PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

August 3, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (53-51, 16-13) @ Sugar Land Space Cowboys (44-60, 11-18)

Thursday, August 3, 2023, 5:05p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX

RHP Adam Oller vs. RHP Spencer Arrighetti

WESTERN EXPOSURE: The Rainiers make their third-ever visit to Sugar Land (HOU) this week; the franchise joined the PCL in 2021, formerly the "Skeeters" of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball from 2012-2020. Sugar Land was twice ALPB champion (2016 & 2018).

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 19-22 this season against fellow AL West affiliates (Las Vegas/OAK, Round Rock/TEX and Salt Lake/LAA). Tacoma is 6-8 all-time at Sugar Land.

SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .390 (39x100) over 25 games since July 1, with a 1.172 OPS during this span (.462 OBP/.710 SLG), thanks to 17 extra-base hits (3 triples, 6 HR). He's walked 16x and has 22 RBI since 7/1. 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 a five-game hitting streak.

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 82 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Albuquerque, 79). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.398) and slugging (.503) with runners on. Tacoma also leads Triple-A in walks drawn *by 41,* with 597 (OKC, 556). Cooper Hummel's 64 BB (4th in PCL) are already a career-high (63 in 2018 and 2021). Tacoma's club OBP is .372 (6th in AAA).

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).

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. After striking out all four batters he faced in a dominant 1.1 IP on Wednesday (7th & 8th), Kolek has allowed only two runs over his past 18.2 IP (0.96 ERA). He's spun four straight scoreless appearances, and has been scoreless in 10 of his last 12 games pitched.

SCHEIN BRIGHT: Tacoma corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (25) and RBI (85), and has the second-most runs scored (75), extra-base hits (44), walks (67) and total bases (187) on the circuit. The PCL MVP candidate is batting .339 (38x112) with RISP (13 HR). With 46 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 94 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 exactly 100 hits (Jake Scheiner, 92), through the first 92 games of his Triple-A debut. DeLoach is one of six players in the PCL with 100 or more hits entering today's action; Round Rock's Elier Hernandez leads the circuit with 111 (94 GP). DeLoach's 57 walks and 162 total bases also rank league top 10.

AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: C/DH Brian O'Keefe's third inning, two-out, three-run homer on Wednesday was his 46th with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and tied Bill Hain of the 1961-63 Tacoma Giants for 17th in franchise history. Next on the all-time list are Dusty Rhodes (1960-63 Tacoma Giants) and Danny Walton (1974-75 Tacoma Twins), tied for 15th with 48 HR apiece.

O'Keefe has homered in four of six games (hit safely in all), and 20 home runs are four shy of his career-high and rank fourth 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).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 3, 2023


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