River Cats can't hold off Grizzlies' late-game rally
Fresno, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (36-51) were in control most of the game Wednesday night against the Fresno Grizzlies (43-41), but when it mattered most, it was Fresno who took charge. Starting pitcher Clayton Blackburn pitched six terrific innings to begin the game, however in the 5-2 rubber match loss, he was not able to tame the Grizzlies in the latter stages of the game.
The River Cats came in to Chukchansi Park seeking their first two-game win streak against a divisional opponent since April 23-24 at Tacoma. Blackburn looked up to the challenge to start the game in his sixth start away from Raley Field, allowing just four hits through the first six innings. One of those hits was a home run to give Fresno an early 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Last year's Pacific Coast League ERA leader, Blackburn was not deterred by the long ball, at one point retiring 11 straight Fresno hitters and letting his defense go to work retiring nine of them via ground balls. The 11th ranked prospect in the Giants organization according to MLB.com, the 23-year-old was unable to finish this one out tonight, despite throwing only 67 pitches (48 for strikes) through the first six frames.
After retiring the first Grizzlies hitter in the bottom of the seventh, Blackburn then gave up a walk followed by a single, giving Fresno their first base runner in scoring position in the game. After getting last year's PCL MVP Matt Duffy to fly out, Blackburn then allowed three straight two-out runs to a Grizzlies team that never looked back.
In dropping their sixth game against Fresno in their first seven this year, the River Cats only managed six hits on the night, three of which came in their two-run fourth. Center fielder Gorkys Hernandez had another two-hit game for Sacramento, his 16th this year. Hitting in the three spot, Ali Castillo went 1-for-4 with a run scored. In the duo's last seven games, they have recorded 21 of the team's 51 hits and have scored nine of the team's last 21 runs.
Right fielder Ryan Lollis recorded his 35th RBI of the year, tying him for the team-lead with Hernandez, while first baseman Travis Ishikawa knocked in his 12th. In his last 10 games, Ishikawa is hitting .310 (13-for-42) with 10 RBI and five runs scored after batting just .170 in his first 15 games with the River Cats. Second baseman Kelby Tomlinson made his third rehab start with Sacramento tonight, but went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being replaced by Rando Moreno.
The River Cats head back to Raley Field for a four-game series against another divisional foe, the Tacoma Rainiers starting tomorrow night. It will be left-hander Ty Blach (8-5, 4.12) on the hill against Rainiers righty Donn Roach (5-4, 4.23). First pitch is set for 7:05 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.