The Rainiers arrived back in town hot to start this homestand, and they have kept up the strong results with wins in the first two games of the series against Las Vegas.
Last night Tacoma fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, tied it up in the second inning, took a 4-2 lead in the third, and held on from there for a 4-3 win.
It was the fourth straight win for the Rainiers, who have won seven of the last eight, and are 13-3 over the past 16 games. The smoky skies in the Pacific Northwest are thought to be caused by forest fires, but perhaps it is smoke from the red-hot Rainiers.
Tacoma has moved into a tie for first place with Reno. The Aces split a make-up doubleheader down in El Paso last night, and now both Reno and Tacoma have identical records of 50-36. At the moment Tacoma wins the tiebreaker, because the Rainiers have the advantage over Reno in head-to-head play. But there is a long way to go: 34 games remain before a league champion is crowned, including another six-game series between the Rainiers and Aces in Reno (September 2-7).
In the meantime, let’s enjoy this ride. Tacoma plays again tonight at 7:05.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Tacoma scored four early runs and held on for a 4-3 victory over Las Vegas on Friday night. Jose Godoy and Jantzen Witte each hit RBI doubles, while Brian O’Keefe had two hits and an RBI. Penn Murfee earned the win, delivering three scoreless innings in a ‘bullpen game,’ and Justin Grimm picked up his third save.
TODAY: Las Vegas (43-43) at Tacoma (50-36), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Oakland A’s.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Fran Riordan.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 9-5.
PITCHERS: RHP Miguel Romero (2-4, 5.85) at RHP Robert Dugger (1-4, 7.59)
HOT HITTERS: Jantzen Witte has a seven-game hitting streak, and he has gone 41-for-117 (.350) over his last 31 games… Luis Liberato had his nine-game hitting streak end last night… Sam Travis has gone 22-for-61 (.361) over his last 15 games… Jack Reinheimer has an 11-game hitting streak… Jose Marmolejos is 24-for-47 over his last 12 games, and he leads the league with a .379 batting average… Jose Godoy has 16 RBI over his last seven games.
OPPONENT NEWS: Las Vegas just beat Salt Lake in a six-game series, 4-2… Austin Allen has hit safely in ten of his last 11 games, going 22-for-43 with five home runs during the streak… Nate Mondou (Charles Wright Academy, Class of 2013) returns home and will play his first games at Cheney Stadium as a professional… Las Vegas has added former Oakland A’s 40-home run man Khris Davis to its roster.
BROADCAST: All games will be broadcast free on a live audio stream which is available right here.
Unfortunately, there is no traditional terrestrial radio station carrying the games at this time.
TRIPLE-A WEST SCOREBOARD: Follow all league games in real-time with links to Gameday screens right here.
STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Jarred Kelenic drew a walk-off walk and the Mariners beat the Blue Jays last night, 3-2.
- Rehabbers are coming: Kyle Lewis took batting practice yesterday (he’s been out since May 31 with a torn meniscus), and Justus Sheffield is starting for the Rainiers tomorrow, the Seattle Times reports.
- Two weeks later, Larry Stone grapples with the moves the Mariners made at the trade deadline.
Listen to every home and away Tacoma Rainiers game for free HERE. You can also download the MiLB First Pitch app for a free and easy one-click listening experience at home, work or in your car. Watch an HD video broadcast of every game with an MiLB.TV subscription. Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.
About the Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Triple-A West. Tacoma has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.
Find more information and purchase single game tickets here. Questions regarding season tickets can be directed to Tickets@WeRTacoma.com.
The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium can be found at WeRTacoma.com, or by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.
March 16, 2023