Rainiers even series with win over Las Vegas

Las Vegas 51s batter Michael Conforto hits a single against Round Rock in the third inning at Cashman Field in Las Vegas earlier in August. (Josh Holmberg/Las Vegas Review Journal)

Inconsistent starting pitching has been a storyline throughout the 51s’ season.

But for the third straight game, they got a solid outing from their starter — this time from Sean Gilmartin.

And for the second time in those three games, they weren’t able to mount enough run support behind him as they fell 7-3 to Tacoma at Cheney Stadium.

“Gilly has struggled recently in his past few starts but he showed very good command today,” manager Wally Backman said. “He kept us in the ball game, made a few mistakes but kept the game definitely in reach for the offense that we have.”

But that offense was held mostly quiet on Sunday.

Las Vegas (60-69) jumped out to an early lead on Sunday when a T.J. Rivera sacrifice fly drove in Matt Reynolds in the first inning.

But that lead disappeared in the second and after that, the Rainiers kept adding on.

The game was actually closer throughout than the final score suggested, as the Rainiers scored four of their seven runs in the late innings with three of those runs coming off the bullpen.

After the 51s took their early lead, Gilmartin hit a bump in the second, giving up three runs in the inning.

He allowed a home run to lead off the inning and then three more hits in the frame, but he was solid throughout the rest of his outing, and Las Vegas cut it to 3-2 shortly after with a Michael Conforto home run in the third inning.

Conforto, who has been nearly impossible to retire since returning from the majors, led the 51s offense once again, finishing the day 3-for-4.

Aside from him, the 51s managed just four other scattered hits — one each from Rivera, Reynolds, Travis Taijeron and Brandon Nimmo.

“We just really didn’t get any big hits,” Backman said. “Conforto had another real good night but he had no supporting cast with him today.”

After his home run, the score remained 3-2 when the Rainiers began tacking on runs.

They scored one more off Gilmartin, before Chase Huchingson balked home a run with the bases loaded in the seventh and Darin Gorski was roughed up for two runs on three hits in the eighth.

“The bullpen let us down,” Backman said. “It made (the game) stay out of reach. … It kind of blew the wind out of our sails.”

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand