Reno – It wouldn’t be surprising if no members of the Tacoma Rainiers decide to try their luck in the casinos located directly across the street from new Aces Ballpark.
Why?
Because when it comes to the Rainiers and Reno, nothing seems to go Tacoma’s way.
The Rainiers lost their seventh straight game to Reno, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon.
Tacoma (36-40) fell to four games under .500 for the first time this season and a season-worst nine games out of first place.
But at least the Rainiers went down fighting this time.
Tacoma starter Eric Hull – normally a reliever but filling in for the suspended Ryan Rowland-Smith – allowed three runs in the first four innings, putting the Rainiers in a 3-0 hole.
But Michael Saunders homered in the fifth, and Brad Nelson tied the game with a two-run drive to right field with two outs in the sixth.
Saunders and Nelson each went 3-for-4.
The Rainiers got some help from new reliever Joey Newby, who pitched two scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut to keep Tacoma within reach.
“He settled in and gave us a couple good innings that we needed,” said manager Daren Brown.
But with the score still 3-3 in the eighth, Denny Stark (0-1) walked Ruben Gotay on a full count pitch to open the inning. The next batter, Chad Tracy, lined the first pitch he saw into the gap in right-center for an RBI triple, giving Reno a 4-3 lead.
“The leadoff walk in the eighth inning – that always comes back to haunt you,” says Brown.
Federal Way native Tony Barnette started for Reno, working 6 innings and allowing three runs.
Doug Slaten (3-1) earned the win and Bobby Korecky picked up his 12th save.
Morse traded
Tacoma multi-position player Mike Morse was traded to the Washington Nationals for Triple-A outfielder Ryan Langerhans, ending Morse’s five-year tenure in the Mariners organization.
Morse, 27, batted .312 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI while playing five different positions for Tacoma this season.
Morse arrived at the ballpark on Sunday afternoon and was immediately called into the manager’s office.
“I had seen that Beltre was going to have surgery, and I was called into the manager’s office,” Morse said. “I thought I was getting called up to the big leagues with Seattle, but he told me I got traded.”
Morse will report to Triple-A Syracuse, but he thinks he has a better chance to reach the major leagues with Washington, a National League club.
“It’s an awesome feeling to start fresh in another organization, especially in the National League which gives me the opportunity to play,” Morse said.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Brown said that he had not heard if Langerhans would report to Tacoma, or directly to Seattle.
Brown also said that infielder Oswaldo Navarro will be promoted from Class-AA West Tennessee, and will be available for today’s game.
On tap
The series against Reno continues with a game at 7:05 tonight featuring Rainiers starter Chris Seddon (4-5, 4.71 ERA) against Reno’s Seth Etherton (5-5, 4.99).
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Tacoma Rainiers.
