No Manager, Pitching Coach Says “No Problem”

Tacoma won again on Monday evening at Cheney Stadium, this time overcoming a managerial ejection to beat Iowa, 5-2.

Rainiers skipper Pat Listach is away from the team this series on his “mandatory vacation” the Mariners make him take each season. Hitting coach David Berg has been filling in as manager, but he found himself ejected in the fourth inning.

That left Tacoma with one staff member: pitching coach Lance Painter, who ended up coaching third base for a few innings.

Since the pitching coach was the last man standing, it seemed logical that this became a pitcher’s game. Starter Ross Detwiler pitched into the seventh inning, allowing just two runs while earning his first Tacoma win. After struggling in his first start with the Rainiers, Detwiler has had two straight quality starts.

The Rainiers relief crew of Tyler Higgins and Shawn Armstrong finished off the game without incident, continuing a torrid stretch from the bullpen.

Tacoma has won eight of the last nine games, and during this time the Rainiers bullpen has a 1.17 ERA (four earned runs allowed in 30.2 innings pitched). Overall, the Rainiers season-long team ERA has dropped from 4.78 to 4.51 during the last nine games.

No matter what happens in the final game of the homestand tonight, it has been a good one for the Rainiers: they are 5-1 on this stretch. A win tonight and a sweep of the Iowa Cubs would just be icing on the cake.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

YESTERDAY: The Rainiers made it four straight wins with a 5-2 win over Iowa. Seth Mejias-Brean hit the go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, supporting terrific pitching by Ross Detwiler, Tyler Higgins, and Shawn Armstrong.

ROSTER MOVES: A couple of additional roster moves were made yesterday: reliever Mike Morin reported to the team, and pitcher Lindsey Caughel was released.

TODAY: Iowa (25-43) at Tacoma (37-34), 6:05.

OPPONENT AFFILIATION: Chicago Cubs.

SEASONS SERIES: Tacoma leads, 3-0.

PITCHERS: RHP Duane Underwood (3-6, 4.50) at RHP Mike Morin (2-1, 3.24)

It’s a “bullpen day” for the Rainiers, who will use relief pitchers to cover all nine innings. Mike Morin is up first. An off day tomorrow means that everybody should be available.

HOT HITTERS: Ian Miller has been successful in his last nine stolen base attempts, and he has hit safely in eight of his last nine games… Zach Vincej is 6-for-15 in his last five games… Mike Marjama is 8-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak.

OPPONENT NEWS: Iowa has lost five straight games, and went 1-2 at Reno before coming to Tacoma. The Cubs opened the season by losing 21 of the first 26 games, but have gone 20-22 since that dreadful start… David Bote has hit four homers in his last 11 games… Victor Caratini is 7-for-15 over his last four games… Iowa skipper Marty Pevey was named manager of the PCL All-Star team.

FAMILIAR FACES: Two Rainiers players from last year are currently with Iowa: infielder Mike Freeman and relief pitcher Shae Simmons. Jacob Hannemann spent September of last season in the big leagues with the Mariners.

BROADCAST: The pregame show starts at 5:50 on South Sound Talk 850 AM. The broadcast also streams online via the TuneIn app – just click here.

PCL SCOREBOARD: Follow all Pacific Coast League games in real-time with links to Gameday screens right here.

Links:

• Seth Mejias-Brean told The News Tribune that he got a cookie.
• With the Mariners off yesterday, Ryan Divish looks at the possible Mariners all-stars.
• There are rumblings in the Bay Area that the Billy Beane era could be coming to an end in Oakland.
• Albuquerque broadcaster Josh Suchon has started a podcast, and his latest episode features Isotopes pitcher David Holman and his father Brian – the former Mariners pitcher. You can listen to it here.

Around the PCL (home team in CAPS):

Fresno 9, ROUND ROCK 3 – new leadoff man Myles Straw went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, part of Fresno’s 16-hit attack. A.J. Reed hit his 18th home run.

NEW ORLEANS 7, Sacramento 4 – Scott Van Slyke hit a three-run homer and Austin Nola drove in three runs for the Cakes. Story from New Orleans.

Omaha 6, RENO 4 – Storm Chasers starter Trevor Oaks allowed one run over 5.1 innings, earning the win while lowering his ERA to 2.24.

Memphis 5, EL PASO 2 – the Redbirds scored five runs in the top of the first and did not score again… and it held up, thanks to another sterling performance by Dakota Hudson. Hudson leads the league in ERA and wins (9-2, 2.13). The El Paso paper has a feature on reliever Robert Stock.

ALBUQUERQUE 3, Nashville 2 – Raimel Tapia hit a pair of doubles and the ‘Topes go for a sweep today.

Las Vegas 10, OKLAHOMA CITY 4 – outfielder Zach Borenstein hit three doubles and a homer, while Ty Kelly added four singles for Las Vegas. Cody Martin started and went seven innings to earn the win for Vegas.

COLORADO SPRINGS 10, Salt Lake 9 – for the second game in a row the Sky Sox blew a substantial lead in the top of the ninth, just so they could walk it off in the bottom. Matt Thaiss hit a grand slam to give the Bees a 9-8 lead, but the Sky Sox won it on Keon Broxton‘s RBI double.