Homers Power Sacramento to Victory Over Las Vegas

SUMMERLIN, Nev. – Home runs in the middle innings helped the Sacramento River Cats capture a win against the Las Vegas Aviators on Thursday, slamming the door late to secure their first one-run road victory by a 6-5 final in game three.

Five of the six runs scored by the River Cats (47-63) came from the long ball, with the lone exception coming as the first run of the game in the top of the second. That tally came from David Villar as he singled to open the frame and promptly stole second, later scoring on an RBI double to right field by Wade Meckler. For Meckler, it was his fifth RBI in his past five games.

Sacramento starter Kyle Harrison was dazzling early, retiring each of the first 10 Aviators (56-54) that he faced as he worked into the fourth inning. It was then the southpaw ran into a jam, as a fielding error at shortstop and his only hit allowed put a pair of runners on and spelled the exit for Harrison. He did not walk a batter for the first time since May 6, a start that also came against Las Vegas, and fanned four batters.

Only one of those runners came around to hurt, as Kevin Smith delivered a bases loaded single to score the first for an unearned run while the second was cut down at the plate on a great throw from center field by Tyler Fitzgerald. The second run of the inning came a few batters later on a bases loaded walk.

Immediately the River Cats jumped back in front with their swings in the fifth, as though Bryce Johnson stole second base after an inning-opening walk, his position hardly mattered when Jakson Reetz uncorked a two-run blast to left center. Five of the past six hits for Reetz have been home runs dating back to his solo home run on July 27.

Two batters later and Fitzgerald left the yard with a solo shot, his team leading 14th of the season, unloading on a ball to left field on a 2-2 pitch. This was the 11th time this season that the River Cats have hit multiple home runs in the same inning, their first since they clubbed three as part of their season-best 11-run inning against Albuquerque on July 31.

Before the Aviators could answer, Sacramento struck for two more by using a similar recipe as Las Vegas. Villar reached to open the inning on an error by Logan Davidson. There to take advantage was Armando Alvarez, ambushing a 3-1 pitch by sending it over the wall in right-center field for his ninth homer of the year, giving Sacramento a 6-2 edge.

Las Vegas came within a run during the home half of the inning, starting their comeback bid with back-to-back doubles by Yohel Pozo and Smith. Three batters later and the Aviators received the third two-bagger of the frame, as Brett Harris picked up an RBI on a knock through the left side. Finally, a wild pitch that caromed back to Jakson Reetz behind the dish tuned into a throwing error down to third base, resulting in the final run of the inning for Las Vegas.

That also ended up as the final run scored at all in the game, as each team had just a single hit from that point on with both coming in each half of the seventh. Drew Stotman (3-6) took the baton from Harrison and went 3.0 innings of his own, taking the win despite allowing three earned runs (four total) on six hits with two strikeouts in what became a winning effort.

Helping secure that victory was the duo of Juan Sanchez and Erik Miller, as the former earned his first Triple-A hold with 1.2 hitless innings while walking one and carving up two Aviators. Finally shutting the door was Erik Miller, who pitched a perfect ninth by inducing a trio of groundouts for his seventh save of the campaign.

The duo of Luis Gonzalez and Villar logged half of the eight Sacramento hits in the contest, both finishing 2-for-4 while Villar scored a pair of runs. Though they each had just one hit apiece, they all went for four bases as Fitzgerald, Alvarez, and Reetz combined on the 16th game in which Sacramento hit three or more home runs.

Game four between these two teams will commence tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. from Las Vegas Ballpark.