Tacoma took the type of loss that mostly seems to happen to the Rainiers when they are in Reno on Sunday afternoon, blowing a 6-2 lead in the ninth inning for a 7-6 defeat.
Buoyed by terrific pitching from Aaron Fletcher and, in his Triple-A debut, Robert Winslow, Tacoma held Reno to just four hits and two runs for the first eight innings of the game.
Tacoma built a 6-2 lead thanks primarily to home runs hit by Luis Torrens, Dillon Thomas, and Cal Raleigh. That trio has been particularly powerful lately, with Torrens hitting four homers in his last eight games, and both Thomas and Raleigh homering in each of their last three contests.
But the 6-2 lead quickly disappeared in the bottom of the ninth. Three soft singles and a sacrifice fly made it 6-4 and brought the tying run to the plate. Williams Jerez then walked Matt Lipka on four pitches, and Bryan Holaday launched the next pitch for a three-run game-ending homer to left field.
The whole thing took less than ten minutes, and Jerez only threw 17 pitches in the inning. It was over, just like that.
Now the Rainiers need to win the last two games in order to get a split of the series. In 22 all-time series at Reno, Tacoma has 19 losses, two splits, and one win (in 2015).
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Reno scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Bryan Holaday hitting a walk-off three-run homer for a 7-6 win. Newest Rainiers reliever Robert Winslow came up from Low-A Modesto and pitched four scoreless innings, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced. Luis Torrens, Dillon Thomas, and Cal Raleigh each homered for Tacoma.
TODAY: Tacoma (11-11) at Reno (16-6), 1:05 PT.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Arizona Diamondbacks.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Blake Lalli.
SEASON SERIES: Reno leads, 3-1.
PITCHERS: RHP Logan Verrett (1-0, 1.59) at RHP Humberto Castellanos (2-0, 3.38)
Finally, it’s not a bullpen day. Verrett went 5.2 innings in his Tacoma Rainiers debut last week.
ROSTER MOVES: Yesterday the Rainiers added RHP Robert Winslow from Low-A Modesto.
HOT HITTERS: Cal Raleigh has a 12-game hitting streak, and he has homered in each of his last three games… Raleigh has reached base safely in 16 straight games… Dillon Thomas has homered in each of his last three games… the Rainiers have clubbed 24 home runs over the past nine games, with 13 different players going deep.
OPPONENT NEWS: Reno has won each of its first three series to open the season with a 16-6 record… Drew Ellis went 5-for-5 on Thursday and is 11-for-22 over his last six games… Seth Beer is the official favorite Reno player of this blog, for obvious reasons… the Aces have one former Rainiers player: pitcher Zach Lee, most remembered today from the ill-fated Chris Taylor trade.
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:
- The Mariners finished a sweep of the Texas Rangers and are back to the .500 mark at 27-27. Ty France has been swinging a hot bat.
- The News Tribune has some Mariners Takeaways.
- Oklahoma City scored 20 runs at El Paso last night, with both Luke Raley and Stephen Souza Jr. hitting three homers (although it should be noted that each of them homered off a position player pitching). Raley finished with nine RBI.
- The Americas Olympic Qualifier starters today with Rainiers players Eric Filia, Luis Liberato and Ben Onyshko playing for their respective teams. Here’s a landing page with the rosters, schedules, and TV info.
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.
We R Tacoma Team Store
The We R Tacoma Team Store is currently open Monday-Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (non-game days) or until the end of the game on home game days. Team Store purchases can also be made online 24/7. Grab your Rainiers gear, your Defiance ‘fit, and follow the team store on Instagram and Twitter.
March 24, 2023