Calixte's late homer pushes River Cats past Grizzlies

FRESNO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (14-15) defeated the Fresno Grizzlies (19-11) 5-2 on Saturday night, thanks to a three-run home run from Orlando Calixte with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

The River Cats broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a solo home run from Kyle Jensen, his third of the year. Ronnie Freeman later picked up his first RBI as a River Cat with a sacrifice groundout to knot things up in the seventh. But the hero of the night was Calixte, who came through with a no-doubt, three-run home run in the ninth against Grizzlies closer Brendan McCurry.
River Cats' starter Tyler Beede threw 102 pitches (64 strikes) and got through just 5.2 innings. The San Francisco Giants prospect allowed two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six Fresno Grizzlies. Beede kept Sacramento in the game with a solid outing, but had to settle for a no decision.
River Cats' left-hander Matt Gage (1-0, 0.00) takes the mound tomorrow afternoon after an impressive last outing and he'll face Grizzlies righty Trent Thornton (1-1, 3.93). First pitch Thursday will be at 1:05 p.m. (PT). Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, and on the air on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes

• Catcher Ronnie Freeman threw out the Grizzlies' Tony Kemp attempting to steal second base in the fifth inning. Kemp currently leads the PCL in stolen bases (12), but Saturday night was the first time he has been caught this season.
• With Calixte's three-run home run in the ninth, the River Cats increased their team home run total to 35 on the year, which is good for 4th in the Pacific Coast League.
• Tyler Rogers and Jose Valdez combined for six strikeouts, one hit, two walks, and no earned runs to shut down the Grizzlies over the final 3.1 innings.

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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2018 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.