All hands on deck – it’s time for the Tacoma Rainiers fanbase to jump in to action. The team’s longest homestand of the year begins tonight, and we’re going to be very busy at Cheney Stadium these next two weeks.
Tacoma plays 13 home games in 13 days at Cheney starting tonight. The stretch includes one doubleheader (a makeup from a rainout, 5:05 pm this coming Saturday) and one day off (next Monday). We’ll start with what is forecast as the coolest day of the entire homestand today, and apparently we’re getting more 90s heat on the back end of the homestand next week.
Two teams will be here during the homstand. The Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland A’s affiliate) are here for the first seven games, and then the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies) arrive next week.
Las Vegas was leading the West division standings three weeks ago, but they have lost 17 of the last 20 games and plummeted out of first place. They’re on a seven-game losing streak coming into the series, which, as I’ve written before, always concerns me going into a series opener. Baseball losing streaks don’t last forever and the Aviators streak is right about the point where they usually end.
Tacoma is playing well. The Rainiers have won back-to-back six-game series, taking four of six at Sacramento last week, and four of six from El Paso at Cheney Stadium the week prior. Pitching has been the key recently – you can read more about that in The News Tribune’s weekly report (first link down below).
Rehabilitating Seattle Mariners players should continue to play a role for the Rainiers. Catcher Curt Casali and outfielder Taylor Trammell are still on assignments with the Rainiers as I type this, and both pitcher Matthew Boyd and first baseman Evan White are expected to appear soon. Relievers Diego Castillo and Ken Giles are also possibilities.
Hopefully you can make it out to the park and join us these next two weeks!
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: The whole league was off yesterday. On Sunday the Rainiers got walked off in Sacramento, 10-8, on Drew Jackson‘s two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Rainiers hit three home runs in the game, with Mason McCoy, Scott Heineman, and Zach Green each going deep. The Rainiers won four of the six games at Sacramento, and are 9-6 since the all-star break.
TODAY: Las Vegas Aviators (51-53) at Tacoma Rainiers (47-57), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Oakland A’s.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Fran Riordan.
SEASON SERIES: Las Vegas leads, 8-3.
PITCHERS: RHP Parker Dunshee (4-9, 7.37) at RHP Konner Wade (3-3, 4.85)
ROSTER MOVES: On Sunday it was announced that recently designated for assignment infielder Kevin Padlo was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
HOT HITTERS: Taylor Trammell is 5-for-17 with a homer during the first four games of his rehabilitation assignment… Erick Mejia was 7-for-17 with a homer during the Sacramento series… Forrest Wall has a four-game hitting streak… Mason McCoy has homered in back-to-back games
OPPONENT NEWS: The Aviators come into play on a seven-game losing streak, and they have lost 17 of the last 20 games… Las Vegas has the Charles Wright Academy alum Nate Mondou on its roster, and former Rainiers relievers Dave McKay and Domingo Tapia are also on the team… Billy McKinney is on a seven-game hitting streak, and Sheldon Neuse has a six-gamer.
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 News Tribune’s Rainiers round-up focuses on the strong pitching the team had during the series at Sacramento.
- The Mariners have played two games since we last updated the blog, losing to the Yankees in the series opener last night, and Jesse Winker‘s grand slam on Sunday helped the M’s split the four-game series with the Angels.
- Some injured Mariners players are getting healthy and difficult roster decisions loom.
- Seattle has one of the most favorable schedules down the stretch, which is nice but you still have to go out and win the games.
- A Mariners prospect at Low-A Modesto pops up on this week’s edition of the Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet.
- Not Mariners related, but a couple of Class-A teams are playing tonight in the Field of Dreams Game at Dyersville, Iowa. If you want to see home runs land in a corn field, MLB Network is televising it at 4.
June 8, 2023