River Cats Report 06/02/14
By Nick Avila
Once the River Cats swept Las Vegas, they set their sights on the Albuquerque Isotopes, the team they had split a four-game series with in early May.
In the first game of the series, after falling behind 3-0 early, the Cats clawed their way back into it, scoring a run in the fourth and then pounding out four runs in the fifth, highlighted by a Nick Buss solo shot and an Alden Carrithers two-RBI triple.
Feb 22, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics infielder Nate Freiman poses for a portrait during photo day at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sac wouldn’t look back, winning the game 5-4. Arnold Leon earned his fifth win and Evan Scribner gained his eighth save. The next day, the Cats opened with a three-run first inning propelled by a two-run blast from big Nate Freiman, but that would be all they scored, and the Isotopes would win 4-3 in extras.
Thursday, the Cats and Isotopes would see themselves in a familiar place, extras. Led by Stephen Vogt and Carrithers, who both went 3 for 5 in the game. Carrithers would lead off the 11th inning with a single, and eventually score on a sac fly from Freiman to walk it off with a 6-5 win, closer Scribner would get the win.
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The next day, the team whose Twitter proudly states “Only walkoffs”, on account of their seven walk offs at Raley Field, didn’t disappoint. Heading to the bottom of the ninth, the game was tied 7-7. An Andy Parrino single, and a Vogt double would set the stage for Freiman to be the hero again. Freiman lined a single to right field and got the Cats their second consecutive walk off.
Hitting Performance of the Week: Nate Freiman went 3 for 5 with a HR, 2B, R, and an game-winning RBI single against Albuquerque.
As the River Cats headed to Fresno to begin a four-game set, they must have decided they were tired of waiting until the ninth or later to get the win. Instead, they scored runs in five of the first six innings and added an insurance run in the ninth to get a 12-3 victory. The Cats finished with 14 hits and home runs from Daric Barton, Michael Taylor and Vogt.
Sunday, the Cats were fed a taste of their own medicine. After a seven run fifth inning that gave the Cats a 9-3 lead, Sac’s offense would fall into a daze and the Grizzlies chipped away at the lead until the 11th inning when they would walk off on Cats’ pitcher Philip Humber.
Pitching Performance of the Week: Matt Buschmann with 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 9 Ks and a W against Fresno.
Additionally, Vogt was called up to Oakland prior to their game against the Angels on Sunday. Reliever Fernando Rodriguez was sent down. It seems pitcher Ryan Cook will skip Sacramento on his way back to the A’s from an arm injury he suffered in May. Cook pitched for the Stockton Ports but was in Oakland for the game Sunday.