McCaughan Hits Cruising Altitude on Thursday in Vegas

April 29, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

Las Vegas, NV - Right-hander Darren McCaughan delivered the third quality start in four games for the Tacoma pitching staff on Thursday night, as the Rainiers (7-14) took a 2-1 series lead over the Las Vegas Aviators (10-11) by a 7-1 final. McCaughan threw 90 pitches over 6.0 IP, surrendering only four hits and an earned run; he did not walk a batter and struck out six.

The Rainiers wasted no time grabbing a lead in the top of the first. Sam Haggerty (3-for-5) lined a single up the middle on the first pitch of the game, followed by a Stuart Fairchild walk. Both scored when Zach Green dropped a double into the right field corner. Las Vegas took a run back in the home first, when Vimael Machin hit his second homer, also to right.

Tacoma blew the game open in the second inning, beginning with a Marcus Wilson walk, a Ben Ramirez single and a Mason McCoy RBI single. Haggerty then lifted his third home run to right-center (3-run), supplying the Rainiers with a 6-1 lead. Through the first three games of this 12-game road trip, Haggerty is 7-for-11, with eight RBI.

Leading by the same score in the sixth, Fairchild hit an opposite field homer to right, his first with the Rainiers. Fairchild is on a Haggerty-like tear to begin this trip as well: 6-for-12 with two walks.

A Tacoma bullpen trio of Patrick Weigel (3 K), Riley O'Brien (1 K) and lefty Blake Townsend (2 K) each pitched a scoreless inning to finish it off, combining to allow only two hits and a walk. The Rainiers struck out 12 batters total, two shy of a season-high.

This series will continue through the weekend at Las Vegas Ballpark, in suburban Summerlin. Friday's scheduled starters are Seattle Mariners 40-man LHP Nick Margevicius for the Rainiers, and LHP Zach Logue for the Aviators, another 7:05 PT first pitch.

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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