TACOMA, Wash. – River Cats starter Brad Knox was rocked for 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings as Tacoma earned a 15-6 win Wednesday night in Pacific Coast League play at Cheney Stadium before an announced crowd of 3,307.
After Knox allowed three runs in a shaky first inning, things got really ugly in the third. Knox retired the first batter in the inning, then allowed eight more runs in Tacoma's nine-run outburst.
The nine runs were the most runs in an inning for the Rainiers since they scored 10 in the third inning against Las Vegas on June 8, 2006.
A three-run double by Oswaldo Navarro was the biggest blow of the inning. Rob Johnson and Victor Diaz had two-run doubles. Craig Wilson and Shawn Garrett also had RBIs to give Tacoma a 12-2 lead.
Donnie Murphy's two-run homer in the first inning gave Sacramento a 2-0 lead that was old news by then.
The Rainiers, which have won 15 of their past 16 home games, took the lead for good in the bottom of the first when Knox walked Prentice Redman and Garrett and then hit Diaz with a pitch to load the bases. Redman scored on a wild pitch before Wilson singled to score two more runs.
It wasn't the first time Knox (7-4) allowed 11 earned runs in a game this season. He also did so July 22 in Albuquerque, but he lasted 5 1/3 innings in that game.
"He didn't have it," Sacramento manager Todd Steverson said in what certainly qualifies as an understatement. "He couldn't spot his pitches and fell behind."
Knox's ERA jumped from 4.73 to 5.33.
Tacoma added runs in the fourth and sixth innings on home runs by Redman.
The River Cats scored two runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Jeff Baisley and a wild pitch that scored Matt Murton.
The Rainiers, who have won 9 of 15 meetings against Sacramento this year, scored again in the seventh on a double by Wilson, who finished 4 for 4 with four RBIs. The River Cats score two runs in the ninth on a homer by Justin Knoedler.
Despite the win, Tacoma was eliminated from playoff contention when Salt Lake defeated Portland 4-0. The River Cats open the playoffs against Salt Lake.
