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Sacramento River Cats

Sacramento Secures 12-Inning, 9-8 Victory in Battle Against Reno

Reetz Homers Twice While Walton Earns First Career Pitching Victory

By : Jake Ward (River Cats Media Relations)

Reetz’s first homer in the 2nd inning.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Tuesday’s series opener between the Sacramento River Cats and the Reno Aces had a little bit of everything including scoring in eight innings, a pair of two-homer games, and even a position player earning the victory on the mound as Sacramento was able to hold on for a wild 9-8 victory in 12 innings. 

Brett Wisely triples in the 2nd inning.

The scoring was hot and heavy early on a beautiful day in Reno, Nev., and the River Cats (3-1) wasted little time as they dropped two runs in each of the second and third innings. A leadoff triple in the second from Brett Wisely put him just 90 feet away from scoring the game’s first run, which he did mere moments later on a wild pitch from Aces (2-1) starter Blake Walston. Two batters later, Jakson Reetz crushed his first dinger of the season that traveled an eye-popping 456 feet over the scoreboard in left center to make it 2-0.

Ramos homers in the 3rd inning.

While the Aces got one back on a Jose Herrera single to left in the home half of the second, Heliot Ramos started the third with a bang by crushing his second homer in as many games with a deep blast to left center. A bases loaded walk later in the inning pushed the score to 4-1. For Ramos, he is the first River Cat to homer in consecutive games in 2024. 

That lead was not meant to last when Kyle Garlick stepped to the plate for Reno, as he grooved a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right field for a three-run homer that instantly tied the game with just one out in the third. Reno then took the lead with a run in each the fourth and fifth, as Tim Tawa doubled and scored the go-ahead run followed by the second Garlick homer of the afternoon on an 0-2 pitch to lead off the home half of the fourth.

Reetz two-run homer in the 8th inning.

Sacramento’s offense went dormant until the eighth, coming to life when Reetz matched Garlick with his second home run of the day, this a ball that just cleared the wall in left center and tied the score once more at 6-6. In 2023 there were 10 River Cats who had two-homer games, which included a pair from Jakson Reetz. He was also the last to do it in 2023, coming on July 30 at Albuquerque. 

From that point forward it seemed as if there might not be a winner in the game, as each time the River Cats would jump in front, Reno was there to answer. In the ninth, singles from Casey Schmitt and Chase Pinder set the table for a Wisely double down the left-field line, though it scored only Schmitt on the play.

Through eight innings River Cats pitchers had not issued a walk, but that changed in the ninth as they walked the bases loaded while the second of two balks in the frame ended up forcing home the tying run.

Villar’s RBI single in the 10th.

Back at it in the 10th, David Villar came through in the clutch when he sent a ball through the hole at second base which scored Ismael Munguia, who began the frame on second as the free runner.

Stashak Gloves the line drive comeback shot.

Entering to pitch was right-hander Cody Stashak, who was able to get two relatively quick outs with runners at the corners, the second of which was a comeback-liner that would have connected with Stashak had he not displayed incredible reflexes to get his glove up for the second out. Despite that play, he would walk in the tying run that forced game into the 11th, which was the only of the three extra innings to not feature any scoring.

Part of the reason for no scoring in the 11th was infielder Donovan Walton (1-0), who entered for his first minor league pitching appearance in his career (one major league pitching appearance for San Francisco on June 3, 2022 at Miami) as Sacramento tried not to burn their bullpen arms in the first game of the series. Walton was effective, as he earned a trio of fly balls that left the free runner stranded on base. 

Stepping to the plate and proving to be the hero once again was Reetz, though this time all he needed was a double down the left-field line to easily score Trenton Brooks as the free runner and give Sacramento the 9-8 advantage.

Out for the bottom of the 12th again was Walton, putting the cap on Sacramento’s first 12-inning game since they also went 12 innings against Sugar Land on April 8, 2022 in a 7-6 victory. However, Walton needed some help as there were not one, but two outfield assists on plays at the plate that prevented the tying run from scoring.

Pinder’s assist in the 12th .

First, a Herrera single with only one out looked as if it could score free runner Tristin English from second base, but his hesitation while rounding third provided just enough time for Reetz to collect the relay throw that was started by Pinder and dive back across home plate to tag out English. In the very next at-bat, Tawa sent a double into the left-center gap that seemed as if it also might tie the game. However, Munguia was able to get to it quickly and connected on a relay with Marco Luciano that had the ball to the plate with feet to spare, ultimately sealing the 9-8 win for the River Cats. 

Those final two plays earned Walton his first pitching victory of his professional career, though it would not have been possible without three combined scoreless innings from Randy Rodriguez (one inning with one strikeout) and Juan Sanchez (two innings with three strikeouts), as neither allowed a base runner.

Charged with the loss for Reno was Chris Rodriguez (0-1), who was able to stay clean in the 11th but gave up the one unearned run in the top of the 12th. 

At the dish, every River Cat to have an official at-bat reached base, and they were led by the 3-for-4 effort from Wisely who also scored once, tallied two doubles and a triple, and drove in a pair. He would not be outshined by Reetz, who clobbered two dingers in a 3-for-5 day to go with four RBI and a double. Also picking up multi-hit games was the pair of Luciano (2-for-5, run scored, two walks) and Villar (2-for-6, double, RBI).

Each of the first four games of the 2024 season have been decided by one run, which had not happened in a single season for Sacramento since 2017 when each contest from July 24-27 was separated by just one tally. That happened twice in 2017, with the first such instance occurring from May 6-9. Dating back to the final two games of 2023, each of the past six River Cats contests have been one-run games.

Just two minutes shy of the four-hour mark was when the game came to a close, the longest game time for the River Cats since they went four hours and 34 minutes against Sugar Land in that 12-inning marathon on April 8, 2022.

Both teams will be back in action with another afternoon matinee on Wednesday, with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. from Greater Nevada Field. 

Sacramento River Cats

River Cats Fight To The End, Split Doubleheader

Whisenhunt Dazzles in Game One, Ramos Homers in Game Two

By Jake Ward (RiverCats Media Relations)

March 31, 2024

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Fans of pitching were in for a treat in the doubleheader on Sunday between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Bees, as the two sides kept each other at bay and wound up splitting the twin bill after Sacramento took game one by a 1-0 final but saw the Bees capture game two in extra innings, 3-2.

Game One (7 Innings)

Pitching was the theme in the first of the day’s twin bill, and shining was none other than the No. 3 prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, Carson Whisenhunt. He punched out the first batter he faced, struck out the side in the second, and ended his day after three innings by recording six of his nine outs via the strikeout. Each of his punchouts ended with a whiff by a Bees (1-2) batter, and he yielded just one hit without a walk.

Following the groove of the lefty for the River Cats (2-1) was right-hander Spencer Bivens (1-0), who picked up where Whisenhunt left off by striking out two in the fourth, the latter of which came with runners at the corners to leave them stranded.

It takes two to duel, as despite a leadoff single from Heliot Ramos, Sacramento was held off base in each the second and third innings by Zach Plesac. Finally in the fourth the River Cats broke through against Plesac thanks to the duo of Casey Schmitt and last night’s walk-off hero Brett Wisely. Wisely walked and was able to swipe second to put himself in scoring position, when Schmitt tallied his first hit of the season that sailed into center field and produced what would be the game’s only run.

Bivens kept his momentum going through the sixth, as a walk to Jack Lopez in the top of the fifth was erased when Lopez was caught stealing. Next time out, Bivens worked around a one-out ground rule double by Livan Soto to end the sixth.

Taking over to start the seventh was right-hander Cody Stashak (S, 1), who worked a quick and clean seventh for his first save since he was a member of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on May 20, 2019. Despite his dominant outing, Whisenhunt earned a no-decision.

One day after logging 14 strikeouts in their season-opening contest, which was the most in a season-opener in Sacramento history since at least 2005, the River Cats collected another 11 punchouts in their campaign’s second game. Last year in 2023, there were only 10 instances of Sacramento logging 11 or more strikeouts in consecutive games (high of four from 6/13-6/16).

Charged with the loss for Salt Lake was Plesac, who lasted 5.0 innings and allowed just two hits and a pair of walks while striking out four. Former San Francisco Giant Hunter Strickland tossed the sixth and allowed one hit with a strikeout.

Both teams had just three hits in the contest, and only Soto of Salt Lake had a multi-hit game. For the River Cats, the trio of hits came from Ramos, Schmitt and David Villar, while the only run was scored by Wisely after his walk. The game was the fastest seven-inning game in Sacramento history at one hour and 38 minutes, topping the season opening contest between these same two teams from last year on April 1, 2023 by one minute (one hour, 39 minutes).

Game Two (9 Innings)

Continuing the low-scoring theme of the day, game two of the doubleheader did not see a run through the originally scheduled seven innings. It was not until the eighth inning that the Bees broke through on the scoreboard, taking advantage of the free runner on second base with a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third, where they scored easily on a single by Jordyn Adams. Salt Lake continued the offensive and loaded the bases, ultimately scoring once more on a bases loaded walk.

On the first pitch of the home half of the eighth the River Cats answered, as Heliot Ramos hammered the first offering to straightaway center field for a two-run homer. The first of the year by Ramos was reminiscent of his pair of walk-off home runs in 2023, getting out of the park in a hurry and energizing the home crowd.

Moving into the ninth, it seemed as if Sacramento would escape the inning without allowing a run, but the throw to first from Otto Lopez on a would-be inning-ending double play sailed wide and into the Bees’ dugout, allowing the run to score. The River Cats would then go down in order to bring an end to the game.

Both teams were able to put runners on in the early going, but both had a runner picked off in the first. Each team had one hit in the third and fourth innings but failed to get anything to materialize.

Sacramento starter Mason Black went five innings and scattered four hits, striking out five in the process but left with a no-decision. RJ Dabovich made his season debut and worked 1.1 scoreless innings, while Tanner Andrews (0-1) yielded an unearned run in 1.2 innings but was also charged with the loss.

Earning credit for the victory was Zac Kristofrak (1-0), as he tossed 1.2 scoreless frames while walking and striking out one. Davis Daniel, Salt Lake’s starter, also was rendered a no-decision despite his six frames of work, allowing five hits and punching out five.

Luciano collected the only multi-hit game in the second half of the day for Sacramento, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Also logging hits was Ismael Munguia, Blake Sabol, Lopez and Pinder.

With the first homestand in the books, Sacramento will now hit the road for their first six-game set, which begins on Tuesday at Greater Nevada Field in Reno, Nev. as the River Cats take on the Reno Aces beginning Tuesday at 2:05 p.m.