Tacoma Drops Opener in Salt Lake

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Tacoma Rainiers (2-2) allowed eight runs on 12 hits and dropped the opener to the Salt Lake Bees (2-2) by a final score of 8-2, Tuesday at Smith’s Ballpark.

Salt Lake started the scoring in the third inning with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Willie Calhoun, taking a 2-0 lead. They grew the lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Livan Soto and a three-run home run off the bat of Charles Leblanc.

Casey Lawrence got through the fifth inning, but was charged with the loss, as all six runs against the right-hander were earned. In all, he allowed six earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one.

Tacoma got on the board in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Bliss, but the Bees fought right back with two more runs of their own in the home half of the inning.

They got an RBI single from Jordyn Adams and an RBI ground out from Soto to go up 8-1. Brian Anderson used an RBI groundout to get the Rainiers their second run of the game in the ninth inning, but the scoring stopped there, as Tacoma was handed their second loss of the season.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Sean Poppen bounced back with a scoreless outing tonight, throwing 1.1 perfect innings, striking out two of the four batters he faced.
• Kenny Rosenberg earned his first win of the season, tossing six innings of one-run ball. The southpaw allowed four hits while striking out seven.
• Eight of Salt Lake’s nine starting hitters recorded at least one hit tonight, with four of the eight having multi-hit games. The Bees totaled a season-high 12 hits.
• Jonatan Clase went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot tonight. Clase is now hitting .286 on the young season.

Tacoma and Salt Lake continue their series with game two tomorrow night. First pitch from Smith’s Ballpark is set for 5:35 p.m. PT. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.milb.com/tacoma.