July 4 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers at Salt Lake Bees

July 4, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Tacoma Rainiers News Release

TACOMA RAINIERS (47-37) @ SALT LAKE BEES (36-47)

Thursday, July 4 – 5:35 PM PT – Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake City, UT

LHP Jhonathan Diaz (8-1, 3.26) vs. RHP Zach Plesac (3-7, 5.42)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tacoma and Salt Lake will play game four of their series and the first at Salt Lake tonight, with Tacoma currently leading the series two games to one. Jhonathan Diaz is set to make his 14th start in his 15th game of the year, facing his former team for the third time this year. The southpaw has not pitched since June 22 against Las Vegas, getting recalled to Seattle on June 28. He enters play tonight with an 8-1 record and a 3.26 ERA with the Rainiers, allowing 28 earned runs on 73 hits and 27 walks while striking out 73 batters in 77.1 innings pitched. Opposite Diaz will be right-hander Zach Plesac, who like Diaz, was just optioned from his parent club on June 29. In 13 starts with the Bees, Plesac is 3-7 with a 5.42 ERA, allowing 45 earned runs on 80 hits and 26 walks. He has struck out 51 batters over his 74.2 innings, allowing opponents to hit .272 against him. The Rainiers have had the 29-year-old’s number, as through his first three starts against Tacoma, he is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA. Plesac has allowed 10 earned runs on 17 hits and 10 walks while striking out 11 over those 15.0 innings.

BACK IN ACTION: Jhonathan Diaz takes the mound for the Rainiers tonight, making his first start since June 22 against Las Vegas. The southpaw is among leaders in the Pacific Coast League in multiple categories, ranking first in ERA (3.26), tied for first in wins (8), fifth in strikeouts (73), fifth in innings pitched (77.1), third in batting average against (.250) and third in WHIP (1.29). Diaz began the year with a 7-1 record and a 2.98 ERA through his first 11 games, allowing just 21 earned runs on 58 hits and 11 walks while striking out 65 batters over 63.1 innings pitched. Since then, however, he has struggled with command, walking five or more batters in each of his three outings with Tacoma since June 5. He has walked more batters in his last three starts (16) than he did over his first 11 games (11) with the Rainiers. Despite struggling with the strike zone, Diaz has gone 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA over the three games, bringing an 8-1 record and 3.26 ERA into tonight’s start.

CAN’T GET OUT OF IT: Brett de Geus had his recent struggles continue last night, allowing four runs on three hits and a…