Taylor Blasts Two Home Runs, Including Walk-off Winner, in 10-9 Rainiers Victory

TACOMA, WA (April 12, 2025) — Samad Taylor clubbed a pair of home runs, including a walk-off blast in the ninth, to give the Tacoma Rainiers (6-8) a 10-9 victory over the Sacramento River Cats (8-6), snapping their six-game losing streak in front of a crowd of 4,141 on Saturday night at Cheney Stadium.

The Rainiers scored the game’s first run in the second inning. Tyler Locklear hit a one-out double, followed by a Spencer Packard single, putting runners at the corners. Samad Taylor drove in the first run on a single to left field, giving the Rainiers a 1-0 lead.

Sacramento responded in the top of the third with an RBI double from Marco Luciano to tie the game at one. That would be the only run that Rainiers’ starter Emerson Hancock would allow, as he struck out seven over 4.1 innings.

Tacoma put up a five-spot in the bottom of the third. Cole Young and Ben Williamson both singled to lead off the inning. Austin Shenton reached on a fielder’s choice after the throw to second base went off of Williamson’s back, allowing Young to score. Packard collected his second hit with a single to score Williamson before Taylor cleared the bases with a three-run homer, his third of the season, to give Tacoma a 6-1 lead.

With the bases-loaded in the fifth, Rhylan Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in the seventh run of the day and extend the lead at 7-1.

In the seventh, Sacramento scored five runs to bring the game within one. Logan Porter walked to start the frame, followed by a Hunter Bishop single. After Shintaro Fujinami struck out a batter, Sergio Alcántara singled in a run. Rodney McCray walked to load the bases for Marco Luciano who drew a walk to force in another run, making it 6-3. David Villar hit a sacrifice fly to right field, making it 6-4. Then, Jake Lamb and Max Stassi each singled to drive in runs to cut the Rainiers’ lead to 7-6.

The bottom of the order came through for Tacoma in the seventh. Thomas came up with the bases loaded again, hitting a two-run single to right field to pad the lead at 9-6.

The River Cats rallied again in the eighth, plating three runs. Bishop was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one out, Alcántara walked setting up Luciano for a game-tying, three-run home run to right field, leveling the score at 9-9.

In the ninth inning, Will Klein entered to face the heart of the River Cats’ order. He retired three of the four batters he faced, walking one.

In the bottom of the ninth, Taylor clubbed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall, connecting on his second homer of the night to give the Rainiers their second walk-off win of the season, beating Sacramento 10-9.

Postgame Notes:

• Samad Taylor collected his sixth multi-homer game of his career, and the first since August 31, 2024 at El Paso. Taylor is the first Rainier to have a multi-homer game, including a walk-off home run since Marcus Wilson on May 13, 2022 against Reno, when he went 2-for-5 with two long balls.
• The Rainiers picked up their second walk-off win of the season on Saturday. Two of their four wins at home have come via walk-off (March 30 vs. Round Rock - Austin Shenton three-run, walk-off home run. The Rainiers join the Round Rock Express as the only PCL teams with multiple walk-off wins this season.
• Emerson Hancock allowed one run on four hits in 4.1 innings, striking out seven. The seven strikeouts tie Logan Evans (April 9) for the most by a Rainiers’ pitcher this season.