PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

September 9, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma is 1-3 on this 12-game road trip, but only 1.0 GB of a playoff spot with 14 to play (more below).

Tacoma Rainiers (72-64, 35-26) @ Salt Lake Bees (62-73, 25-36)

Saturday, September 9, 2023, 5:35p.m. PT | Smith's Ballpark: Salt Lake City, UT

LHP Kyle Hart vs. RHP Robinson Pina

BLISS-TERING PACE: Rainiers middle INF Ryan Bliss enters tonight's action on an eight-game hitting streak dating to August 31, during which he's batting .519 (14x27) with three home runs, two doubles and a triple. Bliss has walked 9x in the streak, for an OBP of .622; he's slugging exactly 1.000 for a 1.622 OPS since 8/31. Bliss is also six for seven on stolen base attempts amidst the streak. He was the lone minor league prospect in Seattle's deadline deal with Arizona, as OF Dominic Canzone and INF Josh Rojas were also traded for RHP Paul Sewald (on 7/31).

GET YOUR SCHEIN ON: Tacoma corner INFJake Scheiner leads the PCL in home runs (30), RBI (105, by *12*) and extra-base hits (55). He's second in the league in total bases (234) and third in runs (91). Scheiner is batting .307 (46x150) with runners in scoring position (15 HR). With 14 games remaining, his 105 RBI are already ninth-most in a season for Tacoma, equal his career-high (last season at Double-A), and are the most for Tacoma since 1997, when Dan Rohrmeier set the franchise record with 120 RBI.

JAKE RHYMES WITH RAKE: Jake Scheiner is homering once every 4.13 games over the first 124 games of his Triple-A debut, has achieved the seventh 30-home run season in Tacoma's Triple-A history (since 1960), and the first since Alex Liddi (30) for the 2011 Rainiers.

THE REAL DELO: Tacoma OF Zach DeLoach leads the Rainiers with 134 hits (Jake Scheiner, 116) through the first 124 games of his Triple-A debut; he has the second-most hits in the PCL (51 XBH, T-6th). His 227 total bases and 29 doubles each rank top-5 in the PCL, and he's climbed to T-6th in RBI with 81; DeLoach's 20 HR and 81 RBI are both new career-highs (14 HR & 73 RBI at Double-A Arkansas last season).

SEVY TIME: Rainiers catcher Pedro Severino batted .362 in August (16 GP), and is batting .326 (28x86) over his last 24 games, dating to July 19. He has 12 extra-base hits in this span (seven doubles, five homers), with a .937 OPS (.356/.581) and 20 RBI. Severino has homered in three of his last seven games played.

MAYBE TAKE A PITCH: The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A in walks drawn *by 36* with 767 (5.64 BB/game); Reno is a distant second with 731 walks. Jake Scheiner (2nd, 81 BB), Zach DeLoach (3rd, 79 BB) and Cooper Hummel (5th, 73 BB) are all atop the PCL free pass leaderboard.

GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT: The Rainiers (35-26, second half) enter today's action one game out of the PCL's second playoff spot behind Round Rock and Las Vegas, both 36-25. Reno (34-27, 2.0 GB) is also in contention. Round Rock has won 20 of 27, but has lost five of six, including last night at El Paso. Las Vegas beat Sacramento at home, Reno won at Albuquerque. The Rainiers end the regular season with six at home against Round Rock (September 19-24).

R CLUB HAS HART: Rainiers southpaw Kyle Hart was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of The Month for August, on Tuesday. Hart made four starts during the month, returning from the paternity list on August 11: 20.2 IP, 2 ER (0.87 ERA), 5 BB (15 H, 0.97 WHIP), while striking out just better than a batter per inning (21 K).

RILED UP: Over 21.1 IP (20 G) since July 5, Rainiers RHP Riley O'Brien is holding PCL hitters to a .184 BAA with eight saves. O'Brien has struck out 34 batters during this span, walking only five (14 H) for a WHIP of 0.89 dating to 7/5 (5 ER, 2.11 ERA). His ERA was 0.90 in August (10 G, 10.0 IP, 1 ER, 16 K, 0.70 WHIP, .118 BAA).

KO-SIGN: Rainiers RHP Stephen Kolek has allowed only three ER over his past 31.1 IP (0.86 ERA), and has been scoreless in 21 of his last 24 outings. Since June 11, Kolek's ERA is 1.43 (27 G, 37.2 IP, 18 H, 6 ER, 18 BB, 44 K, 0.96 WHIP, 4 SV). Kolek is limiting to a .143 BAA since 6/11.

BLISSFUL SPEED: Tacoma leads the PCL in stolen bases, with 190 (El Paso, 189), second to only Omaha (207) at Triple-A. Last season, Tacoma led the level (by 13) with a franchise record 205 steals. Cooper Hummel (26 SB, 5 CS, 83.9%) has the eighth-most swipes in the PCL. INF Ryan Bliss (15 SB) has stolen 50 bases at all levels this season, between Double-A Amarillo, Reno and Tacoma (acq. in 7/31 trade with AZ).

RISP-Y BUSINESS: Tacoma has hit the third-most home runs in Triple-A with men on base, at 96 (Syracuse, 97 & Las Vegas, 105). With runners in scoring position, Tacoma has the second-highest OPS among the 30 Triple-A clubs (.893).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from September 9, 2023


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