It was a beautiful 66 degree Friday night where 14,014 River Cats fans enjoyed the 11 mph breeze softly blowing to center at Raley Field. For almost five innings they were saw their Cats being handled by the Reno Aces' Billy Buckner while the Aces were getting three runs on seven hits including a two run homer by Brandon Allen that quieted the crowd in the top of the first. Reno scored another run in the second when Yunesky Sanchez scored from third on a single to left by Mark Halberg.
Middleton Settles Down
After two Innings Sacramento right-hander Kyle Middleton pitched four innings of shut out ball giving up only two hits striking out four. Middleton went six innings to pick up his first win. It was the bottom of the six when Sacramento cut loose with a six run inning to clinch the first AAA victory for the former Midland Rockhound of the AA Texas League.
River Cats Explode
It started when lead off hitter Corey Wimberly was hit by a pitch. Then Matt Carson singled to center field, pushing Wimberly to 2nd. This brought Ace Manager Brett Butler to the mound for a talk with his pitcher. Buckner seemed to settle down and struck out the next two batters but then Michael Taylor singled to left and Wimberly scored pushing Carson to 2nd. Butler had enough and sent the hook out for Buckner, bringing in Zach Kroenke, with Buckner being responsible for the two runners on base. Dallas McPherson immediately doubled to left field scoring Carson and sending Taylor to 3rd. Then Kroenke walked Josh Donaldson and gave up a ground ball single to left by Steven Tolleson which scored Taylor and McPherson leaving Donaldson at 2nd base. Another walk to Eric Sogard loaded the bases and brought Butler back to the mound. Wimberly, the tenth batter in the inning, came to the plate and hit a line drive single to right scoring Donaldson and Tolleson. The only thing that saved the inning was a Gillespie to Allen to Sanchez, 9-1-5 putout that stopped Sogard out at 3rd to end the inning.
The River Cats added two runs in the seventh and the Aces came up with one in the eighth but it was not enough to spoil Sacramento's Home Opener. The Cats stand at 6-3 maintaining a one-game gap behind Las Vegas while the Aces drop to 4-5 and three games back in the PCL South.
Roger Saunders - Roger Saunders is a 9th generation American. On his father’s side, his 6th Great Grandfather came to Fairfax Co. VA in the Early ...
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