PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Salt Lake (5:35 PT)

May 3, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (7-17) @ Salt Lake Bees (12-12)

Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 5:35 p.m. PT | Smith's Ballpark: Salt Lake City, UT

LHP Ian McKinney vs. LHP Ryan Smith

SINFUL BUSINESS: The Rainiers lost another back and forth affair in Las Vegas on Sunday by a 6-5 final, beginning this 12-game road trip with a 2-4 record.

Las Vegas took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, when Tacoma native Nate Mondou narrowly missed a homer to the right field alley, instead settling for a two-run double. A half-inning later however, the Rainiers put up a four-run top of the third, after Erick Mejia, Mason McCoy and Cal Raleigh (2-for-4, BB) strung together consecutive one-out singles. Brian O'Keefe then walked with the bases loaded, before Zach Green (2 RBI) and Ben Ramirez (2-for-4) each rapped run-scoring singles to centerfield.

Tacoma starter Daniel Ponce de Leon narrowly missed a consecutive quality start, lasting 5.2 IP: 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. The right-hander threw the most pitches in a Rainiers start this season, 106.

The Rainiers kept fighting trailing 6-4 in the eighth, when Marcus Wilson destroyed his fourth homer to left field. The two-out solo shot tied him for the club lead with Green, Sam Haggerty and Joe Odom. With an exit velocity of 109.7, it was the hardest hit ball of the afternoon by four miles per hour.

Southpaw Sam Selman came on for the eighth and ninth, securing five outs for his second save of the series. He surrendered the Wilson home run - the only homer of the game - but retired the Rainiers in order in the ninth to wrap it up.

GREEN WEEK: Tacoma corner infielder Zach Green has compiled both the longest current hitting streak and longest streak overall for the Rainiers this season, seven games (since 4/24): He's 8-for-32 with a homer, double, three runs, five RBI and a walk during the streak.

RUN OF SAM (& HAM): Through the first five games of this road trip, Rainiers infielder Sam Haggerty went 9-for-20 with two homers and 10 RBI (4 R, 2 SB)...not far behind was outfielder Billy Hamilton, who went 6-for-16 (2 RBI, BB) with five runs scored and two stolen bases in Vegas. Haggerty has lifted his average to .314 and is tied for seventh in the PCL with 17 RBI. Both Haggerty and Hamilton had Sunday off.

WALKMAN, JUNIOR: Steven Souza, Jr. leads the Rainiers in walks with 13 (.383 OBP), which ties him for sixth in the PCL.

RO THE BOAT: Rainiers LHP Roenis Elias, a veteran of 126 MLB games (54 starts) between 2014 and 2019 (SEA, BOS, SEA & WSH) is limiting PCL hitters to a .176 average over 9.1 IP in his return to action for the first time since 2019 with Washington, prior to various injuries and Tommy John Surgery. Elias has an 0.96 ERA (1 ER) and 0.86 WHIP (6 H, 2 BB) through six appearances with Tacoma. He was an original signee of the Mariners out of Cuba, in 2011.

RALEIGH TIME: Catcher Cal Raleigh was optioned to Tacoma on Thursday. He compiled the longest hitting streak for Tacoma last season, 23 games between May 15 and June 17. Raleigh batted .396 during the streak with 20 XBH (6 HR), 22 RBI and 22 runs while OPSing 1.170 (.430/.740).

R SPEED: The Rainiers have stolen 43 bases in 24 games, and lead all of Triple-A in steals by nine; the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) of the International League are second with 34. Caught only seven times as a club so far, the Rainiers are stealing bases at 86% success rate, while swiping 1.8 bags per game. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall leads the PCL in steals with 10.

Rainiers infielders Sam Haggerty and Erick Mejia are tied for fifth on the circuit with seven steals apiece. It's a fast start to the year throughout the organization, as Julio Rodriguez led the Major Leagues - by two - with nine stolen bases entering today's action. The Mariners are tied for fifth in MLB and tied for third in the American League in stolen bases (14).

A WINNING BUZZ: Salt Lake (City) is one of three current PCL member locales that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time winning record against (365-353-1, since 1960); the others are Las Vegas (286-279, since 1983) and Round Rock (44-26, since 2005).

During the Rainiers era and Seattle Mariners affiliation (since 1995), Tacoma is 192-209 against Salt Lake and their various nicknames and MLB affiliations.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 3, 2022


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