PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

Blach Deals, But Aces' Hand Just a Little Bit Better

Published on May 11, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (13-20) were given a strong outing from their starting pitcher for the second night in a row but were unable to do anything with it. Ty Blach allowed two runs over seven innings but he and the River Cats took the loss, falling to the Reno Aces 3-1 Tuesday night at Raley Field.

Blach seemed off early in this one, allowing two runs on five hits in the first two innings against the Aces. None of the hits were struck extremely hard, but all found a way to fall. First baseman Kyle Jensen singled home second baseman Matt Freeman in the first inning and Reno's starter Kyle Drabek brought home Jack Reinheimer with a sacrifice bunt in the second.

That would be it for Reno though, as Blach found his groove in the third inning. The crafty lefthander kept the Aces off-balance and off of the bases for the rest of the night, retiring the final sixteen batters he faced. Blach threw 91 pitches on the night, 62 of them for strikes. He gave up just five hits over seven innings and, though he only struck out two, did not walk a batter for the first time this season.

With no walks in the outing, Blach appeared more like the 2015 version of himself. Last season, Blach averaged 1.1 walks per nine innings. Entering tonight's matchup with Reno, Blach was walking triple that, average 3.3 free passes per game. Tonight also marked the second time the lefty pitched at least seven innings. Blach led all San Francisco Giants affiliates and the Pacific Coast league with 165 1/3 innings pitched last season.

As good as Blach was, though, Reno's Kyle Drabek managed to be a little bit better. Drabek also went seven, giving up one run on six hits and a walk while striking out four. The River Cats lone run came off the bat of Ryan Lollis, who hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to bring home Gorkys Hernandez. Lollis led the River Cats with two hits on the night.

For the fourth straight night, the River Cats offense was held to one or fewer runs. Hitting in the four and five spots in the lineup, Mac Williamson and Miguel Olvio combined to go 0-for-7 with three strikeouts and six men left on base. As a team, the Sacramento was just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.

It'll be day baseball tomorrow at Raley Field as the River Cats and Aces get underway at 12:05 p.m. Chris Stratton (4-2, 6.55) will look to continue where he left off in his last start. The right-hander struck out a season-best nine over seven innings of one-run ball. Opposite Stratton will be former San Francisco Giants prospect and current Aces starter, left-hander Edwin Escobar (0-0, 3.38). Tomorrow's game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and at 7 p.m. on the air on ESPN 1320.

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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2016 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 11, 2016


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