Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (6:05 p.m.)
May 25, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (16-27) vs. Las Vegas Aviators (22-21)
Wednesday, May 25, 2022, 6:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
LHP Tommy Milone (1-0, 0.90) vs. LHP Jared Koenig (4-2, 2.70)
MEJIA MASHES: In yesterday's 7-2 win in the series opener, Erick Mejia became the fifth player to homer twice in a game this season for Tacoma, but the first to homer from each side of the plate. Mejia's solo shot in the third inning as a lefty was the second half of back-to-back homers with Brian O'Keefe (3-R), the fourth time the Rainiers have accomplished that this season. Batting right-handed in the eight, Mejia's three-run shot closed the day's scoring, finishing his day with four RBI.
DARREN DAY: After yesterday's start, Rainiers right-hander Darren McCaughan (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) ascended to the top spot in the PCL in innings pitched (49.1), and is tied with Albuquerque's Ryan Feltner for the league lead in strikeouts (48 K).
A WADE SEASON: Rainiers RHP Konner Wade has secured Tacoma's first Player/Pitcher of The Week award of the 2022 season, for his performance on 5/20 at Sacramento: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Wade at one point retired 16 consecutive batters during a 2-0 Tacoma victory.
WILSON'S WORLD: Tacoma OF Marcus Wilson enters today's action with an eight-game on-base streak, and has an 1.102 OPS (.447/.655) in that span, since May 11 (3 HR, 7 RBI, 9 BB).
E(Ks)PLORATORY: On Saturday (5/21), RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon struck out the first nine Sacramento batters of the game (seven swinging, 12 K total), as the Rainiers reached their first three-game winning streak of 2022. The nine straight punchouts are a Tacoma Triple-A franchise record (since 1960), a PCL record to begin a game, and are believed to equal a league record for most consecutive strikeouts (est. 1903).
12 were the most strikeouts in a game for a Tacoma pitcher since Taijuan Walker fanned 13 on 8/10/14 vs. Fresno at Cheney Stadium. Ponce de Leon is limiting batters to the fourth-lowest average in the PCL, at .224.
Striking out the first nine batters of a game has only been accomplished once in the Major Leagues, and recently. Miami's Pablo Lopez fanned the first nine Atlanta Braves he faced on July 11 of last season - and did not strike out another batter over 6.0 IP - in a 7-4 home win over the eventual World Series champions.
CHECK THE PASS LIST: Las Vegas infielder Nate Mondou is Tacoma-born, a graduate of Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, and a resident of Lake Tapps, WA. Mondou, the Oakland Athletics' 13th round draft pick in 2016 following three seasons at Wake Forest University, is in his sixth professional season (excluding 2020, DNP) and his second at Triple-A, after spending all of last season with the Aviators.
Against Tacoma last year, Mondou batted .242 (15-for-62) in 17 games, with three home runs, three doubles, eight walks, 14 runs scored and seven RBI, with a .777 OPS (.342/.435). Mondou played in all but one game against his hometown club in 2021. This season, Mondou is batting .273 in six games against the Rainiers (6-for-22), with three doubles and four RBI (BB, 2 R).
A WINNING HAND: Las Vegas is one of three current PCL member cities that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time winning record against (287-279, since 1983); the others are Salt Lake (367-357-1, since 1960) and Round Rock (44-26, since 2005). During the Rainiers era and Seattle Mariners affiliation (since 1995), Tacoma is 209-183 against Las Vegas and their various nicknames and MLB affiliations. The Tacoma Tigers (Oakland A's) were 78-96 against Las Vegas from 1981 through 1994.
R SPEED: The Rainiers have stolen 68 bases in 43 games, and lead all of Triple-A Baseball in steals; the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) of the International League are second with 66. Caught only 12 times, the Rainiers are stealing bases at an .850 clip, while swiping 1.58 bags per game on average. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall is second in the PCL in steals with 16 after two on Saturday (Round Rock's Bubba Thompson has 23); last season, Wall had the third-most steals in the IL with 35, for Buffalo.
Rainiers infielders Sam Haggerty (T-3rd, 13 SB) and Erick Mejia (T-8th, 9 SB) are on the league leaderboard as well. It's a fast start to the season throughout the organization, as Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez was tied for the MLB lead in steals (12, Jorge Mateo, BAL) entering today.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 25, 2022
- Aviators Glide Past Rainiers in the 9th on Wednesday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Aviators Glide Past Rainiers in the 9th on Wednesday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Isotopes Lose to Winn, Express - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Isotopes Lose to Winn, Express - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Rainy Oklahoma City Forces Postponement of Tonight's Aces Game against the Dodgers - Reno Aces
- Wednesday's OKC Dodgers Game Postponed Due to Inclement Weather - Oklahoma City Comets
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (6:05 p.m.) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Alex De Goti Homers and Drives in Four Wednesday Afternoon - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Chihuahuas Shrug off 7-1 Deficit, Score 15 of Last 16 Runs - El Paso Chihuahuas
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - May 25, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Three-Year-Old Casen Hazlewood to Celebrate Integris Health "Home Run for Life" - Oklahoma City Comets
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
