A review of the past week in Tacoma Rainiers baseball, via posts on this website:
The week started with the announcement of Triple-A Championship Weekend, our playoff system for this year (and possibly many future seasons).
Next came the arrival of Kyle Lewis on a rehabilitation assignment, and a homer in his first swing as a member of the Tacoma Rainiers.
Then we learned that the Lewis rehabilitation assignment is likely to extend into the Rainiers next homestand, which begins on Tuesday at Cheney Stadium.
The Rainiers lost on Thursday night, but Salt Lake starter Cesar Valdez’s complete game sent your intrepid blogger down a rabbit hole remembering some Tacoma pitchers from the past.
Lastly, on Saturday the Mariners called up Tacoma catcher Cal Raleigh, who after meeting the team in Las Vegas earlier on the road trip did not stay long enough to make it back to Cheney.
Today is the end of the Rainiers 12-game, 14-day road trip. The team will have Monday off, and so will this blog, and we’ll be back with a Tuesday morning game at 11:35 against Reno at Cheney Stadium. It will be nice to be home!
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Salt Lake took a silly one from the Rainiers on Saturday night, 13-12 in eleven innings. Kean Wong scored the winning run on a throwing error by first baseman Zach Green. It was an unlikely finish to a game that featured 25 runs, 29 hits, eight home runs, and even three triples. The game was tied six times over 11 innings. Despite making the error at the end, Green helped by going 4-for-6 with three runs scored. Steven Souza Jr. hit two doubles and a three-run homer. Donovan Walton doubled, tripled, and hit a game-tying homer in the ninth. Alas, it was the fourth straight loss for the Rainiers and clinched a series win for the Bees.
TODAY: Tacoma Rainiers (8-21) at Salt Lake Bees (16-13), 12:05 (Pacific).
OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
OPPOSING MANAGER: Lou Marson.
SEASON SERIES: Salt Lake leads, 8-3.
PITCHERS: RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (2-1, 5.09) at RHP Davis Daniel (0-0, 3.79)
ROSTER MOVES: We probably won’t have any before a road trip ending Sunday day game, but you never know.
HOT HITTERS: Sam Haggerty is 14-for-36 on the road trip, and he has a four-game hitting streak… Mason McCoy has reached base in 13 straight games, hitting safely in 12 of them with a seven-game hitting streak… Zach Green has at least one hit in ten of his last 11 games… Steven Souza Jr. has reached base safely in eight straight games.
OPPONENT NEWS: Salt Lake just split an unusual home/road series against Round Rock, in which the Bees went 1-2 at Round Rock and then both teams flew to Salt Lake City where the Bees won two of three… Michael Stefanic and Luis Rengifo have five-game hitting streaks… former Rainiers outfielder Dillon Thomas has reached base safely in 14 straight games, and he is 9-for-18 in this series… three former Rainiers are in the Salt Lake bullpen: Brian Moran, Jonathan Aro, and Zack Weiss.
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:
- From Salt Lake City, we have a game recap with some embedded video.
- Tampa beat the Mariners again, and the M’s are definitely in a slump.
- The Mariners called up George Kirby from Double-A Arkansas and he is making his major league debut today against Tampa.
- Great feature from Larry Stone on recently retired Mariners PR guru Randy Adamack. Randy gave me a few awesome opportunities over the years, and I am grateful.
- In the PCL, here’s the weekly report on the Aviators from the Las Vegas newspaper.
March 25, 2023