River Cats walk off in extras for 1-0 shutout win

Casey Kelly allows just two baserunners in seven innings

(Reid Thompson)

May 25, 2018

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA -- In their first shutout of the season, the Sacramento River Cats (23-25) stopped a four-game skid in thrilling fashion with a 1-0 walk-off win against the Las Vegas 51s (20-28).Sacramento blanked the 51s thanks to right-hander Casey Kelly, who pitched seven scoreless frames allowing just one

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA -- In their first shutout of the season, the Sacramento River Cats (23-25) stopped a four-game skid in thrilling fashion with a 1-0 walk-off win against the Las Vegas 51s (20-28).
Sacramento blanked the 51s thanks to right-hander Casey Kelly, who pitched seven scoreless frames allowing just one single and one walk. It was Kelly's best start of the season, and the first time he's allowed zero earned runs since his first start of the year on April 6.
The game was locked at zeros through nine, and due to Minor League Baseball's new pace of play rules, a runner is placed on second base to begin each extra inning. Pinch-hitter Caleb Gindl was able to sacrifice pinch-runner Jordan Schafer to third base to open the River Cats half of the tenth inning. That set up catcher Ronnie Freeman's ground ball to the shortstop, which allowed enough time for Schafer to score the winning run just ahead of Ty Kelly's throw home.
There will be a new face on the mound Friday evening for the River Cats as newly-acquired left-hander Daniel Camarena will make his Pacific Coast League debut. Camarena, who was released by the Yankees and signed by the Giants to a minor-league deal on Thursday, will face fellow lefty Brett Oberholtzer (1-4, 5.92) as Sacramento begins a five-game series with the Albuquerque Isotopes. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, and on the air on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes
• The River Cats tied a franchise record by grounding into five double plays. Their previous season high was just two, and the last time they recorded five in a game was June 12, 2014.
• Hard-throwing reliever Ray Black followed a brief 14-pitch rehab outing from Mark Melancon by striking out four of the five batters he faced, touching 100 miles per hour on the radar gun twice.
• Though Thursday's win was technically the team's second extra-inning game, it was their first nine-inning game that reached extras. Game two of the May 13 doubleheader, a game scheduled for seven innings, went one extra frame and also ended in a River Cats walk-off win.