FRESNO, Calif – Tacoma starting pitcher Andy Baldwin has had plenty of good games and a handful of bad ones over his three years with the Rainiers.
When Baldwin struggles, it’s usually because he leaves pitches up in the zone, and they get hit.
That’s what made Thursday night’s walk-a-thon so weird.
Baldwin matched his career high with five walks over five-plus innings, leading to five runs and a 6-4 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies.
Baldwin escaped trouble in the second after walking Ben Copeland to put two on with one out by getting an inning-ending double-play grounder.
He wasn’t as lucky in the third, with Tacoma leading 2-0. A walk to Brock Bond loaded the bases, and John Bowker followed with a grand slam to center field for a 4-2 Fresno lead.
After a Chris Woodward two-run single tied the game in the top of the fifth, Baldwin walked consecutive hitters to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. But he struck out Joe Borchard and got Copeland to fly out to end the inning and the threat.
With the score still tied in the sixth, Baldwin walked Brett Pill to lead off the inning. Tyler Graham followed with a bunt single, and Steve Holm – who was trying to bunt – was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
Rainiers manager Daren Brown had seen enough. Reliever Sean White came in and immediately induced a double-play grounder from Emmanuel Burris, but it allowed Pill to score the go-ahead run.
“I thought he tried to pick around the zone a little bit,” Brown said of Baldwin. “He got himself in trouble in every inning, and he’s not a guy who can get by walking five guys in five innings.”
Baldwin (7-5) had walked just 18 batters in 86 innings this season before Thursday.
First-place Tacoma (59-46) lost for the second straight day. Meanwhile, Salt Lake beat Portland, 5-4, for its 10th win in 12 games, cutting the Rainiers’ lead to five games.
Tacoma had a nine-game lead just two weeks ago, but Brown is not concerned.
“We are only concerned about what we are doing,” he said.
Todd Wellemeyer (1-0) earned the win for Fresno, allowing three earned runs in 62/3 innings. Wellemeyer is currently on the San Francisco Giants disabled list with a strained quadriceps, and he is rehabilitating with Fresno.
SHORT HOPS
Outfielder David Winfree missed his second straight game with a strained right quadriceps. He’s listed as “day to day.”... Chris Woodward led off the game with a home run, the second time he has done that this season. ... Matt Mangini singled in the third inning, extending his hitting streak to 18 games.
ON TAP
The Fresno series concludes at 7:05 tonight. Tacoma’s starting pitcher will be Ian Snell (3-2, 4.58 ERA); Fresno counters with Kevin Pucetas (2-6, 6.12).
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Tacoma Rainiers.
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