River Cats' comeback attempt falls short in Texas

The Sacramento River Cats (30-46) mounted promising comeback attempts late, but each of them fell flat as they dropped Tuesday night's game to the El Paso Chihuahuas (38-40) by a score of 5-2.

Chris Stratton allowed a season-high 11 hits tonight, as he was unable to get through the fifth inning. The Right-hander allowed five runs on 11 hits, a walk, and six strikeouts, while throwing 104 pitches (69 strikes).
The bulk of the damage on Tuesday night came from the two-three hitters for El Paso, as José Rondón and Christian Villanueva combined to go 6-for-8 with four runs scored, three RBI and five extra base hits, including a home run apiece.
The River Cats threatened a couple times late, but were unable to mount a serious rally against the Chihuahua bullpen. Juan Ciriaco punched an RBI single to center in the seventh and Mac Williamson hit a sac fly to the wall in the ninth, but it was too little too late for Sacramento.
The River Cats will look to bounce back behind left-hander Andrew Suárez (1-1, 5.40) for game three tomorrow night. The Chihuahuas will send right-hander Trevor Cahill (0-0, No ERA) to the mound on a rehab assignment from the San Diego Padres. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air on ESPN 1320.
Postgame Notes
Stratton: Stratton struggled a bit in this one and left some pitches up that the El Paso hitters jumped on…the righty did strike out five of seven during one stretch, but was hurt by the long ball before being relieved by Kraig Sitton in the fifth inning…the two home runs allowed tied his season-high (5/15 and 5/26).
Hwang: Infielder Jae-Gyun Hwang is expected to be called up tomorrow by the San Francisco Giants to replace the injured Conor Gillaspie…Hwang was signed to a minor league contract over the winter after a fantastic season in Korea with the Lotte Giants of the KBO…in 68 games with Sacramento, Hwang has hit .287 with seven home runs, 19 doubles, and 44 RBI.
Insult to Injury: In an odd sequence of events, infielder Ali Castillo was struck in the hand with one out in the eighth inning and was forced to leave the game…umpires ruled, however, that Castillo had swung at the pitch and he was called out on the play.
Rehab Report: Outfielder Jarrett Parker made his seventh rehab appearance with Sacramento, going 0-3 with a walk and a run scored as he works his works his way back from a broken right clavicle…in seven games, Parker has hit .190 (4-for-21).
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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