Early Hole Too Big for Kitties to Escape, Fall 9-5

EL PASO, Tex. – Three multi-run innings in the first four frames were too much for the Sacramento River Cats to overcome on Friday, as they dropped a second straight game to the El Paso Chihuahuas behind a 9-5 final.

A day after losing their first walk-off contest of the season, the River Cats (29-21) allowed two runs in the first, four in the second and three in the fourth. Both runs in the opening frame were unearned after a fielding error at first base, as both runs scored with two outs on an RBI single to right center by Tirso Ornelas with the bases loaded.

Two walks and a bunt loaded the bases yet again in the second, with the two free passes scoring on a Brett Sullivan RBI single into center. A wild pitch forced another run home, and the Chihuahuas (20-30) struck again in with two outs when Graham Pauley hit a solo shot to right field.

Two innings later and former River Cat Bryce Johnson manufactured a run against his old team, leading off the fourth with a single before stealing second where he scored on an RBI single into left center from Sullivan. Later it was Pauley once more, hitting his second two-out solo dinger of the evening for the final El Paso run.

Sacramento responded with a pair of two-run homers in consecutive innings, starting with a two-run shot from David Villar in the top half of the fifth after Trenton Brooks singled to open the frame. It was the second homer in as many games for Villar and his third in the past four, and he is the fifth River Cat this season to homer in consecutive contests.

In the top of the sixth Tyler Fitzgerald used a similar formula to crush his sixth of the series, as he followed an Ismael Munguia single to left by sending the first pitch he saw to straightway center field. Fitzgerald has now homered in four of his five games with the River Cats this season, and he has tallied a total of 12 RBI so far in this series.

Responsible for the final run was Hunter Bishop, who collected an RBI on an RBI groundout after Munguia started the eighth with a double, his second two-bagger in the past three games.

Charged with the loss for Sacramento was starter Carson Seymour (1-4), who had his stretch of three games allowing a single earned run snapped by surrendering a season-high seven earned runs (nine total) on eight hits with four walks in 4.0 innings. He failed to strike out a batter for the first time this season, and the nine runs allowed are the most by a Sacramento hurler in 2024.

Despite that, the duo of Juan Sanchez and Tanner Andrews worked the final four innings while keeping the Chihuahuas off the scoreboard. Sanchez was first up and went 3.0 hitless innings with two walks and a punchout, while Andrews worked a clean eighth with a pair of strikeouts.

Only Villar and Munguia had multiple hits, with the former going 2-for-4 and driving in a pair thanks to his homer, while the latter was 2-for-3 and scored twice with a double.

With the series finale tomorrow, a Sacramento victory means a series win while a loss means a series split. First pitch with the Chihuahuas on Sunday is set for 5:05 p.m. (PT).