It’s time for our Sunday Tacoma Rainiers week in review, special pre- all-star break edition. Here are links to this week’s posts:
We started with a preview of the Oklahoma City Dodgers series, since they hadn’t been to Tacoma since… 2018? Really?
Oklahoma City took the first game of the series, but the Rainiers hit a couple of impressive home runs.
Dodgers prospect Miguel Vargas reminded me of the time the Cuban National Team visited Cheney Stadium.
On Thursday Darren McCaughan served as the Tacoma Rainiers stopper, ending a five-game losing streak.
George Kirby made his Tacoma debut on Saturday, as the Mariners are watching the rookie’s workload.
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Today is the Rainiers last game before the break. The midseason vacation starts Monday, and the Rainiers will not return to action until Friday night on the road in Salt Lake City (5:35 Pacific start time).
We won’t have any new blog posts during the break. There aren’t any former Tacoma players in the MLB All-Star Game, and there is no Triple-A All-Star Game this year. Yeah, Julio is in the Home Run Derby and of course I’m going to watch it (5:00 on Monday), but we can’t even claim him as a former Rainier. I’m going on vacation.
Our next post will arrive mid-day on Friday prior to the start of the three-game series at Salt Lake. And don’t forget, the Rainiers are right back home at Cheney Stadium again starting next Tuesday, July 26.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Oklahoma City scored two runs in each of the first two innings against Tacoma starter George Kirby and never gave up the lead in an 8-4 victory over the Rainiers on Saturday night. Brian O’Keefe hit two doubles, Erick Mejia homered, and Marcus Wilson had two hits for Tacoma. The Rainiers need a win today to salvage a split of the six-game series.
TODAY: Oklahoma City Dodgers (52-37) at Tacoma Rainiers (37-51), 1:35.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Dodgers.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Travis Barbary.
SEASON SERIES: Oklahoma City leads, 3-2.
PITCHERS: RHP Mark Washington (0-0, 6.75) at RHP Konner Wade (2-3, 5.86)
Oklahoma City had its ace Ryan Pepiot listed as the starter, but we learned after the game last night that they are holding him back and having a bullpen game instead.
ROSTER MOVES: Not expecting any on the last day before the all-star break, but you never know these days.
HOT HITTERS: Jarred Kelenic has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games… Joe Odom has a five-game hitting streak… Marcus Wilson is 6-for-16 with three walks in five games since returning from the big leagues.
OPPONENT NEWS: Oklahoma City is tied with El Paso for the best record in the PCL… two of the Los Angeles organization’s best infield prospects are with Oklahoma City, in third baseman Miguel Vargas and second baseman Michael Busch… Vargas has an eight-game hitting streak, but he’s gone now because he was in the MLB All-Star Futures Game played yesterday at Dodger Stadium… Drew Avans has reached base safely in 28 straight games… Eddy Alvarez is one of the most interesting players in the league, a two-sport Olympic medalist in baseball and speed skating… Oklahoma City has former Rainiers Ty Kelly, Daniel Zamora, and Sam Gaviglio on the active roster, with Stefen Romero on the injured list.
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:
- Thirteen in a row? Thirteen in a row. The Mariners won again yesterday.
- This is cool: with the help of the Mariners coaching staff, Julio Rodriguez did a practice Home Run Derby hours before the game yesterday in the empty Texas Rangers ballpark.
- The MLB Draft starts today at 4:00 (the TV show begins at 3:00). Ryan Divish spoke with Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter to find out his plan. The USS Mariner blog has a Q&A with prospect guy Chris Crawford about the Mariners draft.
- The MLB All-Star Futures Game was yesterday, and don’t worry if you missed it – everyone did. For some reason MLB moved it up to Saturday, before the media covering the all-star festivities arrived in L.A., and only televised it on a subscription-based streaming service. I have yet to speak to anyone who was able to watch it. Supposedly the Mariners representative Emerson Hancock struck out the side in his one inning, although for all we know that may be made up.
March 25, 2023