Long Ball Sinks Rainiers

TACOMA, WA – The Tacoma Rainiers (39-31) had their four-game winning streak snapped, dropping the opener to the Las Vegas Aviators (36-34) by a score of 8-4, Tuesday at Cheney Stadium.

For the fifth straight game, Tacoma scored first, getting four runs in the third inning. Samad Taylor got the scoring started with a solo home run followed by a two-run blast from Michael Perez.

An RBI single from Luis Urias made it 4-0, where it would stay until the fifth, when Las Vegas got on the board. After a hit batter and a walk, the Aviators got a two-run double from Nick Allen and an RBI single from Armando Alvarez to make it 4-3.

They weren’t done there, as they scored in each of the next three innings as well. Drew Lugbauer hit a solo home run in the sixth to tie the game, while home runs from Alvarez and Ryan Noda made it 7-4 after seven.

Yohel Pozo connected with a fourth home run for Las Vegas in the eighth, giving them an 8-4 lead over the Rainiers. Tacoma got two on with no outs in the eighth and loaded the bases with just one out in the ninth, but couldn’t push anything across.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Collin Snider allowed three earned runs on two hits (both home runs) and a walk, striking out all three batters he retired. Entering play tonight, Snider had allowed just four combined earned runs through his first 14 games with Tacoma.
• In his first game on Major League rehab with Tacoma, Jorge Polanco went 1-for-3 with a run scored, a double and a walk.
• After combining for nine of Tacoma’s 20 hits on Sunday in Round Rock, Jason Vosler and Spencer Packard went 0-for-7 with a walk and a strikeout tonight.

Tacoma and Las Vegas will play game two of their six-game series tomorrow night, with first pitch from Cheney Stadium set for 6:05 pm. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.milb.com/tacoma.