Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at OKC (5:05 p.m. PT)
September 8, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (62-69) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (73-58)
Thursday, September 8, 2022, 5:05 p.m. PT | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark: Oklahoma City, OK
LHP Tommy Milone vs. RHP Jon Duplantier
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 53-46 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 34-25 since, 24-18 post-break and 32-25 in the second half.
K-LEW KRUSHED: Tacoma OF/DH Kyle Lewis entered this 12-game road trip as the reigning PCL Player of The Week for the period of August 30 through September 4. In five home games against Sacramento, Lewis batted .467 (7-for-15, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 runs) with a 1.667 OPS (.600/1.067). His Bonds-like OBP included five walks in 20 plate appearances during the series. With a single and walk yesterday, Lewis has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.
WHITE, OUT: After another homer on Saturday in the 10-5 win over Sacramento at Cheney Stadium (two-run), Tacoma first baseman Evan White has gone deep seven times in 18 games dating to August 10. His OPS is .998 in that span (73 PA) while slugging .656…15 RBI…12 runs scored. White is 16-for-64 (.250, 8 BB) during this stretch, with 12 of those hits going for extra bases (five doubles).
BARRELED KELENIC: In 77 games this season with Tacoma, outfielder Jarred Kelenic has 89 hits (.282 AVG). 46 of those knocks have gone for extra bases (15 HR, 3 triples), a staggering 51.7% of his Triple-A hit total this season (.532 SLG, .884 OPS). Kelenic’s 28 doubles lead the Rainiers and are tied for fourth-most in the PCL. His 46 XBH rank 10th in the league despite not joining Tacoma until mid-May.
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 15 scoreless outings in 16 for Tacoma: 17.1 IP, 14 H (.230 BAA), 2 ER (1.04) with four walks and 19 strikeouts. His strikeout rate is 28.4% (67 batters faced).
THE O’B RELIEVER: Rainiers RHP Riley O’Brien (Seattle-born, Shorewood High School) has struck out 37% of batters faced over his last eight appearances (11.1 IP); he’s K’d 17 of the last 46 hitters he’s faced.
SMOOTH OP-R-ATORS: The Rainiers have committed the fewest errors in Triple-A entering today’s action (66), 10 fewer than second place Reno (76). Tacoma is equal with Nashville (IL, 67 E) for the top fielding percentage in Triple-A, .986.
(R)EUNIONS: Tacoma manager Tim Federowicz was an active player as recently as last season, finishing his career by splitting 2021 between the U.S. Olympic Team’s silver medal-winning effort in Tokyo and the OKC Dodgers (25 GP). In Oklahoma City, Federowicz played for Travis Barbary, who remains the manager. Federowicz debuted as a Major Leaguer for the Dodgers in 2011, the first seven games of 163 career in MLB, after being traded by Boston to Los Angeles at the deadline that season while at Double-A.
OKC has a player rostered who spent time with Tacoma’s championship club last season: LHP Daniel Zamora, who appeared in 28 games for the Rainiers in 2021, and four more for Seattle. This year for the Triple-A Dodgers, Zamora has pitched 44 times: 54.0 IP, 51 H, 24 ER (4.00), 16 BB, 47 K. Rainiers infielder Jonathan Villar, the veteran of 1,032 Major League games since 2013, played for the OKC franchise in 2013 and 2014 when they were known as the RedHawks and affiliated with the Houston Astros. He appeared in 142 total games for Oklahoma City during his age 22 and 23 seasons.
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