Fitzgerald Homer Not Enough for Cats in 8-2 Loss

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – A Tyler Fitzgerald two-run home run in the second provided the Sacramento River Cats with a hot start, however it was one they could not maintain as the Oklahoma City Comets surged back with eight unanswered runs for an 8-2 win on Friday.

Fitzgerald gave the River Cats (38-29/74-68) their only lead of the contest with his sixth blast of the season, making the Comets (33-34/79-63) pay for a catcher’s interference that allowed Osleivis Basabe to reach base. Immediately after was when Fitzgerald hit his blast, sending an 0-1 offering over the wall in center field.

However, an Oklahoma City dinger highlighted a three-run bottom of the second, with Noah Miller matching the River Cats thanks to a two-run homer of his own. Despite allowing the three runs, Sacramento starter Hayden Birdsong (1-3) did not allow another run and recorded 10 of his 12 outs via the strikeout. The 10 strikeouts are his new Triple-A career best and the most since he punched out 11 for San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024 against St. Louis. Unfortunately, it was not enough to prevent the loss.

Oklahoma City put the game on ice when they scored five times in the fifth, once more crushing another homer when Ryan Ward unloaded on a full count offering for a three-run big fly.

Three different River Cats logged multi-hit games in Wade Meckler, Bryce Eldridge, and Dayson Croes, all of which were 2-for-4. Meanwhile, Jesus Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a double, which extended his current hitting streak to a team high-tying 10 games, which matches the previous streaks of Devin Mann and Basabe.

This series is once again level, this time at two games apiece, with game five of the set coming on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. (PT) from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.