Tacoma starter Darren McCaughan delivered the Rainiers first sincere no-hit bid of the 2022 season last night against Sacramento, going seven and a third innings before finally permitting a hit. Sacramento’s Isan Diaz doubled cleanly into the right-center gap to break it up with one out in the eighth inning.
McCaughan was in total command last night, throwing 116 pitches and 78 for strikes. The statcast system identified 49% of his total pitches as sliders and another 13% as change-ups, and he was using those pitches early in the count and his sinking fastball later. He got strikes on 72% of his sliders (41 of 57 total thrown).
He was perfect until there were two outs in the sixth inning, having retired the first 17 batters of the game. He walked Ka’Ai Tom on a full count pitch to end the bid for perfection.
The no-hitter remained in play, although McCaughan’s rising pitch count was going to make it very difficult for the Rainiers coaching staff to leave him in if he kept getting outs. McCaughan’s previous season high for pitches in a game was 96, and he was twenty past that number when he finally allowed a hit. It helped that with an off-day earlier this week and another coming on Monday, McCaughan was pitching on five days rest and can easily be scheduled on at least five days rest for his next start.
The Rainiers last no-hitter is almost old enough to drink. There have been ten no-hitters pitched by Tacoma since the franchise inception in 1960, and John Halama’s perfect game on July 7, 2001 remains the most recent one.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: The Rainiers made it three straight wins and six victories in the last seven games with a 4-1 decision over Sacramento on Wednesday night. The pitching starred again, as Darren McCaughan had a no-hit bid broken up with one out in the eighth inning. McCaughan struck out a career-best 11 while earning his fourth straight win. Kevin Padlo had two hits including a two-run homer in his return to the Rainiers lineup.
TODAY: Sacramento River Cats (24-38) at Tacoma Rainiers (25-36), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: San Francisco Giants.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Dave Brundage.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 6-2.
PITCHERS: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 0.00) at RHP Konner Wade (1-2, 5.59)
This is the second rehabilitation start for DeSclafani, who has been on the San Francisco Giants injured list since late April with an ankle injury. He went three innings in his first outing, so he could go four or five tonight.
ROSTER MOVES: Yesterday was a rare no-moves day, and nothing has been announced yet today.
HOT HITTERS: Forrest Wall has reached base safely in eight straight games, and he has a .415 on-base percentage so far this month… Brian O’Keefe has reached base safely in 25 of the 27 games he has played in… Jarred Kelenic has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, but he suffered some mild hamstring tightness on Saturday and is day-to-day… Mason McCoy is hitting .326-3-8 with a 1.045 OPS in June.
OPPONENT NEWS: Sacramento won the last two games of its home series against Reno, ending an 11-game losing streak (looking further back, they had lost 14 of 15 games)… the River Cats have lost four straight series, including four-of-six to Tacoma at Sutter Health Park in May… David Villar leads the league with 16 home runs. He has a five-game hitting streak… Sacramento manager Dave Brundage served as Tacoma’s manager in 2006, he was also the Rainiers hitting coach from 1998 to 2000… reliever Taylor Williams is a former Mariner who was traded to San Diego for Matt Brash.
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:
- Seattle got shut out by the Twins yesterday, 5-0, and lost two-of-three in the series.
- The Mariners need help in the starting lineup, Matt Calkins writes.
- Seattle avoided salary arbitration with Jesse Winker, agreeing to terms for this year and next.
- In the PCL, retired Hall of Famer Greg Maddux did something I’m not likely to do in retirement: he visited Albuquerque.
- Top prospect C.J. Abrams is hitting up a storm for El Paso.
March 16, 2023