Gomez's strong start leads River Cats to 6-1 Victory

The Sacramento River Cats (33-51) rode a fantastic start from Roberto Gomez and a burst of offense to defeat the Albuquerque Isotopes (41-44) by a score of 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Gomez took the ball in what was his sixth start of the year, and was splendid. The right-hander threw a season-high six innings and gave up just one run when the Isotopes strung together three straight singles in the second to take an early 1-0 lead.
The River Cats got their bats started in the fourth with a flurry of action. Left-fielder Chris Shaw extended his hit streak with a single on the first pitch of the inning, then catcher Matt Winn doubled him home on the very next pitch. Two pitches later, first baseman Ryan Lollis put an exclamation point on the rally with his first home run of 2017 to put Sacramento on top 3-1.
The advantage was extended an inning later when Juan Ciriaco launched a solo home run to left center. For the utility infielder, it was his fourth homer of the year. He added an RBI-single late in route to a 3-for-5 night with a run and two RBI. The River Cats lineup stuck out 10 times as a team, but rode their three extra base hits to a 6-1 lead.
The bullpen came in after Gomez's excellent outing and was just as stingy. DJ Snelten came in to deliver two shutout innings and Derek Law closed the door with a zero in the ninth to seal the victory for Sacramento.
The River Cats look to win the series as they send right-hander Tyler Beede (4-6, 5.30) to the hill to face the 'Topes. Albuquerque will answer with left-hander Ryan Carpenter (4-6, 4.77). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live on the air on ESPN 1320 and online at rivercats.com.  
Postgame Notes
Longball Lolli: Ryan Lollis returned to Sacramento over the weekend after spending most of the year with Double-A Richmond…Tonight's home run was number one for Lollis with any team this year, and his first since June 19 of last season.
More on Gomez: Roberto Gomez was a reliever to start the season, but has been transitioning to the rotation over the last month…this was by far the best start for the tall righty this season…earned his second win and first as a starting pitcher, lowering his 2017 ERA to 5.92.
Rehab Report: With Madison Bumgarner and Conor Gillaspie shifting their rehabs to San Jose, Jarrett Parker is now the sole San Francisco Giant on a Major League rehab assignment with Sacramento…On Wednesday, Parker was the only River Cats starter without a hit, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
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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.