Big inning powers River Cats to third straight win

Tacoma, WA - In their first rain-delayed game of the 2016 season, the River Cats had no trouble putting runs on the board as they defeated the Tacoma Rainiers 8-4 in the series opener. A six-run second inning and solid pitching helped Sacramento capture their third straight win, and the first against a team not named Las Vegas.

A six-run second inning was plenty of run support as starting right-hander Ty Blach was able to go five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three. In his five-inning outing, Blach did not allow an extra base hit while throwing 43 of his 77 pitches for strikes.

Saturday night's game was a step in the right direction for left fielder Jarrett Parker. The struggling lefty had a batting average of .151 coming into tonight's game, but with two on and two out in the second inning, launched a three-run home run which doubled his RBI total for the year (6). It was a good night for the offense as a whole for the River Cats. The first five hitters for the Cats finished 9-for-22 on Saturday with three doubles, two homers, and all eight RBI.

Right fielder Mac Williamson continued his hot hitting since returning to Sacramento, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and an RBI. He is now hitting .333 for Sacramento on the year. Sacramento welcomed another familiar face back to the lineup this evening. Local product Andrew Susac hit cleanup for the River Cats and was the designated hitter, going 3-for-5 with a home run after missing each of the last 11 games.

Blach came back to the mound following a 42-minute rain delay to finish off the 5th inning before giving way to right-hander Chris Heston who was making his Sacramento debut. Heston was able to ride out the rest of the game, going the final four innings giving up two runs on four hits, striking out four while walking just one.

It was another rough night for Rainier's starter Joe Wieland as the right-hander was pulled in the second inning for the second-straight game. Coming into the game, Tacoma catcher Mike Zunino was the league leader in batting average with a .415 mark, but was held to one hit by Blach and Heston.

The River Cats and Rainiers will be back at it tomorrow afternoon in Tacoma as Sacramento will look to extend their winning streak to four games. Taking the ball for the River Cats it will be right-hander Chris Stratton (1-2, 7.16 ERA). He will be facing Tacoma righty Cody Martin (3-0, 3.78 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com.  

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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.