Article
Sacramento River Cats 6-4 Reno Aces: Will Brennan homers, Cesar Perdomo earns 7th win as River Cats hold on
Sacramento River Cats 6-4 Reno Aces: Will Brennan homers and doubles for 3 RBI as Cesar Perdomo wins his 7th. Full recap, stats and analysis from Greater Nevada Field.
Sacramento River Cats 6-4 Reno Aces: Brennan's big night, Perdomo's quality start secure series-ending win
The Sacramento River Cats (73-52) defeated the Reno Aces (55-72) 6-4 at Greater Nevada Field on Wednesday night, powered by Will Brennan's three-RBI night and a quality start from Cesar Perdomo. A crowd of 3,467 watched the Pacific Coast League contest.
Final Score: Sacramento River Cats 6, Reno Aces 4
How It Unfolded
Sacramento struck first in the 2nd inning. After a scoreless opening frame, the River Cats loaded the bases with consecutive singles from Diego Velasquez and Eddys Leonard and a sacrifice bunt from Adrián Sugastey. Thomas Gavello delivered a two-run single to centre, scoring Velasquez and Leonard for a 2-0 lead.
The River Cats blew the game open in the 3rd. Bo Davidson singled with one out, and Will Brennan crushed a 1-1 curveball from Reno starter Ashton Izzi over the right-field wall for a two-run homer — his 6th of the season — making it 4-0.
Reno answered back in the 4th. Demetrio Crisantes launched a two-run homer off Perdomo — a 413-foot blast to left field — cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Brennan struck again in the 5th. With Davidson on third after a single and a stolen base, Brennan roped an RBI double to left-centre, restoring a three-run cushion at 5-2.
The Aces chipped away in the 6th. Gavin Logan's RBI double scored Tyler Locklear to make it 5-3.
Sacramento added insurance in the 8th. With two outs, Adrián Sugastey doubled home Velasquez — who had walked and advanced on the play — extending the lead to 6-3.
Reno got one back in the bottom of the 8th on an unearned run. LuJames Groover singled home Crisantes after a throwing error by shortstop Aeverson Arteaga, making it 6-4. But Eric Cerantola entered with two on and two outs and induced a forceout from Tommy Troy to end the threat. Cerantola then pitched a scoreless 9th for his 3rd save.
The Turning Point
The game swung decisively in the 3rd when Brennan turned on a curveball from Ashton Izzi and parked it over the right-field wall. Izzi (0-3) had been effective until that point, but the two-run shot gave Sacramento a four-run lead and forced Reno into catch-up mode from which they never fully recovered. Izzi dropped to 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA across seven starts.
Key Performers
Will Brennan (Sacramento) – 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI. The veteran outfielder accounted for half of his team's run production. His 6th homer and 20th double of the season (.316 AVG, .803 OPS) were the difference.
Thomas Gavello (Sacramento) – 1-for-4, 2 RBI. The game's first runs came on his two-out, two-run single in the 2nd.
Cesar Perdomo (Sacramento) – W, 7-2. 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 102 pitches. The lefty navigated traffic all night but limited damage to one home run and stranded nine Aces baserunners.
Demetrio Crisantes (Reno) – 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI. The 21-year-old second baseman powered Reno's comeback bid with his 2nd homer and 6th double of the season (.270 AVG, .694 OPS).
Eric Cerantola (Sacramento) – Sv, 3. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Entered with two on and two out in the 8th and stranded both inherited runners, then retired the side in order in the 9th.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The 12-10 hits advantage for Sacramento tells only part of the story. The River Cats strung together multi-hit innings at critical moments (four hits in the 2nd, two in the 3rd, two in the 5th) while the Aces scattered their 10 hits across eight innings, never producing the multi-run rally they needed. Perdomo worked in and out of trouble all night — the Aces left nine men on base, going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Izzi (6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) struggled to miss bats against a Sacramento lineup that put the ball in play 27 times, generating only one strikeout.
What It Means
The River Cats improved to 73-52 (.584) and remain in the thick of the Pacific Coast League playoff race as the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. They head to their next series with momentum after taking the rubber match. The Aces (55-72, .433) have lost five of their last seven. Perdomo (7-2, 5.10 ERA) continues to be Sacramento's most reliable starter, while Izzi (0-3, 9.51) has now lost three straight decisions. Sacramento's next fixture is August 28 away; Reno hosts again on the same date.
Verdict
A professional road win from a playoff-calibre club. Sacramento out-executed Reno in the clutch moments and got enough quality pitching to survive a late scare. Reno's inability to convert scoring chances — nine left on base, 2-for-14 with RISP — proved fatal.