RENO – The Tacoma Rainiers pounded out 13 hits, with eight going for extra bases. They scored 10 runs, with six driven home by one man.
It still wasn’t enough to avoid being swept by Reno.
The Aces pulled out a 13-10 victory over Tacoma on Monday, completing the four-game series sweep. Reno scored 44 runs in the series.
“We didn’t pitch very well,” Tacoma manager Daren Brown said. “An 11-game road trip, and I think we gave up 94 runs on the trip.”
Actually, it was 95. The Rainiers went 3-8 on the trip, falling to a season-low nine games under .500 (11-20).
The sweep occurred despite the best efforts of Rainiers designated hitter Luis Jimenez, who went 4-for-5 with a homer and six RBI.
Jimenez has hit safely in eight consecutive games. He went 9-for-15 with 10 RBI in the four games at Reno.
“We swung the bats well here, but we just weren’t able to keep up,” Brown said. “We scored in seven different innings today, and it still wasn’t enough.”
Erasmo Ramirez made his first start of the season after opening the year in the Mariners’ bullpen. Limited to 50-55 pitches as he builds up arm strength, Ramirez lasted three innings and gave up two runs on six hits.
Ramirez threw 40 of his 52 pitches for strikes, and he did not allow much hard contact. He left the game with the Rainiers holding a 3-2 lead.
Reno scored five runs in the fourth against Tacoma reliever Jarrett Grube, with Jake Elmore hitting a bases-loaded triple.
Tacoma tied the game 7-7 in the top of the sixth, but Cesar Jimenez came undone in the bottom of the inning.
Jimenez (0-1) walked the first three batters while tossing two wild pitches, allowing Reno to take an 8-7 lead in the sixth. Oliver Perez relieved and allowed a two-run triple to Cole Gillespie.
Tacoma second baseman Leury Bonilla left the game in the fourth inning after being struck in the face by a sharp one-hop, bad-bounce ball. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
SHORT HOPS
Tacoma swapped relievers with Double-A Jackson, sending Mauricio Robles to Tennessee and adding Stephen Pryor to the roster. Pryor appeared in 11 games for Jackson, going 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA and seven saves.
ON TAP
The Rainiers start an eight-game stand at Cheney Stadium tonight a 7:05 against the Albuquerque Isotopes. Tacoma will start Jeff Marquez (2-2, 5.87 ERA), while Albuquerque, the Triple-A affiliate of the L.A. Dodgers, will use Will Savage (5-0, 3.34).
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Tacoma Rainiers.
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