McCaughan Battles, Rainiers Rack Four Homers in 6-5 Win at Reno
June 1, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Reno, NV - The Tacoma Rainiers (18-31) won by the slimmest of margins for a consecutive night at Greater Nevada Field on Wednesday, in taking the first two games of this weeklong series against the Reno Aces (26-24). The Rainiers have won 14 of their last 20 road games against their division rival.
Tacoma tacked on two first inning runs. Jarred Kelenic hit the first leadoff homer to begin a game for the Rainiers this season; his fourth in Triple-A of 2022 went out to right-center. That was followed by a one-out double to left field by Erick Mejia, and a batter later Mejia was replaced on second base by Brian O'Keefe via his RBI double off the wall in right.
Reno evened the score in the second after loading the bases with nobody out, but Tacoma starter Darren McCaughan limited the damage with a double play ball that supplied the first Aces run. The game was tied 2-2 after a Jancarlos Cintron double to right.
The Rainiers regained the lead for good in the fourth when Forrest Wall (3-for-3, BB) yanked his second homer of year to right with two out, with Andrew Knapp still at second after his leadoff double to the left field gap.
McCaughan battled through five innings and 83 pitches, allowing only the two earned runs. The right-hander scattered four total hits and two walks, striking out three. Reno starter Drey Jameson went six innings: 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (97 pitches).
Still leading 4-2 in the sixth, Knapp registered his second extra-base hit of the game, launching a solo shot to right. It was the catcher's second homer since joining Tacoma (8 GP); he went deep in his first game with the club on May 22 at Sacramento. Things tightened up in the home sixth, when Seth Beer worked a leadoff walk and eventually scored following singles by Buddy Kennedy and Juan Centeno (RBI), as Reno reduced the Rainiers lead back to two runs.
The Tacoma advantage was down to 5-4 in the eighth, after Dominic Canzone hit his fourth homer with the bases empty and two out, Reno's first long ball of the evening at the notorious hitter's park. The Rainiers got the run right back in the visiting ninth however, as Mason McCoy destroyed his fifth homer and the fourth of the night for Tacoma, a towering solo shot to left field to begin the frame.
McCoy's insurance (home)run proved to be crucial, as Yonny Hernandez lifted a full-count solo homer to right with one out in the bottom of the ninth, his first with the Aces after beginning the season across the PCL in Round Rock. RHP Matt Koch, who pitched for Reno in four seasons (2016-19), rebounded to quiet his former club with a pair of groundouts to end the game. In his 11th game for Tacoma (four MLB games with Seattle this season), it was Koch's first career minor league save. His only other career save came in the Majors, on 9/13/16 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, at home vs. Colorado.
The third game of this series will again start at 6:35 p.m. PT, on Thursday at Greater Nevada Field. Seattle Mariners 40-man roster LHP Justus Sheffield is Tacoma's scheduled starter, opposite Reno RHP Corbin Martin.
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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