River Cats Rally Past Grizzlies, 6-2
Published on July 10, 2014 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release
FRESNO, Calif. - A pair of season-debuts helped the Sacramento River Cats (54-39) upend the Fresno Grizzlies (45-49) by a score of 6-2 at Chukchansi Park on Wednesday evening.
Making his 2014-debut with the Cats was lefty Tommy Milone (0-0, 2.25 ERA), who was recently optioned by Oakland after the club's acquisition of starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. The southpaw tossed four innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks.
The Grizzlies picked up their first run of the contest off Milone in the bottom of the fourth inning. Fresno left fielder Mark Minicozzi singled with the bases loaded and two outs to drive in Nick Noonan, giving his club the 1-0 lead.
Reliever Fernando Rodriguez would start the fifth inning for the Cats and was greeted by right fielder Brett Krill with a single to start the frame. Krill would come around to score later in the inning on an infield-single by Fresno third baseman Tony Abreu.
Sacramento would tie the game at two in the sixth on third baseman Jose Martinez's fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot to left off Grizzlies reliever Adam Reifer that scored Nick Buss. Martinez went 1-for-4 in the contest with a run scored, the homer, and two RBI.
Shortstop Andy Parrino kept the momentum going for the River Cats in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded Parrino singled to right, driving in Ryan Ortiz and another Cats player making their debut in center fielder Kenny Wilson, to put Sacramento on top 4-2.
Wilson would help add to the River Cats lead with an RBI-single the following inning, and Jake Elmore made it a four-run lead for the Cats immediately after Wilson's hit with a sacrifice fly to right. The newest member of the Cats finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.
Edwin Escobar (3-8, 5.06 ERA) started the game for Fresno but didn't factor in the decision after hurling five scoreless innings and surrendering three hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Reifer took the loss for the Grizzlies, the first of his 2014 campaign, moving him to 5-1 on the season.
Pacific Coast League All-Star Paul Smyth picked up his fifth win of the year for the River Cats after throwing 1.2 innings of relief without allowing a run while striking out two. The River Cats bullpen combined to pitch five innings, yielding no earned runs and keeping the Fresno lineup off balance.
The victory clinched the season series for Sacramento against Fresno, giving them nine wins against their rivals heading into the season finale on Thursday.
Taking the mound for the River Cats in their last game against Fresno this season is righty Arnold Leon (9-2, 4.47 ERA). He will face Grizzlies southpaw Jose De Paula (2-3, 4.23 ERA) at Chukchansi Park with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Sacramento returns home on Friday, July 11, at 7:05 p.m. when the Aces visit Raley Field for the first time this season in a three-game set that ends just before the 2014 All-Star break.
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River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2014 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). Single-game tickets can now be purchased at Raley Field's Round Table Pizza Ticket Office or online at rivercats.com or ticketmaster.com. 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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