Big Innings Late Help Cats End Series on High Note

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Held without a run through the first two-thirds of the contest on Sunday, the Sacramento River Cats’ bats woke up in their final two sets of swings that included a go-ahead three-run blast by Hunter Bishop that ended Sacramento’s series with the Oklahoma City Comets on a winning note, 6-2.

It took until the seventh inning for the River Cats (2-4/38-43) to put multiple runners on base in the same inning, and it just so happened to come right in front of the go-ahead dinger from Bishop. Waiting in an 0-2 count, Bishop connected on a ball that just barely cleared the fence in right center, marking his fifth blast of the season but his first since April 30 (33 games).

That opened the flood gates as the River Cats struck for three more in the eighth, two of which came on the fifth homer of the campaign from Grant McCray. Stuck in an 0-for-19 stretch, McCray busted out in a big way when he hammered a 2-2 offering over the bullpens in right field for the final runs of the day.

Just prior to the McCray blast was Luis Matos coming up clutch, singling home Sergio Alcántara who had snapped an 0-for-20 span with a double to left center to open the frame.

The comeback was necessary after the Comets (4-2/50-31) staked an early advantage, scoring once in the first when James Outman singled and later scored on a Ryan Ward knock into right field. Meanwhile, they doubled their lead to 2-0 in the sixth after another Outman hit, this time a two-bagger into left-center field, ended up scoring on a Kody Hoese single up the middle.

Pitching well in the contest was Carson Whisenhunt, though he was never in line for a winning decision after receiving no run support prior to leaving. In 5.2 innings he allowed only two runs, scattering six hits while walking three and punching out five.

Trent Harris (1-1) took over and recorded the final out of the sixth before keeping his sheet clean in the seventh, picking up his first career Triple-A victory after walking one and striking out two. Entering in a one-run game was Tristan Beck (S, 2), and though the lead grew to four in the eighth, still earned his second save of the season with two hitless frames plus one walk and strikeout.

Only Bishop had multiple knocks in the contest, his third straight multi-hit game in which he is now batting .600 (6-for-10) with four runs scored, two doubles, one homer, and seven RBI. The duo of Matos and McCray finished 1-for-4 with a run scored, with Matos earning one RBI to the two of McCray, while the duo of Wade Meckler and Alcántara both were 1-for-3 with the latter scoring once.

Sacramento will look to rebound next week, which will be a pair of three-game sets with the Reno Aces that begins in Sacramento on Tuesday, July 1 at 6:45 p.m. (PT) from Sutter Health Park.