Roger Bernadina homers twice in 51s’ rout of River Cats
Roger Bernadina started his night by smashing a pitch well over 400 feet over the right-field wall for a three-run homer in the first inning.
He ended it with his best night of the season — and quite possibly his career — leading the 51s to a 16-8 victory over the Sacramento River Cats at Cashman Field with four hits, five RBIs, four runs scored and two home runs.
“I kind of (told) myself to just stay aggressive and keep going until the end,” Bernadina said.
In the first inning, Bernadina’s home run off Clayton Blackburn erased Sacramento’s early lead and gave the 51s a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The 51s (41-34) pounded Blackburn, one of the San Francisco Giants’ top pitching prospects, scoring 11 runs off him in two-plus innings pitched. They chased him with a seven-run third inning that essentially put the game out of reach.
Blackburn tossed a quality start in his first time out against the 51s. In his last start against Las Vegas, he gave up five runs in four innings.
“The time before tonight, that’s what he looked like,” 51s manager Wally Backman said. “The same as the second time we faced him — just slow. No tempo at all there. He made some bad pitches, too, but I think a lot of that has to do with the tempo of the game, and the pitcher’s the one that controls that.”
Las Vegas starter Rafael Montero (4-4) didn’t have his best start, allowing six runs in five innings, including four in the fifth.
“He missed in the middle of the plate a lot,” Backman said. “We’re trying to pitch hitters certain ways, and he was missing over the middle. That’s what (catcher) Johnny (Monell) was saying. He’d make a real good pitch and then a real bad pitch.”
With the 51s having right-hander Seth Lugo on a pitch count Sunday as their starter, the hope was that they could get Montero through six innings.
But Montero’s pitch count was at 113 after five innings, so the team had to turn to its bullpen.
“He started to get tired. He missed with location,” Backman said. “He struggled with his command late in the game — or late in the part of the game that he pitched.”
Despite that, he had more than enough run support to rack up his second consecutive victory.
Bernadina led the charge offensively, but Monell had three hits and three RBIs. Marc Krauss also had three hits, and Ty Kelly and Gavin Cecchini each had two RBIs.
Each starter, including Montero, had at least one hit.
“With the team that we’re putting out on the field, if pitchers make mistakes, it’s going to cost them,” Backman said. “I have a lot of 40-man guys around the field, a lot of guys that have been in the big leagues, and the reason they got to the big leagues is because when pitchers make mistakes, they hit them.”
Up next
Who: Sacramento River Cats at Las Vegas 51s
When: 12:05 p.m. Sunday
Where: Cashman Field
Starters: Chris Heston (2-8, 3.82 ERA), River Cats, vs. Seth Lugo (3-3, 6.72 ERA)
Next five
Monday: Sacramento at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Sacramento at Las Vegas, 12:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Las Vegas at Tacoma, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Las Vegas at Tacoma, 7:05 p.m.
Update
The New York Mets promoted outfielder Brandon Nimmo on Saturday. To make room for Nimmo, who was hitting .328, the Mets sent down Michael Conforto, their 2014 first-round pick. Conforto skipped Triple A, jumping straight from Double-A Binghamton to New York last season.
Lugo will get the start Sunday, as the 51s have a hole in their rotation because of two recent call-ups. He will be held to a pitch count of around 50, meaning the 51s will have to rely heavily on their bullpen.
Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand
