It began with a history lesson, as Tacoma third baseman Alex Liddi singled home a first-inning run Friday, making him just the second man in franchise history to score 100 runs and produce 100 RBI.
It was the only RBI by a Rainier all night, which was just fine with the Fresno Grizzlies, who hit, ran and pitched themselves to a lopsided 7-2 victory that left Tacoma three games below .500 with three to play in 2011.
After Liddi joined Craig Kusick from the 1973 season as the only members of the 100-100 club in Tacoma, it was the Fresno team that made history.
And they did it with their legs – stealing six bases to become the first Pacific Coast League team since 1988 to swipe more than 200 in a season.
For a pair of Tacoma outfielders, their minds may have been on baseball but it didn’t appear their hearts were. Greg Halman walked and scored in the first inning, then struck out in his next three at-bats.
Carlos Peguero? The big man went 0-for-4 without putting a ball in play, striking out in each at-bat.
In fact, after Liddi’s first inning single, Tacoma’s lineup produced only two more hits – a Michael Saunders third-inning single and a ninth-inning base hit by Sean Kazmar.
The Grizzlies? They kept banging hits around all night, finishing with 13 and making lice hectic for Rainiers pitchers Chris Seddon and Chaz Roe.
Seddon ran into a little trouble protecting a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, when with two outs he gave up a single and walked a batter. Batting ninth for Fresno, Jose Cuevas lined a ball toward left field, but shortstop Carlos Triunfel snared it on the fly diving to his left.
It was a marvelous save, but only in that inning. There wasn’t enough defense to spare Seddon in the fifth.
The lefty gave up four runs and was eventually pulled by Brown at 101 pitches for reliever Chaz Roe, who got out of the fifth with a strikeout.
In the sixth, the Grizzlies were right back at it – three hits, a walk and an error for three runs and a 7-2 edge.
When it was over, Rainiers fans had seen Liddi continue one of the most productive seasons in team history, a year in which he’s batted .256, scored 118 runs, collected 32 doubles, three triples, 28 home runs and 100 RBI.
Once the Tacoma season ends Monday, it’s likely Liddi will be asked to join the Mariners in Los Angeles. Until then, he has three games to try to pad those numbers and help the Rainiers win a final series.
ON TAP
Tacoma hosts Fresno in a 7:05 p.m. game. Probable starting pitchers: Geno Espineli (2-5, 7.14) vs. Jarrett Grube (4-3, 5.00).
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com
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