River Cats can't catch Redbirds, fall 13-3

The Sacramento River Cats (18-29) had a chance to win their third series of the year tonight against the Memphis Redbirds (30-19) but instead settled for a series split after their 13-3 loss Friday night at Raley Field.

The River Cats pounced on the Redbirds early courtesy of an Orlando Calixte two-run home run in the first. The 426-foot bomb was Calixte's seventh homer of the year and just his first at Raley Field.
Sacramento starter Chris Stratton was strong through the first three frames tonight, holding Memphis to one run. It all unraveled for Stratton from there, however, as the Redbirds tagged him for seven runs over the next two innings. The right-hander allowed a season-high eight runs on 10 hits over five innings. Memphis added five more over the final four frames. First baseman Ryder Jones knocked in the third and final run for the River Cats, scoring Kelby Tomlinson with a fifth-inning base hit.
Sacramento will hit the road tomorrow night as they open a four-game set with the Reno Aces. Dan Slania (0-6, 8.92) will be on the hill for the River Cats and he will face Aces left-hander Aaron Laffey (1-0, 2.08). 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 Money 105.5 FM.
Postgame Notes
Homestand recap: The River Cats finished their eight-game homestand with a 3-5 record…they hit six home runs over their two series and allowed 14…Sacramento ends the month of May with a 5-7 home record…11-13 overall in May.
Calixte: Centerfielder Orlando Calixte hit his team-leading seventh home run tonight…was his first home run since hitting two against Colorado Springs on 5/11…Calixte now has four games with two RBI.
Stratton: Right-hander Chris Stratton's eight runs allowed tonight were the most by any River Cats starter this season…he is now 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA in three home starts (16 IP, 13 ER) and 0-3 with a 6.88 ERA overall.
Tomlinson: Shortstop Kelby Tomlinson extended his hitting streak to seven games after tonight's 2-for-4 performance…over that span, he has raised his batting average from .209 to .286.
Rogers: Submariner Tyler Rogers allowed four runs (two earned) and walked a season-high three batters in 0.2 innings…Rogers entered tonight's game with the fifth-lowest batting average against among PCL relievers with a .190 mark but that number climbed to .200 Friday…Rogers is second among relievers in the PCL with 21 appearances.
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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.