Tacoma Beats Sacramento 3-0 for First Shutout Victory of 2025

TACOMA, WA (May 7, 2025) - The Tacoma Rainiers (12-23) snapped their nine-game losing streak with their first shutout victory of the season, topping the Sacramento River Cats (17-18) by a score of 3-0.

Sauryn Lao started the game for the Rainiers and allowed just three hits over 2.1 scoreless innings. He also tied his career-high with five strikeouts, matching his five punchouts from May 30, 2023. Josh Fleming took over in the third inning and threw 1.2 innings, striking out a pair. Fleming did not issue a walk, extending a streak of nine outings without issuing a free pass.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Tacoma got on the board. Colin Davis led off the frame by hitting his second home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Rainiers a 1-0 lead. After a ground out from Jack Lopez and a strikeout from Samad Taylor, Cole Young hit his second home run of the season to right field to bring the Tacoma lead to 2-0.

Matt Cronin took over for Tacoma in the fifth inning, firing 2.0 scoreless frames, retiring all six batters he faced in order. Cronin’s effort earned him the win, his first of the season. Hagen Danner took over in the seventh, striking out two. He set up Michael Mariot, who came in for the eighth and also struck out two.

Tacoma added to their lead in the eighth. Cole Young led off the inning with a double, his third hit of the game. Harry Ford would follow with a walk, and after Tyler Locklear struck out, Dominic Canzone laced a ball to left field which became lodged in the base of the left field wall, ruled a ground-rule double. Young scored on the play, and Ford advanced to third, following which Blake Hunt would ground out to second base with the runners staying put. Spencer Packard walked to load the bases, but Colin Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning with the score at 3-0.

Troy Taylor came in for the ninth inning and recorded his first save of the season, striking out Logan Porter in the process. Six Tacoma pitchers combined for their first shutout this season, recording 14 strikeouts along the way.

Postgame Notes:

• Today’s victory marks Tacoma's first shutout of the season. Their last one came on September 21, 2024, beating Round Rock 8-0.

• Tacoma’s pitchers set down 14 River Cats on strikes tonight, which is their second most as a staff in a game this season, trailing only their 15 strikeouts on April 23 against Sugar Land.

• Cole Young extended his multi-hit game streak to four straight games with three hits tonight, which is the longest multi-hit game streak for a Rainier this season and the longest for Tacoma since Jason Vosler recorded multiple hits in four-straight games from April 14-18, 2024

• Sauryn Lao tied his career-high with five strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings in his start today. The first time he struck out five batters in an outing was on May 30, 2023 while pitching for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

• Harry Ford extended his on-base streak to 19 games today, reaching base in all four plate appearances with two singles and two walks. His streak is now the longest active on-base streak in the PCL.

• Dominic Canzone extended his hitting streak to seven games, and his extra-base hit streak to three games, which is tied for the second longest active streak in the PCL.