The Sacramento River Cats defeated the Fresno Grizzlies 4-3 in the 11th inning Friday night, putting them 5 games behind first-place Fresno in the Pacific Coast League South Division.  The River Cats  play Fresno again Saturday night, leaving eight games before the All-Star game. Following are some photos from Friday night. River Cats mascot Dinger poses for pictures with young fans before the game in front of Raley Field.   Pitcher John Halama (#48) about to release.   Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (center) dispenses wisdom to outfielder Corey Wimberly (right).   A Grizzlies player (left) leading off first base waits for a hit from his teammate before taking off.   Raley F

As we look forward to summer and the end of the rain, the baseball season draws near. While most teams in the area fail to attain success, the Sacramento River Cats have been successful from the start. They first came to Sacramento in 2000. The Sacramento River Cats are the minor league affiliate for the Oakland Athletics. In the past decade, they have won four Triple-A Championships and eight Pacific Division Championships. They have also sent a long list of players to the major league including Barry Zito, Erik Byrnes, Nick Swisher and others. As the franchise continues to produce, the list of players that make it to the pros through the Sacramento River Cats will continue to grow.

 WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.-After winning their eighth PCL South Division championship in 10 years, the Sacramento River Cats (86-57) are headed to the postseason, yet again. Sacramento is taking on the Tacoma Rainiers (74-70) of the Pacific North Division. They were 9-7 against the Rainiers in the regular season. The River Cats’ pursuit of a third straight Pacific Coast League and Triple-A title got off to a good start on Wednesday. Veteran right-hander Chris Gissell had one of his best performances on the mound this season. He gave up seven hits and two earned runs and had six strikeouts in five innings of work. Brett Wallace and Chris Carter both hit home runs as Sacramento cruised

August is the month where they separate the men from the boys. The Sacramento River Cats look to be one of the upper-tier teams in the Pacific Coast League. Tickets for the first round of the playoffs went on sale Wednesday at Raley Field. Even though Tony DeFrancesco’s club has a 7.5 game lead over their rival the Fresno Grizzlies in the Pacific South Division, Sacramento still feels they must always look in the rear-view mirror to see which team is creeping up behind them. The River Cats begin an eight-game home stand tonight that will go a long ways in deciding who they might face down the road in the playoffs. Sacramento begins its home stand against the Oklahoma City RedHawks. As of

 West Sacramento, Calif. - The Sacramento River Cats are happy to be back at the friendly confines of Raley Field after spending most of July on the road. The team will host the Salt Lake Bees in a quick four-game series before Sacramento goes back on the road. Salt Lake could very well be the River Cats’ first-round opponent in the playoffs. The Bees are only four games behind the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for first-place in the Pacific North Division. The South Division winner will play the North Division winner in the first round. The Series kicks off Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. when Shawn Chacon will take the mound for Sacramento. Newly acquired third baseman Brett Wallace and pitcher

 As the Sacramento River Cats finish up a four game-series with the Las Vegas 51s, the Fresno Grizzlies and Reno Aces are in Sacramento’s rear-view mirror in the PCL Pacific South Division standings. The River Cats are in the middle of a pennant race, and July will go a long way in deciding who wins the division. Sacramento plays Fresno and Reno eight times each in July. Sacramento begins the month with a three-game series at Raley Field against Fresno. As of Tuesday, the River Cats are six games ahead of the Grizzlies in the division. Sacramento then goes on the road for their longest road trip of the season, starting with four in Reno. The Aces trail the River Cats by seven games in th

 The greatest thing about baseball is that from game to game you never know what is going to happen. One day your team can be involved in a pitchers’ duel and the next day there is a home run derby at the ballpark. One of the most rare and exciting plays in baseball is when the runner steals home. River Cats fans have been lucky enough to witness this play successfully executed twicethis season. Center fielder Eric Patterson was the speed racer on third in both instances. He first stole home on April 28 against the Las Vegas 51s to provide the winning margin in a 3-2 triumph. He did it again on May 19 against the Round Rock Express as part of an ever rarer triple steal. “The pitcher ha