Tacoma Clinches Second Half Pacific Coast League Title with Victory over Oklahoma City
PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Clinches Second Half Pacific Coast League Title with Victory over Oklahoma City

Published on September 18, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


TACOMA, WA - The Tacoma Rainiers (84-62/46-25) secured their spot in the PCL Championship as they took down the Oklahoma City Comets (82-64/36-35) after 7.0 scoreless innings from Jhonathan Díaz, winning 6-1.

Tacoma got on the board promptly in the first inning. Samad Taylor led off with a double down the left field line, and he advanced to third on a base hit from Rhylan Thomas. Thomas and Taylor tried their patented double steal, and it was successful once again, as Taylor scored on a throwing error from catcher Chris Okey which allowed Thomas to advance all the way to third base. Colt Emerson scored Thomas with a single to left to make it 2-0. Emerson was eventually caught stealing, and Ben Williamson and Leody Taveras were retired to end the frame.

Jhonathan Díaz was dominant on the mound for Tacoma. He recorded 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six while avoiding any walks. The Oklahoma City pitching staff was able to hold the score at 2-0 until the seventh inning, as starter Kyle Funkhouser went 5.0 innings with two earned runs and six strikeouts and reliever Logan Boyer pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

The Rainiers opened the game up in seventh. Blake Hunt reached via a leadoff single, and Victor Labrada found himself aboard after an error by Kody Hoese. Taylor laid down a sacrifice bunt which was misplayed by pitcher Sam Carlson, which allowed Taylor to reach first and load the bases. Thomas laced a two-run single into center field, his third hit of the game, which made it 4-0. After Emerson struck out, Williamson walked to re-load the bases, and Taveras scored Taylor with a sacrifice fly. Miles Mastrobuoni pushed the Tacoma lead to 6-0 with an RBI single before Cade Marlowe grounded out to end the rally.

Oklahoma City got on the board in the eighth inning. With Major League rehabbing Gregory Santos on the mound in relief of Díaz, Justin Dean and Noah Miller worked back-to-back walks to begin the frame. Okey grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, but Santos could not escape the inning unscathed as Esteury Ruiz lined a single up the middle to cut the deficit to 6-1. Nick Anderson then entered the game for Tacoma, and he struck out Jose Ramos to avoid any further damage.

Michael Fulmer came on and secured Tacoma's trip to the PCL Championship in the ninth inning. He struck out Luken Baker, induced a flyout from Ryan Ward, and forced Alex Freeland to ground out to first base to send the Rainiers into a celebration. Díaz earned his 11th win of the season, while Funkhouser took the loss, his sixth.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Tacoma clinched an appearance in the PCL Championship with their victory tonight, as they secured their 46th win of the second half. The Rainiers will have a chance at their seventh league title and first since 2021. Tacoma will play in the postseason for the first time since 2016 (there were no playoffs in 2021).

A night after setting the career franchise record for stolen bases, Samad Taylor scored two runs on Wednesday to give him 121 on the season, which brought him into a tie for the most runs in a single season in franchise history with Alex Liddi's 121 runs in 2011.

With his 7.0 scoreless innings on Wednesday night, Jonathan Díaz became the first pitcher in the PCL to reach five outings of 7.0-plus innings this season. He is the first Rainier record five-or-more 7.0-plus inning outings since Darren McCaughan had six 7.0 or-more inning starts in 2023. Díaz is closing in on the PCL's ERA crown, as he leads the league with a 4.15 ERA this season. His 11 wins are tied for the lead in the PCL, and his 116 strikeouts are fourth.

Rhylan Thomas has now scored a run in six consecutive games, giving him the longest active streak in the PCL.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from September 18, 2025


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