Whisenhunt Carves Way to PCL Pitcher of the Week Honor
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt shut down the Salt Lake Bees in his only appearance last week, matching his season best in strikeouts with nine over six clean frames to be named the PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 15-20. The East Carolina product was in a
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt shut down the Salt Lake Bees in his only appearance last week, matching his season best in strikeouts with nine over six clean frames to be named the PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 15-20.
The East Carolina product was in a groove from the very start on Saturday night, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced. Only one hit was allowed by Whisenhunt, a leadoff double in the fourth inning that was stranded at second base. Only those two base runners reached against the left-hander, facing two over the minimum and ending with his second quality start of the season.
Those nine punchouts matched his season high which he did in his debut at Sutter Health Park against the Albuquerque Isotopes on March 30, and they are one shy of his Triple-A career best of 10 that he did twice in 2024. Of the nine strikeouts, five came with his 70-grade changeup which is ranked the best in the Minor Leagues by MLB Pipeline, giving him a total of 16 strikeouts with the off-speed pitch this season.
This is the first Triple-A weekly honor in Whisenhunt’s career, though he was once named the NWL Pitcher of the Month for May 2023. However, this marks the second PCL Pitcher of the Week award for a River Cat in 2025, as he joins a fellow Carson in right-hander Carson Seymour who earned the honor on April 7, 2025.
Overall, this is the third weekly recognition of the season for Sacramento, as Brett Auerbach was named the PCL Player of the Week in the opening weekend of the year from March 28-30. The River Cats are now just one shy of the four weekly honors they earned in 2024 when Mason Black (4/15/24) and Tommy Romero (6/10/24) were PCL Pitchers of the Week while Tyler Fitzgerald (5/27/24) and Luis Matos (6/17/24) were PCL Players of the Week.
Sacramento hits the road for a six-game set at the El Paso Chihuahuas beginning on Tuesday, meaning the next chance to see Carson Whisenhunt and the rest of the River Cats at Sutter Health Park comes on Tuesday, April 29 when Sacramento welcomes the Reno Aces to town for a six-game series. To purchase individual tickets, visit rivercats.com. If interested in booking a suite or hospitality space, email tickets@rivercats.com or reach a River Cats ticket representative at (916) 371-HITS (4487).
Sacramento Laughs Last in Extras Against Reno
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Grant McCray was the hero on Sunday, as his RBI single down the right-field line in the 10th inning helped the Sacramento River Cats end their fastest extra-innings game since at least 2005 with a 3-2 victory over the Reno Aces. Stepping to the plate hitless
Late Tally Not Enough for Sacramento as Reno Snags Game Five
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A night after logging only two hits and still escaping victorious, the offense remained slow for the Sacramento River Cats on Saturday as the Reno Aces were powered by a four-run third inning that eventually led to a 5-1 win in game five of the series.
Three-Run Johnson Triple Just Enough on Friday for Cats
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A three-run triple from the newest River Cat was all the scoring they needed in Friday’s contest with the Reno Aces, and though things got tight down the stretch, Sacramento kept a hold on a 3-2 victory over Reno. In the second frame the River Cats
Wild Finish Sees Cats Edged by Aces in Extras, 3-2
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For a second straight game the Sacramento River Cats staked an early lead, but the Reno Aces found enough in their bag to force extra innings and eventually win in the 10th inning on a wild pitch to take down Sacramento on Thursday, 3-2. Three batters
Cats Crush Three Homers, but Aces Control Final Innings
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A trio of home runs had the Sacramento River Cats sitting pretty through four innings, but the Reno Aces scored all 16 of their runs from the fifth inning on to steal a 16-6 contest from Sacramento on Wednesday. It was Marco Luciano who starter the
Second Half Promotional Schedule Announced by River Cats
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Having already announced the theme nights and giveaways for the first half of the 2025 schedule, the Sacramento River Cats, proud Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have released the promotional calendar for the second half of the 2025 campaign. Starting off the second half
Lamb Leaves the Yard but Sacramento Stopped by Reno
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Jake Lamb crushed his first homer of the season, but that, along with a Brett Wisely RBI double, would be all the offense for the Sacramento River Cats as they dropped their first game of a six-game set to the Reno Aces by a 7-3 final
Bericoto Bashes First Homer, Sacramento Splits Series
EL PASO, Texas – It was the El Paso Chihuahuas who scored first, but the Sacramento River Cats had the last laugh as they scored three times in the third and four times in the fifth to come back and split their six-game set with EL Paso behind a 7-2
Sacramento Saves Scoring for Late, Auerbach Homer Pushes to Victory
EL PASO, Texas – Saturday’s contest with the Sacramento River Cats and El Paso Chihuahuas went into the bottom of the eighth without a score, but four runs late in the ninth and 10th innings that featured a homer from Brett Auerbach lifted Sacramento to a 4-2 win over El
Wisely’s Four RBI Help Cats Stop Skid
EL PASO, Texas – Five combined runs between the sixth and seventh innings helped the Sacramento River Cats snap a 2-2 tied with the El Paso Chihuahuas, eventually downing the home team on their own turf by a 7-4 final on Thursday. The River Cats (12-12) came out swinging in
Cats Stumble Late Against Chihuahuas
EL PASO, Texas – After extending their lead by scoring twice in the top of the seventh inning the Sacramento River Cats looked to be on their way to victory, but a pair of two-out home runs for the El Paso Chihuahuas helped steal a game from Sacramento on Wednesday,
Sacramento Silenced by El Paso in Series Opener
EL PASO, Texas – The bats for the Sacramento River Cats could not find a timely hit on Tuesday, stranding the bases loaded twice as they wound up on the wrong side of a 3-0 shutout by the El Paso Chihuahuas in their series opener. Each of the first 10
Cats Drop Finale, Split Series with Bees
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Three straight run-scoring innings proved to be the difference between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Bees on Sunday, as the Bees tallied one run each in the third through fifth innings en route to a 5-2 win over Sacramento in the series finale.
Three-Run First Sends Sacramento to 5-0 Win
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A three-run first for the Sacramento River Cats put them well on the way to victory on Saturday night against the Salt Lake Bees, using the early momentum from the bats to cruise to a 5-0 shutout of Salt Lake in game five of the series.
Sacramento Snaps Slump, Slugs Bees 11-8
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats snapped their offensive slump in a big way on Friday evening, producing four-straight multi-run frames that culminated in a grand slam to help Sacramento sting the Salt Lake Bees by an 11-8 final. It was the Bees (9-10) that started the scoring,
Cats Avoid Shutout but Fall 5-1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For a second straight game the Sacramento River Cats were staring down a shutout heading into the ninth inning, and though they managed to scrape together a run, the Salt Lake Bees captured game three of the series by a 5-1 final. Despite being saddled with
River Cats Stymied by Bees, 4-1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Four of the game’s five runs were scored during the final two innings, but unfortunately the majority went against the Sacramento River Cats as the Salt Lake Bees scored once early and added insurance late for a 4-1 at Sutter Health Park on Wednesday. Though two
Cats’ Comeback Falls Short, Walked Off by Rainiers
TACOMA, Wash. – Trailing 7-1 entering the final third of the contest, the Sacramento River Cats nearly pulled off a late-game comeback that saw a clutch two-out three-run homer from Marco Luciano, but the Tacoma Rainiers homered on the first pitch in the ninth for a walk-off 10-9 victory over
Villar’s Drives in Three for Sacramento’s Fourth Straight Win
TACOMA, Wash. – David Villar provided all the offense needed for the Sacramento River Cats on Friday night, driving in three with a trio of hits for a 3-1 Sacramento victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. The first two innings came and went quickly, setting up the top of the third
Cats’ Bats Hot on Cold Night in Tacoma
TACOMA, Wash. – A rainy night in Tacoma, Wash. Could not stop the Sacramento River Cats’ bats from catching fire as Sacramento exploded for a season-high 17 runs on 17 hits en route to a 17-7 win over the Tacoma Rainiers. After starting eight minutes late due to rain that
Late Home Run Lifts Sacramento to 3-1 Victory
TACOMA, Wash. – Locked in a 1-1 game heading into the latter stages, the Sacramento River Cats found some late-game heroics from Osleivis Basabe when his two-run homer pushed Sacramento to a 3-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday. Both squads scored once in the third inning, as the
Big Fourth Frame Enough for Sacramento Against Tacoma
TACOMA, Wash. – A six-run explosion in the fourth inning was all the offense needed by the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday, as Sacramento eased its way to a 6-1 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers in their series opener. In a game that started just after 7 p.m. due to
Carson Seymour Tabbed PCL Pitcher of the Week
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A dominant start for Carson Seymour has earned hardware from Minor League Baseball, as the Sacramento River Cats right-hander was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 1-6. Though he had just one outing, which came in game three of the series
River Cats Stay Close Until Late Against Aviators
LAS VEGAS – Twice in the early goings the Sacramento River Cats were able to knot the score with the Las Vegas Aviators, but in the end the Aviators put the game away with a six-run eighth to take the series finale by a score of 11-4 on Sunday. A