Rainiers Take Slugfest Over Aviators

TACOMA, WA – The Tacoma Rainiers (25-21) tied their season high with 14 runs to beat the Las Vegas Aviators (23-23) by a score of 14-10, Wednesday at Cheney Stadium.

Las Vegas started the scoring early, getting three runs in the first inning on a solo home run from Lawrence Butler and a two-run blast from Daz Cameron. That was just the beginning of the scoring, as both teams got hot.

Tacoma answered with a six-run third inning highlighted by singles from Brian Anderson, Jason Vosler and Michael Chavis. They added two more in the fourth on a groundout from Jake Slaughter and another single from Vosler.

Up 8-3, the Aviators stormed back with their own six-run inning in the fifth to go up 9-8. They used three home runs including a grand slam from Drew Lugbauer to score their runs. The Rainiers didn’t trail for long, as they answered with a five-run fifth inning to regain the lead.

The five-run frame was highlighted by a bases loaded double from Brian Anderson that brought in three runs. The scoring slowed down there, as both teams scored a run in the eighth to make it 14-10, where it would stay.

Brett de Geus recorded the final three outs of the game to give Tacoma a 1-0 series lead over the Aviators.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Tacoma allowed five home runs to Las Vegas tonight, one shy of their season-high six allowed last week against Salt Lake.
• The Rainiers had scored six runs in a single inning twice this year coming into play tonight. They scored six in the third and five in the fifth in tonight’s contest.
• Samad Taylor stole home for Tacoma’s sixth run of the third inning. He is the first Rainiers’ player since Charles Gipson on June 4, 2000, at Edmonton to steal home.

Tacoma and Las Vegas will continue their series with games two and three in a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:30, with game two starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.milb.com/tacoma.