Josh Terrell
Rivercats.com Beat Writer

PORTLAND, ORE.- It was a stellar start for the Cats’ Dallas Braden, and an even better finish by Antonio Perez.

On a chilly night in Portland, unlikely-hero Perez hit a tenth inning, game-winning home run as the River Cats dropped the Beavers 6-5 after a four-hour siege at PGE Park. Called-up from Double-A Midland, Braden made an impressive Triple-A debut with Sacramento, throwing six shutout innings but taking a no-decision.

A Stockton native, the 23-year-old Braden baffled the Beaver bats all night with his plus-curveball, whiffing seven while allowing only four baserunners on three singles and walk. Portland moved only one runner past first base against the left-hander, who got even sharper as the game wore on.

Portland starter Justin Germano came in at 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA. The River Cats faced the right-hander at home on April 9, falling 5-1. Sacramento must have learned something, tagging Germano for four doubles among six hits with three walks, producing five earned runs.

Sacramento got off to a quick start in the first, as lead-off man Kevin Melillo laced a stand-up double to right and two batters later Daric Barton brought him home with a two-out double into the right field alley to go up 1-0.

Barton again came through with two outs in the third. After J.J. Furmaniak stole his league-leading eighth base, Barton muscled a busted-bat liner down the right field line that rolled into the corner for a double, scoring Furmaniak to make it 2-0.
Sacramento tacked-on two more in the fourth, highlighted by a Perez RBI-double.

The River Cats displayed their trademark dedication to patience at the plate, going deep into count after count while drawing seven walks, giving the team a PCL-leading 74 on the season. Sacramento frustrated reliever Andrew Brown in the top of the sixth, working 34 pitches for three walks and an Antonio Perez score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

Portland came storming back on the heels of Braden’s exit, as Sacramento’s bullpen uncharacteristically came unraveled in the bottom of the seventh. Relievers Santiago Casilla and Connor Robertson combined to give up four earned runs on three singles and two walks as the Beavers chewed-away at the lead. Ron Flores came in to get the Cats out of the inning, but not before the Beavers were back in the game 5-4.

Still leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Cats’ closer Marcus McBeth would eventually strikeout the side, but not before third baseman Craig Stansberry jacked a solo no-doubter to left field with two outs to tie it up and force extra innings.

Looking out-of-synch at the plate in recent games, Perez picked the right game to break out of his slump. Facing lefty reliever Leo Rosales, Perez slammed his first home run of the season over the left field wall for a dramatic 6-5 lead.

With runners on first and second with no outs, McBeth coaxed a crucial double play in the bottom of the tenth, hanging-on to earn his first win on the season (1-0). Rosales took the loss to move to 0-1.

Melillo turned-in a 2-for-3 effort with a run and three walks, and Barton finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Perez went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a walk. Catcher Jeremy Brown left the game in the bottom of the third with an undisclosed injury.

The win moved the Cats to 10-5, matching their best start to a season while maintaining their half-game lead over the Las Vegas 51s for first place in the Pacific South. Sacramento improved to 5-2 on the road trip, as Portland fell to 6-9 on the season.

The River Cats will finish up the four-game series tomorrow night at PGE Park at 7:05 p.m. before coming home to face the Las Vegas 51s for a showdown between the top teams in the Pacific South on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.