Rainiers' Offense Scorches with Season-High 22 Hits, 4 Homers in 17-2 Win over El Paso
PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Rainiers' Offense Scorches with Season-High 22 Hits, 4 Homers in 17-2 Win over El Paso

Published on May 8, 2026 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


EL PASO, TX - The Tacoma Rainiers (17-20) crushed four homers, including a grand slam from Brock Rodden en route to a 17-2 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (18-19) on Friday night. Rodden notched eight RBI on the night as a part of a two-homer game while Colt Emerson and Brian O'Keefe each launched solo homers of their own. The 22 combined hits, four homers, and nine extra-base hits all represent new season-highs for the Rainiers. Casey Lawrence spun 6.0 innings of one-run ball to represent Tacoma's 11th quality start of the season, the most in the minor leagues.

Tacoma got on the board early on Friday night, scoring a run in the first inning. Victor Robles continued his Major League Rehab assignment by working a one-out walk to represent the first baserunner of the night. Brennen Davis came to the plate and dunked a double (8) into right field allowing Robles to come in to score and put Tacoma on the board, 1-0.

The Rainiers continued the scoring in the top of the second inning, adding on another run. Brian O'Keefe doubled (8) to left field before Hogan Windish checked in with his first Triple-A hit and RBI. The single to center field drove in O'Keefe to double a 2-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Tacoma put up a four-spot after sending eight men to the plate. Windish recorded his second single of the night to lead off the frame before Carson Taylor lined a single to left. Bliss popped out to short followed by another walk drawn by Robles to load the bases. Colt Emerson singled to the opposite field to drive in Windish and make it a 4-0 advantage. Davis drove in a pair with a single to left field to extend his RBI total to three on the night and put Tacoma ahead 6-0. With Emerson up to third on the single, Brock Rodden brought him in with a sacrifice fly to right field and the Rainiers continued to lead, 7-0.

O'Keefe continued the consistent offense in the top of the fifth inning. With a solo homer (2) to center field, Tacoma added another run to lead 8-0. Casey Lawrence continued to cruise with the help of four double plays turned by Tacoma defense through his first five innings of shutout baseball.

Emerson came to the plate to lead off the sixth inning and crushed a solo homer off the top of the batter's eye. With his second homer of the series and sixth of the season, Tacoma tacked on another to extend a 9-0 lead.

Jase Bowen put El Paso on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo homer to left center field. Lawrence went on to retire the next three with back-to-back strikeouts to end the sixth inning and complete his fourth quality start of the season. With six innings of one-run ball, Lawrence logged Tacoma pitching's 11th quality start, the most in the minor leagues.

The scoring remained steady, resuming in the top of the eighth inning when Tacoma added three more. Robles singled to leadoff the frame followed by a one-put double from Davis (9). Facing a new bullpen arm for El Paso, Brock Rodden launched a three-run homer (3) to center field to represent the third homer of the night for the Rainiers and put Tacoma on top, 12-1.

Bowen drilled his second homer of the night in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut into Tacoma's advantage but the Rainiers continued to lead, 12-2.

The Rainiers continued the scorching offense into the top of the ninth inning, padding the lead with five more runs. Windish doubled (1) followed by a single from Taylor before Bliss grounded into a double play allowing a run to score in the process. Alejo Lopez took over for Robles in the order and singled to left field followed by a single from Emerson and a walk from Davis to load the bases. Rodden clubbed a grand slam (4) to right field for his second homer of the night to cap off a career-high 8-RBI night at the dish and extend a 17-2 lead. El Paso came up empty in the bottom ninth and Tacoma cruised to a 17-2 win in game four on Friday night.

Tacoma will continue the six-game series in El Paso with game five tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 5:35 pm PT.

POSTGAME NOTES:

INF Brock Rodden recorded a career-high eight RBI on Friday night, tied for the most by a Triple-A hitter this season (also: Iowa's Pedro Ramírez, April 22 vs. Louisville)...Rodden's eight RBI are tied for the most by a Rainiers hitter since at least 2005, matching the eight driven in by Mike Ford on April 21, 2023, against El Paso...Rodden tallied his eight RBI on just two hits, (three-run home run, grand slam), becoming just the fourth Triple-A hitter in the last 21 years to record eight RBI on two hits, and the first since Anthony García did so on July 17, 2018, with Nashville

Tacoma set season-high's with 17 runs on 22 hits on Friday night, the 11th time since 2005 tallying at least 22 hits and just the sixth time recording at least 17 runs and at least 22 hits...the 22 hits are tied for the second-most by a Triple-A team this season, trailing only the 23 hits by Albuquerque on May 1, against El Paso...

The Rainiers turned four double plays on Friday night, tying their season-high, matching the four double plays turned in game two of the doubleheader on April 4 against El Paso...the Rainiers are one of just two PCL teams (also: El Paso) to have multiple games with four double plays...the combined eight double plays on Friday night by both Tacoma and El Paso are the most in a Triple-A game this season, and the most in a Triple-A game since Norfolk and Nashville combined for eight on April 14, 2023

RHP Casey Lawrence logged his fourth quality start of the season, tied for the most in the minor leagues...it's the 11th quality start by a Rainiers pitcher this season, also the most in the minor leagues...Tacoma's 11 quality starts are the most for the team through 37 games since the 2017 Rainiers had 11 quality starts through 37 games

INF Carson Taylor recorded a 4-for-4 game out of the nine spot on Friday night, reaching base in all five plate appearances...it's the 10th four-hit game by a Triple-A hitter out of the ninth spot in the order this season and the third time this season a Triple-A nine-batter has reached in all five plate appearances...Taylor is the first Rainiers hitter to tally a four-hit game from the ninth spot since Ian Miller did so on May 21, 2019 against Fresno...Taylor is the first Rainiers hitter to record four hits and reach in all five plate appearances out of the ninth spot since Steven Baron (4x4, BB) on June 15, 2018 at Albuquerque

C Brian O'Keefe went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run on Friday...his two doubles give him nine on the season, the second-most among Triple-A catchers this year...among Triple-A catchers with at least 50 plate appearances, O'Keefe ranks second with a .345 batting average...since the start of the 2022 season, O'Keefe has hit 44 home runs while playing catcher, the most in Triple-A in that span

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 8, 2026


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