Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. OKC (7:05 PT)
Published on August 10, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (58-52, 21-14) vs. Oklahoma City Dodgers (72-36, 22-13)
Thursday, August 10, 2023, 7:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Gus Varland (Opener) / RHP Emmet Sheehan
#DarrenDay: 2023 is the fifth season in which right-hander Darren McCaughan has pitched for Tacoma. His 78th career start for the Rainiers will be tonight, placing him alone in fifth in franchise history. Steve Luebber is fourth with 86 starts, between 1972 and 1977 for the Tacoma Twins. McCaughan has accumulated 380 strikeouts for the Rainiers, which are fifth-most in Tacoma's Triple-A history (since 1960). Ryan Franklin is fourth, with 388 K for the 1997-2001 Rainiers.
THE REAL DELO: Tacoma outfielder Zach DeLoach has homered 3x in two games to open this homestand, and leads the Rainiers with 108 hits (Jake Scheiner, 96) through the first 98 games of his Triple-A debut. DeLoach is one of nine players in the PCL with 100 or more hits entering today's action (T-4th); Round Rock's Elier Hernandez leads the circuit with 116, and three OKC Dodgers are in the top nine (Michael Busch- 104, Devin Mann- 101, Drew Avans- 100). Every DeLoach HR (17) extends a career-high, he had 14 in each of his first two pro seasons.
SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .361 (43x119) over 30 games since July 1, with a 1.122 OPS (.441 OBP/.681 SLG), thanks to 20 extra-base hits (4 triples, 7 HR). He's walked 20x and has 25 RBI since 7/1 (27 runs scored). Haggerty has reached base in his last 18 games, Tacoma's current club-high streak (1.254 OPS).
MAYBE TAKE A PITCH: The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A in walks drawn *by 40* with 628; Oklahoma City is a distant second with 588 BB. Jake Scheiner (2nd, 69 BB), Cooper Hummel (4th, 66 BB) and Zach DeLoach (7th, 61 BB) are all atop the PCL walk leaderboard. Tacoma's club OBP is .371 (7th/30 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 1.1 scoreless IP last night for the save in Tacoma's 6-4 win (2 K), Kolek has allowed only two runs over his past 22.1 IP (0.81 ERA). He's spun seven straight scoreless appearances, and has been scoreless in 13 of his last 15 games pitched. Since June 11, Kolek's ERA is 1.57 (18 G, 28.2 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 13 BB, 34 K, 0.98 WHIP).
R STANDS FOR RUN: Tacoma leads the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 160 (El Paso, 153), and stole 19 bases over six games on the recent Sugar Land road trip (24 SB in 8 games).
PCL MVP WEEK: Tacoma corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (26, by 2), RBI (88, by 9) and runs scored (79), has the third-most extra-base hits (46) and fourth-most total bases (196) in the league. The PCL MVP candidate is batting .325 (39x120) with RISP (13 HR). With 40 games remaining, Scheiner's 88 RBI are the most for Tacoma since 2011, when Alex Liddi drove in 104 runs (T-10th franchise history).
Oklahoma City INF Michael Busch is no worse than sixth in the PCL in batting average (.326), home runs (22), RBI (75), OBP (.433), SLG (.621), OPS (1.054), hits (104), extra-base hits (47) and total bases (198) in his MVP race with Scheiner.
AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: C/DH Brian O'Keefe's three-run shot in the sixth inning on Saturday at Sugar Land was his 48th home run with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and matched Dusty Rhodes (1960-63 Tacoma Giants) and Danny Walton (1974-75 Tacoma Twins) for 15th-most in franchise history. Next on the list are Bob Perry (1960-63) and Mike Wilson (2009-12 Rainiers), tied for 13th with 50 homers apiece.
O'Keefe has homered in six of 12 games (hit safely in all, 17 RBI), and 22 home runs are two shy of his career-high (2021) and rank tied for fourth in the PCL. O'Keefe is also top six in the PCL in doubles (23) and extra-base hits (45); he homered 3x and doubled 5x on the recent road trip to Texas (10-for-28, .357, 12 RBI), winning Pacific Coast League Player of The Week (1.236 OPS). His 12-game hit streak (since 7/27, .314, 1.148 OPS) is his second of 11+ this year.
I GOT FIVE ON IT: Wednesday was a 5-0 and high-scoring evening for the Seattle Mariners, among the organization's five full-season clubs. As Seattle defeated San Diego 6-1 at T-Mobile Park, Tacoma outlasted Oklahoma City 6-4 at Cheney Stadium. Double-A Arkansas won 17-10 at Midland, High-A Everett defeated Eugene 12-6 on the road, and Class A Modesto beat Stockton 20-2 (road). All full-season affiliates are currently at least six games over .500; at 280-233 (.546), Mariners MiLB clubs (all levels) have the industry's third-highest winning % (LAD, PHI).
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 10, 2023
- Scorching Bats Lead Express to 15-1 Win Over Isotopes - Round Rock Express
- Aces Roll Over Bees 13-5 - Salt Lake Bees
- Del Castillo Crushes First Triple-A Home Run as Aces Swat Bees - Reno Aces
- Isotopes Lose, 15-1, for Fifth-Straight Defeat - Albuquerque Isotopes
- El Paso Tops Sugar Land, 12-3 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. OKC (7:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 10, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Express INF Blaine Crim Named Rangers Minor League Player of the Month - Round Rock Express
- Kalish Tosses Gem, Offense Explodes in Bees Blowout - Salt Lake Bees
- Sacramento Briefly Levels but Aviators Take Game Two - Sacramento River Cats
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.
