PCL1 Sacramento River Cats

River Cats Stumble in Battle of the Bullpens

Published on June 1, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Sacramento River Cats News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The River Cats and Sky Sox both sent bullpen arms to the mound to start Monday's matinee finale in Colorado Springs. Looking for their first series win since late April, the defense again stumbled, committing their eighth error of the series as the River Cats fell 5-3 to the Sky Sox.

Veteran righty Juan Gutierrez took the mound for the River Cats, making his first start of the season. Gutierrez had appeared in 13 games for Sacramento prior to today's game, posting an 0-1 record with one save and a 4.94 ERA. He was excellent for the River Cats filling in as a starter, tossing 3 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 2. He threw 39 pitches in the start, 25 for strikes, and recorded five ground ball outs.

His opponent was fellow right-handed reliever Tim Dillard. Dillard, who was also making his first start of the season, went 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2.

The River Cats struck first, jumping ahead in the second inning on a towering three-run home run from Casey McGehee. The homer was his second in the last two games and one of three hits on the afternoon. It was a strong end to the series for McGehee, who hit .500 (8-for-16) with 2 walks, 3 runs, 2 home runs, a double, and 6 RBIs over the four games.

The Sky Sox took the lead in the fourth, though, scoring five times off reliever Curtis Partch to go ahead by two. The big hit in the inning came from Colorado Springs' pinch-hitter Chris Nelson. With the bases loaded, Nelson - who came into the at bat hitting just .158 in his last ten games (3-for-19) - roped a bases-clearing double down the right-field line.

Four of Colorado Springs' runs in the inning were unearned as Adam Duvall committed his team-leading 10th error of the season on a throw to first. In the series, the River Cats committed eight errors and surrendered 11 unearned runs.

The River Cats were unable to generate a comeback as the Sky Sox bullpen limited them to just three hits over the final five innings. Jarrett Parker, who started the day with 499 career hits, was 0-2 with two walks on the afternoon, postponing the milestone for at least another game.

The River Cats are now 23-29 and will head to Oklahoma City to take on the OKC Dodgers. The Dodgers are 34-15 heading into their game tonight and are in first in the American Northern division. Nik Turley (0-1, 13.50) will kick things off for the River Cats. The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Joe Wieland (4-1, 5.45). First pitch is 5:05 p.m. PDT. The game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and will join in progress at 6:00 p.m. 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 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 June 1, 2015


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