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PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

Offense Blanked, Waste Heston's Strong Start

June 17, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


West Sacramento, CA - The River Cats (26-42) fell 4-0 against the Fresno Grizzlies (30-35) for the fourth straight night Thursday at Raley Field. Sacramento starter Chris Heston put together a strong start for the home team, but the River Cats offense was nowhere to be found, managing just one hit in the shutout loss.

Heston came into tonight with a 1.37 ERA at home in three games and continued to throw well when at Raley Field. The right-hander allowed just two runs through seven innings on six hits with no walks and one strikeout. He opened the top of the eighth by allowing a double before giving way to the bullpen. Left-hander Braulio Lara allowed Heston's runner to score, giving him his third earned run of the night.

Prior to tonight, Heston had allowed two earned runs in back-to-back starts. In his last six starts, he has allowed two or fewer runs four times and three or fewer five times. He lowered his ERA from 3.99 to 3.96 with the outing but picked up his PCL-leading eighth loss of the year. Heston's only win this season came when he threw six shutout innings at home against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on May 26.

Heston has struggled to receive any kind of support from his offense this season, but tonight was perhaps the most extreme example. The River Cats bats managed just one hit in eight innings against Fresno's starter Cesar Valdez. Valdez entered tonight with a mediocre 4.79 ERA and had not struck out more than five in a single outing. Tonight, he tossed a complete-game shutout, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out 10.

With the loss, the River Cats find themselves swept for the fourth time this season and the second at home. In these four games against Fresno, the offense managed just 20 hits and scored a total of seven runs. The loss is the sixth straight for Sacramento and drops them to 16 games under the .500 mark. The last time the River Cats found themselves 16 under was back in 2002, when the team was 50-66. Sacramento has never been 17 games under .500.

Sacramento will look to hit the rest button and start fresh as they welcome the El Paso Chihuahuas to Raley Field for the first time this season. The two teams have already faced off eight times this year - all at Southwest University Park in El Paso - and the River Cats are 2-6 in those eight games. For Sacramento, it will be left-hander Ty Blach (6-4, 4.28). With a win, Blach would move into a five-way tie for most wins in the PCL (seven). Opposite Blach will be one of those seven-game winners, right-hander Daniel McCutchen (7-3, 5.20). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT). The game can be heard live online at 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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