Taylor, Locklear, Shenton Homers Power Tacoma to 5-3 Win over Round Rock
June 25, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
ROUND ROCK, TX - The Tacoma Rainiers (39-37,1-0) launched three homers to power a 5-3 win over the Round Rock Express (34-42, 0-1) in the series opener on Tuesday night at Dell Diamond. Tacoma extended their season record to 4-0 over Round Rock with the win on Tuesday.
Samad Taylor crushed the first pitch of the ballgame to left field to notch his 12th homer of the season and give Tacoma an early 1-0 lead off the Express starter, Ryan Garcia. Harry Ford singled with one out in the frame but Tyler Locklear grounded into a double play to end the frame.
Round Rock quickly countered, scoring a run in the bottom of the inning. Cody Freeman hit a one-out single before being brought in on a double to center from Trevor Hauver to tie the game at one. The Express took their first lead in the bottom of the third inning bringing in two runs. Alex De Goti worked a leadoff walk followed by another Freeman single. Josh Fleming came in to relieve Sauryn Lao with two runners on when Blaine Crim doubled to left field to score De Goti. After Hauver was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Michael Helman hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Freeman and extend the 3-1 lead.
The scoring went silent on both sides until the top of the eighth inning. Fleming tossed 3.2 scoreless frames allowing three hits while walking one and striking out one. His outing set a new season-high in innings pitched, surpassing the 3.1 pitched on May 29th against Salt Lake. Juan Burgos came in to follow Fleming in the seventh inning and pitched a perfect frame with a strikeout in what was his Triple-A debut and earned the winning decision with his outing.
Tacoma capitalized in the top of the eighth inning to regain the lead. Jack Lopez led off the frame with a walk followed by a single from Taylor to right field. Both advanced on a wild pitch from Luis Curvelo before an RBI groundout induced by Ford drove in Taylor to put Tacoma within one. Tyler Locklear launch a go-ahead two-run homer to left field to mark his ninth of the season and give Tacoma a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the ninth inning, Austin Shenton crushed his 12th homer to right field off the reliever Aidan Anderson with two outs in the frame to add on to a 5-3 lead. Shenton's homer marked the first run allowed by Anderson this season dating back to May 27th and seven outings.
Jesse Hahn came in for Tacoma in the bottom of the ninth inning and worked around a pair of base runners to record his 13th consecutive outing without allowing a run while also earning his third save of the season. Tacoma held on with the winning run at the plate to defeat Round Rock, 5-3 in the series opener.
Postgame Notes:
Samad Taylor's first pitch home run is the Rainiers first leadoff home run of the season...it is the fourth first pitch home run in the PCL this season...it's the first leadoff homer on the first pitch for Tacoma since August 1, 2024, when Ryan Bliss went deep on the first pitch against Salt Lake...it's the second leadoff home run of Taylor's career, the other coming August 31, 2024, which is also Tacoma's last leadoff home run
Tyler Locklear's go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning is his 17th hit of the season when the Rainiers are tied or trailing in the eighth inning or later, the most among all minor league hitters...Locklear is now hitting .486 (17x35) when the Rainiers are tied or trailing in the eighth inning or later, the highest average among all minor league hitters with at least 25 at-bats in that scenario.
With another scoreless inning in the ninth, Jesse Hahn extended a streak of 13 consecutive appearances without allowing a run...it is the longest active streak of its kind in the PCL and now just trails a 15-game stretch recorded by Luis Contreras (LV) that spanned from April 20th to June 7th.
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