Rainiers Fall Short on Friday in 4-3 Loss to Comets

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 18, 2025) - The Tacoma Rainiers (9-10) fall 4-3 to the Oklahoma City Comets (11-8) in game four of the series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. With the loss, the series is now split at two apiece.

The Comets struck first in the bottom of the second inning after an RBI single from Ryan Ward drove in Dalton Rushing who reached on a leadoff double.

Tacoma tied it in the top of the third inning. Tacoma notched three singles off the starter in Matt Sauer to propel the offense. Back-to-back singles from Rhylan Thomas and Harry Ford put two on before a single to left from Coley Young scored Thomas.

Dalton Rushing put OKC on top again in the bottom of the inning. Alex Freeland worked a one-out walk then advanced to third on a stolen base and an error charged to Ford. Freeland scored on a sacrifice fly from Rushing to extend a one-run lead. Another sacrifice fly, this time from Hunter Feduccia in the bottom of the fourth, scored the third run for the Comets.

Austin Kitchen and Josh Fleming combined for 4.0 scoreless innings in relief. Kitchen tossed 2.0 perfect with a strikeout before giving the ball over to Fleming who fired 2.0 scoreless allowing one hit while striking out two. Tacoma’s bullpen did not issue a walk today.

Tacoma cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth when they loaded the bases. A leadoff single from Jack Thomas along with walks from Ford and Young loaded the bases to allow Austin Shenton to work a walk and bring home Lopez. Lopez came through in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game again. Another bases-loaded situation occurred when Shenton singled to leadoff followed by walks from Spencer Packard and Nick Dunn. Lopez hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Shenton and knot it up at three.

The difference for the Comets came in the bottom of the eighth. A one-out double from Michael Chavis set the stage for an RBI single from Ryan Ward and OKC took game four, 4-3.

Postgame Notes:

• Cole Young extended his 15-game on-base streak today after collecting a single and two walks…his 15-game streak is the longest of any streak for a Tacoma batter this season.
• Rhylan Thomas extended a 12-game on-base streak after a walk in the first. He also extended a seven-game hit streak with a pair of singles. Over the last seven games, Thomas is hitting .500 (13x26) with a homer, four RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases…his seven-game hit streak breaks the tie he shared with Ben Williamson for the longest hitting streak this season heading into today.
• Harry Ford is now riding a six-game streak where he has worked a walk after another today. In the six straight games, he has worked a total of eight…it is the longest active streak of its kind in the PCL.