The Rainiers used their walk-drawing ability to secure a 7-5 comeback win at Salt Lake on Tuesday night, nabbing a victory in the opener of a six-game series.
Tacoma was down 3-0 early, but the pitching settled down and enabled the comeback. Mike Ford got things started with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to make it 3-2.
It remained a 3-2 game until the eighth inning. Jack Larsen lined a single to left field with one out, getting things started – he went 2-for-4 with a walk in his Triple-A debut.
Larsen was still at first with two outs, representing the tying run, when a parade of walks began. Pat Valaika drew the first one, and then Cooper Hummel walked to load the bases. Salt Lake brought in a new pitcher, MLB veteran Jimmy Herget – and he walked Cade Marlowe on a full-count pitch to force in Larsen and tie the game, 3-3.
Brian O’Keefe followed by ripping a deep fly ball to center field. It was nearly a grand slam, hitting the fence about two feet from its top, and instead O’Keefe had to settle for a three-run double to give his team a 6-3 lead.
Tacoma added an insurance run in the ninth by drawing three walks and scoring on a wild pitch. All told, Tacoma drew 11 walks in the game and they were important.
Walks are up by over two per game in the PCL so far this season. Last year, in a full season, PCL pitchers issued 6182 walks in 746 games, for an average of 8.28 walks per game. So far this season there have been 1431 walks in 137 games, averaging 10.44 walks per game – an increase of 26%.
We’ll be right back at it today with an early game starting at 11:05 AM Pacific Time. A win would get the Rainiers even on the road trip – the team is 3-4 so far.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Tacoma won the first game of the Salt Lake series, 7-5. Trailing 3-2 going to the eighth inning, Tacoma scored four runs after there were two outs to take its first lead of the game. Brian O’Keefe‘s three-run double was the big hit.
TODAY: Tacoma Rainiers (15-12) at Salt Lake Bees (11-17), 11:05 AM (Pacific).
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Keith Johnson.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 1-0.
PITCHERS: RHP Jose Rodriguez (1-1, 4.87) at RHP Cesar Valdez (1-1, 9.00)
ROSTER MOVES: Reliever Diego Castillo arrived yesterday, and to make room on the roster John Creel was returned to extended spring training.
HOT HITTERS: Cade Marlowe has a seven-game hitting streak, and he has at least one hit in 11 of his 12 games played… Mike Ford has reached base safely in ten straight games, and he has 12 RBI through the first seven games of the current road trip… Kean Wong has a seven-game hitting streak, going 9-for-22… Jake Scheiner went 8-for-22 with two home runs and ten RBI during the Las Vegas series… Zach DeLoach had his streak of games reaching base safely end at 14 last night.
OPPONENT NEWS: Salt Lake just won the last two games of a series at El Paso, ending a miserable stretch in which the Bees lost 12 of 13… Michael Stefanic has reached base in all 25 games he has played in this season… Mickey Moniak enjoyed his first-ever trip to El Paso, ripping five home runs during a five-game hitting streak… Jo Adell leads the PCL with 11 home runs… his teammate Trey Cabbage (that’s a real name) has hit nine homers… Kentwood High School product Taylor Jones is with Salt Lake this season… former Rainiers Zack Weiss and Kevin Padlo are with the Bees.
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 beat the A’s last night as Bryce Miller was terrific in his MLB debut.
- Julio Rodriguez was scratched from the lineup again as his sore back continues to be a problem.
- In the PCL, the Albuquerque Journal has an article on Isotopes reliever Riley Pint, who quit baseball for a year but is now back and on the cusp of the majors.
- Reno ace Brandon Pfaadt is getting called up by the Diamondbacks and will make his pmajor pleague pdebut today.
June 1, 2023