Rivercats Opener

The news reports described the night as brisk.  From my perspective that is not accurate.  It was cold.  But the Cats opener was fun none-the-less.  The crowd started at about 10,500 but dwindled as the night became increasingly cold.  By the time we left at the end of the sixth it was 44 degrees with a wind chill that made it a lot colder.

The best play of the night was Jemile Weeks three run triple - stretched into an extra run by an error in the bottom of the second.  We got a taste of how Darren Bush, our new manager, might manage third base.   One of the criticisms of Tony DiFrancesco was that he slowed traffic on third.   Bush seems to want to get them in if he can.

The Cats had 13 hits - Donaldson was the only player not to reach base (Timmons got two walks).   Of that there were four doubles, Weeks triple and Carson's homer in the third.  The pitching staff looked pretty good - our starter Outman had 47 strikes for about 90 pitches, his successor and the winner of the game (Chulk) threw 20 of 29.   For a four innings the Raniers were unable to reach base.

In the twelve opening nights we've had, the Cats have won eight of them but several have had uncertain weather - several have had rain including the first game in Raley Field.    The Cats have three more home games with the Raniers then four more with the Las Vegas 51s and then start their first road trip.