By Mauricio Segura August 18, 2025
Photo: GBT Graphics
The Sacramento River Cats are cooking something special at Sutter Health Park, and no, it’s not just sizzling barbecue drifting in from the bullpen. They’ve built an 11 game home win streak, one shy of their franchise record, and along the way reminded us that minor league baseball can still feel major league dramatic.
This isn’t another “they won again” recap. This is about how a Triple A team somehow found a perfect rhythm at the perfect time.
It all came into sharp focus on August 21, when the River Cats beat the El Paso Chihuahuas 6 to 5, marking their 11th straight win at home. A stat that, when your stadium has seen 25 seasons of play, isn't handed out casually. Sacramento has now won 14 of its last 15 at Sutter Health Park, where they’re a season best 31 and 23. And that’s not merely favorable, that’s domination.
Getting to 11 straight wasn’t just about stacking wins, it’s how they got them. The third inning of that August 21 game became Exhibit A. Osleivis Basabe blasted a solo homer, Wade Meckler and Jesus Rodriguez followed with singles, Brett Wisely doubled them both in, and Drew Ellis knocked in another. Four runs, suddenly leading, suddenly alive.
Then, when the Chihuahuas pushed back, Sacramento didn’t fold. In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and the pressure rising, Bryce Eldridge slugged a 111 mph two run shot. Boom, lead regained, crowd electrified.
On top of this, the bullpen showed up when it mattered. Sean Hjelle came in and, despite a hiccup in the ninth, closed it out with composure. A near undefeated aura all night.
But this wasn’t an isolated fluke. The night before, the River Cats had edged El Paso 9 to 8 in what might have been a fireworks show wrapped in ambush tactics. Trailing by multiple runs, Sacramento rallied. Drew Ellis and Luis Matos slugged solo homers just two batters apart to knot it, then Wade Meckler delivered insurance runs in the eighth. Basabe even made a diving stop to seal the deal, a defensive gem making the difference. That brought them to ten straight at home.
And one night after that, they pushed to eleven. It’s like watching a string of perfectly synced gears, one turn making the next one powerful.
What makes this run truly riveting is the story behind the streak. There’s a confidence brewing in families of fans, in players who once tasted only a 10 to 5 loss and now feel like they’re running a clinic. This isn’t just wanderlust baseball, this is torque.
Think about it, a Triple A team, typically a revolving door of prospects shuffling between the majors and rehab assignments, now hitting a groove that’s thick with intentionality and momentum. You don’t see this kind of consistency without something deeper bubbling up, trust, timing, clarity.
Let’s talk names beyond the popular ones. Osleivis Basabe, often behind someone else’s headline, steps into his moment and knocks two clutch homers in close games. Brett Wisely transforms singles into momentum. Bryce Eldridge launches homers when it hurts most, and comes by them regularly. These aren’t blockbusters with fanfare, but they’re the small, dependable fireworks that leave the crowd buzzing.
We’re witnessing a rare convergence of veteran leadership and youthful pop. While other storylines swirl about relocation and stadium adjustments, out here the River Cats channel calm.
The bigger picture is unavoidable. With Oakland set to move into Sutter Health Park for a few seasons, this streak might be the thing River Cats fans whisper about in autumn. When the new tenants swing in and the turf gets shared, this run may become emblematic of what Sacramento baseball felt like at its gritty, gleaming peak.
As of that August 22 standout, Sacramento has now won 11 straight at home, one shy of matching the franchise record from July 29 through August 31 of 2015. That’s not ancient history, that’s within memory, within arm’s reach of being eclipsed in real time.
So here’s the takeaway. When a Triple A team starts heating up like this, it’s more than just warm weather, it’s a forecast. A home ice wave that’s making the stands erupt. And frankly, it’s more thrilling than most big league slogs these days.
Caught in the moment? Get to Sutter Health Park. You’re seeing a team turn games into a streak that just might be the story Sacramento remembers when baseball in the city gets redefined.
