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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Salt Lake (1:35 PT)

April 10, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (2-3) vs. Salt Lake Bees (3-2)

Sunday, April 10, 2022, 1:35 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

RHP Darren McCaughan (0-0, 3.18) vs. LHP Kenny Rosenberg (NR)

ONE, WON, AND DONE: The Rainiers needed only a single run on Saturday to split a doubleheader with Salt Lake at Cheney Stadium. After a 12-0 drubbing in the first game, Tacoma snapped a three-game losing streak and a 19-inning scoreless streak when Mike Ford teed off on the second pitch of the bottom of the seventh of game two, his home run to right field delivering a 1-0 win. It was just Tacoma's second hit of the game, one of only three in the contest, and also Ford's first career Rainiers and Pacific Coast League home run (has 17 career MLB HR, all with the New York Yankees).

In his Tacoma and Seattle Mariners organization debut in the nightcap, RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon fired 5.0 shutout IP, surrendering only a hit and two walks while striking out four. RHP Penn Murfee was flawless in his second appearance of the year, to close it and pick up the winning decision (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K).

UNDER IT: Thursday's 14-1 loss to Salt Lake dropped the Rainiers under .500 for the first time since they were 7-8 on May 22 of last season following a 9-5 win over Round Rock at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma would even their record the following day with a 7-6 win over Round Rock, and would not fall below .500 again en route to the 2021 Triple-A West Championship.

A WINNING BUZZ: Salt Lake is one of three current PCL member cities that the Tacoma franchise (est. 1960) has an all-time winning record against (365-352-1, since 1960); the others are Las Vegas (284-275, since 1983) and Round Rock (44-26, since 2005).

The Rainiers have won 13 of their last 18 against the Bees dating to last season.

TIM'S TIME: Rainiers manager Tim Federowicz, having played in the past iteration of the PCL for Albuquerque, El Paso, Iowa, Sacramento, Fresno, Nashville and Oklahoma City, played 26 career games against Tacoma as an active player. With those clubs against the Salt Lake Bees, Federowicz was wildly successful, batting .308 (32-for-104) with six home runs and 20 RBI.

A veteran of 163 Major League games between 2011 and 2019, Federowicz was summoned to the big leagues from the PCL with five organizations (ABQ-LAD, IOW-CHC, SAC-SF, FRE-HOU, NSH-TEX), and earned a 2016 World Series ring with the Cubs.

SUNDAY SCARIES: Last season, the 2021 Triple-A West Champion Rainiers had only one losing day of the week: Tacoma was 7-13 on Sundays, but went .500 (4-4) in home Sunday day games at Cheney Stadium.

THE WHAT?: A new-for-2022 rule in Major League Baseball allows a pitcher to start a game on the mound and finish it as the designated hitter, colloquially dubbed "The Ohtani Rule." In Wednesday's 14-1 home loss to Salt Lake, Tacoma's Mike Ford did a "Reverse Ohtani," by DHing (RBI single) and then finishing the lopsided affair by pitching the ninth (1 ER).

"Reverse Ohtani" has been unofficially coined by Tacoma broadcaster Mike Curto on Twitter. For Ford, it was his second appearance on a mound as a professional but his first in the minor leagues; he logged 2.0 IP for the New York Yankees in 2019. However, Ford was a two-way player and a reliever in college at Princeton University from 2011-2013.

SOUZBOT: A local of sorts, with 499 games of MLB experience, has been added to Tacoma's roster by the Mariners. Outfielder Steven Souza, Jr., an Everett native and graduate of Cascade High School, was a non-roster invitee to Major League camp in Peoria. Drafted 100th overall by Washington in 2007, he's logged big league time with the Nationals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Dodgers between his MLB debut in 2014 and last season with L.A. (72 career MLB HR).

Souza was the second-highest draft pick in Cascade HS history and second to reach the Majors; outfielder Grady Sizemore (75th overall in 2000, Montreal Expos), is first in each category (MLB from 2004-2015). After spending the duration of spring training in big league camp, Souza made his regular season Mariners organization debut on 4/7 at Cheney Stadium vs. Salt Lake, and drew four walks.

LET MATT COOK: In his Rainiers debut on opening day, April 5 vs. Salt Lake, RHP Matt Koch (pronounced "cook") struck out the side in the 7th inning on nine pitches. It was the second "immaculate inning" for Tacoma in as many seasons. Last year on August 31, also at Cheney Stadium vs. Salt Lake, Penn Murfee accomplished the feat in the 10th, all the more impressive considering the automatic runner began the frame at second base via the international tie-breaker rule.

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