September 2009
PLAYER NEWS: Burke Dealt to Nats
On Sept. 18, veteran Rainiers catcher Jamie Burke was traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Washington Nationals for cash. Burke was an integral part of Tacoma’s PCL Pacific North division championship team, and a fan-favorite among the Rainiers faithful. The Nats will be Jamie’s fifth franchise since being drafted by the Angels in 1993.
PLAYER NEWS: Moore, Tui Among Several Promoted to Bigs
The News Tribune has reported that the Seattle Mariners have recalled three players from the Rainiers, now that the season has come to an end. Catcher Adam Moore, infielder Matt Tuiasosopo and pitcher Garrett Olson have all gotten the call, as has rehabbing righty Carlos Silva.
Rainiers Score First Home Playoff Win Since 2001
Tonight, Tacoma fans saw something they hadn’t seen in over eight years: a home playoff win. Thanks to some magnificent tightrope walking by starter Garrett Olson and a 12-hit attack, the Tacoma Rainiers fought off the Sacramento River Cats 5-2 to give the crowd a postseason W for the first time since Sept. 6, 2001 and even the Pacific Conference Championship Series at 1-1.
Early excitement set the tone for the rest of the contest, as after Tacoma scored a run on a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, Sacramento came right back to load the bases against Olson in the top of the second. But, the 25-year-old lefty showed remarkable poise, getting the dangerous Chris Denorfia to foul out to catcher Adam Moore on the first pitch. After falling behind 2-0 to Rainiers killer Matt Carson, Olson then fought back to get the River Cats’ center fielder swinging at an 89-mph fastball for strike 3 to end the threat.
Mike Wilson sent a very loud answer to Sacramento’s charge in the bottom of the frame, parking a no-doubt-abouter over the visitor’s clubhouse beyond the left field wall for a no-out two-run bomb to put Tacoma up 3-0 after two.
The River Cats got one back in the top of the third on a two-out solo homer by first baseman Chris Carter–his second circuit shot in two days. The very next hitter, right fielder Aaron Cunningham, sent a long fly ball to center for a double, and took third on an Olson balk. Once again, however, Olson was able to wriggle off the hook, thanks to an amazing defensive play by shortstop Oswaldo Navarro. Catcher Eric Munson lofted what should have by all rights been an RBI single to short left, but Navarro sprinted back and made a sprawling, diving snag to end the inning, stranding Cunningham at third.
In the bottom of the sixth, Navarro traded in the leather for the lumber, smoking a one-out ground rule double down the right field line. Center fielder Jerry Owens then lined a first-pitch fastball down the left field line, scoring Navarro to put the Rainiers up 4-1.
Still with one out, second baseman Matt Tuiasosopo smoked a 1-0 92-mph fastball just to the left of the second base bag. With Carson charging hard, manager Daren Brown feigned the stop sign to Owens from the third base coach’s box, only to change his red light to green at the last moment, sending the Tacoma stolen base leader hurtling home to score, putting the Rainiers up 5-1.
Clearly feeling the fire from Tacoma’s surge, reliever Jared Wells came on and retired the side in the top of the seventh. Wells allowed just one run in his two innings of work–a solo shot to Munson to deep right center field–and struck out two on the evening without walking a batter.
Not willing to be outdone by Navarro’s defensive heroics, Owens turned in a highlight-reel catch of his own in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Denorfia sent a sinking liner to shallow center. The speedy Owens charged in and dove forward, snaring the drive mere inches before it hit the turf to end the inning. It was Owens’ second SportsCenter-worthy snag in the past week.
In the top of the ninth, wily side-arming veteran Mike Koplove came on to close the door, retiring Sacramento in order for his first save of the postseason.
PREVIEW: California, Here We Come
The Rainiers now head to Raley Field to face the River Cats for the final three games of the series, with Tacoma stalwart Andy Baldwin taking the hill tomorrow night against Sacramento’s Jerome Williams.
During the regular season, Williams went 0-1 in his only start against Tacoma, lasting just 2.1 innings, over which he allowed nine hits and seven runs–all earned. Williams went 5-6 with a 5.58 ERA in 27 appearances–14 of which were starts–for the River Cats this season, allowing 41 walks in 101.2 innings while allowing opposing hitters to post a .297 batting average.
Notes: Eight of Tacoma’s nine starters registered at least one base hit, with Mike Wilson, Prentice Redman and Matt Tuiasosopo each going 2-for-4 … Wilson is now hitting .286 in the playoffs after hitting .164 in 146 regular season at-bats … Tuiasosopo is now hitting .500 (4-for-8) in the postseason … Garrett Olson went six innings, allowing five hits and one run while walking three and striking out six to earn the win.
PREVIEW: Playoff History on Tacoma’s Side
The past two times that the Tacoma Rainiers have made the playoffs, they have found themselves facing these same Sacramento River Cats. In 2001, en route to a PCL Championship, the Rainiers dropped the opener to the visiting River Cats before winning three of the next four, with two of those wins coming on the road.
In 2005, Sacramento took the first two games at Cheney Stadium before the Rainiers went in to Raley Field and swept the River Cats right out of the playoffs.
Tomorrow night at Cheney Stadium, Rainiers fans get a bonus postseason Tasty Thursday, where you can get great deals on $1 hot dogs, soda, ice cream and coffee.
Enjoy $2 Miller Lite and Miller Genuine Draft in the terrace level beer garden, the place for singles to mingle every Thursday night during the regular season and the postseason.
The Tasty Thursday Beer Garden opens at 5:30 p.m. with music and beer specials sponsored by Miller Lite.
River Cats Take 1-0 Series Lead
Last night at Cheney Stadium, the Sacramento River Cats showed just why they are the two-time defending Pacific Coast League Champions. Unfazed by starting the postseason on the road, the River Cats took Game 1 of the Pacific Conference Championship Series, downing the Tacoma Rainiers 8-2.
Sacramento wasted no time in building a sizeable lead, rattling Rainiers lefty starter Chris Seddon for five runs in the first two innings.
With two outs in the top of the first and a man on third, River Cats designated hitter Tommy Everidge struck first, lining Seddon’s sixth offering of the at-bat right back up the middle for an RBI single. Next up was 22-year-old masher Chris Carter, who crushed Seddon’s 3-1 pitch over the right field wall for an opposite-field two-run blast. But PCL Pacific South champs weren’t done yet.
Second baseman Adrian Cardenas got things going in the top of the second with a one-out single up the middle, and then moved to third on a double by shortstop Gregorio Petit. Chris Denorfia then rolled a groundball to shortstop Oswaldo Navarro, who, after seeing Cardenas well on his way towards home, threw to first for the sure out, conceding the run. A Matt Carson RBI double to left plated Sacramento’s second run of the inning, putting the visiting club up 5-0.
After the first two innings, however, Seddon threw 4.1 innings of excellent baseball, allowing just one home run–a solo shot in the top of the fifth inning to slugger Brett Wallace–and no walks, striking out three. By going deep into the game, Seddon was able to preserve the Rainiers bullpen, as relievers Denny Stark, Nick Hill and Justin Thomas each threw one inning or less, enabling all three to go tonight if necessary.
The Rainiers offense began to show signs of life in the third inning against starter Chris Gissell, putting two on with one out thanks to singles by the middle infield duo of Navarro and second baseman Matt Tuiasosopo. A groundout by Tacoma’s Offensive MVP Bryan LaHair moved Navarro and Tui into scoring position for longball threat Chris Shelton. The third baseman out of Salt Lake City battled Gissell, but struck out swinging on the sixth pitch of the at-bat to end the threat.
Tacoma broke through for their first run in the bottom of the fourth, when with one out, catcher Adam Moore smoked the first pitch he saw from Gissell for a line-drive single to left field to cash in left fielder Prentice Redman, aboard with a leadoff single.
With Wallace’s fifth-inning solo roundtripper putting Sacramento up 6-1, the Rainiers clawed back yet again for another run in the bottom of the frame. Tui led off the inning with a line-drive double to center, and took third on a dying-quail single to left off the bat of LaHair. Shelton then lofted a sacrifice fly to left to narrow the lead to 6-2, but that was the closest that Tacoma would come. The River Cats added two more runs in the top of the seventh on a two-run, two-out single by Everidge to close out the scoring.
Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes: September 9 vs. Sacramento; Morrow Called Up
This afternoon, the Seattle Mariners recalled right-handed starter Brandon Morrow. For further roster changes and transactions, check our official game notes.
PLAYER NEWS: Playoff Additions
The Rainiers have added infielder Callix Crabbe to the roster, along with left-handed pitcher Nick Hill. Gone is infielder Anthony Phillips, as well as pitcher Steven Hensley.
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