PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (4:05 PT)

August 6, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma has won seven consecutive games started by Tommy Milone, and is 11-3 this season in his starts.

Following Monday's off/travel day, the Rainiers will begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday (12:05 p.m.) against league-leading Oklahoma City.

Tacoma Rainiers (55-52, 18-14) @ Sugar Land Space Cowboys (45-62, 12-20)

Sunday, August 6, 2023, 4:05p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX

LHP Tommy Milone vs. RHP Brandon Bielak

WESTERN EXPOSURE: The Rainiers made their third-ever visit to Sugar Land (HOU) this week; the franchise joined the PCL in 2021. All 12 games this season between the clubs will have come after August 1, the last opponent Tacoma has seen for the first time in 2023 (at Tacoma 8/29-9/3). The Rainiers are 21-23 this season against fellow AL West affiliates (Las Vegas/OAK, Round Rock/TEX and Salt Lake/LAA). Tacoma is 8-9 all-time at Sugar Land.

NO MORAL VICTORIES: With a 4-3 win on Friday, the Rainiers snapped a five-game skid in one-run games. Around a season-best six-game win streak (7/26-8/1), each of Tacoma's last five losses have been by a single run (since 7/22). The Rainiers are 4-16 in one-run games on the road (8-4 home) this season.

SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .375 (42x112) over 28 games since July 1, with a 1.140 OPS during this span (.444 OBP/.696 SLG), thanks to 19 extra-base hits (3 triples, 7 HR). He's walked 17x and has 24 RBI since 7/1 (25 R). On Tuesday, Haggerty reached base 6x in Tacoma's 14-7 win, going 4x4 (2 BB) with a bases loaded triple in the first inning. He enters tonight's action on an eight-game hitting streak, which is his season-high.

Haggerty was named PCL Player of The Week for July 25-30: 6 GP, 11x24 (.458), 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB, 6 R, .500 OBP, 1.042 SLG (2 doubles), with a 1.542 OPS on the recent homestand.

MAKE 'EM COUNT: Tacoma's 84 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (tied with Las Vegas). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.394) and slugging (.498) with runners on.

The Rainiers also lead Triple-A in walks drawn *by 43,* with 612 (OKC, 569). Cooper Hummel's 65 walks (4th in PCL) are already a career-high (63 BB in 2018 and 2021). Tacoma's club OBP is .371 (7th/30 in Triple-A).

KO-SIGN: Rainiers RHP Stephen Kolek was named Seattle Mariners MiLB Reliever of The Month for July, by the organization: 9 G, 13.0 IP, 1.38 ERA (2 ER), 4 BB, 18 K, 8 H, 0.92 WHIP, .186 BAA. With 2.2 scoreless IP during this road trip (5 K), Kolek has allowed only two runs over his past 20.0 IP (0.90 ERA). He's spun five straight scoreless appearances, and has been scoreless in 11 of his last 13 games pitched.

SCHEIN BRIGHT: Tacoma corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (26, by 3), RBI (88, by 9), and runs scored (76, T-1), and has the second-most extra-base hits (45), walks (68) and total bases (192) on the circuit. The PCL MVP candidate is batting .333 (39x117) with RISP (13 HR). With 43 games remaining, Scheiner's 88 RBI are already the most for Tacoma since 2011, when Alex Liddi drove in 104 runs (T-10th franchise history).

YO...JAKE!: Rainiers 3B/1B Jake Scheiner has 26 home runs in 97 games of his Triple-A debut season, extending an already career-high total. He hit 21 homers last year at Double-A Arkansas.

Scheiner has homered 15x during home games, and is threatening Adrian Garrett's record of 19 homers in a season at Cheney Stadium (1971). Garrett, an outfielder for the 1971 Tacoma Cubs, still holds the franchise single-season home run record, with 43 (131 GP). Originally a 4th round draft pick of Philadelphia in 2017, Scheiner was traded to Seattle for OF Jay Bruce on 6/2/19.

THE REAL DELO: Tacoma outfielder Zach DeLoach leads the Rainiers with 103 hits (Jake Scheiner, 94), through the first 95 games of his Triple-A debut. DeLoach is one of seven players in the PCL with 100 or more hits entering today's action (5th); Round Rock's Elier Hernandez leads the circuit with 113. DeLoach's 60 walks and 165 total bases also rank league top eight.

AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: C/DH Brian O'Keefe's three-run shot in the sixth inning on Saturday was his 48th home run with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and matched Dusty Rhodes (1960-63 Tacoma Giants) and Danny Walton (1974-75 Tacoma Twins) for 15th-most in franchise history. Next on the list are Bob Perry (1960-63) and Mike Wilson (2009-12 Rainiers), tied for 13th with 50 homers apiece.

O'Keefe has homered in six of nine games (hit safely in all, 16 RBI), and 22 home runs are two shy of his career-high (2021) and rank fourth in the PCL. O'Keefe is also top three in the PCL in doubles (23) and extra-base hits (45); he's homered 3x and doubled 5x on this trip (12 RBI).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 6, 2023


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