4-run first inning leads to 51s’ win over Sacramento

In the first month of the season, Cashman Field hasn’t been kind to the 51s — the team came into Monday’s game having won just two of 12 games on their home turf.

But after their best road trip of the season, the 51s returned home and began their brief homestand with a statement, scoring four runs in the first inning en route to a 9-5 victory over Sacramento on Monday night at Cashman Field.

“We’ve been having some quality at-bats, we hit the ball hard and I think we’re in a good place right now,” manager Tony DeFrancesco said.

Lead-off hitter Matt den Dekker got the 51s started on the right foot, homering on the second pitch of the game.

The 51s (10-15) continued to hit Sacramento (11-13) starter Tyler Beede, the Giants’ No. 4 prospect per MLBPipeline, hard throughout the inning. After Zach Borenstein singled, Bryce Brentz hit a home run of his own. Las Vegas also scored later in the frame on a Phillip Evans RBI single.

“I think (hitting coach Joel Chimelis) and (video coordinator) Ben (Perry) have been really focusing on the opposing pitcher with these guys,” DeFrancesco said. “They’ve got video that they’re watching before the game. They have a pretty good feel when they come out of the dugout after the first inning. I think all season we have been scoring runs early and now with our bullpen the way it is now, I think we can hold some leads and give us a chance to win a lot more ballgames.”

Las Vegas tacked on another pair of runs in the third inning — scoring on Johnny Monell’s first home run of the season and a passed ball — and added two more in the fifth on an error by Sacramento first baseman Kyle Jensen.

They knocked Beede out of the game in the fifth after he had given up eight runs, five earned.

Their last run came in the seventh on a Phillip Evans home run, their fourth longball of the night.

That was more than enough run support for Corey Oswalt, who threw 4 2/3 innings last week in his major league debut and was making his first start since being sent down.

“I told (pitching coach) Glenn Abbott that today, I thought him going to the big leagues was probably the best thing for him,” DeFrancesco said. “A young high school kid getting his first chance to pitch in the big leagues, he did well. I think he showed the confidence from the start of the game. He made some good pitches when he had to. Changed speeds well. Good changeup. I was real pleased with him.”

Oswalt gave up a solo blast to Orlando Calixte in the third inning and a pair of runs in the sixth inning, his last.

He struck out seven in his outing and walked none in the outing as the 51s won their fifth game of their last sixth.

“Basically (I was) just establishing the inside fastball, throwing a lot of two-seamers in and then off of that I was mixing my changeup in when I needed to,” Oswalt said. “When I was ahead in the count 0-1, 1-2, I’d throw a curveball and try to get them to strikeout or induce a groundball or something but just inside out fastball and mixing, changing my speeds.”

Worth noting

David Thompson hit the disabled list on Monday after being hit in the left hand with a pitch on Sunday.

DeFrancesco said he had a hairline fracture in his hand and would head to New York to see a hand specialist.

More 51s: Follow all of our Las Vegas 51s coverage online at reviewjournal.com/51s and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

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