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PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Salt Lake (6:05 p.m.)

April 6, 2022 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (1-0) vs. Salt Lake Bees (0-1)

Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 6:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

LHP Ian McKinney vs. LHP Ryan Smith

OPENING YAY: Josh Morgan's first career Triple-A home run (solo, 7th) punctuated a 4-2 Opening Night victory for the defending champion Rainiers over Salt Lake. Taylor Trammell (RBI, run) and Zach Green (2 RBI) each had multiple hits and a double; Green's 7th inning two-bagger turned out to be the game winning knock.

RHP Darren McCaughan turned in 96 pitches over 5.2 IP, scattering 7 hits and 2 ER in a solid no-decision. He struck out 5 and walked 2. RHP Penn Murfee worked 2.0 scoreless IP with 5 strikeouts to earn the save, the first of his career. Tacoma struck out 14 batters total as a staff.

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 (364-349-1, since 1960); the others are Las Vegas (284-275, since 1983) and Round Rock (44-26, since 2005).

The Rainiers have won 12 of their last 14 meetings against the Bees dating to last season.

TIMMY!: For a consecutive season, the Rainiers will be led by a manager in his first year at the position. (2021 manager Kristopher Negron is now Seattle Mariners 1B coach.) Tim Federowicz (catcher) is a veteran of over 1,000 professional games (7th round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2007), including 163 in Majors with the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Reds and Rangers from 2011-19. Like Negron, Federowicz has transitioned into coaching direct from the playing field, splitting last season between the Triple-A OKC Dodgers and the United States Olympic Team, where he picked up a silver medal at the Tokyo games alongside 2021 Rainiers outfielder Eric Filia.

As a collegian at the University of North Carolina, Federowicz helped guide the Tar Heels to the College World Series in each of the three years he played (2006-08). At UNC, he was teammates with future Mariners Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley. He also played against the Rainiers (26 games) with Albuquerque, El Paso, Iowa, Sacramento, Fresno and Nashville.

MISTERS WORLDWIDE: The 2022 Rainiers coaching staff features two members born outside of the United States, each with extensive experience on their native country's national team. Pitching coach Alon Leichman has been both a player and coach for Team Israel in the Olympics, World Baseball Classic, and numerous other European tournaments, a native of Kibbutz Gezer, Israel.

Hitting coach Brad Marcelino was born in Great Britain (Essex, England), lived in the UK until he was 11 years old, and first played in international competition for the British National Team when he was 17 in 1999. As of 2022, he is the all-time leader in games played for the British National Team.

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.

EAST MEETS WEST: The two anchors of the Rainiers' 2021 championship lineup have each moved on to lucrative roster spots in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese Major Leagues. 2021 Triple-A West MVP 1B/OF Jose Marmolejos is with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. 2021 Rainiers Team MVP 3B Jantzen Witte joined the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Marmolejos won the Triple-A West batting title last season (.338), Tacoma's first batting champion since Troy Neel of the 1992 Tacoma Tigers (PCL, Oakland A's).

LA FAMILIA DE TACOMA: The current Rainiers roster features 10 players who played for Tacoma last season: RHP Darren McCaughan, LHP Ian McKinney, RHP Wyatt Mills, RHP Penn Murfee, INF Kevin Padlo, OF Taylor Trammell, OF Marcus Wilson, RHP Fred Villarreal, INF Donnie Walton and RHP Asher Wojciechowski. That number may grow in the coming days as MLB spring training ends and that season begins.

OF Dillon Thomas and RHP Zack Weiss, both of the 2021 championship Rainiers as well, are both in town with Salt Lake after signing with the Angels as free agents this past offseason. Each played on opening day.

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