Six-Run Eighth Downs Tacoma

SUGAR LAND, TX – The Tacoma Rainiers (44-34) allowed six runs in the eighth inning, dropping game three of the series to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (51-27) by a score of 9-6, Thursday at Constellation Field.

Both teams scored in the first inning, as Tacoma jumped in front on a solo home run from Luis Urias and Sugar Land answered with an RBI single from Pedro Leon. It stayed 1-1 until the fourth, when the Space Cowboys took their first lead of the game on a single from Quincy Hamilton.

Another solo home run for the Rainiers tied the game at two, as Jonatan Clase hit his seventh of the year in the fifth inning. Leon checked in with another RBI single in the home half of the inning, however, putting Sugar Land back in front by one.

Tacoma trailed until the seventh, when they scored twice on a double from Cade Marlowe and a single from Urias to take a 4-3 lead. They padded the lead with two more runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.

Up 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Rainiers brought in their closer Brett de Geus, and that is when the game took a turn. Sugar Land scored six runs highlighted by a three-run home run from Shay Whitcomb.

Clase led off the ninth with a triple but was stranded at third, as Kaleb Ort earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Luis Urias was a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a run scored, a double, a home run and two runs batted in.
• Jonatan Clase was a double shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a triple, a home run and one run batted in. The switch hitter is now batting .281 on the season with Tacoma.
• Carlos Vargas tossed a scoreless seventh inning, lowering his ERA on the year to 2.36 in 27 relief appearances. The right-hander now has six consecutive scoreless outings dating back to June 9.

Tacoma and Sugar Land will play game four of their six-game series tomorrow night, with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 pm PT. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.milb.com/tacoma.