Sacramento’s 4-run 6th defeats 51s

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 | 9:26 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Jermaine Clark doubled home two runs to cap a four-run sixth inning that gave Sacramento the lead, and the River Cats held on for a 6-5 victory against the Las Vegas 51s on Monday night at Raley Field.

The first three runs in the sixth were charged to reliever Justin Wayne, who was making his first appearance with the club and did not record an out.

Wayne, who spent the last two seasons with the Florida Marlins, walked Dan Johnson and Adam Morrissey before Jack Cust singled to load the bases. Tom Farmer came in for Wayne and allowed a run-scoring single to Freddie Bynum and a groundout by Steve Jackson that scored another run before Clark's double.

Harold Eckert, making a spot start for injured Las Vegas pitcher Ryan Rupe,went five innings, allowing two runs on Cust's fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning that cut the 51s' lead to 4-2. Cust had three of Sacramento's six hits.

Willy Aybar singled in two runs and Mike Rose brought in another with a sacrifice fly in the third, as Las Vegas took a 4-0 lead. The 51s added another run in the seventh, when Tony Schrager scored on Mike Edwards' groundout, but Aybar was thrown out at second after the run had scored to end the inning.

Chris Mabeus struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth inning to earn his first save.