Blackburn deals Aces bad hand as offense rallies late
After finishing with a season-high 19 wins last month, the Sacramento River Cats (68-72) got off on the right foot Thursday night, defeating the Reno Aces (74-66) 3-1 for their 13th series win of the year. The offense came up clutch late for the home team while Sacramento starter Clayton Blackburn dominated on the mound.
Blackburn went toe-to-toe with Aces starter Matt Buschmann as the two exchanged zeros through the first seven and a half innings. While Reno did manage to put six on against Blackburn, the right-hander was able to work out of some early jams, holding the Aces to 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. In his eight scoreless innings, Blackburn stranded six Aces on base.
Blackburn finished the night throwing a season-high 108 pitches (67 for strikes) and went eight innings for the first time since April 22nd against Las Vegas. The 14th ranked prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, Blackburn allowed six hits and two walks over his eight innings of work while striking out three. With the outing, Blackburn improved to 7-10 and lowered his ERA to 4.36.
After registering just five hits through the first seven frames, the offense came alive when it mattered most, starting the 8th inning with a single by shortstop Ruben Tejada. A sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk later, the River Cats got on the board for the first run of the game thanks to an RBI-single off the bat of the switch-hitting Myles Schroder.
The Sacramento offense was not done however, pushing across two more runs in the inning. Coming into tonight, the River Cats were 6-8 when tied after seven innings, but tonight they were able to continue their winning ways after their best month since the 2014 season. Right fielder Ryan Lollis knocked in the second run of the inning as third baseman Ali Castillo made the Aces pay for giving him a free pass. Lollis eventually made his way home, scoring the third run of the game and his team-leading 45th this year.
After losing six of their first eight games against Reno, Sacramento slammed the door on the Aces' chances of making the playoffs, eliminating them with tonight's 3-1 win. The River Cats have now won six of their last eight against the Aces and, with the win, have also climbed to within four games of .500 for the first time since May 7.
Sacramento will square off tomorrow night against the Fresno Grizzlies for their final four game series of the 2016 season. On the hill for Sacramento will be right-hander Dan Slania (1-0, 1.29), who made his Triple-A debut July 31st against the Salt Lake Bees. The Fresno Grizzlies will send southpaw Evan Grillis (1-1, 2.31) - who picked up his first win of the year in his last start against the River Cats - to the mound. 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.