Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. OKC (7:05 PT)
August 11, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma has won 12 of 14, with two season-high six-game win streaks. The Rainiers are a season-high seven games above .500 overall, and are currently tied for a playoff spot (see below).
Tacoma Rainiers (59-52, 22-14) vs. Oklahoma City Dodgers (72-37, 22-14)
Friday, August 11, 2023, 7:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
LHP Kyle Hart vs. RHP Gavin Stone
GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT: The Rainiers have won 12 of 14 since July 26, thanks to a pair of season-high six-game win streaks. Tacoma has also won a season-high eight consecutive home games, dating to 7/26 as well. At 22-14 in the second half, the Rainiers share the PCL's top record with Oklahoma City and Las Vegas; the best record that is not OKC (won first half, 50-23) will play the Dodgers in the PCL Finals as second half winner (best-of-3, all at OKC Sept. 26-28). The Rainiers have six games remaining against Las Vegas (OAK), August 22-27 @ TAC.
DO IT FOR THE SONICS: Tacoma began 2023 at OKC (3/31-4/2), and the clubs had not met since until Tuesday. Only seven players on Tacoma's current active roster played in that opening series (DeLoach, O'Keefe, Scheiner, McCaughan, O'Brien, Rodriguez and Weiman).
SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty batted .361 (43x119) since July 1 in 30 games with Tacoma, with a 1.122 OPS (.441 OBP/.681 SLG), thanks to 20 extra-base hits (4 triples, 7 HR). He walked 20x and had 25 RBI since 7/1 (27 runs scored). Haggerty reached base in his last 18 games, (1.254 OPS), before being recalled on Friday.
THE REAL DELO: Tacoma outfielder Zach DeLoach has homered 3x in three games to open this homestand, and leads the Rainiers with 108 hits (Jake Scheiner, 96) through the first 99 games of his Triple-A debut. DeLoach is one of 11 players in the PCL with 100 or more hits entering today's action (5th); Round Rock's Elier Hernandez leads the circuit with 119, and three OKC Dodgers are in the top 10 (Michael Busch- 104, Devin Mann- 101, Drew Avans- 101). Every DeLoach homer (17) extends a career-high, he had 14 in each of his first two pro seasons.
MAYBE TAKE A PITCH: The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A in walks drawn *by 42* with 633; Oklahoma City is a distant second with 591 BB. Jake Scheiner (2nd, 69 BB), Cooper Hummel (T-3rd, 68 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).
"R"UN IT BACK: Tacoma leads the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 164 (El Paso, 153), are second in Triple-A (Omaha, 178), and stole 19 bases over six games on the recent road trip to Sugar Land (28 SB in 9 games). Last season, the Rainiers led all of Triple-A in steals (by 13), with a franchise record 205.
PCL MVP WEEK: Tacoma corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (26), 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 39 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 fifth in the PCL in batting average (.324), home runs (22), RBI (75), OBP (.434), SLG (.617), OPS (1.051), 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 tied for sixth on the circuit with 45 extra-base hits; 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.
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 on Wednesday for the save (2 K), Kolek has allowed only two runs over his past 22.1 IP (0.81 ERA). He's spun seven consecutive 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).
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 11, 2023
- El Paso Edges Sugar Land, 9-8 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Isotopes Fall in Pitcher's Duel, 2-1 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Albuquerque Spills the Chili, Round Rock Wins Fourth Straight - Round Rock Express
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. OKC (7:05 PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - August 11, 2023 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Game Times Changed for Space Cowboys Upcoming Two-Week Homestand - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Homers Power Sacramento to Victory Over Las Vegas - Sacramento River Cats
- On the Other Foot - Space Cowboys Topped by Chihuahuas 12-3 - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Rainiers Edge Dodgers, 4-3 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Rainiers Run Win Streak to 6 (2nd Time in '23) - Tacoma Rainiers
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