The Rainiers lost in extra-innings last night, a 9-4 decision in 12 innings. It was the 13th time this season that the Rainiers have played extra innings.
That’s a lot of extra-inning games.
Tacoma is currently tied with Sugar Land for most extra-inning games in the Pacific Coast League. It’s the second-highest total of extra-inning games in all of the minors – St. Paul in the International League has played 14, as has Class-A Wilmington of the South Atlantic League.
The Rainiers have played more than 13 extra-inning games in a season just twice in the last twenty years: they played 19 in 2007, and 17 in 2014. The last PCL team to play 20 extra-inning games in a season was the 2018 New Orleans Baby Cakes – and they deserved it, just for being named the Baby Cakes.
What’s a low total of extra-inning games for a season? Looking back through the years to research this post, the Rainiers played just five extra-inning games (out of 144) in both 2008 and 2006. Typically teams play around ten in a season.
The best extra-inning performance I encountered while running through the stats was that of the 2017 Memphis Redbirds. They went 11-0 in bonus panels that year, part of a 91-50 season that ended with the league championship. That squad was absolutely loaded with future major leaguers: Harrison Bader, Tyler O’Neil, Adolis Garcia, Carson Kelly, Luke Voit, Tommy Pham, Patrick Wisdom, Marco Gonzales, Jack Flaherty, Luke Weaver… sorry, fell into a rabbit hole there.
This year, the Rainiers are 5-8 in extra inning games. They started out 1-5, then won their next four prolonged games, and now have lost the last three. If the team continues to play extra-inning games at the current pace, they’ll reach 21 for the season.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: El Paso took down Tacoma in twelve innings on Wednesday night, 9-4. Despite getting an automatic runner placed at second base to start the frame, neither team was able to score in the tenth or eleventh innings. El Paso scored five times in the top of the 12th, on a three-run homer by Jose Azocar and a two-run shot by Kervin Pichardo. Mason McCoy led the Tacoma offense, going 2-for-5 with a double and a homer.
TODAY: El Paso Chihuahuas (53-42) at Tacoma Rainiers (40-54), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: San Diego Padres.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Jared Sandberg.
SEASON SERIES: Tied, 1-1.
PITCHERS: LHP Ryan Weathers (4-6, 6.83) at RHP Konner Wade (3-3, 5.62)
ROSTER MOVES: Reliever Matt Brash was optioned to Tacoma on Tuesday, and recalled by the Mariners today (who had to place Diego Castillo on the injured list). The Mariners were concerned this might happen with Castillo, and Brash travelled with the team to Houston yesterday.
HOT HITTERS: Mason McCoy has a nine-game hitting streak… Forrest Wall has a five-game hitting streak… Jarred Kelenic has hit safely in four straight games.
OPPONENT NEWS: El Paso ended its season-worst five-game losing streak last night, and is only three games out of first place in the East… Luis Liberato is on a tear just in time to face his former team, hitting six homers in 17 games this month… C.J. Hinojosa has an 11-game hitting streak… Taylor Kohlwey ranks second in the PCL with a .331 batting average… El Paso has former Rainiers Ray Kerr, Tayler Scott, and Aaron Northcraft in its bullpen… manager Jared Sandberg is a former Seattle Mariners coach and is from Olympia.
BROADCAST: All games will be broadcast free on a live audio stream which is available right here.
Unfortunately, there is no traditional terrestrial radio station carrying the games at this time.
PCL SCOREBOARD: Follow all league games in real-time with links to broadcasts and Gameday screens right here.
Links:
- The Mariners finished a sweep of the Rangers, with Julio Rodriguez launching a go-ahead three-run homer.
- The M’s are continuing to monitor the workload of rookie George Kirby, who has already reached a career high for innings pitched.
- Big news in the PCL out of Sacramento, where word has leaked that the owners of the Sacramento Kings are closing in on a deal to buy the Sacramento River Cats. The Savage family has owned the River Cats since the franchise’s inception in 2000.
June 7, 2023