The River Cats faced the Las Vegas 51s at Raley Field Monday evening for the first game of the four-game homestand. The teams were tied in both the first and second innings, but the 51s took the lead in the third, and kept the lead until the end with a 6-3 victory over Sacramento. Before Monday’s game River Cats left-fielder Chris Carter talked strategy. The Cats had beat the Tacoma Rainiers, 11-3, the night before. “The strategy for tonight’s game is to play hard, play the game right and make it easy,” Carter said. In the bottom of the first inning second baseman Eric Sogard hit a single to left-center field. He was followed by third baseman Wes Timmons who hit a double down left field

The River Cats are now sitting atop the Pacific Coast League South Division with slightly more cushion between them and the Fresno Grizzlies after defeating the visiting Las Vegas 51s 3-2 on Monday night in front of 8,019 fans at Raley Field. Prior to Monday night, the River Cats were involved in a heated five-game battle against division rivals, the Fresno Grizzlies. The Cats managed to take four out of five games, allowing them to clinch the playoff tiebreaker. With visibly less enthusiasm than seen in recent games, fans filed into the stadium. The Cats didn’t give fans much to cheer about until the top of the fourth inning when 51’s pitcher Zach Jackson walked Travis Buck and Michael

 As the Sacramento River Cats finish up a four game-series with the Las Vegas 51s, the Fresno Grizzlies and Reno Aces are in Sacramento’s rear-view mirror in the PCL Pacific South Division standings. The River Cats are in the middle of a pennant race, and July will go a long way in deciding who wins the division. Sacramento plays Fresno and Reno eight times each in July. Sacramento begins the month with a three-game series at Raley Field against Fresno. As of Tuesday, the River Cats are six games ahead of the Grizzlies in the division. Sacramento then goes on the road for their longest road trip of the season, starting with four in Reno. The Aces trail the River Cats by seven games in th

 The greatest thing about baseball is that from game to game you never know what is going to happen. One day your team can be involved in a pitchers’ duel and the next day there is a home run derby at the ballpark. One of the most rare and exciting plays in baseball is when the runner steals home. River Cats fans have been lucky enough to witness this play successfully executed twicethis season. Center fielder Eric Patterson was the speed racer on third in both instances. He first stole home on April 28 against the Las Vegas 51s to provide the winning margin in a 3-2 triumph. He did it again on May 19 against the Round Rock Express as part of an ever rarer triple steal. “The pitcher ha