Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Dramatic blast gives Stars first victory at home

Tacoma reliever Tim Davis had won more than his share of battles with Sean Mulligan throughout their minor-league careers, but the Las Vegas Stars catcher got the better of his nemesis this time.

Mulligan belted an 0-2 fastball for a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday night and lifted the Stars to an 8-6 Pacific Coast League victory over the Rainiers at Cashman Field.

"He has pitched me tough throughout my whole minor-league career, so I was just trying to put the bat on the ball," Mulligan said. "He threw me a cutter in ... he just left it up a little."

Davis (0-1) opened the ninth inning by getting a quick out, then surrendered a long double off the right-field wall to Paul Russo. After getting two strikes on Mulligan, the left-hander missed with a cut fastball and Mulligan drove it deep over the 364-foot sign in left-center field.

Stars reliever Weston Weber (1-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Russ Swan and picked up the win.

Although the Stars (2-3) notched their first win at home, manager Jerry Royster said he still is waiting for his team to rid itself of the mental mistakes they have made the past two nights.

"We're still doing some little things (wrong)," Royster said. "We totally just gave away a run in the first inning for no apparent reason. We're giving away too many runs. I'm glad to get the win but I would like to see us, somewhere in the first 10 ballgames, play a real good one. Once we see how to do it, I think it'll be a little catchy."

Tacoma broke open a 3-3 tie with three runs in the seventh inning. Raul Ibanez started the rally with a one-out double down the right-field line off Swan. Desi Relaford drove in Martinez with a double to left.

Weber replaced Swan on the mound and got Manny Martinez to ground out to second, then walked the next two batters he faced to load the bases. Greg Pirkl followed with a two-run single to center to give the Rainiers a 6-3 lead.

Las Vegas closed to within 6-5 with four consecutive base hits off Davis in the bottom of the seventh. After a pair of singles to open the inning, Mike Sharperson doubled in one run and Russo singled in another.

The Stars tied the score at 6-6 in the eighth on a leadoff walk by Homer Bush, a sacrifice bunt by Ira Smith and an RBI single to center by Luis Lopez.

Bush, who had homered earlier in the game to give the Stars a 3-2 lead after three innings, is hitting .462 in his first four games at the triple-A level.

"Homer is just playing great," Royster said of his second baseman. "He's doing a lot of the things that he wasn't doing last year."

Royster also was impressed with Swan, the former major-league pitcher who was making his first start for the Stars.

"Swan, I thought, pitched great," Royster said. "It's been a long time since he has been on that mound. He had to be a little rusty and he still got 10 ground-ball outs. He was very impressive."

Swan left the game after 6 1/3 innings and the Stars trailing 4-3. He was charged with five runs (four earned) and scattered nine hits, walked only one and struck out one.

For the second time in as many games, Las Vegas battled back after falling behind early in the game. That, Mulligan said, is what separates the 1996 Stars from the team that lost 83 games last season.

"This year's team and last year's team are two totally different teams as far as talent," Mulligan said. "This year, we have more veteran guys that have big-league time and it makes a difference. I'm trying to listen to those guys and learn something."

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