River Cats Clinch Series Win with 3-2 Victory Over Bees 

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Saturday’s showdown between the Sacramento River Cats and the Salt Lake Bees was close throughout with neither team holding more than a two-run lead, but a pair of runs in the home half of the sixth were the difference as the River Cats secured a series victory over the Bees thanks to a 3-2 win.

The River Cats (19-19) put the pressure on the Bees’ (16-22) defense in their first swings at the plate, starting when Tyler Fitzgerald extended his hitting streak to six games with a double that just hugged the inside of the third base foul line and rolled into the corner. After a groundout moved him over to third, Fitzgerald scored the game’s first run on a passed ball, his fifth straight contest scoring at least one run.

Offense was sparse in the for the next few frames, as Sacramento opener Daniel Tillo made it through two innings while facing just one batter over the minimum. After allowing a single in the first, he then sat down the side in order during the second including a strikeout to end the frame.

Entering to start the third was Ty Weber, his second appearance of the season, and he immediately benefited from a stellar defensive play by Matt Beaty. Charging in on a fly ball to shallow left field, Beaty made a late slide to save a base hit from Taylor Jones, which helped Weber push the River Cats to retire the side in order for a second straight inning.

Salt Lake snapped their streak of eight straight retired with a pair of singles from Jared Walsh and Jo Adell to start the fourth, tying the game just two batters later on a double to left field by Michael Stefanic which extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Both teams went quickly in the fifth, but each had their chances in the sixth with only the River Cats converting. Sacramento righty Tanner Andrews (1-0) punched out two of the toughest hitters in the Salt Lake lineup in Walsh and Adell to start the frame, but a single and pair of walks loaded the bases before Andrews was able to strikeout the side when he got Meibrys Viloria swinging.

Returning the favor with their own pair of hits to start the home half of the inning was the River Cats, putting runners at the corners thanks to knocks from Patrick Bailey and Colton Welker. A wild pitch allowed Bailey to score the then go-ahead run, with Welker representing the eventual winning run when he crossed the plate on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to deep right center by Will Wilson, making the score 3-1.

Now in line for the win thanks to four strikeouts in his two scoreless innings, Andrews made way for recently added Nick Swiney (H, 1), who was making his Triple-A debut. Over two innings of work Swiney faced just the minimum six batters despite allowing a pair of hits, as a leadoff single in the seventh was erased on a double play while Trey Cabbage was thrown out trying to get back to first base after making too wide of a turn. For Swiney, he ended with a hold in his first Sacramento appearance.

Taking the mound in the ninth looking for his second save was Joey Marciano (S, 2), but he found himself in a jam after issuing free passes to the first to each of the first two hitters. Following a quick three-pitch strikeout of Jones, it seemed as if the River Cats would close the game with a double play ball on a comebacker to Marciano, but his throw to second sailed into center field and allowed the Bees to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Just one batter later Marciano got what he was looking for, getting Fletcher to roll over on a ball to the shortstop Fitzgerald for a double play that sealed the win and a series victory for the River Cats, their second straight and third overall this season.

Two of the five Sacramento hits belonged to Fitzgerald and Welker, which extended their active hitting streak to six games apiece, with Fitzgerald’s knock the only one to go for extra bases. Wilson’s sacrifice fly provided the only River Cat RBI on the night.

Sacramento looks to close the series on a high note in the finale between the two teams tomorrow, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. from Sutter Health Park.