Bees outmuscle Rainiers 13-12 in 11 innings

Tacoma had multiple RBI from Souza (4, 2 2B, HR), Walton (2B, 3B, HR), Lewis (HR) and Wall; Green went 4-for-6 (2B, HR, 3 R)

May 8, 2022

Salt Lake City, UT (5/7/22) – The Tacoma Rainiers (8-21) and Salt Lake Bees (16-13) combined for eight home runs on Saturday night, and despite accumulating season-highs with 10 extra-base hits and five doubles, and equaling a season-high with four homers, Tacoma lost its fourth consecutive game by a 13-12

Salt Lake City, UT (5/7/22) – The Tacoma Rainiers (8-21) and Salt Lake Bees (16-13) combined for eight home runs on Saturday night, and despite accumulating season-highs with 10 extra-base hits and five doubles, and equaling a season-high with four homers, Tacoma lost its fourth consecutive game by a 13-12 final, tying a season-long skid. The Rainiers played into the 11th inning for the first time this season, slipping to 1-3 in extras. Tacoma’s poor luck in one-run games dropped them to 3-8 in such affairs. The Rainiers had five players register multiple hits in defeat.

The clubs opened the scoring by exchanging solo home runs in the second inning. Tacoma’s Zach Green (4-for-6) went 379 feet to left field in the visiting half, before Matt Thaiss went 407 feet to right-center (3). Green’s homer was his club-leading fifth, and he’s hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games.

Left-hander Tommy Milone, he of 189 Major League games (146 starts, 927.2 IP), started the game for the Rainiers and saw his first action of the year, after coming off the Tacoma IL: 2.0 IP, ER, 0 BB, 3 K.

The Rainiers went in front in the third, when Steven Souza (3-for-6) doubled with one out, and Kyle Lewis (DH) poked an opposite field two-run homer to right. In three games played during his MLB rehab assignment, Lewis has four hits, two homers and five RBI. But once again the Bees tied it in the bottom of the inning. In a three-hit frame, Michael Stefanic (triple) and Angels top prospect Jo Adell (double) had consecutive two-out RBI knocks for extra bases.

Tied 3-3 in the fourth, the sides once again traded equal runs. Green and Erick Mejia (2-for-5, BB) led off the inning with singles, and Forrest Wall (2-for-5) drove in a run with Tacoma’s third hit of the inning. It was 4-4 after four when a Kean Wong triple to the right field wall scored David MacKinnon after a walk.

Janson Junk, a Federal Way, WA native started and pitched four innings for Salt Lake: 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Tacoma un-tied the game for a fourth time in the sixth inning with four runs on five hits, four of which were for extra bases. Green’s third hit was a leadoff double, followed by a one-out Mason McCoy double (RBI). McCoy came home on Wall’s second run-scoring single, and Wall scored with two out on Souza’s second double. It was 8-4 Rainiers when Donnie Walton (3-for-6, 3 XBH) tripled into the right field corner. It was Walton’s second triple, and Green’s second three-hit game of the season. McCoy extended a season-long hit streak to seven games, and his on-base streak to 13 games (has hit safely in 12).

Salt Lake surged 9-8 ahead with a five-run seventh: Luis Rengifo hit a grand slam – the Bees’ first of the season – which was followed by an Adell solo shot.

Walton’s first homer of the season tied it 9-9 in the ninth: A monstrous solo shot pulled to right field to lead off the inning, which traveled an estimated 406 feet. In the 10th each club held serve (automatic runner begins half-inning on second base): Souza drilled a three-run opposite field homer (3), and Salt Lake tied the game yet again with a Thaiss RBI groundout, and a Brendon Davis two-run homer. The Bees won it in the 11th when their auto-runner crossed the plate on a throwing error.

The series finale will be on Sunday, a 12:05 Pacific first pitch at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (2-1, 5.09) is Tacoma’s scheduled starter, opposite Salt Lake RHP Davis Daniel (0-0, 3.79).

Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2022 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 a MiLB.TV subscription.

About the Tacoma Rainiers

The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Pacific Coast League and have been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.

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.