July 20 Game Notes: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Reno Aces

TACOMA RAINIERS (52-42) vs. RENO ACES (49-44)
Saturday, July 20 • 6:05 PM • Cheney Stadium • Tacoma, WA
LHP Jhonathan Diaz (8-2, 3.96) vs. LHP Logan Allen (2-1, 3.82)

TONIGHT’S GAME: Tonight’s game features two southpaws, with Reno sending Logan Allen (2-1, 3.82) to face off against Jhonathan Diaz (8-2, 3.96). A former Rainier himself (he appeared in 14 games in 2023, making 10 starts with the club), Allen faced Tacoma once this season, actually throwing opposite Diaz on April 10th. Although Allen allowed just one earned run over 5.0 innings of work, he was dealt the loss, as Diaz delivered 7.0 innings of one-run ball to propel the Rainiers to a 6-1 win at Cheney Stadium. On the year, Diaz has started three games against Reno, going 2-0 with a 3.38, striking out 10 over 16.0 innings.

HE GETS ON BASE: Tacoma infielder Leo Rivas enters Saturday riding a 28-game on-base streak (dating back to June 14th at Round Rock), the longest active and the third-longest streak overall in the PCL this season. During these 28 games, Rivas has maintained an OBP of .468 and an OPS of .942. Rivas has reached a variety of ways, with 20 singles, seven doubles, a triple, two homers, 28 walks, and even a hit-by-pitch. This streak has been part of a larger trend for Rivas, as he ranks second in the PCL with a .427 OBP, trailing just El Paso’s Bryce Johnson (.430). Furthermore, once Rivas has reached base, he has wretched havoc, 13 of 15 on stolen base attempts during the streak.

TO RUN, OR NOT TO RUN: Last night, the Rainiers ran rampant, with Duke Ellis (three), Leo Rivas (two), and Samad Taylor (one) combining for six stolen bases, one shy of Tacoma’s season-high mark; meanwhile, Reno was caught stealing on their only attempt of the day. Friday’s game epitomized the two distinctly opposite approaches to baserunning deployed by the Rainiers and Aces, with Tacoma leading all of Triple-A with 195 stolen bases (48 more than second-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), while Reno ranks dead-last with 44 bags swiped. Entering play today, four Rainiers rank amongst the top five on the PCL stolen base leaderboard – Cade Marlowe (43 – first), Samad Taylor (32 – second), Ryan Bliss (28 – third), and Jonatan Clase (26 – fifth) – while Leo Rivas is tied for seventh with 23 stolen bags. Moreover, in just six games as a Rainier, Ellis has swiped five bags in six attempts. Meanwhile, Albert Almora Jr. has paced the Aces with 13 pilfered bags, while nobody else has swiped more than five. This contrast of styles will be particularly interesting to watch, especially as Tacoma ranks last in the PCL in opposing runners caught stealing (21).

PACKING A PUNCH: Since being called up to Triple-A for the first time in mid-June, Tacoma outfielder Spencer Packard has had a strong stint at the plate, hitting .325 with an OPS of .902 (he’s slashing .297/.406/.424 on the season between Double-A and Triple-A. On a heater of late, Packard finds himself amid a nine-game hitting streak (started July 5th at Salt Lake), tied for the third-longest active mark in the PCL. Throughout the streak, Packard is slashing .382/.452/.559 with four extra-base hits (three doubles and a homer), 11 RBI, seven runs scored, and six walks.

ZEROES FOR THE K’S: Rainier reliever Trevor Kelley has been dominant of late, not allowing an earned run in his last 10 outings, the second-longest active streak in the PCL (trailing only Kaleb Ort’s 12 scoreless appearances). Over those 10 games (which started June 13th at Round Rock), Kelley has struck out 16 in 12.0 innings of work, with a WHIP of 1.08. Moreover, of those 10 outings, three have extended over an inning, with Kelley logging six strikeouts compared to just four baserunners (two hits and two walks) in those longer appearances. Meanwhile, fellow righty Joey Krehbiel has put together a strong run of his own, not allowing an earned run in his past five appearances, dating back to July 5th at Salt Lake. Over 4.2 innings pitched, Krehbiel has struck out two while maintaining a WHIP of 0.64 and holding opponents to a .118 batting average.

WELCOMING BACK BULLPEN HELP: Reliver Mauricio Llovera returns to the Rainiers after an extended stay on the injured list. The righty last appeared in a game for Tacoma just over two months ago on May 10th at Reno (his fourth appearance of the season against the Aces). In seven games out of the ‘pen, Llovera was 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA, allowing one run or fewer in six of his seven relief outings. A 28-year-old veteran, Llovera has appeared in 54 big-league games across four seasons (2020-2023) between the Phillies, Giants, and Red Sox.

MR. RELIABLE: Throughout the season, Tacoma’s offense has been paced by utilityman Jason Vosler. Entering play today, the lefty hitter leads Rainier hitters in many categories, including runs scored, hits, total bases, extra-base hits, home runs, and RBI. Vosler’s offensive prowess has propelled him to rank near the top of the PCL in RBI (75 – first), runs (67 – third), home runs (19 – tied fifth), hits (96 – eighth), total bases (174 – ninth), extra-base hits (37 – ninth), and slugging percentage (.512 – tenth).

AGAINST RENO: Tonight’s game against Reno marks the 20th time these two clubs have faced off this season, with the Rainiers holding a 12-7 edge in the season series. Tacoma has been particularly successful at home, having gone 10-3 against the Aces at Cheney this season (as opposed to a 2-4 mark at Greater Nevada Field). After a six-game series against each other in April, May, and June, the two sides meet for this three-game set in Tacoma, before a six-game finale August 6-11 in Reno. Despite Tacoma’s recent success (13-11 against Reno in 2023 and 12-7 so far this season), the Aces lead the all-time series 113-150.

SHORT HOPS: Cade Marlowe has the longest active errorless streak in the Pacific Coast League entering play tonight, having played in 86 straight games without making an error...the Rainiers swiped six bases in the first game out of the All-Star break last night, one shy of their season high...Eduard Bazardo has thrown three hitless outings in a row for Tacoma entering tonight’s game...Leo Rivas has drawn seven walks in his last four games.