On a very hot Sunday afternoon, Las Vegas (30-26) took on the Tacoma Rainiers in game two of their four game series after an exciting walk-off win on Saturday. They got off to a promising start. The 51s came up with three runs in the bottom of the first to support Seth Lugo who was coming off a solid start in Reno where he gave up three runs and got a no-decision
Dilson Herrera got a double out of a pop up when shortstop Chris Taylor converged with center fielder Mike Baxter resulting in the ball dropping in and Herrera reaching third. He scored on a sac fly by Brandon Nimmo. With one out, Johnny Monell reached on an error by pitcher Andrew Kittredge. Eric Campbell drove him home, hitting a two-run homer over the wall in left center.
Lugo gave up a run in the third on a home run to Rainiers center fielder Zach Shank. Tacoma made some more noise in the fifth, scoring three runs to take the lead on three hits and a walk. But the 51s came right back to tie in the bottom of the inning with the help of an error by Taylor allowing to Nimmo to reach. Herrera had walked and he came around to score on a single by T.J. Rivera.
Tacoma and Vegas traded runs in the sixth; the Rainiers scoring on a second home run by Shank, this one off of reliever Zack Thornton. In the bottom of the inning, Roger Bernadina followed a lead off walk to Campbell with a single moving him to third. However Bernadina was caught trying to steal second with Travis Taijeron at the plate. Taijeron singled to drive in Campbell to again tie the game.
Josh Smoker held the game there in the top of the seventh and Paul Sewald followed with a one-two-three eighth. That gave Vegas the opportunity to take the lead. They did that in the bottom of the eighth by manufacturing the go ahead run. Campbell walked and then Bernadina moved him to second with a sac bunt. With Taijeron batting, Campbell then stole third to get into position to score on an out. Taijeron then grounded out to short scoring Campbell. That was enough for Erik Goeddel to close it out in the ninth despite an error by Rivera. He struck out third baseman Patrick Kivlehan to secure the one-run 6-5 victory.
Top Performers:
Campbell reached base in all four of his plate appearances, hitting a home run and walking three times. He scored three of the six Vegas runs and stole a pivotal base. Herrera scored a run both times he reached base on a walk and a single. Taijeron drove in two with a single and a groundout. Box Score
The series continues Monday night at 10:05 pm ET. Duane Below will take the ball.
Nice small ball win, good lord it was hot. Highlight of the day was the meet and greet with the players, had me some fried chicken and some Buds. Don Logan said the new stadium deal is still alive and waiting on “politics”. I think that means how much cabbage the 51’s can squeeze out of the tax payers.
The pen has been giving it up like a prom date the last few weeks. Sewald lost the closing job and Walters went thru waivers like a greased pig. Bradford is looking good. The Smoke show has dialed off the heat to actually pitch instead of chucking the ball, and he got pants that fit now! It was a tad uncomfortable when his pants were so tight you could tell what religion he is.
On days when it’s this hot, I am reminded that baseball is the only reason I ever go outside in the summer.
I saw that Frankie V. said it doesn’t matter who has the closing job here because if any of them go up to the Mets they are not going to close anyway. That says volumes about the lack of confidence.
I felt the same way about Smoker’s pants. I wonder if the heat had anything to do with him switching to looser ones. I did note that when I saw him at the meet and greet, his civilian pants fit normally.