Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT)
August 2, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma is currently on a season-high six-game win streak, their longest since September of 2021 (more below).
Tacoma Rainiers (53-50, 16-12) @ Sugar Land Space Cowboys (43-60, 10-18)
Wednesday, August 2, 2023, 5:05p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX
LHP Logan Allen vs. RHP Shawn Dubin
6 FOOT, 7 FOOT: Tacoma's six-game win streak is their longest since seven straight from Sept. 11-18, 2021; the '21 PCL champion Rainiers won seven in a row twice on their way to the title.
WESTERN EXPOSURE: The Rainiers make 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 occur between yesterday and September 3 (at Tacoma 8/29-9/3). The Rainiers are 19-21 this season against fellow AL West affiliates (Las Vegas/OAK, Round Rock/TEX and Salt Lake/LAA). Tacoma is 6-7 all-time at Sugar Land.
SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .400 (38x95) over 24 games since July 1, with a 1.211 OPS during this span (.474 OBP/.737 SLG), thanks to 17 extra-base hits (3 triples, 6 HR). He's walked 16x and has 21 RBI since 7/1. Last night, Haggerty reached base 6x in Tacoma's 14-7 win, going 4x4 with a bases loaded triple in the first inning. He doubled and walked twice later in the game.
Haggerty was named PCL Player of The Week for June 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.
FOUR LORE: When Zach DeLoach, Adam Engel, Mark Mathias and Sam Haggerty each homered to begin the bottom of the fourth inning on Saturday vs. Salt Lake, it was the first time in the "Rainiers" era/Seattle affiliation (since 1995) that Tacoma hit four consecutive home runs. It marked the first time the Rainiers hit three straight homers since June 13, 2013, when Carlos Peguero, Rich Poythress and Nate Tenbrink did so at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.
MAKE 'EM COUNT: Tacoma's 81 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Albuquerque, 78). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.397) and slugging (.504) with runners on.
Tacoma also leads Triple-A in walks drawn *by 37,* with 588 (OKC, 551). The Rainiers' on-base percentage of .373 ranks sixth in Triple-A.
HAPPY FESTAVUS: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa leads Triple-A in saves, with 15 (16 SVO). In 28 games with Tacoma (34.0 IP, 28 K), his ERA is 0.53 (2 ER). Triple-A hitters are batting a meager .101 against Festa (0.79 WHIP).
FUN WITH AT LEAST ONE: The Rainiers have now lasted more than a season's-worth of games (153) without being shut out. Last season, Tacoma lost 1-0 at Sacramento (8/3) in game #100, and scored in their final 50 contests. They've scored in all 103 games this year, have been held to a single run 9x, and have shutout the opposition 3x (4/5 vs. Reno, 4/12 at Round Rock and 7/1 vs. Salt Lake).
SCHEIN BRIGHT: Rainiers corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (25), RBI (85) and runs scored (75), and is second on the circuit in extra-base hits (44), walks (65) and total bases (187). The PCL MVP candidate is batting .339 (38x112) with RISP (13 HR). With 47 games remaining, Scheiner's 85 RBI are already the most for Tacoma since 2011, when Alex Liddi drove in 104 runs (T-10th franchise history in a single season).
YO...JAKE!: Rainiers 3B/1B Jake Scheiner has 25 home runs in 93 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.
AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: Catcher Brian O'Keefe's eighth-inning go-ahead shot (2-run) on Sunday was his 45th homer with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and passed Daniel Vogelbach for 18th-most in franchise history (44 HR from 2016-18). O'Keefe has homered in three of his last five games (hit safely in all). Bill Hain is 17th on the list with 46 home runs, for the Tacoma Giants from 1961 through 1963.
O'Keefe's 19 homers are five shy of his career-high and rank fifth in the Pacific Coast League. He slugged 24 HR in 2021 over 105 games split between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma (13 HR in 56 GP of Triple-A debut).
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 2, 2023
- Salt Lake Edges El Paso, 5-4 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Sugar Land Edges Tacoma, 7-6, in 10 - Tacoma Rainiers
- Round Rock Falls 6-3 in Game Two Against Oklahoma City - Round Rock Express
- Dodgers Win, 6-3, Over Express - Oklahoma City Comets
- Efficient Cats Fall in Final Frames to Aces - Sacramento River Cats
- Alcántara's Clutch Swing Propels Aces Past River Cats - Reno Aces
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 2, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Inaugural OKC Triple-A Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions Set for Saturday - Oklahoma City Comets
- Fifth Annual Karbach Round Rock Classic Announces Teams, Schedule and Ticket Information - Round Rock Express
- El Paso Takes Down Salt Lake - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Dodgers Downed by Express - Oklahoma City Comets
- Matijevic and Bannon Both Record Two-Homer Games for Sugar Land - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Aces Claw River Cats Behind 402-Foot Blaze Blast - Reno Aces
- Rainiers Beat Sugar Land 14-7 for 6th Straight Win - Tacoma Rainiers
- Teng Sharp for Sacramento but Reno Takes Opener - Sacramento River Cats
- Supak, Five-Run Second Inning Lead Aviators to 8-4 Triumph - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Express Snap Losing Streak, Beat Dodgers 4-2 - Round Rock Express
- Chihuahuas Win in Series Opener - Salt Lake Bees
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