Sacramento Stuns in Series Opener, Earns Extra-Innings Win Over Sugar Land

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Down to their final set of swings, Bryce Eldridge launched a three-run blast that tied the game for the Sacramento River Cats and forced extra innings where Drew Gilbert played the hero by driving home the winning run for a 10-9 Sacramento win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in their series opener.

Tuesday’s contest had a little bit of everything, including pitching as right-hander Blade Tidwell made his San Francisco organization debut and started off hot by striking out the side in the top of the first with one walk mixed in. That was a sign of things to come, as Tidwell struck out eight over his first four frames, and checked out after five frames and nine total strikeouts.

An Eldridge RBI knock in the third helped the River Cats (19-15/55-54) counter a Space Cowboys (14-17/53-53) tally from the second, but Sugar Land struck for the next four runs with one in the fifth and three in the sixth to regain the advantage.

In one half-inning Sacramento closed the gap, immediately loading the bases in the sixth with singles from Eldridge and Wisely while Jesus Rodriguez walked. Marco Luciano worked a free pass of his own to force home the first run of the frame, but the highlight was a grand slam from Logan Porter that just cleared the wall in center field.

That was the seventh Sacramento grand slam of the season, but the third in the professional career of Porter. All three of his grand slams have come in the month of August, the first in 2021 while his last came in the 2024 season with Syracuse.

Sugar Land was ready to respond, plating two in each the seventh and eighth to once again rebuild their lead yet again to three runs. Shay Whitcomb and Logan Davidson delivered knocks in the seventh, while Whitcomb struck again for a two-RBI double in the eighth.

Gilbert set the stage in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff triple, ripping a ball into the left-center gap and sliding in just ahead of the tag for his second three-bagger as a River Cat. Tyler Fitzgerald singled immediately after, but Gilbert had to hold at third as the ball deflected off a glove and remained close to the infield.

Stepping up was Eldridge, who has delivered clutch moments but did so yet again on Tuesday. Sitting in a 1-1 count, Eldridge lifted a ball the opposite way that continued to carry until it flew over the wall for a game-tying three-run home run. That homer came from one of Sacramento’s hottest hitters as Eldridge has homered in three straight games, the second River Cat to do so this season along with Daniel Johnson.

For Eldridge, each of his last four homers have travelled to the opposite field, giving him five for the season which ranks third on Sacramento behind the six of both Grant McCray and Marco Luciano. Additionally, it was Eldridge’s eighth blast since the All-Star Break, which is the most in Triple-A in that time, as are his 26 RBI after he totaled another four tonight.

Miguel Día (3-1) kept the pressure on by working a scoreless 10th frame, allowing the River Cats to deliver their fifth walk-off and extra-innings win of the season. A perfectly laid bunt by Logan Porter moved the free runner Wade Meckler up to third, but it hardly mattered as Gilbert blasted a ball into the right-center gap that rolled to the wall for the 10-9 Sacramento victory.

Each of the final three Sacramento relievers tossed scoreless outings in Ryan Watson, Helcris Olivárez and Díaz, and the trio combined to allow one hit (Ryan Watson) while striking out four (two each for Olivárez and Díaz). The win belonged to Díaz, who struck out two of the three batters he faced.

In addition to keeping the game alive, Eldridge finished his night 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI thanks to his homer. Gilbert logged his third straight two-hit game with the River Cats and is a combined 6-for-12 (.500) since joining the team at the trade deadline, while Brett Wisely also recorded a pair of hits by going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Following a three hour and 40 minute contest, the two teams will have little time to regroup as they meet again for game two of this series at Sutter Health Park beginning at 6:45 p.m. (PT).