Rainiers Need Win Today For Series Split

Early game, jump right into it…

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: We had a rare pitcher’s duel in Salt Lake City with the Bees winning in the bottom of the ninth, 2-1. C.J. Cron doubled home Dustin Ackley with the game-winning run. Tacoma had excellent pitching from Dillon Overton and Nick Hagadone, but couldn’t get the offense going other than an Andrew Aplin solo homer.

Roster Moves: Today the Rainiers are activating reliever Jonathan Aro from the suspended list. He has not pitched yet in 2017, but should provide a nice boost to the bullpen.

Today: Tacoma (30-20) at Salt Lake (28-24), 11:05 AM (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels.

Season Series: Salt Lake leads, 2-1.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Andrew Moore (1-0, 4.01) at RHP Daniel Wright (2-1, 9.35).

Salt Lake was supposed to start Mariners reliever Evan Scribner‘s younger brother Troy, but the Bees changed it to Wright early this morning.

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 16 straight games… Dan Vogelbach has reached base in ten straight games…  Zach Shank is 11-for-28 over his last seven games, and is batting .290 in May… Danny Muno has gone 8-for-16 during a four-game hitting streak.

Look Out For: Catcher Carlos Perez has gone back-and-forth between the majors and minors this year, but when he’s with Salt Lake he has been a monster. He has 19 hits during an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 17 of his 18 PCL games… C.J. Cron hit a grand slam against the New York Mets last Sunday and then was optioned to Salt Lake to “work on his swing”… Dustin Ackley has a six-game hitting streak, and is 6-for-13 in this series against his former team.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Former Mariners and Rainiers infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley is with Salt Lake, and so is ex-Rainiers outfielder Ramon Flores… Bees pitcher Troy Scribner is the younger brother of Mariners reliever Evan.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 10:50 on South Sound Sports 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.

Triple-A All-Star Game: We’re hosting it at Cheney Stadium on July 12, and fan balloting is live now – go here and vote for who you want to see.

Links:

• The Salt Lake Tribune has a recap of the Rainiers game, plus a really good feature story on the Salt Lake catchers and how they came to love controlling the game.
• The Mariners made it two straight wins, beating Colorado 6-5. Sam Gaviglio earned his first major league win and got his first big league hit. Three takeaways from the game.
• Felix Hernandez is progressing from his injury and I wonder if he might have a rehab start at the end of Tacoma’s upcoming homestand?
• The Mariner need to take baby steps, John McGrath writes.

PCL Game Reports:

• Sacramento had 19 hits and ripped Reno, 11-3, keeping the Rainiers just one game behind the Aces in the Pac-North standings.
• Top shortstop prospect Amed Rosario had two hits including a homer, walked, scored three runs, extended his hitting streak to 16 games, and boosted his batting average to .354 in Las Vegas’s 10-5 win over El Paso.
• Fresno pounded 15 hits and hammered Albuquerque, 10-3. Derek Fisher went 3-for-3 with a homer.
• Oklahoma City starting pitcher Trevor Oaks pitched seven shutout innings and launched a three-run homer as the Dodgers orphaned the Baby Cakes, 11-1.
• Injured since spring training, Kansas City Royals infielder Hunter Dozier had a nice rehabilitation game for Omaha in a 10-8 win over Round Rock.
• Nashville is suddenly having trouble scoring, getting shut out for the second time in three games by Colorado Springs.
• Potential PCL All-Star Luke Weaver pitched well to help Memphis beat the Iowa Cubs, 6-5. Weaver – a highly regarded St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect – is now 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA.

Rainiers End Skid With Clutch Hits

The Rainiers used a bevy of two-out hits in order to end the team’s longest losing streak of the year (three games) with a 9-7 win at Salt Lake on Sunday evening.

Seven of the Rainiers nine runs scored on two-out hits, including all four during the decisive four-run rally in the top of the seventh inning. Tacoma hitters were 5-for-9 batting with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Tacoma also took care of Salt Lake’s running game, which we noted was a problem in the series opener on Saturday. The Bees were 0-for-1 in base stealing attempts on Sunday.

On the radio pregame show yesterday, manager-for-a-minute Denny Hocking said that holding runners was addressed after the game on Saturday, and that Rainiers pitchers would focus on holding runners for the remainder of the series. So far, so good.

Tacoma had some solid relief work in the late innings yesterday. Mark Lowe, Dean Kiekhefer, and Jean Machi protected the lead over the final three innings in a tough ballpark to pitch in.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Tacoma connected on four consecutive two-out hits during a four-run rally in the top of the seventh inning, taking the lead for good in a back-and-forth 9-7 win at Salt Lake on Sunday. The Rainiers hit three triples in the game, and each were key hits during scoring innings. Leonys Martin, D.J. Peterson, and Zach Shank hit the triples.

Today: Tacoma (30-19) at Salt Lake (27-24), 5:35 (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels.

Season Series: Tied, 1-1.

Starting Pitchers: LHP Dillon Overton (1-0, 7.71) at RHP Alex Klonowski (0-1, 9.90).

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 15 straight games… Tyler Smith has gone 9-for-23 with two homers during a six-game hitting streak… Dan Vogelbach has a six-game hitting streak…  Tyler O’Neill has a five-game hitting streak, and he has reached base via hit or walk in 11 straight games.

Look Out For: Catcher Carlos Perez has gone back-and-forth between the majors and minors this year, but when he’s with Salt Lake he has been a monster. He has 19 hits during an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 17 of his 18 PCL games… C.J. Cron hit a grand slam against the New York Mets on Sunday and then was optioned to Salt Lake to “work on his swing”… Rey Navarro has an eight-game hitting streak.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Former Mariners and Rainiers infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley is with Salt Lake, and so is ex-Rainiers outfielder Ramon Flores… Bees pitcher Troy Scribner is the younger brother of Mariners reliever Evan.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 5:20 on South Sound Sports 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.

Triple-A All-Star Game: We’re hosting it at Cheney Stadium on July 12, and fan balloting is live now – go here and vote for who you want to see.

Links:

• Here’s the recap of the Rainiers win.
• Christian Bergman came to the rescue for the Mariners, tossing seven shutout innings at Fenway as the M’s beat the Red Sox on Sunday, 5-0. Three takeaways from the game.
• Some fun things happened on the Mariners farm last night. Led by top prospect Nick Neidert, Class-A Modesto pitched nine no-hit innings only to lose the no-hitter and the game at San Jose in the tenth, 1-0. Double-A Arkansas hogged all of the offense – they scored 13 runs in one inning and had 20 hits in a 17-3 win over the Texas Rangers affiliate.

PCL Game Reports:

• Reno took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning and barely held on for a 6-5 win over Sacramento. The Aces remain one game ahead of Tacoma in the standings.
• Rehabilitating Steven Matz pitched five perfect innings as Las Vegas ended a six-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over El Paso.
• David Martinez pitched seven shutout innings and Fresno hit four homers in a 7-0 win over Albuquerque.
• An emergency fill-in starter helped Omaha beat Round Rock, 7-5.
• David Vidal hit a three-run homer and the New Orleans Baby Cakes drooled all over Oklahoma City, 11-3.
• Memphis beat Iowa, 5-2, on a pinch-hit three-run homer by Chad Huffman in the eighth inning.
• Colorado Springs ace Brandon Woodruff flirted with a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader split at Nashville. The no-hitter spurred his advances.

Day game coming on Tuesday – 11:05 Pacific!

Mariners Summon Listach, Hocking To Fill In

Pat Listach has been a winning manager at the helm of the Tacoma Rainiers, but we’re about to find out how the team can fare without him.

The Mariners have summoned Listach to help their major league staff for a few days, and he is going to miss the Rainiers next three games in Salt Lake City. Listach is expected to re-join the Rainiers when the road trip moves on to Fresno on Thursday.

Tacoma coach Denny Hocking will serve as manager for the Rainiers next three games. Hocking has managed in the lower-level minor leagues, and he’s been coaching third base for about half (or more) of the Rainiers games this season.

We’ll see if Hocking can pull the Rainiers out of a little tailspin. Tacoma has lost three straight games for the first time all year, and was even bumped out of first place in the Pac-North division standings last night by Reno.

Hocking is in familiar territory. He played three seasons for Salt Lake, 1994-1996.

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One item Hocking will have to focus on these next three games is controlling the running game.

Salt Lake went 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts in the series opener last night, and the Bees now lead the PCL with 67 steals. They have been thrown out 30 times, so they do run into trouble at times. But they’re definitely going to run.

Tacoma is right in the middle of the pack when it comes to throwing out opposing base stealers. The Rainiers rank eighth in the league, gunning down 30.4%. Tuffy Gosewisch has thrown out 36.8%, and Steven Baron is at 28%.

But it doesn’t just come down to the catchers. The pitchers are really the ones in charge of keeping runners close to their bases, and being quick to home plate with their pitches. Managers can help keep running teams in check by calling for pickoff plays.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Despite being last in the PCL in home run hitting, Sale Lake ripped three solo shots in the first five innings and never trailed in an 8-4 win over Tacoma on Saturday night. The reanimated Eric Young Jr. went 3-for-5 with a leadoff homer, a double, two stolen bases, and three runs scored.

Roster Moves: The Mariners called up Rainiers reliever Ryne Harper, and optioned starting pitcher Rob Whalen to Tacoma. We’re very happy for Harper, who spent four years at Double-A without pitching in a Triple-A game until this season.

Today: Tacoma (29-19) at Salt Lake (27-23), 5:35 (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels.

Season Series: Salt Lake leads, 1-0.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Tyler Cloyd (1-0, 0.00) at TBA.

It’s another ‘bullpen day’ for Salt Lake, which currently has only three starting pitchers on its roster. We understand, Salt Lake Bees, we understand.

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 14 straight games… Tyler Smith has gone 8-for-19 with two homers during a five-game hitting streak… Dan Vogelbach has a five-game hitting streak…  Tyler O’Neill has a four-game hitting streak, and he has reached base via hit or walk in ten straight games… Mark Lowe has gone seven appearances without allowing a run, spanning 7.1 IP – and also his velocity seems to have picked up a little bit.

Look Out For: Catcher Carlos Perez has gone back-and-forth between the majors and minors this year, but when he’s with Salt Lake he has been a monster. He has 17 hits during a ten-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 16 of his 17 PCL games… C.J. Cron hit a grand slam against the New York Mets on Sunday and then was optioned to Salt Lake to “work on his swing”… Rey Navarro has a seven-game hitting streak.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Former Mariners and Rainiers infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley is with Salt Lake, and so is ex-Rainiers outfielder Ramon Flores… Bees pitcher Troy Scribner is the younger brother of Mariners reliever Evan.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 5:20 on South Sound Sports 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.

Triple-A All-Star Game: We’re hosting it at Cheney Stadium on July 12, and fan balloting is live now – go here and vote for who you want to see.

Links:

• The Salt Lake Tribune has a full report on last night’s Rainiers game.
• The Mariners were embarrassed after being shut out by the Red Sox for the second day in a row. Three takeaways from the game.
• Ryne Harper is elated to be in the major leagues.
• In his Sunday MLB column, Ryan Divish identifies five major league relievers who could be on the move at the trade deadline.
• Fangraph’s Sunday notes column has quite a few Mariners items in it this week.
• Ex-Rainier Chris Taylor is on a tear for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and even Bill Plaschke is writing about him.

PCL Game Reports:

• Reno took over first place from the Rainiers by beating Sacramento in 11 innings, 7-6. The Aces blew a 5-0 lead in the eighth, scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up, and won in the 11th on Ronnie Freeman‘s RBI single.
• El Paso took down Las Vegas, 8-6, as the 51s saw their losing streak reach six games.
• Albuquerque won the series opener at Fresno, 11-6, as Rafael Ynoa launched an eighth-inning grand slam.
• Omaha’s Luke Farrell tossed seven shutout innings as the Storm Chasers cruised to a 10-0 win over Round Rock.
• Oklahoma City’s Julio Urias shut down Destin Hood and New Orleans, 10-2. Hood, who had nine homers in the previous 12 games, went 0-for-4.
• Casey Kelly and Iowa won a pitcher’s duel at Memphis, 2-1.
• Whoops! Colorado Springs at Nashville got suspended by rain in the bottom of the first inning with Nashville leading, 5-0. They’ll finish it up on Tuesday.

Programming note: normally we play day games on Memorial Day, but not this year in Salt Lake City where they are trying out a holiday fireworks night, so it’s a 5:35 (Pacific) start on Monday.

Machi Makes Rare Start; Rainiers Lose In Tenth

Due to scheduled starting pitcher Chris Heston getting claimed off waivers, and a spent bullpen, the Rainiers found themselves in an unlikely situation on Friday night. The team was short on pitching, and the help from below wasn’t arriving in town until game time.

Apparently the Mariners didn’t think anyone would claim Heston, who was expected to start the game. But the Dodgers grabbed him (and infielder Mike Freeman) on Friday morning, leaving Tacoma in a bind.

The M’s flew in left-handed reliever Lane Ratliff from extended spring training, and right-handed starter Nathan Bannister from Class-A Modesto, but could not be sure either would arrive by game time.

Manager Pat Listach decided to start his most rested reliever: closer Jean Machi.

Making his first start since August 23, 2008, Machi tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a base runner. By the time he was done, Ratliff had arrived – and he followed with two scoreless innings. And by the time the fifth inning came around, Bannister was in uniform and he picked it up from there.

Scoring started in earned in the middle innings, and the Rainiers eventually dropped an 8-7 decision in ten innings.

The loss of Heston and Freeman is concerning for the Rainiers – both are key players when with the club. We’ll just wait and see what the M’s decide to do to fill the gaps.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Fresno scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning and hung on for an 8-7 win at Cheney Stadium on Friday night, earning a split of the four-game series. Fresno was the first team to come into Cheney and get a split this year. Zach Shank, Danny Muno, and Dan Vogelbach each had three hits for Tacoma.

Roster Moves: Yesterday we were surprised to hear that the Dodgers claimed both Chris Heston and Mike Freeman off waivers. The Rainiers added Lane Ratliff from extended spring training and Nathan Bannister from modest – although Bannister went right back to Modesto, seeing how the Rainiers don’t need a fifth starter this week due to an offday on Wednesday. Tacoma has just ten position players.

Today: Tacoma (29-18) at Salt Lake (26-23), 5:35 (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels.

Season Series: 0-0.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Chase De Jong (2-1, 4.70) at TBA.

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 13 straight games… Tyler Smith has gone 7-for-15 with two homers during a four-game hitting streak… Zach Shank has a four-game hitting streak, going 8-for-17… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last seven appearances, covering 8.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone seven appearances without allowing a run, spanning 7.1 IP – and also his velocity seems to have picked up a little bit.

Look Out For: Catcher Carlos Perez has gone back-and-forth between the majors and minors this year, but when he’s with Salt Lake he has been a monster. He has 15 hits during a nine-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 15 of his 16 PCL games… C.J. Cron hit a grand slam against the New York Mets on Sunday and then was optioned to Salt Lake to “work on his swing”… Rey Navarro has a six-game hitting streak.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Former Mariners and Rainiers infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley is with Salt Lake, and so is ex-Rainiers outfielder Ramon Flores… Bees pitcher Troy Scribner is the younger brother of Mariners reliever Evan.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 5:20 on South Sound Sports 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.

Triple-A All-Star Game: We’re hosting it at Cheney Stadium on July 12, and fan balloting is live now – go here and vote for who you want to see.

Links:

• The Mariners offensive woes continued in a 3-0 loss at Boston on Friday night. They have scored nine runs over the last seven games. Three takeaways from the game.
• It looks like James Paxton is set to return to the Mariners rotation this week, and other injured starters are making progress.

Sorry, that’s it for today. Long game last night + travel day today makes for fewer links.

Triple-A All-Star Voting Begins

We understand if you’re not totally worked up about the Triple-A All-Star Game yet. It’s still about seven weeks away, and the sun just recently came out for the summer here in Tacoma.

But today marks a big date in the All Star Experience: fan balloting for the Triple-A All-Star Game is now live online.

Fan ballots account for half of the all-star selection process. There is another ballot for Triple-A managers and media members – that’s the other half. Then the respective league offices make final tweeks, to ensure that all 30 teams are represented.

MiLB.com previewed the ballot, and they make it sound like the International League is loaded with top prospects who are candidates to appear in Tacoma. One of the top prospects in all of the minors is Charlotte infielder Yoan Moncada, and he’s tearing up the IL right now and is a strong candidate to make the all-star team if the White Sox don’t call him up.

You can start voting for the Triple-A All-Stars now. The ballot is right here. Don’t forget to pick some Rainiers!

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Fresno ruined the Rainiers home mojo – at least for a day – by beating Tacoma on Thursday night, 5-2. A three-run rally in the top of the eighth inning snapped a 2-2 tie, with Colin Moran‘s two-out, two-run single the big hit. The Rainiers are now 18-5 at Cheney Stadium this season, and they wrap up the homestand tonight.

Today: Fresno (19-29) at Tacoma (29-17), 7:05.

Opponent Affiliation: Houston Astros.

Season Series: Tacoma leads, 2-1.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Francis Martes (0-2, 5.25) at TBA.

Don’t be fooled by the stats: Martes was ranked by Baseball America as the Houston Astros No. 1 minor league prospect entering the season. However, he’s been wild in his first taste of Triple-A ball, averaging nearly a walk per inning.

We’re waiting to see who Tacoma’s starter will be.

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 12 straight games… Tyler Smith has gone 6-for-11 with a homer in this series against Fresno… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last seven appearances, covering 8.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone seven appearances without allowing a run, spanning 7.1 IP – and also his velocity seems to have picked up a little bit.

Look Out For: Outfielder Derek Fisher is considered the top prospect among the position players on the club; he’s hitting .313 with ten homers… first baseman A.J. Reed was touted as a top prospect entering the 2016 season but fell off; he’s performing better in the PCL this year.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Casey Coleman was a productive reliever for Tacoma last year; he’s in Fresno’s starting rotation right now… reliever Aaron West was drafted out of the University of Washington in 2012, he’s a product of Snohomish High School.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 6:50 on South Sound Sports 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.

Triple-A All-Star Game: We’re hosting it at Cheney Stadium on July 12, and fan balloting is live now – go here and vote for who you want to see.

Links:

• Craig Hill of The News Tribune suggests that last night’s Rainiers pitcher Andrew Moore could be next in line for a major league promotion.
• The Mariners ended their five-game losing streak with a 4-2 win at Washington on Thursday. Three takeaways from the game.
• Several Mariners players visited injured and recovering soldiers while in D.C.
• International signing season is five weeks away, and the Mariners are favorites to land a teenage shortstop named Juan Querecuto. His older brother Juniel is currently playing for Sacramento.
• Are switch-hitters a dying breed?

PCL Game Reports:

• The Rainiers didn’t get any help from the Iowa Cubs yesterday. The I-Cubs lost to Reno, 5-2, as Frank Duncan pitched well and the Aces pulled within one game of first-place Tacoma. The Des Moines paper has a feature on Iowa’s Stephen Bruno, who is training to be a police officer when his playing career ends.
• El Paso took down Salt Lake, 8-5, despite ex-Rainiers outfielder Jabari Blash going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts. Jose Pirela hit his tenth homer for the Chihuahuas. The Bees have lost five in a row, but they do have rehabilitating Angels closer Huston Street right now.
• Albuquerque outfielder Mike Tauchman homered twice in an 11-5 win over visiting Oklahoma City.
• Round Rock’s Jason Matinson snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to beat Las Vegas, 6-4.
• Nate Orf doubled and drove in three runs to help Colorado Springs fend off the Baby Cakes, 7-6. New Orleans slugger Destin Hood hit his 12th homer – he has eight over his last 11 games!
• Omaha picked up a road win in front of a sellout crowd at Nashville, 8-4, ending the Sounds four-game win streak.
• Michael Roth pitched Sacramento to a 5-3 win over visiting Memphis.

Saturday we’re on the road again: eight games in nine days, at Salt Lake and Fresno. Tacoma returns home on June 5 to finally play division rival Reno.

O’Neill Leads Rainiers To Win

Tyler O’Neill had the big hits as the Rainiers picked up a come-from-behind 5-3 win over Fresno on Wednesday afternoon.

It was nice to see the 21-year-old outfield prospect come through in key situations, as it is no secret that his first Triple-A season hasn’t gone well for the opening seven weeks.

But things might be changing for the Mariners top position player prospect.

O’Neill has reached base via hit or walk in 11 of his last 12 games. His average is up to .221 – which is the highest it has been since the first week of the season.

Yesterday he doubled down the third base line, driving in a pair of runs to tie the game in the fifth inning.

He came up again with the score tied 3-3 in the seventh, and he lined a go-ahead homer to left field. It was his fourth home run of the season, and his first since April 24. He finished the game 2-for-5, with three RBI.

Let’s see if he can keep it going as he continues to adjust to Triple-A pitching.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Tyler O’Neill broke out with a pair of big hits and the Rainiers had terrific relief work in a 5-3 win over Fresno on Wednesday afternoon. Kyle Hunter pitched 3.1 shutout innings of relief to earn the win. Danny Muno went 4-for-4, and Tyler Smith was 3-for-4.

Roster Moves: Yesterday the Mariners called up pitcher Rob Whalen and optioned reliever Emilio Pagan to Tacoma. They also claimed outfielder Andrew Aplin off waivers from the Houston Astros, and assigned him to Tacoma. Aplin has played in 248 career PCL games, all with Fresno, and has hit .245/.342/.329 but he is a good defensive outfielder. Pitcher Chris Heston was designated for assignment and is currently on waivers. The Mariners have surprisingly transferred hot-hitting Dario Pizzano and Seth Mejias-Brean to Double-A Arkansas, so more moves must be in the works. These guys have been hitting in the middle of the lineup and got sent down!

Today: Fresno (18-29) at Tacoma (29-16), 7:05.

Opponent Affiliation: Houston Astros.

Season Series: Tacoma leads, 2-0.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Mike Hauschild (0-1, 9.42) at RHP Andrew Moore (1-0, 4.34).

Hot Rainiers: Danny Muno has gone 9-for-17 with five RBI during a four-game hitting streak… Leonys Martin has reached base safely in 11 straight games… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last seven appearances, covering 8.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone six appearances without allowing a run, spanning 6.1 IP – and also his velocity seems to have picked up a little bit.

Look Out For: Outfielder Derek Fisher is considered the top prospect among the position players on the club; he’s hitting .314 with ten homers… first baseman A.J. Reed was touted as a top prospect entering the 2016 season but fell off; he’s performing better in the PCL this year… Tyler White is 5-for-7 over the first two games of this series.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Casey Coleman was a productive reliever for Tacoma last year; he’s in Fresno’s starting rotation right now… reliever Aaron West was drafted out of the University of Washington in 2012, he’s a product of Snohomish High School.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 6:50 on South Sound Sports 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:

• The News Tribune’s John McGrath was at the Rainiers game yesterday, and he wrote about new infielder Danny Muno.
• The Mariners lost to the Nationals on Wednesday night, 5-1. Three takeaways from the game.
• James Paxton will be making a rehabilitation start for Double-A Arkansas tomorrow.

PCL Game Reports:

• A new pitcher helped Iowa shut out Reno yesterday, 5-0. That gives Tacoma a two-game lead over the Aces.
• El Paso topped Salt Lake in ten innings, 5-4, with Rocky Gale getting the go-ahead RBI double. Should note that El Paso’s Dinelson Lamet got called up to make his MLB debut tonight – against the Mets.
• Memphis outfielder Todd Cunningham went 4-for-4 in a 9-5 win at Sacramento.
• Paul Blackburn and Nashville shut out Omaha, 4-0. Outfielder Terrance Gore is hoping to get hot for the Storm Chasers.
• Albuquerque trailed Oklahoma City 8-3 in the bottom of the ninth, and walked away with a 9-8 victory after a wild comeback. The tying and winning runs scored on a throwing error by pitcher Brandon Morrow.
• The Baby Cakes ripped five homers – two by Destin Hood – in a 14-4 win at Colorado Springs. The paper has a feature on Sky Sox first baseman Garrett Cooper.
• Dillon Gee fanned nine over six shutout innings and Round Rock beat Las Vegas, 3-1.

Up And At ‘Em – Rainiers Play Early!

Early action today!

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: The Rainiers scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to an 8-0 series-opening win on Tuesday night. Tyler Cloyd, Nick Hagadone, Ryne Harper, and Mark Lowe combined on a six-hit shutout. Tacoma’s Dan Vogelbach and Tyler Smith hit homers.

Today: Fresno (18-28) at Tacoma (28-16), 11:35 AM.

Opponent Affiliation: Houston Astros.

Season Series: Tacoma leads, 1-0.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Trent Thornton (1-2, 5.91) at LHP Dillon Overton (1-0, 8.44).

Look for Kyle Hunter to “piggy back” with Overton, who has not settled into a starting pitcher’s routine at any point yet this season.

Hot Rainiers: Mike Freeman has an 11-game hitting streak in the PCL, which is active even though before last night he hadn’t played in the league since May 4… Dario Pizzano has a four-game hitting streak and is batting .306 with four homers in May… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last seven appearances, covering 8.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone six appearances without allowing a run, spanning 6.1 IP – and also his velocity seems to have picked up a little bit.

Look Out For: Outfielder Derek Fisher is considered the top prospect among the position players on the club; he’s hitting .320 with ten homers… first baseman A.J. Reed was touted as a top prospect entering the 2016 season but fell off; he’s performing better in the PCL this year.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Casey Coleman was a productive reliever for Tacoma last year; he’s in Fresno’s starting rotation right now… reliever Aaron West was drafted out of the University of Washington in 2012, he’s a product of Snohomish High School.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 11:20 AM on South Sound Sports 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:

• The Rainiers recap on the team website focuses on Dan Vogelbach‘s big night.
• The Mariners got crushed by the Washington Nationals, 10-1, for their fourth straight loss. Three takeaways from the game.
• At least the Mariners got some positive news on the medical front.
• Mike Zunino is following some new rules at the plate. He homered in his return to the team.

PCL Game Reports:

• Reno topped Iowa, 2-1, to stay one game behind Tacoma. The Des Moines Register story focuses on Cubs prospect Jeimer Candelario.
• Fun stuff in Colorado Springs: the Sky Sox turned a triple play, yet lost to New Orleans because of defensive mistakes.
• Rehabbing Texas Rangers starter Tyson Ross pitched five shutout innings in Round Rock’s 14-3 blowout of Las Vegas. Cesar Puello homered twice.
• Nashville’s Daniel Mengden pitched seven shutout innings in a 10-0 whitewashing of Omaha.
• Salt Lake got hammered by El Paso, 14-5. The Salt Lake Tribune has a feature on former Rainiers outfielder Ramon Flores.
• Oklahoma City catcher Bobby Wilson hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the eighth inning to give the Dodgers an 8-6 win at Albuquerque.
• Rehabilitating Aaron Hill tripled, homered, and drove in three runs to help Sacramento beat Memphis, 6-2.

Rainiers Return Home (For a Minute)

The Tacoma Rainiers open a four-game homestand against the Fresno Grizzlies with a 6:05 game on Tuesday evening. This series represents the island in the middle of a stretch in which the club plays 16 out of 20 games on the road.

Normally a force to be reckoned with, Rainiers division rival Fresno comes into town with an unexpected won-loss record of 18-27. Like Tacoma, Fresno just finished a 16-game segment of the schedule facing teams from the American Conference – and Fresno went just 5-11 during that stretch. Tacoma just went 10-6 against the other conference.

The Grizzlies still have future Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame manager Tony DeFrancesco who recently won his 1,000th PCL game. In thirteen years as a manager in the PCL, DeFrancesco has had just one losing season: 2011 with Oklahoma City (68-75).

The weather is supposed to be really nice this week, so hopefully you can make it out to the ballpark.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: Tacoma missed out on its chance to log a winning road trip, dropping a 7-6 decision in Iowa and settling for an even record on the eight-game road trip to the Midwest. Steven Baron, Zach Shank, Dario Pizzano, and Tyler O’Neill each had multiple hits in the loss.

Roster Moves: Five players are reporting to Tacoma from the Mariners today: Dan Vogelbach, Chris Heston, Mike Freeman, Dillon Overton, and Tuffy Gosewish. Tacoma has sent Mike Zunino and Emilio Pagan up, placed Paul Paez on the disabled list, sent reliever Kody Kerski back to Clinton, and pitcher Steven Ridings back to extended spring. Got all of that?

Today: Fresno (18-27) at Tacoma (27-16), 6:05.

Opponent Affiliation: Houston Astros.

Season Series: First of 16 meetings between the teams.

Starting Pitchers: RHP David Paulino (0-0, 3.00) at RHP Tyler Cloyd (0-0, 0.00).

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin’s eight-game hitting streak, ended yesterday, but he did draw two walks… Mike Freeman has a ten-game hitting streak in the PCL, which is active going into tonight’s game even though he hasn’t played in the league since May 4… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last six appearances, covering 7.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone five appearances without allowing a run, spanning 5.1 IP.

Look Out For: Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has hit safely in ten straight games, going 14-for-42 during the streak… outfielder Derek Fisher is considered the top prospect among the position players on the club; he’s hitting .315 with ten homers… first baseman A.J. Reed was touted as a top prospect entering the 2016 season but fell off; he’s performing better in the PCL this year.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: Casey Coleman was a productive reliever for Tacoma last year; he’s in Fresno’s starting rotation right now… reliever Aaron West was drafted out of the University of Washington in 2012, he’s a product of Snohomish High School.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 5:50 on South Sound Sports 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:

• The Des Moines Register’s story focuses on Iowa reliever Pierce Johnson, who earned a two-inning save against Tacoma yesterday.
• Apparently the Fresno club is close to being sold to a group affiliated with Colorado Rockies ownership. Hmmm.
• The Mariners start a brutal eight-game road trip to Washington, Boston, and Colorado today. It’s tough because of the quality of the opposing teams.
• With this ominous road trip looming, John McGrath wonders if the Mariners season is on the line.
• The Mariners called up Mike Zunino, among other moves, and expect to activate Robinson Cano today.

PCL Game Reports:

• Omaha helped out the Rainiers by beating Reno, 5-3, on Cam Gallagher‘s two-run homer in the eighth inning. This keeps Tacoma in first place with a one-game lead over the Aces.
• Memphis shut out Fresno on four hits yesterday, 9-0.
• Daniel Gossett tossed eight shutout innings for Nashville in a 9-3 win at Sacramento.
• New Orleans closed out a rough homestand (2-6) on a positive note, taking down Las Vegas 5-1.
• Colorado Springs hammered Albuquerque, 11-2. Sky Sox first baseman Garrett Cooper went 5-for-6.
• Fabio Castillo tossed five scoreless innings to help Oklahoma City edge El Paso, 4-3.
• Round Rock’s Jurickson Profar went 4-for-5 with four RBI in an 11-3 waxing of the Salt Lake Bees.

Heads up: we’ve got another weekday day game tomorrow – our second this week – starting at 11:35.

Rainiers Out-Slug Cubs, 8-7

The Rainiers won a wind-blown homer festival on Sunday in Des Moines, 8-7.

Beyond the right field fence at Iowa’s Principal Park is an aluminum bleacher section and scoreboard meant to mimic the bleachers at Wrigley Field. It is a nice copy, and the image was embellished on Sunday by a strong wind blowing out to right field for the first seven innings of the game.

Each team hit three homers in the game, and by my count half of them fell firmly into the category of Wind Aided.

Mike Zunino hit two homers, including the go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh, and neither of his took advantage of the wind. He hit both of his to left-center, through the cross-wind.

The second go-around for emergency spot-starter Nathan Bannister was nothing like his first outing when he tossed 6.2 shutout innings, but he was a victim of poor luck and circumstance. He gave up three homers – two Wind Aided – as well as a wind-blown double along with some unfortunate soft ground ball hits which found holes. Six runs scored during his four innings on the mound.

Bannister left the game trailing 6-3, but Tacoma’s bullpen was outstanding. Five relievers covered the remaining five innings, allowing one run, and the Rainiers came back to win.

Tacoma is 4-3 so far on this eight-game road trip which ends today. Big opportunity to post a winning road trip today.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: The wind was blowing out and Tacoma won a Sunday Slugfest in Des Moines, 8-7. Each team hit three home runs – Tacoma had two from catcher Mike Zunino, including the go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh inning. Five Rainiers relievers combined to hold Iowa to one run over the final five innings.

Roster Moves: First baseman Dan Vogelbach and pitcher Chris Heston were called up by Seattle yesterday, with infielder Mike Freeman and pitcher Dillon Overton optioned to Tacoma (Freeman and Overton report on Tuesday). The Rainiers are expected to add new-to-the organization veteran reliever Ryan Kelly today, and reliever Kody Kerski is driving over from Low-A Clinton to serve as emergency help today. Expect the Rainiers roster to become much more stable in a Triple-A fashion after a flurry of moves when the team gets home on Tuesday.

Today: Tacoma (27-15) at Iowa (19-23), 10:05 AM (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Chicago Cubs.

Season Series: Tacoma leads, 2-1.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Chase De Jong (2-0, 1.74) at RHP Casey Kelly (1-0, 3.60).

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has an eight-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 13-for-29 with two homers… Mike Zunino has a four-game hitting streak, with three homers, but he won’t be playing for Tacoma today… reliever Ryne Harper hasn’t allowed a run over his last six appearances, covering 7.2 innings pitched… Mark Lowe has gone five appearances without allowing a run, spanning 5.1 IP.

Look Out For: Veteran third baseman Chris Dominguez has hit safely in ten of his last 11 games… Jeimer Candelario has homered in back-to-back games.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: After an offseason of being claimed off waivers repeatedly, ex-Tacoma lefty reliever David Rollins landed in Iowa.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 9:50 AM on South Sound Sports 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:

• Here’s a recap of the Rainiers win from the team website. The Des Moines Register story focused on Iowa Cubs outfielder Mark Zagunis.
• And here is the Atlantic League press release on the Mariners signing new Rainiers reliever Ryan Kelly from the Somerset Patriots.
• The Mariners allowed five runs in the first inning and lost to the White Sox, 8-1, in an inevitable result according to Jason Jenks. He makes a good point.
• Infielder Mike Freeman, optioned to Tacoma yesterday, found himself pitching in the major leagues on Saturday night.

PCL Reports:

• Omaha’s Bubba Starling extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games in a doubleheader split with Reno. This outcome gave Tacoma a one-game lead over Reno in the Pacific-North division standings.
• Infielder Reid Brignac went 4-for-4 to help Fresno beat Memphis, 9-3. The winning pitcher was Casey Coleman, who was an ace reliever for the Rainiers last year and is now a starter for Fresno. The Grizzlies visit Tacoma tomorrow.
• Jharel Cotton tossed seven shutout innings and Matt Olson went 4-for-4 with a homer as Nashville won in Sacramento, 4-0.
• Big innings are killing the Baby Cakes, New Orleans manager Arnie Beyeler said after losing to Las Vegas on Sunday, 7-3.
• Round Rock starter Allen Webster dealt seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over visiting Salt Lake.
• The Albuquerque Isotopes had Beach Day and wore “beach attire” uniforms on Sunday, but they lost to Colorado Springs on Rene Garcia‘s go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning, 3-2. Check the pun-filled story for photos. They remind me of those awful outfits UCLA basketball was decked out in a couple of years ago.
• Oklahoma City’s Jack Murphy singled home the winning run in the top of the tenth inning for a 5-4 win at El Paso.

After today’s day game the Rainiers hop on an airplane and fly home. We’ve got a four-game homestand against Fresno starting on Tuesday at 6:05.

Rainiers Win With Ninth Inning Rally

The Rainiers stole a win on the road Saturday night in Des Moines, conjuring a ninth inning rally out of thin air to beat Iowa, 7-5.

Trailing 4-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth, and with nobody on base, the Rainiers were down to their last strike.

But Leonys Martin was able to bloop a double down the left field line against Iowa closer Justin Grimm, giving the team hope.

The next hitter was Seth Mejias-Brean and he quickly fell behind in the count, 0-2. Once again the Rainiers were down to their last strike. But he was able to extend the plate appearance and coax a walk, keeping things going.

Dario Pizzano followed with a line drive single to center, scoring Martin to tie the game, 4-4.

That brought up Mike Zunino, and Grimm got him to swing and miss at two breaking balls. After a fastball missed for ball one, Grimm went back to the breaker – and Zunino launched it two right-center for a three-run homer, and a 7-4 lead.

The rally seemed to come out of nowhere, and Tacoma avoided its first three-game losing streak of the year. The team remains in first place in the Pacific-North division, with a half-game lead over Reno.

RAINIERS ROUND-UP

Yesterday: The Rainiers had a stunning comeback with two outs in the ninth inning and won in Iowa, 7-5. Tacoma is 3-3 so far on the eight-game road trip.

Roster Moves: We’ll have roster moves today. Chris Heston is being called up to start for Seattle, and the Rainiers are bringing back Nathan Bannister from Modesto to start today’s game. Additional moves are in the works.

Today: Tacoma (26-15) at Iowa (19-22), 11:05 AM (Pacific).

Opponent Affiliation: Chicago Cubs.

Season Series: Tied, 1-1.

Starting Pitchers: RHP Nathan Bannister (0-0, 0.00) at RHP Aaron Brooks (3-3, 7.24).

Bannister is back. The 2016 draft pick tossed 6.2 shutout innings for Tacoma against New Orleans on May 6. In two starts for Modesto since then, he allowed 14 runs in 9.2 innings. Triple-A is easy!

Hot Rainiers: Leonys Martin has a seven-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 11-for-24 with two homers… D.J. Peterson and Mike Zunino each have three-game hitting streaks, and each homered yesterday.

Look Out For: Veteran third baseman Chris Dominguez has hit safely in nine of his last ten games… Ozzie Martinez has hit safely in four straight games, going 6-for-13.

Local Guys and Ex-Rainiers: After an offseason of being claimed off waivers repeatedly, ex-Tacoma lefty reliever David Rollins landed in Iowa.

Broadcast: The pregame show starts at 10:50 AM on South Sound Sports 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:

• Here’s a recap of the Rainiers win.
• It’s probably for the best if you don’t read about yesterday’s Mariners game. Three takeaways, if you must.
• In what must have taken an eternity to write, Ryan Divish took a deep dive into the Mariners disabled list.
• Bob Dutton has an item on how Danny Valencia‘s hand injury could trigger a series of roster moves.

PCL Game Reports:

• Reno hit a couple of homers and won in Omaha, 7-3, to remain a half-game behind Tacoma. The teams play a doubleheader today.
• Lefty Marco Gonzalez tossed a gem as Memphis picked up a 4-2 road win over Fresno.
• Salt Lake scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Round Rock, 8-4.
• Las Vegas scored early in New Orleans and it was nap time for the Baby Cakes, 8-2.
• Albuquerque’s bullpen shined in a 5-3 win over Colorado Springs. Matt Carasiti picked up his PCL-leading 11th save.
• Oklahoma City’s O’Koyea Dickson homered twice and drove in four runs in a 7-3 win at El Paso.
• Ryder Jones launched a grand slam to help Sacramento take down Nashville, 8-5.