Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:05 p.m. PT)
July 10, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Following an off day on Monday, the Oklahoma City Dodgers will make their first visit to Tacoma since 2018, in a series beginning at 7:05 PT on Tuesday.
Tacoma Rainiers (35-47) @ Reno Aces (43-40)
Sunday, July 10, 2022, 6:05 p.m. PT | Greater Nevada Field: Reno, NV
RHP Konner Wade vs. LHP Tommy Henry
IN KEL'S KITCHEN: Tacoma outfielder Jarred Kelenic is batting .349 over his last 14 games, hitting safely in 13. His OPS is 1.153 (.423/.730) in that span (since June 22), thanks to eight doubles, four homers and two triples (16 RBI, 11 R). He has five extra-base hits dating to the first inning on Thursday. Earlier this season, Kelenic compiled the longest Tacoma hit streak of 2022, 13 games between May 24 and June 8. Since being optioned on May 13, Kelenic has 51 hits for the Rainiers (.300 AVG), 29 of which have gone for extra bases, a staggering 57% of his Triple-A hit total this season (103 total bases in 40 GP, .606 SLG).
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After hitting five homers during the recent weeklong series at home vs. Salt Lake, and despite and 0-for-4 last night, Tacoma catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or hit in 39 of the 45 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on April 27. O'Keefe is batting .289 with a .918 OPS (.363/.555), with 10 home runs, 24 extra-base hits and 19 walks since returning to action (26 RBI).
MEJIA MASH: Tacoma INF/OF Erick Mejia is 19-for-54 (.352) during his last 13 games (2 HR, 7 doubles). Mejia is OPSing .993 during this span (dating to June 22), as he's slugging .593 over his last 60 plate appearances (5 BB, .400 OBP).
BING BONG BLANDINO: Rainiers infielder Alex Blandino has reached base safely in 21 of his last 25 games, dating to June 7. He's drawn 24 walks in that span, for an OBP of .429, for an .897 OPS and 14 runs scored (16 RBI). Blandino walked three times on July 4, and got two hits in the 11-4 win. He drew six walks during the recent six-game homestand vs. Salt Lake.
WALL BALL: Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall has reached base in 17 of 18 games entering tonight's action, a stretch that began on June 5 at Reno. His OBP in that time is .367, with eight walks (including one intentional), two HBP, while batting .286 (20-for-70, 11 runs scored, 2 HR). Wall has stolen six bases in this span, and is off to a .381 start in July (5 GP, 8-for-21).
LEAD-R-BOARD: Tacoma has re-taken the Triple-A lead in steals (105) from Buffalo of the International League (104). Rainiers outfielder Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in stolen bases, with 24. Tacoma's 116 home runs are fifth-most among the 30 Triple-A clubs.
COULDN'T ROLL ME A SEVEN: Despite the Rainiers winning the division by five games over second-place Reno last season, at 88-128 (.407) since 2009, the Aces are by far Tacoma's worst matchup over that span. The Rainiers have bucked the historical Reno trend recently however, and have won 18 of their last 29 games at Greater Nevada Field.
THE OPEN-R: After Monday's 11-4 win, Tacoma is 10-5 in series openers, accounting for 28.6% of their win total. That mark includes a 6-2 record on the road in lid-lifters, including their last two in the Biggest Little City (May 31 and July 4).
GOIN' UP, ON A THURSDAY: Thursday's 16-9 win over Reno made for a season-high Rainiers win streak of five, and it was the second time this season Tacoma has won seven of eight (June 8-16). In doing so, the Rainiers set the following 2022 club single-game highs on Thursday: Runs, hits (21), homers (5, tied) and total bases (42; previous was 36). Scoring three runs apiece, Jarred Kelenic, Forrest Wall and Trey Amburgey equaled a season-high (19x), and Erick Mejia and Wall collected the seventh and eighth four-hit game for Tacoma this season. Seven Rainiers had multiple base knocks, four had three (or more) hits, and eight different Tacoma batters drove in a run. Kelenic, Amburgey, Drew Ellis, Joe Odom and Wall hit the homers. When Ellis and Odom went back-to-back to begin the 6th inning, it was the seventh time this year the Rainiers have hit two straight homers, but the first time it's been done on consecutive pitches. Tacoma scored/drove in 12 runs with two out on 7/7, scoring in each of the final seven innings.
SEA US DEFEND: Tacoma's 49 errors as a club are second-fewest in the PCL behind this week's opponent Reno (47), and are third-fewest of the 30 Triple-A clubs. Nashville (International League), has committed only 38 defensive miscues this season. In the Major Leagues, Seattle's 30 errors are fewest by three; the Mariners' spring training neighbors, the San Diego Padres, have 33 errors.
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