River Cats blow late lead as 51s walk off

Shaw goes 3-for-4 with a pair of homers in heartbreaking 6-5 loss

(Ralph Thompson Anysportphoto.com)

By Greg Korn

May 3, 2018

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (12-14) utilized the long ball, but fell 6-5 against the Las Vegas 51s (11-16) in walk-off fashion. The River Cats entered the ninth inning leading by two runs, but Las Vegas scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (12-14) utilized the long ball, but fell 6-5 against the Las Vegas 51s (11-16) in walk-off fashion. The River Cats entered the ninth inning leading by two runs, but Las Vegas scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

Chris Shaw put Sacramento on the board in the fourth inning with an opposite-field home run. Orlando Calixte and Shaw later hit back-to-back home runs to take the lead. It was the second time this season the River Cats hit back-to-back home runs, and Shaw's first multi-home run game of the year.
Right-hander Dereck Rodríguez was excellent for the River Cats on Wednesday night. He went six innings, allowing two runs on just four hits while striking out six with zero walks. Rodriguez's one blemish came when he allowed back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to Zach Borenstein and Bryce Brentz.
The River Cats will look for the series split tomorrow evening as they take on the Las Vegas 51s in the series finale. Right-hander Casey Kelly (1-3, 11.29) aims for his first road win of the season, facing 51s righty Chris Flexen (2-1, 3.65). First pitch Thursday will be at 7:05 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

With his two-home run game, Chris Shaw now leads the River Cats with seven home runs, surpassing Mac Williamson who hit six before being recalled by the San Francisco Giants on April 20.
The first four hitters in the River Cats lineup carried the load offensively on Wednesday, going 8-for-16 with all five RBI and all of the runs scored.
In his last two starts, Dereck Rodriguez has thrown 12.2 innings, striking out twelve batters and allowing only five earned runs. His ERA has improved to 4.26 for the year.

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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.