Tacoma Tuesday: Rainiers Begin Homestand with Runaway Win
August 31, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers' Kyle Lewis at bat
(Tacoma Rainiers, Credit: Jeff Halstead)
Tacoma, WA - The Tacoma Rainiers (58-66) won a third straight and for the fourth time in five games on Tuesday evening at Cheney Stadium, beginning a homestand with an 8-5 victory over the Sacramento River Cats (55-69). Tacoma scored eight unanswered runs to surge ahead while improving to 16-7 this season in series openers.
River Cats catcher Andrew Knapp opened the scoring with a three-run homer to left-center in the second inning. The Rainiers checked in with a run in the home second, after Erick Mejia tripled over the centerfielder's head with two out. He scored on the next pitch, which was lined for a double by Jonathan Villar to the wall in left-center. Mejia has now hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games played.
Tacoma tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth. Drew Ellis (double) and Marcus Wilson (single) rapped consecutive hits, scoring on a balk and a sac fly (Forrest Wall) respectively. Still square 3-3 in the sixth, the Rainiers pulled in front on Kyle Lewis's sixth Triple-A home run of the season, a beam of a solo shot to left field leading off the frame. The exit velocity on the homer was measured at 108.4 mph.
Lefty Justus Sheffield spun a quality start for Tacoma: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 106 pitches. Sheffield retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced. River Cats right-hander Sean Hjelle exited with one out in the sixth: 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 90 pitches.
SAC walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning and the Rainiers took advantage. Lewis (walk), Jarred Kelenic (2-RBI single) and Brian O'Keefe (RBI single) made it a four-run frame. Kelenic joined Lewis with a two-hit game.
Lefties Kyle Bird and Fernando Abad each tossed a scoreless inning out of the Tacoma pen, in relief of Sheffield.
A Ford Proctor two-run homer in the Sacramento ninth wrapped scoring for the night (Willie Calhoun single).
The weeklong series will continue with game two on Wednesday. RHP Konner Wade is scheduled to start for Tacoma, against Sacramento RHP Norwith Gudino. It'll be a 7:05 PT first pitch at Cheney Stadium.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2022 Rainiers games, home and away, can also be heard for free on the MiLB First Pitch app. HD video broadcasts of every game can be viewed with a MiLB.TV subscription.
Images from this story
 Tacoma Rainiers' Kyle Lewis at bat (Jeff Halstead) |
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