PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Salt Lake (7:05 PT)

Published on July 28, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tonight is game #100 / 150 of Tacoma's season. The Rainiers have played all scheduled games thus far.

Tacoma Rainiers (49-50, 12-12) vs. Salt Lake Bees (47-51, 10-14)

Friday, July 28, 2023, 7:05p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

RHP Adam Oller vs. LHP Kenny Rosenberg

OLLER LUCK: After being optioned to Tacoma on July 12 (waivers, OAK), RHP Adam Oller has turned in a pair of quality starts for the Rainiers: 14.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 14 K. Tacoma is 0-2 in his starts however, scoring only three total runs on 7/16 vs. Round Rock and 7/22 at Sacramento.

SUMMER OF SAM: Sam Haggerty is batting .359 (28x78) over 20 games since July 1, with a 1.045 OPS during this span (.442 OBP/.603 SLG), thanks to 11 extra-base hits (2 triples, 3 HR). He's walked 14x and has 13 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.

REAL GOOD RUN: Infielder Mason McCoy was traded by Seattle to Toronto on Wednesday for RHP Trent Thornton. McCoy reports to Triple-A Buffalo (IL), and departs Tacoma after 211 games with the Rainiers. In 2022, McCoy achieved the first "20/20" season in franchise history (since 1960), posting career-highs with 21 homers and 22 stolen bases. As Tacoma's primary shortstop a season ago, McCoy committed only six errors at the position over 110 games; his .986 fielding % at short established a new franchise record (Ramon Vazquez, .979 in 2001). McCoy finished last year with 62 straight error-free games (made last error on 6/30/22, traded by BAL on 4/7).

Thornton, 29, has been optioned to Tacoma. He's made 108 MLB appearances (35 GS, 260.1 IP) since 2019, all for Toronto (4.77 ERA).

DO THE MATH: Newcomer and utility man Mark Mathias hit safely in his first seven games with the Rainiers, and is batting .308 through 14 games (16x52, 3 2B, 8 BB, 8 runs). 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 (MIL, TEX, PIT), and previously in the PCL with Round Rock in 2022 (8 GP).

MAKE 'EM COUNT: Tacoma's 76 home runs with at least one runner on base are the most in Triple-A (Las Vegas and Albuquerque, 74). The Rainiers are also top three in Triple-A in both OBP (.396) and slugging (.496) with runners on.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?: The Rainiers are two games under .500 despite being plus-31 in runs (619-588). Tacoma's expected win-loss is 52-47, making them "unlucky" by three games.

SCHEIN BRIGHT: Rainiers corner infielderJake Scheiner leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (24), and leads all of Triple-A in RBI (83); his 73 runs scored are also most in the PCL...the PCL MVP candidate ranks top three on the circuit in walks (61), extra-base hits (43) and total bases (181). Scheiner is batting .336 (37x110) with RISP (13 HR). His 83 RBI are already the most in a season for Tacoma since 2017, when Daniel Vogelbach drove in 83 runs. Stefen Romero had 85 RBI for the 2016 Rainiers.

YO...JAKE!: Rainiers 3B/1B Jake Scheiner has 24 home runs in 90 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 14x 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 sixth inning solo shot on Thursday was his 43rd home run with the Rainiers (since 7/11/21), putting him top-20 in Tacoma's Triple-A history (since 1960) aside Adrian Garrett (1971 Tacoma Cubs) and Matt Tuiasosopo (2008-11 Rainiers). 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. Daniel Vogelbach (44 HR) is 18th on the list.

THE FINAL KLAUK-DOWN: It's a milestone series at Cheney, as Steve Klauke makes his final visit to Tacoma as Salt Lake Bees broadcaster. Klauke assumed the role in 1994 when Salt Lake City re-entered the Pacific Coast League, and he announced his retirement prior to this season, his 29th behind the mic in the PCL. Klauke will continue in his role as the voice of Weber State football and men's basketball. He has also been called upon to broadcast Los Angeles Angels games multiple times, the Bees' parent club. The Rainiers wish Steve and his wife Sue the best, and will miss him at Cheney Stadium.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 28, 2023


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