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09/16/2009 8:17 PM
rivercats.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sacramento will need plenty of that Raley Field Magic this weekend.
The River Cats fell to the Memphis Redbirds, 3-2, on Wednesday night, meaning Sacramento will have to win three consecutive games at Raley Field to secure a third consecutive Pacific Coast League championship. The last PCL team to win three titles in a row was Albuquerque from 1980-1982.
Shown: Sacramento starter Chad Reineke allowed three runs over 5.2 innings Wednesday night.
Sacramento hosts Memphis on Friday at 7:05 p.m., Saturday at 7:05 p.m. (if necessary) and Sunday at 1:05 p.m. (if necessary) to determine the title.
Mark Hamilton provided the winning margin Wednesday night with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Sacramento couldn’t muster any base runners over the final four innings.
After being held scoreless over the first 13 innings of the series (Sacramento was shut out 1-0 on Tuesday night), Chris Denorfia roped a two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to give Sacramento a 2-1 lead. David Freese tied it with a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning.
After going 25-13 in one-run games during the regular season, the River Cats have opened up this Championship Series by losing two one-run games in Memphis.
Starter Chad Reineke kept Sacramento in the ballgame, allowing three runs over 5.2 innings. He allowed eight hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Adam Ottavino got the win for Memphis, allowing two runs over 6.0 innings.
Sacramento’s power, which was overwhelming in the first-round series against Tacoma when the team slugged 21 extra-base hits, has yet to show up against Memphis. After racking up eight home runs in the Tacoma series, Sacramento has no homers and just two doubles over two games in Memphis. The team went a combined 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
This series is far from over, however.
Sacramento dominated Tacoma in the two playoff games at Raley Field, outscoring the Rainiers 26-10 in those contests. Sacramento had a PCL-best 45-27 record at home this regular season, and has won their last four games in West Sacramento (including playoffs).
The River Cats will start two veteran pitchers in games 3 and 4, with Jerome Williams taking the mound Friday and Shawn Chacon on Saturday. Williams, who allowed one run over 7.0 innings to beat Tacoma in Game 3 of the first-round series, won 10 games for the San Francisco Giants in 2004. Chacon, who earned the win in Sacramento’s series-clinching Game 4 against Tacoma, was an All-Star for the Colorado Rockies in 2003 when he won 11 games.
Memphis will counter with left-hander Evan MacLane on Friday and right-hander PJ Walters on Saturday. Neither team has announced starters for Game 5. |
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