Cats Avoid Shutout but Fall 5-1

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For a second straight game the Sacramento River Cats were staring down a shutout heading into the ninth inning, and though they managed to scrape together a run, the Salt Lake Bees captured game three of the series by a 5-1 final.

Despite being saddled with the loss, River Cats (9-9) starter Mason Black (0-1) was in a groove for most of his outing, striking out 10 batters while walking two over five innings. The 10 punchouts are the most in a game by a River Cats starter this season and were the most since Carson Whisenhunt also struck out 10 on Sept. 22, 2024 against Las Vegas.

Black allowed just two runs in those five innings, the first of which came on a solo home run with two outs in the second inning from Chad Stevens that barely cleared the wall in right field. Two innings later in the fourth was when Black yielded his other run, again coming from Stevens with two outs in the frame on a single into left field.

Joey Lucchesi took over in the sixth and allowed a two-run home run to Carter Kieboom, a two-run shot to left field that doubled the Bees (9-9) lead to 4-0. Insurance was added in the ninth from Zach Humphreys on a double into left field that scored Yolmer Sánchez, who had reached with a one-out single into center.

Sacramento’s run was scored without an RBI on the play, as Brett Auerbach singled up the middle on a ball that bounced off pitcher Carl Edwards Jr.’s glove, but an error by shortstop Stevens when he tried a barehand pickup allowed David Villar to race home from third.

Villar was one of the top River Cats at the dish, closing his night 2-for-4 and extending his team-leading hit streak to seven games in which he is batting .448 (13-for-29). Overall, he now has hits in 13 of his 14 games played and is batting .377 (20-for-53) in that time.

Even in the losing effort the River Cats struck out 16 batters, a new season-high and their most since they struck out 18 at home against Tacoma on May 4, 2024. Sacramento has struck out double-digit batters in 11 of 18 games this season (61.1 percent) and have struck out 13 or more batters in consecutive games for the first time since May 26-28, 2024 against El Paso (5/26/24, 15) and Tacoma (5/28/24, 13).

Four other River Cats collected hits in the contest including Logan Porter, who ended 1-for-4 with a double for the second consecutive game.

Sacramento now trails Salt Lake 2-1 in the series and will look to draw even in game four of the set at 6:45 p.m. from Sutter Health Park on Friday.