Stratton keeps Rainiers dormant in 10-2 win

Tacoma, WA - After falling in last night's finale to Albuquerque, the Sacramento River Cats (54-62) entered Saturday's game against the Tacoma Rainiers (67-48) looking for redemption. They did so in high fashion, outscoring the Rainiers 10-2 and capitalizing on their opponent's three errors.

The River Cats have been ablaze at the plate as of late with double-digit hit nights in six of their last seven games. Tonight was no different, as the offense racked up 14 hits in the ballgame and finished 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Leading at the plate was Ramiro Peña who finished 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, including a double and a home run. He is now hitting .306 with Sacramento.

The big night at the plate featured a seven-hit fourth inning that plated seven for Sacramento to take an 8-0 lead. The middle of the order got things started before four straight drove in runners at third. Peña then came up looking for redemption after taking a fastball to the ankle two nights ago. He did just that with a long ball over the right field wall that knocked in three. The homer is his fifth with the Cats and he now has 22 RBI.

Behind the lineup was a solid outing by Chris Stratton. The right-hander takes his second straight win and his fourth in his last five starts. He allowed just two runs on seven hits across six innings of work with two walks and matched a season-low two strikeouts. He struggled slightly with control, throwing 94 pitches with just 53 going for strikes. However, the Mississippi State alum is now 2-0 in three starts against Tacoma with a 5.63 ERA (10 earned runs in 16 innings). Overall on the year, he moves to 9-5 with a 4.69 ERA, second most in wins for a Sacramento starter behind Ty Blach (12).

With Stratton's pitch count nearing one hundred, Manager Jose Alguacil then looked to a combination of veteran and rookie bullpen members to close out the game. Vin Mazzaro, Cory Gearrin, and Tyler Rogers shut down the Rainiers, allowing just one hit across three innings with three strikeouts. Gearrin, in his fourth rehab appearance, gave up a leadoff walk before inducing two strikeouts and a flyout. His ERA remains spotless after four innings of work with just one hit and six strikeouts during his rehab assignment.

With the win, the River Cats move to just 8.0 games under .500. Another win tomorrow night will move the Cats to seven games under for the first time since May 27 when the team held a 21-28 record.

Sacramento will send the tall right-hander Joan Gregorio (3-6, 5.89) to the mound tomorrow for game two. Tacoma sends righty Sam Gaviglio (1-0, 2.84) to oppose him. First pitch is set for 7:05 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.