Six (homers) in Sin City: Rainiers roll by Las Vegas 19-9 in series finale

Las Vegas, NV (9/18/22) – Erick Mejia’s first inning grand slam set the tone on Sunday afternoon, and the Tacoma Rainiers (68-73) accumulated season-highs in runs, home runs (six) and equaled a season-high with 11 extra-base hits (five doubles). It all added up to a 19-9 victory over the Las Vegas Aviators (69-72), as the Rainiers wrapped a 12-game road trip with an 8-4 record. Tacoma has won four consecutive six-game series on the road (all 4-2), dating to August 2 (at Sacramento, Salt Lake, Oklahoma City and Las Vegas).

With 20 hits, Tacoma fell one shy of their season-best, 21 at Reno on July 7, which had marked their previous highs in runs and homers (five) during a 16-9 win. The Rainiers first collected 11 extra-base hits this season on June 22 at Sugar Land, amidst a 13-7 win.

Mejia’s grand slam was the fourth this season for Tacoma. When Drew Ellis and Derek Hill launched consecutive solo shots in the sixth, it was the ninth time this season the Rainiers went back-to-back, and they’ve done so in two straight games (Mejia and Jonathan Villar during Saturday’s 12-11 win). When Kyle Lewis also homered in the sixth, three batters in four had gone deep.

Ellis homered twice on Sunday, and Lewis (4 RBI) added two doubles. Eight of nine Tacoma batters had a hit, and seven had multiple hits; Cade Marlowe (double, 3 RBI), Mason McCoy (2-R HR) and Mejia (game-high 5 RBI) each joined Ellis and Lewis with three hits apiece. Six Tacoma hitters drove in multiple runs.

Hill was on base four times with a double and two walks to go with his homer, and achieved the first four-run game of 2022 for the Rainiers. Jarred Kelenic (double, 2 RBI, 2 R) hit safely in all 11 games he played on the trip, his current streak now two shy of his longest this season (13 games, May 24-June 8). Kelenic joined Hill, Marlowe (3 R), Lewis (3 R), McCoy (2 R) and Ellis (3 R) with multiple runs scored Sunday.

Tacoma native Nate Mondou (double, 2 RBI) along with Luis Barrera (2-R HR) and William Simoneit (3 H, double, 2 RBI) each drove in multiple runs for Las Vegas.

12 total pitchers were used on what amounted to a bullpen day for each side. Lefties Kyle Bird and Fernando Abad each worked a scoreless frame for Tacoma, RHP Phillips Valdez tossed 2.0 perfect IP to end the game.

Nine games remain in the 2022 Tacoma Rainiers season. They’ll begin their final homestand, six games against the Round Rock Express, with a 6:05 p.m. PT first pitch on Tuesday at Cheney Stadium. The team is off on Monday.

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.