On the Farm: Mariners minor league report for April 21

Recaps for the Seattle Mariners top minor league affiliates for Friday night provided by team releases.

Tacoma (AAA) 11, El Paso 8

EL PASO, Texas – The Tacoma Rainiers (9-6) set season-high marks in both hits and runs in an 11-8 victory of the El Paso Chihuahuas (7-9) on Friday night at Southwest University Park.

Zach Shank (1 for 2, R, HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB) and Daniel Vogelbach (2 for 6, 2 RBI) combined to drive in over half of the Rainiers runs.

Steve Cishek, on rehab assignment from Seattle, started the game for Tacoma and faced four batters – he recorded two outs, walked two, and allowed one hit.

Rainiers CF Boog Powell led off the night with a single into left and moved into scoring position as 2B Gordon Beckham drew a hit by pitch in the next plate appearance. Vogelbach brought them both home in the following at bat, rocketing a two-run double into left field.

The Rainiers pushed across five runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull away from the Chihuahuas, including Shank’s pinch-hit grand slam.

The score held at a 7-5 advantage in favor of Tacoma until the final two frames of the night, when the two clubs combined to score eight runs across the eighth and ninth innings.

D.J. Peterson blasted his third home run in five games to lead off the top of the ninth for the Rainiers. A Tuffy Gosewisch RBI single and a dropped pop-fly double play hit into by Vogelbach scraped across a third run, pushing Tacoma’s lead out to 11-5.

Brett Ash, making his Triple-A debut, allowed four runs on six hits with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of relief of Cishek – he earned his first career Triple-A win.

Tacoma now heads to Albuquerque for a four-game series against the Isotopes starting on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. RHP Christian Bergman (2-0, 2.31) gets the call for the Rainiers, while the Isotopes will turn to RHP Matt Flemer (1-1, 5.06).

Arkansas (AA) 5, Springfield 3

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Travelers used a dominant performance from their bullpen to top the Springfield Cardinals 5-3 on Friday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in front of a crowd of 5,794.

Mariners shortstop and former Traveler Jean Segura went 0 for 3 with a walk and two lineouts in the first game of Major League Rehab Assignment.

The Travs grabbed an early 3-0 lead scoring twice in the first on Kyle Waldrop’s two-run double. Then in the second the Travs loaded the bases and capitalized when Ian Miller delivered a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ian Miller led off with a single and then Chuck Taylor launched a two-run blast to right to put Arkansas up 5-3.

The Travs bullpen took it from there. Ryan Horstman, Peter Tago and Blake Perry combined to retire the final 13 hitters of the night and 15 of the last 16. Horstman (1-0) was credited with the victory with Tago bridging the gap and Perry pitching the ninth for his first save.

The Travelers and Cardinals play game three of their series on Saturday night. RHP Lindsey Caughel (1-1, 3.97) toes the slab for the Travs against RHP Matt Pearce (0-2, 4.66) for the Cards.

Modesto (High-A) 8, Visalia 4

VISALIA, Calif. – A seven-run sixth propelled the Modesto Nuts into a first-place tie after defeating the Visalia Rawhide 8-4 on Friday night at Recreation Park to open a three-game series.

The Rawhide (9-6) and the Nuts (9-6) are tied for first place after their first meeting of the season.

After falling behind early, Joey Curletta started the game-clinching rally in the sixth for the Nuts. He started the inning with a double off Rawhide starter Ivan Pineyro (L, 0-2). Curletta finished 3 for 5 with two doubles and a solo home run. Gianfranco Wawoe followed to tie the game when he smacked a RBI double. Wawoe lengthened his hitting streak to ten games. Two batters later, Ricky Eusebio gave the Nuts the lead for good with a RBI single.

Eric Filia added a RBI single in the sixth and finished 3 for 4. Logan Taylor capped the inning with a two-run single. Branden Bishop went 3 for 4 with a single. Wawoe was 3 for 4 with a run and a walk.

Nathan Bannister (W, 1-1) coughed up just two runs in the first three innings while working five strong frames. The righty did not walk a batter and struck out seven.

Game two of the three-game series against the Visalia Rawhide is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

Quad Cities 3, Clinton (Low-A) 1

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A pair of Quad Cities River Bandits home runs proved to be the difference in a 3-1 Clinton LumberKings loss on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The two home runs for the River Bandits (9-6) give them 16 over their last five games.

The LumberKings tied the game in the top of the third inning with their only run of the night. Anthony Jimenez tripled high off the wall in right center and speed around the bases for his first triple of the year. Bryson Brigman, the team leader in RBI, brought home Jimenez four pitches later with a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game one.

Clinton’s offense mustered just two hits. The LumberKings have dropped six of their first seven road games to begin the season.

The LumberKings will play game three of their four game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.. RHP Ljay Newsome (2-1, 5.40) will get the start for Clinton and face Quad Cities RHP Enoli Paredes (0-0, 3.00).