Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: vs. Round Rock (6:05 PT)
September 20, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Tacoma Rainiers (68-73) vs. Round Rock Express (75-66)
Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 6:05 p.m. PT | Cheney Stadium: Tacoma, WA
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. RHP Zak Kent
THE OPEN-R: The Rainiers are 18-7 in series-opening games this season. 26.5% of Tacoma’s 68 wins have come in a game one.
#DarrenDay: Rainiers RHP Darren McCaughan ranks third in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts, with 132. McCaughan’s 141.1 IP is second-most on the circuit entering today’s action, and his 1.20 WHIP is second-lowest among qualified starting pitchers in the notoriously offensive league. McCaughan’s 26 starts lead Tacoma, and tie him for the PCL lead.
SPREAD CRUSHERS: With season-highs six homers and 19 runs in Sunday’s series finale win at Las Vegas, the Rainiers outscored 12 NFL teams in week two: IND (0), MIN (7), SEA (7), TEN (7), HOU (9), CHI (10), NO (10), PIT (14), CAR (16), DEN (16), CIN (17), NE (17). Tacoma outscored two victorious teams, New England and Denver.
IN A ROUND-A-BOUT WIN: The Rainiers have had their way with the Round Rock Express since their entry into the Pacific Coast League in 2005, the club moving back in forth in affiliation between Mariners American League West rivals Texas and Houston (club name is a homage to former Rangers and Astros Hall-of-Fame hurler Nolan Ryan, “The Ryan Express”). While Tacoma is 46-27 against Round Rock all-time, the Rainiers have won 16 of their last 21 games at Cheney Stadium against the Express, dating to 2012, and are 26-7 all-time against Round Rock at home (2-1 this season).
LOCALIZE IT: Round Rock has a local on their club, infielder Nick Tanielu, a Federal Way native and alum of the Washington State baseball program. Tanielu, in his first season in the Texas Rangers organization, had previously played against the Rainiers with Fresno (HOU, 2018) and El Paso (SD, 2021), and first played for Round Rock as an Astros affiliate in 2019. He was Houston’s 14th round draft pick in 2014 (406th overall) out of Wazzu.
It’s been a banner year for local products visiting Tacoma; Las Vegas/Oakland INF Nate Mondou (Tacoma-born/Lake Tapps native), Albuquerque/Colorado 1B Michael Toglia (Gig Harbor) and Salt Lake/LAA RHP Janson Junk (Federal Way) have all opposed the Rainiers at Cheney in 2022.
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 59-50 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 40-29 since, 30-22 post-break and 38-29 in the second half.
STEALY MAN: The Rainiers lead Triple-A (by nine) with 191 stolen bases. At 44 steals, Tacoma OF Forrest Wall ranks second in Triple-A, and has the most in a season in the Seattle affiliation era (since 1995). Only Jimmy Sexton (56, 1981 Tacoma Tigers) has more in franchise history.
BARRELED KELENIC: In 86 games this season with Tacoma, outfielder Jarred Kelenic has 104 hits (.295 AVG). 53 of those knocks have gone for extra bases (18 HR, 3 triples), a staggering 51% of his Triple-A hit total this season (.557 SLG, .922 OPS). Kelenic’s 32 doubles lead the Rainiers, are second-most in the PCL and only one off the league lead (Eguy Rosario, El Paso). His 53 XBH are tied for sixth-most in the PCL despite not joining Tacoma until mid-May. Kelenic ranks third in PCL OPS, fourth in league slugging and is fifth in average.
Kelenic hit safely in all 11 games he played on the recent road trip: .400 AVG, 1.162 OPS (.451/.711), 13 runs scored, 9 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 4/5 SB. Eight of his 18 hits on the trip were for extra bases (five doubles, three homers). He’s two shy of his season-long hit streak.
THANKS KING: Rainiers hitting coach Brad Marcelino (Great Britain) and athletic trainer Michael Feliciano (Spain) are away from the club to join their respective coaching staffs for Europe’s World Baseball Classic qualifying in Regensburg, Germany. The next WBC will take place during 2023 spring training, and there are two qualifying tournaments for nations that do not receive an automatic berth. In Germany, the top two finishers of the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, South Africa and Spain vied to advance to the WBC. After a 2-0 start for Spain and Great Britain, the Brits walked off the Spaniards 10-9 in 10 innings on Tuesday and qualified, Great Britain’s first ever WBC bid. Spain will play the Czechs on Wednesday, their last chance to qualify. Marcelino, born in Essex, England, first played in international competition for Great Britain in 1999 at age 17. As of 2022, he’s the all-time leader in games played for the British National Team.
UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following win-loss record by uniform top: White (20-17), red (21-27), navy blue (9-8), road grey (10-8), “Familia de Tacoma” (7-6, Copa de la Diversion), specialty auction (1-7).
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