Blach breezes past Zephyrs in game one, 'Cats settle for split
New Orleans, LA - Mother Nature made her presence felt Monday night, causing a rain out and forcing the Sacramento River Cats (41-57) to play their first doubleheader this season against the New Orleans Zephyrs (47-48). Left-hander Ty Blach was phenomenal in the River Cats 1-0 victory in game one, but in game two, the Zephyrs found fresh air with a 3-0 win.
Game 1
The first game featured a brilliant performance by Blach. The southpaw cruised past the first 12 New Orleans hitters he faced, retiring them in order. The lefty went six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Of the 19 batters he faced, he threw first pitch strikes to 18 of them and induced nine ground ball outs.
The 21st ranked prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, Blach won his fourth consecutive start, bringing his win total to 10 on the year. In his last four starts, the 25-year-old has allowed three earned runs over 30 innings while throwing 364 pitches, 270 of which have gone for strikes (74%).
The lone run came off the bat of pinch-hitter Juan Ciriaco, who drove in shortstop Kelby Tomlinson in the seventh inning. The RBI was Ciriaco's team-leading fourth as a pinch-hitter and 19th on the season. Right-hander Jean Machi came in to relieve Blach in the seventh, earning his fourth save for Sacramento and his second save in as many appearances.
Game 2
In game two, the Zephyrs produced a shutout of their own, hitting the only two extra-base hits of both games in route to their 3-0 win. Sacramento starter Vin Mazzaro picked up where Blach left off, facing the minimum in his three innings pitched while inducing six New Orleans groundouts. The Zephyrs pounced in the fourth inning however, and never looked back.
Left-hander Steven Okert picked up the loss, allowing a solo home run to third baseman Austin Nola. Right-hander Jake Dunning followed in the fifth, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. This season, all 22 of Dunning's earned runs have come on the road.
Offensively, the River Cats registered just four hits and left six men on base. After earning their fifth shutout win in game one, game two saw Sacramento lose their sixth shutout. In the loss, the River Cats failed to get a baserunner past second base.
Sacramento will send left-hander Adalberto Mejia (2-1, 3.94) to the hill for game three of the four game set. He will oppose New Orleans' right-hander Jarred Cosart (3-3, 4.03). First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. (PT) and 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.