Rainiers score 6 in first, hold off 51s
TODD DEWEY; Contributing writer
Las Vegas – What happened in Las Vegas on Saturday happened again Sunday for the Tacoma Rainiers, who rode a six-run inning to a 9-7 Pacific Coast League victory over the Las Vegas 51s for the second straight day at Cashman Field.
Tacoma, which has hit a jackpot of 46 hits and 30 runs in its first three games in Las Vegas, erupted for six runs in the first inning Sunday and never trailed in a 9-7 win.
Ramon Vazquez led off the game with a double down the right-field line, and Mike Carp followed with a double down the left-field line to give the Rainiers a 1-0 lead.
Tommy Everidge ripped a run-scoring double to left-center field to make it 2-0 and extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Brad Nelson drew a walk – the first of a season-high nine issued by the 51s – to reach base for the 12th straight game. Guillermo Quiroz then crushed a three-run homer over the left-field wall to make it 5-0.
With two outs, Mike Wilson walked and stole second. Jeffrey Dominguez, who led Tacoma with three hits, ripped an RBI single to give the Rainiers a 6-0 edge.
Nelson and Greg Halman each hit towering solo shots in the fifth inning to give Tacoma (23-24) an 8-1 lead.
Las Vegas (21-30) scored three unearned runs with two outs in the fifth to close to 8-4. Chris Lubanski reached third base on a fielding error by right fielder Wilson, and scored on a single by Kyle Phillips. Jarrett Hoffpauir hit an RBI double and Luis Figueroa followed with a run-scoring single.
The 51s made it 8-5 in the seventh, when Lubanski led off with a triple and scored on a single by Phillips.
They cut it to 8-7 in the eighth on a two-run homer by Chris Aguila.
Nelson reached on an error in the ninth and scored on a single by Halman to give Tacoma an insurance run.
Figueroa, who led Las Vegas with three hits, was stranded at second in the ninth when Chad Cordero closed out his fifth save to give the Rainiers their second win in a row on the road after five straight losses away from Cheney Stadium.
Marty McLeary started for the 51s in place of scheduled starter Brian Tallet, who is slated to get called up by the Toronto Blue Jays.
The right-hander allowed eight runs on nine hits, including three homers, walked four and struck out five in five innings as he fell to 0-4 with an 11.33 ERA.
Left-hander Chris Seddon (5-2) earned the win for Tacoma, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits in 62/3 innings, walking none and striking out two.
ON TAP
The teams wrap up the series with a 12:05 p.m. game today at Cashman Field. Rainiers right-hander David Pauley (0-3, 3.47 ERA) is scheduled to start against 51s left-hander Brad Mills (4-3, 4.73). The game will be broadcast on 850-AM radio.
