TACOMA RAINIERS (40-31) vs. LAS VEGAS AVIATORS (36-35) Thursday, June 20 • 7:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA RHP Michael Mariot (3-3, 6.04) vs. RHP J.T. Ginn (0-1, 6.30)
TACOMA RAINIERS (40-31) vs. LAS VEGAS AVIATORS (36-35)
Thursday, June 20 • 7:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA
RHP Michael Mariot (3-3, 6.04) vs. RHP J.T. Ginn (0-1, 6.30)
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Rainiers and Aviators continue their series with game three tonight, as Michael Mariot and J.T. Ginn square off. Mariot is set to pitch in his 13th game and make his 10th start of the season for Tacoma. The right-hander comes into tonight’s game with a 3-3 record and a 6.04 ERA over that span, allowing 30 earned runs on 41 hits and eight walks. He has struck out 40 batters in his 44.2 innings pitched, holding opponents to a .241 batting average against him over that span. Mariot will face the Aviators for the third time this season, allowing seven earned runs over 9.1 innings through his first two starts. Ginn will take the ball for Las Vegas, going 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA through five games (four starts) this season. He has allowed 14 earned runs on 21 hits and seven walks while striking out 25 batters in 20.0 innings this year. Tonight will be the first outing of his career against the Rainiers.
AT THE TOP: Jonatan Clase was the leadoff hitter for Tacoma last night for the 41st time this season. He did exactly what you ask from a leadoff hitter, getting on base in four of his five at-bats. The switch hitter went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and two runs driven in. It marked just the fourth time a Rainiers player has had four or more hits in a single game this year and the third time since Sunday. Clase now has 13 multi-hit games on the year, third-most among Tacoma players this season. The 22-year-old is hitting .285 (47-for-165) with 10 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 23 runs batted in this year. He has taken 34 walks compared to 46 strikeouts, stealing 20 bases along the way. His on-base percentage is also above the .400-mark, at .403 through his first 43 games with Tacoma.
STEPPED UP: After starter Emerson Hanco*ck came out of the game with an injury last night, the bullpen was called on to pick up more innings than they were expecting. It started with Trevor Kelley, who delivered two perfect frames. He struck out three of the five batters he faced, needing just 23 pitches to get through his two innings of work. Kelley earned his second win of the season with the outing, moving to 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in 26 relief appearances.
QUICK RECOVERY: Last night’s starter for the Rainiers, Emerson Hanco*ck, was cruising through four innings against Las Vegas. The right-hander had allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three prior to leaving the game with an injury. Hanco*ck threw a 2-0 fastball to Yohel Pozo leading off the fifth inning, and immediately grabbed at his back and called for the trainers. The former first round pick left the game and Pozo eventually walked but did not score, putting Hanco*ck’s final line at four scoreless frames with one hit and two walks allowed. The scoreless outing lowered his ERA on the year to 1.91.
BACK ON TRACK: After allowing four earned runs over back-to-back outings on June 2 and 5, Joey Krehbiel has gotten back into a nice rhythm on the mound. The right-hander tossed a perfect inning last night, needing just 10 pitches to retire the three batters he faced. He struck out a batter along the way, throwing seven of his 10 pitches for strikes. Krehbiel has now thrown scoreless outings in five consecutive games, going 1-0 with a save since June 8. He has allowed three hits and two walks, but worked around those base runners with four strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .167 against the 31-year-old over the five games. On the year, Krehbiel is 3-1 with three saves and a 3.52 ERA in 27 outings, the most for any Rainiers’ pitcher. His 12 earned runs have come over just six outings, with 10 of the 12 coming in four outings.
DO IT AGAIN: Tonight’s starter, Michael Mariot, is coming off Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for his start last week at Round Rock. In his first start since May 23, the right-hander delivered one of his better outings of the year, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit while striking out five Express batters in the start, earning the win and lowering his ERA on the year to 6.04. He will look for his first win of the year against Las Vegas and back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
STAY HOT: Jason Vosler increased his batting average to .288 (72-for-250) with a 1-for-2 game last night. His one hit was a two-run home run, his team-leading 14th of the season. Vosler drove in four runs, using a sacrifice fly and a bases loaded walk to bring in two more in last night’s game. He now has 14 multi-RBI games on the year, good for the team lead. He also leads the team in multi-hit games with 22, games played with 66, hits with 72, doubles with 11, home runs with 14 and runs batted in with 55. His 55 RBI through 71 team games has him on pace for 116 on the season which would put him fourth in the all-time single-season leaders in Tacoma Rainiers history.
AGAINST LAS VEGAS: Tacoma and Las Vegas will play game three of their six-game series tonight, with the series now even at one game apiece. The Rainiers won last night to even the series after dropping the opener. Their win also evened the season series, at 7-7 and increased their all-time series lead over the Aviators to five, at 310-305.
SHORT HOPS: Tacoma was one out away from their third shutout in the last week last night, but allowed one run with two outs in the ninth; they are now 21-3 when allowed three or less runs this year…eight of Tacoma’s nine starters recorded at least one hit last night, as Jonatan Clase was the lone batter to have a multi-hit game, recording four knocks from the leadoff spot…Rainiers’ relievers lowered their season ERA to 4.97 with five innings of one-run ball last night.
