Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Sacramento (1:35 PT)
September 4, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (60-68) vs. Sacramento River Cats (57-71)
Sunday, September 4, 2022, 1:35 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Sean Hjelle
#DarrenDay: Rainiers right-hander Darren McCaughan ranks fourth in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts, with 125. McCaughan’s 132.2 IP and 24 games started are each third-most on the circuit entering today’s action, and his 1.18 WHIP is third-lowest in the notoriously offensive league.
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 51-45 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 32-24 since, 22-17 post-break and 30-24 in the second half.
TAMED: The Rainiers are 30-17 against the River Cats dating to the beginning of last season, and have won 19 of their last 29 games against Sacramento at Cheney Stadium. Triple-A clubs from Tacoma and Sacramento first played in 1960; the Tacoma Giants and Sacramento Solons, who were affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves. The Triple-A Giants (81-73) went 13-9 against Sacramento (73-81) during Tacoma’s inaugural Pacific Coast League season.
WHITE, OUT: After another homer on Saturday, Tacoma first baseman Evan White has gone deep seven times in 16 games dating to August 10. His OPS is 1.116 in that span (66 PA) while slugging .737…15 RBI…12 runs scored. White is 16-for-57 (.281) during this stretch, with 12 of those hits going for extra bases (five doubles).
MEJIA MASH: Rainiers INF/OF Erick Mejia has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games. Mejia compiled the second-longest hit streak for Tacoma this season, 12 games from August 4-21 and has hit safely in six of seven dating to August 25; only Jarred Kelenic (13 games, May 24-June 8) has had a longer streak. In his last 22 games played, Mejia is batting .301 (.824 OPS)…7 XBH (2 HR, 2 3B, 3 2B)…9 BB…7 RBI…14 runs scored. The Rainiers are 14-8 in the last 22 games Mejia has appeared in (since August 1).
BIG WILLY STYLE: Since right-handed reliever Taylor Williams joined the Mariners org for a second time from San Francisco/Sacramento on July 22, he’s worked 14 scoreless outings in 15 for Tacoma: 16.1 IP, 13 H (.224 BAA), 2 ER (1.10) with four walks and 18 strikeouts. His strikeout rate is 28.1% (64 batters faced).
THE O’B RELIEVER: Rainiers RHP Riley O’Brien (Seattle-born, Shorewood High School) has struck out 40.5% of batters faced over his last seven appearances (10.1 IP); he’s K’d 17 of the last 42 hitters he’s faced.
DEFENDERS OF THE DIAMOND: The Rainiers have committed the fewest errors in the PCL entering today’s action (65), and the second-fewest in Triple-A (Nashville, 63). Tacoma is tied with Nashville at a .986 fielding percentage.
STEAL A BASE, STEAL A TACO(MA): The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A baseball with 163 stolen bases (Omaha of the International League is second with 158). Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall is second in the PCL (and in Triple-A overall) with 38 steals, and became the first to steal 30 bases for the Rainiers since Ian Miller (33) in 2018. Wall is striving to be the first Tacoma player to steal 40 since Lance Blankenship of the 1988 Tacoma Tigers (Oakland A’s affiliate).
Last season, Wall swiped 35 bags for Buffalo while in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, third-most in the International League. He’s equaled his career-high in steals, 38 in 2018, split between High-A Lancaster (Colorado) of the California League, Double-A Hartford (Colorado) and Double-A New Hampshire (Toronto) of the Eastern League following a mid-season trade.
Jimmy Sexton (56, 1981 Tigers- OAK), Rusty McNealy (43, 1983 Tigers- OAK) and Del Alston (43, 1979 Tugs- CLE) own the top three stealing seasons in Tacoma’s Triple-A history.
UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following win-loss record by uniform top: White (20-17), red (21-25), navy blue (7-7), road grey (9-8), “Familia de Tacoma” (2-4, Copa de la Diversion), specialty auction (1-7).
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