PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento (6:45 PT)

Published on August 16, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


The Rainiers (25-15 second half) began the day a game ahead (1.0) of Las Vegas for the PCL's second playoff spot (more below). Tacoma has won nine of 10 and 15 of 18.

Tacoma Rainiers (62-53, 25-15) @ Sacramento River Cats (48-66, 14-26)

Wednesday, August 16, 2023, 6:45p.m. PT | Sutter Health Park: West Sacramento, CA

RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Miguel Yajure

#DarrenDay: 2023 is the fifth season in which right-hander Darren McCaughan has pitched for Tacoma. His 79th career start for the Rainiers will be tonight, and he's alone in fifth in franchise history. Steve Luebber is fourth with 86 starts, between 1972 and 1977 for the Tacoma Twins. McCaughan has accumulated 386 strikeouts for the Rainiers, which are fifth-most in Tacoma's Triple-A history (since 1960). Ryan Franklin is fourth, with 388 K for the 1997-2001 Rainiers.

GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT: The Rainiers have won 15 of 18 since July 26, including a pair of season-high six-game win streaks. Tacoma has also won nine of 10. At 25-15 in the second half, the Rainiers lead Las Vegas (24-16) by one game for the PCL's final playoff spot; the best record that is not Oklahoma City (won first half, 50-23) will play the OKC Dodgers in the PCL Finals as second half winner (best-of-3, all at OKC, Sept. 26-28). The Rainiers have six games remaining against Las Vegas (OAK), August 22-27 @ TAC.

The Triple-A National Championship (one game playoff), between the champions of the Pacific Coast and International Leagues, will be on September 30 at Las Vegas Ballpark.

THE REAL DELO: Tacoma outfielder Zach DeLoach leads the Rainiers with 113 hits (Jake Scheiner, 98) through the first 103 games of his Triple-A debut. DeLoach has the fourth-most hits in the Pacific Coast League; Round Rock's Elier Hernandez leads the circuit with 124. Every DeLoach home run (18) extends his career-high; he hit 14 homers in each of his first two professional seasons (2021 and 2022). He's also moved into the PCL's top 10 in homers and RBI (70). DeLoach's 189 total bases rank fifth.

MAYBE TAKE A PITCH: The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A in walks drawn *by 39* with 651 (5.66 BB/game); Reno is a distant second with 612 walks. Jake Scheiner (T-2nd, 71 BB), Cooper Hummel (T-2nd, 71 BB) and Zach DeLoach (T-5th, 63 BB) are all atop the PCL walk leaderboard.

"R"UN IT BACK: Tacoma leads the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 165 (El Paso, 160), are second in Triple-A (Omaha, 180), and have stolen 29 bases over their last 13 games to begin August. In 2022, the Rainiers led all of Triple-A in steals (by 13), with a franchise record 205. Cooper Hummel leads the Rainiers with 24 SB (8th in PCL, 4 CS, 86%). Adam Engel has stolen 17x for Tacoma (55 GP), caught only once.

SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Tacoma corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (26), RBI (89, by 9), and runs scored (82). He's fourth in the league in total bases (198) and tied for sixth in extra-base hits with teammate Brian O'Keefe (46). The PCL MVP candidate is batting .317 (40x126) with RISP (13 HR). With 35 games remaining, Scheiner's 89 RBI are already the most for Tacoma since 2011, when Alex Liddi drove in 104 runs (T-10th in franchise history, for a single-season).

AND THEN BRIAN COMES UP: C/DH Brian O'Keefe's 48 home runs with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21) match Dusty Rhodes (1960-63 Tacoma Giants) and Danny Walton (1974-75 Tacoma Twins) for 15th-most in franchise history. Next on the list are Bob Perry (1960-63) and Mike Wilson (2009-12 Rainiers), tied for 13th with 50 homers apiece.

O'Keefe's 22 home runs are only two shy of his career-high (2021, between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma) and rank tied for fifth in the Pacific Coast League. He is also tied for sixth in the PCL at 46 extra-base hits with teammate Jake Scheiner (T-7th with 24 doubles). O'Keefe was recalled by Seattle on Wednesday for their game at Kansas City (Tom Murphy- 10-day IL).

KO-SIGN: Rainiers RHP Stephen Kolek was named Seattle Mariners MiLB Reliever of The Month for July, by the organization: 9 G, 13.0 IP, 1.38 ERA (2 ER), 4 BB, 18 K, 8 H, 0.92 WHIP, .186 BAA. With 1.1 scoreless IP on Saturday, Kolek has allowed only two runs over his past 23.2 IP (0.76 ERA). He's spun eight consecutive scoreless appearances, and has been scoreless in 14 of his last 16 games pitched. Since June 11, Kolek's ERA is 1.50 (19 G, 30.0 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 13 BB, 35 K, 0.93 WHIP).

JUST R LUCK: As hot as the Rainiers have been lately, according to run differential (+70) Tacoma is still technically "unlucky" by a game overall, with an expected win-loss of 63-52 based on runs (729-659). Only 22-17 Round Rock (expected W-L of 24-15, +50 in runs) has a better run differential than the Rainiers (+57, 250-193), during the PCL's second half.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 16, 2023


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