Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento (1:05 p.m. PT)
August 7, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Following Monday's off day the Rainiers will open a 13-game homestand from August 9-21 at Cheney Stadium, beginning with Tuesday's 7:05 PT first pitch vs. Las Vegas.
Tacoma Rainiers (47-56) at Sacramento River Cats (43-61)
Sunday, August 7, 2022, 1:05 p.m. PT | Sutter Health Park: West Sacramento, CA
LHP Justus Sheffield vs. RHP Tristan Beck
TURN-R-OUND: The Rainiers began this season 9-23 (through 5/11), but are 38-33 since. Tacoma's low-water mark was 15 games under .500, first at 16-31 on 5/29 and most recently at 35-50 on 7/13. The club is 31-25 and 12-6 from each of those dates.
ASSIGNMENT BASED: Catcher Curt Casali enters the third day of a rehab assignment with Tacoma, that began with Sacramento before a trade deadline deal with San Francisco on 8/2 (Casali and LHP Matthew Boyd for RHP Michael Stryffeler and catcher Andy Thomas).
When Casali and newly-acquired Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo were together with the Cincinnati Reds (2018-2020), Casali caught the right-hander in 27 games, with these numbers: 169.0 IP, 2.61 ERA, 59 BB and 202 K. The Casali-Castillo battery limited hitters to a .191 average, a .269 OBP and a .571 OPS.
NICK OF TIME: LHP Nick Ramirez has emerged as Tacoma's primary ninth inning option; his last five appearances have all been successful save opportunities dating to 7/28. The Rainiers are 9-5 post-break, and Ramirez has finished five of Tacoma's last seven wins with very little drama: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, .167 BAA, 0.60 WHIP (0 BB), 5 K.
STEAL A BASE, STEAL A TACO(MA): Buffalo of the International League has re-taken the Triple-A lead in stolen bases (132) from Tacoma (128), who lead the Pacific Coast League. Rainiers outfielder Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in steals with 31. Last season, Wall stole 35 bases for Buffalo while in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, third-most in the IL (Triple-A East).
Wall is the first Rainiers player to steal 30 bases in a season since Ian Miller in 2018 (33), and if he were to reach 40, would be the first Tacoma Triple-A player to do so since Lance Blankenship swiped 40 for the 1988 Tacoma Tigers (Oakland A's)...four players are tied at 40 for the fourth-most steals in a single season in franchise history. Jimmy Sexton (56, 1981 Tigers), Rusty McNealy (43, 1983 Tigers) and Del Alston (43, 1979 Tugs) own the top three stealing seasons in Tacoma's Triple-A history.
SIX IN VARIOUS CITIES: Last night's victory secured Tacoma's second six-game series win in as many trips to Sacramento this season. The Rainiers had won four of six against a single opponent three times thus far in 2022: May 17-22 at Sacramento, June 28-July 3 at home vs. Salt Lake, and July 26-31 vs. El Paso during the most recent homestand at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma is 6-9-4(split) in series of any length.
JOE ROAD-OM: Rainiers catcher/first baseman Joe Odom has been more than comfortable away from Cheney Stadium this season, and is OPSing a club-high .946 (.362/.584) in 30 GP on the road. He's homered eight times and drawn 14 walks away from home (116 PA), with 17 RBI.
UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following win-loss record by uniform top: White (14-14), red (16-22), navy blue (7-5), road grey (7-8), "Familia de Tacoma" (2-3, Copa de la Diversion), specialty auction (1-4).
BERN BABY BERN: After being plucked out of the Mexican League on 6/28 (Tijuana), LHP Brennan Bernardino has pitched eight times for Tacoma: 12.1 IP, ER (0.73 ERA), 17 K, 3 BB (0.89 WHIP)...a .158 BAA his last seven Triple-A games.
Bernardino, 30, was selected to the Major League roster by Seattle last Saturday, optioned to Tacoma on 8/1 and appointed as the "27th man" for yesterday's Mariners doubleheader. He became the fourth to make his MLB debut with the Mariners after playing for the Rainiers this season (RHP Penn Murfee, LHP Danny Young, OF Marcus Wilson). Prior to joining Tacoma, Bernardino had not been with an affiliate since Double-A Akron (Cleveland) in 2019. A professional since 2014, he was drafted that year in the 26th round by Cincinnati out of Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills; Bernardino is the second player from the 2014 CSDH team to reach the Majors; RHP Bubby Rossman (Phillies), also 30, debuted with 1.0 IP on 7/13 at Toronto.
EVERY DAY PATTY: RHP Patrick Weigel's 39 appearances have already equaled his career-high (47 games left) and lead Tacoma (sixth-most in PCL). He's limiting batters on the offensive circuit to a .206 BAA and striking out well over a batter per inning (51 K/45.0 IP). Weigel's best stretch was from 5/20 to 6/3, when he worked five consecutive appearances without a run...or a hit (4.1 IP). He compiled five straight scoreless appearances again from 6/22 to 7/4 (5.0 IP).
A former starter drafted in the seventh round by Atlanta in 2015, Weigel's career-high in games was last season, appearing in 36 for Triple-A Nashville and in three more Major League games with Milwaukee.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 7, 2022
- Rainiers Drop Seesaw Sunday at SAC, 10-8 - Tacoma Rainiers
- Tonight's Chihuahuas Game Against Albuquerque Isotopes Cancelled - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Isotopes, Chihuahuas Series Finale Postponed Due to Rain - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Express Fall to Space Cowboys in Series Finale - Round Rock Express
- Lance McCullers Makes 4th Rehab Start in Space Cowboys' Win - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Bees Outdistance Dodgers - Oklahoma City Comets
- Jackson's walk-off winner highlights River Cats' 4 homers in victory over Rainiers - Sacramento River Cats
- Space Cowboys Game Notes vs. RR - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 7, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento (1:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bees Earn 4-3 Win Over Dodgers - Oklahoma City Comets
- Chihuahuas Beat Isotopes 9-2 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Garrett Goes Deep, Brings Home Four in Reno's 12-3 Win over Las Vegas - Reno Aces
- Tacoma Shocks Sacramento in 9th to Take Series - Tacoma Rainiers
- Vosler Homers, River Cats Fall Late - Sacramento River Cats
- Gatewood Walks It off as Salt Lake Edges out Oklahoma City - Salt Lake Bees
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