PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

Published on May 16, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Notes for Tuesday's 5:35 p.m. PT Tacoma Rainiers series opener at Albuquerque are attached.

Tacoma Rainiers (18-21) @ Albuquerque Isotopes (16-23)

Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 5:35p.m. PT | Isotopes Park: Albuquerque, NM

RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Dinelson Lamet (MLB Rehab)

#DarrenDay: 2023 is the fifth season in which right-hander Darren McCaughan has pitched for Tacoma. His 66th career start for the Rainiers tonight will tie him for the ninth-most in Tacoma's Triple-A history (since 1960) with Brian Sweeney; Sweeney first pitched for Tacoma from 1999-2000, a second time 2002-03, again in 2010 and had a fourth stint from 2012-13. McCaughan will be five 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.

SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Only two MiLB players have more home runs than Rainiers INF/OF Jake Scheiner's 12, each also at Triple-A; Salt Lake's Jo Adell (13) and Luken Baker (14) of Memphis (International League). Scheiner is equal to Adell for most extra-base hits in the PCL (23) and has the fourth-most total bases (86) and doubles (11) in the league. His .597 slugging, 32 RBI, 32 runs scored and 25 walks each rank in the top eight on the circuit. Scheiner has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games and is batting .360 in May over 13 games played (18-for-50, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 12 R, 5 BB, 1.138 OPS). The Triple-A rookie's solid .271 average is still misleading when you consider his overall .977 OPS (.380 OBP/.597 SLG).

FORD'S LEAD LAP: With his 10th homer on Friday (solo, 10, T-4th in PCL), Mike Ford leads all of North American professional baseball with 46 RBI (37 GP)...the two players closest to Ford are each at Triple-A; Las Vegas's Cody Thomas (43), and Louisville's Matt McClain (40), who was called up by Cincinnati on Monday. Entering Tuesday's action, Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers leads the Majors with 42 RBI. Ford remains top five in the PCL in slugging (.631) and extra-base hits (21); his 82 total bases rank sixth.

Ford's career-high 86 RBI came in 2017, over 126 games between Double-A Trenton (Eastern League) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International League) while in the New York Yankees organization.

GREEN LIGHT: Mike Ford's eye-popping RBI numbers come with another double-take stat; the lefty 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 loaded.

THE OPEN-R: The 2023 Rainiers are continuing last season's trend of starting series on a high note. Tacoma is now 5-2 in lid-lifters this season (3-1 road), and 23-11 in such games dating to 4/5/22 (primarily six-game series). The Rainiers were 18-9 in series openers last season (11-3 road), which was 25% of their win total (72-78).

LEAD-R-BOARD: The Rainiers lead all Triple-A clubs in walks, with 238 drawn over 39 games (6.10 BB/game), a 15-walk cushion over second place El Paso (223). Tacoma infielder Cesar Hernandez's 32 walks (32 GP) equal El Paso's Matthew Batten for the league lead; his .460 on-base percentage is third in the PCL and sixth-highest in Triple-A. Tacoma's OBP is fourth in Triple-A and second in the PCL at .379, and their 50 stolen bases (12 CS, 80.6%) rank second in the league, only to Salt Lake's 51 SB.

PAT THE BAT: Tacoma infielder Pat Valaika returns to Albuquerque this week for the first time as an opponent; he played in 160 games for the Isotopes between 2016-19, originally a ninth round draft selection of Colorado in 2013. Valaika had a huge run for ABQ in 2019 (84 GP) around 40 MLB games with Colorado: .320, .952 OPS, 25 HR, 75 RBI and went 5-for-18 with a walk and solo HR against Tacoma that season. He was selected to the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game in El Paso, and is a veteran of 373 MLB games with Colorado and Baltimore (2016-21).

CADE PARADE: Rainiers OF Cade Marlowe had three hits on Sunday and has reached base safely in 22 of 24 games played after returning from a strained oblique on April 18. Even with his delayed start, Marlowe is one of 10 PCL players with at least three triples, and Sunday was already his third game with three-plus hits.

FESTA FIESTA: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa has been absolute nails after being optioned to Tacoma on April 9. He's carrying a 0.60 ERA in 12 games (15.0 IP, 1 ER), and has converted all five of his save opportunities, equaling Wander Suero and Nick Robertson, both of OKC, for most saves in the PCL. Festa is allowing a meager .125 BAA (6 hits) against Triple-A batters, after retiring the side in order on Sunday (9th).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 16, 2023


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