PCL Sacramento River Cats

Sacramento Quiet in Opener Against Albuquerque

August 30, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Offense was hard to come by for the Sacramento River Cats in the opening of a six-game set against the Albuquerque Isotopes, as Albuquerque kept the Sacramento bats in check while scoring in three straight innings to take a 5-0 final on Tuesday.

The River Cats (55-71) were limited to just three hits in the contest by the Isotopes (56-71), two of which belonged to the bat of David Villar with the first coming in the home half of the opening inning when he singled up the middle following a leadoff walk from Tyler Fitzgerald. A fielding error in center field at the tail end of the single allowed Fitzgerald to move all the way to third, but an untimely double play ended the frame early.

Two innings later and Sacramento drew another leadoff walk to start the home half of the third, this time from Donovan Walton. Still aboard after a pair of outs, it seemed as if the River Cats might score the game's first run when Villar crushed a liner over the head of Sean Bouchard in left field.

However, the ball took an Albuquerque bounce up and over the wall, which prevented Walton from scoring all the way from first. Left with a pair of runners in scoring position and two outs, the third also ended without a run scoring following a flyout to Bouchard in left.

All the scoring was contained in the middle innings, with the Isotopes putting up a pair of runs in each the fourth and fifth before adding one final tally in the sixth. Both runs in the fourth frame scored without a hit in the inning, as a walk and hit by pitch put a pair on before the bases eventually loaded with another walk. Needing only one out to escape damage, two more free passes drawn by Albuquerque hitters gave them a 2-0 edge.

One inning later and the Isotopes added on, starting the frame with a single by Wynton Bernard before Bouchard delivered in the clutch with a two-out homer to left center on a 2-1 pitch. The final insurance tally came with one more swing of the bat in the sixth, as Roman Quinn launched his own two-out home run, this a solo shot to center field.

The Sacramento bats were fairly quiet through the end of the contest, but the River Cats did put a pair on in an attempted comeback during the bottom of the ninth. That started with a Joey Bart leadoff single, the final Sacramento hit of the contest, and he was joined on base when Johan Camargo drew a walk with one out.

Once more the River Cats were unable to capitalize, as a groundout and strikeout looking brought an end to the contest at 5-0. Overall, this was the sixth time that a contest between the River Cats and Isotopes ended in a shutout, with the last a 9-0 win by Sacramento on Aug. 21, 2019. The last shutout win for Albuquerque over Sacramento came back on July 4, 2017 in a 2-0 decision.

Albuquerque's pitching staff was sharp for the majority of the contest, yielding only the three knocks though they did also issue nine free passes. Doing much of the heavy work in the middle innings was the duo of PJ Poulin and Nick Mears (4-1), with the former going 3.0 hitless innings while the latter faced the minimum in 2.0 frames with four strikeouts in a winning decision.

Charged with the loss was Sacramento starter Mason Black (1-3), who allowed just two runs on one hit with five punchouts but was bitten by a quartet of walks.

Sacramento will look to get back into the winning column when the two teams line up for game two on Wednesday, with first pitch at Sutter Health Park at 6:45 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 30, 2023


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