Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Sacramento (7:05 PT)
August 31, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (58-66) vs. Sacramento River Cats (55-69)
Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 7:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Konner Wade vs. RHP Norwith Gudino
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 49-43 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 30-22 since, 20-15 post-break and 28-22 in the second half.
BARRELED KELENIC: In 70 games this season with Tacoma, outfielder Jarred Kelenic has 83 hits (.288 AVG). 43 of those knocks have gone for extra bases (14 HR), a staggering 51.8% of his Triple-A hit total this season (.545 SLG, .903 OPS). Kelenic’s 26 doubles are tied for fourth-most in the PCL, and he’s struck out only six times over his last 54 plate appearances. Kelenic has 17 RBI during 17 GP in August.
A REAL MCCOY GOOD MONTH: Rainiers infielder Mason McCoy is on a tear in August, OPSing 1.034 (.357/.677) over 19 games. McCoy has six homers, four doubles and a triple this month, driving in 13 runs. He’s batting .290 over 71 PA (18-for-62, 7 BB) in August.
WALK TO THE OCEAN: The Seattle Mariners lead the Major Leagues with walk-off wins via eight different batters, following their 3-2 extra-inning triumph over Cleveland on Friday. The Rainiers are tied for the PCL lead in walk-offs with Reno and El Paso, also at eight. Tacoma walked-off to victory seven times between April 9 and July 2 however, four of which were against Salt Lake, including three times in four games (June 29-30 and 7/2). R walk-off “drought” ended 8/21 vs. Albuquerque (more on page 12).
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 12 scoreless outings in 13 for Tacoma: 14.1 IP, 9 H (1.26 WHIP, .180 BAA), 2 ER (1.26) with three walks and 17 strikeouts. His strikeout rate is 31% (55 batters faced). Williams has appeared in 97 MLB games with Milwaukee, Seattle, San Diego and Miami.
THE O’B RELIEVER: Rainiers RHP Riley O’Brien (Seattle-born, Shorewood High School) has struck out 45.5% of batters faced over his last seven appearances (8.2 IP); he’s K’d 15 of the last 33 hitters he’s faced.
DEFENDERS OF THE DIAMOND: The Rainiers have committed the fewest errors in the PCL entering today’s action (63), and the second-fewest in Triple-A (Nashville, 60). Tacoma is tied with Nashville at a .986 fielding percentage.
THE OPEN-R: The Rainiers are 16-7 in series-opening games, 27.6% of Tacoma’s 58 wins.
FELINE FRENEMIES: A flurry of transactions between the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners this season have seen infielders Alex Blandino (trade), Mike Ford (trade/waivers), Kevin Padlo (waivers) and Donovan Walton (trade) all suit up for both Sacramento and Tacoma this season, but none are currently rostered by either club. The River Cats did have catcher Andrew Knapp until his MLB promotion on Wednesday (started 19 games for Tacoma earlier this season before being selected by Seattle on June 27 and DFA on July 9). LHP Aaron Fletcher, a member of the 2021 Triple-A West Champion Tacoma Rainiers, has pitched in seven games out of the Sacramento bullpen.
Sacramento Manager Dave Brundage led the Rainiers for one season, skippering a 74-70 campaign in 2006. On Tacoma’s active roster, former River Cats include LHPs Fernando Abad (2019) and Tommy Milone (2014), infielder Zach Green (2019) and RHP Taylor Williams (2022). Milone pitched for Sacramento during their Oakland Athletics affiliation.
STEAL A BASE, STEAL A TACO(MA): The Rainiers lead all of Triple-A with 158 stolen bases. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall is second in the PCL with 36 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 IL (Triple-A East). His career-high in steals is 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.
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