The Sacramento River Cats get a three run 8-5 win over the Reno Aces at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Thu Jun 29, 2023 (@RiverCats photo)

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, California

Reno Aces 4 (45-32)

Sacramento River Cats 8 (35-41)

Win: Nick Avila (9-0)

Loss: Bryce Jarvis (3-5)

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 4,832

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The River Cats rode three home runs to an 8-4 win over the Reno Aces in Game 2 of this six-game series.

The Giants’ top prospect, Kyle Harrison, who was coming off a rough outing on June 22 in Round Rock in which he gave up seven runs, made the start for the River Cats tonight. Harrison survived a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning and a pair of hits in the second unscathed, as he struck out the side in the second.

Bryce Jarvis made the start for Reno, and he pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first, but Ivan Diaz led off the bottom of the second with a home run to right-center field to put the River Cats on the board.

Harrison then ran into trouble in the top of the third. Jorge Barrosa started the inning with a walk, and then Reno tied the game on a double off the bat of Diego Castillo that was then kicked by River Cats’ right-fielder, Dalton Guthrie, which allowed Barrosa to score and Castillo to third base.

The play was originally ruled a triple, and then a single and a two-base error before it was correctly ruled a double. Phillip Evans then followed with a two-run line-drive home run just inside the line to left.

The River Cats then responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Ford Proctor walked to start the inning; Will Wilson flew out to center; Guthrie reached on an infield hit; and Bretty Wisely hit a three-run home run to put Sacramento back ahead.

Harrison gave up a leadoff single to Dominic Canzone to start the fourth. Canzone was thrown out trying to steal second, and P.J. Higgins struck out looking. Harrison then walked Blaze Alexander, and gave up an infield hit to Barrosa, which forced Harrison out of the game. Nick Avila came in, and got Castillo to ground out to third to end the inning.

While Harrison fared better tonight, he was still shaky, as he ended up going three and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs and six hits, while walking four and striking out seven.

The River Cats kept their 4-3 into the bottom of the fifth inning. Will Wilson walked to start the inning, and then Guthrie reached on a throwing error by Aces’ third-baseman, Josh Rojas. Brett Wisely hit a ground rule double to right, and Tyler Fitzgerald struck out swinging for the second out.

The Aces then elected to walk Isan Diaz intentionally to load the bases with two outs for the struggling Joey Bart, but perhaps that was the spark Bart needed, as he made the Aces pay with a grand slam to right-center to open up the River Cats’ lead to 8-3.

The Aces scored a run in the second, as Tristin English led off the inning on a double, and he scored on a base-hit to left by Higgins.

The rest of the game was smooth sailing, and the River Cats won, 8-4.

Game 3 of the series will be tomorrow night at 6:45, as Miguel Yajure will take the ball for Sacramento, and he will be opposed by the Aces’ left-hander, Konnor Pilkington.