Thomas and Taylor Homers Power Rainiers to 7-1 Victory
June 14, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
TACOMA, WA - The Tacoma Rainiers (32-36) scored five of their seven runs on home runs in a 7-1 victory over the Sacramento River Cats (33-35) on Saturday night. Casey Lawrence threw 4.0 shutout innings in his first appearance on the mound since May 20 against the Chicago White Sox, leading a pitching effort that gave up just one run on six hits in the victory.
The Rainiers got on the board in the top of the second inning. After Spencer Packard flied out to left field, Tyler Locklear looped a single to center field. Rhylan Thomas followed with a two-run home run, his fourth long ball of the season, giving Tacoma a 2-0 lead. Sacramento starter Mason Black recorded flyouts from Leo Rivas and Leody Taveras to end the inning.
Tacoma tacked on two more runs in the top of the third inning. After Black sat down the first two batters of the inning, Luke Raley hit a ground ball to second base and Meckler's throw to first was wide of the bag, allowing Raley to reach on the error. Harry Ford roped a double over Marco Luciano's head in left field to score Raley, extending the lead to 3-0. Spencer Packard hit a double of his own to score Ford and take the lead to 4-0. Locklear flied out to record the third out of the inning.
The Rainiers broke the game open with three more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Thomas led off the inning with a single. Rivas and Taveras each popped out for the first two outs of the inning. Jack López singled to center field, putting runners at first and second. Samad Taylor clubbed his 11th home run of the season, a three-run blast to left field to give Tacoma a 7-0 lead. Luke Raley, in the second game of his Major League rehab assignment, ripped a single to right field, his first hit with the Rainiers. Ford hit his second double of the game down the left field line, advancing Raley to third. Locklear flied out to left field as the third out of the frame.
Casey Lawrence tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out four. Michael Mariot followed with 2.0 perfect innings, striking out a pair.
Sacramento ended the shutout bid in the seventh inning as Trevor Gott entered the game in relief of Mariot. Grant McCray led the inning off with a single. Bryce Eldridge replaced him at first base after hitting into a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning. After Marco Luciano flied out for the second out, Brett Wisely singled, moving Eldridge up to second base. Hunter Bishop tallied his first hit of the game on a sharp ground ball to first that escaped a diving Locklear, glancing off him into shallow right field and allowing Eldridge to score, getting the River Cats on the board, trailing 7-1.
Troy Taylor took over for the eighth inning, throwing a perfect frame to set up Jesse Hahn for the ninth inning. After Hahn struck out the first two batters, Luciano singled, and Wisely walked to put runners at first and second base. Bishop grounded out to second base to finish the ballgame.
Michael Mariot picked up his third win of the season with his 2.0 perfect innings. Sacramento starter Mason Black took his fourth loss of the season, allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits, striking out one.
POSTGAME NOTES:
The Rainiers clubbed a pair of home runs in their 7-1 victory on Saturday night, a two-run home run from Rhylan Thomas in the second inning and a three-run homer from Samad Taylor in the fourth inning...the Rainiers are now 15-9 in games in which they hit multiple home runs and a team-best 8-2 when Samad Taylor hits a home run. Harry Ford logged his third three-hit game of the season, including a pair of doubles...it's the second time this season that Ford has hit multiple doubles in the same game and the 15th time in his career...Ford's teams are 12-3 in games in which he records multiple doubles. The Rainiers tallied four extra-base hits with two outs in Saturday's victory, tied for the most by the Rainiers in a single game this season (also: May 13 at Albuquerque)...the three doubles with two outs on Saturday are the most for Tacoma in a game this year.
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