Carlos Triunfel delivered in the bottom of the ninth inning with an RBI single to center field to send the Tacoma Rainiers home 6-5 winners over the Fresno Grizzlies at Cheney Stadium on Monday night in front of a crowd of 3,273.
The two-out single with two outs off Fresno reliever George Kontos scored pinch-runner Leury Bonilla. Triunfel finished 3-for-3.
The Rainiers (8-10) needed a little bit of luck in the eighth inning to erase a 5-4 deficit.
With the bases loaded and one out, Trayvon Robinson hit a ground ball to first base, which was fielded by Conor Gillaspie, who threw home for the second out.
But the throw from catcher Jackson Williams to first base for what would have been a double play hit Robinson in the back and trickled down the right-field line, allowing Johan Limonta to score the tying run.
Scoring the last five runs of the game, the Rainiers found themselves in an early hole as the early season woes of pitcher Forrest Snow continued.
Giving up three runs in the first inning – including a two-run homer to right field by Roger Kieschnick – and two more in the fourth, Snow had no answer for the potent offense of the Grizzlies (13-5).
Adding injury to insult, Snow was also hit in the foot in the fourth inning by a comebacker off the bat of Joaquin Arias.
Luckily for the Rainiers and Snow, the ball ricocheted straight to first base for the out and the right-hander was able to remain in the game.
Snow went 42/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and three walks. The former University of Washington standout struck out two.
Fresno relief pitcher Shane Loux was ejected while in the dugout for arguing an interference call in top of the ninth inning.
CARP UPDATE
Rainiers left fielder Mike Carp was a late scratch for Tacoma in the midst of his rehab assignment for the Seattle Mariners. Limonta replaced Carp in the starting lineup.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Mariners’ prospect Nick Franklin is starting to heat up for the Double-A Jackson Generals, going 3-for-5 in a 6-4, extra innings win over the Huntsville Stars.
Franklin is hitting .304 on the season and has had multiple hit games in three of the past five outings, including back-to-back three hit performances.
Also having a big game for the Generals was fellow infield prospect Francisco Martinez.
Martinez, who came over from the Detroit Tigers in the Doug Fister trade last summer, had three hits, including a triple.
The 21-year-old third baseman also had three RBI, a walk and scored a run.
ON TAP
Tacoma will conclude the four game series with Fresno at 7 p.m. today at Cheney Stadium. Anthony Vasquez (3-0, 0.67 ERA) will start for Tacoma against former Rainiers right-hander Yusmeiro Petit (0-0, 5.65 ERA).
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