Parker hits a trio of homers, River Cats crush Bees again

Salt Lake City, UT - The River Cats came out swinging on Sunday, crushing the Bees 16-6 in the series finale in Salt Lake. Starter Chris Stratton settled in after a rough first inning to earn his third victory, and the offense again jumped all over the Bees pitching staff to finish off a historic offensive series. This afternoon's hitting clinic was highlighted by a four-hit game from Miguel Olivo and Jarrett Parker's three home runs.

The River Cats offense has been on fire since landing in Salt Lake - they've piled up 48 runs over the four games and have collected 72 hits. The red hot offense put together innings in which they scored four, five, six, and nine runs, and they averaged 12 runs per game during the four game stretch. Every Sacramento starter recorded at least one hit in three of the four contests, and the team tied a franchise record for hits in a game on Saturday with 24. The team batting average has jumped 35 points since April 26 and is now at .285.

Amid another hit parade for the River Cats, there were a number of performances to highlight from Sunday's game. Parker had a massive day, launching three home runs and knocking in six runs. The powerful outfielder has logged a three-homer game before, the last coming on May 26 of 2015 after being called up by the Giants. The feat ties a River Cats franchise mark, last reached by Adam Duvall on July 17, 2015 against Fresno.

Olivo came one hit shy of the cycle for the second straight day, going four-for-five with a double, a home run, four runs scored and an RBI. George Kottaras added his first home run of the year, while Ryan Lollis continued his strong play with a 3-for-6 day including two doubles.

Stratton got the start for Sacramento and endured a rough first inning, giving up five runs to Bees and putting the River Cats in an early hole. However the former first-rounder would settle in nicely to get through six and earn his third win of the year. He finished the day with six innings pitched, six runs (five earned) on six hits, walking one and striking out two.

Mac Williamson was pulled from the game in the seventh inning after going 1-for-4 with a single and a run. It looks as though he may be headed to Cincinnati to join the San Francisco Giants as the big league club is currently dealing with minor injuries to both Joe Panik and Angel Pagan.

After splitting the series with Salt Lake, Sacramento will head south to face off against Albuquerque for the first time this season. Tomorrow it will be the right-hander Albert Suarez (0-2, 2.37) for the River Cats versus the Isotope's left-hander Ryan Carpenter (1-2, 5.09). First pitch is set for 5:35 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air 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 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.