September 19 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Round Rock Express

September 19, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

TACOMA RAINIERS (79-67) vs. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (70-74)

Thursday, September 19 – 7:05 PM – Cheney Stadium – Tacoma, WA

RHP Michael Mariot (9-7, 5.94) vs. RHP Peter Solomon (6-4, 6.27)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Rainiers and Express will play game three of their six-game series tonight, with the series even at one game apiece. Tacoma will send Michael Mariot to the mound, set to make his 25th and final start of the year for the Rainiers. Mariot is 9-7 with a 5.94 ERA through 27 games, allowing 81 earned runs on 130 hits including 21 home runs. He has walked just 32 batters compared to 98 strikeouts in 122.2 innings pitched, set to face Round Rock for the second time this year. Opposite Mariot will be Peter Solomon toeing the rubber for the Express, entering tonight’s game with a 6-4 record and a 6.27 ERA. He has allowed 49 earned runs on 71 hits and 37 walks while striking out 66 batters in 70.1 innings, set to make his 11th start in his 22nd game of the year for Round Rock. Solomon faced the Rainiers once this season out of relief, walking two and striking out two in 2.0 innings back on June 15.

NOT TO BE: With their loss last night, Tacoma was eliminated from playoff contention. Reno also won their contest, pushing the Rainiers 5.5 games behind them in the second half with just four games left. With Las Vegas’ extra-inning defeat, the Aces punched their ticket to the Pacific Coast League playoffs, winning the second half. They will go on to face the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, winners of the first half, in a best-of-three series. Tacoma was six games behind the Space Cowboys for the first half playoff spot and are now 5.5 games out for the second half, entering play tonight with the second-best record overall but not good enough to earn a playoff bid.

SLOW THEM DOWN: Round Rock has come into this series and absolutely lit up the scoreboard, following 12 runs on Tuesday with 14 runs in last night’s game. Tacoma did enough to win the opener, scoring 14 runs of their own, but needs to slow down the Express if they expect to stay in this series. Round Rock has now scored 26 runs on 38 hits through the first two games, combining for nine doubles and five home runs over that stretch. Tacoma’s team ERA has gone from 5.11 to 5.16, rising in the month of September from 4.94 to 5.45 entering play tonight.

NEED SOME DEPTH: Tacoma’s starting pitchers have gone just 3.1 and 3.2 innings through the first…