PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

Published on May 18, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (19-22) @ Albuquerque Isotopes (17-24)

Thursday, May 18, 2023, 5:35p.m. PT | Isotopes Park: Albuquerque, NM

LHP Tommy Milone vs. LHP Ty Blach

SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Rainiers INF/OF Jake Scheiner currently ranks top 5 in the PCL in home runs (12), doubles (11), extra-base hits (23) and total bases (88). His 33 RBI, 33 runs, 27 walks, and .587 slugging each rank top 10 in the league. Scheiner has hit safely in 14 of 16 games and is batting .357 in May over 15 games played (20-for-56, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R, 7 BB, 1.101 OPS). The Triple-A rookie's solid .273 average is still misleading when you consider his overall .970 OPS (.383 OBP). Scheiner began this season by starting and finishing each of Tacoma's first 24 games.

THEY GET ON BASE, BILLY: The Rainiers lead all Triple-A clubs in walks, with 245 drawn over 41 games (5.98 BB/game), a 10-walk cushion over second place El Paso (235). Tacoma infielder Cesar Hernandez's 32 walks (32 GP) are two shy of El Paso's Matthew Batten for the league lead; his .460 on-base percentage is fourth in the PCL (7th-highest in Triple-A). Tacoma's OBP is fourth in Triple-A at .377, and their 53 stolen bases (12 CS, 81.5%) rank second in the league, only to Salt Lake's 55 steals. The Rainiers' run differential is +10 (254-244) despite being under .500; it's the fourth-best differential in the PCL entering Thursday's action.

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).

'PEN-EMIES: Two members of the Albuquerque pitching staff spent significant time with Tacoma in 2022. RHP Matt Koch (pronounced "cook") spent nearly all of last season with the Rainiers, aside from appearing in four games (4.1 IP) with Seattle between April 13-29, as the first Tacoma player called up last season. Koch pitched 38.1 innings for the Rainiers (38 G) and struck out 50 (13 BB), while posting a 3.05 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. The other, RHP Phillips Valdez, was claimed by Seattle off waivers from Boston on 7/29/22 and finished the season with Tacoma (18 G, 21.1 IP, 4.22 ERA); he appeared in 13 G (16.1 IP for the Red Sox last season as well.

TOMASO: Tommy Milone will make his seventh start of 2023 tonight, sixth for Tacoma (Rainiers 4-1) and his third since tossing 4.2 IP of one-run ball for the Mariners on 4/14 vs. Colorado (3 H, 2 BB, 3 K) in a 5-3 win. Milone was summoned to Seattle when fellow lefty Marco Gonzalez was placed on the paternity list.

Milone continues a true anomaly of the Mariners all-time roster: Four alums of Saugus (CA) High School have reached the Major Leagues, and all have played for Seattle. LHP Shawn Barton (1992), RHP Roger Salkeld (1993-94), Milone (2019, 2022-23) and INF Zach Vincej (2018) is the list...Vincej was also Tacoma's 3B/INF coach in 2022, while Milone pitched for the Rainiers. Salkeld pitched 4x (3 GS) for the 1995 Rainiers.

HE'S WHAT-FOR-WHAT WITH WHAT NOW?: Mike Ford's 46 RBI (39 GP) are equal to Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers for the most in all of North American professional baseball, 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.

CADE PARADE: Rainiers OF Cade Marlowe has reached base safely in 23 of 26 games 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 last Sunday (home vs. Reno) was already his third game with three-plus hits. His nine stolen bases lead Tacoma and tie him for sixth in the PCL. Marlowe's nine-game hit streak from April 23 through May 4 equaled Brian O'Keefe for the 2023 club-long.

FESTA FIESTA: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa has been absolute nails after being optioned to Tacoma on April 9. He's carrying a 0.56 ERA in 13 games (16.0 IP, 1 ER), and has converted all six of his save opportunities, which lead the PCL outright. Festa is allowing a meager .118 BAA (6 hits) against Triple-A batters, after retiring the side in order (9th, 1 K) once again last night.

UNI-WATCH: The 2023 Tacoma Rainiers have the following record by uniform top...R Red (5-6), Home White (5-4), Road Grey (1-2), Navy Blue (4-8), 1960 Fauxback (1-1), La Familia de Tacoma (2-0), Special Auction (1-1).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 18, 2023


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