Rainiers edge Comets 3-2 behind Davis, Emerson homers

Tacoma did just enough with the long ball and then spent the final inning hanging on. Brennen Davis opened the scoring with a 109.6 mph solo shot in the second inning, Colt Emerson added an insurance homer in the eighth, and the Rainiers edged the Oklahoma City Comets 3-2 on Saturday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The win was shaped by timely power and a starter who kept traffic to a minimum. Davis’ blast gave Tacoma an immediate jolt, and a run-scoring double play in the fourth pushed the lead to 2-0. Jhonathan Díaz then protected that margin with 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing only four baserunners while striking out two to earn his second victory of the season. Against Oklahoma City in his career, Díaz now owns a 1.47 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 49.0 innings, the kind of run that makes him more than a stopgap arm in this matchup.

Oklahoma City finally cracked the scoreboard in the seventh when Jack Suwinski and Eliezer Alfonzo hit back-to-back doubles to cut the deficit to 2-1. Tacoma answered in the next inning when Emerson drove a solo homer, his first of the season against a right-handed pitcher, restoring a two-run cushion and giving the Rainiers a little breathing room before the finish turned uneasy.

The Comets made that cushion disappear quickly in the ninth. Alfonzo opened the inning with his first Triple-A home run, pulling Oklahoma City within 3-2, and Noah Miller followed with a single to keep the pressure on. Tacoma shut the door from there, with H. Roth finishing the save as the Rainiers held on for their third straight win over Oklahoma City and took a 3-2 lead in the six-game series.

The result moved Tacoma back to .500 at 13-13, while Oklahoma City dropped to 12-14 and lost its third straight game and third straight home game for the first time since Aug. 26-28, 2025 against Memphis. The Rainiers also got more production from Jhonny Pereda, who turned in his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, and Brian O’Keefe, who extended his hitting streak to seven games and has hit safely in every game since returning from the Development List on April 14. In a series that has already featured a 10-5 Tacoma win and a 3-1 opener, this one stood out for how narrowly it was decided: early power, steady pitching, and one last swing from Emerson separating the clubs.