Carlos Peguero blasted a two-run homer in each of his first two at-bats on Monday, helping the Rainiers to an 8-2 series-opening win at Iowa.
It may be small sample size, but Peguero has been doing things that the Mariners want him to do: in his last 19 at-bats, he has struck out only one time, and has even drawn two walks.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if Peguero can improve his strikeout-to-walk ratio, and lay off more pitches out of the zone, he can be a quality Major League player because of his massive power.
Peguero has four homers in his last seven games. He’s working hard to improve his outfield play.
Let’s keep an eye on this.
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The Rainiers won the game by a comfortable margin despite issuing 10 walks. Iowa left 16 runners on base, by going 2-for-15 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
Tacoma has not walked 10 batters in a game and won since August 13, 2008 against Las Vegas – and that was a 14-inning game.
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Quick turnaround today.
Tacoma plays Iowa at 10:05 (Pacific) Tuesday morning – the first of three straight 10:05 AM games. These are 12:05 starts here in Iowa, where we are in the Central Time Zone. The I-Cubs are playing a lot of home day games this year, 26 to be exact, easily the highest total among PCL teams. Tacoma is playing 16 day games, and that’s a high total – Tucson is playing only three home day games all season!
If you think about it, it makes sense for the I-Cubs to play a lot of day games, since the players will be playing them at Wrigley when they get called up. But can Iowa fill the park? We’ll find out later today.
Tacoma starts RHP Erasmo Ramirez (1-0, 2.84) against Iowa RHP Chris Volstad (0-0, 0.00). Volstad is making his first Triple-A start of the year; he was just sent down by Chicago. We’ll have the broadcast live on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streaming online right here.
Links:
- Here’s the Rainiers game story from The News Tribune.
- Felix Hernandez beat Yu Darvish and the Rangers, and it was sweet.
- Ken Levine wrote a bunch of jokes about his two weeks calling Mariners games.
- Jason Churchill wrote a piece on infielder Nick Franklin, who is playing well at Double-A Jackson. I wonder if we’ll see him soon?
- In the PCL, Manny Ramirez played in Round Rock (photo gallery), but it was Yangervis Solarte who walked-off the River Cats.
- Colorado Springs lost to Oklahoma City in the ninth inning, and the Rainiers picked up a game in the standings.
- Tucson whacked Memphis, 9-3, despite more roster turmoil. Cardinals top prospect Shelby Miller got knocked around.
- Albuquerque’s John Ely tossed eight shutout innings against a good Fresno team in Albuquerque – no easy feat, I assure you.
- Like the Rainiers Trayvon Robinson, Las Vegas outfielder Anthony Gose is a product of an inner-city MLB academy.
- Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol is here in Iowa, searching for his lost strike zone. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
- Here is Des Moines – and up on the North Side, too – it’s all about the Anthony Rizzo watch. Rizzo has seen this before.
- Congratulations to Pacific Lutheran University, winners of the NCAA Division III Softball College World Series.
Off to the ballpark – bright and early!
