PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

River Cats Find Ace up Their Sleeve, Trump Reno 7-3

Published on May 14, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - In his first start back after three weeks on the disabled list, Sacramento River Cats (14-22) starter Matt Lujan led the Sacramento staff in a 7-3 win over the visiting Reno Aces (15-19). Gorkys Hernandez opened the scoring with his second home run of the season as the River Cats won the series finale and avoided being swept.

Lujan (0-3, 4.19) had spent the previous 16 games on the disabled list with a torn patella tendon, missing just two weeks between starts. He was great in his first time back, throwing four shutout innings and allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out four. The four strikeouts matched his season-high while the one walk matched his season-low. The left-hander threw 73 pitches in the outing (was on a 75-pitch limit), 41 of them for strikes.

After Lujan, it was George Kontos, Steven Okert, Mike Broadway, Phil McCormick, and Duke Welker. The six pitchers kept Reno off the board, taking a shutout into the ninth inning. It was not to be, however, and Reno rallied for three ninth-inning runs against Welker. That was all they would get though, as Welker struck out his final batter to close out the game.

Okert got it done with the bat, as well, helping the River Cats open the scoring against Aces' starter Tyler Wagner. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Okert crushed a double off the wall in right field. The next batter was Gorkys Hernandez, who followed with a two-run home run to deep left field, his second of the season. Those two runs sparked an offensive outburst for Sacramento, who scored four times in the sixth and again in the eighth.

Mitch Delfino also homered for the River Cats, who are now tied with the Omaha Storm Chasers for the most home runs in the Pacific Coast League (34). Grant Green contributed with a 2-for-4 night and two runs driven in, increasing his team-best RBI count to 25. Even George Kottaras, who has struggled in limited action so far this season, got in on the scoring, driving in one with a sixth-inning RBI-single. The seven runs scored are the most by the River Cats since May 5th, when they scored 12.

With the win, Sacramento avoids being swept at home for the second time this season and wraps up their eight-game homestand going 2-6. The win also snaps the River Cats six-game losing streak, their longest so far this season.

Sacramento will head back out on the road for eight games, starting with four in Memphis against the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate. It'll be right-hander Chris Heston (0-2, 4.12) for the River Cats as the Redbirds send right-hander Arturo Reyes (2-2, 4.20) to counter. First pitch is set for 4:35 p.m. (PT). and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air at ESPN 1320.

Check out the Sacramento River Cats Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 14, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central