Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Sacramento (5:05 p.m. PT)
June 18, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma is 5-2 on this nine-game homestand and has won seven of nine.
Tacoma Rainiers (26-37) vs. Sacramento River Cats (25-39)
Saturday, June 18, 2022, 5:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. RHP Raynel Espinal
EXCEEDINGLY BRASH: On Thursday, Rainiers right-hander Matt Brash converted his second career Triple-A save in as many chances since Tuesday, finishing a 6-5 Tacoma victory over Sacramento. He retired the ninth in order with a pair of strikeouts. Brash currently has a streak of 10 consecutive scoreless appearances dating to May 25, each of which were 1.0 IP: 5 H (.147 BAA), 2 BB (0.70 WHIP), 16 K.
HE'S AN O'K PLAYER: After going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a 431-foot double off the batter's eye last night, Tacoma catcher Brian O'Keefe has reached base with either a walk or base hit in 26 of the 28 games he's played this season, after returning from a broken hamate bone on 4/27 at Las Vegas. O'Keefe is batting .333 with a 1.032 OPS (.424/.608), with five home runs, 16 extra-base hits and 15 walks.
MARVELOUS MARCUS: When Marcus Wilson homered in all three games of Tacoma's series win over Round Rock last weekend, it locked up PCL Player of The Week honors for the period of June 6-12. Wilson batted .389 (7-for-18) over six games, with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 9 runs scored and a stolen base. He OPS'd 1.709 for the week (.542/1.167) over 24 plate appearances. It was Wilson's third career Player of The Week award (2017- Midwest League, Kane County and 2019- Carolina League, Salem). Wilson has homered in four of his last six games, and leads Tacoma (by two) with five homers in June. His 12 total homers lead the club by three.
A REAL (MCCOY) GOOD JUNE: Rainiers middle infielder Mason McCoy is batting .302 (16-for-53) so far this month, the only player on the club to appear in each of Tacoma's 15 games in June. He's collected seven extra-base hits (3 HR, 1 3B) while OPSing .949 (.566 SLG) since June 1. McCoy has reached base safely in 12 of 15 games this month (.383 OBP, 7 BB, 11 R, 8 RBI). McCoy was traded to the Seattle Mariners by the Baltimore Orioles on 4/7/22 for cash considerations; he was a sixth round draft pick of Baltimore in 2017 out of the University of Iowa. McCoy made his Triple-A debut last season, in 112 games for Norfolk.
SAC-DOWN: Sacramento has lost 17 of 21 games, and dropped 11 straight from May 29 to June 10, the longest losing streak in the PCL this season. Tacoma has won 23 of their last 34 games vs. Sacramento, and 16 of their last 22 against the River Cats at Cheney Stadium.
HOT START: Tuesday's win improved Tacoma to 9-3 in series openers in 2022 (4-2 home, 5-1 road), accounting for 34.6% of their win total. Winners of seven of nine, the Rainiers have scored in the first inning in five of the seven games on this homestand thus far, dating to June 10.
SEA US RISE: Outfielder Justin Upton's recall to Seattle on Friday made him the 16th player to go from Tacoma to Seattle this season, including MLB rehab assignments. Last season, 24 players were promoted from the Rainiers to the Mariners (excluding rehab assignments).
SO DEFENSIVE: The Rainiers' 37 errors as a club are fewest in the PCL, and second-fewest in Triple-A behind only Nashville (31). Tacoma has lasted six complete games without committing an error; their most recent was in the second inning at home on June 10 vs. Round Rock, an errorless streak of 59 consecutive complete innings. In the Majors, the Mariners' 24 errors are fewest in the American League, and second-fewest in MLB behind only San Diego (23).
A TRIPLE-A RATING: Of the 30 clubs at the highest level of Minor League Baseball, the Rainiers have hit the third-most home runs this season with 91; Memphis has 105 and El Paso has 100 to lead the PCL. Tacoma has stolen the second-most bases at the level with 89, trailing only Buffalo (91).
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 18, 2022
- Dodgers Blank Aces in 7-0 Defeat - Reno Aces
- Aviators Win Over Chihuahuas 14-5 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Tacoma Drops Second Straight to SAC on Saturday - Tacoma Rainiers
- River Cats Bash 4 Homers, Vosler Finishes Triple Shy of Cycle in Saturday Night Dub - Sacramento River Cats
- Round Rock Bounces Back to Beat Sugar Land 8-5 - Round Rock Express
- Space Cowboys 7-Game Winning Streak Snapped - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - June 18, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Sacramento (5:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Space Cowboys Game Notes at RR - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Aviators® Host Albuquerque Isotopes in a Six-Game Homestand from June 21-26 at Las Vegas Ballpark® - Las Vegas Aviators
- OKC Dodgers Postgame Notes - June 17, 2022 - Oklahoma City Comets
- River Cats Scratch Out Win Over Rainiers on Friday - Tacoma Rainiers
- Villar Homers, 5-Run 1st Powers River Cats to Friday Night Victory - Sacramento River Cats
- Aces Outslugged by Dodgers in 12-7 Loss - Reno Aces
- Space Cowboys Take Down Express 6-5 on Friday Night - Round Rock Express
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