ALBUQUERQUE, NM (September 5, 2026) — For the eighth time in 11 games, the Tacoma Rainiers (33-29/66-71) erased a deficit to win, exploding for six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to win 6-2 and secure the series victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes (28-35/66-71) Saturday afternoon. After Victor Labrada got Tacoma on the board with a solo shot in the seventh, Ryan Bliss’ three-run homer later that inning put the Rainiers ahead for good. Peyton Alford spun a masterful 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing only one baserunner while striking out three en route to his second win of the season.
Tacoma had a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings of the ballgame, including a leadoff triple from Ryan Bliss in the first inning, but the Isotopes’ Ryan Miller and Mason Green navigated around the traffic to keep the Rainiers off the board. Albuquerque also had an early scoring chance after getting runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Jhonathan Díaz struck out Charlie Condon and Edouard Julien to escape the jam.
The Isotopes broke through and opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Tyler Freeman was hit by a pitch and advanced to third when Sterlin Thompson smoked a single into right field. Then, Condon laced a single past a diving Leo Rivas at short. Freeman trotted home to score and give Albuquerque a 1-0 lead.
Condon (23) doubled the Isotopes’ lead when he lined a leadoff home run over the left field wall in the home half of the sixth inning, making it 2-0. After striking out Julien for the first out of the frame, Díaz was relieved after tossing 5.1 innings of two-run ball. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out eight. Peyton Alford took over for the Rainiers and set down the next two batters to end the inning.
Tacoma’s offense exploded to life in the top of the seventh inning. Victor Labrada (10) gulfed a leadoff home run onto the grass hill past the right field wall to get the Rainiers on the board. The next batter, Nick Raposo, reached on a fielding error and advanced to second two batters later when Axel Sanchez singled on a spinning ground ball to the right side of the infield. Then, Bliss (8) crushed a go-ahead three-run shot over the left field wall, giving Tacoma a 4-2 lead.
Tacoma’s home run derby continued as Nolan Jones (4) and Andy Ibáñez (2) crushed back-to-back home runs to lead off the eighth inning, making it 6-2.
Alford kept Albuquerque scoreless over the seventh and eighth frames. The only baserunner he allowed was a two-out single in the seventh to Freeman and struck out the final two batters in the eighth to complete 2.2 shutout innings of relief.
The Isotopes entered the bottom of the ninth inning needing four runs to stay alive. Albuquerque were able to get a pair of hits but failed to score as Tacoma took game five of the six-game set 6-2.
The Rainiers look to get a new win streak started in the series finale Sunday afternoon. RHP Gabe Mosser will get the ball for the second time this series with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 PM (PST).
POSTGAME NOTES:
- INF Ryan Bliss gave Tacoma the lead with a three-run home run in the seventh inning Saturday, finishing 2-for-5 with a triple, home run, three RBI and a run scored…it’s his second career go-ahead home run in the seventh inning-or-later with the first coming on July 1, 2023, with Double-A Amarillo against Double-A Tulsa…Bliss led off the game with a triple, marking Tacoma’s third consecutive game with a triple…it’s the second time Tacoma has tripled in three straight this season (also: July 7-9 at Las Vegas).
- INF Leo Rivas extended his on-base streak to 20 games on Saturday with a sixth-inning single, becoming the third Rainiers player this season to tally a 20-game on-base streak (also: Jhonny Pereda, 22G and Connor Joe, active 26G streak).
- OF Victor Labrada got the Rainiers on the board with his 10th home run of the season in the seventh inning…he finished 2-for-4 with a home run, RBI and run scored…it’s Labrada’s third time hitting double-digit home runs in a season (also: 10 in 2024 with Double-A Arkansas and High-A Everett and 12 in 2022 with Everett and Single-A Modesto).
- LHP Peyton Alford spun 2.2 scoreless innings in relief Saturday, his longest shutout appearance this season…the last time Alford tossed 2.2-or-more scoreless innings came on April 12, 2022 with Double-A Arkansas when he recorded 4.0 shutout frames.
- OF Nolan Jones and INF Andy Ibáñez hit back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning Saturday afternoon…it marked the eighth time this season the Rainiers have hit back-to-back jacks and they are the first to do so since Patrick Wisdom and Lazaro Montes on August 6 in Las Vegas.