Tacoma Rainiers win laugher, 13-3, over Reno Aces

The Tacoma Rainiers have had incredible difficulty getting wins at Greater Nevada Field since the ballpark was built in 2009, so a laugher like Tuesday night’s 13-3 victory felt pretty good.

Tacoma scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second, eventually building a 10-0 lead at the seventh inning stretch.

It was a rare win for Tacoma in Reno, where the club is just 17-41 all-time. And it was a rout, any way you look at it.

Nori Aoki reached base four times in the leadoff spot, and No. 2 hitter Guillermo Heredia, reached five times. The duo combined to score five runs.

“Aoki and Heredia are both doing an outstanding job at the top of the order,” Rainiers manager Pat Listach said.

Tacoma hit a pair of three-run homers: one by Stefen Romero in the second inning and another by D.J. Peterson in the eighth.

Peterson has homered in three consecutive games. His home run Tuesday came off former major league closer Matt Capps, and it went to right-center.

The offense provided more runs than Rainiers starter Jordan Pries really needed.

Making his first Triple-A start of the season, Pries worked six shutout innings. He allowed four singles and two walks while striking out eight. He was pulled after throwing 96 pitches.

“It was an unbelievable job by Pries, throwing six shutout (innings) in Reno,” Listach said. “That’s almost impossible to do here.”

The Rainiers’ offense went to work immediately.

Aoki greeted Reno starter Edgar Garcia with a single to left field to open the first inning. Heredia followed with a single, and Romero doubled home Aoki to give Tacoma a run just three batters into the game. A two-out, two-run single by Luis Sardinas capped the first of four three-run innings for the Rainiers.

Romero connected for a three-run homer in the second inning, lifting the ball over the fence in right field for his 10th home run of the season. He finished the game 3 for 5 with four RBIs.

The bottom of the lineup hit three consecutive doubles in the sixth inning, when Zach Shank, Dario Pizzano and Tyler Smith connected in order to start another three-run rally.

SHORT HOPS

The Mariners acquired outfielder Ryan Strausborger from the Texas Rangers and will assign him to Tacoma. Strausborger, 28, was batting .288 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 45 games for Triple-A Round Rock. To get him, the Mariners sent Texas international signing bonus slot money valued at $210,700. Listach said he did not know when Strausborger will report to the team.

ON TAP

The three-game series ends with Wednesday’s game at 7:05 p.m. Tacoma starts Cody Martin (7-5, 3.93 ERA) against Reno’s Anthony Banda (0-2, 9.00).

This story was originally published July 5, 2016 at 10:54 PM with the headline "Tacoma Rainiers win laugher, 13-3, over Reno Aces."