Rainiers Beat Express Thanks to Nine-Run First Inning

TACOMA, Wash. – The Round Rock Express (41-29 | 85-59) dropped the series opener to the Tacoma Rainiers (39-31 | 76-69) by a final score of 15-9 on Tuesday night at Cheney Stadium. Round Rock continues to hold a 1.0-game lead in the Pacific Coast League second half standings after Reno took down Las Vegas tonight.

Express reliever RHP Fer Ozuna (4-3, 5.29) earned the loss after allowing six runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in 0.1 innings. Rainiers starter RHP Adam Oller (10-6, 5.68) earned the win despite allowing five runs in the first inning. He finished his outing allowing six runs and five earned runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings. The righty walked one and struck out three.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Round Rock took a 5-0 lead in the first inning. RF Elier Hernandez smacked a solo home run to open the game. After LF Wyatt Langford tallied his first Triple-A hit with a single, 1B Blaine Crim cracked a two-run bomb to make it 3-0. SS Jonathan Ornelas and DH Sandro Fabian each notched RBI singles in the frame.
• In the home half of the first inning, three straight one-out walks to SS Ryan Bliss, C Cooper Hummel and DH Brian O’Keefe loaded the bases. An infield single from RF Zach DeLoach scored a run. 1B Isiah Gilliam came up and tied the game with a grand slam. The Rainiers loaded the bases a second time thanks to three more walks and Bliss hit the second grand slam of the inning to give Tacoma a 9-5 lead.
• Tacoma tacked on three more runs in the second inning. 2B Riley Unroe extended the lead to 11-5 with a triple which scored two runs and CF Cade Marlowe singled to score Unroe which pushed the lead to 12-5.
• The Rainiers kept scoring as Hummel homered to lead off the home half of the third inning. LF Adam Engel collected an RBI single later in the inning and the home team led 14-5.
• The Express loaded the bases in the fourth inning and Crim made it a 14-6 game with a sacrifice fly.
• In the top of sixth inning, Hernandez walked for Round Rock and Langford doubled. CF J.P. Martinez grounded out to score Hernandez and cut the lead to 14-7. In the home half, Tacoma loaded the bases and Bliss earned an RBI single to increase the lead to 15-7.
• Round Rock 3B Dio Arias and Ornelas walked with one out in the seventh inning and Fabian knocked them both in with a double and Tacoma led 15-9. The Express went scoreless in the eighth and ninth as the 15-9 score stood final.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Despite the loss, Round Rock still holds a 1.0-game advantage in the Pacific Coast League second half standings after Reno beat Las Vegas tonight. The Aces and Aviators trail Round Rock by only 1.0 game while Tacoma is only 2.0 games back with five games remaining.
• Express LF Wyatt Langford recorded his first Triple-A hit in his first at bat thanks to an infield single. Langford led the offensive charge and finished the night 4-for-5 with a run scored.
• Round Rock RF Elier Hernandez went 3-for-3 with two walks, one RBI and three runs scored. Hernandez is now four hits shy from collecting the most hits in a single season in franchise history.
• The nine runs in the first inning is tied for the most runs allowed in any inning by the Express this season. Albuquerque put up a nine spot in the seventh inning on August 13.

Next up: Round Rock will face off in game two against the Tacoma Rainiers at Cheney Stadium on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CT with Express RHP Robert Dugger (7-9, 4.37) taking the mound against Rainiers RHP Darren McCaughan (6-8, 5.93).

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!