Late Rally Clinches Series Win for Sacramento Over Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. – Needing a response after the Tacoma Rainiers scored once in the bottom of the seventh to take a brief lead, the Sacramento River Cats reeled off a three-run frame that helped them clinch a 6-3 win on Sunday and a 4-2 series victory.

Four batters into the game and the River Cats (23-28/67-59) took their first lead, doing so thanks to a Wade Meckler two-out blast that he unleashed on the first pitch he saw. It was Meckler’s third homer in the past four games, while seven of his last hits have been for extra bases.

The Rainiers (29-22/72-54) countered with a homer of their own, as Jason Vosler managed a leadoff homer in the bottom of the second. Both teams scored again in the third, each trading a sacrifice fly that started with a leadoff double.

It wasn’t until the home half of the seventh for either team to pull back in front, with Tacoma doing so when former River Cat and current Rainier Michael Papierski crushed an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field.

Down but not out, the River Cats rallied and pushed across three runs in the top of the eighth, taking the lead for good thanks to an RBI single from Brett Wisely and two other runs on a Tacoma throwing error. Insurance was added in the top of the ninth, with Marco Luciano hitting his ninth homer of the campaign on a 2-1 offering, bringing the contest to its final resting point of 6-3.

The Sacramento offense was able to find room to work thanks to the effort of the pitching staff, as Carson Seymour drew the start and tossed six inning for the first time since the end of July, allowing only two runs on six hits with six strikeouts.

Following the fifth rehab appearance of the season for Tyler Matzek, Justin Garza (5-1) worked a scoreless 1.1 innings with one strikeout while facing the minimum, capturing his fifth win of the year. On last was left-hander Kolton Ingram, who locked down his second save after erasing a pair of walks in the ninth.

Both Meckler and Luciano closed out the game going 2-for-4 with a solo homer, while five other River Cats also collected a knock including Wisely and Trenton Brooks, who were each 1-for-5 with a runs scored.

Sacramento will now return home and prepare for their next six-game series, as the Las Vegas Aviators come to town beginning at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening.