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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Las Vegas (7:05 PT)

May 25, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (23-24) vs. Las Vegas Aviators (21-26)

Thursday, May 25, 2023, 7:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

LHP Tommy Milone vs. RHP Adam Oller

RED AND BLUE YOU'RE MY BOYD: Seattle Mariners minor league field coordinator Louis Boyd will manage the Rainiers for the remainder of this series, while John Russell attends the high school graduation of his son, Stone, from IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. Boyd, 29, is in his second season as field coordinator, and prior to was manager of Seattle's High-A affiliate Everett (Northwest League) in 2021. Boyd was a 24th round pick of the Mariners in 2017, after playing his final two collegiate seasons at the University of Arizona (infielder). He played in 148 games for the organization at the Rookie and Class A levels, before transitioning into coaching.

Stone Russell is a professional prospect as well (infielder), and is committed to play baseball at the University of Florida, pending where he may be selected in July's MLB First Year Player Draft.

A FULLY-LOADED FORD: DH Mike Ford drew a walk with the bases loaded in the seventh inning last night, already his 23rd RBI with the bases loaded this season. Ford is 10-for-14 with the sacks packed with 18 total bases (2.019 OPS), and hit two grand slams in 10 days, on 4/21 vs. El Paso (3 HR, career-high 8 RBI) and 4/30 at Las Vegas in a pair of Tacoma wins. Ford's 48 RBI trail only Las Vegas's Cody Thomas (50) and Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers (49) for the most in all of North American pro baseball.

SCHEIN BRIGHT ON THE DIAMOND: Rainiers INF/OF Jake Scheiner currently ranks top five in the PCL in home runs (13), extra-base hits (25), total bases (97) and runs scored (38). His 37 RBI, 12 doubles and 32 walks each rank top eight in the league. Scheiner is batting .329 in May over 21 games (25-for-76, 5 HR, 7 2B, 14 RBI, 18 R, 12 BB, 1.034 OPS). The Triple-A rookie's solid .271 average is still misleading when you consider his overall .956 OPS (.385/.571). Scheiner began this season by starting and finishing each of Tacoma's first 24 games. His 13 home runs are tied for fifth-most in all of MiLB (2nd in the PCL).

RUN IT BACK: Last season the Rainiers led Triple-A (by 13) with a franchise record 205 stolen bases. Tacoma's 62 stolen bases entering Thursday's action (16 CS, 79.5%) trail only Salt Lake (64 SB) for most in the Pacific Coast League. Mason McCoy (12 SB, 0 CS), Cooper Hummel (10 SB, 1 CS) and Cade Marlowe (9 SB, 2 CS) each rank in the PCL top 10. Tacoma leads all of Triple-A with 283 walks (by 11, El Paso- 272); Tacoma's .377 OBP is third-highest.

THE REAL DELO: Rainiers outfielder Zach DeLoach is on an 11-game hit streak, and is two shy of Jarred Kelenic for Tacoma's longest streak since 2022; Kelenic hit in 13 straight from May 24 through June 8 last season. The longest club hit streak in 2021 was 23 games, by Cal Raleigh (5/15 - 6/17). DeLoach is batting .439 during the streak (18-for-41, 5 XBH, 4 BB, 5 RBI, 4 R), with a 1.123 OPS (.489/.634). Those numbers include a 5-for-5 day on May 21 at Albuquerque with a homer, which was the first five-hit performance for the Rainiers since Jantzen Witte on 8/16/21 vs. Las Vegas at Cheney Stadium.

FESTAVAL: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa has been absolute nails after being optioned to Tacoma on April 9. He's carrying a 0.47 ERA in 16 games (19.0 IP, 1 ER), and has converted all nine of his save opportunities, which leads the Pacific Coast League, by three. Festa is allowing a meager .100 average (6 hits) vs. Triple-A batters, after retiring the side in order (1 K) to close Tuesday's 5-4 homestand-opening win over Las Vegas. He saved three straight Tacoma victories in four days (May 20-23 @ ABQ, vs. LV).

RILED UP: RHP Riley O'Brien has settled in before Matt Festa as Tacoma's most frequent eighth inning option (5 holds); the Seattle native has struck out 28 batters over 18.1 IP (2 ER, 0.98 ERA, 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).

WHEN WERE YOU THERE AGAIN?: Four alums of Saugus (CA) High School have reached the Major Leagues, including tonight's Rainiers starting pitcher, southpaw Tommy Milone. All four have played for Seattle: LHP Shawn Barton (1992), RHP Roger Salkeld (1993-94), Milone (2019, 2022-23) and INF Zach Vincej (2018). Vincej was also Tacoma's 3B/INF coach in 2022, while Milone pitched for the Rainiers (11 G, 10 GS, 40.1 IP). Salkeld pitched 4x (3 GS) for the 1995 Rainiers, during the first year of the franchise's affiliation with the Mariners.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 25, 2023


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