Bo Davidson sent Mitch Bratt’s 1-0 pitch soaring toward right-center field, beyond Trent Youngblood’s retreat and over the wall at Sutter Health Park. The 433-foot drive supplied every run the Sacramento River Cats would need. Four pitchers took care of the rest.
Davidson’s three-run homer in the third inning carried Sacramento to a 3-0 victory over the Reno Aces, turning one swing into a lead that survived several threats and a late defensive mistake.
Fernando Gonzalez started the decisive sequence with a ground-ball single to left, and Victor Bericoto followed with a line drive into right. Davidson then drove his 10th Triple-A homer out to center, scoring both runners ahead of him.
It was Sacramento’s only scoring play. Bericoto supplied three of the River Cats’ seven hits and finished 3-for-4, but the offense never gave its pitching staff any additional room.
The staff did not need it.
Will Bednar worked 2 2/3 hitless innings, striking out three while navigating three walks. His most difficult stretch came in the third, when two walks put Reno runners aboard with two outs. Wilkin Ramos entered and walked Tommy Troy to load the bases, bringing the potential tying run to the plate before Sacramento had scored.
Ramos struck out Demetrio Crisantes to leave all three runners stranded. Minutes later, Davidson changed the game.
Ramos settled in from there. He retired all six batters he faced across the fourth and fifth innings, striking out Aramis Garcia and Youngblood in the fourth before completing the fifth on three balls in play. Ramos earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, three strikeouts and one walk, improving to 6-2.
Reno remained hitless through five innings, though the combined bid ended without ceremony in the sixth. Troy reached on a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Aeverson Arteaga, and Garcia later lined a single to right to put two runners aboard. Cristian Alvarado answered by striking out Youngblood, preserving both the shutout and Sacramento’s three-run margin.
The Aces produced a sharper threat an inning later, helped by the River Cats’ only error. Anderdson Rojas reached when left fielder Thomas Gavello misplayed a ball with two outs, and Santiago Espinal followed with a double to left. That left two runners in scoring position for Adrian Del Castillo.
Alvarado got Del Castillo to line a ball directly toward Will Brennan in center. Brennan moved a couple of steps to his left and secured the final out, ending the inning before Reno could turn Sacramento’s mistake into a run. Alvarado completed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks.
Sacramento’s defense supplied another escape in the eighth. Troy opened the inning with his second hit, a ground-ball single to left, but R.J. Dabovich allowed him to advance no farther. After Crisantes flied out, Garcia hit a hard one-hopper toward third. Parks Harber backhanded it and started a 5-4-3 double play through Diego Velasquez and Eddys Leonard.
Dabovich faced the minimum and earned his first hold.
Eric Cerantola handled the ninth, striking out Youngblood before walking A.J. Vukovich. He responded by freezing Christian Cerda and Rojas for two more strikeouts, earning his sixth save and finishing Sacramento’s four-hit shutout.
The five River Cats pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts and five walks. Davidson supplied the distance; the pitching staff made sure three runs were enough.