51s strike early against Peavy in 6-3 victory over River Cats
Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ three-run homer in the first inning highlighted the 51s’ early uprising Friday in their 6-3 victory over the Sacramento River Cats in a Pacific Coast League game at Cashman Field.
Las Vegas scored all of its runs in the first two innings off 14-year major league veteran Jake Peavy (0-3), who is on a rehabilitation assignment for the San Francisco Giants.
Peavy, a three-time major league All-Star and two-time World Series champion, gave up nine hits and one walk and struck out five in six innings.
The first five batters reached base for the 51s (43-32), who have won 12 of their past 15 games.
After Nieuwenhuis’ homer, his sixth of the season, Alex Castellanos singled and Brooks Conrad hit an RBI double before Peavy retired his first batter.
T.J. Rivera then hit an RBI single to cap the scoring in Las Vegas’ five-run first inning.
Nieuwenhuis and Castellanos hit consecutive two-out doubles in the second for another run.
That was more than enough support for starter Matt Bowman (5-8), who held the River Cats (32-43) to two runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk and struck out four in seven innings.
Kevin Frandsen, who finished 3-for-4, had an RBI single in the fourth inning and another in the seventh for Sacramento.
Jarrett Parker had two hits and scored twice for the River Cats.
