Sacramento Slugs Three Homers Once Again, Downs Salt Lake 6-5

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Power continued to be on display by the Sacramento River Cats in the second game of the series against the Salt Lake Bees, as Sacramento slugged a trio of home runs for the second consecutive day including the first AAA home runs by Tyler Fitzgerald and Patrick Bailey to power the River Cats to a 6-5 victory on Wednesday.

In a somewhat similar script to yesterday’s series opener, the Bees (15-20) were the first to reach the scoreboard, but this time they put up a crooked number in the top of the second. Following a first in which both teams went down in order, Salt Lake was able to get to River Cats’ (17-18) righty Kade McClure just two batters into his appearance in the second inning following opener Daniel Tillo.

It all was started by Michael Stefanic, who singled and immediately stole second to put himself in scoring position, crossing the plate a few pitches later on an RBI single from former River Cat Kevin Padlo.

Just when it looked as if McClure could get Sacramento out of the inning with limited damage thanks to a couple of quick outs, up stepped Jack Lopez to deliver a tailing two-out, two-RBI double down the left field line to make the score 3-0.

Not wasting any time, the River Cats cut into the deficit starting in the second when Matt Beaty opened the frame with a ground rule double that bounced over the wall in the right field corner. Colton Welker stayed hot in the month of May with his ninth hit in six games, which moved Beaty over to third and allowed him to score in the subsequent at-bat on a sacrifice fly by Clint Coulter.

Continuing the power surge that started in yesterday’s contest where Sacramento hit three home runs in a single game for the first time this season, Bryce Johnson lifted off with his first homer of the year on a mammoth shot deep over the left field fence.

Before the River Cats could get all the way back, the Bees added a measure of insurance in the top of the fourth when Lopez produced his second RBI knock of the game, this time a single into right field that scored Zack Humphries just ahead of the throw home. Making his AAA debut was Humphries, who had reached second on a ground rule double for his first AAA hit.

Sacramento was able to get that run back in their half of the frame, but while it seemed as if the River Cats were ready to produce a big inning after each of the first two batters were hit by a pitch, a double play left just a runner 90 feet from home with two away. Still standing at third was Beaty, who crossed the plate on an RBI single into center from Colter.

Taking the place of McClure in the fifth was Tanner Andrews, who punched out the first two batters he faced and then received a bit of help from Cal Stevenson in left field when Stevenson was able to rise up at the wall and save a potential home run to close the inning.

That defensive play fired up the River Cats offense, with Sacramento taking their first lead of the game in the bottom part of the inning thanks to the first AAA home run for Fitzgerald. Two quick outs had the Bees on the precipice of retiring the side in order for the first time since the first, but a two-out walk to Stevenson was able to get Fitzgerald in the box for his blast to center to put Sacramento up 5-4.

However, the lead was brief as the top of the sixth saw Padlo lift a ball that that just made it over the left field wall, knotting the score once again at 5-5. In his final inning of work, Bees’ starter Jake Kalish was able to end his outing as he started, putting the side down in order while keeping the game tied.

Chris Wright entered for the River Cats as the game moved into the seventh with one out and none on, and though he issued a pair of two-out walks, was able to escape the jam. That score would hold into the bottom of the eighth, as the River Cats went quietly in the seventh while Salt Lake had only a two-out walk in the eighth.

The pattern continued to hold with a pair of quick outs in the Sacramento eighth, but the game was untied in a matter of seconds thanks to a no-doubt blast by Bailey when he jumped the yard with a shot to right center. Much like Fitzgerald, it was the first AAA home run for Bailey in just his ninth game with Sacramento.

Needing just three outs to close out a second straight win and their seventh in the past nine games, right-hander Nick Avila (4-0) returned to the mound for a second inning and retired the first two batters he faced. Coming to the plate in a clutch, two-out situation was one of the hottest hitters on the Bees in Jo Adell, but the River Cats countered with the hard-throwing Ryan Walker (S, 1).

Following a lengthy at-bat which included a pitch clock violation by Adell, the game finally ended when Walker was able to get Adell looking for a one-out save, Walker’s first of the season. It also extended Walker’s scorelessappearance streak to six games, as he has not allowed a run in five consecutive innings. Taking the loss for the Bees was Zack Weiss (2-1), as he surrendered the go-ahead shot to Bailey.

Just a day removed from their first three-homer game of the season, Sacramento repeated the feat today to bump their season total to 23. Each of the six homers in the past two days came from different River Cats.

In all, Sacramento ended the contest efficiently with six runs on six hits, with four of the six going for extra bases. Producing a pair of RBI each on the day was the duo of Fitzgerald and Coulter, with Fitzgerald’s coming on his blast while Coulter got the job done with a sacrifice fly in addition to his RBI base knock. Pushing his season-long hitting streak to six games was Beaty, as he went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.

Tomorrow will see the River Cats go for a third straight victory over the Bees, with first pitch between the two squads tossed at 6:45 p.m. from Sutter Health Park.