Giants, River Cats fans pack Sutter Health Park for exhibition game as Opening Day nears

It was a packed house at Sutter Health Park for the fifth battle between the Sacramento River Cats and the San Francisco Giants.

Temperatures were high, but fans didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, this is cold for Sacramento, are you kidding me? It's a little early, but I can live with it," said husband and wife Mark and Tracey Sargent from Woodland.

Warm weather is here just in time for the start of baseball season.

"We're in the shade. I knew where I was buying the tickets at," said Bob Slama from Rancho Cordova.

"Having my parents out here, it's nice because I can just do both now," said Anna Sargent, who lives in Millbrae.

This family is split between Woodland and the Bay, making the Sunday night exhibition game the perfect outing.

"So we support both of the organizations very strongly," said Mark.

"It's more intimate in the smaller stadium for sure," said Anna.

According to the River Cats president, the exhibition game is a chance for Sacramento fans to see rising Giants stars and reconnect with familiar faces who once wore the River Cats jersey.

"It's fun to talk about who's gone up, who's gone down, who's gone back up, who's gone back down. We get to see them in both stadiums very easy," said Mark.

"Oh, it's great. It's close. We go to games at Oracle Park, but it's great that they're here in Sacramento. Last year, we saw the A's and Giants versus each other and it's great. It's here, it's close to home," said Slama.

The exhibition game marks the start of the season for both teams. After this game in West Sacramento against the River Cats, the Giants head back to San Francisco for their home opener Wednesday against the New York Yankees.

"This is my third year in a row going to the exhibition game," said Anna.

"It's exciting. It's baseball season, finally," said Slama. 

A pair of solo home runs for the River Cats gave them the edge over the Giants, winning 2-1.