Rainiers Come Up A Run Short In 35-Run Extravaganza

April 27, 2023 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release

Las Vegas, NV – A pair of mammoth home runs were wasted in an 18-17 loss for the Tacoma Rainiers (13-9) to the Las Vegas Aviators (10-13) on Wednesday night. Tacoma’s second four-game win streak of the season was snapped; the Aviators rallied from an 11-3 deficit in the fourth inning to stun the visiting Rainiers. Tacoma has had a season-high 16 hits in consecutive games to open this series; Las Vegas had 23 hits on Wednesday. 17 Rainiers runs were three more than the 14 they scored in an opening day win (3/31) at Oklahoma City.

Jake Scheiner pulverized a 457-foot homer to straight centerfield to lead off the top of the second inning (106.7 EV), the first run of the ballgame. The Rainiers have scored first in 16 of their 22 games. In the fourth, Zach DeLoach destroyed a ball to left field that traveled 432 feet with two men on (105.8 EV).

Scheiner then equaled Brian O’Keefe for the club lead in homers (8) with his second of the night in the seventh inning, a two-run opposite field shot to right for his season-best fourth and fifth RBI. O’Keefe also went yard twice in Tuesday’s series-opening win. Scheiner made it 6 RBI in the ninth with a double, his fourth hit.

In only his eighth game since returning from an oblique injury suffered during spring training, Cade Marlowe continued his tear for the Rainiers. Wednesday was already his second three-hit game of 2023 (his night ended with four knocks), in a four-RBI effort. He’s tripled three times in eight games (four doubles), including in each of the first two games of this trip. Marlowe’s first homer of the season traveled over the right-center wall in the fifth with one on, which supplemented two earlier RBI on a fielder’s choice and single.

Scheiner and Marlowe joined O’Keefe and Mike Ford as Rainiers with a four-hit game in 2023. Five Rainiers had multiple hits on Wednesday. Scheiner became the first to score four runs in a game for Tacoma this season.

Rehabbing catcher Manny Pina (RBI double, 3rd inn.), JJ Bleday (2-run HR, 4th inn.), Yohel Pozo (RBI double, 6th inn. & 3-run HR, 7th inn.) and Max Schuemann (3-run double, 7th inn.) had extra-base hits to score runs for Las Vegas.

Trailing 15-8 entering the home seventh, the Aviators sent 15 batters to the plate, and scored 10 times. There were eight hits (and Pozo’s 3-run HR), three walks and an error. Seven men batted after there were two out, overshadowing Tacoma’s 11-batter,…