River Cats pull closer to Grizzlies with series victory

FRESNO, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (16-15) rose above the .500 mark with a 6-3 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies (19-13) on Monday evening. The River Cats are now over .500 for the first time since being 4-3.

Right-hander Dereck Rodríguez put together another fantastic start in this one. Rodriguez's stat line was nearly identical to his last outing, as he again threw six innings and scattered four hits while striking out six batters. This time Rodriguez did not allow a any runs, however, and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before allowing a single to Drew Ferguson.
The scoring for the River Cats got started when Kyle Jensen roped an RBI-single to right field in the fourth. Two batters later Caleb Gindl knocked a single for his second RBI of the season, and then Chase d'Arnaud scampered home on a wild pitch to put the River Cats ahead 3-0. Veteran catcher Ronnie Freeman added some insurance with his first home run with Sacramento, a two-run shot in the ninth.
The River Cats return home to take on the Salt Lake Bees on Tuesday night. Right-hander Casey Kelly (2-3, 9.25) looks to start the home stand with a win and he'll face Bees righty Ivan Pineyro (0-3, 4.97). First pitch tomorrow 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

• Eury Pérez fired a strike to home plate to cut down Kyle Tucker by several feet to end the sixth inning. Perez now has four outfield assists in twelve games since joining the River Cats.
• The River Cats earned their third series win of the season and their current three-game win streak is tied for their longest of this season.
• Dereck Rodriguez continues to excel. In his last three starts the right-handler has thrown 18.2 innings, striking out 18 batters and allowing just five earned runs to lower his season ERA to 3.45.

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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.