Trio of home runs gives River Cats third straight win

West Sacramento, Calif. — The Sacramento River Cats (51-64) were victorious for the third straight day as three Sacramento hitters launched home runs against the Las Vegas Aviators (61-57).

Braden Bishop stretched his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning home run that put the club ahead 2-0. The leadoff centerfielder homered on Friday in a 2-for-3 performance and doubled last night after replacing Heliot Ramos in the outfield. Catcher Ronnie Freeman, making his first appearance in a game since Aug. 27, launched a two-run homer in the fifth while shortstop Mauricio Dubón cleared the fence an inning later for this fourth of the season.

On the mound, it was the Sutter Health Park debut for right-hander Ronnie Williams. The only run allowed by the River Cats all game crossed the plate after a Williams wild pitch. Otherwise, the former St. Louis Cardinals second-round pick was solid for the second straight start since joining the club from Double-A Richmond. He allowed just one hit over four innings and worked around two walks and two hit-by-pitches to limit the damage to the lone run.

Right-hander Sean Hjelle will get the ball for the River Cats and will be facing the Aviators for the first time. Looking to help put an end to the Las Vegas’s losing streak is the 6-foot, 9-inch Brian Howard, who has given up 12 runs on 24 hits in his three starts against Sacramento this season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT). Listen to Johnny Doskow call the game live online at rivercats.com or on the MiLB First Pitch app.

Additional Notes

• After going 11 games without a stolen base, outfielder Bryce Johnson has nabbed second base in back-to-back games to bring his season total to 27. Despite the 11-game gap, Johnson still leads Triple-A West by three in the stolen base category.
• Bishop’s 10-game hitting streak has been prolific, boosting his batting average from .309 to .323. During the stretch he’s 14-for-33 with three doubles and two home runs.