51s end three-game losing streak with win at Sacramento
Phillip Evans got the day off Friday.
Technically.
But in baseball, a day off often isn’t really a day off.
And though Evans didn’t play, he spent plenty of time working with hitting coach Jack Voigt.
Back in the lineup Saturday night, Evans delivered.
The third baseman contributed two RBI singles, including one in the eighth inning to break a tie in the 51s’ 3-2 victory over the River Cats at Raley Field in Sacramento, California.
The victory ended the 51s’ three-game losing streak, while the River Cats (5-11) have lost eight straight.
“We gave him a day off yesterday because Jack wanted to work with him and basically focus on his BP and staying up the middle, and tonight he did that,” Las Vegas manager Pedro Lopez said. “(He) got a base hit up the middle, and then got that big hit to left field for us to win it. It’s a work in progress, just like everybody else.”
Evans, who won the Eastern League batting title last season in Double A, had a slow start to the season. But Saturday was his second multi-hit game in his past three.
After Drew Stubbs homered off Ricky Knapp in the first to give the River Cats a 1-0 lead, Evans singled to drive in Travis Taijeron and tie the score in the second.
The 51s (9-8) took a 2-1 lead in the third on Taijeron’s double that scored Amed Rosario. The lead stuck until the sixth when Knapp gave up his second run.
Then with two outs in the eighth, Evans came through again, driving in Taijeron with another single.
That made a winner out of Knapp (1-1), who allowed the two runs and struck out five in seven innings.
“I thought that Knapp did a really good job, set the tone and made only one mistake to the first batter of the game, but then after that, he settled down nicely,” Lopez said. “(He) did a really good job working ahead and mixing pitches.”
Knapp is relatively new to Triple A after starting just three games at the level last season.
“I think the more he pitches, the more games that he pitches here, the better he’s going to get. He’s always been a strike thrower. He’s always been a guy that gets a lot of ground balls,” Lopez said. “At times, especially this early in the year, it’s hard to find that consistency, but I thought that tonight he did a really good job, and hopefully tonight will be the game that puts him around the corner.”
After Knapp’s night was done, reliever Kevin McGowan tossed a scoreless eighth and Paul Sewald struck out all three batters in the ninth for his third save.
Sewald’s outing was a nice response for the 51s a night after the closer entered the game with the bases loaded and allowed a go-ahead grand slam in Fresno.
“He’s going to be the guy that’s going to pitch in the ninth inning. He made his pitches. He tried to make his pitches last night (and) he missed,” Lopez said. “Tonight, he made his pitches and got the save.”
Up next
Who: 51s at Sacramento River Cats
When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday
Where: Raley Field, Sacramento, California
Starters: Rafael Montero (0-0, 0.00 ERA), 51s, vs. Dan Slania (0-2, 7.45 ERA)
Next five
Monday: Las Vegas at Sacramento, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Las Vegas at Sacramento, 12:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Update
Rafael Montero will make his first start of the season for the 51s after beginning the year in the New York Mets’ bullpen. His pitch count is supposed to be around 70 to 75.
Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.
