Sacramento Stops Slide with Close 5-3 Victory Over El Paso

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For a second straight game the Sacramento River Cats took a lead with a three-run frame, this time dropping a trio of runs in the fourth and making the lead last over the final four frames for a 5-3 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas on Friday.

In all four games of the series the Chihuahuas (28-27) have struck for the game’s first run, plating one in the second when a Yonathan Perlaza double and Tirso Ornelas double put a pair in scoring position, allowing Perlaza to score on a Brosseau sacrifice fly.

Shortly after the River Cats (26-29) countered in the home half of the third, starting the inning with a Sergio Alcántara single into left. A ground out moved him up to second where he scored easily on an Andrew Knizner double into right center.

The bottom of the fourth was the big inning of the night for Sacramento, putting six of the first seven batters in the inning on base. Brett Wisely singled in front of a Devin Mann walk, and both scored on a one-out Hunter Bishop single through the right side of the infield. Bishop did not have to wait long on base, moving to second on an Alcántara walk where he was driven home on a Wade Meckler single into left center.

One half-inning later and the Chihuahuas swiped back a pair of runs, doing so on a loud crack of the bat from a former River Cat. Sitting in a full count with a runner at first, Johnson hammered the offering deep over the wall in left field that landed on top of the clubhouse ad brought El Paso within one.

Insurance was added for Sacramento in the bottom of the frame, answering with a home run of their own thanks to the bat of Daniel Johnson. After mashing a three-run dinger yesterday, Johnson left the yard again today in solo fashion to become the third River Cat this season to hit a homer in consecutive games (last: Brett Wisely, April 4-5).

That wound up being the game’s final run, as the pitching was mostly sharp throughout by both teams. Sacramento starter Carson Whisenhunt (6-3) claimed his fourth consecutive win, allowing just three runs on six hits in five innings. Though he struck out only four, he walked just one and left after 84 pitches (60 strikes).

Three Sacramento relievers combined to not allow a run and three base runners in four combined innings, the first of which was Sean Hjelle. Taking over in the sixth, he tossed a pair of scoreless innings, walking one without a hit and two strikeouts for his second hold of the year. Ryan Watson captured his first hold by tossing a perfect eighth with a punchout, while Justin Garza converted his sixth save in seven chances after allowing one hit and one walk.

Johnson ended with his second three-hit game with Sacramento, going 3-for-4 with a run, double, homer and an RBI. A whopping 12 of his 25 hits with Sacramento have gone for extra bases with five doubles, two triples, and five homers. Wisely also had a multi-effort at 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Knizner was 1-for-3 with a double and RBI.

The River Cats still trail in the series three games to one, and they will continue to work towards a series split when the two teams take the field for game five on Saturday at 6:37 p.m. (PT) from Sutter Health Park.