Dugger (QS) & Marmolejos (4 H, HR, 4 RBI) lift Rainiers over Aviators

Las Vegas, NV (7/31/21) – The Tacoma Rainiers (42-33) extended their high-water mark of 2021 to nine games over .500 on Saturday night, defeating the Las Vegas Aviators (37-38), 10-1. A quality start by Robert Dugger and a four-hit night from Jose Marmolejos (HR, 4 RBI) propelled Tacoma to their fifth consecutive win, and they’ve outscored Las Vegas 20-5 through the first three games of this series.

In games one and two of the series, the Rainiers led 2-0 after a half inning. In game three, they jumped Aviators starter Paul Blackburn for five runs in the first, with a six-hit attack. Donovan Walton, Jake Fraley (MLB rehab) and Dillon Thomas all singled, before Walton scored on a Taylor Trammell sac fly. Jose Marmolejos (RBI) and Jose Godoy (RBI, 3-for-4) then singled as well, setting up a Wyatt Mathisen double off the wall in center to score two more. Marmolejos drove in another and made it 6-0 in the second, with an RBI single.

The lone Las Vegas run came on their first home run of the series, Francisco Pena’s 14th, to left-center in the fourth inning.

With Tacoma leading 6-1 in the fifth, Marmolejos’s third hit of the night was his 17th homer in 52 Triple-A games this season (played first 31 games with the Mariners), a towering solo shot to centerfield. An inning later, Luis Liberato smacked his seventh homer (three of which have come at Las Vegas), the first pinch hit home run and RBI this year for Tacoma. Liberato replaced the rehabbing Fraley in the lineup, delivering the first pinch hit homer for the Rainiers since Zach Shank on April 21, 2017 at El Paso (grand slam).

Dugger allowed only three hits and two walks in six innings, and struck out six. 57 of his 87 pitches went for strikes. A bullpen trio of Yohan Ramriez, Williams Jerez and Taylor Guerrieri (2 K) combined for three innings of hitless relief.

Marmolejos achieved his first four-hit game of the season in the eighth, driving in a run in the process following a Thomas double. It was the third game with four or more RBI for Marmolejos this season, and he later scored his third run of the night on a Godoy sac fly, Godoy’s second RBI for the 10-1 final. All 10 batters in the Rainiers lineup ended the game with at least one base hit, five drove in a run, six scored at least once.

The Rainiers’ five-game win streak is their second-longest this season. Tacoma won seven straight from June 11-19. They’ll next be in action Sunday evening at 7:05 PT at Las Vegas Ballpark; left-hander Ian McKinney will start.

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 Triple-A West. Tacoma has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.

Single-game tickets for all remaining 2021 Rainiers home games are now available. Questions regarding season tickets can be directed to [email protected].

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.