Sacramento Slips in Series Finale Despite Trio of Multi-Run Innings

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Both teams exploded for offense in the finale of this six-game set, but it yet again ended with the Sacramento River Cats on the losing end as the Albuquerque Isotopes closed the week with a 17-10 victory on Sunday night.

Both teams dropped a trio of run in the first starting with the River Cats (16-23/60-54), using one error and three hits to do their damage. Opening the scoring was David Villar with a sacrifice fly, while the duo of Hunter Bishop and Jakson Reetz each doubled home a run.

Ready to match were the Isotopes (18-21/44-70), plating their first two in the frame with three consecutive hits to open the action, two of which were for extra bases (double, triple). Later it was Yanquiel Fernandez joining the party, lining a one-out single into left center.

Albuquerque added two in the second on a pair of wild pitches, but the River Cats jumped back in front by scoring three times in the top of the third. Luis Matos crushed his second homer in as many games when he turned around a 1-2 pitch over the wall to left-center, his ninth of the season. Meanwhile, a Villar walk preceded another home run in the inning, this one the seventh of the campaign for Hunter Bishop.

The largest Sacramento inning of the afternoon was the fourth, in which they tacked on another four runs. Wade Meckler collected an RBI on a one-out single, while Grant McCray did most of the damage with his sixth home run of the season. Waiting on a 1-0 pitch, he cranked a ball over the wall in left field that had put the River Cats on top 10-5.

That’s when the Albuquerque comeback started, as they scored once in the fourth and fifth before adding two in the sixth and seventh. Not finished, they added six insurance tallies in the bottom of the eighth, all resulting in the 17-10 victory.

Neither of the first five River Cats kept a clean sheet, as starter Carson Seymour allowed six runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. Charged with the loss was Spencer Bivens (5-1), his first of the year, as he allowed two runs on two hits while pitching the seventh. Right-hander Camilo Doval made his first Sacramento appearance since Sept. 2, 2021 and was one strike away from an immaculate inning, but ended up allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

Four different River Cats had multi-hit nights, which included Reetz as he was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Meanwhile, Matos had his third straight two-hit game and connected on homers in consecutive games for the third time.

Monday will see the River Cats travel back to Sacramento, where they will prepare for a six-game series to start on Tuesday against the Salt Lake Bees, with first pitch from Sutter Health Park scheduled for 6:45 p.m. (PT).