Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Las Vegas (12:05 PT)
May 1, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (7-16) @ Las Vegas Aviators (12-11)
Sunday, May 1, 2022, 12:05 p.m. PT | Las Vegas Ballpark: Summerlin, NV
RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (2-1, 5.19) vs. RHP Collin Wiles (2-1, 3.71)
BAD LANG TIMES: The Rainiers will try for a six-game split to wrap their week in Las Vegas today, after the Aviators ran away with a 10-2 win on Saturday night in the desert.
Las Vegas went in front 1-0 in the first inning, on consecutive doubles by Ramon Laureano and Vimael Machin. It was 3-0 after three innings when Shea Langeliers hit his third homer of the series and his second two-run homer to straightaway centerfield in as many nights.
The Rainiers were on the board in the fifth, when Mason McCoy doubled with one out, and Billy Hamilton gapped a double with two, trimming the Las Vegas lead to 3-1.
Vegas went ahead 5-1 in the fifth, when Machin hit an RBI double, and Langeliers later muscled his fifth homer in six games out to left field, and his fourth long ball since the Rainiers hit town on Tuesday. Tacoma took one back in the visiting sixth when Marcus Wilson doubled home Cal Raleigh (walk).
The Aviators busted the game wide open in their half of the sixth, scoring five times, highlighted by a Luis Barrera solo homer (3), an RBI double from Tacoma native Nate Mondou and a Langeliers RBI groundout.
Las Vegas left-hander Jared Koenig scattered five hits over 5.2 IP for a winning decision, and both runs against him were earned. He struck out nine, walking only one. Tacoma starter Asher Wojciechowski allowed three earned runs over five innings, with five strikeouts and a walk. Patrick Weigel fired two scoreless innings for the Rainiers (1 H, 1 BB, 2 K), while Riley O'Brien worked a perfect eighth.
RUN OF SAM (& HAM): Through the first five games of this road trip, Rainiers infielder Sam Haggerty is 9-for-20 with two homers and 10 RBI (4 R, 2 SB)...not far behind is outfielder Billy Hamilton, who is 6-for-16 (2 RBI, BB) with five runs scored and two stolen bases since the team arrived in Vegas. Haggerty has lifted his average to .314 and is tied for seventh in the PCL with 17 RBI.
MAY DAY: Today the Rainiers look to turn the page on a difficult opening month; Tacoma did not win consecutive games in April. In 2021 the Rainiers went 12-11 in May, which was the delayed season's opening month (COVID-19).
EXPLORING FOR HITS: Today's Tacoma starter Daniel Ponce de Leon is allowing just a .203 average against, and he'll re-assume a top 10 spot on the PCL leaderboard in that category once he regains the minimum innings threshold.
R SPEED: The Rainiers have stolen 43 bases in 23 games, and lead all of Triple-A in steals by *10*; the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) of the International League are second with 33. Caught only six times as a club so far, the Rainiers are stealing bases at an .878 clip, while swiping 1.87 bags per game. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall leads the PCL in steals by two, after his 10th theft on Thursday.
Rainiers infielders Sam Haggerty and Erick Mejia are tied for fourth on the circuit, three behind Wall, with seven steals apiece. It's a fast start to the year throughout the organization, as Julio Rodriguez led the Major Leagues - by two - with nine stolen bases entering today's action.
CAL RAKES: Catcher Cal Raleigh was optioned to Tacoma on Thursday. He compiled the longest hitting streak for Tacoma last season, 23 games between May 15 and June 17. Raleigh batted .396 during the streak with 20 XBH (6 HR), 22 RBI and 22 runs while OPSing 1.170 (.430/.740).
WALKMAN, JUNIOR: Steven Souza, Jr. leads the Rainiers in walks with 13, which ties him for fifth in the PCL...he's four behind Sugar Land's David Hensley and Oklahoma City's Ryan Noda, who share the league lead with 17 apiece.
HAPPY FLIGHT: Las Vegas is one of three current PCL member cities that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time winning record against (286-278, since 1983); the others are Salt Lake (365-353-1, since 1960) and Round Rock (44-26, since 2005). During the Rainiers era and Seattle Mariners affiliation (since 1995), Tacoma is 208-182 against Las Vegas and their various nicknames and MLB affiliations. The Tacoma Tigers (Oakland A's) were 78-96 against Las Vegas from 1981 through 1994.
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