June 16 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers at Round Rock Express

June 16, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

TACOMA RAINIERS (38-30) @ ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (33-34)

Sunday, June 16 – 4:35 PM PT – Dell Diamond – Round Rock, TX

LHP Jhonathan Diaz (7-1, 2.98) vs. RHP Adrian Sampson (7-2, 4.41)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tacoma and Round Rock will play the sixth and final game of their series tonight, with the Rainiers having already taken the series. Jhonathan Diaz will take the ball for Tacoma, coming off his first big league start of the season. He pitched 5.1 innings for Seattle on Tuesday, allowing three earned runs on nine hits including two home runs. He walked one compared to four strikeouts in the outing. He comes into play with a 7-1 record and 2.98 ERA in 12 Triple-A games, allowing just 22 earned runs on 61 hits and 16 walks compared to 67 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. Opposite Diaz will be another seven-game winner in Adrian Sampson. Sampson will make his second start of the series against Tacoma after starting the opener on Tuesday. In that outing, he allowed three earned runs on eight hits, striking out two batters over 5.2 innings. On the year, Sampson is 7-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 12 starts for Round Rock, allowing 31 earned runs on 73 hits and 15 walks while striking out 43 batters over 63.1 innings.

WALK DOWN THE LINE: Tacoma drew just five walks as a team last night, but four of the five were to infielder Leo Rivas. Rivas didn’t record an official at-bat, walking four times and scoring a run in his four plate appearances. It was the most walks for an individual hitter in a single game all season for the Rainiers, as they had previously had an individual player walk three times in a single game 13 times prior to last night.

SHUT THEM DOWN: The Rainiers’ pitching staff tossed their second shutout of the series last night, marking their sixth of the season. Four pitchers combined to keep Round Rock off the board for a 4-0 victory to take the series. Three of the four pitchers were the same pitchers who combined to shutout the Express on Thursday, as Collin Snider, Carlos Vargas and Joey Krehbiel kept Round Rock off the board after 6.0 scoreless frames from starter Dallas Keuchel. On Thursday, Michael Mariot started the game with 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. He was followed by Trevor Kelley, Snider, Vargas and Krehbiel, who combined to throw the remaining 3.2 frames. The four relievers allowed just three hits while walking one and striking out four….