Sacramento River Cats

The Las Vegas 51s scored five unearned runs in the third inning en route to a 9-3 victory Friday night.

The infield was raked by groundskeepers determined to make Raley Field as pristine as its reputation.

Travis d'Arnaud, the Pacific Coast League's fourth-rated prospect, reached base four times on two doubles and two walks. He scored each time, and Andrew Brown added a two-run double and two sacrifice flies as the Las Vegas 51s spoiled the managerial debut of Steve Scarsone and defeated the River Cats 10-5 Thursday.

At the end of a media day full of cameras, note pads and tape recorders – and two elementary school-age interviewers – on Monday afternoon, River Cats manager Steve Scarsone stopped, looked around and offered a question right back to the group:

David Freitas, an Elk Grove High School and Cosumnes River College graduate, shares the drive and desire of the five first-round draft picks who dot the River Cats' roster.

Here's a rundown of key facets of the 2013 River Cats as they prepare to begin the season.

Here are three River Cats who could have significant impact on the team and bear scrutiny this season.

Zak Basch, the River Cats' executive in charge of public relations, is hissing mad – or whatever it is cats do when they get angry.

Although the A's won't have Bartolo Colon in their rotation the first week of the season, he'll almost certainly be there after serving the final five days of his 2012 suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

David Del Grande singled for Sacramento State's second walk-off win of the season as the Hornets defeated Cal State Northridge 4-3 in a nonconference baseball game Friday at John Smith Field, Sac State reported.

Steve Scarsone describes his first major league call-up vividly, as if nowhere near 20 years have passed. His manager at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre called him in after a May game in Richmond and, stone-faced, began chiding him for a high relay throw. That kind of thing, the manager insisted, wouldn't fly in Philadelphia.

Darren Bush, who guided the River Cats to Pacific Coast League division titles the past two seasons, was named the bullpen coach of the A's on Friday.