June 27 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers at Sugar Land Space Cowboys

June 27, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

TACOMA RAINIERS (44-33) @ SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS (50-27)

Thursday, June 27 – 5:05 PM PT – Constellation Field – Sugar Land, TX

RHP Logan Gragg (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP A.J. Blubaugh (5-2, 3.58)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tacoma and Sugar Land will play game three of their series tonight with the series even at one game apiece. The Rainiers will look for their second consecutive win, sending Logan Gragg to the mound. Gragg was recently promoted from Double-A Arkansas, where he went 2-0 with a 6.12 ERA in 12 relief appearances. In those games, he allowed 17 earned runs on 27 hits and nine walks, striking out 26 batters over his 25.0 innings. Tonight will be his second game and first start with the Rainiers after throwing 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings of relief back on June 12 against Round Rock. It will be his first start since last season, when he started 19 combined games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in St. Louis’ system. Opposite Gragg will be A.J. Blubaugh getting the start for the Space Cowboys, entering play with a 5-2 record and a 3.58 ERA. The right-hander has pitched in 13 games making 12 starts for Sugar Land, allowing 24 earned runs on 59 hits and 24 walks while striking out 56 batters over his 60.1 innings pitched.

BRING ‘EM IN: Tacoma drove in 14 runs on 12 hits including three home runs in their 14-2 victory over Sugar Land last night. Two of those runs scored on a deep fly off the bat of Jason Vosler, his team-leading 16th home run of the season. His 16 home runs ties him for fourth in the Pacific Coast League among qualified hitters. His two runs batted in gave him 61 on the season, also leading the Rainiers and tying him for second in the PCL in that category. His 16 multi-RBI games are the most on Tacoma and he is the only player on the active roster with double-digit multi-RBI games. The top four run producers in the league are all playing in this series, as Sugar Land’s Shay Whitcomb leads the league with 66, while Jesus Bastidas and Pedro Leon are tied with Vosler in second with 61.

WINNER WINNER: Matt Bowman won his second consecutive game last night, allowing one earned run over his 2.0 innings pitched. Bowman has spun 2.0 innings in each of his last two games for Tacoma, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out five batters over that span. The right-hander now holds a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA through seven relief appearances for the…