September 7 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Albuquerque Isotopes

Sports stats



Tacoma Rainiers

September 7 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Albuquerque Isotopes

September 7, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


TACOMA RAINIERS (75-61) vs. ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES (55-81)

Saturday, September 7 - 6:05 PM - Cheney Stadium - Tacoma, WA

RHP Michael Mariot (8-6, 5.91) vs. RHP Peyton Battenfield (4-8, 7.51)

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Rainiers and Isotopes will play game five of their six-game series tonight, with Michael Mariot taking the ball for Tacoma. Mariot will face Albuquerque for the 11th time in his career and second this year, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk over 5.0 innings back on July 12. The right hander enters tonight's game with an 8-6 record and a 5.91 ERA through 25 games (22 starts), allowing 74 earned runs on 118 hits and 29 walks compared to 89 strikeouts over 112.2 innings pitched. Opposite Mariot will be Peyton Battenfield toeing the rubber for Albuquerque, set to pitch in his 24th game (22nd start) of the season tonight. He is 4-8 with a 7.51 ERA, allowing 89 earned runs on 92 hits including 26 home runs. He has walked 41 batters compared to 76 strikeouts over 106.2 innings, as opponents are hitting .306 against him. In two starts against the Rainiers this year, he has allowed six earned runs on 10 hits including two home runs, walking and striking out five batters over his 10.0 innings.

GETTING QUALITY: Emerson Hancock delivered 6.2 strong innings last night, allowing just one earned run on a solo home run in the first frame. Hancock allowed six hits and one walk, striking out six batters in the outing. The right-hander has now turned in nine quality starts in his 17 games with Tacoma this year, delivering a quality start in more than half of his starts for the Rainiers. Hancock is now third on the active roster in wins with seven, going 7-3 with a 3.43 ERA in his 17 starts.

ON THE MEND: Reliever Gregory Santos spun a scoreless inning of relief last night, allowing one hit and striking out a batter. It was his first game on major league rehab with Tacoma in his second rehab stint this year. Santos is recovering from right biceps inflammation that landed him on the injured list back on Aug. 2. His first stint with Tacoma was on July 2 when he was recovering from a right latissimus dorsi strain that put him on the 60-day injured list to start the season. Santos was acquired by Seattle in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Feb. 3 this year for Prelander Berroa, Zach DeLoach and future considerations.

TIED AT THE TOP: Tacoma got back to their running ways last night, stealing five bases in their 6-1 victory. Ryan Bliss accounted for two of those stolen bases on his own, giving him 44 on the season. The utility infielder's 44 stolen bases are tied for both the league and team lead with teammate Samad Taylor. The two combine for 34% (88-of-258) of Tacoma's total stolen bases this year. Running wild has been a key to the Rainiers' success this season, as their 258 is a franchise record.

GAINED ONE: With the Rainiers' victory last night and Reno's extra-inning loss to El Paso, Tacoma gained a game in the second-half Pacific Coast League standings. The standings are tight coming down to the final two weeks of the season, as there are five teams really in the hunt right now. Reno leads the way with a 34-26 record, followed by Tacoma and Salt Lake who are tied for second with a record of 32-29 entering play tonight. Las Vegas is just behind them at 31-29 followed by Oklahoma City at 31-30.

CLEAN IT UP: Tacoma's defense has been relatively solid all year, leading the Pacific Coast League with 142 double plays entering tonight's game. Prior to this last week they had been in the top three among PCL teams in errors as well but have gotten sloppy over their last seven games. The Rainiers have committed at least one error in each of their last seven games played dating back to May 30. Entering play a week ago, they were third in the PCL with 90 errors committed and enter tonight's game fifth with 101 errors as a team. They have had two or more errors in three of their last five games, a category in which they are 10-14 this year.

BACK-TO-BACK: Tacoma won their second straight game over Albuquerque last night, giving them back-to-back wins for the first time since winning a season-long six games in a row from Aug. 14-20. Despite the skid the last two weeks, the Rainiers have remained in playoff contention, just 2.5 games out of the race entering play tonight.

AGAINST ALBUQUERQUE: After losing each of the first two games of the series, Tacoma has come back to win each of the last two, evening the series at two games apiece entering play tonight. They trail the season series by two games entering play tonight, at 6-4, with just two games remaining between the two teams this year. Tacoma went just 2-4 against Albuquerque in their series at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park from July 9-14, needing two wins in the final two games to win their current series and split the season series with the Isotopes. Despite winning last night, the Rainiers trail the all-time series to the Isotopes by 17 games entering play tonight, at 272-289-1.

SHORT HOPS: Eight of Tacoma's nine starting hitters recorded at least one hit last night, as Ryan Bliss was the lone Rainiers' hitter to have a multi-hit game...Tacoma turned three double plays last night, getting at least one in all four games against Albuquerque this series; they turned three on Wednesday night and lead the PCL in double plays with 142 entering play tonight.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Pacific Coast League message board...

Pacific Coast League Stories from September 7, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Tacoma Rainiers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central