Rainiers' Mike Wilson causes double trouble
MIKE CURTO
SALT LAKE CITY – The Tacoma Rainiers hitters are hot heading into the All-Star break.
Tacoma ripped 15 hits and Mike Wilson tied a franchise record with four doubles as the Rainiers defeated Salt Lake, 14-9, on Sunday.
The Rainiers scored 27 runs on 27 hits over the final two games in Salt Lake, helping the club win the five-game series, three games to two.
Wilson opened Tacoma’s scoring with a bases-loaded, two-run double to right field in the fourth inning.
He doubled to the center field fence in the sixth before scoring on Carlos Triunfel’s three-run homer, and then he doubled again to start a two-run rally in the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, Wilson lined his fourth two-base hit of the game over the left fielder’s head, driving in Nick Franklin to give Tacoma a 13-9 lead.
Wilson was the first Tacoma batter to hit four doubles in one game since July 22, 2009 when Jeff Clement did it against Sacramento.
“It was an offensive day,” Tacoma manager Daren Brown said. “Wilson with a big day with four doubles, Triunfel had five RBIs.”
Luis Rodriguez and Mike Carp launched back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh off Salt Lake reliever Jeremy Berg to give Tacoma a 10-4 lead.
Carp’s home run was his 66th in a Tacoma uniform, tying him with Tom Kelly for second place on the all-time Tacoma home run list. Rick Renick is the all-time leader with 72.
Carp also doubled twice and was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
“He’s feeling good, that’s the main thing,” Brown said. “He swung the bat better today. He’ll go to the Cal League and play there for a couple of days.”
There was an unusual play in the fourth inning when Triunfel drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly that resulted in a double play.
With the bases loaded, Triunfel hit a 420-foot fly ball to right-center that former Seattle Mariner Ryan Langerhans caught on the warning track. The ball was so deep that Wilson was able to tag up and score from second base after Franklin tagged at third. The throw came home, Wilson scored standing up, but Salt Lake was able to throw out Vinnie Catricala, who tried to advance to second after the throw went home.
Tacoma leadoff hitter Darren Ford pulled the first pitch of the game into left field for a double, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.
The Rainiers go into the All-Star break with a record of 38-51. The team went 14-11 over the final 25 games before the break, once an eight-game losing streak ended on June 12.
ON TAP
The Rainiers are off for three days before starting an eight-game homestand Thursday against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Blake Beavan (3-0, 3.19 ERA) is scheduled to start for Tacoma on Thursday night.
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Rainiers.
