PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at ABQ (5:35 PT)

April 14, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (3-5) @ Albuquerque Isotopes (2-6)

Thursday, April 14, 2022, 5:35 p.m. PT | Isotopes Park: Albuquerque, NM

RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Matt Dennis (0-1, 4.91)

I'LL BE QUIRKY: Joe Odom (2-run) and Zach Green (solo) each launched their first home runs of the season on Wednesday at Albuquerque, and Mike Ford went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, but another Rainiers rally fell short this time in Albuquerque. The 7-6 setback was Tacoma's first one-run loss of the season (2-1).

The Rainiers bullpen continues to be superb: In his first regular season action since 2019, LHP Roenis Elias returned with 2.0 scoreless IP (1 H, 0 BB, 1 K). RHP Wyatt Mills followed with two perfect innings of his own (1 K).

Wynton Bernard doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in ABQ's first home win of 2022, in a game they once led 7-2.

DEFINITELY CALL IT A COMEBACK: The Rainiers' rally from seven runs down in game seven of the season on Tuesday at Albuquerque (trailed 8-1 after four innings) surpassed their largest comeback during all of last season. Tacoma erased a six-run deficit on June 15, 2021 at home against Sacramento; and like Tuesday, the final score of that game was also 10-9 in 10 innings.

"COOK" CALL: When the Seattle Mariners selected the contract of RHP Matt Koch (pronounced "cook") on Wednesday, he became the first Major League call-up from Tacoma in 2022. (RHP Casey Sadler to the 60-Day IL created the 40-man roster spot, RHP Sergio Romo went on the 10-Day IL to necessitate the transaction). It will be Koch's first MLB action since 2019 and his first with an organization other than the Arizona Diamondbacks; he has 125.1 big league innings with the Dbacks from 2016-19. Koch spent 2020 with the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese Major Leagues), and last season with Triple-A Columbus (Cleveland). Koch threw an immaculate inning on opening day (April 5 vs. Salt Lake at Cheney Stadium), striking out the side on nine pitches. He had appeared twice for the Rainiers (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K).

TIM THE 'TOPE: Tacoma Rainiers first-year manager Tim Federowicz will skipper his first road series in the ballpark he appeared most in as a player. As a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate, Federowicz played 239 games for Albuquerque between 2011 and 2014, while being summoned to the Majors in each of those four seasons, for a total of 89 games with L.A.

Federowicz played 116 career games in Albuquerque, batting .335 (142-for-424) with 22 home runs and 90 RBI. Overall as an Isotope, he hit .320 (279-for-873) with 39 HR and 166 RBI, appearing in more games for ABQ than any other franchise during his 13-season playing career. Federowicz played 26 games against Tacoma in his career with the Isotopes, El Paso, Iowa, Sacramento, Fresno and Nashville.

BACK TO SCHOOL: It's a homecoming of sorts for Rainiers infielder Sam Haggerty, an alum of the University of New Mexico baseball program. Tuesday was Haggerty's first pro game at Isotopes Park, which sits across the street from the UNM athletics complex and their baseball field; the Lobos did play some games at the Triple-A facility during his time there. In three seasons at UNM (2013-15) before being drafted in the 24th round by Cleveland in 2015, Haggerty batted .311 (179-for-575) in 146 games. He was selected a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and was Mountain West Conference Co-Freshman of the Year in 2013. Haggerty was also named First Team All-MWC in 2014. He's played in 59 MLB games with the Mariners and Mets since his debut in 2019 and last season.

SOUZBOT: A local of sorts, with 499 games of MLB experience, has been added to Tacoma's roster by the Mariners. Outfielder Steven Souza, Jr., an Everett native and graduate of Cascade High School, was a non-roster invitee to Major League camp in Peoria. Drafted 100th overall by Washington in 2007, he's logged big league time with the Nationals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Dodgers since his MLB debut in 2014.

Souza (72 MLB HR) was the second-highest draft pick in Cascade HS history and second to reach the Majors; outfielder Grady Sizemore (75th overall in 2000, Montreal Expos), is first in each category (MLB from 2004-2015). After spending the duration of spring training in big league camp, Souza made his regular season Mariners organization debut on 4/7 at Cheney Stadium vs. Salt Lake, and drew four walks.

UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following record by uniform top: Home white (2-2), red (1-2), road grey (0-1). "Throwback Weekend" is upcoming at Cheney Stadium; be on the lookout for "faux-back" uniforms in the games on April 23-24 vs. Sugar Land, which will imagine what the Rainiers brand might have looked like on field in the 1960s.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 14, 2022


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