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River Cats bats kept in check, fall 5-1 to Fresno

Sacramento splits series with Grizzlies, manage just one run
(Sacramento River Cats, Ralph Thompson)
May 6, 2017

Fresno, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (10-18) dropped the fourth and final game of their series against the Fresno Grizzlies (13-16) 5-1

Fresno, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (10-18) dropped the fourth and final game of their series against the Fresno Grizzlies (13-16) 5-1

Right-hander Dan Slania was on the hill for the River Cats and had some trouble early, allowing two runs in the second but settled down after that. The River Cats offense also struggled early on as they were unable to get their first hit until the fourth frame.
Slania would go on to allow three more runs over his six innings tonight for a total of five on 10 hits. The No. 21 prospect in the Giants' organization, Slania struck out three Fresno hitters and walked two en route to his fourth loss of the year. Right-hander Kyle Crick pitched two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts and one walk.
The lone RBI tonight came off the bat of centerfielder Wynton Bernard who knocked in Austin Slater in seventh. As a team, the River Cats offense had seven hits but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  
The River Cats will head home for a four-game set against the Reno Aces. For game one tomorrow night, Sacramento sends right-hander Tyler Beede (1-1, 3.67) to the mound and Reno's right-hander Frank Duncan (1-3, 8.13) will get the start. First pitch is at 7:05 and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air on ESPN 1320.
Postgame Notes
Slania: Dan Slania dropped his fourth game of the season tonight, three of which have come on the road…he now owns a 9.88 ERA (13.2 innings, 15 earned runs) away from home…opponents have a .367 batting average against Slania on the road and five of his six home runs have come in away games.  
Back to Sac: The River Cats return home to Sacramento after finishing 3-6 on their nine game road trip...over those nine games, the River Cats were outscored 40-26.
First hacks: The Sacramento offense had leadoff hitters reach base in five of the nine innings tonight…the River Cats are hitting .274 as a team when leading off an inning this season.
Bernard: Wynton Bernard went 0-for-3 tonight but drove in his second run of the season…also had an outfield assist in the second inning, throwing out Grizzlies' Tyler White at third base.
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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time 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 2017 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.