Mancini’s Walk-Off Seals Sunday Win, Completes Series Split Against River Cats

SOUTH JORDAN, UT. - Trey Mancini’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly ended Sunday’s series finale, giving the Salt Lake Bees a 8-7 walk-off victory over Sacramento. The win also secured a split of the six-game set against the River Cats, the third consecutive series split for Salt Lake this season.

Salt Lake 8, Sacramento 7

WP: Nicolo Pinazzi (1-0)

LP: Nick Zwack (0-2)

Key Performers

Nick Madrigal: 2-5, R, 2 RBI

Trey Mancini: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB

Donovan Walton: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K

Nicolo Pinazzi: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, W

Game Summary

Both teams were retired in order to start Sunday’s festivities on Abejas Day. Sacramento broke the ice in the second on a sacrifice fly. With two runners on, Salt Lake took the lead in the bottom half on Yolmer Sanchez’s double, scoring both.

The River Cats knotted the game at two each in the third, but failed to produce additional runs thanks to three straight outs from starter Huascar Ynoa and ended his day with three strong frames.

In the fourth, the visitors regained the advantage on Jake Holton’s two-run homer, his second of the series. Following a scoreless fifth, Sacramento extended their lead. A bases-loaded walk made it 5-2, before Yolmer Sánchez unleashed a cannon to home plate to get a would-be scorer in a nice double play. Turner Hill, the River Cats nine-hole hitter, made it a big inning, with a two-run single and pushed the lead out to 7-2.

River Cats starter Carson Whisenhunt kept the Bees scoreless in his final three innings of work, stranding a pair of runners in the fourth before a perfect fifth finishing the day with five innings, allowing two runs, holding Salt Lake to three hits for the third consecutive start against the Bees.

Salt Lake’s hitters were pleased to see the Sacramento bullpen, loading the bases with one out in the seventh. Nick Madrigal blooped a single into shallow center field to bring home two and slice the deficit to 7-4. A hit-by-pitch chucked the bases full again, forcing a pitching change. Denzer Guzman drew a walk off the new arm, making it 7-5. Jeimer Candelario beat out a potential inning-ending double play to cut the lead to 7-6 and gave way to Jose Siri, the ninth batter of the frame. The outfielder brought home Nelson Rada and evened the score at 7-7. When the dust cleared, the Bees had scored five runs on three hits, three walks and a hit batter as part of a 10-batter inning.

Despite two walks, Nicolo Pinazzi tossed a scoreless eighth to shift the momentum back to his offense. In his Triple-A debut, the Italian southpaw got some help from his defense to erase two walks, with a nicely turned 3-6-3 twin killing.

Salt Lake came up empty in the eighth, getting the go-ahead runner to second. Tied at 7-7, Pinazzi delivered his second scoreless inning in relief to give the Bees a shot to walk off the contest.

Candelario and Siri singled with one out in the ninth, before Donovan Walton drew a walk that loaded the bases full of Bees. Sacramento went to the ‘pen, hoping to get a favorable matchup against Trey Mancini. Instead, the designated hitter lofted a fly ball deep enough to left center field, allowing Candelario to score the game-winning run. The victory saw Salt Lake complete a third consecutive series split and move to 9-9 (.500) in home games this season.

Game Notes

• Salt Lake’s victory today is their third walk-off of the season, joining game one of an April 4 doubleheader (vs. Sacramento) and a 12-inning marathon on April 15 (vs. Sugar Land). Today’s win against Sacramento secured a series split this week and pushed the season series to an even 6-6. It is the third consecutive series split for Salt Lake this season (vs. Sugar Land, at Las Vegas, vs. Sacramento). Salt Lake is even .500 at home this season, going 9-9 in their first 18 contests at The Ballpark in America First Square.

• Salt Lake had three hit-by-pitches today. It is the second game this season that three or more Bees were plunked in a game (Apr. 14 vs. Sugar Land, 4 HBP).

• Trey Mancini was the hero, lifting a flyball to left center field that brought home Jeimer Candelario to walk-off the contest. The designated hitter joins Jose Siri (RBI Single on Apr. 4 (1) vs. Sacramento) and Christian Moore (2-Run Double on Apr. 15 vs. Sugar Land) as the three Bees to end a game with a walk-off this season. It is the first that was not a hit. It is Mancini’s first walk-off since a two-run homer ended a game on May 9, 2025 against Las Vegas as a member of the Reno Aces. Mancini also doubled in the seventh, marking his 10th straight Sunday game with a base knock, dating back to April 27, 2025. He continued a hot stretch, with hits in four of his last five games this season.

• Yolmer Sánchez drilled a double into the left field corner to put the Bees up 2-1, marking his series-best fourth double. The utilityman has three straight games with at least an RBI and two games in a row with multiple. He also has at least a hit in his last three games. Sánchez also gunned down Osleivis Basabe at home in the sixth. It was his first outfield assist since September 8, 2024 with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

• Nick Madrigal collected a multi-hit day, his second straight game with two hits. The second baseman has reached safely in seven straight games, and has six RBI across that stretch.

• The Bees starter, Huascar Ynoa threw three innings in what was a ‘day of’ decision. The righty allowed just a run, making it the third straight game he’s allowed a run or less. Ynoa struck out six in seven innings of work in his last three appearances.

• Francis Texido notched his first two career Triple-A strikeouts in his debut today. The Cuban southpaw tallied a scoreless fifth inning in relief and retired three straight River Cats after issuing a leadoff walk. Texido issued four walks over eight batters he faced.

• Salt Lake’s first run of the game came from Donovan Walton after his base knock. Walton has scored in four of his last five games totaling six runs. His single made it seven hits in that time frame. The Texan drew two walks tonight, his seventh multi-walk game of the year. It was his second of the series (Apr. 29).

• Denzer Guzman drew a bases-loaded walk, picking up his 22nd RBI of the season. He has driven home a run in three straight contests. It was part of a two-walk ledger, his third of the 2026 campaign and all have come at home (Apr. 3 vs. Sacramento, Apr. 14 vs. Sugar Land).

• Making his Triple-A debut today was Nicolo Pinazzi. The southpaw reliever tallied a scoreless eighth inning, working around two walks. A native of Milan, Italy, Pinazzi has allowed just three earned runs across two minor league levels this season in 10.2 innings. He earned his first two career strikeouts as a Bee (and at Triple-A) in the ninth, punching out leadoff man lefty Nate Furman and getting Victor Bericoto to end the frame. Pinazzi also collected the win in his debut as the final arm out of the Salt Lake bullpen.

• Jose Siri finished off a strong series going 2-for-5 with the game-tying RBI in the seventh to complete the five-run frame. Siri finished as the only hitter on either side to reach 10 hits this week across 22 at-bats slashing .455/.478/.818 with nine RBI, three doubles, a triple and a homer. In nine games against Sacramento this season, Siri is batting 17-for-37(.459) with 13 RBI, seven extra base hits and a 1.311 OPS.

• Omar Martinez walked and scored today, the fifth time he’s accomplished that this season. Three of those occurrences came this week against Sacramento, scoring four total runs and drew four total base-on-balls in the series.

• Brady Choban turned in two scoreless frames in relief, surrendering two hits across the seven batters he faced. The right-hander was the beneficiary of a double play on a would-be sacrifice fly, on Yolmer Sánchez’s outfield assist. Choban had his two longest outings of the campaign this week, where he tossed four innings and allowed just one run to six hits.

Up Next

Following Monday’s off day, the Bees will be back in action on Tuesday evening to begin a six-game series against the Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A, Los Angeles Dodgers). First pitch on the Cinco de Mayo from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Okla., is set for 5:05 p.m. MDT.