Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT)
July 4, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (32-45) @ Reno Aces (41-37)
Monday, July 4, 2022, 6:35 p.m. PT | Greater Nevada Field: Reno, NV
LHP Justus Sheffield vs. LHP Tommy Henry
THE OPEN-R: Tonight Tacoma looks to improve on their 9-5 record in series-openers this season, accounting for 28% of their win total. That mark includes a 5-2 record on the road in lid-lifters, and a 3-2 Rainiers win on May 31 at Reno to begin their most-recent visit to the Big Little City.
COULDN'T ROLL ME A SEVEN: Despite the Rainiers winning the division by five games over second-place Reno last season, at 85-126 (.403) 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 24 games at Greater Nevada Field.
BRIAN O'THREEFE: On Saturday, catcher Brian O'Keefe hit three homers and the game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning, driving in all five Rainiers runs as Tacoma walked off winners in extras for the third time in four games against Salt Lake. O'Keefe registered the sixth four-hit game of 2022 for Tacoma, and the sixth game of five or more RBI. He achieved the first three-home run game for a Rainiers batter since Justin Ruggiano on 6/27/15 vs. El Paso, also at Cheney Stadium, a 14-4 Tacoma win. The Rainiers already have seven walk-off wins this season, and the final five games of their series against Salt Lake were decided by a single run, with Tacoma winning four.
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After hitting five homers during the recent weeklong series at home vs. Salt Lake, Tacoma catcher/designated hitter Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 35 of the 40 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on 4/27 at Las Vegas. O'Keefe is batting .298 with a .972 OPS (.376/.596), with 10 home runs, 23 extra-base hits and 18 walks since returning to action (24 RBI).
MEJIA MASH: Tacoma INF/OF Erick Mejia is 14-for-38 (.368) during his last nine games (2 HR, 5 doubles). Mejia is OPSing 1.063 during this span (dating to June 22), as he's slugging .658 over his last 42 plate appearances.
BING BONG BLANDINO: Rainiers infielder Alex Blandino has reached base safely 19 of his last 21 games, dating to June 7. He's drawn 20 walks in that span, for an OBP of .443 and is batting .273 in this stretch with a .958 OPS and 12 runs scored (14 RBI). Blandino drew six BB during last week's six-game series vs. Salt Lake.
LEAD-R-BOARD: With four stolen bases in yesterday's 3-2 home win over Salt Lake, Tacoma re-took the Triple-A lead in steals from Buffalo (101) and went over 100 on the season (103). Rainiers outfielder Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in stolen bases, with 24. Tacoma's 107 home runs are sixth-most in Triple-A.
IN KEL'S KITCHEN: Tacoma outfielder Jarred Kelenic is batting .327 over his last 10 games, hitting safely in nine. His OPS is .924 (.353/.571) in that span (since June 22), thanks to six doubles and two home runs (10 RBI, 6 R). During a see-saw extra-inning affair vs. Salt Lake on June 29 at Cheney Stadium, he twice tied the game (in the 10th and 12th) with an RBI single in an eventual 6-5 Rainiers win in 12. Earlier this season, Kelenic compiled the longest Tacoma hit streak of 2022, 13 games between May 24 and June 8.
#SeaUsRise: The selection of outfielder Marcus Wilson to the Major League roster on Wednesday made him the 20th player to be promoted from Tacoma to Seattle this season; he made his MLB debut on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park against Baltimore, drawing a walk as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, and playing right field in the ninth (one putout). Two promotions earlier this season were also big league debuts (RHP Penn Murfee and LHP Danny Young). Last season, 24 players earned an in-season promotion from the Rainiers to Mariners, with six big league debuts (RHP Logan Gilbert, OF Jarred Kelenic, C Jose Godoy, OF Dillon Thomas, RHP Vinny Nittoli and RHP Darren McCaughan). Wilson's MLB debut came in his ninth professional season, following 660 minor league games with three organizations (Arizona, Boston, Seattle). He made his first career Major League start (RF) on July 4 at San Diego.
SEA US DEFEND: Tacoma's 46 errors as a club are second-fewest in the PCL behind this week's opponent Reno (44), and are fourth-fewest of the 30 Triple-A clubs. In the Major Leagues, Seattle's 28 errors are fewest entering today - San Diego has 29 - and those two clubs open a series against one another on Monday as well.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 4, 2022
- ZACH THREEN: R First Baseman Blasts Three Homers, Provides Real Fireworks in Reno - Tacoma Rainiers
- Aces Outslugged in 11-4 Loss to Rainiers - Reno Aces
- Krizan Continues Hot Hitting, River Cats Fall to Bees in Game - Sacramento River Cats
- OKC Dodgers Postgame Notes: July 4, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Bees Take Down Cats on Independence Day - Salt Lake Bees
- Forrest Whitley Makes Return to Triple A with Space Cowboys - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Pair of Grand Slams Power Chihuahuas over Sugar Land - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Express Claim 5-3 Independence Day Victory over Isotopes - Round Rock Express
- Albuquerque Falls to Round Rock 5-3 on Independence Day - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Tacoma Take Another Close One - Salt Lake Bees
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 4, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Pereda Homers, Krizan Plates 2 as River Cats Fall to Aces - Sacramento River Cats
- Rainiers Secure Series Win on Sunday in Front of 7,162 Fans - Tacoma Rainiers
- Nelson's Quality Start & Early Offense Propels Aces to 10-6 Win over River Cats - Reno Aces
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