TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma picked up the opening win in the Pacific Northern Division four-game showdown with Salt Lake, as the Rainiers rolled to an 11-5 win over the Bees, pulling Tacoma to within four games of first place Salt Lake with seven games left to play in the season.
The Rainiers jumped in front early, as they scored four runs, three earned, in the first inning off of starter Tommy Hanson.
Tacoma was up 7-1 in the sixth when the Bees got to within three on a three-run homer by Scott Cousins, his first of the season, but the Rainiers put the game away in the seventh as they batted around and scored four runs to go up 11-4.
Hanson (0-2) went just 32/3 innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. John Hester led the Bees with two hits, including a home run, and one run batted in, while Efren Navarro added two hits, including his league leading 38th double of the season. Matt Long doubled in the sixth to extend his on-base streak to 29 games and Drew Heid chipped in with a solo homer in the ninth.