Rainiers' Late Rally Not Enough in 8-4 Loss to Reno
Published on March 28, 2026 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
RENO, NV - Four Rainiers recorded multi-hit performances Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough as Tacoma fell 8-4 to Reno. CF Rhylan Thomas, RF Connor Joe, LF Spencer Packard, and C Jhonny Pereda were responsible for eight of Tacoma's 11 hits and drove in two of the four runs. The quartet combined to go 8-for-16 with a home run and double.
Both starting pitchers were locked in early, as RHP Casey Lawrence and RHP Dylan Ray kept both sides off the board through the first three innings. Lawrence worked around four singles in the first three frames, while Ray allowed a single and a walk.
Reno broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning. 1B Luken Baker dropped a single in shallow left field to start the Aces' offense, and LF A.J. Vukovich immediately moved him up to third with a double down the left field line. SS Jacob Amaya ripped a double of his own into deep center field, bringing Baker and Vukovich around to score, making it 2-0 Reno. RF Jack Hurley recorded the third double of the inning as he smacked a changeup off the wall in center field. Amaya scored on the play, extending the Reno lead to three.
Tacoma immediately fired back in the top of the fifth. Packard and Pereda led off the inning with back-to-back singles. 3B Will Wilson made it three hits in the inning for the Rainiers when he lined a 2-2 pitch into shallow left field, loading the bases for Thomas. The 2025 MiLB hits leader ripped the first pitch he saw into left field for the fourth single of the inning. Packard trotted home from third without a throw, getting Tacoma on the board, 3-1.
The Rainiers' offense picked up right where it left off in the top of the sixth inning. RF Connor Joe roped a double off the right-center field wall and immediately moved up to third on a wild pitch. On the next pitch, 1B Patrick Wisdom grounded out to third, bringing Joe home and bringing Tacoma within one, trailing 3-2.
Reno mustered up a response in the home half of the sixth. Vukovich (1) led off the inning with a solo home run to right field, making it 4-2 Reno. Amaya worked a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, and with two outs, Hurley crushed the fourth pitch he saw into the right-center field gap for a stand-up double. Amaya scored standing, extending the Aces lead to three.
After LHP Brandyn Garcia recorded the first two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Joe (1) sent a breaking ball over the wall in left field to cut the Reno lead back to two, 5-3.
Reno responded right away in their half of the seventh. 2B Tommy Troy reached to lead off the inning when he was hit by a 1-2 curveball from RHP Michael Rucker. 3B LuJames Groover replaced Troy at first when he grounded into a fielder's choice. 1B Luken Baker worked a walk of his own and Vukovich moved Groover and Baker up a base when he grounded out to third. Amaya walked to load the bases, following which DH Kristian Robinson worked a walk of his own, scoring Groover and making it 6-3 Aces.
Reno picked up some insurance in the bottom of the eighth inning. Hurley started the inning off with a single and made it to second base on a fielding error by 2B Brock Rodden. The next batter, CF Ryan Waldschmidt, looped a ball into shallow right field, bringing home Hurley and extending the lead to four. The Aces' center fielder hustled out a triple and would score on a Troy sacrifice fly to center field, making it 8-3 Reno.
Looking to rally, Tacoma got the first two batters on base to start the ninth inning. Wilson worked a walk to lead off the inning, followed by a Thomas single that moved Wilson over to third. A sacrifice fly from Rodden brought Wilson home, cutting the deficit to four. That is where it would end as the rally came up short and Tacoma fell to Reno 8-4 in the second game of the season.
Tacoma looks to take their first series victory of the season in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. The Rainiers will send RHP Dane Dunning to the bump for the final game of the three-game set. First pitch is set for 1:05 pm at Greater Nevada Field.
Post-Game Notes:
RF Connor Joe logged his second multi-hit game in as many days to start the season...Joe finished 2-for-4 with a home run, double, an RBI, and a pair of runs...this is the first time in his professional career recording two-or-more hits in each of his first two games of the season...all four of Joe's hits in the first two games have gone for extra bases
2B Brock Rodden recorded his first Triple-A hit on Saturday afternoon, a fourth-inning double into the right field corner...the Mariners' No. 18 prospect finished 1-for-4 with an RBI
CF Rhylan Thomas recorded his second multi-hit performance Saturday afternoon...he finished 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and an RBI...the California native joins Connor Joe as the only two Rainiers to record two-or-more hits in their first two games.
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