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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 p.m. PT)

June 23, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Yesterday (won 13-7), Tacoma chased their season low in hits on Tuesday (2, lost 3-1) with their season-high (18).

Tacoma Rainiers (27-40) @ Sugar Land Skeeters (29-39)

Thursday, June 23, 2022, 5:05 p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX

LHP Justus Sheffield vs. RHP J.P. France

RAINIERS IN SPACE: In last night's 13-7 win at Sugar Land, 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).

HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After a pair of doubles last night, Tacoma catcher Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 29 of the 32 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on 4/27 at Las Vegas. O'Keefe is batting .314 with a .968 OPS (.400/.568), with five home runs, 18 extra-base hits and 16 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.

MARVELOUS MARCUS: Tacoma outfielder Marcus Wilson has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games with five home runs, and has had an extra-base hit in nine of 13 games, dating to June 7. In his last 13 games, Wilson is batting .293 (12-for-41) with a 1.233 OPS (.453/.780). He's walked 10 times and has scored 13 runs in that span (12 RBI). His 12 homers lead the Tacoma roster by three.

A REAL (MCCOY) GOOD JUNE: Rainiers infielder Mason McCoy is the only player on the club to appear in each of Tacoma's 19 games in June. McCoy has reached base safely in 16 of 19 games this month (.368 OBP, 8 BB, 11 R).

HOT START: The Rainiers have scored in the first inning in seven of their last 11 games.

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 (also a distance of 36 miles) for the 2009 season. 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 Rs-M's proximity was pushed to a tie for third-shortest.

SO DEFENSIVE: Tacoma's 40 errors as a club are fewest in the PCL, and second-fewest in Triple-A behind only Nashville (31). 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 96; Memphis (IL) has 107, El Paso has 104 to lead the PCL, in front of Sacramento (100) and Albuquerque (98). Tacoma has stolen the second-most bases at the level with 93, trailing only Buffalo (95) of the IL.

#DarrenDay: Rainiers RHP 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 tied for eighth in the league.

POW, POW POW POW: For three straight weeks, and four of five, a Rainier has won PCL Pitcher or Player of The Week honors (RHP Konner Wade, LHP Justus Sheffield, OF Marcus Wilson, RHP Darren McCaughan).

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