PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

No Luck in Las Vegas, River Cats Drop Fifth Straight

Published on April 12, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


LAS VEGAS, NV - The River Cats remained cold in the desert, dropping the series opener to the 51s 5-2. The loss was their fifth straight and extended a franchise-record winless start to a season (0-5). Left-handed starter Ricky Romero was solid in his Sacramento debut, but the offense struggled to string together hits and came up short Monday night.

Early scoring helped Sacramento capture the lead for just the third time this season. Lollis got it started by following a leadoff walk with an RBI-triple to the right field gap, putting the River Cats up 1-0. Mac Williamson stepped up next with an RBI groundout, chasing home Lollis to make it 2-0. That would be all, however, as Sacramento managed just five hits after the first inning.

Romero did his part to give the River Cats a chance to win in this one. Still building arm strength, he got through four solid frames allowing no runs on just 1 hit with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. The Southern California native signed with San Francisco last May after spending nine seasons with Toronto. Romero is looking to begin a new chapter after injuries derailed a career that once had ace potential. He made just 13 starts in 2014 and 2015 combined, but enters this season healthier than he's been in more than two years.

Albert Suarez took over for Romero in the 5th inning, and what a relief it was for the 51s hitters. After managing just one hit off of Romero, the Las Vegas hitters were able to get to Suarez. The right-hander allowed a run in the 5th on a sac fly by Ty Kelly, then two more in the 6th thanks to five singles. Suarez got through three innings but took the loss in this one, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts.

The River Cats defense showed signs of improvement after a rough series in Salt Lake where they committed five errors leading to 10 unearned runs. Tonight they played great defense behind Romero and turned two key double plays in the 3rd and 6th innings that helped keep things close until the end.

The game was within striking distance throughout, but the River Cats could not put the necessary rally together. The 51s put the game out of reach in the 8th when Kelly roped a double down the line to plate two, pushing the lead to 5-2.

Lollis and Hak-Ju Lee led the River Cats offense, both collecting a pair of hits included a triple a piece. Grant Green went 1-4 and has now hit safely in all five games this season.

On Tuesday, Sacramento will again look to capture their first win of the year as they face Las Vegas in game two of their four game series. On they will turn to Ty Blach (0-1, 7.94) to get into the win column for the first time. For the home team it will be Sean Gilmartin (0-0, No ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game can be heard live on rivercats.com and 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 April 12, 2016


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