PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Four Rainier Bombs Not Enough in 7-6 Loss at Las Vegas

Published on April 30, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Las Vegas, NV - The Tacoma Rainiers (7-15) slugged a season-high four homers on Friday night, but when they and the Las Vegas Aviators (11-11) traded two-run shots in the ninth inning, the home side walked off with a 7-6 win to even this week-long series at two games apiece.

The Rainiers went up 1-0 on a Brian O'Keefe home run in the second inning; his first of the year in only the second game he's played, returning from a hamate bone injury. The ball landed in the pool in right-center at Las Vegas Ballpark. The Aviators scored four times in the home second to dampen enthusiasm however; Vince Fernandez, Buddy Reed and Vimael Machin (2 RBI) each drove in runs with singles. It was 5-1 after three innings when Reed rapped his second run-scoring single.

Tacoma grabbed one back in the fifth after Mason McCoy led off with a single, and scored all the way from first base when Sam Haggerty drilled a double off the wall in left field. The deficit was whittled down to two runs an inning later, when Zach Green smacked his fourth homer - a 416-foot opposite field shot to right-center - with one out. Green equaled Joe Odom for the club lead with the dinger. In the seventh it was 5-4, when Haggerty drove a two out solo shot to right (400 feet). After his fourth homer as well, Haggerty is 9-for-16 with 10 RBI through the first four games of this road trip. He's homered in consecutive games.

Las Vegas LHP Zach Logue logged 5.1 innings in a no-decision, and surrendered three earned runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out six. The Tacoma bullpen was superb innings three through eight, as Austin Warner (3.0 IP, 2 K), Chris Jefferson (1.0 IP, 2 K), Danny Young (1.0 IP, 2 K) and Nick Ramirez (1.0, K) combined to strikeout seven Las Vegas batters and hold the Aviators to one run over six innings in a notorious hitter's yard.

The Rainiers took their second and final lead of the night in the ninth, when Erick Mejia worked a leadoff walk, which was immediately followed by Marcus Wilson's third home run, 432-feet to straight center for a 6-5 lead. In the home half of the ninth however, the Aviators worked a leadoff walk as well (Machin), setting the stage for Oakland A's top catching prospect Shea Langeliers to end it in two batters, with a walk-off homer (7) shaded to left-center. It was the only Vegas homer of the game, compared to Tacoma's quartet.

Saturday's first pitch will be at 7:05 PT, in the penultimate game of this set. RHP Asher Wojciechowski will start for Tacoma, taking on Las Vegas lefty Jared Koenig.

Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2022 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 a MiLB.TV subscription.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 30, 2022


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