Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT)
August 5, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (54-52, 17-14) @ Sugar Land Space Cowboys (45-61, 12-19)
Saturday, August 5, 2023, 5:05p.m. PT | Constellation Field: Sugar Land, TX
RHP Marcus Walden vs. RHP Misael Tamarez
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 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 20-23 this season against fellow AL West affiliates (Las Vegas/OAK, Round Rock/TEX and Salt Lake/LAA). Tacoma is 7-9 all-time at Sugar Land.
NO MORAL VICTORIES: With a 4-3 win last night, 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 .380 (41x108) over 27 games since July 1, with a 1.163 OPS during this span (.450 OBP/.713 SLG), thanks to 19 extra-base hits (3 triples, 7 HR). He's walked 17x and has 24 RBI since 7/1 (24 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 a seven-game hitting streak, which equals a 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 82 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Las Vegas, 81). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.395) and slugging (.496) with runners on.
The Rainiers also lead Triple-A in walks drawn *by 40,* with 606 (OKC, 566). Cooper Hummel's 64 walks (4th in PCL) are already a career-high (63 BB in 2018 and 2021). Tacoma's club OBP is .372 (6th 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 (25) and RBI (86), and has the second-most runs scored (75), extra-base hits (44), walks (67) and total bases (188) on the circuit. The PCL MVP candidate is batting .333 (39x117) with RISP (13 HR). With 44 games remaining, Scheiner's 86 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 95 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, 93), through the first 94 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 112 (95 GP). DeLoach's 59 walks and 165 total bases also rank league top eight.
AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: C/DH Brian O'Keefe's ninth inning solo shot on Thursday was his 47th home run with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and passed 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 five of eight games (hit safely in all), and 21 home runs are three shy of his career-high and rank fourth in the PCL (24 HR in 2021 over 105 GP split between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma). O'Keefe is also top five in the PCL in doubles (22) and extra-base hits (43); he doubled twice in last night's victory.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 5, 2023
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- One Inning Decides Saturday Night Affair Between Space Cowboys and Rainiers - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
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- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Sugar Land (5:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 5, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aviators Host Sacramento in Six-Game Homestand from Tuesday-Sunday, August 8-13 at Las Vegas Ballpark - Las Vegas Aviators
- Cats Snap Skid, Avila Victorious Again in Win Over Reno - Sacramento River Cats
- Albuquerque Evens Series with 10-5 Victory - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Reno's Light-Tower Power Dims in 4-1 Loss to Sacramento - Reno Aces
- Bannon Comes a Single Shy of the Cycle in Space Cowboys' 4-3 Loss - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
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