PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Las Vegas (7:05 PT)

Published on April 29, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (7-14) @ Las Vegas Aviators (10-11)

Friday, April 29, 2022, 7:05 p.m. PT | Las Vegas Ballpark: Summerlin, NV

LHP Nick Margevicius vs. LHP Zach Logue

7'S A WINNER: Homers from Sam Haggerty (3-run, 3-for-5) and Stuart Fairchild (solo) were more than enough run support for Rainiers right-hander Darren McCaughan on Thursday night, as Tacoma took a 2-1 series lead during their week in Las Vegas with a 7-1 victory. It was Haggerty's third home run, and Fairchild's first with the Rainiers after the Mariners acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks last weekend.

McCaughan threw 90 pitches over 6.0 innings, allowing only four hits and an earned run on a Vimael Machin solo homer. McCaughan did not issue a walk, struck out six, and at one point retried 13 consecutive batters. McCaughan's 25 strikeouts this season is one off the league lead, Sugar Land RHP Hunter Brown has 26. McCaughan's 27.1 IP lead the PCL.

Tacoma first baseman Zach Green got things rolling with a two-run double in the first inning. A bullpen trio of Patrick Weigel (3 K), Riley O'Brien (1 K) and lefty Blake Townsend (2 K) each tossed a scoreless inning to finish it off, combining to allow only two hits and a walk.

RUN OF SAM: Through the first three games of this road trip, Rainiers infielder Sam Haggerty is 7-for-11 with a homer and eight RBI (3 R, 2 SB)...not far behind is outfielder Stuart Fairchild, who's off to a 6-for-12 start in Vegas (solo HR, 3 RBI, 3 R), and has been on base eight times with two walks. Haggerty has lifted his average to .328, which ranks seventh in the PCL; his 15 RBI are seventh-most on the circuit as well.

R SPEED: The Rainiers have stolen 42 bases in 21 games, and lead all of Triple-A in steals by *10*; the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) of the International League are second with 32, after stealing five times last night in their 5-4 win at Worcester. Caught only five times as a club so far, the Rainiers are stealing bases at an .894 clip, while swiping two bags per game. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall leads the PCL in steals by two, after his 10th theft last night.

Rainiers infielders Sam Haggerty and Erick Mejia are tied for third on the circuit, three behind Wall, with seven steals apiece.

WALKMAN, JUNIOR: Steven Souza, Jr. leads the Rainiers in walks with 13, which ties him for fifth in the PCL...he's three behind Sugar Land infielder David Hensley, who paces the league with 16.

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).

ANOTHA ONE: While the Rainiers currently have three Seattle-area locals on their roster, Las Vegas infielder Nate Mondou is Tacoma-born, a graduate of Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, and a resident of Lake Tapps, WA.

Mondou, the Oakland Athletics' 13th round draft pick in 2016 following three seasons at Wake Forest University, is in his sixth professional season (excluding 2020, DNP) and his second at Triple-A, after spending all of last season with the Aviators. Mondou joins Rainiers outfielders Steven Souza (Everett, Cascade High School) and Stuart Fairchild (Seattle, Seattle Prep) as well as Tacoma RHP Riley O'Brien (Seattle/Shoreline, Shorewood High School) as Puget Sound natives in this series. Mondou and Fairchild were teammates at Wake Forest for two seasons (2015-2016).

Against Tacoma last season, Mondou batted .242 (15-for-62) in 17 games, with three home runs, three doubles, eight walks, 14 runs scored and seven RBI, with a .777 OPS (.342/.435). Mondou played in all but one game against his hometown club in 2021.

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 (286-276, 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 208-180 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.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 29, 2022


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