The Rainiers won at Oklahoma City again on Friday night, 6-3, and have taken a 3-1 lead in the six-game series to guarantee at least a split. For the season, Tacoma is 6-4 against the Dodgers, who have had the best record in the league for much of the year.
That last bit, however, seems to be changing. In part because of Tacoma’s success this week, Oklahoma City has been tied for first place in the East by the streaking El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso won at Albuquerque again last night, this time in the tenth inning by a 9-7 final score after blowing a 7-0 lead in the eighth. Round Rock remains one game out of first in the three-team race.
Tacoma’s three wins in this series have been very similar. In each game the Rainiers have taken an early lead and never given it up – although last night after Tacoma took a 6-0 lead Oklahoma City fought in the late innings and even brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth.
The one game the Rainiers have lost here was an up-for-grabs ten inning affair that just didn’t go Tacoma’s way at the finish.
Recent trends continue to look good for the Rainiers, who have won five of the last seven games and improved to 25-19 since the all-star break. Now with two games remaining in Bricktown we’ll see if the Rainiers can secure the road series victory.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Tacoma scored in the second, third and fourth innings while building a 5-0 lead and held on to beat Oklahoma City on Friday night, 6-3. Roenis Elias started and went five scoreless innings to earn the win. Jonathan Villar had two hits with a solo homer, Brian O’Keefe went 3-for-5, and Mason McCoy reached base three times with a triple that spurred a two-run rally.
TODAY: Tacoma Rainiers (63-70) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (74-59), 5:05 (Pacific).
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Dodgers.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Travis Barbary
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 6-4.
PITCHERS: LHP Austin Warner (4-2, 4.63) at RHP Ryan Pepiot (8-0, 2.58)
Pepiot can’t go the entire season without losing a game, right?
ROSTER MOVES: None today as of posting time.
HOT HITTERS: Mason McCoy has reached base safely in 16 straight games, and he has hit safely in his last five games… Kyle Lewis has reached base in 11 straight games… Brian O’Keefe has hit safely in seven of his last eight games, going 12-for-34… Jonathan Villar has homered twice during a four-game hitting streak.
OPPONENT NEWS: Oklahoma City has the best record in the league, but the Dodgers lead in the East is just one game over Round Rock and El Paso after dropping four of six to the Express in a series that ended Sunday… James Outman defied all of the laws of physics and nature when he hit for the cycle twice in a span of four games, August 26 vs. El Paso and August 30 at Round Rock… Jason Martin leads the PCL with 30 home runs… reliever Daniel Zamora is the lone former Rainier currently active for Oklahoma City… Chief Sealth (Seattle) High School alum Keone Kela is now with Oklahoma City.
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 have run into a juggernaut, losing to the Atlanta Braves last night.
- The Times talked to some Mariners players about the new rule changes for 2023, and it’s hard to imagine anyone being more wrong about anything than Marco Gonzales is about the pitch clock.
- Congratulations to outfielder Luis Liberato, who was a key member of Tacoma’s championship team last year, on his first call-up to the major leagues.
June 7, 2023