Comeback falls short as River Cats' struggles against Aviators continue

West Sacramento, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (26-28) fell behind early and could not claw back against the Las Vegas Aviators (31-24), dropping their eighth straight game to the Athletics affiliate by a score of 8-4.
Sacramento starter Andrew Suárez surrendered five runs over the first three innings, putting the River Cats in yet another early hole against Las Vegas. Suarez would labor through five innings, surrendering eight runs on eleven hits while striking out just two batters. The San Francisco Giants optioned the lefty to Sacramento on May 26 following a rough outing against Arizona in which he allowed seven runs in just four innings.
Following Suarez, the River Cats' bullpen came in and showed why they are one of the best in the PCL - Steven Okert, Fernando Abad and Jandel Gustave combined for four shutout innings, striking out six Aviators hitters.
The Sacramento offensive staged a comeback attempt in the sixth inning, plating three runs on RBI-singles from Henry Ramos, Francisco Peña and Abiatal Avelino to cut the Las Vegas lead to 8-4. Unfortunately, left fielder Austin Slater struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat.
The River Cats will try once again to solve the enigma that is the Aviators, turning to right-hander Enderson Franco (2-1, 6.89) on Friday night. The Aviators will roll will righty Jake Buchanan (3-2, 6.18). First pitch is set for 7:05 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

• The River Cats have received good production out of their leadoff spot this season batting, hitting .299 with 14 home runs and 35 RBI. Abiatal Avelino continue the trend by collecting two hits and an RBI.
• The River Cats committed another error in tonight's game and now have at least one error in 38 of their 54 games. Sacramento is 18-20 this season when they commit an error and lead the PCL with 58 total.

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.