Lawrence Throws Complete Game as Rainiers Top Express 6-1
PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Lawrence Throws Complete Game as Rainiers Top Express 6-1

July 25, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


TACOMA, WA - Casey Lawrence went the distance, throwing 9.0 innings of two-hit baseball, including a stretch of retiring 20 Express hitters in a row, as the Tacoma Rainiers (55-44/17-7) beat the Round Rock Express (45-51/11-10) by a 6-1 decision on Thursday night at Cheney Stadium.

The Express scored their lone run in the top of the first inning, as Billy McKinney hit a two-out, solo home run to right field, his fifth of the season to put Round Rock up 1-0. Casey Lawrence retired the other three batters in the inning.

Tacoma responded in a big way in the bottom of the first inning, as Samad Taylor and Rhylan Thomas his back-to-back home runs to lead off the game, their 16th and sixth of the season, respectively. Leo Rivas followed with a fly out to the warning track in left field for the first out of the inning. Tyler Locklear stepped to the plate and crushed a solo home run over the scoreboard in right-center field, his 17th of the season and fourth of the series to give Tacoma a 3-0 lead. It marked the 11th consecutive plate appearance he reached base and the ninth consecutive at-bat Locklear recorded a hit. Leody Tavernas reached on an infield single and stole second base, advancing to third as the shortstop Alan Trejo dropped the ball. Spencer Packard hit a ground ball to the first baseman Justin Foscue, whose throw home was off line, allowing Taveras to score, putting the Rainiers up 4-1. Round Rock starter Michael Plassmeyer struck out Victor Labrada and Jack López grounded out for the final out of the inning.

Lawrence struck out Alan Trejo to open the second inning, but Richie Martin reached on an error by Rivas and then stole second base. It would be the last time in the game that an Express runner reached scoring position. Frainyer Chavez drew a walk, but Lawrence got a inning-ending double play from Cody Johnson to retire the side.

Both sides were kept off the board until Tacoma plated another run in the sixth inning. Peyton Gray took over in relief of Plassmeyer, who kept the Rainiers off the board after allowing four runs in the first inning. Blake Hunt led off the frame with a single to center field and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Victor Labrada followed with a walk and López singled to center field, loading the bases. Taylor struck out and Thomas hit into a fielder's choice, with Hunt getting thrown out at home. Rivas drew a walk to force in Labrada, extending the lead to 5-1. Gray struck out Locklear to end the inning.

The Rainiers plated the game's final run in the eighth inning. López led off the frame with a double down the left field line, his second hit of the night. After Taylor was called out on strikes and Thomas flied out to left, Rivas singled to right field, driving in López to give Tacoma a 6-1 lead.

Lawrence continued to dominate, retiring 20 Express batters in a row from the end of the second inning into the ninth. A one-out single from Dustin Harris to center field snapped the streak, but Lawrence sat down Justin Fescue on a fly out to center field and struck out McKinney for the final out, throwing Tacoma's first nine-inning complete game since July 21, 2024 at Reno, finishing a 6-1 Tacoma victory.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Casey Lawrence threw the second nine-inning complete game in Triple-A this year and the first in the PCL...Adam Plutko has thrown the other complete game at Triple-A this year, spinning 9.0 innings for Louisville against Scranton-Wilkes/Barre on June 20...Lawrence has now thrown three of the Rainiers' last four complete games (also: June 5, 2018 and July 3 2017)...Tacoma's last nine-inning complete game came from Emerson Hancock who went the distance in a complete-game shutout on July 21, 2024 against Reno

The two hits allowed by Lawrence are the fewest in a nine-inning complete game at Triple-A since Gwinnett's Kyle Wright threw a two-hit shutout against Nashville on September 19, 2021...the last nine-inning complete game with fewer than two hits allowed was on August 19, 2019 when Buffalo's TJ Zeuch threw a no-hitter against Rochester...Zeuch's catcher that day was current Rainiers' coach Beau Taylor

Lawrence is the first Triple-A pitcher at 37-years-old to pitch a complete game since Cesar Valdez threw one for Salt Lake on May 5, 2022...Lawrence is the first 37-year-old to throw a nine-inning complete game with two-or-fewer hits allowed since Ramon Ortiz went the distance for Buffalo on July 30, 2010 (9.0 IP, 2H)

Tyler Locklear homered for the third consecutive game on Thursday night, crushing a first-inning blast over the right field scoreboard...he's the second Rainier to homer in three-straight games this season, joining Dominic Canzone, who did so from May 17-20

The Rainiers' first two batters of the game hit home runs, as Samad Taylor hit Tacoma's second leadoff home run of the season (also: Samad Taylor, June 24 at Round Rock), followed by Rhylan Thomas' homer, marking the second time this season the Rainiers have hit back-to-back home runs (also: Austin Shenton/Dominic Canzone, April 29 at Las Vegas)...it's the fifth time this year in Triple-A that a team's first two batters have hit home runs and the second time in the PCL (Reno, April 15 against Round Rock)...it's the first time the Rainiers have accomplished the feat since May 22, 2021, also against Round Rock...it's the third time since 2005 Tacoma has led off the game with back-to-back home runs (the other: September 1, 2013 against Sacramento)

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 25, 2025


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