August 25 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Sacramento River Cats
August 25, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
TACOMA RAINIERS (72-53) vs. SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS (66-59)
Sunday, August 25 - 1:35 PM - Cheney Stadium - Tacoma, WA
RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.45) vs. RHP Carson Seymour (5-9, 5.07)
TODAY'S GAME: Tacoma and Sacramento will play the sixth and final game of their series today, with the River Cats leading three games to two. The Rainiers will send Emerson Hancock to the mound, set to make his second start of the series and third of the year against Sacramento. Hancock enters play today with a 5-3 record and a 3.45 ERA, allowing 29 earned runs on 65 hits and 32 walks. He has struck out 52 batters in 75.2 innings with the Rainiers. Opposite Hancock will be Carson Seymour toeing the rubber for the River Cats, entering play with a 5-9 record and a 5.07 ERA. He has allowed 61 earned runs on 126 hits and 47 walks, striking out 107 batters over 108.1 innings pitched. Seymour leads Sacramento in starts (23), innings pitched (108.1) and strikeouts (107), tied for first with five wins. In two starts against the Rainiers this year, the right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and three walks, striking out 12 over 7.2 innings.
DANGER ZONE: Tacoma is in danger of losing their first home series of the year today, currently trailing the series to Sacramento three games to two. The River Cats have had the Rainiers' number all season long, going 4-2 in each of the first two series between the two teams back from April 30 - May 5 and May 28 - June 2. Both series were played at Sutter Health Park, where Tacoma went 4-8 on the season. The Rainiers have been a better home team all year long, entering today's game with a 31-32 record on the road and a 41-21 record at home. Despite being much better in home games so far this year, Sacramento has still taken three of the first five games against Tacoma here at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma is currently 9-2-0 in home series, looking to stay perfect with a victory today.
ON THE MEND: J.P. Crawford played his first game on Major League rehab with Tacoma last night, recovering from a right hand fracture that landed him on the injured list back on June 23. The shortstop went 0-for-3 out of the two-hole and didn't get a single play at shortstop, but left the game as scheduled after five innings. He is expected to continue his rehab assignment with the Rainiers today, working his way back to full health before re-joining Seattle's active roster.
USED 'EM UP: Tacoma went through six different relief pitchers in last night's loss, as they got 4.2 innings from starter Jhonathan Diaz. Jonathan Hernandez came in and got the final out of the fifth inning, stranding both inherited runners to close Diaz' line. He was followed by Cody Bolton, who didn't have his best stuff, allowing two earned runs on a hit and two walks over just 0.1 innings. Josh Fleming came in and put out the fire that inning, recording two outs on just five pitches. Carlos Vargas followed Fleming, and, like Bolton, didn't have his best night. He allowed two runs on three hits, giving up the lead in the seventh inning. Chris Devenski and Joey Krehbiel followed Vargas, each tossing scoreless innings. Tacoma enters the finale may be short-handed today, using six of their 11 total available relievers, with three of the remaining five throwing on Friday night.
GIVING QUALITY: Emerson Hancock tossed 6.2 shutout innings in the opener back on Tuesday, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five. It marked his second consecutive quality start and seventh of the season. The former first round selection has now thrown a quality start in half of his starts for Tacoma this year, going six or more innings and allowing three earned runs or less in seven of his 14 games. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts against Sacramento, allowing two earned runs on six hits and four walks, striking out 12 over 12.2 innings.
STAY HOT: After going a perfect 5-for-5 with five runs scored and five runs batted in on Friday night, Luis Urias kept it going in last night's loss. The infielder went 2-for-5 with a run scored, a home run and three runs driven in. He clubbed a two-run home run in the third inning to give Tacoma their first lead of the game, marking his second home run in as many games. He enters today's game hitting .265 through 72 games with Tacoma this year.
GET TO DOUBLE DIGITS: Samad Taylor enters play today with a nine-game hitting streak, the second longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League. He trails only Albert Almora Jr. of the Reno Aces, who is currently riding an 11-game streak from August 11-24. Taylor's streak dates back to August 15 against Sugar Land, recording at least one hit in nine of the first 11 games of the current two-week homestand. Over the nine games, he is hitting .333 (12-for-36) with four doubles, a triple, a home run and five runs batted in. He has taken three walks, raising his on-base percentage to .385 over his last nine games. Once he gets on base, he creates pressure on the defense, going a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases through those nine games, part of his 42 swiped bags this year. This is the second nine-game hitting streak for Taylor, whose first nine-game stretch came back on June 20-29.
AGAINST SACRAMENTO: Tacoma dropped their third game of the series to Sacramento, once again falling behind in the current series, three games to two. The Rainiers have struggled against the River Cats this year, going just 6-11 entering the series and season finale this afternoon. They trail Sacramento in the all-time series by 12 games, at 247-259.
SHORT HOPS: Logan Warmoth came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with two singles last night, replacing MLB rehabber J.P. Crawford after his scheduled five innings played...despite losing again last night, the Rainiers didn't lose ground in the second half standings, as Las Vegas took care of Reno with a 7-4 win; Tacoma enters today's finale still trailing the Aces by half of a game...Tacoma has a chance to have their winningest month this year with a victory today, entering play with a 15-6 record in the month of August with six games still to play; they won 15 games in April (15-10) and June (15-11).
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