Sacramento bats silenced in 9-2 defeat

The Sacramento River Cats (23-36) fell in the fourth and final game of their Highway 99 series Thursday night against the Fresno Grizzlies (29-32) by a score of 9-2.  

Sacramento showed a spark early, collecting three hits and scoring a run in the second inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by Ali Castillo. The River Cats bats managed just four hits the rest of the way, however. Their second run came on a solo home run off the bat of third baseman Ryder Jones. For Jones, it was his seventh long ball of the season and his 23^rd RBI.
Fresno found their stride in the second inning, tying the game at one on a Tyler White RBI-groundout. They scored four runs in the fifth and three more in the eighth en route to their 9-2 victory. Sacramento starter Chris Stratton yielded five of those runs over his 4.1 innings while walking three and striking out three. His ERA climbed to 6.35 in the loss.
The River Cats will open a three-game series tomorrow night at Raley Field against the Reno Aces. Joan Gregorio (3-4, 2.97), who owns the fourth-best ERA in the PCL, will take the mound for the River Cats. For Reno, it will be Frank Duncan (5-4, 5.37). 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
Mac Production: Mac Williamson extended his hitting streak to six games tonight…in eight June games, he has knocked in 11 of the team's 44 runs…has also scored a team-high seven runs this month.  
Bernard: After hitting .157 through the first two months of the season, Wynton Bernard has turned things around in June…the centerfielder is hitting .375 with a team-leading 15 hits this month…has four RBI in eight June games…Sacramento is 8-6 when Bernard starts in centerfield.  
First on the Board: The River Cats fell to a PCL-worst 12-13 when scoring first…are 11-23 when their opponent scores first.  
Series Summary: After taking game one of the series 7-3 over Fresno, Sacramento dropped the next three straight…were outscored in the final three games 20-9…River Cats pitchers allowed eight home runs over the four-game series…was their sixth series loss of the year. 
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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.