Joe’s Ninth-Inning Home Run Not Enough in 4-2 Loss

TACOMA, WA (September 9, 2026) — The Tacoma Rainiers (34-31/67-73) dropped a pitcher’s duel 4-2 to the El Paso Chihuahuas (22-43/57-83) Wednesday night, with five of the game’s six runs scored in the ninth inning. Connor Joe got Tacoma on the board with a two-run shot in the ninth and Nolan Jones recorded a multi-hit performance.

El Paso jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. Mason McCoy lined a single into center field to lead off the contest. Then, Miguel Andujar reached on a fielding error and two batters later, Nick Solak smoked a double off the top of the left-center field wall. McCoy scored without a throw, making it 1-0 Chihuahuas.

El Paso threatened to blow the game open in the third inning after loading the bases with no outs. Carson Fulmer struck out Clay Dungan and Rodolfo Durán for the first two outs of the frame and escaped the jam by getting Gage Workman to fly out to right field.

Offense came at a premium through the first four frames as Ian Koenig was lights-out for El Paso. Koenig allowed only one baserunner across his first four innings of work and struck out four. Fulmer did his best to match Koenig for Tacoma, navigating around six hits and two walks while striking out four with the only run he allowed being unearned.

The Chihuahuas loaded the bases again in both the fifth and eighth innings, but Robinson Ortiz got out of the fifth-inning jam with a strikeout, while Seth Shuman got the final two outs of the eighth inning to leave the bases loaded, keeping it a one-run game.

The Chihuahuas pulled away in the top of the ninth inning. Pratto (12) hit a leadoff home run off the scoreboard in right-center field, doubling the lead. Three batters later, Workman walked to start a two-out rally that saw El Paso score two runs. Workman advanced to third when Braedon Karpathios reached on a fielding error. Back-to-back singles from McCoy and Marcos Castañon brought home Workman and Karpathios to make it 4-0.

The Rainiers avoided the shutout in the home half of the ninth inning. With one out, Andy Ibáñez beat out an infield single and then, Connor Joe (9) ripped a two-run homer over the left-center field wall, getting Tacoma on the board and making it 4-2.

The Rainiers will attempt to retake the series lead Thursday night, sending RHP Simeon Woods Richardson to the bump. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Rainiers pitchers stranded 17 runners in Wednesday’s contest, their most runners left-on-base in a game this season…the Rainiers also allowed just one earned run in the loss on Wednesday, dropping to 69-12 in games with one earned run allowed since 2021.

• INF Andy Ibáñez extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the ninth inning on Wednesday, finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored…over his seven-game streak, Ibáñez is hitting .333 (11x33) with one double, one home run and six RBI.

• OF Nolan Jones turned in his sixth multi-hit performance with Tacoma Wednesday, finishing 2-for-4…Jones has now recorded a hit in nine of his last 11 games, slashing .295/.365/.568 in that span.

• RHP Nick Garcia threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief on Wednesday night, lowering his ERA to 2.72…among PCL pitchers with at least 35 appearances this season, Garcia’s 2.72 ERA is the second-best, ranking eighth with his 62K/21BB ratio.