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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Reno (6:05 PT)

April 8, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


GOOD WALKS NOT SPOILED: Tacoma's 64 runs in seven games (9.14/game) make them the highest-scoring Triple-A team at the moment... by eight runs (OKC, 56). That's largely due to the 57 walks they've drawn thus far (8.14/game), second only to El Paso's 59. Tacoma's Triple-A best .467 OPS is .052 higher than El Paso (.415). The Rainiers make the opposition pay dearly for the copious free passes; of their 13 homers, *seven* have been of the three-run variety. Currently winners of four straight, Tacoma hit *six* three-run homers while winning the first three games of this homestand, two in each.

FOUR!: Brian O'Keefe's four home runs tie him for the early PCL lead with four other players; Jo Adell (Salt Lake), Nolan Jones (ABQ) and Kevin Smith (Las Vegas). Mike Ford's three home runs are part of a four-way tie for second in the league, which includes former 2021-22 Rainier Kevin Padlo (Salt Lake).

IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS: In 2022 the Rainiers walloped a franchise-record 216 homers, and are on a similar pace in 2023 despite the chilly weather and without yet playing a game at high altitude. Tacoma's 13 HR trail only Las Vegas (15) in the PCL and among the 30 Triple-A clubs.

IT'S BEEN DRIVEN BY FORD, LATELY: 1B/DH Mike Ford is out of the gate with Tacoma's current club-long hit streak, at six games. Ford has also driven in at least one run in each of those games (5 multi-RBI), with his only time off so far the front end of yesterday's doubleheader. Ford's 13 RBI lead the PCL by two; his teammate Brian O'Keefe and Las Vegas's Kevin Smith are tied for second with 11 RBI entering today's action. Ford's three homers came in three consecutive games, beginning last Saturday at OKC through Tuesday's series opener vs. Reno.

WAS IT REAL (MCCOY)?: During Tuesday's 12-5 win over Reno in the home opener, Mason McCoy had a 65-game errorless streak end, which dated to July 2 of last season. Primarily a shortstop, McCoy made his final error on June 30 last year, and ended 2022 with 62 consecutive error-free games at all positions (occasionally played second base and left field). A season ago he was named Rainiers Defensive Player of The Year by the club's coaching staff and front office (committed only six errors in 124 GP), and his .986 fielding percentage as a shortstop (110 GP) was a single-season franchise record, surpassing Ramon Vazquez (.979) in 2001.

I GOT FIVE ON IT: Yesterday afternoon and night was this season's first organization-wide sweep for the Seattle Mariners and their MiLB affiliates (5-0). Following the M's 5-3 win at Cleveland to spoil the Guardians home opener, Double-A Arkansas was rained out at Corpus Christi (HOU) after winning their season opener on Thursday, but Tacoma picked up the slack by sweeping their doubleheader vs. Reno (AZ).

High-A Everett defeated Eugene (SFG) 4-3 in their season-opener, on a walk-off base hit by outfielder...Walking Cabrera who was an MiLB Rule 5 selection from Colorado prior to the 2022 season. Class A Modesto scored 5x in the 9th to defeat Stockton 12-8, improving to 2-0.

R SPECIAL SAUCE: With 3.2 IP of scoreless work so far (3 G, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K), lefty reliever and local product Tayler Saucedo has now pitched for both Tacoma Community College and the Tacoma Rainiers. Saucedo spent his freshman season at TCC (2013), a Maple Valley native and graduate of Tahoma High School. He was credited with his first hold of the season in game one on Friday, in Tacoma's 7-4 walk-off win over Reno. Saucedo appeared in 33 MLB games (all in relief) with Toronto in 2021 and 2022.

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