Long Ball Duvall Goes Three in a Row, Ties River Cats Record

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA. - It was all Adam Duvall for the River Cats Saturday night at Raley Field. The 2015 All-Star was 3-for-4 with three home runs in his first three at bats. It was the first three-homer game of Duvall's professional career and the first such game for the River Cats this season.

"I felt like I was picking it up early tonight, so when I got one I wanted to hit I was able to get the barrel on it," Duvall said after the game. "I've been working lately on getting my hips square to the plate so I can drive the ball, pull the bat through the zone instead of whipping it."

The corner infielder entered the night tied for first in the PCL with 17 home runs before launching his second inning shot to left field on a 1-2 pitch. His second home run was a mammoth shot to left, landing halfway back atop the River Cats clubhouse. His third homer led off the seventh inning, just clearing the left field wall.

"I had to kind of take a step back to move forward," explained Duvall, whose batting average had dropped rapidly in June before slowly climbing in recent weeks. "I was landing open a lot and I think I overcompensated recently, and was landing super closed. But tonight it felt right, like I was getting back to square."

The All-Star is now hitting .267 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs this season.

Duvall is the first River Cats hitter to homer three times in a game this season and tied the franchise-high for a single game. The feat was last achieved almost exactly a year ago by outfielder Shane Peterson, who hit three home runs in a 10-7 River Cats win on July 17, 2014.

The River Cats were unable to get much else going, getting only two other hits to go with Duvall's homers. Jarrett Parker doubled over the head of the centerfielder and Trevor Brown singled in the fifth as the River Cats dropped their second straight to the Fresno Grizzlies, 7-3. River Cats pitchers walked a season-high eight and allowed the Grizzlies to steal eight bases. The eight stolen bases allowed are a franchise-high for Sacramento.

The two teams will meet one more time at Raley Field in tomorrow afternoon's finale. Tommy Hanson (0-1, 4.50) will make his first home start for Sacramento as he takes on Fresno's righty Mike Hauschild (2-2, 4.05). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. and gates will open at 11:00 a.m. for Fin Fest.

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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.