Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at Las Vegas (12:05 p.m. PT)
September 18, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Last night’s 12-11 victory clinched a winning 12-game road trip for the Rainiers (7-4). A win today would give Tacoma four consecutive six-game series wins on the road, dating to the beginning of August.
Tacoma Rainiers (67-73) at Las Vegas Aviators (69-71)
Sunday, September 18, 2022, 12:05 p.m. PT | Las Vegas Ballpark: Summerlin, NV
LHP Justus Sheffield vs. LHP Zach Logue
BARRELED KELENIC: In 85 games this season with Tacoma, outfielder Jarred Kelenic has 102 hits (.295 AVG). 52 of those knocks have gone for extra bases (18 HR, 3 triples), a staggering 51% of his Triple-A hit total this season (.558 SLG, .924 OPS). Kelenic’s 31 doubles lead the Rainiers, are third-most in the PCL and just two off the league lead. His 52 XBH rank eighth in the PCL despite not joining Tacoma until mid-May. Kelenic ranks fourth in PCL OPS, fifth in league slugging and is sixth in average.
Kelenic has hit safely in all 10 games he’s played on this road trip: .410 AVG, 1.211 OPS (.467/.744), 11 runs scored, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K, 4/5 SB. Seven of his 16 hits on the trip have been for extra bases (four doubles, three homers).
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 58-50 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 39-29 since, 29-22 post-break and 37-29 in the second half. Tacoma will need an 8-2 finish to reach .500.
TACHOMERS: In this age of increased home run hitting, the Rainiers have set a franchise record in each of the last two seasons. During the 2021 pandemic-shortened 130-game schedule, Tacoma (est. 1960) still managed to hit an all-time high 189 dingers. With three homers on Wednesday, the Rainiers surpassed that mark in 137 games; Derek Hill hit #189 in the fourth inning, and Kyle Lewis’s ninth inning solo shot set the new record. After going yard four times during last night’s 12-11 win, the next Tacoma homer will be #200 in 2022.
A NEW CADENCE: Mariners outfield prospect Cade Marlowe was promoted to Tacoma from Arkansas on Wednesday following 120 Double-A games, where he OPS’d .866 and hit 20 home runs, in a league and ballpark generally known to favor pitchers. Marlowe, Seattle’s 20th round draft pick in 2019 out of the University of West Georgia was last season’s “Ken Griffey, Jr. Award” winner, as the top minor league hitter in the organization (106 GP, 26 HR, 107 RBI, .934 OPS), splitting the season primarily between Class A Modesto and High-A Everett.
Marlowe ended his Double-A career with a flourish…in the two weeks leading to his promotion, he led Minor League Baseball (all levels) in hits (28), total bases (57), average (.538) and slugging (1.096), and hit the second-most home runs in that span (7).
WINNING TIME: After taking four of six last week at Oklahoma City, the Tacoma Triple-A franchise (est. 1960) now has a winning all-time record against four current PCL member locales: Round Rock (46-27), OKC (84-83), Las Vegas (293-289) and Salt Lake (378-364-1). Tacoma’s 378 wins over Salt Lake (City) are second only to their 383 all-time victories over teams from Portland, Oregon.
UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following win-loss record by uniform top: White (20-17), red (21-27), navy blue (8-8), road grey (10-8), “Familia de Tacoma” (7-6, Copa de la Diversion), specialty auction (1-7).
STEAL A BASE, STEAL A TACO(MA): The Rainiers easily lead all of Triple-A with 190 stolen bases (Omaha of the International League is second with 182). Tacoma holds a 39-steal cushion over Sugar Land (151) to lead the PCL. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall ranks second in Triple-A with 44 steals, and became the seventh player in franchise history (since 1960) to steal 40 or more bases. After swiping two bags on Saturday, Wall with 44 has the second-most steals in a single season in Tacoma’s Triple-A history. Only Jimmy Sexton who stole 56 times for the 1981 Tacoma Tigers has more, during Tacoma’s first season of 14 affiliated with the A’s.
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 will advance to the WBC. The qualifying tournament is double-elimination. On Saturday, Spain moved to 2-0 with a 21-7 win over the Czechs. Great Britain is also 2-0, after beating the Germans 8-1 Saturday. It’ll now be Spain vs. Great Britain on Tuesday; the winner will qualify for the WBC, the loser will still be alive.
Marcelino, born in Essex, England, first played in international competition for Great Britain in 1999 at 17. As of 2022, he’s the all-time leader in games played for the British National Team.
• Discuss this story on the Pacific Coast League message board…
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.
