For the first seven innings, the most excitement the Tacoma Rainiers provided at the plate was an argument between Mike Carp and home plate umpire John Brammer over a questionable third strike call during the seventh inning.
The brief argument led to a few comments from Rainiers manager Daren Brown, who was promptly and somewhat prematurely ejected, much to his dismay, leading to more arguing.
And that was it. Until that point, the Rainiers had scratched together just a handful of hits, but no runs off of Reno Aces starter Hector Ambriz.
But that changed quickly in the eighth as Chris Shelton ripped the Rainiers’ first grand slam of the season and Tacoma turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 win Tuesday at Cheney Stadium.
Shelton’s homer was only a part of an exciting eighth inning that broke up an otherwise nondescript game in which the Rainiers seemed to be suffering after a brutal travel day. A few delays got them in from Colorado Springs, Colo., and to the stadium just a few hours before the game.
“It was not the perfect travel day,” Brown said. “I thought we were a little sluggish to start because of it, but we did what we had to do in the eighth.”
What the Rainiers (28-24) did was play for one run and then blow it open. A single by Bryan LaHair and a walk to Adam Moore from Ambriz started the eighth. Chris Woodward moved them into scoring position with a perfect sacrifice bunt.
Aces manager Brett Butler decided to lift Ambriz in favor of lefty Doug Slaten, who intentionally walked Prentice Redman to load the bases and bring up the left-handed hitting Michael Saunders. But the strategy backfired as Saunders coaxed a walk from Slaten to tie the game, 1-1.
Slaten looked like he might avoid further damage after allowing just one run, getting Jeff Clement to pop up to shallow right for the second out of the inning.
But he went to a full count on Shelton, and the veteran hitter made him pay on the payoff pitch. Shelton crushed a fastball over the wall in left-center and into the far parking lot.
“I got a 3-2 fastball on the inner half of the plate, and I just put a good swing on it,” Shelton said. “In that situation, you are looking for a fastball you can drive, and I got it. It hit the barrel so good.”
That the Rainiers were even in a position to win the game was because of the solid pitching of Josh Hall.
“He kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to win,” Shelton said.
The right-hander, who was picked up a few weeks ago from the independent leagues, pitched 5 innings and allowed one run on six hits.
“That’s the best he’s thrown for us this season,” Brown said.
Hall didn’t get the win, though. That went to Jared Wells who pitched an inning of relief.
Jeff Clement’s 20-game hitting streak was snapped, as was Saunders’ 15-game streak. But Mike Morse went 2-for-4 to extend his to 15 games.
On tap
The Rainiers will send right-hander Doug Fister (1-0, 5.24 ERA) to the mound in game two of the four-game series. Reno will go with right-hander Cesar Valdez (3-4, 4.21 ERA) to start. The 7 p.m. game will be broadcast on 850-AM.
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483
ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
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