McCaughan Leads Dominant Pitching Performance for Tacoma in Two-Hit Victory over Round Rock

TACOMA, WA – Right-hander Darren McCaughan pitched six 1-run innings on Friday night before handing it over to the Tacoma bullpen who combined for three shutout innings of relief in a 6-1 victory over Round Rock. The Rainiers hurlers combined for 12 strikeouts and gave up just 2 Express hits and a pair of walks to even the series at Cheney Stadium.

McCaughan (1-0) earned his first win of the season, and his first at Triple-A since his Tacoma (6-8) debut on June 1, 2018. The starter gave up 2 hits, 2 walks and hit a batter in his 6-inning outing, Tacoma’s longest of the season and the team’s first quality start.

The first two batters of the game reached with hits, and two errors extended the frame to give Round Rock (10-4) its only run. McCaughan got the final two Express hitters out in the 1st inning and retired 14 of 15 before issuing consecutive walks to start the 6th inning.

Right-hander Reid Morgan entered in the 7th inning and pitched a pair of perfect innings with 4 strikeouts, all with called third strikes, in his Triple-A debut. Morgan was transferred to Tacoma from Double-A Arkansas before Friday’s game.

Righty Travis Kuhn also joined the Rainiers for his first Triple-A appearance on Friday after being transferred from High-A Modesto. The 23-year-old pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning and struck out a pair of Round Rock hitters to end the game.

Altogether, Tacoma struck out 12 for the ninth time in 14 games and continued their league lead in punch outs with 166.

The Rainiers got on the board in the bottom of the 1st on a Cal Raleigh solo home run. Raleigh doubled and scored later in the game and now has 2 home runs, 8 doubles and 1 triple through his first 12 contests.

Second baseman Joseph Rosa put Tacoma ahead for good in the 2nd inning with a 3-run home run to left-center field, his first at Triple-A. Right-fielder Dillon Thomas and third baseman Jantzen Witte also scored on the round-tripper.

Tacoma scored the game’s final runs in the 3rd inning when Witte singled home Raleigh and designated hitter Sam Travis. Witte finished 2-for-4 and now has a 7-game hitting streak dating back to May 14. The TCU product is 10-for-28 (357) over that stretch and has improved his season average from .217 to .294.

Tacoma and Round Rock will continue their six-game series on Saturday at Cheney Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. PT. Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2021 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 an MiLB.TV subscription. (Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.)

About the Tacoma Rainiers

The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Triple-A West. Tacoma has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.

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The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium can be found at WeRTacoma.com, or by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.