Skip to content
Tacoma’s Mason McCoy is an excellent defensive shortstop, but last night he affected play in the hot corner.
With veteran Didi Gregorius starting as shortstop, McCoy played third base for the Rainiers last night. He fitted in like a natural and made several crucial plays as Tacoma beat Sacramento 6-3 in 11 innings.
The first highlight reel game came at the bottom of the seventh inning with Tacoma leading 3-1. The runners were in first and third place with no outs, and Heliot Ramos was starting for Sacramento.
McCoy played the ball evenly and Ramos pulled a grounder right over the line. McCoy made the diving stop, tagged the runner leading from third base, and then initially knocked Ramos out for a double play.
The significance of the play was made even clearer just moments later when Bryce Johnson hit a two-run home run to tie the game 3-3.
In the tenth inning, McCoy saved the game with his accurate arm.
Sacramento has first- and second-place runners, each with one out and a 3-3 draw. Jackson Reetz lifted a flyball into deep left field where Sam Haggerty flipped on the edge of the warning lane and missed the catch. The ball bounced behind him and seemed to end the game, but he picked it up and threw a powerful throw in to McCoy, who sent a perfect shot to catcher Brian O’Keefe, who just in time put a punch to the leg of slipping runner Marco Luciano, allowing the out after a very close play.
That play saved the game as Matt Festa pulled out the next batter to end the inning, and then the Rainiers scored three runs in the top of the 11th to win the game.
Tacoma has won three of the first four games of the six-game series, earning at least one split with a good chance of securing a win in the away series.
RAINIERS DAILY
YESTERDAY: Tacoma beat Sacramento 6-3 in 11 innings. Newly promoted Riley Unroe scored the starting gun in the top third of the 11th. Mason McCoy had two hits and two RBI, Sam Haggerty reached the base six times with two hits and four walks and Mark Mathias had scored two hits and two runs. Starter Marcus Walden threw four scoreless innings, Matt Festa earned the win with two goalless frames and Ryder Ryan earned his first save of the season.
TODAY: Tacoma Rainiers (47-47, 10-9) at Sacramento River Cats (41-52, 7-12), 6:37.
ENEMY ASSOCIATION: San Francisco Giants.
COUNTRY MANAGER: Dave Brundage.
SEASON SERIES: Tacoma leads 6-4.
pitchers: RHP Adam Oller (0-1, 4.50) at RHP Keaton Winn (0-5, 4.56)
ROSTER MOVEMENTS: Yesterday the Rainiers added Utilityman Riley Unroe, from Double-A Arkansas. Today the Mariners called up the outfielder Taylor Trammel to replace the injured AJ Pollock.
HOT HITTER: Jake Scheiner leads the PCL with 24 home runs and has hit 14 of those at Cheney Stadium… Scheiner is now the league leader with 82 RBI… Mark Mathias has scored safely in eight of his first nine games with Tacoma… Adam Angel has safely reached base in 12 straight games… Taylor Trammel has reached base in 11 straight games and has nine RBIs in that span.
OPPONENT NEWS: Sacramento just lost to Oklahoma City in a three-game streak at home and has lost eight of its last nine games…River Cats relief Nick Avila leads the league with 12 wins – all from the bullpen… Joey Bart has scored safely in 13 of his last 15 games…the Giants just promoted their top contender shortstop Marco Lucianoto Sacramento…recently traded outfielder Jack Larsen is the only former Rainiers player on the Sacramento roster.
TRANSFER: All games will be transfer for free in a live audio stream available here.
Unfortunately, there is currently no traditional terrestrial radio station broadcasting the games.
PCL scoreboard: Follow all league games in real time with links to broadcasts and matchday screens here.
Left:
- Teoscar Hernández prevailed over his former team as the Mariners beat Toronto 3-2 last night.
- In that notebook, we learn that the Mariners are likely to face a long line of right-handed starting players, which makes up the recall Taylor Trammel even more sensible.