Owners of the best record in the Pacific Coast League at regular season's end, the River Cats nonetheless proved a bit of a streaky team in 2011.

They went cold for stretches, but when they were on, they won games in bunches. And after handing Reno a 5-2 loss Friday night at Raley Field in a first-round playoff series, they must do it twice more if they hope to return to the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.

"You're going to have ups and downs, and we had a few ups and downs this year," Sacramento manager Darren Bush said. "But for the most part, we were consistent. So we just want to go out and be consistent."

With their backs against the wall, the River Cats broke open a 2-2 tie in the seventh with a three-run inning that was keyed by yet another long home run by first baseman Chris Carter, who clearly has a thing for hitting in September.

It was his third homer of the series – he has gone deep in each game. It also was his eighth career playoff home run with the River Cats in 12 games. Two years ago, in a first-round playoff series against Tacoma, he left the yard in all four games.

Friday night, after a Wes Timmons sacrifice fly put Sacramento ahead by a run, Carter hit a shot to left field with a runner on that gave the River Cats the 5-2 lead they would not relinquish. Whether it also will be a shot in the arm for his team remains to be seen.

The series continues tonight at 7:05 at Raley Field. The Aces will start right-hander Gaby Hernandez against Sacramento's Carlos Hernandez. Reno leads the best-of-five series 2-1.

The River Cats struck first Friday night when Carter singled with two outs in the bottom of the first inning and scored on a Josh Donaldson double to the wall in right-center field.

It was their first lead of the series. After pulling into second base, Donaldson pumped both his fists in celebration.

The teams traded punches from there.

Reno's Cole Gillespie homered off the left-field foul pole in the second inning to tie the score.

In the third, River Cats center fielder Jermaine Mitchell singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a Donaldson sacrifice fly. It was the type of manufactured run that was elusive in Game 2, when Sacramento's two runs came on solo homers.

Reno pulled even in the fifth on an Andy Tracy homer off Travis Banwart, who delivered the best performance by a River Cats starter in the series but departed after six innings with the score tied 2-2. He received no decision.

The River Cats' Jordan Norberto earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

Esmerling Vasquez, who gave up Carter's home run, took the loss for the Aces.

Reno made it interesting in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate with only one out. But Fernando Cabrera struck out Cody Ransom and Tracy to end the threat.

Before the game, River Cats left fielder Adrian Cardenas had said he expected no rousing pregame speeches or rally cries in an attempt to stir the locker room, despite the team being on the brink of elimination.

"Nobody's going out of character to do something that we haven't done all year," Cardenas said. "I think our best shot at winning is doing what we've done all year."

For the team that both tied the franchise's longest winning streak (10 games) and set its longest losing streak (nine) this year, that means getting hot, and staying that way.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Call the Bee's Matthew Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

• Read more articles by Matthew Kawahara