PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

Published on May 6, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (15-15) @ Salt Lake Bees (14-17)

Saturday, May 5, 2023, 5:35p.m. PT | Smith's Ballpark: Salt Lake City, UT

LHP Tommy Milone vs. RHP Luis Ledo

TOMASO: Southpaw Tommy Milone will make his fifth start of 2023 tonight, fourth for Tacoma (Rainiers 3-0) and his third since tossing 4.2 IP of one-run ball for the Mariners on 4/14 vs. Colorado (3 H, 2 BB, 3 K) in a 5-3 win. Milone was summoned to Seattle when fellow lefty Marco Gonzalez was placed on the paternity list.

Milone continues a true anomaly of the Mariners all-time roster: Four alums of Saugus (CA) High School have reached the Major Leagues, and all have played for Seattle. LHP Shawn Barton (1992), RHP Roger Salkeld (1993-94), Milone (2019, 2022-23) and INF Zach Vincej (2018) is the list...Vincej was also Tacoma's 3B/INF coach in 2022, while Milone pitched for the Rainiers. Salkeld pitched 4x (3 GS) for the 1995 Rainiers.

JOHNNY, BACK ON THE SPOT: When Manager John Russell took the reins of the Rainiers for this season, it marked his return to the Pacific Coast League after 21 years; he managed the 2002 Edmonton Trappers (Minnesota Twins) to an 81-59 regular season record, and the PCL Championship. That Edmonton club clinched their title in Salt Lake City at Smith's Ballpark. Coincidentally, Minnesota's Triple-A affiliation had shifted from Salt Lake to Edmonton before the prior season in 2001. The Bees franchise has been affiliated with only the Angels since 2001, parting company with the Twins following 2000.

ON THE WONG SIDE: Rainiers infielder Kean Wong, the younger brother of Mariners second baseman Kolten Wong, was a frequent thorn in Tacoma's side as a member of the Salt Lake Bees (LAA) the last two seasons. Wong was a .352 hitter against Tacoma in 2021 and 2022 (50-for-142), homered 2x and drove in 21 runs against the Rainiers over 34 games the last two years. Kean signed with Seattle on 2/18/23 as a non-roster invitee to MLB Spring Training, and is currently on a seven-game hit streak.

AMERICAN HONEY: Salt Lake (City) is one of four current Pacific Coast League locales that the Tacoma Triple-A franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time winning record against. The current iteration of the franchise joined the PCL in 1994, and has also been known as the "Buzz" and "Stingers" prior to Bees. Tacoma is 379-367-1 against all teams from SLC since 1960. The Tacoma Tigers (Oakland Athletics affiliate) played against the Buzz in 1994 (10-6), before the Rainiers era and Seattle Mariners affiliation began in 1995 (9-7).

CADE PARADE: Despite losing a nine-game hit streak yesterday, Rainiers outfielder Cade Marlowe has still hit safely in 13 of 15 games, and has reached base safely in all 15 with at least a walk since returning from a strained oblique on April 18. Despite his late start, Marlowe is one of seven players in the PCL with at least three triples, his six stolen bases are league top 10 (1 CS) and equal Mason McCoy for the Tacoma SB lead, and his OPS is .992 (.392/.600). The nine-game streak equaled Brian O'Keefe for Tacoma's 2023 club-long.

IT'S BEEN DRIVEN (IN) BY FORD, LATELY: With three more homers (9, T-2nd PCL) and 11 RBI since last Tuesday, Mike Ford sits atop the PCL leaderboard with 41 RBI already (28 GP); Las Vegas's Cody Thomas is second with 36. Ford's career-high 86 RBI came in 2017, over 126 games between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while in the New York Yankees organization.

BRIAN O'FFENSE: Rainiers catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base safely in 19 of his 22 games so far, and opened the season on a nine-game hit streak. His .628 slugging percentage is highest among all Pacific Coast League catchers, and second on Tacoma's club to only Mike Ford (.703, 2nd PCL).

RILEY ZERO'BRIEN: RHP Riley O'Brien (0.73 ERA) has gone 10.1 IP without allowing an earned run over his seven most recent appearances. He's let up only six hits while striking out 18 during this stretch (4 BB). He's allowed only one earned run over 12.1 IP this season (9 G, 3 GS).

YOU DOWN WITH OBP?: Tacoma ranks second in Triple-A with a .394 team on-base percentage (Reno, .404). Tacoma's 202 walks in 30 games (6.73 BB/game) lead all of Triple-A baseball, by *22* (Oklahoma City, 180). Tacoma and Reno will begin a series on Tuesday at Cheney Stadium, a series now scheduled for seven games with a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 10 (makeup of Sunday, April 9 rainout).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 6, 2023


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