Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT)
June 3, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (19-31) @ Reno Aces (26-25)
Friday, June 3, 2022, 6:35 p.m. PT | Greater Nevada Field: Reno, NV
RHP Konner Wade (1-1, 4.26) vs. RHP Corbin Martin (2-1, 5.40)
RAISING KELL-NICK: Rainiers outfielder Jarred Kelenic enjoyed a red-hot 10-for-19 homestand from May 24-29, hitting safely in all five games with two home runs, six RBI, two walks and seven runs. He's raised his average to .306 (19-for-62, 5 HR, 4 2B, 1 3B) in 14 games after being optioned to Tacoma on May 13. His OPS is .993 (.348/.645) since. Kelenic is on a current club-best eight-game hit streak, has homered in four of five after leading off last night with a home run for a consecutive game, and has an extra-base hit in five straight games. He's one shy of Mason McCoy's season-high Rainiers hit streak (9).
JOE ROAD-OM: Tacoma C/1B/DH Joe Odom has played in 14 road games this season- and has homered in seven of them. Odom went yard in three straight games at Albuquerque April 15-17, and is batting .360 on the road (18-for-50), with a 1.289 OPS (.429/.860) away from Cheney Stadium in 2022. He's had three 3-hit games away from home: 5/8 at Salt Lake, 5/21 at Sacramento and last night at Reno (3-for-5, HR).
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After a 2-for-5 night with a homer yesterday, Tacoma catcher Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 19 of the 20 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on 4/27 at Las Vegas. O'Keefe is batting .338 with a 1.046 OPS (.440/.606), with three home runs, 11 extra-base hits and 12 walks since returning to action. This is his third season in the Seattle Mariners organization, a 2019 Rule 5 Draft selection (minor league phase) from the St. Louis Cardinals.
J-UP AROUND: Outfielder Justin Upton, the three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and veteran of 1,828 MLB games with Arizona, Atlanta, San Diego, Detroit and Los Angeles-AL, has been assigned to Tacoma's roster. An MLB promotion is imminent for the 34-year-old, after he signed with Seattle as a free agent on May 21.
Last season, Upton's only PCL action came in Tacoma at Cheney Stadium, while on a rehab assignment with Salt Lake (LAA). In two games (July 19-20), he went 1-for-7 with a walk and solo homer to lead off the 7/19 game (off 2021 Rainiers Pitcher of The Year Logan Verrett). It was Upton's first Triple-A action since 2008 with Tucson (Arizona Dbacks); which was the current Reno Aces franchise. '08 was the final season of the Tucson Sidewinders prior to relocation.
ONES FOR THE R(OAD): The Rainiers have won eight of their last 10 road games, dating to a 14-10 series finale victory at Salt Lake on May 8. Tacoma proceeded to win four of six at Sacramento from May 17-22, which included their first three-game win streak (May 19-21). The Rainiers can establish a season-best win streak tonight, after winning consecutive one-run games to open this series at Reno, prior to their fourth shutout victory of 2022 yesterday.
COULDN'T ROLL ME A SEVEN: Despite the Rainiers winning the division by five games over second-place Reno last season, at 85-123 (.409) 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 15 of their last 21 games at Greater Nevada Field.
A TRIPLE-A RANKING: Of the 30 clubs at the highest level of Minor League Baseball, the Rainiers are second in stolen bases with 73 (Buffalo has 74), have hit the third-most home runs with 73 (Memphis has 85, El Paso has 76) and are one of 12 teams with at least 11 triples. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall ranks second in the PCL with 17 steals.
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 3, 2022
- Round Rock Suffers 10-4 Loss to Oklahoma City - Round Rock Express
- Dodgers Win Over Round Rock Express - Oklahoma City Comets
- El Paso Defeats Salt Lake - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Comeback Falls Short for Salt Lake on Friday Night - Salt Lake Bees
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Space Cowboys Game Notes vs. ABQ - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 3, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Salt Lake Bees Sweep PCL Monthly Honors - Salt Lake Bees
- Dodgers Use Big Second to Pull away from Round Rock - Oklahoma City Comets
- Krizan, Padlo Homer but 5-Run 5th Hands River Cats 4th Straight Defeat - Sacramento River Cats
- Sheffield Shoves, Rainiers Romp 7-0 at Reno - Tacoma Rainiers
- Reno's Offense Stymied in 7-0 Shutout Loss to Tacoma - Reno Aces
- El Paso Wins Over Salt Lake in 10 Innings - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Bees Downed in Extra Innings by Chihuahuas - Salt Lake Bees
- Oklahoma City Handles Round Rock 6-2 on Thursday Night - Round Rock Express
- Corey Julks Continues Power Tear for Space Cowboys - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Isotopes Flip Script against Bielak, Space Cowboys in 8-5 Victory - Albuquerque Isotopes
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