PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sacramento

Published on July 20, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (46-46, 9-8) @ Sacramento River Cats (40-51, 6-11)

Thursday, July 20, 2023, 6:45p.m. PT | Sutter Health Park: West Sacramento, CA

LHP Kyle Hart vs. RHP Sean Hjelle

GRAND OPENING, GRAND CLOSING: The Rainiers have hit 20 home runs in the first inning this season, equal to Salt Lake for most in the PCL. Tacoma's 11 HR in the ninth inning are tied for most in the PCL with Sacramento and OKC.

WHAT A BUNCH OF HOMERS: Tacoma has hit 45 home runs over their last 23 games, and the Rainiers' 73 total home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A, by four (Las Vegas, 69).

FUTURES GAME: Entering today's action, Seattle Mariners MiLB affiliates (all levels) have the third-best combined winning percentage of the 30 organizations, at .541 (222-188). Double-A Arkansas has already clinched a postseason berth, after a 45-24 first half to win the Texas League's North Division. Only Philadelphia (.546) and Los Angeles-NL (.628) are winning at a higher MiLB clip so far this season.

FAST FRIENDS: Tacoma's 127 stolen bases are most in the PCL by six (Salt Lake, 121), with three Rainiers in the league's top 10 (Cade Marlowe- 25, Mason McCoy- 20, Cooper Hummel- 18); on Tuesday, Marlowe had Tacoma's first individual game with four stolen bases since 6/21/2002 (Jermaine Clark at Colorado Springs). McCoy is closing in on his career-high of 22 swipes, set last season with Tacoma (124 GP). A season ago, the Rainiers led all of Triple-A (by 13) with a franchise record 205 steals.

HAPPY FESTAVUS: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa leads Triple-A in saves, with 14 (15 SVO). In 25 games with Tacoma (30.0 IP, 25 K), his ERA is 0.60 (2 ER). Triple-A hitters are batting a meager .104 against Festa (0.73 WHIP), who also has 9.0 MLB IP with Seattle this season (8 G).

BUH-LAK-EH: Tacoma lefty Blake Weiman has worked 10 consecutive scoreless outings since June 18, striking out 12 batters over 13.0 IP; Weiman has issued only one walk during this span (9 H, 0.77 WHIP, .188 BAA).

KO-SIGN: Rainiers right-hander Stephen Kolek is excelling in a long relief role, and has gone scoreless in six of his last seven appearances. Kolek has allowed only one run during his last 12.1 IP since June 21 (0.73 ERA), with 12 strikeouts. Kolek's WHIP is 0.81 (5 H, 5 BB) during this span, while holding batters to a .128 average. He's throwing 66% of his pitches for strikes during this stretch.

SCHEIN BRIGHT: Rainiers INFJake Scheiner leads all of Triple-A in both home runs (24) and RBI (82); his 71 runs scored are second at the level but are most in the Pacific Coast League...the PCL MVP candidate also ranks top three on the circuit in walks (58), extra-base hits (43) and total bases (178). Scheiner is batting .352 (37x105) with RISP (13 HR). His 82 RBI are already the most in a season for Tacoma since 2017, when Daniel Vogelbach drove in 83 runs. Stefen Romero had 85 RBI for the '16 Rainiers.

YO...JAKE!: Rainiers 3B/1B Jake Scheiner hit his 24th home run (3-R) in game #82 of his Triple-A debut season on Tuesday, extending an already career-high total. He hit 21 homers last year at Double-A Arkansas.

Scheiner has homered 14x during home games, and is threatening Adrian Garrett's record of 19 homers in a season at Cheney Stadium (1971). Garrett, an outfielder for the 1971 Tacoma Cubs, still holds the franchise single-season home run record, with 43 (131 GP). Originally a 4th round draft pick of Philadelphia in 2017, Scheiner was traded to Seattle for OF Jay Bruce on 6/2/19.

SLUGGING (TAYLOR'S VERSION): Since being optioned to Tacoma on June 1, outfielder Taylor Trammell is slugging .533 (10 HR) with a .916 OPS (27 RBI, 27 BB, 25 R)...he's played in 35 games since June 4, and 17 of his 36 hits in this span have gone for extra bases (seven doubles).

HIGHS & MARLOWE: Outfielder Cade Marlowe reached base safely in 23 straight games, from June 16 through July 18. During this stretch he batted .330 (31x94, 13 XBH, 17 RBI, 17 BB, 1.070 OPS, 14 SB, 25 R). Marlowe had a hit in 17 consecutive games (6/23-7/18), the longest Rainiers hitting streak this season (by three, Zach DeLoach, 14 G, May 12-27). Marlowe homered in seven of those 17 games, batting .368 (25x68), with 16 RBI and 21 runs scored (14 BB, .476 OBP, 13 SB). His streaks were interrupted by an 0x5 afternoon on Wednesday, during a 6-4 win at Sacramento. Marlowe was recalled by Seattle on Thursday and in the lineup (LF) vs. Minnesota, his MLB debut.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 20, 2023


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