A Real McCoy Slam Wins It for Rainiers
September 3, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma, WA – The homestanding Tacoma Rainiers (59-68) evened their series with the Sacramento River Cats (57-70) at two games apiece by a 6-3 final score on Friday night at Cheney Stadium. For Tacoma, it was their 11th comeback win in the seventh inning or later this season.
The Rainiers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jarred Kelenic was hit by a pitch and moved to second base on an Erick Mejia walk, and Kelenic later scored on a Josh Morgan double to left.
Yermin Mercedes put Sacramento on top 2-1 in the fourth, by homering to right-center with two out following Bryce Johnson’s leadoff double. Mason McCoy tied the game in fifth however, lining a single to left field to score Forrest Wall, who created the run mostly on his own. Wall worked a two out walk and stole second, his 37th swipe of the season. Wall is now one shy of his career-high in stolen bases, and is striving to be the first Tacoma Triple-A player to steal 40 bases since Lance Blankenship of the 1988 Tacoma Tigers (Oakland A’s).
Rainiers left-hander Roenis Elias worked five complete innings and threw 84 pitches. Elias allowed only three hits (2 BB) and the two runs against him were earned, he struck out three. River Cats RHP Ronnie Williams was chased from the game an out shy of 5.0 IP, following McCoy’s RBI single. Just one of the two runs against Williams were earned on three hits; he struck out four and walked four.
The top of the seventh began with Patrick Mazeika’s second homer in three days, this one to right-center for a 3-2 SAC lead. In the home seventh however, McCoy once again took offense to Tacoma being behind. After a pair of walks and a Derek Hill bunt single, McCoy drilled an opposite-field grand slam to put the Rainiers back in front 6-3, extending his career-homer season to 16 round-trippers.
Out of the Tacoma bullpen, relievers Taylor Williams, Matt Koch and Nick Ramirez each worked a scoreless inning, with Ramirez notching his 11th save.
The penultimate game of this weeklong series will be on Saturday, beginning at 5:05 p.m. PT at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma lefty Austin Warner will start on the mound; Sacramento is scheduled for a bullpen game.
Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2022 Rainiers games, home and away, can also be heard for free on the MiLB First Pitch app. HD video broadcasts of every game can be viewed with a MiLB.TV subscription.
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