Rainiers split Sunday twin bill with Sacramento

 

July 25 was a beautiful day to play two at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

The Tacoma Rainiers and Sacramento River Cats split a doubleheader at Cheney Stadium on Sunday, July 25. The Rainiers won the opener 4-0 and the River Cats took the nightcap 3-2.

Ian McKinney

The game 1 starter was southpaw Ian McKinney, who also had a strong outing in our last Rainiers game, a 4-0 loss to Salt Lake the previous weekend. This time McKinney wasn't quite as sharp but came away with a win. He pitched five innings and allowed just one hit, walked four and struck out six. Wyatt Mills and Jimmy Yacabonis each pitched a scoreless inning as the Rainiers combined for a two-hitter in the seven-inning affair. Left fielder Jantzen Witte was the hitting star of the game. His leadoff home run in the second proved to be all Tacoma needed, and the Rainiers added three in the sixth on a rally started by Witte's one-out single that included an RBI double by Sam Travis and a run-scoring single by Jack Reinheimer.

Game 1 box score

We never get to see a no-hitter, not even a fake one

Readers of Weisenheimer are no doubt familiar with our lament that my Sweetie, the official scorer, and I have never seen a no-hitter despite having seen hundreds of games together over the last 30 years. We didn't see one today, either, though we got closer than usual. 

There wasn't much suspense on the River Cat side, as the first batter of the game, former Rainier Braden Bishop got a single on the first pitch of the game from Tacoma starter Brian Schlitter. The Rainiers didn't get a hit until Taylor Trammell's leadoff double in the fourth. Neither team scored early in the "bullpen" game for both clubs, and it was 0-0 through four. The Rainiers finally broke through in the fifth. Wyatt Mathisen led off with a hit by pitch and, after two outs, Luis Liberato cracked a home run for a 2-0 lead.

Sacramento answered with a run in the top of the sixth. Bishop led off with a triple and scored on a fly ball to Trammell in deep center. Sacramento took the lead in the top of the seventh. Chadwick Tromp singled with one out. Pinch runner Arismeady Alcantara went to third on a double by Mitchell Tolman. Will Toffey's single plated Alcantara, and Tolman scored on a groundout. The Rainiers went out quietly in the bottom of the seventh.

Game 2 box score

My Sweetie, the Official Scorer, notes that even if one of the teams had not registered a base hit, it would not have been a no-hitter, as she doesn't recognize seven-inning games as real baseball.

Ballpark music

The Rainiers have been leaning on barbershop quartets for music, at least in recent games we have attended. The national anthem Sunday was performed by the Clef Jumpers, who also sang a couple of other barbershop standards during inning breaks. The previous Sunday the featured performers were the Four Tunes. They burned three of their tunes on the anthem and God Bless America, plus one barbershop classic, so they only have one song left in their repertoire.

Family ties

The River Cats have an infielder named Peter Maris, but we find no indication that he's related to former single-season home run record holder Roger Maris. Sacramento pitcher Yunior Marte does not appear to be related to any of several active players who share his surname. Outfielder Joe McCarthy is a brother of Jake, currently playing for Reno. Neither appears to be related to the long-time Yankees manager or the Red-baiting US Senator of the 1950s.

Salt Lake Bees 4, Tacoma Rainiers 0

Cheney Stadium on a lovely Sunday afternoon, July 18, 2021

My Sweetie, the Official Scorer and I have seen many hundreds of baseball games together over the last 30 years and have yet to see a no-hitter. We typically lament that "We never get to see a no-hitter" once both sides have put a safety up on the board. We didn't get to see a no-hitter yesterday at Cheney Stadium, either, but it was closer than we usually get as the Rainiers fell to the Salt Lake Bees 4-0.

Brian Johnson

Big Salt Lake southpaw Brian Johnson retired the first 13 batters he faced before Tacoma designated hitter Jantzen Witte grounded an eight-hopper up the middle. Bee shortstop Gavin Cecchini made a game attempt, but the ball tipped off the end of his glove. I was certain that My Sweetie, usually pretty strict about these things, would rule an error, but both she and the Rainiers official scorer credited Witte with a single. He was immediately erased when Tacoma catcher José Godoy grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, preserving the perfect game (which, under My Sweetie's rules, means facing the minimum regardless of how many runners reach.)

Meanwhile Tacoma lefty Ian McKinney was having a pretty decent outing himself, allowing just three hits in the first six innings while walking three and striking out 10 with some sneaky slow stuff and a fastball that touched 92 at times. We arrived at the seventh inning in a 0-0 tie.

Salt Lake third baseman Jake Gatewood led off against McKinney, worked a full count, fouled off a couple of two-strike pitches, and then blasted a long, majestic home run well over the wall in left center field and it was 1-0 Bees. When first baseman Preston Palmeiro hit a warning-track fly ball to right, Tacoma manager Kristopher Negron decided McKinney's day was done.

Daniel Zamora got the final two outs of the seventh with no trouble, but things fell apart in the eighth. After one out, Zamora walked Jo Adell and gave up a single to José Rojas. Vinny Nittoli was summoned from the pen and uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third. A walk loaded the bases. Salt Lake catcher Anthony Bemboom lifted a sacrifice fly to right deep enough to advance all three runners, and Gatewood lined a single to plate the final two runners and end the scoring.

Johnson continued his excellent work. With the score 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh he allowed his second hit of the game, a leadoff dunker to center by Jake Hager. Taylor Trammell followed with a walk and the Rainier faithful stirred, hoping for a comeback. But José Marmolejos whiffed and Witte bounced into a 6-4-3 double play, and that was that. Johnson ended up pitching eight innings, allowing the two hits and one walk and striking out five. Tacoma got just four baserunners and bounced into two twin killings. They really didn't hit anything hard all afternoon.

Box score

Family ties

Preston Palmeiro is the son of former big-league slugger Rafael Palmeiro. Preston was a seventh-round draft pick of the Orioles in 2016 and bounced around their minor league system for several seasons. He signed as a free agent with the Angels organization this spring and his playing his first season at the Triple-A level.