River Cats rally late, drop heartbreaker to Grizzlies 6-5

The Sacramento River Cats (23-35) took a one-run lead into the ninth thanks to a Tim Federowicz three-run home run but watched it slip away in their 6-5 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies (28-32) Wednesday night at Raley Field.

The Grizzlies struck first in this one, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning off starter Tyler Beede. The River Cats answered back in their half of the frame with a run thanks to an RBI-single by Mac Williamson. Fresno tagged Beede for two more runs over his seven innings, both solo shots, and they took a 4-2 lead into the eighth.
After walks to Ryder Jones and Jae-Gyun Hwang, Federowicz stepped to the dish and launched a go-ahead, three-run homer to put Sacramento up 5-4 in the eighth. The lead was short-lived, however, as Fresno mounted a two-out rally against Sacramento's Dusten Knight and Kyle Crick, scoring twice with two outs to take a 6-5 lead. Tonight marked the seventh loss in which the River Cats outhit their opponents.
Sacramento will look to earn the series split tomorrow night in the fourth and final game. Right-hander Chris Stratton (1-3, 5.93) will get the ball for the River Cats. Right-hander David Martinez (2-3, 5.73) will take the hill for Fresno. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air on ESPN 1320.
Postgame Notes
FedEx Delivers: Catcher Tim Federowicz hit his fourth home run and had his second three-RBI game of the season…his three-run shot came with two outs…Federowicz had been 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position and two outs coming into tonight.
Beede: Giants' No.1 overall prospect Tyler Beede threw 108 pitches (60 strikes) tonight and faced 31 hitters (both team-highs)…he struck out a a season-high eight but also yielded a season-high three home runs…Beede is now 3-0 at Raley Field with a 2.88 ERA (34.1 IP, 11 ER).
Top Three:Wynton Bernard, Christian Arroyo, and Ryder Jones combined to collect eight of the team's 12 hits tonight…the first three hitters in the Sacramento lineup also each scored a run…Christian Arroyo had the lone RBI of the trio, his 15^th of the year…had his third three-hit game with the River Cats.
Early Shower: Sacramento manager Dave Brundage was ejected in the fifth inning by home plate umpire Alex Ziegler for arguing balls and strikes…it was Brundage's third ejection of the season…his last ejection came on May 12 at Colorado Springs.
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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2017 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.