Home Run Jose powers Rainiers to 6-4 win at Sugar Land

Sugar Land, TX (7/12/21) – Tacoma Rainiers (31-26) first baseman Jose Marmolejos homered in three consecutive at-bats dating to Sunday (8 RBI), driving the visitors to a 6-4 win over the homestanding Sugar Land Skeeters (33-25) on Monday evening at Constellation Field. Marmolejos (3-for-4) achieved the second five-RBI game for the Rainiers this season, and the sixth multi-homer game for the club.

The lefty swinger staked Tacoma to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, extending his team lead in homers with number 11. A Luis Liberato leadoff double and a Jake Hager walk set the table. In the third Marmolejos went yard a second time, following a Dillon Thomas single. All three #Marmo homers in Sugar Land have been yanked to right field, beginning with his three-run shot in the seventh inning of game one of Sunday’s doubleheader. His 12 homers now lead the Rainiers by three, and it was already his third two-homer game of the year (June 1 at Reno and June 28 at Albuquerque).

Following the Marmolejos blast in the third, Wyatt Mathisen drilled his first homer with Tacoma a spot later in the order, marking the third time the Rainiers have gone back-to-back in 2021.

The long ball barrage provided more than enough support for Tacoma starter Logan Verrett, who did not allow a run until the seventh, and ended up scattering seven hits over 7.2 IP. The righty struck out six, walking two for a winning decision (4-2). All told the Rainiers touched up Skeeters southpaw Ryan Hartman (2-3) for eight hits and six earned runs including the three homers; Hartman walked three and struck out three over five innings.

J.J. Matijevic hit his fourth homer (2-R) in the seventh and Miguelangel Sierra (solo) hit his fourth as well an inning later, to spoil the shutout and pull Sugar Land within three runs. The Tacoma lead was down to two after a Jake Meyers double and a C.J. Hinojosa RBI single in the eighth; all four Skeeter runs were earned off Verrett.

The drama subsided in the ninth however, as Justin Grimm converted a four-out save. He stranded two runners with a strikeout to end the eighth, and struck out two more to end the game.

Tacoma will next be in action on Tuesday at 5:05 PT / 7:05 CT, in search of a winning road trip in their sixth and final game in suburban Houston. Lefty David Huff is scheduled to start for the visitors, opposite right-hander Hector Velazquez for the Skeeters.

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

Single-game tickets for all remaining 2021 Rainiers home games are now available. Questions regarding season tickets can be directed to [email protected].

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.