Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Reno (6:35 p.m. PT)
July 8, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (35-45) @ Reno Aces (41-40)
Friday, July 8, 2022, 6:35 p.m. PT | Greater Nevada Field: Reno, NV
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Corbin Martin
GOIN' UP, ON A THURSDAY: Last night's 16-9 win over Reno extended a season-high Rainiers win streak to five, and its 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.
WALL BALL: Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall has reached base in 17 consecutive games entering tonight's action, a streak that began on June 5 at Reno. His OBP in that time is .382, with eight walks (including one intentional), two HBP, while batting .299 (20-for-67, 11 runs scored, 2 HR). Wall has stolen six bases in this span, and is off to a .444 start in July (4 GP, 8-for-18).
LEAD-R-BOARD: Tacoma has re-taken the Triple-A lead in steals (105) from Buffalo (103). Rainiers outfielder Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in stolen bases, with 24. Tacoma's 115 home runs are fifth-most in Triple-A.
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After hitting five homers during the recent weeklong series at home vs. Salt Lake, and an RBI double last night, Tacoma catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or hit in 38 of the 43 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on April 27. O'Keefe is batting .297 with a .949 OPS (.373/.576), with 10 home runs, 24 extra-base hits and 19 walks since returning to action (26 RBI).
BING BONG BLANDINO: Rainiers infielder Alex Blandino has reached base safely in 20 of his last 23 games, dating to June 7. He's drawn 23 walks in that span, for an OBP of .449 and is batting .274 in this stretch with a .956 OPS and 14 runs scored (16 RBI). Blandino walked three times on July 4, and got two hits in the 11-4 win.
#DarrenDay: Tonight's Tacoma starting pitcher Darren McCaughan posted a winning decision in four consecutive starts from May 24 through June 15, the first Tacoma pitcher to do so this season, and allowed two or fewer ER in six straight starts (5/24 through 6/26). McCaughan is currently third in the PCL with 82.0 innings pitched, and is striking out just shy of a batter per inning with 81 K, which is fifth in the league. His 1.21 WHIP ranks third in the PCL.
IN KEL'S KITCHEN: Tacoma outfielder Jarred Kelenic is batting .351 over his last 12 games, hitting safely in 11. His OPS is 1.087 (.403/.684) in that span (since June 22), thanks to eight doubles, three homers and a triple (12 RBI, 9 R). 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 49 hits for the Rainiers, 27 of which have gone for extra bases, a staggering 55% of his Triple-A hit total this season.
COULDN'T ROLL ME A SEVEN: Despite the Rainiers winning the division by five games over second-place Reno last season, at 88-126 (.411) 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 27 games at Greater Nevada Field.
THE OPEN-R: After Monday's 11-4 win, Tacoma is 10-5 in series openers, accounting for 29.4% 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).
MEJIA MASH: Tacoma INF/OF Erick Mejia is 18-for-46 (.391) during his last 11 games (2 HR, 6 doubles). Mejia is OPSing 1.094 during this span (dating to June 22), as he's slugging .652 over his last 52 plate appearances (5 BB).
SEA US DEFEND: Tacoma's 47 errors as a club are second-fewest in the PCL behind this week's opponent Reno (45), and are third-fewest of the 30 Triple-A clubs. In the Major Leagues, Seattle's 30 errors are fewest (by two).
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 8, 2022
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- Miroglio Goes Yard, Plates Four in 16-9 Aces Loss to Rainiers - Reno Aces
- Jarred Kelenic (Homer, Triple, Double) Leads Romp Around Reno in 16-9 Win - Tacoma Rainiers
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