PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

Published on July 24, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (39-52) @ Salt Lake Bees (43-49)

Sunday, July 24, 2022, 5:35 p.m. PT | Smith's Ballpark: Salt Lake City, UT

RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Touki Toussaint

DARREN MKKAUGHAN: Rainiers right-hander Darren McCaughan (88 K) ranks sixth in the PCL in strikeouts. McCaughan's 94.0 IP are third-most on the circuit entering today, and his 1.21 WHIP is third-lowest in the league.

A FAMILIAR 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 (374-361-1, since 1960). Tacoma is 201-217 against the Salt Lake Buzz ('94-'00), Stingers ('01-'05) and Bees ('06-pres.), who were affiliated with the Minnesota Twins ('94-'00) prior to partnering with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) in 2001. Tacoma's 374 wins over Salt Lake (City) are second only to their 383 since 1960 against teams from Portland, OR (383-352). Tacoma has seven more games against Salt Lake this season, all on the road, and are slated to play the Bees a schedule-high 30 times, or one out of every five games this season.

MIGHT AS WELL BE WALKING ONLY ONE: As five Tacoma pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout Friday, the Rainiers issued only one walk, the third time in five games the pitching staff allowed just a single free pass (two last night). R pitching has walked a lone batter 17 times this season, but has not had a game with zero walks. Tacoma is top-10 in Triple-A in fewest walks issued, 331 BB over 91 games (3.64 per game).

NO PLACE LIKE: July 12 vs. Oklahoma City began a stretch of 12 of 15 and 25 of 34 games at home for the Rainiers, which will include their longest homestand of the season from August 9-21 against Las Vegas and Albuquerque (13 games, 12 openings, off day on 8/15). The 13-game homestand will include a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday, August 13 against Las Vegas, to make up the Saturday, May 28 rainout at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma opened this stretch of home games 3-3 against OKC, who currently have the PCL's best record (54-38).

VANILLA MISSILE: The Seattle Mariners spent three of their top four picks on high school players during the 20-round MLB First Year Player Draft earlier this week: INF Cole Young (North Allegheny HS, PA), INF Tyler Locklear (Virginia Commonwealth University) and RHP Walter Ford (Pace HS, FL) were drafted 21st, 58th and 74th overall. Ford's social media presence drew attention thanks to his handle/nickname: The @Vanilla_Missile. After selecting RHP Ashton Izzi (Oswego East HS, IL) in the fourth round with pick 126, Seattle proceeded to draft an NCAA Division I player with 14 of their final 16 picks, including RHP Stefan Raeth in the 17th round (516th overall), from the University of Washington (native of Lafayette, California).

IN KEL'S KITCHEN: Tacoma outfielder Jarred Kelenic is batting .313 over his last 22 games, reaching base safely in 19. His OPS is 1.004 (.389/.615) in that span (since June 22), thanks to 10 doubles, five home runs and two triples (21 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB). Earlier this season, Kelenic compiled the longest Tacoma hit streak of 2022, 13 games from May 24 to June 8. Since being optioned on May 13, Kelenic has 57 hits for the Rainiers (.291 AVG), 32 for extra bases, a staggering 54.2% of his Triple-A hit total this season (116 total bases in 48 GP, .571 SLG).

MEJIA MASH: Tacoma INF/OF Erick Mejia is 25-for-80 (.313) during his last 20 games (3 HR, 9 doubles). Mejia is OPSing .909 during this span (dating to June 22), as he's slugging .538 over his last 89 plate appearances (8 BB, .371 OBP). Mejia's 19 doubles tie him for sixth-most in the PCL; San Diego Padres prospect Eguy Rosario (El Paso) leads the league with 26.

EVERY DAY PATTY: RHP Patrick Weigel's 34 appearances lead Tacoma and tie him for fifth in the PCL. He's limiting batters on the notoriously offensive circuit to a .215 average, and striking out well over a batter per inning (44 K/39.1 IP). Weigel's best stretch was from May 20 to June 3, when he worked five consecutive appearances without a run- or a hit (4.1 IP). He compiled five straight scoreless appearances again from June 22 to July 4 (5.0 IP). A former starter drafted in the seventh round by Atlanta in 2015, Weigel's career-high in games came last season, appearing in 36 for Triple-A Nashville and three more in the Majors with Milwaukee.

LEAD-R-BOARD: Tacoma has re-taken the Triple-A lead in steals (116) from Buffalo (115). Rainiers outfielder Forrest Wall is third in the PCL in stolen bases, with 27. Tacoma's 123 home runs are tied for seventh-most among the 30 Triple-A clubs.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 24, 2022


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