Bishop, Encarnacion Both Homer but Cats Still Come Up Short
SALT LAKE CITY – After being kept in check during the early goings, the Sacramento River Cats broke open for a trio of runs in the final third, but it was not enough to overcome the Salt Lake Bees as Sacramento dropped the series finale on Sunday by a 4-3
SALT LAKE CITY – After being kept in check during the early goings, the Sacramento River Cats broke open for a trio of runs in the final third, but it was not enough to overcome the Salt Lake Bees as Sacramento dropped the series finale on Sunday by a 4-3 final.
River Cats (5-13/49-44) starter Carson Seymour (3-8) was mostly sharp despite taking the loss against the Bees (9-9/41-51), allowing just a pair of runs in the second and one in the third before finishing off six innings. It was his second straight quality start and third of the season, and he punched out six in the process.
After squandering bases-loaded opportunities in the top of the first and fifth innings, it was the seventh when Sacramento made it onto the scoreboard thanks to a solo blast from Hunter Bishop. His dinger on an 0-1 count to leadoff the seventh gives him hits in each of the past two games, snapping a five-game and 19-at-bat hitless streak.
Unknown at the time, a Jake Marisnick homer in the bottom of the seventh would eventually be the difference, as he connected on a 1-0 offering from left-hander Kolton Ingram.
The River Cats continued to battle, opening the eighth with a leadoff walk to David Villar before scoring on the seventh homer of the season from Jerar Encarnacion, his second in the past three games and fourth in the month of July. His two-run blast brought the Cats within one, but that was as close as they could come, as Sacramento down quietly in the ninth.
In that final frame was David Villar, who struck out as part of an 0-for-4 day with a run scored, bringing an end to his team-leading 16-game hitting streak. Encarnacion did push his stretch to nine straight games with a hit by going 1-for-3 thanks to his homer, while Luciano has notched a seven-game stretch by going 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.
The only River Cat to toss a scoreless outing was Austin Warren, who worked a clean eighth inning while facing the minimum.
Sacramento will have the chance to rest over the next few days thanks to the All-Star break, as their next scheduled contest will not come until Friday, July 19 when the River Cats host the Albuquerque Isotopes.