LAS VEGAS, NV (July 11, 2026) — The Tacoma Rainiers (7-10/40-52) dropped game five of the series in extra innings to the Las Vegas Aviators (11-6/55-35) by a score of 8-7 Saturday night. Patrick Wisdom hit his PCL-best 24th home run of the season and Lazaro Montes crushed his first career Triple-A home run. Ryan Bliss recorded three hits, his fourth game of the series with three-or-more hits while Michael Arroyo recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game with two singles.
Tacoma got on the board first in the top of the second inning when Patrick Wisdom (24) crushed a 2-2 pitch over the left-center field wall to lead off the frame, putting the Rainiers up 1-0.
Las Vegas answered in the third inning. Brayan Buelvas lined a leadoff single into left field and advanced to third when Jared Dickey smacked a double off the right field wall. After Drew Swift grounded out, Darell Hernaiz grounded into a fielder’s choice when Wisdom cut down Buelvas trying to score. With runners on the corners and two outs, Max Muncy punched a single into right field, plating Dickey and evening the score at one.
The Aviators took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Cade Marlowe drove a triple into the right-center field gap and scored when the next batter, Bryan Lavastida hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving Las Vegas a 2-1 lead.
The Rainiers regained the lead in the fifth inning. With one out, Jhonny Pereda worked a walk. Two batters later, Ryan Bliss moved Pereda up to second when he beat out an infield single. Then, Brock Rodden drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Pereda came home to score when Michael Arroyo was hit by a pitch, tying the game at two. Tacoma took the lead when Wisdom laced a single into right field, plating Bliss and Rodden to make it 4-2.
The Rainiers added onto their lead in the top of the sixth inning when Lazaro Montes (1) deposited his first Triple-A home run 436 feet over the center field wall to leadoff the frame, making it 5-2.
The Aviators got within one in the home half of the sixth inning. Muncy (4) hit a leadoff home run to left field, cutting Tacoma’s lead down to two. After Michael Stefanic grounded out, Tommy White pounded a single into center field and advanced to third when Marlowe smacked a single through the right side of the infield. Then, Lavastida bounced a ground ball off of Robinson Ortiz for a single, bringing home White to make it 5-4.
Tacoma got a run back in the top of the seventh inning. Bliss drove a leadoff single into center field for his third hit of the contest and moved up to second when Brock Rodden grounded out. Then, Arroyo lined a single of his own into shallow center field, plating Bliss and making it 6-4.
The Rainiers scored for the fourth straight frame in the eighth inning. The leadoff batter, Connor Joe, was hit by a pitch and Stuart Fairchild replaced Joe at first when he grounded into a fielder’s choice. Then, Pereda smoked a single into right field to get two runners aboard. Fairchild and Pereda pulled off a double steal and Packard brought Fairchild home with a sacrifice fly to center field, extending Tacoma’s lead to three.
Las Vegas got a run back in the bottom of the eighth inning when Tommy White (9) hit a leadoff home run over the left field wall to make it 7-5.
The Aviators needed two runs to stay alive Saturday night. With two outs, Hernaiz punched a single down the right field line and moved up to second when Muncy worked a walk. Then, Michael Stefanic pulled a double into the right field corner, scoring Hernaiz and Muncy to tie the game at seven and send the game to extra innings.
In the bottom of the tenth inning, White was placed at second base as Las Vegas’ ghost runner and he advanced to third when Marlowe grounded out. With two outs, three consecutive walks from Buelvas, Dickey, and Swift scored White to walk it off as the Rainiers fell 8-7 Saturday night.
Tacoma will look to take the series victory Sunday afternoon, with RHP Nick Hull slated to make his second start of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 PM.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- C Jhonny Pereda turned in his 13th multi-hit performance in games playing catcher Saturday, the second-most in the PCL…he finished 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored…Pereda also extended his on-base streak to 22 games, the longest by a Rainiers hitter this season and tied for the third longest-active streak in the PCL…his .322 average (48x149) leads all Triple-A catchers (min. 150 PA) this season and his .407 OBP ranks fourth-best.
- INF Patrick Wisdom launched his league-leading 24th home run Saturday night, his fifth home run of the series…he finished 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored…Wisdom’s .130 HR/PA ratio is the best single-season home run rate in the minor leagues since 2005 (min. 100 PA)...his 24 home runs through the team’s first 92 games ties him with Jake Scheiner (2023) for the most by a Rainiers hitter since at least 2005.
- INF Ryan Bliss recorded his sixth three-hit game of the season Saturday, tying INF Brock Rodden for the most on the team…he finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored…Bliss is now the fourth PCL hitter this season to record three-or-more hits in three straight games…since the series started on July 7, Bliss leads all PCL hitters with 15 hits and his .577 batting average (15x26) ranks second.
- OF Lazaro Montes smoked his first Triple-A home run in the fifth inning Saturday, finishing 1-for-5 with the home run, RBI, and run scored.
- INF/OF Michael Arroyo recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game Saturday night, the longest streak on the team this season…he finished 2-for-4 with two RBI…it’s the longest multi-hit game streak by a Rainiers hitter since Rhylan Thomas had two-or-more hits in five straight contests from September 12-18, 2025.