Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (4:05 p.m. PT)
June 26, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (28-42) @ Sugar Land Skeeters (31-40)
Sunday, June 26, 2022, 4:05 p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Chad Donato
#DarrenDay: Today's Tacoma starting pitcher Darren McCaughan posted a winning decision in four consecutive starts from May 24 through June 15, the first Tacoma pitcher to do so this season, and has allowed two or fewer ER in five straight starts. McCaughan is currently second in the PCL with 71.2 innings pitched, and is striking out just over a batter per inning with 72 K, which is seventh in the league.
CLOSE QU(AAA)RTERS: Once upon a time, the Tacoma Rainiers and Seattle Mariners stood as the nearest Triple-A to MLB affiliation (36 miles). That title was then shared with the advent of the Atlanta Braves shifting Triple-A operations to Gwinnett County, GA for the 2009 season (also currently a distance of 36 miles). When St. Paul (12 miles to the Minnesota Twins) and Sugar Land (22 miles to the Houston Astros) joined the Triple-A ranks prior to last season, the R's-M's proximity was pushed to a tie for third-shortest.
SHOO SHOO SHOO TO SUGAR TOWN: In this latest iteration of the PCL (since 2021), Sugar Land, TX is Tacoma's longest trip (2,341 miles). Formerly "Skeeters" through last season before rebranding as Space Cowboys for 2022, the franchise was a member of the Atlantic League from 2012-2019, twice winning a championship on that circuit (2016 and 2018), defeating the Long Island Ducks for the title on each occasion. This is Sugar Land's second season as top affiliate of the nearby Houston Astros.
RAINIERS IN SPACE: In Wednesday's 13-7 win at Constellation Field, Tacoma set season-highs in both hits (18) and extra-base hits (11, 3 HR), an evening after equaling their season-low in hits (2). Their eight doubles were a season-high, by three. The 18 knocks surpassed the 17 Tacoma had on May 8 at Salt Lake, in a 14-10 victory.
Four Rainiers had three-plus hits on Wednesday: Jarred Kelenic (HR), Erick Mejia (4 H, 3 RBI), Drew Ellis (2-R HR, 5 RBI) and Andrew Knapp (2-R HR). Knapp and Brian O'Keefe had two doubles apiece. Mejia's four-hit game was the fifth this season for Tacoma, and Ellis posted the fifth Rainiers effort of five or more RBI in 2022.
OMAHA!: This week is the 10th anniversary of the University of Arizona's Baseball National Championship, and Rainiers starting pitcher Konner Wade and Tacoma first base/bench coach Seth Mejias-Brean (INF) were teammates on that 2012 squad. Those Wildcats went 48-17 and swept the University of South Carolina in the College World Series Final by scores of 5-1 and 4-1 (best-of-three).
A REAL (MCCOY) GOOD JUNE: Rainiers infielder Mason McCoy is the only player on the club to appear in each of Tacoma's 22 games in June. McCoy has reached base safely in 18 of 22 games this month, with a .375 OBP (3 HR, triple, 3 doubles, 11 BB, 13 runs scored).
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: Tacoma catcher/DH Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 30 of the 34 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on 4/27 at Las Vegas. O'Keefe is batting .294 with a .914 OPS (.382/.532), with five home runs, 18 extra-base hits and 17 walks. He made his Triple-A debut with Tacoma on 7/11/21 at Sugar Land in game two of a doubleheader, after being promoted from Double-A Arkansas earlier that day. He notched his first Triple-A hits as DH on 7/12/21 at Sugar Land (2-for-4, 2B) in a 6-4 Rainiers win.
SO DEFENSIVE: Tacoma's 42 errors as a club are equal to Reno for fewest in the PCL, and second-fewest in Triple-A behind only Nashville (32). Tacoma lasted seven complete games without committing an error; from the 2nd inning at home on June 10 vs. Round Rock until the 5th inning on June 19 vs. Sacramento, a streak of 72 consecutive complete innings without a defensive miscue, spanning nine games. In the Major Leagues, Seattle's 25 errors are fewest.
A TRIPLE-A RATING: Of the 30 clubs at the highest level of Minor League Baseball, the Rainiers have hit the fifth-most home runs this season with 99; Memphis (IL) has 111, Albuquerque has 109 to lead the PCL, in front of El Paso (106) and Sacramento (104). Tacoma has stolen the second-most bases at the level with 96, trailing only Buffalo (99) of the IL.
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 26, 2022
- Alex de Goti Ends Space Cowboys' Homestand With Walk-off HR - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- R Sunday Spoiled in Close Series Finale at Sugar Land - Tacoma Rainiers
- Sacramento Ends Series with Win - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Calhoun's 2 RBIs, Hjelle's 6 Ks over 5.0 shutout innings earn River Cats series split vs El Paso - Sacramento River Cats
- Pitching Staff Shines in OKC Dodgers Win - Oklahoma City Comets
- Dodgers Top Express 2-1 in Pitchers' Duel on Sunday - Round Rock Express
- Space Cowboys Game Notes vs. TAC - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Bees Earn Series Split with Aces Behind Sunday Offensive Outburst - Salt Lake Bees
- Seven-Run Eighth Not Enough in 12-11 Aces Loss to Bees - Reno Aces
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (4:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 26, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- OKC Outdistanced in Second Inning - Oklahoma City Comets
- Eight Home Runs Send Isotopes to 19-6 Walloping of Aviators - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Pereda's Single Lifts River Cats to Exciting 3-2 Walk-off Victory - Sacramento River Cats
- Sacramento Wins Over El Paso in 10 Innings - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Round Rock Claims Game Five Victory over Oklahoma City - Round Rock Express
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