Baby Cakes roll past Rainiers behind six-run outburst

METAIRIE – The New Orleans Baby Cakes batted around in a six-run second inning and rolled to a 7-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Monday night.

All the damage in the decisive frame came after the first two batters were retired, as the next seven Baby Cakes reached base safely. Peter O’Brien began the rally with a softly-hit grounder to right to beat the shift, and after Tyler Heineman singled, Gabriel Guerrero belted his 10th home run of the year over the left field wall.

Guerrero became the eighth New Orleans player to reach double-digit homers, a new franchise record. The team’s single-season record was extended to 184 just one batter later, as Jesus Sanchez went deep for the fourth time in nine games since joining the club.

Two more singles kept the inning going against Rainiers starter Nabil Crismatt (0-5), and Austin Dean plated a pair with a double to the wall in right-center field. New Orleans batted around for the sixth time this season, and ended Crismatt’s outing after only two innings.

Cody Poteet danced around trouble in the first two innings, allowing just one of five baserunners to score on a John Andreoli bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the second, and settled in to record a quality start. Poteet (2-1) gave up four hits, walked three, and struck out two in earning his second Triple-A victory.

Heineman had three of the Baby Cakes’ 11 hits, while Sanchez and Magneuris Sierra had two apiece. Sierra drilled his sixth home run of the campaign in the opening inning.

The Baby Cakes wrap up the homestand in Tuesday’s series finale at 6:30 p.m.