Rainiers rip 8 extra-base hits (3 HR, 2 3B) in 13-11 win at Salt Lake

Salt Lake City, UT (5/3/22) – On a night that the Tacoma Rainiers (8-17) counted season-highs of 13 runs and eight extra-base hits, the visiting side lost an early 7-0 lead but outlasted the Salt Lake Bees (12-13) by a 13-11 final score to secure the series opener. The Rainiers improved to 3-4 on this 12-game road trip, equaling a 2022-high with 16 total hits. All but two innings (7th & 8th) were scored in.

In the first at-bat of his MLB rehab assignment, Kyle Lewis (DH) pulled a 464-foot homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch with two out in the top of the first, the longest-traveling ball of the night. It was also Lewis’s first career Triple-A at-bat (made his MLB debut from Double-A in Sept. 2019), and he became the first player to homer in his first at-bat with Tacoma since Jaycob Brugman, on June 1, 2019 at El Paso.

Leading 1-0 in the second, the Rainiers added another when Steven Souza (2-for-4) led off with a single to right, and scored with one out on an Erick Mejia (3-for-5) RBI double to left. In the third, Tacoma enjoyed their third inning of five or more runs scored this season, and their third instance of back-to-back homers. Sam Haggerty singled and Donnie Walton walked, before Lewis (3-for-5) notched his second hit with an RBI single up the middle. Cal Raleigh (2-for-5) followed with a three-run homer to left, his first with the Rainiers after being optioned on Thursday. Souza drilled a solo shot a batter later (2), as Tacoma scored five times in the frame before making an out, hanging on to a 7-6 lead after three.

Salt Lake batted 11 times (six runs) in a marathon third inning, which included run-scoring hits by Chad Wallach, Monte Harrison (2 RBI) and Magneuris Sierra (2-for-5). The Bees took the lead in the fourth after consecutive knocks by Brendon Davis (double) and 2021 Rainier Dillon Thomas (RBI single). It was an 8-7 Salt Lake advantage when Thomas (3-for-5) eventually scored on a Kean Wong (3-for-6) RBI groundout.

The Rainiers took the lead back with three runs in the fifth, before the Bees held serve and scored three of their own in the home half. Raleigh singled, followed by consecutive RBI triples off the right field wall by Zach Green (2-for-5) and Mejia, each narrowly missing a home run. Green extended his club season-long hit streak to eight games; Mejia then scored Tacoma’s 10th run when Marcus Wilson doubled to center. Salt Lake batted eight more times in the home fifth; a leadoff walk and a hit batter set up RBI singles by Thomas, David MacKinnon (3-for-4) and Wong to make it 11-10.

In the sixth Lewis re-tied the game 11-11, on his third hit and second run-scoring single to center, after Walton ripped a one-out double to right. With the same score in the ninth, Billy Hamilton delivered the game-winning knock, a two-run single roped to left field with two out. Souza (walk) and Mejia (single) both scored.

All nine Rainiers batters had a hit; five had multiple hits.

A Tacoma bullpen trio of right-handers Konner Wade (1.0 IP), Riley O’Brien (2.0 IP, win) and Patrick Weigel (1.0 IP, save) stemmed the offensive tide in the game’s latter half, all working scoreless outings. The save was Weigel’s first of the season, and his first since May 20 of last year for Triple-A Nashville vs. Gwinnett.

The second game of the series on Wednesday will also be a 5:35 PT first pitch at Smith’s Ballpark. RHP Darren McCaughan is slated to start for Tacoma, against Salt Lake southpaw Jake Kalish.

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.