PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at ABQ (12:35 PT)

Published on May 21, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


A 12-game homestand will commence at 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday at Cheney Stadium, after Monday's off day.

Tacoma Rainiers (20-24) @ Albuquerque Isotopes (19-25)

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 12:35p.m. PT | Isotopes Park: Albuquerque, NM

RHP Darren McCaughan vs. TBA

SEA US ROCK: Series finales across three leagues today will conclude a week of Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies affiliates playing each other. The Rockies farmhands have a 9-6 advantage, but a Mariners sweep today would even the week. Tacoma is 2-3 at Albuquerque, while High-A Everett is 1-4 at home vs. Spokane (Northwest League) and Class A Modesto is 3-2 at home against Fresno (California League). The Double-A clubs in Arkansas (Texas League) and Hartford (Eastern League) do not play.

#DarrenDay: 2023 is the fifth season in which right-hander Darren McCaughan has pitched for Tacoma. His 67th career start for the Rainiers today will place him alone in ninth all-time in Tacoma Triple-A history (since 1960), breaking a tie with Brian Sweeney. McCaughan is four starts shy of seventh all-time on the franchise list, a spot currently shared by Juan Veintidos (1974-77 Tacoma Twins) and Ryan Franklin (1997-2001 Rainiers) at 71 starts apiece.

WELL, THAT'S PECULIAR: The Rainiers have one of only three positive run differentials in the Pacific Coast League entering Sunday's action, despite being four games under .500. Oklahoma City (32-12) is +45, while second place Reno (27-17) is +58. Tacoma is +5 in runs, despite being alone in sixth place (263-258). At 18-25, Sugar Land has the worst run differential in the league by 26 (-52; Albuquerque is second-worst at -26).

THEY GET ON BASE, BILLY: The Rainiers lead all Triple-A clubs in walks, with 257 drawn over 44 games (5.84 BB/game). Tacoma has three players in the PCL top 10 in walks entering Sunday's action; Cesar Hernandez (33, T-3rd), Jake Scheiner (29, T-7th) and Cooper Hummel (27, T-10th). Tacoma's .373 on-base percentage is fourth-highest in Triple-A, and their 56 stolen bases (12 CS, 82.35%) are second in the PCL, to only Salt Lake (58 SB).

SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Rainiers INF/OF Jake Scheiner currently ranks top 5 in the PCL in home runs (12), extra-base hits (23) and total bases (90). His 33 RBI, 35 runs scored and 27 walks each rank top eight in the league. Scheiner is batting .338 in May over 18 games (22-for-65, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 15 R, 9 BB, 1.028 OPS). The Triple-A rookie's solid .270 average is still misleading when you consider his overall .948 OPS (.382/.566). Scheiner began this season by starting and finishing each of Tacoma's first 24 games. His 12 HR are fifth-most in all of MiLB.

COO(BB)ER: Rainiers OF/1B/C and Seattle 40-man roster player Cooper Hummel has walked 27x (T-10th PCL) in only 22 games since being optioned to Tacoma on April 22. Hummel is batting .212 (14-for-66), but his OBP is .442, which would rank seventh in the league with the minimum amount of plate appearances. Hummel has also stolen 10 bases (1 CS), which leads the club and is tied for sixth in the PCL. Hummel was traded to the Mariners by Arizona straight up for outfielder Kyle Lewis on 11/17/22.

He grew up a Mariners fan in Lake Oswego, OR before playing three seasons at the University of Portland (NCAA D-I, West Coast Conference).

HE'S WHAT-FOR-WHAT WITH WHAT NOW?: Mike Ford's 46 RBI (41 GP) lead all of MiLB, and he's second only to Adolis Garcia (49 RBI) of the Texas Rangers for the most in all of North American professional baseball. This is due in large part to a double-take stat; the lefty Ford is 10-for-14 (.714) with the bases loaded this season, with two grand slams, two doubles, 18 total bases and 22 of his 46 RBI. Ford hit both grand slams in 10 days, on 4/21 vs. El Paso (3 HR, career-high 8 RBI) and 4/30 at Las Vegas. His OPS is an even 2.000 with the bases juiced.

FESTA FIESTA: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa has been absolute nails after being optioned to Tacoma on April 9. He's carrying a 0.53 ERA in 14 games (17.0 IP, 1 ER), and has converted all seven of his save opportunities, which leads the Pacific Coast League. Festa is allowing a meager .111 average against (6 hits) vs. Triple-A batters, after retiring the side in order with a strikeout to close last night's game two doubleheader win.

RILED UP: RHP Riley O'Brien has settled in before Matt Festa as Tacoma's most frequent eighth inning arm (4 holds); the Seattle native has struck out 26 batters over 17.1 IP (2 ER, 1.04, 2 SV). When O'Brien made his MLB debut for Cincinnati on 9/30/21, he became the second alum of Shorewood HS to reach the Majors, joining LHP Blake Snell. He made his Mariners debut last season with one appearance on 5/7 vs. Tampa Bay at T-Mobile Park (1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 K).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 21, 2023


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