Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Round Rock (5:05 p.m. PT)
Published on April 13, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (6-4) @ Round Rock Express (6-4)
Thursday, April 13, 2023, 5:05p.m. PT | Dell Diamond: Round Rock, TX
RHP Easton McGee vs. LHP Bernardo Flores, Jr.
WALK ME, WALK ME: Tacoma is scoring 7.6 runs a game through 10 games, in large part to the 69 walks they've drawn thus far (6.9/game); only Salt Lake (77) and Albuquerque (76) have scored as many runs in the PCL- over 11 games. Tacoma's Triple-A best .414 OBP is .017 higher than second place El Paso (.397). The Rainiers make the opposition pay dearly for the copious free passes; of their 16 homers, *seven* have been of the three-run variety. Tacoma hit *six* three-run homers while winning the first three games of last week's homestand against Reno. Tacoma hit a franchise record 216 homers last season (150 G)...on pace for 240 at the moment.
THEN BRIAN COMES IN...: During catcher Brian O'Keefe's club-long eight-game hit streak to open his season, he's posted the second-highest BA in the PCL (.452) with five homers (T-3rd); his 12 runs scored are fourth-most in the league but only one off the lead. O'Keefe tops the circuit in both SLG (1.032) and OPS (1.560); his .528 OBP ranks fifth. His eight XBH (T-3rd), 32 TB (T-3rd), 12 runs (T-4th) and 14 hits (T-8th) make him an ubiquitous presence on the Pacific Coast League leaderboard.
IT'S BEEN DRIVEN BY FORD, LATELY: 1B/DH Mike Ford opened the season on an eight-game RBI streak, (five multi-RBI efforts), which was snapped last night. Ford's 15 RBI are second in the PCL only to Salt Lake outfielder Jo Adell (16), who homered in six consecutive games through Sunday and has homered 8x in eight games. Ford's 13 hits, six extra-base hits (3 HR) and 25 total bases all rank top 10 in the league after a torrid start, despite beginning this series 0-for-7.
BACK, MIH-CACK, DO IT AGAIN: RHP Darren McCaughan was selected from Tacoma to Seattle's roster on Wednesday. Primed for his third MLB appearance, on 7/21/21 at Colorado McCaughan became only the seventh player since 1901 to throw at least 5.0 hitless IP in his MLB debut. His first MLB strikeout came on 7/26/21 vs. Houston at T-Mobile Park...of 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve (swinging, to begin game). McCaughan has started 61x for Tacoma since 2018, the 16th-most GS in franchise history.
TIMES CHANGE: In 2022, the Rainiers went 17-19 outside of the Pacific time zone and are 2-3 this season after opening at OKC and splitting the first two games of this series. This is Tacoma's first visit to Round Rock since September 23-27, 2021, where they went 2-3.
ROUND-LY DEFEATED: Round Rock is one of four current PCL locales that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time non-losing record against. The Tacoma Giants/Cubs/Twins/Yankees/Tugs/Tigers/Rainiers are 51-30 (.630) vs. Round Rock (since 2005), 378-364-1 vs. Salt Lake (since 1960), 294-289 vs. Las Vegas (since 1983) and 85-85 vs. Oklahoma City (since 1963).
R SPECIAL SAUCE: With 5.2 IP of scoreless work so far (4 G, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K), lefty reliever and local product Tayler Saucedo has now pitched for both Tacoma Community College and the Tacoma Rainiers. Saucedo spent his freshman season at TCC (2013), a Maple Valley native and graduate of Tahoma High School. He appeared in 33 MLB games (all in relief) with Toronto in 2021 and 2022. (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K last night).
CASH CAB: Through the first eight games of his Triple-A debut, Rainiers infielder Jose Caballero has proven to be the toughest out in the Pacific Coast League. His early .594 OBP leads the PCL (equal to Reno's Blaze Alexander) and his 10 walks are third-most on the circuit. Batting .381 with a 1.165 OPS (8-for-21, 32 PA), Caballero, 26, has flown a bit under the prospect radar while limited to only 39 Double-A games the last two seasons due to injury. He was acquired by Seattle on 7/31/19 from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a trade for RHP Mike Leake.
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 13, 2023
- Tatis, Chihuahuas Crush Isotopes 19-6 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Space Cowboys Launch Three Homers in 12-5 Defeat - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Round Rock Walks Off Tacoma For 2-1 Victory - Round Rock Express
- Easton McGee Cruises, Tacoma Toppled in Extras Consecutive Quality Starts for the Rainiers' Righty - Tacoma Rainiers
- Late Runs Push Kitties Past Aces 8-6 - Sacramento River Cats
- Sacramento Breaks Through Late, Defeats Reno 8-6 - Reno Aces
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Round Rock (5:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 13, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Reno Rallies In The Eighth As 'Cats Fall 6-5 - Sacramento River Cats
- Kalish Ties Career High Strikeouts in Bees' Victory - Salt Lake Bees
- Five-Run Eighth Inning Secures Reno's 6-5 Comeback Victory Over Sacramento - Reno Aces
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