Beaty Blasts Third Homer but Aces Top Cats

RENO, Nev. – For a fourth consecutive game the Sacramento River Cats left the yard with a home run, but it could not stop the Reno Aces on Friday as they captured their third win in a row over the River Cats by an 11-3 final.

Bryce Jarvis (2-2) was in a groove early for the Aces (26-16), retiring the first eight River Cats (20-22) batters in order before a Will Wilson single in the top of the third provided their first base runner. Meanwhile, Sacramento starter Keaton Winn (0-2) limited damage in the first to one unearned run on a sacrifice fly despite seeing the bases fill up with only one out.

Winn was not as lucky in the second, as Reno rallied for four runs in the inning on a total of five hits. Much of the action came with two outs, stringing together a trio of hits that included a double combined with a walk to score three runs before the inning came to an end.

The Aces continued the offense in the third with another trio of runs, starting the frame with a solo homer by Ali Sanchez before adding the other pair of runs later in the inning on a wild pitch and RBI single from Alek Thomas. Reno scored for a fourth consecutive inning with a run in the home half of the fourth, doing so with just two at-bats courtesy a double from a double from Sanchez with Jake Hager driving him in on an RBI single.

Luis Matos earned his first Triple-A hit thanks a single through the middle in the top of the sixth after his first at-bat was robbed by Thomas on a sliding catch in center, getting on base just prior to Matt Beaty crushing his third home run of the season. This was a no-doubt blast to right field for the left-handed swinger, traveling 435 feet before finally landing past the bullpens and putting the River Cats on the scoreboard, 9-2. It marked the fourth straight game that Sacramento has homered, the second time this month they have accomplished the feat.

Right-hander Cole Waites held the Aces without a run in the fifth, striking out his first hitter before erasing a one-out single on a double play up the middle. However, Reno returned to its scoring ways with a bases loaded RBI groundout in the sixth before an RBI double from Phillip Evans in the seventh scored Buddy Kennedy all the way from first base. A highlight reel play from Matos in the sixth helped keep the score from inflating, covering over 50 feet and running 17 mph before making a diving catch towards right center to rob Sanchez from extra bases.

For a second time Matos led off an inning with a knock, driving a double to right field at the beginning of the eighth for his first Triple-A extra base hit. Despite advancing to third he was ultimately left stranded, one of nine River Cats left on base in the contest.

Sacramento did push a run across in the top of the ninth, loading the bases on singles from Ford Proctor and Michael Gigliotti along with a walk to Cal Stevenson. That set the stage for Matos with two outs, who notched another Triple-A first when he was credited with an RBI after a walk in which he took the count full. One final strikeout by the Aces pitching staff brought an end to the contest at 11-3.

While Sacramento had the bats working to the tune of 10 hits, they were only 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Four River Cats did tally multi-hit contests including Ramos ending 2-for-4 with a run, double, and RBI, as well as Beaty who was 2-for-5 highlighted by his two-run dinger. Joining that pair was Proctor by going 2-for-4 with a run, and Gigliotti made it consecutive two-hit games by closing out 2-for-3. Tossing the eighth was Clay Helvey, yielding a hit and punching out one for his first scoreless appearance since May 5.

Friday will see Sacramento attempt to end this three-game skid, as the River Cats face off against Aces from Greater Nevada Field beginning at 6:35 p.m.