Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. El Paso (6:05 PT)
Published on April 22, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (10-8) vs. El Paso Chihuahuas (7-12)
Saturday, April 22, 2023, 6:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Matt Waldron
IT'S BEEN DRIVEN BY FORD, LATELY: DH Mike Ford hit three home runs during last night's 10-2 victory over El Paso at Cheney Stadium (8 RBI), including a 2nd inning grand slam. Please see the appendage on page two for full notes and historical context. Luminaries such as Aaron Judge and A.J. Zapp make an appearance.
DOG WALKERS: The Rainiers and Chihuahuas enter tonight's action 1-2 in Triple-A Baseball in walks drawn, with 126 and 123 respectively. The clubs have walked 63 times through the first four games of this series, but there were only five walks last night- all issued by El Paso. Tacoma pitching did not walk a batter for the first time this season; the Rainiers had walked just a single batter in three previous games. RHP Jose Rodriguez turned in his first quality start of the year (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 K), and was relieved by RHP Nolan Blackwood (2.0 IP, 0 R).
ET TU BB: While the overall pace of walks may have slowed, it certainly hasn't for one player. Tacoma infielder Cesar Hernandez has walked 3x in consecutive games, and has nine walks through the first four games of this homestand. He's already had three 3-BB games this year, is sporting a .448 OBP (15 GP), and leads the PCL with 21 walks (by three).
FRENEMIES: The El Paso Chihuahuas' roster has several names that could make fans double-take this week at Cheney Stadium. Five current/recent Chihuahuas are former Rainiers; UTIL Tim Lopes (95 G, 2019), RHP Domingo Tapia (5 G, 2021) and three players who ended the 2021 season with the PCL Champion Rainiers: INF Jantzen Witte (104 G), OF Luis Liberato (87 G) and LHP Ray Kerr (12 G), who was recalled by San Diego on Wednesday. Lopes has been a problem for R pitching this series; he's 10-for-17 since Tuesday, after going 4-for-4 last night.
FIVE-HITTE WITTE: Former Rainiers third baseman Jantzen Witte enjoyed a career-year during his only season with the club, Tacoma's 2021 PCL Championship campaign. He hit .299 over 104 games (.364 OBP, .856 OPS) with 19 homers, and was named Team MVP by Tacoma's coaching staff and front office. Witte also has the most recent five-hit game for the Rainiers, on 8/16/21 at Cheney Stadium vs. Las Vegas-- in a 7-3 defeat. Current El Paso teammate and fellow 2021 Rainier Luis Liberato was named club Defensive Player of The Year that season, as he routinely dazzled in centerfield.
THE O' STANDS FOR OFFENSE: Having hit safely in 12 of 14 games played, Tacoma catcher Brian O'Keefe is top five in the PCL in home runs (6), slugging (.745) and OPS (1.191). He has 10 extra-base hits (7th) and 41 total bases (8th).
SPENT A MONTH THERE ONE NIGHT: The Rainiers have won seven of 10 against El Paso dating to last season, and have rallied to tie the all-time series between the two at 59-59 (since 2014). There are now five current PCL locales that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time non-losing record against: Salt Lake (378-364-1, since 1960), Las Vegas (294-289, since 1983), Round Rock (52-33, since 2005) and OKC (85-85, since 1963), in addition to El Paso.
JAY-DED: Tacoma has two players rostered who were once traded 1-for-1 for OF Jay Bruce. On 8/9/17 RHP Ryder Ryan was moved from Cleveland to New York-NL (waiver deadline), going from Class A Lake County (Midwest League) to Class A Columbia (South Atlantic League). On 6/2/19, Seattle traded Bruce and cash to Philadelphia in exchange for INF/OF Jake Scheiner, as Scheiner went from High-A Clearwater (Florida State League) to High-A Modesto (California League). Bruce, 36 and now retired, played in 14 MLB seasons from 2008 through 2021 (CIN, NYM, CLE, SEA, PHI, NYY).
UNI-WATCH: The 2023 Tacoma Rainiers have the following record by uniform top...
R Red (4-3), Home White (4-1), Road Grey (1-0), Navy Blue (0-3), 1960 Fauxback (0-0), La Familia de Tacoma (1-0), Special Auction (0-1).
April 22-23 is "Throwback Weekend" at Cheney Stadium...
TODAY: 1960 Fauxback makes its season debut (cream-colored jersey and pants with red caps/trim, "Slammin Sam The South Sound Salmon" sleeve patch). The uniforms imagine how the club would've looked if the "Rainiers" moniker were in use during Cheney Stadium's opening season and the inaugural year of Triple-A PCL Baseball in Tacoma.
Sunday: "Northwest Green" throwback jerseys, which pay homage to the 1995 Rainiers and the first year of the organization's affiliation with the Seattle Mariners. Game-worn jerseys will be available for bid in a silent auction on the concourse.
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 22, 2023
- Dodgers Earn 3-2 Win Over Albuquerque Isotopes - Oklahoma City Comets
- France Dominates as Space Cowboys Go Deep Three Times in 5-1 Win - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. El Paso (6:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - April 22, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- 'Cats Bounce Back, Defeat Round Rock 7-4 - Sacramento River Cats
- Aviators Host Tacoma Rainiers in Six-Game Series from Tuesday-Sunday, April 25-30 - Las Vegas Aviators
- Ford Hits Three Homers, Rainiers Race Past El Paso - Tacoma Rainiers
- Tacoma Spanks El Paso, 10-2 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Dulces de Sugar Land Fall 5-3 in Late Inning Back-And-Forth Battle - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Doyle's Walk-Off Dinger Lifts Isotopes Over Dodgers, 4-3 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Gear 3: Ford Hits Three Homers, Rainiers Race Past El Paso - Tacoma Rainiers
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