TACOMA RAINIERS (13-7) @ Las Vegas Aviators (8-11) Sunday, April 21 • 12:05 PM • Las Vegas Ballpark • Las Vegas, NV RHP Bryan Woo (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Jack O’Loughlin (0-2, 8.18)
TACOMA RAINIERS (13-7) @ Las Vegas Aviators (8-11)
Sunday, April 21 • 12:05 PM • Las Vegas Ballpark • Las Vegas, NV
RHP Bryan Woo (0-0, -.--) vs. LHP Jack O’Loughlin (0-2, 8.18)
TODAY’S GAME: Tacoma will look to split their six-game series, sending major league rehabber Bryan Woo to the mound. Woo is set to make his first start of the 2024 season after being placed on the injured list with right medial elbow inflammation on March 28. The 24-year-old will also be making his Triple-A debut when he toes the rubber, as he got his contract selected by Seattle last year, making his major league debut straight from Double-A Arkansas. Opposite of Woo will be Jack O’Loughlin ready to make his second start of the series. In the opener back on Tuesday, the southpaw suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs on four hits including two home runs. He walked two batters while striking out six over his 3.2 innings pitched. O’Loughlin is still in search of his first win of the season, having gone 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA through his first four games.
KEEP IT GOING: Jason Vosler went 1-for-4 in last night’s loss to Las Vegas, giving him at least one hit in each of his last eight games. Over that eight-game stretch since April 11, the utility-man is hitting .406 (13-for-32) with six runs scored, two doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight runs batted in and three walks. He has an on-base percentage of .444 and is slugging .719 in those eight games. In the middle of his current hitting streak, from April 14-18, Vosler recorded multi-hit efforts in all four games. He had two hits three times and recorded a season-high three hits on April 16. If Vosler gets a hit today to make it a nine-game hitting streak, he will tie the longest current streak for any Tacoma Rainiers player. Jonatan Clase had a hit in nine consecutive games prior to getting recalled by Seattle, from April 2 at Salt Lake through April 14 against Reno.
EXTRA, EXTRA: Las Vegas has now won three straight games over Tacoma, looking to hand the Rainiers their first series loss of the season with a victory today. There has been a common theme in each of Tacoma’s three losses, and that is giving up extra-base hits. In game three of the series, the Rainiers’ first loss, Las Vegas recorded seven total hits. Five of those hits went for extra bases, as the Aviators clubbed three doubles and two home runs. In their loss on Friday night, three of Las Vegas’ seven hits went for extra bases, with two doubles and a home run. In last night’s loss, the Aviators once again had five of their eight total hits go for extra bases. In last night’s loss, Tacoma allowed three doubles, a triple and a home run. In their three losses this series, Tacoma has allowed 22 hits to Las Vegas, with 13 of the 22 going for extra bases, good for 59%.
SALVAGE THE SERIES: After winning each of the first two games and putting themselves in a great spot to take another series, Tacoma has lost each of their last three games. They are now in danger of losing their first series of the season after winning each of their first three. The Rainiers will look for a series split with a win today, hoping to end their season-high three-game losing streak.
FIRST OF THE YEAR: Coming into tonight’s game, Kirby Snead had not allowed a single run to score, giving up just three hits and one walk compared to 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The southpaw had been lights out for Tacoma and was one of just two pitchers on the active roster to hold a 0.00 ERA having pitched in more than one game. In their one-run loss last night to his former team, Snead finally cracked, giving up a double and a two-run home run in his lone inning. The two runs he allowed tagged the loss on him as well, moving him to 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA through eight games this year.
JUST KEEP HITTING: After going a perfect 4-for-4 in Wednesday’s game and collecting two hits on Thursday, Sam Haggerty added three more knocks in last night’s game. The switch hitter went 3-for-4 with a run scored, two runs driven in and a walk hitting out of the leadoff spot last night. He also stole a base, making him a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases for Tacoma this season. Haggerty leads the team with a .395 batting average, and despite playing in just 10 games, is tied for fourth on the team in hits with 15.
STAY HOT: From April 7-13, Brian Anderson struggled at the plate, hitting just .056 (1-for-18) with his lone hit being a double. He drove in one run and took one walk while striking out seven times over that span. Since the finale against Reno on Sunday, April 14, the infielder has played in four games and has a season-long four-game hitting streak going. He went 1-for-2 on Sunday, 1-for-5 on Wednesday against Las Vegas, 2-for-3 in Friday night’s game and 2-for-4 last night. With back-to-back multi-hit games, Anderson now has three on the year. With his recent surge, the infielder is now hitting .207 on the season, hitting .429 (6-for-14) over his last four games.
AGAINST LAS VEGAS: Tacoma will try to earn a series split and avoid their first series loss of the season with a win today. After winning the first two games of the series, they have now lost the last three, trailing Las Vegas 3-2 entering the finale today. Their three straight losses have cut their all-time series lead over Las Vegas to just four games, at 305-301.
SHORT HOPS: With three straight losses to the Aviators, Tacoma dropped down to second place in the Pacific Coast League West division; it marks the first time since April 4 when they were 4-2 that the Rainiers do not have at least a shar of the top spot in the division…with their loss last night, Tacoma is now 0-3 in Saturday games, going 0-2 at Cheney Stadium and 0-1 on the road…Ryan Bliss clubbed his third home run of the year and second in as many games last night, becoming the fourth player on Tacoma’s roster to have a home run in back-to-back games; with a home run today, Bliss could become the first Rainiers player to hit a long ball in three straight games this season.
