PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

River Cats Get Even, Beat 51s 3-2

Published on April 15, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The River Cats evened the series with the Las Vegas 51s with a win Tuesday night as Darren Ford and Juan Perez combined to go 4-8 with three runs and an RBI at the top of the lineup. Hunter Strickland also successfully converted on the team's first save opportunity of the season.

Perez had struggled to start the season, coming into Tuesday night's game 0-19 with just one walk. He found his swing against the 51s, going 2-4 at the plate, including an RBI double in the fourth inning to bring in what would prove to be the deciding run. Darren Ford also provided offense at the top of the lineup, going 2-4 with a walk and two runs scored.

The bullpen for Sacramento was again dominant, as Curtis Partch and Hunter Strickland earned the team's first hold and save, respectively. The two combined for three two-hit innings with no walks and three strikeouts.

River Cats starter Robert Coello found himself in trouble early. Coello loaded the bases in the top of the first with no outs and surrendered the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right by 51s catcher Johnny Monell. With runners on the corners, Alex Castellanos hit a fly ball to left field, just deep enough for Reynolds to tag. Campbell went for second and was doubled off as shortstop Ronny Cedeno cut off the throw and caught Campbell too far off the bag. The River Cats then successfully appealed to third. Reynolds was called out and his run erased. Despite loading the bases with no outs, Coello and the River Cats got out of the inning down only a run.

LHP Steven Matz and the Las Vegas 51s similarly dealt with a rough first inning, also loading the bases before recording an out. First baseman Adam Duvall knocked in his sixth run of the season on a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game. The River Cats added another on the 51s second miscue of the game when Ronny Cedeno grounded to third baseman Danny Muno. Juan Perez broke for home from third and would have been out by 30 feet but Muno hesitated, double-clutched, and ended up going to second for the out there as Perez scored to give the River Cats a 2-1 lead.

Both pitchers would settle in after the rocky first, each allowing just one more run. With Ford on second, Perez laced a double down the left field line, scoring Ford and stretching the lead to two. The 51s would tag Coello for another run in the fifth on center fielder Daniel Ceciliani's solo home run to right field, bringing the score to 3-2. Matz lasted five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and five walks, striking out five. Coello got the best of the young Mets prospect, tossing six two-run innings on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

It'll be the left hander Braulio Lara on the mound tomorrow afternoon for the River Cats. Lara lost his first start of the season despite pitching well, giving up just two runs in five innings of work and striking out six. He'll look to get in the win column tomorrow against the 51s righty Matthew Bowman. Bowman was hit hard in his first start of the season, to the tune of seven runs in 4.2 innings. He enters tomorrow 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA.

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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 2015 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 15, 2015


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