Kitties Close Series Against Bees on High Note

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats were finally able to put a stop to their three-game losing streak on Sunday, scoring early and often en route to an 8-4 win over the Salt Lake Bees in their series finale.

In the final matchup of the two teams this season, the River Cats (19-26/63-57) got off to a hot start and scored their first run on the first pitch in the bottom of the first. Doing the damage was Thairo Estrada, as he crushed the first homer of his current rehab assignment out to left center for the early lead.

Not done there, Sacramento used five consecutive two-out knocks and a passed ball to plate three additional runs. The first of those run-scoring hits was a single from Hunter Bishop, while the last was a double from Jakson Reetz down the left-field line.

The lead was brief as the Bees (25-20/57-62) plated four of their own in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out after three of the first four batters reached on a single. Following an infield fly, Jake Marisnick cleared the bases with one swing against Sacramento starter Tristan Beck, who was making his third rehab appearance. Beck’s first pitch to Marisnick was promptly delivered over the fence down the left-field line, knotting the game at 4-4.

Sacramento wasted no time in responding, pushing across a run in the home half of the frame when Christian Koss started the inning with a single and scored all the way from first on a double from Estrada.

Insurance continued to come in during the fourth thanks to the first homer of the season from Wade Meckler, hammering a 3-2 pitch deep over the wall in right field. Scoring his second run of the day was Koss, who had once again started the inning with a knock, this time his third double in his past three games with a two-bagger into left.

Scoring the final run for Sacramento in the fifth was Jakson Reetz, who drew an inning-opening walk and then advanced to third on an Estrada single before then scoring on a wild pitch.

The River Cats offense was only able to build that lead due to the effort from the pitching staff, as the River Cats retired 22 of the last 25 hitters after the grand slam from Marisnick in the second. Included in that was Camilo Doval, who once again faced the minimum three hitters but this time did so on nine pitches with one strikeout.

Last on and earning the win for Sacramento was Carson Seymour (5-9), who went the final 5.0 inning in his first relief appearance of the season. The Kansas State product allowed just one hit and struck out seven along the way without issuing a walk.

Today’s victory helped the River Cats split the current six-game set at three games apiece, but Sacramento still dropped the season series between the two sides as the Bees won 13 of 20 contests between the two teams.

In the fifth appearance of his rehab assignment Estrada was just a triple away from the cycle, and he is now a combined 9-for-21 (.429) with three runs scored, two doubles, one homer, four RBI, a walk and two strikeouts. Meanwhile, both David Villar and Marco Luciano finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Meckler’s only hit was the two-run homer in the fourth.

The River Cats will now turn their attention to their next series, as they head up to the state of Washington to battle against the Tacoma Rainiers beginning at 7:05 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday.