River Cats' offense shakes funk, belts four homers in win

Albuquerque, NM - The Sacramento River Cats (23-26) snapped their three-game losing streak and broke out of their offensive funk, taking down the Albuquerque Isotopes (24-26) 10-6 in the series opener in New Mexico.
Sacramento exploded for 10 runs on 16 hits tonight in Albuquerque after scoring just one run over their last two games. They also launched four home runs on Saturday following their four-game series with Salt Lake in which they hit just two. Outfielder Mike Gerber broke a 27-inning home run drought for the River Cats with his solo blast to left field in the third inning. The River Cats are now 20-15 when hitting a home run this season. The other home runs in this game came from Aramis Garcia, Anthony García, and Levi Michael.
Right-hander Enderson Franco showed flashes of brilliance on the mound, striking out a season-high nine batters in his five innings of work. He also tied his season-high by throwing a season-high 94 pitches (68 strikes). At one point Franco retired 10 straight and earned his second victory of the season.
Sacramento will look to build off this performance in game two of four, turning to right-hander Yoanys Quiala (1-2, 5.40). Albuquerque will go with right-hander Tim Melville (2-1, 1.76). First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. (PT). Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, or on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes

• Starter Enderson Franco tied a team-high for strikeouts this season fanning nine Isotope batters. Franco's career high is 10, which he accomplished last year while with the Mississippi Braves.
• Former River Cats outfielder Mike Yastrzemski made his Major League debut on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, starting in left field. He went 0-3 at the plate with two strikeouts and a run scored.

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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. Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the River Cats' 20th season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). The only place to guarantee official River Cats tickets is at www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.