Suarez shines in River Cats rout of Aces

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (9-11) got the offense going early in an 8-3 win over the Reno Aces (6-15) on Thursday night. A brilliant performance from Andrew Suárez was backed by four River Cats home runs.

Suarez pitched masterfully, striking out nine batters while only allowing three hits and a walk over seven innings of work. His nine strikeouts are the most for a River Cats pitcher this season.
Suarez had plenty of run support as the Sacramento jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the third inning. Sacramento began the scoring in the first inning with back-to-back solo home runs from Alen Hanson and Chris Shaw. Kyle Jensen added a three-run shot in the third and Austin Slater capped off the scoring with his first home run of the season, a solo home run in the fifth inning.
The River Cats take on the Reno Aces again in game three of this five-game series on Friday. Right-hander Dereck Rodríguez (0-0, 4.97) looks for his first win and will face off with fellow right-hander Taylor Clarke (1-3, 7.50). First pitch Friday night will be at 7:05 p.m. (PT). Catch all of the action live online at rivercats.com, on the MiLB First Pitch app, and on the air on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes

• The River Cats hit back-to-back home runs for the first time since the final game of last season (Shaw, Slater). Sacramento hit back-to-back homers twice last season.
• Alen Hanson hit his second home run in as many days, and is currently second in the PCL with a .424 batting average.
• Rehabbing lefty Will Smith threw on back-to-back days for the first time during his rehab assignment. He again worked a perfect inning, throwing just seven total pitches (five strikes).

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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 2018 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.