Rainiers fall 5-4 in extra-inning classic Sunday night at Salt Lake

Salt Lake City, UT (7/24/22) – The Tacoma Rainiers (39-53) slipped to 5-7 in extra innings on Sunday, losing a 5-4 thriller to the Salt Lake Bees (44-49) to drop the three-game series after taking the opener on Friday. The 12-inning game was the second for Tacoma of 2022; they outlasted Salt Lake 6-5 in 12 on June 29 at Cheney Stadium (Erick Mejia walk-off sac fly).

The Bees took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, when David MacKinnon lifted his 14th Triple-A home run of the year to left field with two out. The game was tied in the fifth, with the aid of two Salt Lake errors. Marcus Wilson (one-out walk) scored on a sprint from first base on a Joe Odom single to right field a batter later (E9, no RBI).

Salt Lake starter Touki Toussaint was on a roughly 60-pitch limit, and threw four and a third innings. He allowed only one hit and walked two, with three strikeouts. The run against him was unearned, and 38 of his 60 pitches were strikes.

Tacoma took a 2-1 lead in the sixth after Alex Blandino led off with a walk and moved two bases on a Jarred Kelenic single. When Drew Ellis doubled to the opposite field in right with one away, Blandino trotted home from third.

Rainiers RHP Darren McCaughan spun a quality start for a third consecutive outing. He scattered six hits and a walk over six complete innings, striking out four. The run he allowed was earned on the solo homer.

In the ninth, Tacoma added a crucial insurance run when Kevin Padlo led off with a walk, later scoring on a Zach Green RBI single to center. In the home ninth, a two-run blast to left by Jake Gatewood (9th HR) tied the game 3-3, after Monte Harrison led off with a double.

With great to spectacular defense on each side, both clubs held serve in the 10th and 11th, stranding the auto runner under the tie-breaker rule. This included a diving catch by Wilson for the second out in the bottom of the 11th, before he prolonged the game with a strike home to cut down the potential winning run.

In the 12th however, Mason McCoy’s double to the wall in right which scored Odom (auto runner) would not hold up. With the bases loaded and one out in the home half, Kean Wong dumped a double into centerfield, scoring a pair to walk it off for the Bees.

After an off day Monday, the Rainiers will return to action by beginning a six-game homestand against El Paso on Tuesday, a 12:05 p.m. first pitch at Cheney Stadium. LHP Austin Warner is scheduled to start for Tacoma.

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 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.