PCL Tacoma Rainiers

Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Sugar Land (6:05 PT)

Published on April 19, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release


Tacoma Rainiers (4-8) vs. Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-9)

Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 6:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA

RHP Asher Wojciechowski vs. LHP Jonathan Bermudez

ASTRONAUTS NEAR THE OCEAN: The Sugar Land franchise is making its first visit to Cheney Stadium this week, in its second season in the PCL and as Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Originally a member of the Atlantic League as the Sugar Land Skeeters beginning in 2012, they were champions of that circuit twice, in 2016 and 2018 before joining the Houston organization as their top farm club for 2021; the team was re-branded from Skeeters to Space Cowboys this past winter. Sugar Land and Tacoma split their only previous meeting, a six-game series at Constellation Field from July 8-13 last season.

CLOSE QU(AAA)RTERS: Once upon a time, the Tacoma Rainiers and Seattle Mariners stood as the nearest Triple-A to MLB affiliation (36 miles). That title was then shared with the advent of the Atlanta Braves shifting Triple-A operations to Gwinnett County, GA (also a distance of 36 miles) for the 2009 season. When St. Paul (12 miles to the Minnesota Twins) and Sugar Land (22 miles to the Houston Astros) joined the Triple-A ranks prior to last season, the Rs-M's proximity was pushed to a tie for third-shortest.

STRIKE COWBOYS: Sugar Land enters this series with the most strikeouts by a pitching staff in all of professional baseball (136), an average of 11.3 punchouts per game (12). The next closest are the Triple-A clubs in Sacramento (SFG) and Gwinnett (ATL). Tampa Bay (112 K) leads the Majors, having played one fewer game (5-6).

GRUDJ MATCH: Rainiers RHP Asher Wojciechowski is scheduled to pitch twice during this homestand against an organization he pitched in 81 games for between Double-A and the Major Leagues from 2012 to 2016 (74 starts). Wojciechowski, originally the 41st overall draft pick to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, was traded to the Houston Astros in 2012 while at Double-A in a nine-player deal, and in 2015 made the Astros opening day roster out of spring training, and made his MLB debut on 4/9/15 in Houston against Cleveland. That season he appeared five times (three starts) for the Astros, and is a veteran of 58 big league games (35 starts) with Houston, Cincinnati, Baltimore and New York-AL.

HOMER ODOM-ETER: Rainiers catcher Joe Odom homered in four of five games at Albuquerque (April 13-17), including the final three games of the road trip (GW-hit on Sunday). All were tape-measure shots to the left field alley that could not be solely attributed to the notoriously thin ABQ air; his blast off the Isotopes Park video board on Saturday traveled an estimated 446 feet according to Statcast, which chased a 452-foot shot on Friday night. Odom, he of 41 professional homers entering tonight's action, hit just shy of 10% of his career total of dingers during the trip to Albuquerque. Odom currently leads Tacoma's active roster in OPS at 1.157 (.357/.800) as well as homers.

FORD HAS DRIVEN THE BALL, LATELY: During the road trip to Albuquerque, Rainiers 1B/DH Mike Ford went 10-for-24 with a home run, double, three RBI, 10 runs scored and four walks, playing in all six games of the trip. Ford, who had been batting .317 with an .892 OPS, was selected to Seattle's roster on Tuesday.

BULL-PENN-ING: Hug Watch on Rainiers RHP Penn Murfee? Through his first five appearances of the season, he's yet to allow a run in 8.0 IP, having allowed only one hit. Murfee has struck out 10 and walked just two and has saved two games; the 4-2 opening night win over Salt Lake on 4/5, and the wild 12-11 triumph at Albuquerque on Sunday. Murfee had yet to earn a professional save prior to this season.

A REAL DONNIE-BROOK: When Mitch Haniger landed on Seattle's IL Saturday and infielder Donnie Walton was recalled from the Rainiers by the Mariners, it marked the 10th time he's been summoned to the Major Leagues, and the ninth time from Tacoma in some fashion. Last season, Walton was recalled from Tacoma off either the Rainiers roster or from the Alternate Training Site six times; during the abbreviated 2020 season he was recalled on three occasions from the ATS at Cheney Stadium. Walton made his MLB debut on 9/10/19 at Cincinnati, the day Seattle selected his contract to the Major League roster from Double-A Arkansas. A fifth round draft pick of the Mariners in 2016 out of Oklahoma State, this is his final option year.

UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following record by uniform top: Home white (2-2), red (1-2), navy blue (0-1), road grey (1-2), "La Familia de Tacoma" (0-1, Copa de la Diversion). "Throwback Weekend" is upcoming at Cheney Stadium; be on the lookout for "faux-back" uniforms on April 23-24 vs. Sugar Land, which will imagine what the Rainiers brand might have looked like on field in the 1960s.

Check out the Tacoma Rainiers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from April 19, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central