Chihuahuas nip Rainiers in 9th
El Paso, TX (6/20/23) – The Tacoma Rainiers (34-36) rallied from five runs down in the late innings on Tuesday, but were ultimately walked off by the El Paso Chihuahuas (30-40) in the road trip opener, a 12-11 final score. Tacoma fell to 3-9 in one-run games on the road
El Paso, TX (6/20/23) – The Tacoma Rainiers (34-36) rallied from five runs down in the late innings on Tuesday, but were ultimately walked off by the El Paso Chihuahuas (30-40) in the road trip opener, a 12-11 final score. Tacoma fell to 3-9 in one-run games on the road (9-11 overall), despite six Rainiers ending the night with multiple hits.
The Rainiers drew a leadoff walk and hit a two-run homer in each of the first two innings. Jake Scheiner’s 18th (Sam Haggerty BB) and Zach DeLoach’s sixth (Cooper Hummel BB) accounted for the first four Tacoma runs.
El Paso put up a four-spot in the first, however. All nine Chihuahuas batted in the opening frame, collecting five hits and a walk. Former Rainier Tim Lopes (double), Brett Sullivan (single) and Kevin Plawecki (2-RBI single) drove in the runs.
With the score even 5-5 in the fifth, El Paso began a high-altitude home run barrage of their own in the thin air. Former Rainier Luis Liberato hit a solo shot to center (6) to put the home team back in front.
In the seventh, Sullivan (3, 2-run) and Jantzen Witte (8) went yard back-to-back, extending the Chihuahuas lead to 9-5. Witte, who was named MVP of Tacoma’s 2021 championship club, became the third former Rainier to drive in a run on Tuesday. It was 10-5 on El Paso’s fourth consecutive extra-base hit in the seventh before making an out; Liberato stroked an RBI double.
The Rainiers roared back immediately in the visitors eighth, racking up their sixth inning of six or more runs this season, with the aid of three El Paso errors. All nine batters went up, and Tacoma took the lead 11-10 on an Adam Engel two-run triple off the wall in left field. Prior to, Taylor Trammell (RBI single), Cooper Hummel (bases loaded walk) and DeLoach (RBI single) drove in runs during a four-hit, two-walk frame.
All five Rainiers runs were charged to El Paso lefty Ryan Weathers (4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 5 K). Southpaw Eric Stout delivered Tacoma a solid 2.2 IP (1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K). Right-handers Juan Then (0.2 IP) and Matt Festa (1.0 IP, 2 K) each retired all batters faced.
The Chihuahuas still trailed by a run with runners at first and second and two out in the bottom of the ninth, when El Paso left fielder Taylor Kohlwey dropped a double on the right field foul line, rolling into the corner. Plawecki and Liberato each scored without a play (both walked); Liberato’s superior speed had him cross for the winning run standing up.
Scheiner, Trammell, Brian O’Keefe, DeLoach, Engel and Mason McCoy each had two knocks for Tacoma; Scheiner and DeLoach (3 R) each led the way with three RBI apiece. The three hour, 23-minute contest was Tacoma’s longest nine-inning game this season.
The weeklong series will continue on Wednesday, with a 5:35 PT/6:35 MT first pitch at Southwest University Park. RHP Jose Rodriguez (Tacoma) and RHP Anderson Espinoza (El Paso) are the probable starting pitchers.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2023 Rainiers games, home and away, can also be heard for free on the MiLB First Pitch app. HD video broadcasts of every home game can be viewed with a MiLB.TV subscription.
About the Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Pacific Coast League and have been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.
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