River Cats split Friday night doubleheader with Grizzlies

West Sacramento, Calif. - It was an up and down evening for the Sacramento River Cats (19-22), who earned a victory in the front end of the doubleheader behind Dereck Rodríguez, then dropped game two to the Fresno Grizzlies (22-19) in extras on a walk-off homer from Nationals top prospect Carter Kieboom.
In game one, right-hander Dereck Rodriguez made his first start for the River Cats since being optioned by the San Francisco Giants on May 11. Rodriguez made nine starts with Sacramento in 2018, going 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in 50.1 innings. On Friday he picked up a win while tossing six innings of two-run ball, striking out four batters. He was even better at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three doubles, three runs scored, and an RBI.
Game two was shaping up to be a pitcher's duel until the River Cats broke out for five runs in the fourth inning. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and third baseman Austin Slater launched home runs in the inning, giving Sacramento a 5-1 lead. The Grizzlies would claw back, however, to force extras. In the second extra frame, Slater doubled in two to put Sacramento up 8-6 but infielder Carter Kieboom blasted a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom half to split the doubleheader.
Right-hander Enderson Franco (1-1, 7.76) will take the ball for the River Cats on Saturday in game three of five, while the Grizzlies will counter with righty Scott Copeland (2-1, 6.27). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT). Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, or on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes
• River Cats' pitchers had just one hit in 30 at bats coming into game one on Friday night, then right-hander Dereck Rodriguez picked up a double in each of his three at bats. Three doubles is the most for a River Cats player in a game this season.
• Friday night was the Sacramento's first extra-inning game on the road this season and sixth overall. They are now 3-3 in extra-inning ballgames.
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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. Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the River Cats' 20th season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). The only place to guarantee official River Cats tickets is at www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.