Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes - June 11, 2021 vs. Sacramento River Cats (7:05 p.m. PT)
June 11, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
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Tacoma Rainiers (15-15) vs. Sacramento River Cats (14-17)
Friday, June 11, 2021 @ 7:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium - Tacoma, WA
RHP Darren McCaughan (1-2, 6.43) vs. RHP Matt Frisbee (1-0, 5.40)
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: 2B Dylan Moore doubled and hit his first home run during his Major League rehab assignment with Tacoma, but the Rainiers were outslugged by Sacramento at Cheney Stadium, 15-7. 3B Jantzen Witte also belted a home run in the 8th inning, his fourth of the campaign.
Vinny Nittoli started for Tacoma and pitched a pair of scoreless innings. Seven Rainiers relievers, including a 9th inning pitching appearance for Witte, combined to allow all 15 River Cats runs and struck out 9 in the effort.
R CITY SLUGGERS: Dylan Moore and Jantzen Witte's solo blasts gave Tacoma home runs in each of their last 17 games. The 37 big flies during that stretch are tied with Triple-A Salt Lake for third most in affiliated pro baseball.
16 Rainiers have hit home runs over the last 17 games, with Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens leading the team with 5 long balls apiece.
GET YOUR STREAK ON: Tacoma's 17-game home run streak is the longest active streak in the affiliated pro ball. The Rainiers streak ties a team record since at least 2005, accomplished from June 25-July 15, 2010.
SHARING THE WEALTH: 18 different Tacoma hitters have hit at least 1 home run this season, good for 2nd most in the league (Reno, 20) and tied with St. Paul for 3rd most in Triple-A (Nashville, 20).
CONTACT SPORT: Both Tacoma and Sacramento had 10 strikeouts on Thursday. Tacoma hitters have struck out 253 times this season, fewest in the Triple-A West, while Sacramento batters have punched out a league-high 312 times.
River Cats pitchers lead the league with 331 strikeouts (10.94 SO/9) and Rainiers hurlers rank 3rd with 316 (10.57 SO/9).
AN OLYMPIC RETURN: Outfielders Eric Filia and Luis Liberato were activated from the temporary IL on Thursday as they returned to Tacoma after participating in the Olympic qualifiers. Filia played 4 games with Team USA, going 5-for-16 (.313) with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, SB, .563 SLG, .389 OBP, and .952 OPS. Liberato started 5 games with the Dominican Republic team, going 8-for-18 (.444), 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, .944 SLG, .545 OBP, and 1.489 OPS.
FULL HOUSE: The Rainiers lead all Triple-A clubs with 57 players used through 30 games. The team has used 33 pitchers, including infielder Jantzen Witte, and 25 position players.
GET YOUR RALEIGH CAPS ON: Catching prospect Cal Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a single and a run on Thursday, extending his career-long hit streak to 19 games. His batting average now sits at .349. Raleigh is 2nd among Triple-A West hitters with 13 doubles (Seth Beer, 14) and 20 XBH (Jo Adell, 23).
Raleigh is also top-10 in the league in batting average (.349), runs (24), total bases (71), SLG (.651), OPS (1.050), RBI (23), and hits (38).
DOUBLE-DIGIT STREAK: Raleigh can be the first Rainiers player to hit safely in 20 straight games since Franklin Gutierrez in 2015. The Tacoma franchise record is 26 games, set by Tacoma Giants outfielder Rex Johnston in 1965 and tied by Rainiers infielder Chad Akers in 1999.
During his current 19-game hit streak, Tacoma's longest of the season, Cal Raleigh is 32-for-81 (.395). Since May 15, Raleigh leads the Triple-A West in hits (32), XBH (16), doubles (10), and ranks top-10 in the league in batting average, total bases (59), RBI (18), SLG (.728), and OPS (1.149). Raleigh's streak is tied with Round Rock's Delino Deshields for the longest streak in the league this season.
WE WANT MOORE: Dylan Moore went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run on Thursday and has 4 extra-base hits in his last two games on rehab assignment. Moore doubled twice in Tuesday's victory over Salt Lake. He is 5-for-11 in his first three games in Tacoma.
INSERT WITTE CAPTION: Jantzen Witte went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a double on Thursday. Witte has hit safely in 23 of 28 games so far this season and has reached base in 26 contests. In June, Witte has a.304/.467/.609 slash line with 2 HR, 6 RBI, and 7 BB.
ROSTER CHANGES: RHP Kendall Graveman was reinstated from the IL by the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Graveman allowed 1 ER in 1 IP on Tuesday with Tacoma. RHP Kenyan Middleton was optioned to the Rainiers. In 19 relief appearances this season with the Mariners, Middleton is 4-for-4 on save opportunities and posted a 4.42 ERA over 18.1 IP.
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 11, 2021
- Skeeters Fall to Round Rock 7-0 - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Albuquerque Outslugs Salt Lake on Friday Night - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes - June 11, 2021 vs. Sacramento River Cats (7:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Aces Notes and Roster - Reno Aces
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 11, 2021 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Jason Castro to Begin MLB Rehab Assignment with Skeeters - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Dylan Moore Homers on Rehab Assignment, Rainiers Outslugged by Sacramento in Series Opener - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 10, 2021 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aviators' Rally Falls Short in 7-5 Loss to Reno - Las Vegas Aviators
- Tolman's second grand slam of season highlights offensive outburst - Sacramento River Cats
- Four Reno Homers Knock off Las Vegas, 7-5 - Reno Aces
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