River Cats homer five times in slugfest defeat

Aces 11, River Cats 8

Outfielder Jaylin Davis launched his fourth homer in seven games since joining the River Cats from the San Francisco Giants on a rehab assignment. (Ralph Thompson Photo)

By Maverick Pallack

June 30, 2021

West Sacramento, Calif. — Tuesday’s series finale felt more like a home run derby, as the Sacramento River Cats (20-27) fell to the first place Reno Aces (31-17) in a back-and-forth slugfest which saw 10 home runs. The first 18 runs of the ballgame scored via the home run, with

West Sacramento, Calif. — Tuesday’s series finale felt more like a home run derby, as the Sacramento River Cats (20-27) fell to the first place Reno Aces (31-17) in a back-and-forth slugfest which saw 10 home runs.

The first 18 runs of the ballgame scored via the home run, with each team swatting five. Reno third baseman Drew Ellis and left fielder Stuart Fairchild combined for nine RBIs with two home runs each. All three Sacramento outfielders, left fielder Bryce Johnson, right fielder Braden Bishop, and center fielder Jaylin Davis, as well as shortstop Arismendy Alcántara and pinch-hitter Peter Maris, went yard.

Down 4-2 in the fourth with a runner on for Sacramento, Maris ignited a five-run onslaught with a pinch-hit, two-run home run. Five batters later, Davis launched a go-ahead three-run shot to left field, his seventh home run in 14 rehab games.

After Ellis hit a game-tying three-run home run to make it 7-7, Alcántara regained the lead for Sacramento with his own home run. Following Alcántara’s shot, Fairchild took right-hander Yunior Marte (0-1) deep for the final lead-change of the day.

Following the day off, right-hander Gerson Garabito (0-2, 3.09) will start Thursday’s series-opener at the Las Vegas Aviators. He’ll be opposed by righty Paul Blackburn (2-2, 4.56). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT). Listen to Johnny Doskow call the game online at rivercats.com or on the MiLB First Pitch app.

Additional Notes

Bishop’s homer quickly extended the River Cats’ home run streak to 13 games (June 15 through June 29), which broke a tie with the mark set earlier this season (May 30 through June 12), and is the best since Sacramento left the yard in 15 consecutive games from July 22 through August 6, 2004.
Sacramento starter Scott Kazmir walked the leadoff hitter in both the first and second. Both came home on home runs. The veteran lefty walked center fielder Jake McCarthy to start the game before Ellis swatted a two-out home run to make it 2-0. Fairchild made it 4-1 with a lined two-run shot into the Aces’ bullpen in the second. Kazmir settled down over his next two innings, finishing the night with three strikeouts, two hits (both home runs), in 4.0 innings.