All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in Alletown, Pennsylvania. River Cats Josh Donaldson and Clay Mortensen will be playing in the game.
"I'm excited," Donaldson said after the game. "It's going to be a long flight over there. I'm kind of ready to go over there and get it over with. Have fun and then get back to playing the regular season."