La Familia stop skid with big night at the plate
Tacoma, WA (5/27/23) – The Tacoma Rainiers (24-26) scored in each of the first four innings and Tacoma pitching locked down the rest of the game to beat the Las Vegas Aviators (23-27), 11-3 on Saturday at Cheney Stadium. The win guarantees Tacoma a series split at worst, with the
Tacoma, WA (5/27/23) – The Tacoma Rainiers (24-26) scored in each of the first four innings and Tacoma pitching locked down the rest of the game to beat the Las Vegas Aviators (23-27), 11-3 on Saturday at Cheney Stadium. The win guarantees Tacoma a series split at worst, with the chance to win it outright on Sunday. Tacoma improved to 3-0 this season in their "La Familia de Tacoma" uniform set (Copa de la Diversion).
The Rainiers got off to another hot start against Las Vegas in the first inning, and scored in the first frame for a third straight game. Brian O’Keefe hit a two-run homer, his 10th of the season, to bring Zach DeLoach (BB) around to score and give the Rainiers a 2-0 lead. Tacoma has now hit a homer in three straight, making short memory of a two-game homerless streak at the beginning of this series.
Tacoma did not stop there, adding eight runs between the second and fourth innings off of six hits, two of which were multi-run homers (Pat Valaika and Jake Scheiner). This extended the lead to 10-1. Valaika’s two-run shot in the third was his first with the Rainiers, Scheiner’s was with two on base in the fourth.
Scheiner (15) regained sole possession of second place in the PCL home run standings with his fourth inning blast, after Salt Lake’s Trey Cabbage tied the Tacoma third baseman earlier on Saturday. The homer was one of three hits on the night for Scheiner, who is riding a season-best six-game hit streak.
Two of Scheiner’s hits came with two out, a trend for the Rainiers in the game. Tacoma scored eight of its 11 runs with two down. The Tacoma bats have been particularly potent with two outs during the past four games, recording 18 RBI in such situations.
DeLoach did not let Scheiner have all the fun, getting a single in the eighth inning to extend his own hitting streak to 14 games. The right fielder passed Jarred Kelenic for the longest Tacoma hit streak since the start of 2022. DeLoach is now looking towards Cal Raleigh’s 23-game hit streak in 2021, which was three hits shy of the Tacoma franchise record.
Jose Rodriguez had an efficient start for the Rainiers, working four innings of one-run ball while only throwing 50 pitches. Going back to Friday night’s game, Tacoma pitching has a 2.45 ERA across 11 innings.
The Rainiers are nearing the end of the first series in a 12-game homestand at Cheney Stadium. Game six will be on Sunday against Las Vegas, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Tacoma’s starting pitcher will be RHP Marcus Walden. RHP Colton Eastman is scheduled to start for the Aviators.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2023 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 by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.