Cats’ Comeback Falls Short, Walked Off by Rainiers

TACOMA, Wash. – Trailing 7-1 entering the final third of the contest, the Sacramento River Cats nearly pulled off a late-game comeback that saw a clutch two-out three-run homer from Marco Luciano, but the Tacoma Rainiers homered on the first pitch in the ninth for a walk-off 10-9 victory over Sacramento on Saturday.

While the Rainiers (6-8) got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning on a Samad Taylor RBI single into left center, the River Cats (8-6) came back to knot the game at one in the top of the third on a pair of consecutive doubles. In a bit of déjà vu from yesterday, Sergio Alcántara lined a double to lead off the top of the frame, and then tonight traded places with Luciano when the latter ripped his own two-bagger down the right-field line.

That tie game did not last long as the Rainiers exploded for five runs in the home half of the third, which included another RBI from Taylor when he crushed a solo home run to left field off Sacramento starter Kyle Harrison. The southpaw Harrison would leave after the third with six runs allowed, his most since he also allowed six in his final appearance with San Francisco last season on Sept. 3, 2024. However, he did punch out five, something he has accomplished in all three of his outings this year.

Tacoma tacked on one more in the bottom of the fifth, with Tyler Lockler reaching with a single to right and later crossing the plate on a Rhylan Thomas sacrifice fly.

That score held until the River Cats’ bats woke up in the top of the seventh, dropping their own five-spot against Rainiers relievers Shintaro Fujinami and Hagen Danner. Sacramento used four hits combined with a trio of walks to pull within one, highlighted by RBI singles from Alcántara, Jake Lamb, and Max Stassi. Luciano added yet another RBI with a bases loaded walk, while David Villar chipped in a sacrifice fly.

Despite coming close, the Rainiers added a pair of insurance tallies in the bottom half of the inning when Thomas delivered a one-out, two-RBI single into right field and pushed the Tacoma advantage back up to three.

Needing to find some more magic, Luciano came back to the plate with a pair on and two outs in the top of the eighth. Sitting in a 2-2 count, Luciano hammered an offering from Danner and sent it deep over the wall in right-center field that finally brought the River Cats level at 9-9.

It was Luciano’s team-leading third home run of the season and gave him a total of five RBI in the game. He is the first River Cat to drive in five in a game since Wade Meckler drove in six against Salt Lake on Aug. 13, 2024.

Sacramento was able to shut down Tacoma in the bottom half of the inning but were unable to complete the comeback when they went down with little resistance in the top of the ninth.

That turned out to be their last chance as Taylor, who was already 2-for-2 in the game, crushed the first pitch of the ninth from Joel Peguero (0-1) over the wall in left-center field that sent Tacoma home with the walk-off 10-0 victory. Not only did that snap the four-game winning streak for the River Cats, but they suffered their first walk-off loss of the season and fell to 1-1 in such games.

Both Miguel Díaz and Sean Hjelle tossed scoreless outings for the River Cats, as Díaz worked the fourth while Hjelle tossed 1.2 late in the contest and found a way to keep the game knotted.

A trio of River Cats finished with two hits in Luciano, Alcántara and Hunter Bishop, though the highlight was Luciano with his homer and five RBI. Alcántara closed 2-for-3 with a trio of runs scored and a double, while Bishop was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Though they can no longer sweep, Sacramento will look to finish the series on a high note when the two teams meet in the finale at Cheney Stadium on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. (PT).