Express Drops Third Contest to Rainiers in 7-6 Final

TACOMA, Washington – The Round Rock Express (10-6) fell to the Tacoma Rainiers (8-8) on Sunday afternoon at Cheney Stadium by a final score of 7-6. The Express pitching staff totaled 12 strikeouts in the loss, marking the 12th time Round Rock has retired 10 or more batters via strikeout this season.

Round Rock starter LHP Brock Burke (0-2, 20.65) was credited with the loss after giving up five runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three in 1.2 innings. Rainiers RHP Vinny Nittoli (1-0, 2.61) earned the win with a walk and two strikeouts in 1.0 innings of relief.

Tacoma kicked off the afternoon’s scoring with five of its seven runs in the second inning. LF Dillon Thomas plated the first run for the Rainiers on a sacrifice fly. Shortly after, C Luis Torrens hit a grand slam to left field, bringing in 3B Jantzen Witte, RF Luis Liberato and DH Jake Fraley for a 5-0 Tacoma lead.

Round Rock put two of its own on the board in the third inning when LF Delino DeShields hit a double to the left field corner to score SS Anderson Tejeda and 1B Charles Leblanc, who had reached on a walk and single, respectively. Tacoma responded with its own run in the bottom of the inning, a solo homer from Liberato.

Both teams plated a run in the fifth with the Express scoring Tejeda on a base hit from DH Carl Chester and CF Taylor Trammell hitting the second solo shot of the night for the Rainiers to maintain his team’s 7-3 lead.

Round Rock’s work to close the gap started with a home run from RF Jason Martin in the sixth inning, his sixth of the season.

Two more E-Train runs crossed home in the eighth. After a Rainiers error and walk put DeShields in scoring position, he came home thanks to a double from 2B Andy Ibáñez. The hit also moved 3B Yonny Hernandez to third base before he scored on a single from Martin to bring the Express within one. Tacoma loaded the bases with an intentional walk of CF Leody Taveras, but Round Rock couldn’t bring another runner home, sealing the 7-6 defeat.

The two teams face off for the fifth game of the series on Monday with first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. CT. Both scheduled starting pitchers are to be announced.

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. 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!