Sanchez’s Seventh-Inning Homer Sends Tacoma to 6-5 Victory

ROUND ROCK, TX (September 16, 2026) — In a game that was tied after six innings, Axel Sanchez hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to propel the Tacoma Rainiers (38-33/71-75) to a 6-5 victory over the Round Rock Express (39-32/70-76) on Wednesday evening at Dell Diamond. Patrick Wisdom hit his 34th homer of the season, the third-most in a single season in franchise history, while Stuart Fairchild set a career-high with his 13th total home run in the victory. Seth Shuman earned his third win with the Rainiers, throwing 2.1 shutout innings of relief to protect Tacoma’s lead in the later stages of the game.

After a scoreless opening frame, Tacoma got on the board in the second inning. Wisdom connected on his league-leading 34th home run to put Tacoma on top, 1-0. Two outs later, Fairchild (7) clubbed a solo home run to left-center field, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Round Rock got one run back in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run of their own, as the Major League rehabber Kyle Higashioka (1) hit a solo home run to left field.

The Express tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Simeon Woods Richardson walked Jonah Bride and allowed a bunt single to Trevor Hauver, but threw the ball into foul territory on the bunt attempt, allowing Bride to take third base, knocking the Rainiers starter from the game. Troy Taylor took over in relief, allowing a game-tying single to Keyber Rodriguez on a ground ball through the left side, plating Bride to tie the game at two. Taylor worked around a bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied after five innings.

Tacoma responded right away in the top of the sixth inning. Ryan Bliss worked a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position as Leo Rivas dropped down a bunt, with the flip to first base off the mark, carrying into foul territory, pushing Bliss up to third base. Andy Ibáñez ripped a single into left field to drive in Bliss and give Tacoma a 3-2 lead. A fly out allowed Rivas to reach third base, and with Nolan Jones at the plate, Ibáñez stole second base. Jones extended Tacoma’s lead with a line drive into center field, driving in two to make it 5-2.

After taking the lead, two-out damage hurt Tacoma in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Round Rock scored for a third consecutive frame. With one out, Aaron Zavala and Bride hit back-to-back singles off Reid VanScoter. After the lefty recorded the second out of the inning, a wild pitch brought in one run and a bloop double from Rodriguez brought in a second run to make it 5-4. Cam Cauley followed with a line drive single to left field to tie the game at five.

The tie did not last long, though, as Axel Sanchez (3) broke the tie in the top of the seventh inning with a go-ahead, solo home run to left field, giving the Rainiers a 6-5 lead.

Seth Shuman spun 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to keep Tacoma in front, getting the final out of the sixth inning, hanging zeroes in the seventh and eighth innings to earn the win.

The Rainiers turned to Nick Garcia to close out the game in the ninth. The right-hander sat down the side in order to pick up his fourth save of the season, finishing off the 6-5 victory.

Tacoma looks to take the series lead tomorrow, Thursday, September 17, with first pitch scheduled for 4:45 PM (PT). LHP Jhonathan Díaz is slated to make his league-leading 28th start.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• INF Patrick Wisdom hit his league-leading 34th home run in the top of the second inning on Wednesday night…his 34 home runs are the third-most in a single season in franchise history, and the most since Danny Walton hit 35 in 1974…Wisdom’s home run was also the 17th of his career against Round Rock, the most for any opposing playing since 2005, when the Express joined the Triple-A ranks.
• OF Stuart Fairchild hit his seventh home run with Tacoma on Wednesday, and his 13th home run overall (one with ACL Mariners and five with Columbus), setting a new career-high, surpassing the 12 home runs he hit in 2019 between High-A Daytona (8) and Double-A Chattanooga (4)…since his Rainiers debut on July 10, Fairchild’s .568 SLG is the ninth-best in the PCL (min. 100 PA).
• INF Axel Sanchez hit his third home run with Tacoma in the seventh inning on Tuesday, a go-ahead solo homer…of his three home runs, two of them have either tied the game or given Tacoma the the lead in the seventh inning-or-later (also: game-tying, three-run home run in the eighth inning on May 5 at El Paso).
• RHP Seth Shuman threw 2.1 shutout innings of relief in Wednesday’s win, matching his longest scoreless outing of the season (also: 2x, last: 2.1 IP/0ER on July 12 at Erie)…Shuman is the ninth Rainiers reliever to record at outing of at least 2.1 scoreless innings this season.
• RHP Nick Garcia earned his fourth save of the season on Wednesday, throwing a clean ninth inning…Garcia’s 2.62 ERA (16ER/55.0 IP) is the best in the PCL among pitchers with at least 35 appearances…Garcia has not allowed a run in 22 of his last 26 outings since June 25, sporting a 1.83 ERA in that span, the third-best in Triple-A (min. 25 app).