PCL Tacoma Rainiers

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

June 28, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tonight is the beginning of the Pacific Coast League's second half.

Tacoma Rainiers (37-38, 0-0) vs. Salt Lake (37-37, 0-0)

Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 6:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

RHP Jose Rodriguez vs. RHP Carson Fulmer

A REAL MCCOY GOOD STRETCH: Rainiers INF Mason McCoy has reached base safely in 25 of his last 27 games (since May 24). He's batting .311 during this stretch (32x103, 26 RBI) with 13 XBH (5 HR). McCoy's OBP during his last 27 games is .393 (.937 OPS), thanks to drawing 15 walks. (2-run HR on Sunday.)

STEALY MAN: Mason McCoy's 19 stolen bases lead the Rainiers and are tied for fifth-most in the Pacific Coast League; he has yet to be caught stealing this season. McCoy is already threatening his career-high of 22 steals, with the 2022 Rainiers (124 GP). Cooper Hummel is seventh in the PCL in swipes, with 18 (49 GP).

Tacoma's 99 stolen bases (22 CS, 81.82%) are second only to Salt Lake's 100 in the PCL. Last season, Tacoma led all of Triple-A (by 13), with a franchise record 205 steals. The Rainiers have also allowed the most stolen bases in Triple-A, at 96 (Buffalo, 94).

MARLOWES & HIGHS: Cade Marlowe reached base 6x on Saturday, going 5-for-5 with a walk (HR, 3 RBI) and a career-high three stolen bases. It was Tacoma's second five-hit game in little over a month (Zach DeLoach, 5/21 at ABQ, W, 6-4). It was Marlowe's second-career day with five knocks; he did so on 5/29/21 for Class A Modesto vs. Visalia (5-for-5), tripling twice while driving in four runs in a 16-5 Cal League win.

Two of Tacoma's last three five-hit games have come in defeat; the Rainiers did not have one in 2022, and prior to DeLoach, the most recent had been Jantzen Witte on 8/16/21 at Cheney Stadium vs. Las Vegas, in a 7-3 loss.

RISP-Y BUSINESS: With runners in scoring position, Tacoma is carrying the second-highest OPS (.920) and OBP (.409) among Triple-A clubs (Reno leads in both categories). Tacoma's 58 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Albuquerque 57, Las Vegas 56, SWB 54 and first half IL winner Norfolk at 50).

AMERICAN HONEY: The current iteration of the Salt Lake Bees franchise joined the PCL in 1994, and has also been known as the "Buzz" and "Stingers" prior to Bees. The Tacoma Triple-A franchise is 380-368-1 against all teams from Salt Lake City since 1960. The Tacoma Tigers (Oakland Athletics affiliate) played against the Buzz in 1994 (10-6), before the Rainiers era and Seattle Mariners affiliation began in 1995 (9-7).

LEAD-R-BOARD: With the official first half of the season now concluded, Rainiers INF Jake Scheiner is third in the PCL in home runs (18) and RBI (61), and is tied for fourth with 56 runs scored...1B/C Cooper Hummel is tied for the PCL lead in walks (52) and has the seventh-highest OBP at .431...Scheiner (45) and OF Zach DeLoach (43) also rank top 10 in PCL walks, as Tacoma leads all of Triple-A (*by 27*) with 432 BB (5.76 BB/game)...OF Cade Marlowe's six triples are tied for the league lead.

RHP Darren McCaughan has the seventh-most strikeouts in the PCL (61 K, 66.1 IP)...RHP Matt Festa leads Triple-A in saves, with 12 (13 SVO). In 23 games with Tacoma (27.0 IP), Festa's ERA is 0.67 (2 ER). Triple-A hitters are batting a meager .103 vs. Festa (0.70 WHIP), who has also appeared in six MLB games this season (6.2 IP).

HUMMING ALONG: Tacoma super-utility man Cooper Hummel has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games, dating to June 11. Since 6/11 he's had two 3-walk games (6/20 & 6/22 at El Paso), and has drawn multiple walks 4x during this on base streak, and 13x over 49 games played. His season on base percentage has risen 21 points (to .431) during this stretch.

TREY-LOR TRAMMELL: OF Taylor Trammell's three home runs (5 RBI) in Thursday's 8-6 victory at El Paso was the fourth 3-HR game for the Rainiers in a calendar year. On April 21 of this season, also vs. El Paso (at Cheney Stadium), Mike Ford went yard 3x (8 RBI) in a 10-2 win. Twice in three days last July, Brian O'Keefe (7/2 vs. Salt Lake) and Zach Green (7/4 at Reno) each homered 3x in a pair of Tacoma wins.

Trammell has homered 5x over four games entering today's action; he added a solo shot on both Saturday and Sunday. All 10 of his home runs for Tacoma this season (27 GP) have come when playing centerfield (20 GP).

LOCALIZE IT: Two Puget Sound natives are on Salt Lake's active roster; 3B Jake Lamb (Seattle, Bishop Blanchet HS) and 1B Taylor Jones (Kent, Kentwood HS). RHP Zack Weiss was a member of R 2021 championship club (30 G, 39.2 IP).

UNI-WATCH: The 2023 Tacoma Rainiers have the following record by uniform top...R Red (8-12), Home White (9-8), Road Grey (3-3), Navy (9-11), 1960 Fauxback (3-1), La Familia de Tacoma (4-0), Special Auction (1-3).




Pacific Coast League Stories from June 28, 2023


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