The Rainiers came into Vegas hot, reeling off three straight wins in this town, but the Aviators were able to win game four last night, 4-2.
Like a tourist who gets a big win at the slots on the first day or two of a Vegas vacation and doesn’t want to give it all back, the Rainiers need to make sure they secure a win for the trip. One win in the final two games of the series will get the Rainiers a series victory – and a winning Vegas trip.
Tacoma has won its last two series, both on the last homestand against Salt Lake and Sacramento. The club will try to secure a third straight series win tonight.
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We had a surprise roster move today, as the Seattle Mariners claimed outfielder Marcus Wilson off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, and designated regular Tacoma Rainiers outfielder Dillon Thomas for assignment.
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and his staff must see Wilson as an upgrade over Thomas, despite them having very similar statistics. But Wilson does have one clear advantage: he’s substantially younger.
Wilson, a former second round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014, is still just 24 years old. This year he’s been playing for Worchester in the Triple-A East, batting .242 but with a .370 on-base percentage due to 41 walks in 265 plate appearances. Like Thomas, he strikes out a lot (88 times this year – 33% of his PAs!), has some pop (ten home runs), and will steal the occasional base (10-for-11).
Thomas is putting up nearly identical numbers, but is four years older than Wilson. Thomas has a slightly better contact rate and hits for a higher average than Wilson, and we know that he is a good defensive outfielder (I’m not familiar with Wilson’s defense).
The next couple of days will determine Dillon’s fate, as we wait and see if he gets claimed by another team. He’s a fun player to watch, because he hits the ball so hard when he makes contact. He’s also a good teammate and a key member of the Rainiers squad.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Las Vegas flipped the script on the Rainiers scoring three runs in the first inning and never trailing in a 4-2 decision on Sunday night. The loss ended Tacoma’s winning streak at five games. The Rainiers out-hit Las Vegas, 9-4, but couldn’t string the hits together to produce a rally.
TODAY: Tacoma (42-34) at Las Vegas (38-38), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Oakland A’s.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Fran Riordan.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 6-4.
PITCHERS: RHP Logan Verrett (6-2, 5.10) at RHP Homer Bailey (1-0, 2.70)
That’s the longtime major leaguer Homer Bailey, who was recently signed by the Oakland A’s.
ROSTER MOVES: Jantzen Witte could return from paternity leave in time for tonight’s game. The Mariners claimed outfielder Marcus Wilson off waivers from Boston and assigned him to Tacoma. to make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Dillon Thomas was designated for assignment.
HOT HITTERS: Jantzen Witte has gone 31-for-86 (.360) over his last 25 games… Taylor Trammell has a seven-game hitting streak… Jose Marmolejos is 7-for-11 during this series… Brian O’Keefe has hit safely in four straight games.
OPPONENT NEWS: Las Vegas won on Tuesday to earn a 3-3 split of a six game road series at Salt Lake… Francisco Pena has a seven-game hitting streak, with three homers during it… Lake Tapps native Nate Mondou had his streak of reaching base safely in 26 straight games end on Saturday… Oakland has optioned catcher Aramis Garcia and outfielder Seth Brown to Las Vegas – not sure when they will arrive.
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.
TRIPLE-A WEST SCOREBOARD: Follow all league games in real-time with links to Gameday screens right here.
STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Amazingly, Texas Rangers rookie Jonah Heim hit a game-ending homer against the Seattle Mariners for the second day in a row on Sunday.
- The Mariners begin a key stretch of schedule tonight, Ryan Divish writes.
- The News Tribune has its weekly Mariners Takeaways.
Listen to every home and away Tacoma Rainiers game for free HERE. You can also download the MiLB First Pitch app for a free and easy one-click listening experience at home, work or in your car. Watch an HD video broadcast of every game with an MiLB.TV subscription. Use code: RAINIERS to save $10 on an annual subscription.
About the Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Triple-A West. Tacoma has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.
Find more information and purchase single game tickets here. Questions regarding season tickets can be directed to Tickets@WeRTacoma.com.
The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium can be found at WeRTacoma.com, or by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.
June 7, 2023