Round Rock Loses After Late-Inning Runs From Sacramento

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (43-30) fell short in Saturday night’s 5-2 loss to the Sacramento River Cats (34-39) after Sacramento put up three runs in the ninth inning. Round Rock’s win streak was halted at seven games.

River Cats reliever RHP Cole Waites (3-3, 5.84) earned the win after tossing a scoreless eighth inning that saw one hit and one walk. Express reliever LHP Jake Latz (1-3, 8.06) gets tagged with the loss after giving up three hits and three runs in the ninth inning. Sacramento RHP Nick Avila got the save after holding Round Rock scoreless in the ninth.

Along the Train Tracks

• Sacramento scored first in the fifth inning after a walk and single from Round Rock RHP Glenn Otto prompted a pitching change and a hit first batter from RHP Chase Lee loaded the bases. River Cats DH Ricardo Genoves grounded into a double play, but a run crossed the plate to put the visitors in front 1-0.
• A leadoff double from Express C Matt Whatley and a fly out from LF Bubba Thompson put Whatley at third for 3B Davis Wendzel, whose RBI single tied the game. An RBI double from DH Elier Hernandez followed and put Round Rock in front 2-1.
• The River Cats tied it up 2-2 in the sixth with a solo shot from 2B Ford Proctor to lead off the inning.
• In the top of the ninth, Sacramento 3B Armando Alvarez singled and advanced to second on LF Will Wilson’s sacrifice bunt. An RBI single from 1B Colton Welker gave the River Cats a 3-2 lead. With two outs, DH Ricardo Genoves sent a home run to left field to make it 5-2 before the Express comeback fell short.

E-Train Excerpts:

• In his return to Round Rock from the 7-Day Injured List, CF Bubba Thompson went 1-for-3 and brought his average up to .188 (3-16) through five games with the Express this season.
• Texas Rangers RHP Glenn Otto appeared in game three of his rehab assignment and saw 4.0 innings of work with three hits, on run, one walk and seven strikeouts.
• Express OF Elier Hernandez tallied a single in the fourth inning to extend his franchise-record, and Pacific Coast League-leading hit streak to 25 straight games.

Next up: The E-Train play in the series finale on Sunday night at 6:05 p.m. CT. Round Rock will have LHP Cole Ragans (0-0, 1.59) scheduled to start. Sacramento will have RHP Kai-Wei Teng (0-1, 15.00) back on the mound.

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!