Carter's homer, game-winning hit tops Fresno
Losing 5-1 to the rival Fresno Grizzlies, Sacramento was seemingly running on fumes, having left their Salt Lake hotel at 4 a.m. Friday morning to take a flight home that landed at 11:45 a.m.
The River Cats chose rest over batting practice, and it paid off. Sacramento tied the game with four runs in the eighth inning and Chris Carter's game-winning infield single in the ninth gave Sacramento a 6-5 victory.
"The travel is always tough like today but you have to get over it," said Carter, playing his first home game since returning from a thumb injury. "The dribbler felt great, that's the game-winning hit right there."
Sacramento mustered five hits, though one was a home run from center fielder Jai Miller in the first inning, through seven innings.
Then Sacramento woke up. Eric Sogard opened the bottom of the eighth with a seeing-eye grounder up the middle that went off the shortstop's glove and into right field. Sogard advanced to second on a wild pitch. Andy LaRoche then clanked a single of the third baseman's glove, and the ball rolled far enough into left field to score Sogard.
Carter then delivered the big hit, a two-run bomb that landed on top of the clubhouse in left field.
Matt Carson joined the rally with a Texas leaguer that stayed in the air long enough for him to reach second. It was his team-leading 21st double of the season. Anthony Recker brought in Carson, lacing a double on a 3-1 pitch down the left field line to tie the game, 5-5.
In the ninth, Sogard lined a one-out single to left, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. LaRoche walked to make it first and third for Carter. The first baseman worked the count full before hitting a bouncer in front of the plate that spun away from the catcher. Carter beat out the throw and Sogard scored for a bizarre walk-off win.
For only the fourth time - first at home - the River Cats came back from trailing after seven innings. The comeback takes away from Fresno starter Matt Yourkin's terrific outing, limiting Sacramento's offense to one run on four hits, a walk and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
The Sacramento bullpen knew it would need to be stellar; one of their own made the start and was limited to a pitch count of 60. Closer-turned-starter Willie Eyre made his first start since July 5, 2009, when he pitched for the Oklahoma City RedHawks.
Eyre has done it all for the River Cats this season, working as a set-up man, long reliever (throwing 3.0 innings of relief five times), and closer (six-for-eight in save opportunities).
"I can't say enough how much he (Eyre) has been valuable to this team," pitching Coach Scott Emerson said. "He's been around long enough to take the ball and just pitch."As a starter Friday night, Eyre looked sharp through three innings, giving up only one earned run on four hits. However, in the fourth Eyre gave up a lead-off walk and single before being removed. Both runs would score. Eyre threw 57 pitches, scattering five hits and a walk in 3-plus innings of work, giving up three earned runs.
The bullpen kept the River Cats in the game. Relievers Fautino De Los Santos, Joe Bateman, Justin Souza and Vinnie Chulk combined to give up two earned runs, five hits and two walks while striking out eight Grizzlies to keep the River Cats in the game. Vinnie Chulk earned his third win of the season.
In comparison, the Grizzlies' bullpen gave up five runs and eight hits in 2.2 innings.
Bateman had arguably his best outing of the season, pitching 2.0 perfect innings and striking out four Grizzlies. Emerson described Bateman's outing as "just awesome." On Saturday, Sacramento left-hander Carlos Hernandez (3-1, 5.74) will pitch against Fresno right-hander Andrew Kown (7-5, 3.89) at Raley Field at 7:05 p.m.