Four-Run First Sets Sacramento on Route to Victory, 5-3

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A four-run first inning and a dominant start from southpaw Carson Whisenhunt were the recipe for success for the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday, as they topped the Salt Lake Bees in their series opener by a 5-3 final.

The River Cats (19-21) were ready to go from the start, kicked off by a pair of rehabbing San Francisco Giants as both Tyler Fitgerald and Casey Schmitt started the contest with a single. For Fitzgerald it was an infield single, and he scored from second two batters later on an RBI knock by Grant McCray.

After a McCray swipe of second and a Marco Luciano walk, Daniel Johnson earned his first RBI of the day by working a bases loaded walk that scored Schmitt. Later in the frame, Devin Mann and Jake Lamb both picked up an RBI on a groundout.

Sacramento chased Bees (15-24) starting pitcher Caden Dana (3-3) from the game after he only recorded one out in the first while allowing the four runs, his shortest start ever in his professional career. He failed to strike out a batter, the first time he had done so in a start since his time with the ACL Angels in the rookie league.

At that point the contest was all about Whisenhunt (3-3), who dominated in the early going by retiring each of the first 10 hitters he faced until a Carter Kieboom single in the fourth. Whisenhunt danced around a bit of danger in the seventh inning but ultimately checked out after scattering three hits with nine strikeouts over seven strong.

This was the third straight game in which Whisenhunt tossed 7.0 innings, making him the first River Cat to do so since Andrew Suárez accomplished the feat in four straight games from July 27 through Aug. 12 in the 2017 campaign. He also struck out nine batters without a walk for the second time this year, making him the first to accomplish that feat twice in a season since Joan Gregorio did it on July 22 (nine strikeouts) and July 29 (10 strikeouts) in the 2017 season.

During the home half of the sixth the River Cats added an insurance tally, as Johnson left the yard for his second homer of the year on the first pitch he saw. This was the second homer of the year for Johnson with Sacramento, and of his seven total hits with the River Cats, five have gone for extra bases (one double, one triple, three homers).

Trouble started to brew for the River Cats in the top of the ninth as the Bees tried to stage a comeback, as a walk and double from J.D. Davis two batters into the frame snapped Sacramento’s shutout bid. Three consecutive walks, two by Tristan Beck and one by Justin Garza (S, 4) brought home a run, and the Bees made it one more on a sacrifice fly from Zach Humphreys.

However, Garza was able to lock in and strand the tying run on base for his fourth save of the season. The win was the third of the season for Whisenhunt, who has now leveled his record at 3-3.

Only McCray had a multi-hit game, his third in a row as the speedy outfield is a combined 7-for-11 (.636) with seven runs scored, two doubles, five RBI and three walks in that time. Outside of the rehabbing Giants and Johnson, the other hit belonged to Lamb who was 1-for-3 with an RBI, walk and strikeout.

Game two of this series gets underway from Sutter Health Park on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. (PT).