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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

July 30, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma can reach a season-high five-game win streak with a victory today.

Tacoma Rainiers (51-50, 14-12) vs. Salt Lake Bees (47-53, 10-16)

Sunday, July 30, 2023, 1:35p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

LHP Kyle Hart vs. LHP Jhonathan Diaz

FOUR LORE: When Zach DeLoach, Adam Engel, Mark Mathias and Sam Haggerty each homered to begin the bottom of the fourth inning on Saturday vs Salt Lake, it was the first time in the "Rainiers" era/Seattle affiliation (since 1995) that Tacoma hit four consecutive home runs. It marked the first time the Rainiers hit three straight homers since June 13, 2013, when Carlos Peguero, Rich Poythress and Nate Tenbrink did so at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

The Tacoma Twins hit four straight HR in a game at Sacramento in 1974, but the "record" has an asterisk because the left field fence at Hughes Stadium was fewer than 250 feet from the plate.

SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .368 (32x87) over 22 games since July 1, with a 1.109 OPS during this span (.442 OBP/.667 SLG), thanks to 14 extra-base hits (2 triples, 5 HR). He's walked 14x and has 17 RBI since 7/1. Haggerty was optioned to Tacoma on June 6 following 24 GP with Seattle, after making the MLB roster out of spring training; he registered only 48 plate appearances (42 AB) with the M's.

DO THE MATH: Newcomer and utility man Mark Mathias hit safely in his first seven games with the Rainiers, and is batting .345 through 15 games (19x55, HR, 3 doubles, 9 BB, 9 runs, 7 RBI). Mathias was claimed off waivers by Seattle from Pittsburgh on July 2, and joined Tacoma from Triple-A Indianapolis (IL). He's played in 68 MLB games since 2020 (Milwaukee, Texas and Pittsburgh), and previously in the PCL with Round Rock in 2022 (8 GP).

MAKE 'EM COUNT: Tacoma's 79 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Albuquerque, 75). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.396) and slugging (.499) with runners on.

HAPPY FESTAVUS: Rainiers RHP Matt Festa leads Triple-A with 15 saves (16 SVO). In 28 games with Tacoma (34.0 IP, 28 K), his ERA is 0.53 (2 ER). Triple-A hitters are batting a meager .101 against Festa (0.79 WHIP), who also has 9.0 MLB IP with Seattle this season (8 G).

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?: The Rainiers are a game over .500 despite being plus-40 in runs (636-596). Tacoma's expected win-loss is 54-47, making them "unlucky" by three full games based on run differential. The Rainiers have out-scored Salt Lake 36-20 during this homestand.

FUN WITH AT LEAST ONE: The Rainiers have now lasted more than a season's-worth of games (151) without being shut out. Last season, Tacoma lost 1-0 at Sacramento (8/3) in game #100, and scored in their final 50 contests. They've scored in all 101 games this year, have been held to a single run 9x, and have shutout the opposition 3x (4/5 vs. Reno, 4/12 at Round Rock and 7/1 vs. Salt Lake).

SCHEIN BRIGHT: Rainiers corner infielderJake Scheiner leads all of Triple-A in home runs (25), RBI (85) and total bases (187); his 75 runs scored are third at the level but most in the Pacific Coast League...the PCL MVP candidate has the second-most walks (63) and extra-base hits (44) on the circuit. Scheiner is batting .339 (38x112) with RISP (13 HR). His 85 RBI are already the most in a season for Tacoma since 2011, when Alex Liddi drove in 104 runs (49 games remain).

YO...JAKE!: Rainiers 3B/1B Jake Scheiner has 25 home runs in 92 games of his Triple-A debut season, extending an already career-high total. He hit 21 homers last year at Double-A Arkansas.

Scheiner has homered 15x during home games, and is threatening Adrian Garrett's record of 19 homers in a season at Cheney Stadium (1971). Garrett, an outfielder for the 1971 Tacoma Cubs, still holds the franchise single-season home run record, with 43 (131 GP). Originally a 4th round draft pick of Philadelphia in 2017, Scheiner was traded to Seattle for OF Jay Bruce on 6/2/19.

AND THEN BRIAN COMES IN: Catcher Brian O'Keefe's third inning solo shot on Friday was his 44th homer with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), and tied Daniel Vogelbach (2016-18) for 18th-most in franchise history. O'Keefe's first Triple-A homer was on 7/19/21 at Cheney Stadium off Salt Lake's Packy Naughton (2-run, 5th inning), in a 12-2 Tacoma win. Bill Hain is 17th on the list with 46 HR, for the 1961-63 Tacoma Giants.

O'Keefe's 18 home runs are six shy of his career-high. He slugged 24 homers in 2021 over 105 games split between Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma (13 HR in 56 GP of Triple-A debut).

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 30, 2023


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