Cats Suffer Fourth Walk-Off Loss in Five Games

SALT LAKE CITY – The Sacramento River Cats climbed out of a four-run hole after the Salt Lake Bees exploded in the first, but Sacramento could not get all the way back as Salt Lake gave the River Cats their fourth walk-off loss in five games thanks to a 6-5 final.

In their opening set of swings the Bees (6-8/38-50) managed a quartet of runs, getting to River Cats (4-10/48-41) starter Mason Black with an RBI double from Michael Stefanic, as well as RBI singles from Bryce Teodosio and Jack Lopez.

However, that was all that Black would yield as he buckled down in his final three frames, retiring each of the past seven hitters that he faced. That stretch included striking out two of his final four batters, ending his outing with eight hits allowed in four innings with five punchouts.

As Black settled in, the offense joined suit starting with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Trenton Brooks was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and though Salt Lake quickly recorded a pair of outs, Jakson Reetz launched his fifth homer of the year out to left field that cut the deficit in half.

The two teams countered run in the top of the fifth and bottom of the sixth, as the River Cats used a David Villar single to push across another run while the Bees matched with a sacrifice fly from Jack Lopez.

That’s when Sacramento found a way to equalize, plating their final two runs in the top of the seventh that knotted the game at 5-5. Schmitt and Villar found themselves in scoring position with no outs after the former was hit by a pitch while the latter followed with a double, both eventually scoring thanks to a Jerar Encarnacion single and Trenton Brooks sacrifice fly.

However, that was as close as Sacramento could come, despite putting another pair of runners on in the top of the ninth. That allowed Salt Lake the chance to walk-off happy at home, which they did when Jason Martin singled into right field and scored Charles Leblanc, who had tripled with one out in the inning.

That marked the ninth loss in the past 10 games for the River Cats, which includes four walk-off losses in their past five games after dropping three straight walk-off losses in Reno from July 4-6. In fact, Sacramento has lost each of their last six walk-off contests and are 3-6 in such games.

Charged with the loss was Tanner Andrews (2-4) despite what started as a promising outing, as he struck out the side in the eighth and opened the ninth with another punchout. Andrews ended his outing with a total of five strikeouts, but he also allowed the game-winning run on a pair of hits.

Shining at the plate for Sacramento was Villar, who not only closed his night going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI, but he also extended his season-long hitting streak to 13 games and is batting .423 in that stretch. Collecting a pair of knocks was Encarnacion, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Reetz drove in a pair with his dinger.

Even at one game apiece in the series, the two sides will battle in game three on Thursday beginning at 5:35 p.m. (PT).