San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval take a few cuts at their game against the Sacramento River Cats at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (San Francisco Giants X photo)
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, California
Sacramento River Cats 8
San Francisco Giants 1
Win: Darren McCaugham (5-4)
Loss: Miguel Yajure (0-2)
Time: 2:40
Attendance: 14,014* (No official attendance was given for tonight’s game, but since the game was sold out, and the seating capacity of Sutter Health Park is 14,014, it can be assumed that it was the attendance tonight.)
By Stephen Ruderman
SACRAMENTO–The Giants came to Sacramento for the third Giants vs. River Cats exhibition game, and were smoked by their Triple-A affiliate, 8-1.
The Giants broke camp on Saturday after an 11-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Scottsdale Stadium, the Giants’ spring training ballpark. They flew home to San Francisco after the game, got some rest and then took the bus to Sacramento, where they would be the home team, to play their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.
This was the third time the two teams matched up for an exhibition game at Sutter Health Park. The first contest came on March 30, 2016, when the Giants as the home team beat the River Cats 8-4. The Giants returned to Sacramento on March 24, 2018, this time as the road team, and lost a tight one by a final of 6-5.
There was a lot of excitement in the air at Sutter Health Park. This stemmed from Giants fans in Sacramento getting to see their team play in their hometown for the first six years, as well as the fact that the team had a strong off-season, and greatly improved the team. Fans in Northern California were also going to get to see Jung-hoo Lee up close and in person for the first time, which generated plenty of excitement.
Dusty Baker, a Sacramento kid, who had retired from managing at the end of the 2023 season, and who has returned to the Giants as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations, was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Baker received a standing ovation from the soldout crowd at Sutter Health Park as he walked out to the mound to throw the pitch.
The teams were interestingly divided, as most of the minor leaguers played for the River Cats, but a few suited up for the Giants. One of the minor leaguers who put on a Giants uniform tonight was Carson Seymour, who was the starting pitcher for San Francisco tonight. On the mound for Sacramento was Mason Black, who is much more likely to see time with the Giants than Seymour.
Wade Meckler led off the game for Sacramento, and lined a double down the right-field line. Heliot Ramos got an infield hit that moved Meckler to third-base, and David Villar singled to right to knock in Meckler. Trenton Brooks walked to load the bases, and that brought up Casey Schmitt, who hit a ground ball to the Giants’ shortstop, Nick Ahmed, who was able to help turn a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs. That scored Ramos, but since it was a double play, Schmitt did not get an RBI.
Black survived a pair of walks in the bottom of the first inning, and Seymour settled down to throw a 1-2-3 innings in top of the second, as well as the top of the third.
The Giants did not get their first hit off Black until Lee legged out an infield single to start the bottom of the third. Lee advanced to second on a wild pitch, and got to third on a ground out by Austin Slater, but was caught in a rundown for the second out of the inning on a ground ball off the bat of LaMonte Wade Jr.
For Black, he ended up pitching three and two thirds shutout innings. He gave up two hits, but walked five guys.
Juan Sanchez, who has pitched nicely in camp for the Giants this spring, came in to relieve Seymour in the top of the fourth. Sanchez walked two, but struckout two in a scoreless inning of work.
The 6’8” right-hander Carson Ragsdale came in for the Giants in the top of the fifth, and the River Cats rocked him for three runs to extend their lead to 5-0. Ragsdale went two and two thirds, and Nick Garcia got the final out of the top of the seventh.
Eric Silva pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth for the Giants, and Pablo Sandoval pinch-hit for Austin Slater, and laced a base-hit to right off the left-hander John Bertrand to start the bottom of the eighth. Sandoval would be out at second after Blake Sabol reached on a 4-6 fielder’s choice, but Tyler Fitzgerald singled in Sabol with two outs to finally put the Giants on the board.
The River Cats tacked on three more runs in the top off the ninth off Spencer Bivens to blow it open, and Nick Avila pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth for Sacramento to close it out, as the River Cats won it 8-1.
The River Cats now lead the all-time exhibition series two games to one against the Giants, and with the excitement and success of tonight’s game for both organizations and the city of Sacramento, it would be easy to assume that fans will not have to wait too long before the two teams square off at Sutter Health Park again.
Since this game was against a minor league game, it does not count towards the Giants’ overall spring training record. The Giants will close out their spring training schedule with two games against their crossbay rival A’s. The first will be at 6:40 p.m. on Monday at the Oakland Coliseum, followed by the Giants’ spring training finale when they host the A’s Tuesday night at Oracle Park.
Other Notes:
Logan Webb, who was born and raised in the Sacramento suburb of Rocklin was back in town, but with Webb set to make his third-straight opening day start when the Giants open the Regular Season in San Diego on Thursday, he did not pitch tonight.
“[I] came down this morning to see my family, [and] say hi to everybody,” said Webb. “I couldn’t miss out on coming back here…..I know how much pride this area has in their sports teams; the Giants’ ties run deep [here].”
“It’s always special coming here,” Webb continued. “Honestly, I wish there was a [major league] baseball team here…..I think [Sacramento] can have one…..You see how much Kings fans show up, [and] how much River Cats show up. I love it here.”
Webb expressed his excitement for being back in Sacramento, as well as being able to convert two of his teammates into Kings fans.
“Alex Cobb is a Kings fan now,” Webb said. “Ryan Walker, I think, is following [them] a little more. [The Kings have] been fun to watch, and hopefully, they keep going.”
Webb has struggled this spring, but is trying to put it behind him.
“Obviously, as a competitor, you don’t want to go out there and hear all the cliches, ‘it’s just spring training,’” said Webb. “Everything feels good; it’s just [not] the results I’ve been looking for.”
Pablo Sandoval who has been back in camp hoping for a third stint with the Giants has hit .178 this spring, and Tuesday’s spring training finale as the A’s is rumored to be a final farewell for Sandoval, who despite the odds being stacked against him, has been humble, and has made his excitement and gratitude to get one last chance with the Giants clear.
Sandoval has made an impact in camp, as he has been the connection to the Giants’ world championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and he has had an effect on the young players, who are set to be the team’s future.
According to Manager Bob Melvin, Sandoval has gotten the biggest ovations of any player. Melvin also said that he has specifically sent in Sandoval as a pinch-runner in games this spring to get more of the ovations.
Melvin also discussed the final cuts the Giants are set to make as they prepare to set their 26-man roster for Opening Day. Melvin told the team at the start of camp that even the players who were going to get cut were going to be needed at some point during the Regular Season.
“[With] the way our roster’s constructed, it’s gonna take an army to win,” said Melvin.” “These guys have to know that there’s a good chance they’re gonna be part of this.”
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