Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento (6:45 PT)
May 20, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (13-26) @ Sacramento River Cats (19-20)
Friday, May 20, 2022, 6:45 p.m. PT | Sutter Health Park: West Sacramento, CA
RHP Konner Wade (0-0, 4.50) vs. RHP Tristan Beck (0-1, 13.11)
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE: Last night the Rainiers scored in each of the final four innings of what was a scoreless game in the sixth, and beat Sacramento 11-0, despite striking out a season-high 19 times (previous high was 15, twice). Tacoma also walked a season-high 12 times on Thursday.
Erick Mejia (5, 3-run), Jarred Kelenic (1, solo) and Zach Green (9, 2-run) each homered for the Rainiers; while LHP Tommy Milone allowed only one hit (0 BB, 6 K) over 5.0 IP (57 pitches, 38 strikes) in just his third start after coming off the injured list.
The Tacoma bullpen of Ian McKinney, Austin Warner, Fernando Abad and Matt Koch combined to finish the three-hit shutout, and struck out five (1 BB), allowing only two hits over the final 4.0 IP (worked an inning apiece). It was the most lopsided Rainiers victory this season, and Tacoma's first nine-inning shutout win.
GREEN'S NEW DEAL: Sacramento-area native and Rainiers corner infielder Zach Green (Carmichael, California) is playing his first career games against the River Cats in this series, a club he played in 72 games for in 2019. When Green made his Major League debut for the San Francisco Giants on July 21, 2019 (2-for-3, double, RBI) at home against the Mets, he was called up while Sacramento was playing at Tacoma. Green leads the Rainiers with nine home runs (T-6th PCL), 28 RBI (T-6th), 17 extra-base hits (T-4th) and 73 total bases (T-6th).
RAINIER CATS: Sacramento's roster currently has four position players that were with Tacoma earlier this season or last. Infielders Wyatt Mathisen (released by SEA on 8/26/21, signed by SFG on 8/29), Kevin Padlo (traded SEA-SFG on 4/26/22, DFA 4/23) and Donovan Walton (traded SEA-SFG on 5/11/22), and outfielder Stuart Fairchild (traded SEA-SFG on 5/14/22, DFA 5/13). In the trade for Fairchild, Seattle received infielder Alex Blandino, who had been playing for Sacramento and remained there, meeting the Rainiers upon their arrival on Tuesday.
The River Cats are managed by Dave Brundage, who skippered the Rainiers in 2006, posting a 74-70 record during his only season with Tacoma. Current Rainiers Manager Tim Federowicz played in 77 games for Sacramento in 2017 (.300, 9 HR) and 13 more for San Francisco (.231, 2 HR) that season.
ROADIERS: Tuesday's 8-3 win over Sacramento improved Tacoma to 4-0 this season in road series openers (4/12 at Albuquerque, 4/26 at Las Vegas and 5/3 at Salt Lake).
GET A KLEW: 2020 American League Rookie of The Year and Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis is 18 days and nine games into a Major League rehab assignment with the Rainiers (knee): He's 11-for-34 (.323) with three homers, 12 RBI, six runs scored and four walks thus far, with a 1.057 OPS (.410/.647). Lewis has DH'd eight times, and played left field once (39 plate appearances).
When Lewis pulverized a solo home run in his first at-bat of the assignment on 5/3 at Salt Lake, he became the first player to homer in his first plate appearance with Tacoma since Jaycob Brugman, on 6/1/19 at El Paso.
AWARDS SZN: When Evan White began his MLB rehab assignment with the Rainiers on Wednesday, it put both an AL Rookie of The Year and Rawlings Gold Glove winner on Tacoma's roster (each in 2020). In 2020, White led all American League first basemen with seven defensive runs saved (54 games played), two more than any other AL player at the position (.995 career MLB fielding percentage).
R SPEED: The Rainiers have stolen 65 bases in 39 games, and lead all of Triple-A Baseball in steals by three; the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) of the International League are second with 62. Caught only 12 times as a club so far, the Rainiers are stealing bases at an .844 clip, while swiping 1.67 bags per game on average. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall is second in the PCL in steals with 14 (Round Rock's Bubba Thompson has 20); last season, Wall had the third-most steals in the IL with 35, for Buffalo.
Rainiers infielders Sam Haggerty (3rd, 13 SB) and Erick Mejia (T-8th, 9 SB) are on the league leaderboard as well. It's a fast start to the season throughout the organization, as Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez is currently tied for the MLB lead in steals entering today's action, with 11 (Jorge Mateo, BAL and Harrison Bader, STL).
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 20, 2022
- Ellis Homers in Reno's 6-1 Loss to Las Vegas - Reno Aces
- Rainiers Shut Out Sacramento a Second Time on Friday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Rainiers Shu Oout Sacramento a Second Time on Friday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Two Early Runs Burn River Cats in Shutout Defeat - Sacramento River Cats
- Hunter Brown Shines in Space Cowboys' Win over OKC - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Fitch's Walk-Off Blast Lifts Bees to Friday Night Win over Isotopes - Salt Lake Bees
- Round Rock Wins Over El Paso - El Paso Chihuahuas
- OKC Dodgers Game Postgame Notes - May 20, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- E-Train Bounces Back from Early Deficit, Defeats Chihuahuas 8-3 - Round Rock Express
- Space Cowboys Game Notes, 5.20 vs. OKC - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Isotopes Sunk by Walk-Off Homer Friday Night - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Gameday Info: Sacramento River Cats vs Tacoma Rainiers - May 20, 2022 - Sacramento River Cats
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento (6:45 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 20, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Mejia Smash Sets Off 11-0 Surge at SAC - Tacoma Rainiers
- Former River Cats Shine in Sacramento's Loss to Tacoma - Sacramento River Cats
- Aces Fall Short in 5-3 Loss to Aviators - Reno Aces
- Bees Fall to Isotopes in Thursday Night Slugfest - Salt Lake Bees
- Topes' Bats Come to Life in 13-8 Victory over Bees - Albuquerque Isotopes
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