Rainiers Win 15-11 Slugfest over Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (August 22, 2026) — The Tacoma Rainiers (23-27/56-69) slugged their way to a 15-11 victory over the Sacramento River Cats (29-21/71-51) Saturday night at Sutter Health Park. Tacoma pounded out 18 hits, including four home runs, courtesy of Connor Joe, J.P. Crawford, Andy Ibáñez and Lazaro Montes. Crawford, Montes and Ryan Bliss all turned in three-hit performances, while Joe tied his season-high with four runs driven in.

Tacoma got on the board in their first trip to the plate Saturday night. Ryan Bliss and J.P. Crawford hit back-to-back singles to lead off the ballgame. Arroyo grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners and then, Lazaro Montes worked a walk to load the bases. Connor Joe reached on a fielder’s choice on a fly ball that dropped into shallow right field. Bliss hustled home to score, giving the Rainiers an early 1-0 lead.

Sacramento immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Scott Bandura drew a walk and the next batter, Parks Harber, ripped a double into the left-center field gap, plating Bandura without a throw to even the score at one.

The River Cats took the lead in the second inning with a two-out rally. Diego Velasquez walked and Adrián Sugastey reached on a fielding error to put runners on first and second. Then, Nate Furman singled on a fly ball to right field, scoring Velasquez from second to make it 2-1.

Sacramento doubled their lead in the home half of the third inning. Parks Harber pulled a double down the left field line to lead off the frame and moved up to third when Bo Davidson grounded out to second. Then, Harber scored on a wild pitch, making it 3-1.

Tacoma retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Montes (12) crushed a leadoff home run 415 feet over the left field wall for his second home run in as many days, making it 3-2. Joe worked a walk before Stuart Fairchild popped up and Nolan Jones struck out. After the River Cats made a pitching change, Nick Raposo smoked a double into the left-center field gap, plating Joe from first to tie the game at three. Then, Miles Mastrobuoni smacked a single into shallow left-center field, bringing home Raposo to give Tacoma a 4-3 lead.

The Rainiers extended the lead in the fifth inning. Crawford laced a single into center field to lead off the frame. After Michael Arroyo flied out, Montes ripped a single into right field. Then, Joe (8) tattooed a three-run blast over the left-center field wall, extending the lead to four, 7-3.

The River Cats drove in seven runs in the home half of the fifth inning to regain the lead. Shay Whitcomb (10) smacked a leadoff homer over the left field wall, making it 7-4. Two batters later, Velasquez drove a single into right field and moved up to second when Sugastey worked a walk. Then, Furman pounded a single into left field to load the bases.The next batter, Bandura, hit a single of his own through the right side of the infield, plating Velasquez and Sugastey to get Sacramento within one, 7-6. Harber tied it when he lined a single down the left field line, pushing Bandura up to third and scoring Furman, 7-7. Then, Davidson laced a double into the left field corner, bringing home Bandura with Harber stopping at third, giving the River Cats a 8-7 lead. Grant McCray smacked a single into shallow left-center field, plating Harber and Davidson to make it 10-7.

Tacoma responded immediately in the top of the sixth inning. Miles Mastrobuoni smoked a single into left field to lead off the frame and moved up to second when Bliss walked. Then, Crawford (1) destroyed a game-tying, three-run shot onto the berm in right field, knotting the game at 10.

The Rainiers took their third lead of the ballgame in the seventh inning thanks to heads-up baserunning from Fairchild. He smoked a leadoff single into left and tagged up to advance to second when Jones flied out to center field. Then, Fairchild stole third and came home courtesy of a Nick Raposo sacrifice fly to give Tacoma an 11-10 lead.

The Rainiers started to pull away in the top of the eighth inning. Bliss pulled a leadoff single into left field and the next batter, Andy Ibáñez (1), crushed a two-run home run over the left center-field wall to extend the lead to three, 13-10. After Arroyo flied out, Montes worked a walk to reach safely for the fifth time in the game. Two batters later, Fairchild ripped a single into left field. Then, Jones hit a 3-2 pitch into left-center field for a double. Both Montes and Fairchild scampered home, making it 15-10.

Sacramento entered the bottom of the ninth inning needing five runs to stay alive. Sugastey worked a leadoff walk and came around to score two batters later when Bandura lined a double into the left-center field gap, but that was all the River Cats could muster as Tacoma secured a 15-11 victory Saturday night.

The Rainiers will attempt to salvage a series split Sunday afternoon. RHP Houston Roth will toe the rubber for the second time this series as first pitch is set for 12:35 PM.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Tacoma recorded 18 hits and scored 15 runs in Saturday night’s contest, both tied for their fourth-most in a game this season…it’s the most hits and runs scored by the Rainiers since recording 22 base knocks and 18 runs on July 9 in Las Vegas.

• INF Ryan Bliss turned in his ninth three-hit performance Saturday, the most by a Rainiers hitter this season…he finished 3-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored…it’s his 11th game with at least three hits this season, the sixth-most in the PCL.

• OF Lazaro Montes reached safely in all five of his plate appearances Saturday, becoming the fifth Rainiers hitter to accomplish the feat this season…he finished 3-for-3 with a home run, RBI, two walks, and three runs scored…it’s the first time in Montes’ career reaching safely in all five of his plate appearances in one game.

• OF Lazaro Montes’ single in the sixth inning left his bat at 116.3 mph, the eighth-hardest-hit ball in the PCL this season…it’s also the hardest-hit ball by a Rainiers hitter since Statcast was implemented at PCL stadiums, passing the 115.9 mph home run Montes hit yesterday, August 21 and the 115.9 mph single Evan White hit on August 12, 2022 in Las Vegas.

• INF/OF Connor Joe smacked his eighth home run of the season in the fifth inning Saturday, marking his 600th career minor league hit…he finished 1-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, one walk, and two runs scored…Joe’s walk in the fourth inning extended his on-base streak to 20 games, the second-longest by a Rainiers hitter this season and tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the PCL…four RBI tied his season-high (also: June 26 against Round Rock).

• INF J.P. Crawford homered in the second game of his Major League rehab assignment Saturday, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored…it’s Crawford’s first multi-hit game and home run of the season with Tacoma.