Rainiers crush season-high five homers, squish Bees

Tacoma, WA (7/19/21) – The Salt Lake Bees (32-33) and Tacoma Rainiers (34-30) combined for six home runs on Monday night at Cheney Stadium. The home side hit the last five, and the first eight Rainiers runs came via the long ball in a 12-2 victory.

In the first game of a Major League rehab assignment with the Bees, Angels outfielder and 13-season big leaguer Justin Upton drilled the first pitch of the game for a homer to left field.

The Tacoma bats awoke in the fifth inning, when Alen Hanson and Jack Reinheimer led off with consecutive singles. Kennie Taylor followed and lifted his first career Triple-A home run out to left, putting the Rainiers ahead 3-1. Later in the inning with two out, it was Brian O’Keefe’s turn to smash his first Triple-A homer, a two-run job that followed a Jose Marmolejos single. Marmolejos has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.

It didn’t take Tacoma starter Logan Verrett long to settle down after Upton’s blast. The right-hander spun a quality start by scattering only four hits and a walk over six innings, striking out seven. O’Keefe’s homer knocked out Salt Lake starter Packy Naughton after 4.2 IP (8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K).

The home run barrage continued in the seventh, when Jake Hager hit his fifth, for two runs (Luis Liberato walk). With two out in the frame, Jantzen Witte hit his seventh, an opposite field solo shot for an 8-1 Rainiers lead. Taylor put an exclamation point on his evening with a bases loaded, two-run single later in the inning to make it 10-1. Taylor’s five RBI equaled Marmolejos and Taylor Trammell for Tacoma’s individual game-high in 2021.

Angels top prospect Jo Adell drove in the Bees’ final tally, with an RBI groundout in the eighth. In the home half of the inning, Mamolejos obliterated his club-leading 16th homer to left, for two more runs after a Hager single. For Marmolejos, who was named Triple-A West Player of The Week for July 12-18 on Monday, it was his seventh homer in nine games.

The Rainiers will next be in action on Tuesday, in the series finale against the Bees. RHP Ryan Weber will make his Tacoma season-debut, against RHP Jaime Barria for Salt Lake.

Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2021 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 an MiLB.TV subscription. (Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.

About the Tacoma Rainiers

The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of Triple-A West. Tacoma has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.

Single-game tickets for all remaining 2021 Rainiers home games are now available. Questions regarding season tickets can be directed to [email protected].

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.