Six-game win streak starts Sugar Land series

Sugar Land, TX (8/1/23) – The Tacoma Rainiers (53-50, 16-12) had five hits and drew three walks in the top of the first inning on Tuesday, scoring seven runs to spark their 14-7 win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (43-60, 10-18). The Rainiers extended their season-best winning streak to six games by securing the road trip opener. Brian O’Keefe (two-run double) and Sam Haggerty (bases loaded triple) did the bulk of the damage in the opening inning. O’Keefe had a pair of run-scoring doubles on a three-hit night, and Haggerty reached base in all six of his plate appearances.

TACOMA MULTI-HIT: 3B Sam Haggerty (4-4, 3B, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB), LF Cooper Hummel (2-5, RBI, 2 R, BB), SS Didi Gregorius (2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), C Brian O’Keefe (3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, R)
TACOMA HOME RUNS: DH Zach DeLoach (14, 2-run, sixth inning)
TACOMA STARTING PITCHER: LHP Tommy Milone (4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 79 pitches)

SUGAR LAND MULTI-HIT: SS Rylan Bannon (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB), 1B Jon Singleton (2-4, BB), 2B Pedro Leon (2-5, 2B), LF J.J. Matijevic (2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI)
SUGAR LAND HOME RUNS: SS Rylan Bannon (11, solo, first inning & 12, solo, second inning), LF J.J. Matijevic (14, 2-run, second inning & 15, solo, fourth inning)
SUGAR LAND STARTING PITCHER: RHP Spenser Watkins (0.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 43 pitches)

But wait, there’s more:

• Sam Haggerty continued a tear amidst winning Pacific Coast League Player of The Week (June 25-30) during the recent homestand. Since last Tuesday (7 GP), Haggerty is 15-for-28 (.536) with eight extra-base hits (4 HR), five walks, 12 RBI and two stolen bases. Haggerty’s OPS is 1.731 over his last seven games (.588 OBP/1.143 SLG).
• Zach DeLoach has homered in three of four games, and 14 homers equal his career-high in both 2021 (High-A Everett & Double-A Arkansas) and 2022 (Double-A Arkansas).
• The Rainiers have hit 14 homers in four games.
• LHP Blake Weiman and RHP Ryder Ryan combined for 2.1 scoreless IP out of the Tacoma bullpen to end the game (0 BB, 5 K).
• Rainiers RF Tanner Kirwer (1-4, 2 R, BB) collected his first hit, runs scored and walk at the Triple-A level on Tuesday, in his second game with Tacoma (moved up from Double-A Arkansas on 7/22).
• Tacoma’s six-game winning streak is their longest since the 2021 champion Rainiers won seven straight from September 11-18. That club had two seven-game win streaks.
• The first inning was the fifth of seven or more runs this year for Tacoma; the Rainiers’ biggest inning of the season remains an eight-run seventh on opening day, March 31 at Oklahoma City.
• Rainiers CF Adam Engel had his 20-game on base streak come to an end.
• Tacoma has won seven consecutive games started by the 36-year-old veteran lefty Tommy Milone, dating to June 11. The Rainiers are 11-3 in Milone’s starts this season, around a pair of call-ups to Seattle (2 GS, 9.0 IP, 2.00 ERA).

The weeklong series, the first this season between the Rainiers and Space Cowboys, will continue on Wednesday with a 5:05 PT/7:05 CT first pitch at Constellation Field. LHP Logan Allen is scheduled to start for Tacoma and RHP Shawn Dubin is probable for Sugar Land.

Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto will have full coverage on TacomaRainiers.com. All 2023 Rainiers games, home and away, can also be heard for free on the MiLB First Pitch app. HD video broadcasts of every home game can be viewed with a MiLB.TV subscription.

About the Tacoma Rainiers

The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Rainiers are a member of the Pacific Coast League and have been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.

The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium can be found by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.