April 14 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Reno Aces

TACOMA RAINIERS (10-4) vs. RENO ACES (6-7)
Sunday, April 14 • 1:35 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA
RHP Michael Mariot (1-0, 2.00) vs. LHP Blake Walston (1-0, 10.80)

TODAY’S GAME: The Rainiers and Aces are set to play the series finale today, with Tacoma looking to get back on track after last night’s loss. Tacoma will send Michael Mariot to the mound for his second start of the series after earning his first win of the season in the series opener on Tuesday. In that game, Mariot tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four. Opposite of Mariot will be Blake Walston making his first appearance of the series. Walston has pitched in two games this year including one start, entering play today with a 1-0 record and a 10.80 ERA. He has allowed six earned runs on six hits including two home runs, seven walks and six strikeouts over 5.0 innings pitched. The southpaw will be making his sixth career start against the Rainiers, including three last year here at Cheney Stadium.

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: Last night was not a common game so far this year for Tacoma, as it marked their first loss when leading after seven innings. When holding a lead after seven frames, the Rainiers are now 8-1. They are also now 8-1 when scoring first and 7-1 when Michael Papierski starts at catcher. It was their second loss at home all year, falling to 6-2, and their second loss when scoring four or more runs this season, putting them at 9-2 now.

HEATING UP: After starting the year hitting .194 (7-for-36) in his first 11 games, Ryan Bliss is starting to heat up for the Tacoma Rainiers. The 24-year-old is now 4-for-10 with three runs scored, a double, home run and four runs batted in over his last three games. He has also taken three walks compared to four strikeouts and has stolen three bases over that span. With his recent three-game hitting streak, Bliss has raised his batting average on the year to .239, hitting .286 in the month of April.

STAYING READY: Despite not playing since April 7 in game one of a doubleheader against Salt Lake, Nick Solak came into last night’s game prepared to play. The designated hitter went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double, a run batted in and a walk in his first game of the series. Solak is now second on the team in batting average, hitting .318 in his seven games this year. Last night was his second multi-hit performance of the year after recording three hits in his first game of the season on March 30.

LOST IT LATE: Tacoma allowed five unanswered runs in last night’s one-run loss, snapping their four-game winning streak. After four innings, the Rainiers led 7-3 and appeared to be in good position to make it five straight wins to start the series against the Aces, but Reno began to chip away. They got a solo home run from Tristin English in the top of the sixth and an RBI single from Adrian Del Castillo in the seventh to make it a two-run game, at 7-5. With one out in the eighth inning, Kolten Wong used a pitch hit sacrifice fly to bring in a run and advance the runners, making it 7-6 with two outs. Jancarlos Cintron came through big for the Aces, driving in both runs on a go-ahead single to give Reno their first lead of the game. The lead would hold at 8-7, as the Aces took their first game of the series.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Jonatan Clase clubbed a two-run RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning last night, extending his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. His eight-game hitting streak is also the longest mark for any player with Tacoma this year. The 21-year-old has recorded an extra-base hit in game this series, extending his hitting streak with the extra-base hit in four of the five games. His lone hit in the series opener on Tuesday was a triple, extending the streak to four. On Wednesday, he made it a five-game hitting streak with a single in the fifth inning before also hitting a home run in the seventh. Thursday night it was bag to the three-bagger, as the leadoff-man used a triple to make it a six-game hitting streak. In Friday’s game he cleared the wall with a two-run home run in the second inning giving him a hit in seven straight games and last night, used a two-run double to make it an eight-game hitting streak. Clase is hitting .357 (10-for-28) over his last eight games, scoring six runs and driving in 10 along the way. He has two doubles, two triples and two home runs over his last eight games, giving him six total extra-base knocks.

TURNING IT OVER: Tacoma’s seven-through-nine hitters did their part in the loss last night, each checking in with two hits. The three hitters combined to go 6-for-9 with five runs scored, a double, a home run, two runs batted in and two walks. For Michael Chavis, it was his second two-hit game of the season, raising his batting average on the year to .219. Leo Rivas is now tied for the team-lead with three two-hit games after last night’s contest and it marked Nick Solak’s first two-hit game and second multi-hit game of 2024.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE: Michael Mariot will look to repeat his outing from the series opener on Tuesday, in which he threw five scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed just one hit while hitting a batter and walking one, striking out four in the scoreless outing. Through two starts this year, Mariot is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, allowing just two earned runs on three total hits and four walks. He has struck out nine in 9.0 innings, limiting opponents to just a .103 batting average against him. As a late signee by Seattle on March 28, Mariot has become a big part of the rotation for Tacoma. After his last start on Tuesday, the 35-year-old was among Pacific Coast League leaders in ERA, average against and WHIP.

AGAINST RENO: Tacoma and Reno are set to play the series finale this afternoon, with Tacoma having already won the series. The Rainiers lead the series four games to one after last night’s loss, but trail in the all-time series to Reno by 40 games, at 104-144.

SHORT HOPS: Tacoma tied their season high with five more stolen bases last night, as Cade Marlowe stole three on his own...Trevor Kelley threw a scoreless ninth inning, giving him three consecutive scoreless outings; the right-hander holds a 1.50 ERA through six games this year, allowing one run on two hits and four walks while striking out eight...Tacoma will look to start a new winning streak, as they haven’t lost back-to-back games all year.