Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: at OKC (12:05 p.m. PT)
September 11, 2022 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Tacoma Rainiers News Release
Last night, the Rainiers became the first club this season to deal Dodgers top prospect Ryan Pepiot (RHP) a losing decision in PCL action.
Tacoma Rainiers (64-70) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (74-60)
Sunday, September 11, 2022, 12:05 p.m. PT | Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark: Oklahoma City, OK
RHP Darren McCaughan vs. LHP Robbie Erlin
#DarrenDay: Rainiers right-hander Darren McCaughan ranks third in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts, with 129. McCaughan’s 138.2 IP is third-most on the circuit entering today’s action, and his 1.15 WHIP is third-lowest in the notoriously offensive league. McCaughan’s 25 starts lead Tacoma, and he’ll equal Reno’s Ryne Nelson and Las Vegas’s Collin Wiles for most in the league this afternoon.
TURN-R-OUND: Tacoma began this season 9-23 (through May 11), but is 55-47 since. The Rainiers’ low-water mark was 16 games under .500 at 28-44 on June 28. They’re 36-26 since, 26-19 post-break and 34-26 in the second half. Tacoma enters action today having won four of five and six of eight. (Need 11-5 finish for .500)
THE FUT-R?: Mariners Double-A starting RHP Taylor Dollard has earned 16 winning decisions this season for the Arkansas Travelers (Texas League), the most in Travs franchise history as a Double-A club. Dollard currently leads all of Minor League Baseball, all levels, with 16 wins.
BARRELED KELENIC: In 79 games this season with Tacoma, outfielder Jarred Kelenic has 91 hits (.282 AVG). 46 of those knocks have gone for extra bases (15 HR, 3 triples), a staggering 50.5% of his Triple-A hit total this season (.526 SLG, .881 OPS). Kelenic’s 28 doubles lead the Rainiers and are tied for fifth-most in the PCL. His 46 XBH rank 10th in the league despite not joining Tacoma until mid-May. His slugging percentage would be seventh-best in the PCL with the minimum number of at-bats to qualify.
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 first inning solo homer last night, Lewis has reached base safely in 12 straight games.
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 16 scoreless outings in 17 for Tacoma: 18.1 IP, 14 H (.219 BAA), 2 ER (0.98) with four walks, 19 strikeouts and a save. His K rate is 27.1% (70 batters faced). Williams has 97 career MLB games dating to the 2017 season.
NICE TO OKC YOU AGAIN: Oklahoma City 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 45 times: 55.0 IP, 52 H, 24 ER (3.93), 23 BB, 66 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.
SMOOTH OP-R-ATORS: The Rainiers have committed the fewest errors in Triple-A entering today’s action (66), 12 fewer than PCL runner-up Reno (78). Tacoma is equal with Nashville (MIL) of the International League (68 E) at a .986 fielding percentage, to lead the Triple-A level.
The dandy defense is organization-wide; the Mariners have the fewest defensive miscues in MLB (55, .989)- three fewer than St. Louis.
STEAL A BASE, STEAL A TACO(MA): The Rainiers are equal with Omaha (KC) of the International League for most stolen bases in Triple-A, with 177, and hold a 33-steal cushion over Reno (144) to lead the PCL. Tacoma outfielder Forrest Wall ranks second in Triple-A with 42 steals, and is the seventh player in franchise history (since 1960) to steal 40 or more bases. 42 puts Wall with the fourth-most steals in a single season; 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.
Last season, Wall swiped 35 bags for Buffalo while in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, third-most in the International League. He’s set a new career-high in steals this season, his previous being 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.
UNI WATCH: The 2022 Tacoma Rainiers have the following win-loss record by uniform top: White (20-17), red (21-26), navy blue (7-7), road grey (9-8), “Familia de Tacoma” (6-5, Copa de la Diversion), specialty auction (1-7).
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