West Sacramento, Calif. – Following a season marked by comebacks, the Tacoma Rainiers’ 2009 season came to an end despite one last rally on Saturday night.
The Rainiers began winning must-win games on Aug. 21, when they began their improbable rally from 71/2 games back to win the division title and head into the Pacific Coast League playoffs for the first time since 2005.
But Tacoma quickly fell into a six-run hole in the first inning Saturday against the River Cats, and despite a bold comeback the Rainiers lost, 13-8, to lose the PCL Pacific Conference Championship.
The Rainiers lost the best-of-five series in four games. Sacramento advances to face the Memphis Redbirds in the PCL championship series. For the River Cats, it’s their third consecutive season advancing to the championship, having won it in 2007 and 2008.
The River Cats’ early runs stood despite threats from Tacoma’s offense. The Rainiers showed signs of life in the third inning behind third baseman Chris Shelton’s three-run homer off Sacramento’s Shawn Chacon.
Tacoma scored twice more on second baseman Matt Tuiasosopo’s two-run home run to close the gap to 7-5 in the sixth inning.
The Tacoma bullpen stifled Sacramento hitters after the early offensive outburst. The River Cats, who earned six hits through the first two innings, didn’t have another hit until the 7th inning when they exploded for another six runs to extend to a 13-5 advantage.
The Rainiers still wouldn’t go late in the game, scoring three more runs in the ninth inning.
It was a much different night for Tacoma starter Gaby Hernandez than when he started the Rainiers’ final regular-season game to clinch the division.
The Sacramento lineup batted around in the first inning, scoring six runs off Hernandez.
In the inning, Sacramento third baseman Brett Wallace missed a home run to center field by inches, settling for a triple to drive in the first two runs of the game. Following an RBI infield single by the 215-pound Tommy Everidge, first baseman Chris Carter cleared the left-field wall by plenty on a towering two-run home run.
Still without an out, the River Cats scored on a fielder’s choice to Tuiasosopo, who was playing in at second base but threw wide of the plate and allowed the sixth run to score.
The only two outs that Hernandez would record were both on deep fly balls to center field. Reliever Denny Stark ended the inning without throwing a single pitch, picking off Sacramento catcher Anthony Recker at second base for the final out.
The River Cats added a run in the second on a Tuiasosopo error.
Hernandez allowed five hits – three of which were extra bases – and walked two in two-thirds of an inning.
Sacramento batted around again in the seventh inning to score six more runs.
Left-handed reliever Justin Thomas allowed four runs, recording one out. Relievers Jared Wells and Mike Koplove each allowed a run in the inning.
Tacoma couldn’t continue a trend of playoffs series comebacks in Sacramento, dating back to 2001, when the team rallied back from a 2-1 series deficit and in 2005, when the team trailed 2-0 in the series only to sweep three games to advance.
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