September 1 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers @ El Paso Chihuahuas

TACOMA RAINIERS (73-58) @ EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS (51-80)
Sunday, September 1 • 11:05 AM PT • Southwest University Park • El Paso, TX
RHP Michael Mariot (8-6, 5.93) vs. LHP Omar Cruz (1-2, 2.23)

TODAY’S GAME: Tacoma and El Paso are set to play the series finale of their six-game series and the last meeting between the two teams this season. It will be a rematch of game one of the series, as Michael Mariot will toe the rubber for the Rainiers. Mariot allowed seven earned runs on six hits and two walks over just 2.2 innings suffering the loss in the series opener, bringing him into the finale today with an 8-6 record and a 5.93 ERA. He has allowed 71 earned runs on 111 hits and 28 walks, striking out 89 batters in his 107.2 innings this year for Tacoma. Opposite Mariot will be Omar Cruz getting the nod for El Paso, set to make his second consecutive start and fourth of the year for the Chihuahuas. Cruz is 1-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 10 games this year, allowing just eight earned runs on 19 hits and 15 walks while striking out 40 batters in his 32.1 innings. In the opener Tuesday night, the southpaw allowed an unearned run on three hits and four walks while striking out two batters in his 2.2 innings.

IN A GROOVE: After going hitless in his first game since being optioned to Tacoma, Dominic Canzone has gotten back to his hitting ways in his last two games. He went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Friday’s suspended game. He followed that with a 1-for-3 game with a walk and a strikeout in last night’s regularly scheduled contest. Canzone now has a hit in 11 of his 12 games with Tacoma (first nine on MLR), hitting .364 (16-for-44) to lead the team. He has three doubles and three home runs, driving in eight runs with five walks compared to six strikeouts.

A MONTH TO REMEMBER: Tacoma’s win last night gave them 16 in the month of August, their winningest month of the year. They had 15 victories in both April (15-10) and June (15-11) and were stuck on that number for the last week of August, getting to 16 in the final game of the month. They went 16-11 overall, slashing .271 / .346 / .462 while pitching to an ERA of 5.86, walking 94 and striking out 209. It was their highest ERA for any month this year but also their most strikeouts.

ONE TOO MANY: Emerson Hancock was going for the complete game last night but allowed a leadoff home run to start the seventh inning. He walked the next batter, putting the tying run at the plate and ending his outing. The solo home run was the fourth earned run Hancock allowed, disqualifying him for his fourth consecutive quality start. Chris Devenski came in and recorded the final three outs to earn a save, giving Hancock his sixth win of the season and Tacoma their first of the series.

TWO TIMES FOR TAYLOR: Samad Taylor both led off the game and ended the game with a home run last night, giving Tacoma just enough offense for their first victory against the Chihuahuas. His lead off home run to start the game was Tacoma’s sixth lead off home run of the season and first since the first of the month began. Ryan Bliss hit a leadoff blast against Salt Lake back on Aug. 1, his third of the year for Tacoma and former Rainier Jonatan Clase holds the other two. Taylor’s go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh gave Tacoma seven two-run home runs this year, including three now against the Chihuahuas. Nick Solak (April 27) and Blake Hunt (April 28) hit two home runs in a single game in back-to-back contests against El Paso earlier this year.

BEAT AT THEIR OWN GAME: Tacoma lost Friday’s suspended game by a score of 7-5 in the continuation last night. El Paso stole nine total bases in their win, beating the Rainiers at what they’ve done best all year. Nine stolen bases was the most allowed by Tacoma all season, previously it was five done twice, most recently on June 11 at Round Rock. Jose Azocar led the way with four on his own, stealing second base three times and third base once. Two other players had two swiped bags and Eguy Rosario had one. The Chihuahuas have the second-most stolen bases as a team in the PCL this year with 177, 73 behind Tacoma in the top-spot.

SALVAGE THE SERIES: Thanks to two home runs from Samad Taylor in last night’s game, the Rainiers earned a win to end their season-long six-game losing streak. It was their first win since Aug. 23 against Sacramento and gave them a chance to at least earn two victories before returning home next week with a victory in the finale today.

AGAINST EL PASO: Tacoma and El Paso will play the sixth and final game of their series today as well as the last of 12 games between the two teams this year. With their win last night, Tacoma ended a four-game losing streak to El Paso, closing within one game in the season series, at 5-6 entering today’s game. Their win put them one ahead of the Chihuahuas all-time, at 69-68.

SHORT HOPS: Chris Devenski closed out Tacoma’s first win since Aug. 23 last night, earning his second save of the year with the Rainiers; his scoreless seventh inning lowered his ERA to 1.72, the lowest on Tacoma’s active roster…despite going 2-8 in their last 10 games, Tacoma is still in the running for the second half Pacific Coast League championship, entering play today 2.5 games behind Reno; they are one game up on both Oklahoma City and Salt Lake.