Beckham’s web gem saves game as Rainiers clinch series against Aces
Sometimes, it’s easy to pinpoint the one play that won the game. Thursday’s 3-0 win over Reno was one of those days for Tacoma.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, the Aces’ MVP candidate Kevin Cron came to the plate and lasered a shot through the left side of the infield, but Gordon Beckham layed out to snare the ball on the outfield grass before getting up and firing the ball to first just in time to save the inning and the game.
“That was an unbelievable play, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time,” Rainiers manager Pat Listach said after the game. “If he doesn’t make that play, it’s a tie game.”
Ryan Cook had already hit a pair of batters to load the bases, the second time drawing players out of both dugouts for unfriendly words. Chasen Bradford came in with two outs, the tying run on second, the go-ahead run on first, and Cron coming to the pate.
Cron’s shot took two hops, destined for left field, until Beckham left his feet to make the stop, got up, and fired the ball across the diamond to just barely beat the batter to first.
“I had to make the play to keep us in the lead,” Beckham said. “I’m just glad it worked out.”
Oh yeah, and then Beckham hit his 10th home run of the year in the bottom of the frame to put the icing on a 3-0 win.
“It was a good game by Beck,” Listach said. “They’ve been pitching him tough these three games, and he found a way to get a couple hits today and a big home run.”
David Rollins gave Tacoma its second gem of a start in as many days, scattering five hits over 5 ⅔ shutout innings and striking out four Aces. After going deeper into the game but giving up eight runs in his last start, Listach chose to pull him earlier, preserving the good start.
“Rollins did his job; he put us in a position to win the game, which is all we’re asking for,” Listach said.
Justin Grimm walked one of the five batters he faced, but struck out the other four in 1 ⅓ innings of relief. Cook had his struggles, but Bradford came in got the last four outs to earn his first save of the season.
Tacoma didn’t get itself the lead in the most conventional ways. In the bottom of the sixth, David Freitas came up with runners on first and second, and nubbed a little squibber down the third base line. Both runners moved up, and Reno third baseman Deven Marrero made a charging pickup to throw Freitas out at first. Going from second to third, Guillermo Heredia took a wide turn off of the base, and Cron tried to catch him off, but his throw back across the diamond went wild, allowing both runners to score.
Despite the win, Fresno’s 15-1 against Sarcramento clinched the division for the Grizzlies, eliminating the Rainiers from playoff contention. Tacoma will open its final home series of the season Friday at 7:05 p.m.against El Paso.
Rehabbing relievers
As Christian Bergman blazed his way through hitless inning after hitless inning Wednesday night, the man in charge in the Rainiers dugout started to get worried.
Pat Listach didn’t have a problem with his starter doing well; after a bullpen day, it was downright necessary. But Listach started to get nervous that his pitcher would do too well. Because Listach’s job is only partially to win games — he also needed to get action for a few of his relievers. There were three on the docket for Wednesday: Dan Altavilla, rehabbing his way back from injury; James Pazos, on a scheduled stint in the minors; and Noah Zavolas, down on an emergency assignment from short-season Single-A Everett.
As it happened, Bergman lost his no-hitter, making it a whole lot easier for Listach to go to his bullpen. Altavilla and Pazos — the two more important relievers in the grand scheme of things for the Mariners at the moment — pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Zavolas, the youngster, got the short end of the stick and nothing but a free ride back to Everett.
“I was a little concerned last night, because I wanted to send Bergie back out for the seventh, but I knew both of those guys had to throw the eighth and ninth,” Listach said before Thursday’s game at Cheney Stadium. “They both had to get one inning in.”
It wasn’t Listach’s decision to make; this one came from the higher-ups in Seattle, who needed their two experienced relievers sticking to a set schedule. It was just up to Listach to fit them in.
“It worked out great (this time), but you have to plan around it,” Listach said.
Altavilla gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, but retired the next three. He’s allowed at least one run in all three of the appearances in his recent rehab stint. Working his way back from the 60-day disabled list, the coaching staff’s focus with him is much more long-term.
“He’s healthy; that’s the most important thing,” Listach said. “He’s healthy and the ball’s coming out pretty good. Right now his fastball’s a little bit straight and flat, but I think (pitching coach Lance Painter) can do some mechanical things and get that where he gets some tilt and some downhill plane. I don’t think he’s that far away.”
Pazos is in a much different place. Seattle’s most-used left-hander out of the bullpen this season, the hard-throwing southpaw began to see a dip in velocity. So the Mariners sent him down for a short-structured training stint.
In his one inning Wednesday, Pazos allowed one walk but otherwise had no issues. He threw 12 pitches — all fastballs — topping out at 94 miles per hour.
Pazos had a scheduled day away from game action Thursday, working a side session to get back to the form he was in earlier this season.
“He just goes about his business like the ultimate pro,” Listach said. “I’d like to have 25 of those guys.”
Solidly in the final stretch run of the year, having two more experienced big leaguers in the bullpen is nothing but beneficial for some of the younger pitchers in Tacoma, like Anthonty McIver, who is back with the Rainiers after two months with Double-A Arkansas and high Single-A Modesto.
“They’ve been around it for awhile, so they know what to do, and it’s nice to see that,” McIver said. “They’re always open to help out; they’re able to talk, and that’s nice.”
This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 6:52 PM.