Tacoma tops Las Vegas 5-1 behind Miller’s rehab outing, two homers

Tacoma did not need a barrage to take control. It needed Bryce Miller to hold the line, a pair of solo homers to break through, and enough clean innings late to turn a tight game into a 5-1 win over Las Vegas at Cheney Stadium on Thursday night.

The Rainiers got all three. Miller worked four scoreless innings in his third Major League rehab start, and Tacoma improved to 15-15 by backing him with power from Brennen Davis and Colt Emerson. Las Vegas, which entered at 16-12, was kept from ever building much momentum in a game that stayed close early before Tacoma separated in the later innings.

Davis put Tacoma on the board with a 102.5 mph blast to right field, a loud reminder of the kind of middle-order damage the Rainiers can produce without piling up a crooked number. Emerson added another solo shot, giving the 20-year-old shortstop his 10th RBI and reinforcing why his arrival from Double-A Arkansas has carried so much developmental weight for Seattle. Emerson, Seattle’s No. 1 prospect, has already started to look settled in Tacoma after his recent promotion.

The Rainiers also found production from the bottom and middle of the lineup. Rhylan Thomas and Jhonny Pereda each recorded multi-hit games, their 10th such efforts of the season, and that contact helped Tacoma keep pressure on Las Vegas even when the score was still manageable. Tacoma finished with nine hits and did its best work when opportunities came with runners in scoring position, turning a game that was even in the hit column into a clear result on the scoreboard.

Jhonathan Díaz earned the win after taking over for Miller, and Gunner Mayer helped close it out as Tacoma’s bullpen covered the final five innings with one-run relief. The staff line was steady rather than overpowering, but that was enough once the offense supplied two home runs and a few timely base knocks. The Rainiers allowed seven hits and three walks while striking out three across the relief work, the kind of efficient night that often decides Triple-A games.

The outing also continued Miller’s careful ramp-up after he was shut down in spring training with left-side oblique inflammation on February 28. He had already thrown three scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his previous rehab outing for High-A Everett on April 24, and Thursday’s four-inning stint gave Tacoma another encouraging step as he moves toward a projected return around mid-May. In front of 3,044 at Cheney Stadium, the Rainiers got the kind of complete, controlled win contenders need when the offense is good enough and the pitching never lets the opponent breathe.