June 13 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers at Round Rock Express

June 13, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

TACOMA RAINIERS (35-30) @ ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (33-31)

Thursday, June 13 – 5:15 PM PT – Dell Diamond – Round Rock, TX

RHP Michael Mariot (2-3, 6.86) vs. RHP Johnny Cueto (1-0, 6.06)

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Rainiers and Express are set to play game three tonight, with each team winning one of the first two games. Michael Mariot will take the ball for Tacoma, set to make his ninth start of the year and first since May 23 against Las Vegas. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 6.86 ERA through his first 11 games of the season, allowing 30 earned runs on 40 hits over 39.1 innings pitched. He has walked eight and struck out 35 over that span, as eight of the 40 hits he has allowed have left the yard. Opposite Mariot will be Johnny Cueto getting the nod for Round Rock, set to make his fifth start of the season. Cueto is 1-0 with a 6.06 ERA through his first four starts, allowing 11 earned runs on 19 hits and five walks over 16.1 innings pitched. He has fanned 15 batters, while opponents are hitting .288 against him. Tonight will mark his first-career start against Tacoma in his 28th-career Triple-A start.

NEED THE BIG HIT: Tacoma recorded just two runs on five hits last night, as not a single player recorded a multi-hit game. Six of the nine starters struck out at least once, with three of the six recording multi-strikeout games. The Rainiers applied pressure multiple times last night, but couldn’t come up with a big hit, going just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They stranded six men on-base in their one-run defeat.

APPLYING PRESSURE: Tacoma has led the league in base-stealing all season long, applying pressure to opposing defenses and pitchers with their speed. They stole six more bases last night, one shy of their single-game season-high seven back on May 5 at Sacramento. Jonatan Clase and Luis Urias each stole two bases, while Jason Vosler and Samad Taylor checked in with one. Tacoma has three active players in the top-10 amongst Pacific Coast League players in stolen bases, with Cade Marlowe leading the way with 31, Taylor in third with 21 and Clase in seventh with 17. Ryan Bliss, who has been with Seattle since May 27, is still in second with 28 stolen bases this year. The Rainiers have stolen 134 bases as a team entering play tonight, 44 more than the next closest team in the PCL (Albuquerque, 90), and 38 more than any other team in Triple-A (Toledo, 96).

MAKING AN IMPACT:…