COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In a game that featured 22 runs, 39 hits, two Rainiers with four-hit performances, and a game-winning hit in the 11th inning, the Tacoma Rainiers’ hero was … the bullpen?
Tacoma relievers Shawn Kelley, Scott Patterson, and Steve Delabar combined to pitch 6 shutout innings, in route to a 12-10 victory in 11 innings at Colorado Springs on Friday night.
Kelley relieved starter Nate Robertson with two outs in the fifth and Tacoma trailing, 10-9. He worked 2 scoreless innings, needing just 22 pitches – 19 of which were strikes.
With the score tied in the eighth, Patterson escaped a runner-at-third, no-outs situation before working a shutout ninth.
Delabar (1-1) kept it tied in the 10th, and nailed down the final three outs in the 11th after Tacoma took the lead.
“Our bullpen was outstanding tonight,” said Tacoma manager Daren Brown. “Patterson, Kelley, Delabar, all of them did an outstanding job out of the pen.”
The bullpen set the stage for the Rainiers’ offense in the 11th inning.
Carlos Triunfel opened the inning with a double off the right-field fence – his fourth hit of the game. Ralph Henriquez followed with a bunt single, sending Triunfel to third.
That brought Sean Kazmar to the plate, facing Sky Sox left-hander Keith Weiser. Kazmar floated a soft liner over the second baseman’s head and into center field for the go-ahead RBI single.
Michael Saunders added a two-out RBI single later in the inning, giving Delabar a little breathing room in the bottom of the 11th.
Tacoma (65-69) built an early 8-2 lead, jumping all over Colorado Springs starter Greg Reynolds. Johan Limonta was in the middle of every rally, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and three RBI.
Mike Wilson gave Tacoma a 9-4 lead when he launched his 16th homer of the season in the top of the fifth. Wilson extended his hitting streak to 10 games – he has 19 hits during the streak.
The Sky Sox scored six runs off Robertson in the bottom of the fifth – and five scored after there were two outs. Ryan Spilborghs hit a two-run homer to give the Sky Sox a 10-9 lead.
Triunfel grounded a single between shortstop and third to drive in the tying run in the top of the eighth against former Mariner Sean White.
ON TAP
The Rainiers and Sky Sox play tonight at 6:05 (PDT). Tacoma’s Luke French (8-8, 6.34 ERA) will take on Colorado Springs right-hander Edgar Gonzalez (3-3, 4.82).
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster or the Rainiers.
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