River Cats designated hitter Brooks Conrad wasn't a member of this team or any other several days ago after being designated for assignment by the A's organization.
Conrad cleared waivers after two days in limbo, rejoined the Cats on Thursday and hit a two-out, game-winning, two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday evening to give streaking Sacramento a 4-3 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers at Raley Field.
River Cats starter Brad Knox had gone eight innings and surrendered two solo home runs among four hits and a season-high nine strikeouts. Then reliever David Shafer struck out the side in the top of the ninth, but Rainiers cleanup hitter Victor Diaz interrupted the flow with a long homer to left to give Tacoma a 3-2 lead.
River Cats leadoff hitter Chris Denorfia got ahead in the count and singled to right to open the bottom of the ninth off Rainiers closer Jared Wells. Danny Putnam sacrificed Denorfia to second before Matt Murton bounced out to third and set the stage for Conrad.
Conrad jettisoned a 2-0 changeup down the right-field line. The towering drive clearly had enough distance, but there was question whether it would be fair.
"The wind was blowing out to left so I think that might have kept it fair," said Conrad, who leads the team in home runs (24) and RBI (80). "It was right down the line, though."
Conrad had been struck out three times in four earlier at-bats so the chance for redemption was sweet.
"I was just hoping to get a chance because I hadn't done anything," he said. "Then Chris got that big hit to start the ninth and it all worked out."
There was speculation that Conrad might be removed for a pinch-hittter, but manager Todd Steverson said that thought never crossed his mind.
"The guy leads us in home runs and RBI," Steverson said. "He always has a chance to do what he did and luckily for himself and us, he did it."
Conrad's home run also made second baseman Gregorio Petit's 4-for-4 night taste a little bit better as well as the River Cats moved a little closer to a division title.
Sacramento's sixth consecutive victory combined with Las Vegas' loss to Fresno reduced the magic number for clinching to four. Any combination of 51s losses and River Cats victories will give Sacramento its seventh division title in nine seasons.
Call The Bee's Martin McNeal, (916) 326-5504.
