El Paso Halts Season-Long Tacoma Win Streak at Seven in Championship Encore
September 20, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
El Paso, TX - An evening after clinching the Triple-A West regular season championship, the Tacoma Rainiers (72-46) were denied their longest winning streak of 2021, as the El Paso Chihuahuas (45-73) prevailed 7-3 for their first victory of the week-long series. Tacoma settles for seven consecutive wins for the second time this season.
The Chihuahuas broke the ice first in the West Texas desert, going ahead 1-0 in the first inning on a Jose Azocar RBI groundout. The Rainiers tied the game 1-1 in the third when Luis Liberato (3-for-4) led off with single, eventually scoring on an Alen Hanson sac fly.
Matthew Batten lofted his second home run of the series out to center in the home half of the third, pulling El Paso back in front 2-1. Later in the inning Gosuke Katoh hit a two-run homer, for a three-run lead.
Tacoma tightened things up in the fifth inning, when Taylor Trammell tapped a two-out, two-run single; Liberato and Donnie Walton each had one-out base hits and moved up a bag on a wild pitch before reaching home.
El Paso starter Adrian Martinez lasted only 4.2 IP, surrendering three earned runs on five hits and three walks (4 K). Tacoma right-hander Logan Verrett worked six innings, allowing four (earned) runs on eight hits. The Rainiers lost for only the fourth time in 17 Verrett starts; he struck out three and did not walk a batter.
John Andreoli, who played for Tacoma in 2018 (89 games) and 2019 (73 games) put the contest out of reach with a bases loaded double to center in the eighth, scoring all three runners for a 7-3 Chihuahuas lead and the night's final tallies.
Tacoma will return to action in the penultimate game of the regular season on Monday, at 5:35 PT in El Paso. The Rainiers will send RHP Asher Wojciechowski to the hill to start.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2021 Rainiers games, home and away, can also be heard for free on the MiLB First Pitch app. HD video broadcasts of every home game can be viewed with an MiLB.TV subscription. (Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.
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