Packard Tallies Four-Hit Game in Rainiers 7-4 Loss to Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (June 6, 2026) — Pitching was the story early on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park, as both sides were held scoreless through the first four innings. However, it was the offenses that broke through late as the Tacoma Rainiers (25-37) fell 7-4 to the Sacramento River Cats (36-24). Spencer Packard tallied Tacoma’s sixth four-hit game of the season, hitting a pair of doubles. Alejo Lopez and Victor Labrada combined to drive in all four of Tacoma’s runs in the loss.

Both teams combined for just three baserunners through the first four innings of the game. Casey Lawrence allowed a leadoff single in the second inning, facing one over the minimum through the first four frames. Carson Whisenhunt, who struck out a season-high 10, allowed a two-out single in the first inning and a one-out double in the second inning, both coming from Packard.

Tacoma’s offense broke through against Whisenhunt in the top of the fifth inning. After the first two batters of the frame struck out, Axel Sanchez worked a walk and Alejo Lopez (1) yanked a two-run home run over the left field fence to get Tacoma on the board, taking a 2-0 lead.

The River Cats rallied to take the lead, though, in the bottom of the inning. Scott Bandura hit a leadoff double off Lawrence, and with one out, scored when Turner Hill hit a ground ball that deflected off the shortstop Axel Sanchez and into center field. Bandura scored on the play to make it a 2-1 game. Aeverson Arteaga kept it going for Sacramento, as he lined a single to left field to put runners at first and second base. With two outs, Jared Oliva doubled to the left-center field gap and drove both runners in, putting Sacramento on top, 3-2.

Sacramento added on in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jake Holton, the final hitter that Lawrence faced, led off the inning with a single. Tacoma turned to left-hander Josh Simpson in relief. He surrendered a bunt single to Hill, putting runners at first and second base. Osleivis Basabe entered as a pinch-hitter and singled up the middle to drive in Holton and give the River Cats a 4-2 lead. Oliva followed with a ground ball that got by Mastrobuoni at third base and allowed Hill to score, extending Sacramento’s lead to 5-2.

Tacoma closed the gap in the top of the eighth inning. Mastrobuoni hit a leadoff single and advanced to second base when Packard hit a one-out single to right field. With two outs, Victor Labrada laced a double off the left field wall to drive in a pair and make it a one-run game at 5-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, the first three River Cats reached base, as Drew Cavanaugh singled, Scott Bandura doubled and Jake Holton walked to load the bases with no outs. Cole Wilcox got the first out of the inning on a fielder’s choice from Hill, as the throw went home to cut down the run. Arteaga, though, capitalized for Sacramento, hitting a two-run single through the left side of the infield, giving the River Cats a 7-4 lead.

Tacoma managed to get a runner aboard in the top of the ninth when Alejo Lopez hit a two-out double, but that is where the rally ended, as the Rainiers fell 7-4.

The Rainiers will look to split the series with a win in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Randy Dobnak is scheduled to bookend the series for Tacoma, with the first pitch slated for 1:05 PM (PT).

POSTGAME NOTES:

• RHP Casey Lawrence threw 6.0 innings in his start on Saturday night, his eighth start of at least 6.0 innings this season, the most in Triple-A…it’s Lawrence’s fourth consecutive start of at least 6.0 innings pitched…over that stretch he has allowed 9ER in 24.2 IP with one walk and 15 strikeouts.
• OF Spencer Packard went 4-for-4 with two doubles on Saturday night, the fifth time in his career he’s recorded at least four hits… three of his hits came off the left-handed starter Carson Whisenhunt, becoming first Rainiers left-handed hitter to tally three hits off left-handed pitching in one game since Dominic Canzone did so on April 4, 2025, at Reno…Packard is the eighth Rainiers hitter since 2005 to record multiple left-on-left extra base hits in a game and the first since Zach DeLoach (3x3, 2B, HR) and Cade Marlowe (3x4, 2 2B) did so on September 17, 2023…Packard is also the fifth Rainiers left-handed hitter since 2005 to record multiple extra-base hits against a left-handed starter, most recently done by Jake Fraley, who recorded two doubles and a triple against Kyle Freeland on June 28, 2019, at Albuquerque.
• INF Alejo Lopez hit his first home run of the season on Saturday night, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBI…it’s Lopez’s first home run since August 30, 2025, against Iowa while playing for Las Vegas…the home run was the third by a Rainiers second baseman this season, with the most recent coming from Brock Rodden on May 10 at El Paso…over his last 17 games, Lopez is hitting .358 (19x53) with six doubles, one home run and six RBI.
• Tacoma pitchers allowed just one walk on Saturday night, the club’s seventh consecutive game with three-or-fewer walks issued, the longest streak in Triple-A this season and tied for the fifth-longest streak in the minor leagues…over that span, the Rainiers have struck out 48 while walking 16.