Taylor Trammell Leads Rainiers in Massive Debut, Tacoma Pummels Salt Lake in First Road Game

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – In his first game with the Tacoma Rainiers, center fielder Taylor Trammell capped a 10-run 7th inning with a 3-run home run in a 15-5 blowout against the Salt Lake Bees. Trammell finished his Triple-A debut 4-for-5 and launched one of Tacoma’s three long balls at Smith’s Ballpark on Thursday night.

The Rainiers (4-3) sent 14 runners to the plate in their double-digit 7th inning, including a 2-run go-ahead double from left fielder Dillon Thomas, followed by a single from first baseman Sam Travis that scored a pair. After Jack Mayfield, also playing in his Rainiers debut, drove home Travis with an infield single, Cal Raleigh belted his third double of the year to plate two, making it 12-5.

With two in scoring position, Trammell clubbed a line drive over the right field wall that completed the 10-run outburst and gave Tacoma their final tallies of the night against Salt Lake (1-6) reliever Ben Rowen (0-1). The 10-run frame is the most that the Rainiers have scored in a single inning since pushing across 11 runs in the 9th inning against the Fresno Grizzlies on April 10, 2018.

Trammell, who was optioned from Seattle to Tacoma on Wednesday, singled to center field in his first at-bat in the opening frame. The Mariners No. 6 prospect (MLB Pipeline) improved his line to 2-for-2 with a 1-out RBI single in the 3rd. The Georgia native added a third single in his first 7th inning at-bat, and followed up with his first career Triple-A homer later in the inning.

Mayfield rejoined the Rainiers on Thursday after travelling with Seattle on the Major League taxi squad. He finished 3-for-6 with an RBI and 2 runs in his Tacoma debut.

Thomas improved his season line to 6-for-17 (.353) with his second home run and 3 RBI, giving him 6 on the campaign. Travis ripped his first home run of the season in a 3-run 6th inning and finished with a season-high 4 RBI. Shortstop Donovan Walton led off the game with a single to extend his hitting streak to a season-high seven games.

Right-hander Vinny Nittoli allowed 3 runs over 3 innings while striking out five Bees in his second Rainiers start. Southpaw Ben Onyshko allowed a pair in 1 1/3 frames before righties Domingo Tapia (2/3), Jaime Schultz (2), Yohan Ramirez (1) and Justin Grimm (1) combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings to end the night. Schultz (2-1), who struggled in the 10th inning in Tuesday’s defeat, bounced back with a pair of strikeouts and secured his second win of the season.

Rainiers pitchers combined for 12 punch outs, giving them at least one per inning in each of their first seven contests. Tacoma hurlers entered Thursday with a league-best 72 strikeouts, and are now tied with Round Rock for the most in the Triple-A West (84).

The Rainiers and Bees will continue their six-game series on Friday night at Smith’s Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. PT as right-hander Darren McCaughan will make his season debut with the Rainiers. The righty has pitched in each of Tacoma’s last two seasons (2018-19).

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

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