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Sacramento River Cats

Comeback Cats Walk off Again

August 15, 2014 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Third baseman Alden Carrithers' RBI-single in the bottom of the 12th gave the Sacramento River Cats (71-55) walk-off win number 12 on the season as they beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (50-76) by a score of 5-4 on Miller Lite Thirsty Thursday at Raley Field.

The Sky Sox scored first, picking up a run off Cats starter Matt Buschmann (7-6, 4.59 ERA) early in the contest. Colorado Springs right fielder Matt McBride lined a single to center, plating third baseman Rafael Ynoa and putting his club ahead 1-0.

With men on first and second with nobody out, the crowd at Raley Field witnessed a feat many only see on the highlight-reel. River Cats second basemen Colin Walsh hit a chopper to third that was fielded by Ynoa. The third baseman stepped on third, whipped the ball to second base for another force-out, and second baseman Angelys Nina threw out Walsh at first to complete the 5-4-3 triple play. For the Sky Sox, it was just their third triple play turned in the past 24 years.

Colorado Springs used that momentum to add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. First baseman Kyle Parker laced a double down the left-field line, scoring Ynoa from second to make it a 2-0 ballgame in their favor. Ynoa went 2-for-5 with two runs scored out of the lead-off spot for the Sky Sox.

After putting runners on base in each of the first four innings without scoring a run, the River Cats broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning. First baseman Daric Barton cranked a two-out, three-run homer that hit the right-field foul-pole off Colorado Springs starter Brian Burres (1-6, 7.01 ERA) to put Sacramento ahead 3-2. It was home run number seven on the season for Barton and he finished the night 1-for-6 with a run scored, the homer, and three RBI.

Trailing by one in the top of the eighth inning, Colorado Springs smacked two solo shots off Sacramento reliever Paul Smyth to take a 4-3 lead late in the game. McBride took a 2-2 offer from Smyth over the left-field wall to tie the game at three and two batters later, center fielder Tim Wheeler launched a homer to right-center field, giving the Sky Sox a one-run edge. The round-trippers were numbers six and eight on the season for McBride and Wheeler, respectively.

A one-out single by Cats center fielder Billy Burns, followed by a Nick Buss single off Sky Sox reliever Rob Scahill brought designated hitter Kyle Blanks to the plate with a chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the ninth. Blanks roped a single to center, bringing home Burns and knotting the score at four, sending the game to extra innings.

Neither teams scored until the bottom of the 12th when Carrithers drove in left fielder Shane Peterson with a single to center field, giving Sacramento the win after nearly four hours of baseball.

Buschmann turned in six innings of two-run baseball for the Cats, allowing six hits and two walks with four strikeouts while his counterpart Burres surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts for the Sky Sox.

Picking up the win for the River Cats was reliever Philip Humber, moving him to 6-4 on the year. Mike McClendon gave up the game-winning run for Colorado Springs, dropping his record to 2-6 on the season.

Buss extended his hitting-streak to 20 games after a single in the bottom of the first inning. The right fielder reached base four times, scoring once and drawing two walks in the contest, while catcher Luis Martinez also reached base on four occasions, collecting two hits of his own. Sacramento and Colorado Springs square off on Fireworks Friday and Superhero Night powered by Jiffy Lube at Raley Field for the finale of this four-game set. Southpaw Drew Pomeranz (2-0, 3.12 ERA) gets the call for the River Cats against righty Chad Bettis (2-2, 1.86 ERA) and the Sky Sox with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.

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