Rainiers’ Germano, two relievers deal 51s shutout
Justin Germano pitched six strong innings, and Ketel Marte homered and drove in two runs to lead the Tacoma Rainiers to a 4-0 win over the 51s in a Pacific Coast League game Sunday in Tacoma, Wash.
Germano (3-1) limited Las Vegas (25-13) to six hits and no walks and struck out five. Relievers Lucas Luetge and Mayckol Guaipe combined for three perfect innings as the 51s were shut out for the first time this season.
Shawn O’Malley went 3-for-4 and had one of the Rainiers’ four stolen bases. His single in the second inning brought home Patrick Kivlehan, who hit a two-out double.
Marte’s home run, his first since Aug. 21, in the third upped the Rainiers’ lead to 2-0. He added an RBI groundout in the seventh, when Tacoma (16-22) added a run on a throwing error by 51s first baseman Alex Castellanos.
Las Vegas starter Matt Bowman (2-4) gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks and struck out none in six innings.
The 51s wasted several scoring chances.
Brandon Allen and Travis Taijeron were stranded after consecutive one-out singles in the second. Castellanos hit a leadoff double in the fourth but advanced no farther. And T.J. Rivera and Matt Reynolds singled to open the sixth.
Seattle Mariners center fielder Austin Jackson, in the second game of a rehabilitation assignment, went 0-for-3 and scored a run for the Rainiers. He went 2-for-4 on Saturday.
Germano, who threw 68 of his 94 pitches for strikes, has allowed four runs in 22 1/3 innings this season.
Tacoma hosts the third game of the teams’ four-game set at 6:05 p.m. today, with right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-3, 5.09 ERA) expected to start against 51s left-hander Darin Gorski (2-3, 5.63).
