The Rainiers had some real trouble with the starting pitching during the first three weeks of the season, but things are beginning to turn around for the Rainiers rotation.
With Darren McCaughan turning in an outstanding outing yesterday, permitting one run in six innings in a tough pitching environment, Rainiers starters have now produced a Quality Start in three of the last four games. The one that was not a Quality Start was Wednesday’s game in which Roenis Elias was used as an “opener” and thus could not pitch deep enough into the game to qualify.
A Quality Start is defined as a game in which the starting pitcher lasts six or more innings and allows three or fewer runs. McCaughan, Daniel Ponce de Leon, and Asher Wojciechowski have each delivered one in the past four games.
Tonight’s starter Nick Margevicius went four innings in his last start, giving up two runs. We’ll see what he has in store for us tonight.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Darren McCaughan and three Tacoma relievers combined to limit Las Vegas to six hits in a 7-1 Rainiers victory on Thursday night. Tacoma jumped ahead in the first inning when Zach Green connected on a two-run double, and then the Rainiers added four runs in the second inning with Sam Haggerty‘s three-run homer the crowning blow. Haggerty was 3-for-5 with two runs scored as he continued his tear at the plate.
TODAY: Tacoma Rainiers (7-14) at Las Vegas Aviators (10-11), 7:05.
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Oakland A’s.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Fran Riordan.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads, 2-1.
PITCHERS: LHP Nick Margevicius (0-1, 11.32) at LHP Zach Logue (0-0, 5.40)
The Rainiers have never faced Logue before – he was part of the haul the Oakland A’s received when they traded third baseman Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays.
ROSTER MOVES: Tacoma added three young right-handed pitchers to the staff before yesterday’s game: Fred Villarreal from Advanced-A Everett in a return engagement, and new guys Riley Davis and John Creel from Low-A Modesto. Catcher Cal Raleigh is expected to report today.
HOT HITTERS: Sam Haggerty has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, totaling 16 hits, and is 7-for-11 in this series… Stuart Fairchild is 7-for-16 since joining the Rainiers, hitting safely in all four games… Mason McCoy has reached base in seven straight games… Billy Hamilton is 5-for-8 with five runs scored in the first two games of this series.
OPPONENT NEWS: Las Vegas has played three six-game series and split all three of them, 3-3… Eric Thames has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games. Thames played for Tacoma in 2013 before becoming a huge star in the Korean Baseball Organization… catcher Shea Langeliers is a highly-ranked prospect who was the key return when Oakland traded Matt Olson to Atlanta… Dermis Garcia has a four-game hitting streak; he hit 31 home runs in Double-A last year (with a .210 batting average)… Dalton Kelly hit hit first homer of the year on Sunday, he belted 27 dingers for International League champion Durham last year… Nate Mondou has hit safely in 12 of 14 games this season; the Lake Tapps native went to high school in Tacoma at Charles Wright Academy.
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 lost in Tampa Bay yesterday, and open a new series at Miami this evening.
- Fun stuff in the PCL: Albuquerque’s D.J. Peterson was called out on a strikes following a pace-of-play violation, and someone was ejected from the Isotopes bench. Turns out that someone was Colorado Rockies all-time great Todd Helton, who was in town as a roving instructor.
- Looking like a burnt-out hippie, Mike Clevinger is rehabbing with El Paso.
April 1, 2023