Late-inning Peña double lifts River Cats over Chihuahuas

El Paso, Texas -- The Sacramento River Cats (40-38) got back in the win column with a narrow 5-4 victory over the El Paso Chihuahuas (48-30) on Wednesday night.
Sacramento trailed 4-1 after one inning but fought back with three runs in the fourth and then the game-clinching run on a Francisco Peña RBI double in the seventh. Third baseman Zach Green led the offense as he reached base three times and scored the winning run after his 13th double of the season preceded Peña's.
Left-hander Conner Menez got off to a rough start with four earned runs in the first inning, but pitched the next four frames scoreless before handing it over to a trio of relievers. Tyler Rogers, Fernando Abad, and Jandel Gustave collaborated to shut down El Paso and preserve the win.
For the second time in three games, the River Cats will employ the opener strategy, sending right-hander Sam Coonrod (2-4, 8.25) to the mound. He'll be primed for the task as he served as a starter for multiple seasons before being transitioned into a reliever in 2018. The Chihuahuas will counter with an opener of their own, listing reliever Robert Stock (3-0, 3.333) as their probable. Left-hander Andrew Suárez (3-5, 5.34) is scheduled to follow Coonrod for the River Cats. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. (PT). Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes
• The River Cats had homered in eight consecutive games but ended that streak on Wednesday night, falling one shy of tying their season high.
• On Francisco Peña's current seven-game hitting streak, the right-handed hitting backstop has collected 13 hits including three doubles and two home runs to push his average up to .333.