Rain Soaks Cats and Spells Defeat at Hands of Rainiers

TACOMA, Wash. – Home runs from Wade Meckler and Luis Matos were not enough to help the Sacramento River Cats claim victory in a rain-soaked evening on Friday, as the Tacoma Rainiers poured on the offense throughout and left with a 15-4 victory in game four of their series.

It took four batters into the game for the River Cats (21-28/65-59) to take an early edge, putting two runs on the board after Brett Wisely doubled with one out in front of Meckler’s third blast of the season. However, the lead was short-lived as the Rainiers (29-20/72-52) countered with three tallies of their own thanks to a frame consisting of a two-RBI double by Luis Urias and a Rhylan Thomas RBI single.

Tacoma added in on the second with another multi-run inning, as they built a four-run frame on the strength of a Jason Vosler two-run blast, as well as RBI singles from Urias and Jake Slaughter. Not finished there, Tacoma added two more in the fourth on a wild pitch and another Slaughter single.

Sacramento cut back into the lead when Matos hammered his 13th homer of the season in the top of the sixth, hooking a 1-2 pitch down the line in left field. It was hardly a match for the six runs the Rainiers scored over the sixth and seventh frames, with the highlight a three-run blast in the sixth by Michael Papierski while adding on two with a Urias homer in the seventh.

The River Cats managed one final run in the top of the ninth courtesy of a Hunter Bishop RBI groundout, bringing the game to its 15-4 final. This was 17th time this season Sacramento had allowed double-digit runs, and the 15 runs allowed were their most since they surrendered 17 on the road against Albuquerque on Aug. 11. Additionally, they yielded 17 hits, the most since they also allowed 19 in that same contest against the Isotopes.

Saddled with the loss for Sacramento was starter Tristan Beck (0-1), his first decision in the fourth appearance of his current rehab assignment. It was more of a tough-luck loss for Beck, who ran into some bad luck with balls dropping in for hits leading to a final line of six earned runs allowed (seven total) on eight hits in just 1.2 innings of work, striking out and walking one each.

Only left-handers Ethan Small and Kolton Ingram tossed scoreless outings, each working one inning with Small staying clean while Ingram gave up a knock.

Though Sacramento had nine hits in the contest, only Hunter Bishop had a multi-knock game as he was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Thanks to their homers, Meckler and Matos each have a home-run streak going as Matos is now the second River Cat to homer in three straight games this season (also: Tyler Fitzgerald), while Meckler became the 10th River Cat to leave the yard in back-to-back games.

This four-game set is once again leveled, this time at two games apiece, and both teams will look to gain an edge when they line up for game six of this series on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. (PT).