Sands' homer pushes River Cats past Giants

For the second time in three years, the Sacramento River Cats hosted the San Francisco Giants at Raley Field

San Francisco Giants played the Sacramento River Cats in a spring training exhibition game at Raley Field on March 24, 2018. The River Cats are the Giants AAA affiliate.The River Cats won the contest 6-5 . Photo: Ralph Thompson/River Cats (Ralph Thompson)

March 25, 2018

West Sacramento, CA - Fans packed Raley Field on a historic night. The San Francisco Giants came to town for the second preseason exhibition in three years, and the faithful braving Saturday night's chilly temperatures were treated to a 6-5 victory for the hometown River Cats over their big-league affiliate.River

West Sacramento, CA - Fans packed Raley Field on a historic night. The San Francisco Giants came to town for the second preseason exhibition in three years, and the faithful braving Saturday night's chilly temperatures were treated to a 6-5 victory for the hometown River Cats over their big-league affiliate.
River Cats first baseman Jerry Sands planted an opposite-field, two-run home run in the Sacramento bullpen to give the Cats a 5-4 lead in the sixth. An insurance run was added an inning later when Mac Williamson scored on Jose Valdez's wild pitch.
A big night at the plate from designated hitter Kyle Jensen also aided Sacramento in their win. Jensen reached base in three of his four plate appearances, going 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk.
The Giants will travel back to the Bay Area for the annual spring training Bay Bridge series against the Oakland A's, featuring one game at the Oakland Coliseum and two at AT&T Park, while the River Cats will fly to Scottsdale to conclude their spring training at minor-league camp.
Thursday, April 5 will kick off the River Cats' season in Tacoma before they return to Sacramento for their home opener on Tuesday, April 10 against the Reno Aces.
Additional Notes

Left-handed reliever DJ Snelten struck out the side in the sixth for the River Cats, accounting for three of the team's 15 strikeouts
The top of the lineup for the River Cats did their part in getting on base as both Orlando Calixte and Ryder Jones recorded three hits
Despite allowing two hits to begin the top of the ninth, River Cats right-hander Reyes Moronta shut down the Giants for the save by striking out the next three hitters

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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.