PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

Published on April 29, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (13-11) @ Las Vegas Aviators (12-13)

Saturday, April 29, 2023, 7:05p.m. PT | Las Vegas Ballpark: Summerlin, NV

RHP Riley O'Brien vs. RHP Colton Eastman

EASTON GOES NORTH: Tacoma's originally scheduled starter for tonight, right-hander Easton McGee, instead took the hill for the Mariners this afternoon in Toronto (2nd MLB app.). McGee is already the ninth Tacoma to Seattle promotion this season (8 pitchers), and left the Rainiers as the PCL's leader in innings pitched (28.1), with the league's fifth-lowest ERA (3.14). His 24 strikeouts are T-6th PCL, his WHIP is 1.22 (6th). McGee made his MLB debut on 10/2/22 for Tampa Bay at Houston (3.0 IP, 0 ER).

WHAT A BUNCH OF HOMERS: The Rainiers hit three solo shots last night, a rarity. 25 of Tacoma's 39 home runs have come with men on base (one grand slam, eight 3-run, 16 two-run). The Rainiers already have five individual 2-HR efforts this year, and four in the last 11 days (Brian O'Keefe on 4/2 & Tuesday, Jake Scheiner on 4/18 & Wednesday, and Jacob Nottingham on 4/19). Kean Wong and Taylor Trammell hit Tacoma's first back-to-back homers of 2023 to begin the third inning last night. Tacoma's 39 HR are tied for fourth-most in Triple-A, with Albuquerque. Las Vegas has the most (43).

YOU DOWN WITH OBP?: Tacoma ranks second in Triple-A with a .401 team on-base percentage (Reno, .403). Tacoma's 165 walks in 24 games (6.88/game) also lead the level, by 13 (El Paso, 152). Tacoma's .894 club OPS is second only to Reno in Triple-A (.902), despite the Rainiers beating Reno 4 of 5 from April 4-8 (one rainout).

IT'S BEEN DRIVEN BY FORD, LATELY: With two more homers and five RBI in this series, Mike Ford sits atop the PCL leaderboard with 35 RBI already (22 GP); Las Vegas's Cody Thomas is second (33). Ford leads the league in slugging at .726, with a robust 1.149 OPS (5th) and eight homers (T-2nd with teammates O'Keefe and Scheiner). His 15 extra-base hits and 61 total bases each rank third.

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

BRIAN O'FFENSE: Tacoma catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base safely in 16 of his 18 games thus far. O'Keefe is tied for second in the PCL in home runs with teammates Mike Ford and Jake Scheiner (8), and is fourth in the league in slugging (.704) with a 1.128 OPS (6th). His 50 total bases also rank league top 10.

RILEY ZERO'BRIEN: After another scoreless inning with a strikeout on Tuesday, Rainiers right-hander Riley O'Brien has fired 7.1 shutout IP over his five most recent appearances, allowing only four hits and a lone walk, while striking out 14. This stretch includes a save on 4/18 vs. El Paso at Cheney Stadium, when he inherited the bases loaded but closed an 11-7 Tacoma win with a strikeout. O'Brien also helped pitch the Rainiers to two "bullpen day" victories at Round Rock on 4/12 and 4/15, spinning 2.0 shutout IP each time as the opener, with four strikeouts and zero walks in each outing as well (3 total hits).

ET TU BB?: Tacoma infielder Cesar Hernandez already has four 3-BB games this year, is sporting a .489 OBP (20 GP), and leads all of Triple-A (by five) with 28 walks. Hernandez aims for a MLB return where he's a veteran of 1,186 GP since 2013 with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago-AL and Washington; he won the 2020 AL Gold Glove for a second baseman, with Cleveland.

GRIFFEY-ESQUE: Mason McCoy (22-SS, 2-2B) and Jake Scheiner (10-LF, 7-1B, 4-RF, 3-3B) remain the only Rainiers to date to start all 24 games this season. Scheiner has finished all 24.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 29, 2023


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