PCL Sacramento River Cats

Sixth Inning the Difference in Cats' Loss to Aces

Published on August 6, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A Wade Meckler RBI single in the home half of the fifth saw the Sacramento River Cats briefly tie game five against the Reno Aces, but Reno scored four times in the next half inning as they went on to a 5-1 win on Saturday.

Four consecutive walks by River Cats (46-60) starter Kyle Harrison opened the ballgame and put the Aces (59-48) out in front early, but Harrison escaped a bases loaded, no out jam without more damage allowed courtesy of a double play. On an Ali Sanchez flyout to center, Diego Castillo tried to tag up from third but was cut down at the plate on a strike of a throw by Brett Wisely to save a run. One final groundout got Harrison out of the frame.

It was not until the fifth inning that Sacramento recorded its first hit, as a two-out walk to Mark Mathias kept the inning alive for Armando Alvarez who singled into right field. In the subsequent at-bat, Wade Meckler delivered his second RBI single of the series with a ball up the middle that scored Mathias, giving the River Cats their only run as they equalized the score, 1-1.

The tie lasted just a half inning, as the Aces struck for four in the away half of the sixth. The first run-scoring hit came from the bat of Alcantara when he singled to left field with the bases loaded. Next was Blaze Alexander as he put a ball in play to second base that took a wicked hop and resulted in a pair of RBI. Finally, it was a Jake Hager double that brought in the game's last run, as his flyball to right field landed just past the diving Meckler that pushed the game to 5-1.

Despite the River Cats holding the Aces to just a single hit following that top of the sixth, the River Cats' bats struggled to generate juice as they also had just one knock following that point. It came from Tyler Fitzgerald leading off the bottom of the eighth, but he was later erased on an inning-ending double play.

Harrison allowed only a single run on one hit in 2.0 innings, but he did walk four and ultimately did not factor into the decision. Charged with the loss was Drew Strotman (2-6), tagged for the other four runs on five hits in 3.1 innings. Earning the win for Reno was Austin Pope (1-0), his first of the year after he allowed Sacramento's only run on two hits with three strikeouts.

Sacramento will try to close the series on a high note on Sunday, as the two teams have one contest left in their six-game set which is an afternoon matinee with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. from Sutter Health Park.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 6, 2023


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