Salt Lake's hot bats fell victim to Sacramento's savvy relief Saturday, in a 3-1 loss at Franklin Covey Field.
RiverCats' reliever Rich Sauveur earned his first victory of the season, holding the Buzz to no runs on no hits and striking out two after taking over for starting pitcher Frank Lankford in the fifth.Sauveur has been nothing short of an anomaly to the Buzz. In eight career appearances against Salt Lake, Sauveur has yet to allow one earned run. And all this coming from a 37-year-old pitcher who made his major league debut in 1986.
"He's tough on left-handers, but he might be even tougher on right-handers when he gets that changeup and knuckleball going," said Buzz manager Phil Roof.
Sauveur got all three left-handers he faced to fly out.
"They went to their bullpen, and that was the answer for us," Roof said. "We couldn't get anything going."
Sacramento took the handcuffs off the Buzz when righthander Bryan Corey took over. Mike Moriarty and Robin Jennings delivered back-to-back doubles to score one.
But that would be it.
The combined efforts of three relievers after Sauveur held the Buzz to no hits in the last 11/3 innings.
But Buzz starting pitcher Mike Lincoln was a stumbling block for the RiverCats as well -- until the fourth inning. Lincoln held Sacramento to one hit until a four-hit fourth inning when catcher Danny Ardoin belted an RBI-double to left, followed by an RBI single by Mark Bellhorn. Sacramento led 2-0.
Ardoin lined a second double to bring in the RiverCats' third run in the eighth. Ardoin led the RiverCats' heroics, finishing 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
Lincoln recorded his first loss of the season, surrendering three runs on seven hits in 62/3 innings.
Salt Lake's offensive leader from Friday's 8-4 victory found trouble against Sacramento's pitchers as well. Friday, second baseman Jay Canizaro finished 3 for 5, including two singles and a double. His second-highest team batting average of .351 was enough to scare off Lankford, who threw eight straight balls in Canizaro's first two at bats. But nothing came of the free rides -- the Buzz stranded him on base in the first, and Canizaro shot himself in the foot, getting picked off at first to end the third.
The series continues today at 2 p.m.