Cats Close First Half on Winning Note with 5-4 Victory on Sunday

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sunday saw a little bit of everything in the series finale between the Sacramento River Cats and Round Rock Express, as Sacramento featured four rehab appearances and found just enough scoring to end the first half of the season on a 5-4 victory.

Both teams scored at least one run in each of the first five half-innings, starting with each team plating a run in the first frame. On the mound for the River Cats (44-31) to begin the game was former American League and National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who saw a leadoff walk come back to hurt when they scored on a ground-rule double by former River Cat Andrew Knapp.

However, the Express (37-37) gave the run right back in similar fashion as starter Jack Leiter walked his initial batter and later saw that run cross the plate on an RBI single from Jerar Encarnacion.

Runs continued to trade in the second, as Round Rock briefly pulled back in front thanks to another former San Francisco Giant in Matt Duffy when he lined an RBI single into left that scored Sando Fabian. Sacramento countered with the first multi-run inning of the day, turning an error and a walk into two runs thanks to a Tyler Fitzgerald double through the left side.

The contest was tied once again in the top of the third, as Round Rock kicked off the frame with consecutive walks but only the first came around to score on a single from Derek Hill through the right side. That was the last of the scoring until the seventh, primarily due to the pitching.

After Hunter Dula entered and exited for the River Cats, taking the baton was another rehab appearance in left-hander Robbie Ray. Though he lasted only 2.1 innings, Ray surrendered no runs and allowed only a single hit, a double that was aided by the sun when Marco Luciano lost track of the ball in shallow right field. Otherwise, Ray issued just one walk and punched out a pair.

Round Rock snagged its last advantage in the top of the seventh, as a ground-rule double to open the frame scored two batters later when Dustin Harris drove him in with a liner to right center. That edge was short-lived, as the River Cats issued one last response and stole a lead with a pair in the home half of the frame. Hunter Bishop singled while Luciano walked, and both found their way across home plate on RBI singles from Encarnacion and Casey Schmitt.

Taking the win for Sacramento was Evan Gates, who made his Triple-A debut earlier in the series and now collected his first victory after going 1.0 inning while allowing one run on three hits. Austin Warren made his third rehab appearance and tossed a clean eighth inning for his second hold, while Cody Stashak shut the door with a perfect ninth for his second save of the campaign.

From the dish, both Bishop and Encarnacion had a pair of hits, with the latter driving in two alongside Fitzgerald who tallied his pair of RBI on a two-bagger. Also making a rehab appearance with the River Cats was infielder LaMonte Wade Jr., who was 0-for-1 but did draw three walks and scored twice.

As Sacramento flips the page to the second half of the season, they will begin the action on the road as they go to Las Vegas to battle the Aviators starting at 7:05 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday from Las Vegas Ballpark.