Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Sacramento Starts Strong, Shuts Out Albuquerque

Auerbach, Luciano Both Homer; Seymour Strikes Out Eight
Marco Luciano connects on a three-run homer for the River Cats during Sacramento's season-opening contest on Friday, March 28 against Albuquerque. (Ralph Thompson Photo)
March 29, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Much like they did in 2024, the Sacramento River Cats started the 2025 in shutout fashion as Sacramento put together a complete effort in taking down the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-0. Though not an identical copy of last season, there were many similarities in the 2025 River

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. Much like they did in 2024, the Sacramento River Cats started the 2025 in shutout fashion as Sacramento put together a complete effort in taking down the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-0.

Though not an identical copy of last season, there were many similarities in the 2025 River Cats (1-0) season opener as Brett Auerbach became the second Brett in as many years to launch the River Cats’ first homer of the campaign. His third-inning solo blast was Sacramento’s first homer of the season and wound up as the game’s winning run, much like Brett Wisely’s walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth that gave Sacramento a 3-2 win in 2024.

Following that dinger, a Marco Luciano walk (his first of two in the game) set up a Wade Meckler RBI, pushing the lead to 2-0.

Marco Luciano provided in a big way during the fifth inning, smashing his first homer of the year with a towering blast to right-center field. Luciano’s first moonshot of the season came much faster than 2024, when it took until his 20th game of the season for his first round-tripper.

Sacramento’s final three runs of the contest were produced by a pair of doubles, both of which came in the sixth. The first of which was in the from the bat of Hunter Bishop when he drove in both Jake Lamb and Osleivis Basabe, while Wisely traded places with Bishop two batters later.

The offense was hot but could not overshadow the starting effort from Sacramento pitcher Carson Seymour, who spun four scoreless innings and scattered a trio of hits and one walk with eight strikeouts. It was the first time he had punched out eight batters since he did so against this same Isotopes squad in Albuquerque on Aug. 6, 2024.

Speaking of Seymour, this was the second straight season in which he drew the Opening Day start, making him the first River Cats pitcher to do so since Andrew Suarez did so in consecutive years in 2018 and 2019 against Tacoma.

Continuing the trend was the bullpen, including Tristan Beck (1-0) who shut down Albuquerque for two frames and allowed a hit and walk with one strikeout. Each the trio of Miguel Diaz, Justin Garza and Joel Peguero tossed a spotless inning, allowing just two combined base runners in that time.

Seven different bats recorded a hit in the game for Sacramento, with the Brett’s in Wisely and Auerbach logging a pair each. Luciano drove in the most runs with his three-run dinger, while Bishop added a pair and scored once with a two-bagger.

With game one of 150 out of the way, the River Cats will look to keep the trend going when the two teams meet for game two of the series on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

Cats’ Comeback Falls Short, Walked Off by Rainiers

Luciano Hits Three-Run Game-Tying Home Run in Eighth Inning
1:10 AM EDT

TACOMA, Wash. – Trailing 7-1 entering the final third of the contest, the Sacramento River Cats nearly pulled off a late-game comeback that saw a clutch two-out three-run homer from Marco Luciano, but the Tacoma Rainiers homered on the first pitch in the ninth for a walk-off 10-9 victory over

Villar’s Drives in Three for Sacramento’s Fourth Straight Win

Ragsdale Earns Win While Garza Converts Third Straight Save
April 12, 2025

TACOMA, Wash. – David Villar provided all the offense needed for the Sacramento River Cats on Friday night, driving in three with a trio of hits for a 3-1 Sacramento victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. The first two innings came and went quickly, setting up the top of the third

Cats’ Bats Hot on Cold Night in Tacoma

Sacramento Scores Season-High 17 Runs, McCray and Luciano with Three Hits Each
April 11, 2025

TACOMA, Wash. – A rainy night in Tacoma, Wash. Could not stop the Sacramento River Cats’ bats from catching fire as Sacramento exploded for a season-high 17 runs on 17 hits en route to a 17-7 win over the Tacoma Rainiers. After starting eight minutes late due to rain that

Late Home Run Lifts Sacramento to 3-1 Victory

Basabe Plays Late Hero, Bullpen Allows Zero Hits
April 10, 2025

TACOMA, Wash. – Locked in a 1-1 game heading into the latter stages, the Sacramento River Cats found some late-game heroics from Osleivis Basabe when his two-run homer pushed Sacramento to a 3-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday. Both squads scored once in the third inning, as the

Big Fourth Frame Enough for Sacramento Against Tacoma

McDonald Earns First Victory, McCray and Lamb with Two Hits Apiece
April 9, 2025

TACOMA, Wash. – A six-run explosion in the fourth inning was all the offense needed by the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday, as Sacramento eased its way to a 6-1 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers in their series opener. In a game that started just after 7 p.m. due to

Carson Seymour Tabbed PCL Pitcher of the Week

Hurler Spins Five Scoreless, Strikes Out Five in Only Start
April 7, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A dominant start for Carson Seymour has earned hardware from Minor League Baseball, as the Sacramento River Cats right-hander was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 1-6. Though he had just one outing, which came in game three of the series

River Cats Stay Close Until Late Against Aviators

Sacramento Twice Ties Game Early but Drops Day and Series
April 6, 2025

LAS VEGAS – Twice in the early goings the Sacramento River Cats were able to knot the score with the Las Vegas Aviators, but in the end the Aviators put the game away with a six-run eighth to take the series finale by a score of 11-4 on Sunday. A

Wisely Homer Enough for Sacramento on Saturday

Two-Run Blast Comes in Third, Pitchers Shine Again
April 6, 2025

LAS VEGAS – A two-run blast from Brett Wisely in the top of the third was all the scoring needed by the Sacramento River Cats on Saturday, getting an early lift from the offense while the pitching did the rest of the work in a 2-0 shutout win over the

Early Cats Lead Slips Against Aviators

Lamb Hitting Streak Ends, Harrison Solid Through Four
April 5, 2025

LAS VEGAS – Three straight runs helped the Sacramento River Cats build an early lead in game three of their series, but a pair of multi-run innings for the Las Vegas Aviators swung the game in favor of the home team by a 6-4 final on Friday. A Grant McCray

Cats Bunt Way to Extra-Innings Victory

Plate Two in 12th Inning to Snap Three-Game Skid
April 4, 2025

LAS VEGAS – A two-run triple in the seventh erased the Sacramento River Cats’ lead on Thursday against the Las Vegas Aviators, but Sacramento persevered with a pair of runs in the 10th frame to win both its first road and extra-innings game by a 4-2 final. A well-timed stolen

Aviators Fly Over River Cats in Series Opener

Lamb Extends Hit Streak While Bullpen Snaps Scoreless Stretch
April 2, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Six consecutive run-scoring innings, four of which were multi-run frames, were too much for the Sacramento River Cats to overcome as the Las Vegas Aviators controlled the series opener by a score of 14-2 on Tuesday. Pitching for the River Cats (2-2) had been stiff throughout

Brett Auerbach Named PCL Player of the Week

Infielder Goes 5-for-11 with an RBI in Each Contest
March 31, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Following an opening weekend in which he homered in both of the first two contests of the season, Sacramento River Cats infielder Brett Auerbach has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for March 28-30. For the series, Auerbach logged a hit in

Sacramento Denied Sweep as Albuquerque Takes Finale, 2-1

Auerbach, Lamb Extend Hit Streaks, Bullpen Stays Strong
March 30, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Brett Auerbach RBI double in the home half of the first seemed to put the Sacramento River Cats on the way to a series sweep, but the Albuquerque Isotopes fought back with a run in the third and fifth innings to steal the finale by

River Cats Ride Pitching to 2-0 Start

Overcome Early Deficit Against Isotopes; Bullpen Stays Scoreless
March 30, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Strong pitching efforts have spurred the Sacramento River Cats to a 2-0 start, as on Saturday the Sacramento staff shut down the Albuquerque Isotopes offense for most of the night while the River Cats used timely hitting for a 5-1 win. There was only one blip

Cats Claw Back, Bite Giants 4-3 In Exhibition

Porter Drives in Two, River Cats Bullpen Holds Scoreless
March 24, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – While big brother took the lead early, little brother got the last laugh with four unanswered runs as the Sacramento River Cats took down the San Francisco Giants by a final of 4-3 on Sunday night. The Giants (0-1), serving as the home team while visiting

River Cats Announce Partnership with Advanced Building Maintenance

Multi-Year Deal Focuses on Engineering and Janitorial Services
March 10, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats and Sutter Health Park have announced a new multi-year partnership with Advanced Building Maintenance to lead engineering and janitorial services for the team and Sutter Health Park. “We are pleased to be partnering with Advanced Building Maintenance as we embark on a

The Nine — Reggie Crawford: Fluid as Water

Crawford's mentality and attitude helping him leave a legacy from a small town
February 28, 2025

Throughout February, MLB, MiLB and the Sacramento River Cats will celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Black baseball community, past and present, during Black History Month.

Kimberly-Clark Professional Becomes Proud Partner of Golden 1 Center and Sutter Health Park

Collaboration Brings Trusted Hygiene Solutions and Reinforces Commitment to Environmental Responsibility
February 25, 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, the Golden 1 Center and Sutter Health Park announced a new multi-year, sustainability-focused partnership with Kimberly-Clark Professional™. Fans attending Kings and River Cats home games will benefit from Kimberly-Clark Professional’s high-quality paper towels, soap, and toilet paper, reinforcing both venues’ commitment to cleanliness and environmental responsibility.

The Nine — Spencer Bivens: Through the Valleys

A baseball journey filled with rejection, perseverance, and accomplishment
February 24, 2025

Throughout February, MLB, MiLB and the Sacramento River Cats will celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Black baseball community, past and present, during Black History Month.

Sacramento River Cats Announce 2025 Coaching Staff

Brundage, Cabrera, Quijano, Riggins Return; Joined on Staff by Pilittere
February 19, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats, proud Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have announced their full coaching staff for the 2025 campaign. Returning in 2025 are four of Sacramento’s five on-field coaches from last season — Manager Dave Brundage, Pitching Coach Alain Quijano, Fundamentals Coach Jolbert

The Nine – Dusty Baker: A Baseball Life

Dusty Baker's baseball journey, full of history and championships
February 14, 2025

Throughout February, MLB, MiLB and the Sacramento River Cats will celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Black baseball community, past and present, during Black History Month.

National Anthem Auditions Open for River Cats’ 2025 Season

Performers Must Submit Demo Prior to Jan. 31 for Auditions
January 13, 2025

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The opening of every ballgame starts with the National Anthem, and the Sacramento River Cats want to give you the chance to perform. The River Cats have announced their National Anthem auditions for the 2025 baseball season will take place at Sutter Health Park on Sunday,

River Cats Recognized as Top Triple-A Organization

Honored with Prestigious 2024 Bob Freitas Award by Baseball America
December 18, 2024

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats, proud Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have been named the top Triple-A organization in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as winner of the prestigious 2024 Bob Freitas Award by Baseball America. This is the second time that the River Cats have

First Half Single-Game Tickets on Sale, Promotions Revealed

15 Fireworks Shows, Nine Theme Nights, and Four Giveaways Featured in Sacramento’s First Half
December 17, 2024

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Fans will be sure to find plenty of fun and new surprises at Sutter Health Park next season as the Sacramento River Cats, proud affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are excited to share the first half of their 2025 promotions schedule while also announcing single