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Carrillo’s single leads 51s over Sacramento

Updated April 25, 2017 - 9:15 am

On Sunday, the 51s lost a game they’d like to have back.

On Monday, they turned the tables on the Sacramento River Cats, battling back for a 7-6 come-from-behind victory at Raley Field.

It was the third straight one-run game the two teams have played in Sacramento, with the 51s (10-9) coming out victorious in two of them.

Xorge Carrillo’s ninth-inning single capped the 51s’ comeback from a self-inflicted wound way back in the second inning when starter Tyler Pill gave up five unearned runs.

A two-out error by shortstop Amed Rosario opened the door for the River Cats (6-12), and they pounced on Pill to take a 5-0 lead. Pill gave up a triple, double and a single before finally getting out of the inning.

“Early on, he was working behind, he couldn’t get his offspeed pitches over and he missed over the middle of the plate,” Las Vegas manager Pedro Lopez said. “The error, it was just a tough error for Amed because Pill kind of basically ran in front of him and kind of blocked his view so the ball went into his glove and came out in the backhand. But I think he did a really good job after giving up five runs. He settled down.”

Las Vegas started to climb back into the game in the fifth inning and did most of their damage against the Giants’ top prospect, Tyler Beede.

Carrillo led off the inning with a solo homer — his second of the season — to put the 51s on the board. Before the inning was over, the 51s would send 11 batters to the plate and tie the game.

After singles from Pill, Desmond Jennings and an error that allowed Gavin Cecchini to reach base, Rosario drove in Pill with an infield single.

First baseman Dominic Smith cut the River Cats’ lead to 5-4 with a two-run single.

After a walk and a pop-out, Sacramento reliever Matt Reynolds replaced Beede and issued a bases-loaded walk to Carrillo to tie the game.

“Whether we’re up or down, we’re expecting to win ballgames,” Lopez said. “I just think we put good at-bats together. I think the bullpen did a really good job, something that we didn’t do [Sunday]. The bullpen did what they were supposed to do and we were able to pull this out through.”

After Pill’s exit, the the two teams traded runs with a Jae-Gyun Hwang RBI single putting Sacramento ahead in the bottom of the seventh. Rosario got a chance at redemption for his second-inning error and stroked an RBI single to tie the game at 6-all in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for Carrillo’s heroics an inning later.

Ben Rowen pitched a scoreless eighth to earn his first win of the season.

Chasen Bradford came in and nailed down his fourth save of the year.

Closer Paul Sewald was available to pitch, but with the 51s’ bench extremely thin, Lopez said they didn’t have anybody that could go to the bullpen to help warm Sewald.

Lopez said Jayce Boyd was in the starting lineup but was scratched because of his back. Josh Rodriguez was banged up with a hamstring, though he would have been able to pinch-hit if necessary, Lopez said. Back-up catcher Jeff Glenn technically was also available off the bench, though he has yet to register an at-bat this season.

Meanwhile, Matt Reynolds had left for New York to join the Mets, meaning the 51s essentially wouldn’t have been able to double switch anyone out, which is why Lopez turned to starter Adam Wilk to pinch hit for releiver Cory Burns in the eighth inning. Wilk was called out on strikes.

“I’m just glad that Xorge got a good pitch to hit and got the big hit for us,” Lopez said.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.

Up next

Who: Las Vegas 51s at Sacramento River Cats

When: 12:05 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Raley Field, West Sacramento, California

Starters: Wilfredo Boscan (0-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. Joan Gregorio (0-2, 2.93 ERA)

Next five

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.

Friday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 12:05 p.m.

Update

Wilfredo Boscan will try to rebound from his first loss of the season. In that start, the right-hander from Venezuela gave up six runs, five earned, on nine hits in just three innings against Fresno.

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