Lopes Bangs Three Hits in Rehab Appearance, Rainiers Fall to Iowa
August 3, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tim Lopes of the Tacoma Rainiers
(Tacoma Rainiers, Credit: Jeff Halstead)
Tacoma, WA - Infielder Tim Lopes went 3-for-4 in his first rehab appearance with Tacoma, but the Rainiers dropped their four-game series opener against the Iowa Cubs, 5-4, falling behind on a ninth inning home run on Friday at Cheney Stadium.
In his first Major League start with the Seattle Mariners on July 25, Lopes was hit in the head by a pitch and placed on the 7-day IL with a concussion. In addition to collecting three hits on Friday in his first game since the injury, the infielder stole his 25th base in the PCL this season, holding steady at second in the league behind fellow Tacoma (51-60) speedster Ian Miller (26).
The California native has now hit safely in 15 consecutive Triple-A games going back to his first stint with Tacoma, tied with J.P. Crawford for the longest hitting streak in a Rainiers uniform this season.
Outfielder Jake Fraley locked up the first run of the game for Tacoma (51-60) in the home half of the first when he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Miller for a 1-0 lead.
Iowa scored four unanswered and the Rainiers were blanked in the following four innings before Jordan Pacheco doubled home Fraley in the bottom of the sixth to narrow the deficit, 4-2. The catcher/infielder extended his current hitting streak to a season-long 12 games and collected his sixth double in as many contests.
In the seventh, Miller singled on a soft fly ball to left that scored Kevin Santa, getting the Rainiers within a run. After a wild pitch and Lopes' third single moved Miller to third, Fraley struck a broken-bat groundball to second that allowed Miller to cross and tie the game.
In the ninth, David McKay (3-1) surrendered a go-ahead home run to third baseman Phillip Evans which proved to be the game-winner.
Right-hander Mike Wright made the start for Tacoma and was charged with the first four Iowa (59-52) runs across 4 2/3 innings but was taken off the hook for the loss when Tacoma tied the game in the seventh.
Ryan Garton came on with two outs in the seventh and left an inherited runner stranded before pitching a scoreless sixth.
Southpaw Taylor Guilbeau, acquired at the deadline from Washington along with two other pitchers in exchange for relievers Hunter Strickland and Roenis Elias, tossed a scoreless seventh with a pair of strikeouts in his Mariners organization debut.
Brian Ellington made his Rainiers debut on Friday as well and tossed a perfect eighth with a pair of strikeouts to keep the game tied.
The Rainiers will look to even the series against Iowa on Saturday when right-hander Darren McCaughan (0-3, 7.90) takes the mound at 7:05 p.m. PDT. Saturday is also Tacoma's Color Cheney Crimson event, presented by Washington State University, where the Rainiers will wear WSU uniforms that will be auctioned off on the concourse. Mike Curto will have full coverage on South Sound Talk 850 with audio streaming available on the Tacoma Rainiers TuneIn Radio Network.
All tickets, group outings, and suites packages for the 2019 season are available for purchase in person at the Cheney Stadium Box Office, online at TacomaRainiers.com and WeRTacoma.com, or over the phone at (253) 752-7707. The most up-to-date news and notes about the Rainiers throughout the season can be found by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (tacomarainiers) or liking the team on Facebook.
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 Tim Lopes of the Tacoma Rainiers (Jeff Halstead) |
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