Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes - 5/1 vs. Las Vegas
Published on May 1, 2026 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
TODAY'S GAME - 5/1 vs. Las Vegas
FIRST PITCH - 7:05 PM at Cheney Stadium - Tacoma, WA
PITCHING MATCHUP - Tacoma RHP Dane Dunning (1-2, 6.00) vs. Las Vegas RHP Mason Barnett (2-0, 2.29)
BROADCAST - TV: Bally Sports Live App/MiLB.TV RADIO - KIXI 880
DIGITAL PRESS BOX - Digital game notes and rosters can be found at the Rainiers Virtual Press Box
Today's game notes and starting lineups are attached.
THE RAINIERS: Pulled away late for a 5-1 victory over Las Vegas on Thursday night...Bryce Miller threw 4.0 shutout innings in his third Major League rehab start, striking out four...Tacoma took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Brennen Davis hit a solo home run to right field...the Rainiers doubled the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Colt Emerson hit his fourth home run of the season to make it 2-0...Las Vegas plated their lone run in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run game, but Tacoma added three runs in the seventh inning, thanks to a wild pitch and RBI singles from Ryan Bliss and Rhylan Thomas...Gunner Mayer threw 2.0 shutout innings to finish off the win.
LABRADA LOCKED IN: OF Victor Labrada tallied a pair of hits on Thursday night, his fifth multi-hit game of the season, all of which have come in his last eight games...Labrada has reached base in nine of his last 10 games, with hits in eight of them...over his last 10 games, Labrada is hitting .400 (14x35) with two doubles, three RBI, five walks and three stolen bases...in that time (since April 19), Labrada's 14 hits are tied for the fourth-most in the PCL, as are his three steals...he also ranks sixth in batting average and seventh in on-base percentage (.488) in that time.
THE PEREDA MARCHES ON: C Jhonny Pereda recorded his team-leading 10th multi-hit game of the season on Thursday, boosting his batting average to .342, the third-best in the PCL...Pereda's .342 average is the best for a Rainiers catcher through 30 games (min 80 PA) since Cal Raleigh hit .349 after 30 games in 2021...Pereda's 25 hits are tied for the second-most among Triple-A catchers, trailing only the 30 hits by Sacramento's Jesus Rodriguez, while his .342 average is the third-best among all minor league catchers with at least 80 plate appearances...over his last 12 games, Pereda is hitting .429 (18x42) with two doubles, a home run and five RBI.
THE MAYER OF THE MOUND: RHP Gunner Mayer threw 2.0 hitless innings to close out Tacoma's 5-1 victory on Thursday, extending his scoreless streak to eight games, tied for the third-longest streak in the PCL this season...Mayer has thrown 9.2 scoreless innings to open the season, allowing just three hits and five walks, while striking out 15...among Triple-A pitchers who have not allowed a run this season, Mayer's 15 strikeouts are tied for the second-most...in his eight appearances this season, Mayer has allowed more than one baserunner just once.
BLISS SWIPING BAGS: INF Ryan Bliss stole his third base of the season on Thursday night, the 75th of his Rainiers career...his 75 steals tie him with Ian Miller (2017-19) for the fifth-most in franchise history...the next base Bliss steals will be tie him with Mike Davis (1981-82) for the fourth-most in franchise history...since his Triple-A debut in 2023, his 80 total steals (75 with Tacoma, five with Reno), are the fourth-most in the PCL.
THE PREVIOUS PLAY IS UNDER REVIEW: Rainiers hitters challenged a pair of pitches at the plate on Thursday night, bringing them to 33 challenges on the season, tied for the 14th-most in Triple-A...Tacoma has made the most of the challenges, winning 21 of them, which checks out to a 63.6% success rate, the second-best among all Triple-A teams, trailing only Louisville's 64.2%...Rainiers hitters have gained four walks on challenges this season, tied for the second-most in the circuit...INF Brock Rodden is the only PCL hitter to go 5-for-5 or better in challenges this season.
RUCKER ROLLING: RHP Michael Rucker threw 2.0 scoreless innings on Sunday, his ninth consecutive shutout appearance, tied for the longest streak in the PCL this season...over his last nine outings (10.0 IP), Rucker has allowed four hits, four walks and nine strikeouts...he has not allowed a hit in five of his last six appearances, allowing just four baserunners in that span...among Triple-A pitchers with at least 10 appearances this season, Rucker's four hits allowed are tied for the second-fewest.
BULLPEN BRINGING IT: Tacoma's bullpen threw 5.0 innings of one-run baseball on Wednesday, lowering the group's ERA to 2.22, the best in the minor leagues and the only minor league bullpen with an ERA under 3.00...Tacoma's bullpen has not allowed an earned run in 13 of the 30 games this season, and have allowed more than two earned runs just twice, most recently on April 3...it's the best start (by ERA) for a PCL bullpen through 30 games since the 2016 Rainiers bullpen had a 1.76 ERA and the fifth-best start for a Triple-A bullpen since 2005...the two home runs allowed by Tacoma's bullpen are also the fewest in the minor leagues.
FEEL SO CLOSE TO YOU RIGHT NOW: Through 30 games of the 2026 season, the Rainiers have played plenty of close games, with 22 of the 30 games being decided by two-or-fewer runs (the most in the league), 14 of which have been one-run games...the Rainiers have gone 11-11 in games decided by two-or-fewer runs and 5-9 in one-run games...10 of Tacoma's last 12 games have been decided by two-or-fewer runs.
MARINERS UPDATE: The Mariners had Thursday off as they prepare to open a six-game homestand with three games against Kansas City, followed by three games against Atlanta.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 1, 2026
- Late Push from Sugar Land Comes up Short Despite Strong Bullpen Outing - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Rainiers Unable to Overcome Early Deficit in 11-7 Loss - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bees' Offensive Masterclass Shines on Friday to Even Series - Salt Lake Bees
- Isotopes Explode in Record-Setting 26-8 Triumph Friday Night - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Isotopes Set Team Runs Record in Win over Chihuahuas Friday - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Reno Claims Third Straight Win Behind First Walk-off of 2026 - Reno Aces
- Comets' Late-Inning Rally and Stellar Pitching Propel Them to 8-1 Victory - Oklahoma City Comets
- E-Train Drop Friday Nightcap to Comets, 8-1 - Round Rock Express
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes - 5/1 vs. Las Vegas - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Comets Game Notes - May 1, 2026 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Rainiers Pull Away Late in 5-1 Victory over Las Vegas - Tacoma Rainiers
- Nelson Stays Hot But Space Cowboys Drop Second Straight to Aces - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Amaya Homer Difference in Reno Victory against Sugar Land - Reno Aces
- Bees' Early Scoring Snaps Five-Game Skid, Defeats Sacramento 4-2 on Thursday - Salt Lake Bees
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