TACOMA, WA (May 15, 2026) — The Tacoma Rainiers (21-22) won their third straight game, beating the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (19-24) by a score of 4-1 on Friday night at Cheney Stadium. Randy Dobnak threw 5.1 innings of one run baseball, while Tacoma’s top three bats in the order scored all four of the team's runs, three of which came in the first inning.
The Rainiers opened the scoring in the first inning for the third straight game. Brock Rodden led off the frame with an eight-pitch walk. Colt Emerson followed with a double to right field, scoring Rodden from first base. Patrick Wisdom kept the offense moving with a triple to deep left-center field, his first of the season, driving in Emerson to make it 2-0. Two batters later, Ryan Bliss hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Wisdom, giving Tacoma a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
Randy Dobnak opened the game with four scoreless frames. The Space Cowboys opened the top of the fourth with back-to-back walks, putting runners on first and second base. With none out and two on, Carlos Perez lined to Brock Rodden, catching James Nelson at 2nd base to force the double play. Two batters later, Tommy Sacco Jr. lined out to left field to end the inning.
Sugar Land got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with a home run off the bat of Collin Price (7), giving the Space Cowboys their first run of the ballgame, making it 3-1. Dobnak retired his next hitter, completing 5.1 innings of one-run baseball. Nick Garcia took over in relief, working around a pair of baserunners as Cavan Biggio was caught stealing and Rhylan Thomas struck out.
Brock Rodden (6) extended Tacoma's lead in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to left field, making it 4-1.
Michael Rucker and Cole Wilcox combined to throw 3.0 innings of shutout baseball to finish off the game, retiring the final eight batters of the game in order to close the 4-1 Tacoma victory.
Tacoma looks to take the series victory against the Space Cowboys on Saturday night. RHP Gabe Mosser will take the hill for his tenth start of the season. First pitch is set for 6:05 pm.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- INF Patrick Wisdom connected on his first triple of the season in the first inning, the 24th triple of his career and first since September 7, 2024 against New York (AL)...the triple was Tacoma’s fourth of the season, two of which came in Sugar Land on April 7 and 12…the triple came on the heels of a Colt Emerson double, marking the fifth time a Triple-A team has hit a double and triple in the first inning of a game this season.
- Randy Dobnak recorded 11 of his 16 outs on ground outs on Friday night, tying the most by a Triple-A pitcher in a game this season…it’s the second time that Dobnak has recorded 11 ground outs in a game this year, the lone Triple-A pitcher to do it twice this season.
- OF Victor Labrada stole two bases in a game for the second time this season Friday night, becoming the fifth player in the PCL to swipe multiple bases in two or more games this season…he joins Colt Emerson as the only Rainiers to accomplish the feat this year.
- INF Brock Rodden crushed a solo home run on Friday, his sixth home run of the season…the switch-hitter finished 1-for-3 with a home run, RBI, walk, and two runs scored…since May 1, Rodden is tied for the most home runs (5) and tied for the second-most RBI (16) among PCL hitters
- RHP Cole Wilcox recorded his second save of the season on Friday night, by getting the final five outs of the game…it’s the first save of five-or-more outs by a Rainiers pitcher since Sauryn Lao recorded a 10-out save on August 13, 2025 against Las Vegas and the sixth since the start of the 2023 season.
- The Tacoma bullpen combined to toss 3.2 scoreless innings on Friday, allowing only three hits while striking out five…Tacoma’s 2.68 bullpen ERA is the best among all full-season minor league bullpens, allowing the fewest amount of earned runs (51), and tied for the fewest home runs surrendered (8).