McCray Homers Again, but “Home” River Cats Drop Contest in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. – While Grant McCray continued his momentum from Sunday, the Sacramento River Cats otherwise could not get much going as a McCray solo homer in the bottom of the seventh was Sacramento’s only run in a 2-1 loss as the designated home team in Washington against the Tacoma Rainiers.

Tuesday’s series opener breezed through many of the early innings, with only one run scored that came as a result of a throwing error by River Cats (31-33) starter Carson Ragsdale. A Nick Dunn single and a Samad Taylor walk set the stage for the Rainiers (30-34), but it was an errant throw to first by Ragsdale that allowed the first of those two runners to score.

It took until the seventh for Sacramento to answer, doing so in similar fashion as their four runs in the series finale against Sugar Land as Grant McCray crushed his third homer in the past two games. This blast traveled 415 feet and left the bat at 105.8 mph and means that McCray has driven in each of the past five River Cats runs on a homer.

However, that stood as the only tally for Sacramento. Neither team threatened much in the eighth setting up a ninth-inning showdown, one where the Rainiers used a one out walk and a Spencer Packard single to put a pair on. That walk drawn by Harry Ford snapped a streak of 19 straight hitters retired by Sacramento hurler Juan Mercedes (1-3) going back to his last outing Wednesday in Sugar Land.

Unfortunately, that was a sign of things to come as a double in the next at-bat by Tyler Locklear provided the game-winning run. Sacramento put up little resistance in the ninth inning, managing only one runner against Jesse Hahn.

Mercedes was charged with the loss after allowing just the one run in 4.2 innings, his second straight outing tossing 4.2 frames in relief which is the longest outing by a River Cats reliever in 2025.

The Sacramento offense found it tough to work in the early going facing off against Logan Gilbert, who was making his third rehab start with the Rainiers this season. It was the first time he held an opponent to zero runs, and he allowed just two batters over the minimum (one hit, one walk) while striking out six.

Thanks to a single in the ninth, McCray ended his night 2-for-4 with his seventh big fly of the season. He is just the fourth River Cat to homer in consecutive games, with the last to do so being Daniel Johnson on May 29 and May 31. Meanwhile, Luis Matos logged the other Sacramento knock with a double and finished 1-for-4.

Sacramento will look to draw level when these two teams meet for game two of the series tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. (PT).