Rainiers Take El Paso to Extras for Second Straight Night, Settle for Series Split in Defeat
May 12, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers meeting on the mound
(Tacoma Rainiers, Credit: Jeff Halstead)
TACOMA, WA - For the third time in six games, Tacoma and El Paso needed extra innings to decide a winner, but the Chihuahuas escaped Cheney Stadium with a 10-inning, 8-2 victory and a series split on Tuesday. Second baseman Jack Reinheimer, who hit a 10th inning walk-off single for the Rainiers on Monday, tripled in the bottom of the 9th but was left on as the potential winning run.
Reinheimer put an 0-1 pitch from Mason Thompson (1-0) into the right-center field gap and hustled to third for Tacoma's (3-3) first triple of the season. El Paso (3-3) escaped the inning unscathed before erupting for seven runs in the 10th.
The Rainiers got just one run back in the home half of the inning on a single from first baseman Sam Travis that plated right fielder Eric Filia. Tacoma got two runners into scoring position with one out but were unable to cut the deficit further.
Reinheimer led the Rainiers with 3 hits. He entered Monday's victory batting .125 (2-for-16) but is now 4 for his last 8 at the plate.
Left fielder Jarred Kelenic (1-for-5) and shortstop Donovan Walton (1-for-5) each extended their team-best hitting streaks to six games. Kelenic ripped his first double of the season but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Brady Lail started on the mound for the Rainiers, going 2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Through six games, Tacoma starting pitchers lead the Triple-A West with a 0.50 ERA, although no starter has pitched beyond the 5th inning. Rainiers starters also lead the league in WHIP (0.83) and opponent batting average (.148).
The Rainiers utilized seven relief pitchers in the effort, five of whom allowed no runs. Right-hander Ryan Dull struck out four batters in two innings for Tacoma, accounting for nearly half of the staff's 10 punch outs. The team's pitchers lead the league with 72 strikeouts while ranking top-3 in WHIP (1.29) and opponent batting average (.211).
The Rainiers will travel to Salt Lake City, UT on Wednesday, and will begin a six-game series with the Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, on Thursday night. First pitch from Smith's Ballpark is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. PT. Tacoma right-hander Vinny Nittoli (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start of the season.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2021 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 an MiLB.TV subscription. (Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.)
Images from this story
 Tacoma Rainiers meeting on the mound (Jeff Halstead) |
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