Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (11:35 a.m. PT)
May 23, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
This opens the first of two 12-game homestands at Cheney Stadium this season. The Rainiers are home through June 4; they'll be at home for two weeks again August 22 - September 3.
Tacoma Rainiers (21-24) vs. Las Vegas Aviators (21-24)
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 11:35a.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Marcus Walden vs. RHP Colton Eastman
ALUMNI GAME: RHP Marcus Walden (contract purchased from Gastonia- ALPB, more on page 2) will make his Rainiers debut this afternoon; both starting pitchers today are graduates of Central High School in Fresno, CA. Eastman, age 26 and eight years Walden's junior, pitched three years at Cal State Fullerton beginning in 2016. Walden pitched one season at Fresno City College before being Toronto's ninth round draft selection in 2007 after departing Fresno Central. Walden has 106.0 MLB IP, all for Boston, from 2018-20. Eastman, Philadelphia's fourth round pick in 2018, has yet to make his MLB debut.
DE HEATER: Rainiers outfielder Zach DeLoach is on a nine-game hit streak, which equals Brian O'Keefe (3/31-4/13) and Cade Marlowe (4/23-5/4) for the Tacoma club-long this season. The longest Rainiers hit streak last season was 13 games, belonging to Jarred Kelenic.
Yesterday in the series finale at Albuquerque, DeLoach added four base hits to his second inning solo homer in Tacoma's 6-4 win; it was the first five-hit performance for the Rainiers since Jantzen Witte on 8/16/21 vs. Las Vegas at Cheney Stadium. DeLoach's big day made him 12-for-24 on the six-game road trip to the Land of Enchantment.
WELL, THAT'S PECULIAR: The Rainiers have one of only three positive run differentials in the 10-team Pacific Coast League entering today's action, despite being three games under .500. OKC (33-12) is +46, while second place Reno (28-17) is +63. Tacoma is +7 in runs, but are in a three-way tie for fourth place (269-262).
THEY GET ON BASE, BILLY (JERRY?): The Rainiers lead all Triple-A clubs in walks, with 264 free passes over 45 games (5.87 BB/game). Tacoma has three players in the PCL top 10 in walks entering today's action; Cesar Hernandez (34, T-4th), Jake Scheiner (30, 8th) and Cooper Hummel (27, T-10th). Tacoma's .375 on-base percentage is third-highest in Triple-A, and their 57 stolen bases (13 CS, 81.43%) are second in the PCL, to only Salt Lake (59 SB).
THE OPEN-R: The 2023 Rainiers are continuing last season's trend of starting series on a high note. Tacoma is 5-3 in lid-lifters this season (2-1 home), and 23-12 in such games dating to 4/5/22 (primarily six-game series). The Rainiers were 18-9 in series openers last season, which was 25% of their win total (72-78).
SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Rainiers INF/OF Jake Scheiner currently ranks top four in the PCL in home runs (13), extra-base hits (24) and total bases (94). His 35 RBI, 37 runs and 11 doubles each rank top seven in the league. Scheiner is batting .333 in May over 19 games (23-for-69, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB, 1.051 OPS). The Triple-A rookie's solid .270 average is still misleading when you consider his overall .960 OPS (.383/.577). Scheiner began this season by starting and finishing each of Tacoma's first 24 games. His 13 HR are fifth-most in all of Minor League Baseball (2nd in the PCL).
COO(BB)ER: Rainiers OF/1B/C and Seattle 40-man roster player Cooper Hummel has walked 27x (T-10th PCL) in only 23 games since being optioned to Tacoma on April 22. Hummel is batting .211 (15-for-71), but his OBP is .430, which would rank PCL top 10 with the minimum amount of plate appearances. Hummel has also stolen 10 bases (1 CS), which leads the club and is tied for sixth in the PCL. He was traded to the Mariners by Arizona straight up for outfielder Kyle Lewis on 11/17/22. Hummel grew up a Mariners fan in Lake Oswego, Oregon before playing three seasons at the University of Portland (NCAA D-I, West Coast Conference).
FESTAVAL: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa has been absolute nails after being optioned to Tacoma on April 9. He's carrying a 0.50 ERA in 15 games (18.0 IP, 1 ER), and has converted all eight of his save opportunities, which leads the Pacific Coast League. Festa is allowing a meager .105 average (6 hits) vs. Triple-A batters, after retiring the side in order (1 K) to close yesterday's win at ABQ (saved consecutive games May 20-21).
RILED UP: RHP Riley O'Brien has settled in before Matt Festa as Tacoma's most frequent eighth inning option (4 holds); the Seattle native has struck out 26 batters over 17.1 IP (2 ER, 1.04, 2 SV). When O'Brien made his MLB debut for Cincinnati on 9/30/21, he became the second alum of Shorewood HS to reach the Majors, joining LHP Blake Snell. He made his Mariners debut last season with one appearance on 5/7 vs. Tampa Bay at T-Mobile Park (1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 K).
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 23, 2023
- Sacramento Leads Until Late, Dodgers Take Series Opener - Sacramento River Cats
- Boone, Isotopes Ride Past Express, 13-4 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Reno Takes Down El Paso 13-7 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Late Surge Helps Space Cowboys Rebound for 9-5 Win - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- McCarthy & Thomas Mash as Reno's 18 Hits Propel Aces a 13-7 Win Over El Paso - Reno Aces
- Bees' Rally Falls Short - Salt Lake Bees
- Rainiers bullpen shines on Tuesday - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 23, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Space Cowboys at Constellation Field for Six-Games against Salt Lake Bees - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (11:35 a.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
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