Sacramento Leads Entire Way, Earns 4-1 Win Over Sugar Land 

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Timely hitting and solid pitching were once more a successful recipe to obtain a win for the Sacramento River Cats, winding up on the victorious side of a 4-1 final against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in game three on Thursday.

The River Cats (63-77) opened their swings in the first with a knock from Tyler Fitzgerald, and he later proved to be the game’s first run with situational hitting by Sacramento. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Heliot Ramos used a productive ground ball out to move Fitzgerald to third where he scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Trenton Brooks.

On the other side of the ball, Sacramento starter Joe Ross was making his first start of the season after being activated from the injured list and was sharp early. After erasing a leadoff Space Cowboys (55-86) walk in the first on a double play, he quickly moved through the second and stranded a two-out double by bookending the inning with strikeouts.

Ross ran into a bit of a jam in the third and was lifted for Sean Hjelle (3-6) while leaving a pair of runners on with one out. After a walk to load the bases, Hjelle kept his composure and induced a pair of groundouts to escape the jam.

In the bottom half of the frame Hjelle was rewarded with some insurance runs courtesy of Fitzgerald, who made a bit of Sacramento history when he launched an 0-2 pitch into the bullpens in right field for a two-run blast. Despite already reaching the 20-20 club for the overall season, that dinger put Fitzgerald in the 20-20 club for home runs and steals (25) in a River Cats uniform, making him the first to do so since Jarrett Parker clubbed 23 homers and swiped 20 bags in the 2015 campaign.

Over the next few innings Hjelle remained in control, allowing just one run over his 5.2 innings of relief while also scattering four hits. The lone run that scored came courtesy of a home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning from Andrew Knapp that cleared the wall in left-center field.

Hjelle’s appearance carried the game to the ninth inning where he exited in favor of Erik Miller, who issued one walk but worked an otherwise easy inning which included a strikeout for his 12th save of the season.

Miller’s effort preserved the winning effort for Hjelle, his third of the season, who closed with a final line of just one run allowed on four hits with a pair of punchouts. Meanwhile, Ross allowed just a pair of hits while also walking two and striking out three in 2.1 innings. Taking the loss for Sugar Land was Brandon Bielak (1-4), who was charged with three earned runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.

Fitzgerald ended the contest with his 32nd multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI from his homer. Also closing out with a pair of hits in his return to Sacramento was Joey Bart, who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Sacramento now holds a 2-1 edge in the series and will look earn at least a series split tomorrow in game four of the series which takes place at 6:45 p.m. from Sutter Health Park.