Baseball roundup: River Cats bust Las Vegas on four hits

WEST SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento River Cats held Las Vegas to four hits on Tuesday night, to take the series finale, 6-2, at Raley Field.

After shutting out the 51s on Monday, the Cats carried their momentum into Tuesday’s contest as Brad Peacock was perfect through four innings. His squad gave him a three-run lead by scoring once in the third on an error by Las Vegas shortstop Brian Bocock, and adding two in the fourth on a Brandon Hicks two-run homer, his team-leading 16th of the season.

Peacock ended up allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings pitched for his 12th win of the season.

The River Cats tacked on three more runs for good measure, including a seventh-inning, two-run single from Stephen Parker. Sacramento collected 12 hits in all, including three doubles, a triple and a home run.

Shane Peterson went 2-for-2 with two runs and three walks, Michael Taylor was 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a walk and Hicks went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Newly-acquired, switch-hitting catcher Jason Jaramillo finished 1-for-4 with a double.

The Cats now have a 5.5-game advantage over Las Vegas with 13 contests left in their season. Sacramento’s “magic number” to clinch the PCL Pacific South Division crown is now eight.

A’s 4, Twins 1: at Oakland, Brett Anderson pitched seven innings in his first start since undergoing elbow surgery nearly 15 months ago and the Athletics turned a triple play behind him in a win over Minnesota.

Newly acquired shortstop Stephen Drew went hitless in his Oakland debut but it hardly mattered. Coco Crisp, Seth Smith and Josh Donaldson had two hits apiece for the A’s, who remain one-half game behind Baltimore in the race for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Anderson struck out seven and faced one batter over the minimum in his return after being sidelined since June 5, 2011. He was activated off the disabled list Monday following a six-start rehab stint in the minors.

Ben Revere singled and scored the lone run for Minnesota.

Anderson’s outing capped a busy day for the A’s.

One day after getting Drew from Arizona for a minor leaguer, Oakland optioned slumping second baseman Jemile Weeks to the minors, activated designated hitter Seth Smith off the disabled list and put reliever Jordan Norberto on the DL.

Drew didn’t get a hit in four at-bats, extending his slump to 0 for 19. It’s the second-longest drought of the veteran infielder’s career.

That didn’t slow down the A’s, who won for the fifth time in six games to even their season series with the Twins.

Minnesota scored a run in the first on former Athletic Josh Willingham’s RBI single.

Anderson picked off Willingham straying off first base to get out of the inning then retired nine straight before Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit opened the fifth with consecutive hits, setting the stage for the third triple play in the majors this season.

Trevor Plouffe hit a sharp grounder to Oakland third baseman Donaldson, who stepped on the bag and made a quick relay to second baseman Adam Rosales. Rosales, making just his fifth start of the season after Weeks was sent to the minors, threw to first baseman Chris Carter to complete the 5-4-3 triple play.

It was the 21st triple play in franchise history and the first by the A’s since Randy Velarde’s unassisted triple play against the New York Yankees on May 29, 2000.

Donaldson continued his hot streak since being called up from the minors last week. He had an RBI double in the second to drive in Smith, then singled in the sixth when Oakland knocked Minnesota starter Cole De Vries (2-5) out of the game.