No Rhubarb!

With a much-needed off day on Wednesday, we here at No Rhubarb! feel it a good opportunity to check up on the hometown nine. So here we go with our first Rainier Report of the season.

Yeah, we know the name sucks. You come up with something better.

The Tacoma Rainiers currently stand at 10-8, good for second place in the Pacific North Division, but the Rainiers stand a staggering seven games behind the first-place Salt Lake Bees. The Bees are 17-1, which is just unbelievable in of itself, but the Bees are undefeated (11-0!) on the road. We knew that Salt Lake would be good - the Bees feature the Angels' best hitting prospect Brandon Wood and best pitching prospect Nick Adenhart - but this is ridiculous. The Beavers and Sky Sox are bunched up behind the Rainiers, but everybody in the division is looking up at Salt Lake.

Rockin'
Jeff Clement - The power-hitting catcher has proved all that he can in Triple-A. Sporting a whopping .367/.500/.650 line with four homers and 15 walks, Clement could be heading to Seattle any day now.

Bryan LaHair -Tied with Clement for the team lead in homers and slugging a robust .522. Still can't hit lefties though.

Matt Tuisasosopo - When Tui was named Our Favorite Rainier, he was really scuffling along, sporting an awful .212/.297/.333 line. Well, being named Our Favorite Rainier has been quite the tonic. Currently at .262/.338/.392, Tui has been red-hot lately, hitting .368 his past 10 games.

Ryan Feierabend - It would be difficult be more important to a team than the Rainier ace. He leads the team in wins, ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts.

Not Rockin'
Yung-Chi Chen - We are willing to cut Chen some slack after missing nearly the entire 2007 season, but .212/.255/.302 is just sad. He's particularly helpless behind in the count, where his average slips to .071. Yikes

Tug Hulett - Chen's partner at second, Hulett has hit even less, if that's possible. Tug's playing time has been limited, but .124/.263/.156 doesn't really call for more.

Rob Johnson - The defensive side of the Reff Clemtson double-headed catching monster leads the team in errors. You figure it out...

Joe Woermann - We at No Rhubarb! are somewhat inclined to like Joe, beings as he's from the Puget Sound and went to school down in San Diego, but his start has been terrifyingly bad. Pick a number, and its terrible. No wins, two losses, ERA of 18.62, 20 runs in 9 2/3 innings, 14 walks... just awful.

Yes, we know: It's still early!

Posted by frinklin at 1:40 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Portland Beavers, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers

The Rainiers are having it rough, weatherwise. Tacoma and the Colorado Sky Sox were rained out Monday night. It was actually canceled for wet grounds, but "wet grounded out" sounds a little odd. No makeup date has been announced as of yet, but look for another Sunday doubleheader the next time the Sox are in town. Daytime baseball tomorrow as the Sox and Rainiers finish their series at 11:05.

Posted by frinklin at 12:12 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

Game Results and wrap-up today is courtesy of Erik Hanberg. Thanks Erik! And if any other Rainier fans would like to file a guest wrap-up, just drop us a line! Even if you haven't been to the game, just make something up! Our quality control is shockingly low.

In their home matchup against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Rainiers went hitless until their big 4th inning. The most impressive moment of the inning was Charlton Jimerson's stunning double to center field that bounced off the big wall just a foot or two shy of sailing over it--a rare feat at Cheney Stadium. My good friend Phil, a former bat boy for the Rainiers tells me the only person he ever saw hit one over the center field wall was Jose Canseco during a Tigers/A's game way back when.

The Sky Sox were able to narrow the score to within one after a 2 run homer to right in the 8th, but were quickly shut down in the 9th to lose to the Rainiers 5-4.

It was my first baseball game this season, either at Safeco or Cheney, and it was a great one to watch. The weather was chilly but mostly sunny, the fans were excited to be there, and I got to see Rhubarb streak. Turns out he's not a better mascot when he's naked. That said, I looked for an extra antler and saw none, so I'm starting to wonder if Rhubarb's a lady mascot.

A great Sunday afternoon game for the Rainiers.

Erik Hanberg regularly blogs at www.erikemery.com

Thanks Erik! Same two teams at Cheney Stadium Monday night. Robert Roohrbaugh (2-0, 4.63) takes the hill for Tacoma, against Sky Sox hurler John Koronka (1-0, 7.30).

Posted by frinklin at 12:38 AM | 2 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

The Rainiers could have used another weather delay. After Friday's game with Colorado Springs was postponed due to cold, the Sky Sox home opener was pushed back to Saturday, and the Sox delivered. After masterful back-to-back starts by Rainier pitching, Sean White was unable to keep the streak going in the thin Colorado air. White went five innings and gave up five runs. He did leave with the lead, but Andrew Baldwin had another rough outing, giving up five more in just 2/3 of an inning. Phillip Barzilla and Eric Cyr slammed the door on the Sox, but the Rainiers bats couldn't make up the difference.

Scoring seven runs wins in most ballparks, but not in Security Service Field. The Rainiers did feast on the high altitude and Sox pitching. Both Jeff Clement and Wlad Balentien hit both a double and a homer, and Matt Tuiasosopo hit his first Triple-A extra base hit, a double in the first of off Sox starter Josh Towers.

Another doubleheader on Sunday. Joe Woerman (0-1, 19.64) takes the hill for Tacoma in the first game. Ace Ryan Feirebend (2-0, 0.00) in the second. For the Sky Sox, Greg Reynolds (0-0, 9.00) and Jose Capellan (0-0, 5.40) are scheduled to start.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 12:33 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Our Favorite Rainier, Tacoma Rainiers

The Friday night Sky Sox-Rainiers game that was supposed to serve as Colorado Springs Home Opener was canceled due to extremely cold temperatures.

Sounds like fun. Weather permitting, the Sky Sox and Rainiers will play one Saturday and a doubleheader Sunday.

Posted by frinklin at 12:28 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

This is no longer entertaining. The Rainiers came closer than the previous tries, but lost again in Colorado Springs. Ryan Feierabend couldn't save Tacoma. He managed six innings, but it wasn't enough.

The Rainiers have given up 46 runs on 54 hits in three games. Tacoma has, at 25-38, the worst record in the PCL.

Please, just make it stop. The series wraps Sunday – Thank God – with Jorge Campillo (4-4, 3.74) against Jorge DePaula (5-1, 4.07).

Box

Posted by frinklin at 2:49 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

After getting blasted on Thursday night, it was important that Tacoma get off to a good start on Friday. Picking up a run in the top of the first off of Colorado Springs starter Marc Kaiser was a great start.

Give up six runs in the bottom of the first? Not so much. Even worse? All six runs came with two outs. Colorado Springs would eventually lead 10-2 when the Rainiers mercifully pulled starter Brad Thomas in the fourth.

Game three of what looks like a nightmare series for Tacoma tomorrow at 6:05. Ryan Feierabend (2-2, 3.86) returns from Seattle to save the day against Bobby Keppel (1-5, 6.55)

Box

Posted by frinklin at 12:26 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

Okay, a little background: We were picking up dinner this evening, listening to Mike Curto call the game. It was 11-8 Tacoma in the sixth. We felt confident enough - despite the previous five innings of shaky Jake Woods – to abandon the game and watch the second half of the NBA Finals. That was a mistake, as the Cleveland – San Antonio match-up turned so deadly dull we started watching the MLS game between Colorado and Houston.

Imagine our surprise then, when we checked on the beloved Rainiers and found out that Colorado Springs managed to score 15 runs in the next three innings and win 23-11. As one might imagine, the bullpen was the culprit. Juan Sandoval gave up six runs in a third of an inning, Jamie Cerda gave up four in 1 and 1/3 innings, and Byron Embry gave up three in in 1 and 1/3.

The only good news? Our Favorite Rainier goes 4-4 with two homers and a double.

So yeah, just your average 34 run, three-hour baseball game in Colorado Springs.

Same two teams tomorrow – and it couldn't get much worse - at 6:05.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:07 PM | 1 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, MegaSuperBeatDowns, Our Favorite Rainier, Tacoma Rainiers

So, remember last week when we lauded Jason Mackintosh for coming up from West Tennessee and making a spot start against Fresno? He basically went directly from the airport to Cheney Stadium, threw five scoreless innings against the Grizzlies in a losing effort. That was nice,wasn't it?

Today, not so much.

Jorge Campillo started this one for Tacoma and he had a fairly normal Jorge Campillo day. He did leave the game down 4-1, but he did go six innings. Mackintosh came in for the last three innings and managed to give up eight runs on eight hits in those three little innings.

Hope the weather is nice in Jackson.

Tomorrow night, a four-game series starts against Salt Lake. First pitch is 6:05. Justin Lehr (2-0, 2.79) against Pedro Lirano (1-3, 7.94). Life against the Bees just got a bit easier, as star infielder Brandon Wood has been called up to the major league Angels.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 10:45 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, MegaSuperBeatDowns, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers

Walk. Off. Grand. Slam.

Not a group of words that occur very often in baseball, major, minor or even the pony league. On a slightly rainy afternoon in Tacoma, Wladimir Balentien notched that rare hit. The Rainiers came to bat in the ninth down 3-1. Jon Nelson led off the ninth by striking out. Brent Ust doubled. Oswaldo Navarro lined out to third for the second out. Adam Jones walked to keep the Rainiers alive. Jeremy Reed singled to load the bases.

And then Balentien crushed a 3-1 pitch from Colorado Springs reliever Mike Gallo to win it.

Ryan Rowland-Smith was the winner thanks to his perfect ninth and Balentien's heroics.

You'll not see this the rest o f the year. You will see the Rainiers and the Sox wrap up their four-game series tomorrow evening at 6:05. Jorge Campillo (2-2, 2.70) looks to improve on his already-strong start, while Marc Kasier (1-1, 5.51) takes the hill for Colorado Springs.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 12:43 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

Sometimes the Baseball Gods smile upon you. Sometimes they smite you. Other times they merely mock.

Yesterday I said this regarding tonight's game “Two guys with double-digit ERAs and the possibility of rain. Could be a long night”. Well, it was a long night, a very long night. Fourteen taut, exciting innings, where both pitchers went six-plus innings. We are most definitely not baseball prognosticators.

After a disastrous first start for Tacoma, Jake Woods threw six scoreless frames, leaving with a 1-0 lead. Colorado Springs starter Ubaldo Jimenez nearly matched him, going seven innings, striking out 7 and giving up one run. Sean Green took over for Woods and after two scoreless innings, gave up the tying run in the ninth, and it off to the races. Colorado won in the 14th inning, scoring two runs off of Byron Embry.

Hard luck night. Tomorrow we have a day game with the very early and very odd starting time of 11:35. Nice pitching match-up, Ryan Feierabend (1-1, 2.84) against former major leaguer BK Kim (0-1, 4.70) for the Sky Sox.3

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:57 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

What a wild, weird ballgame this was. The Rainiers get a quick run in the first on Wladimir Balentien's sixth homer, then give up five in the second after starter Jim Parque had a nightmarish inning that saw the Sox bat around. Give Parque credit though, he held on and went four more scoreless innings. The Rainiers scratched out runs in the fifth and and seventh before taking the lead with a three-spot in the eighth. The Rainiers scored without the benefit of a hit, combining back to back walks by LaHair and Morse with Jeff Clement being hit by a pitch. Rob Johnson was safe on a botched force attempt at first, thanks to a throwing error by Colorado Springs' third baseman Ian Stewart. Gookie Dawkins hit into a run-scoring double play, and Oswaldo Navarro hit into another run-scoring error. A sloppy end to a sloppy, rainy game

But the Rainiers will certainly take it. This is a nice comeback win for Tacoma, as they push their win streak to four. Hope for slightly better weather tomorrow, as Jake Woods (0-1, 12.00) takes on Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 10.90). Two guys with double-digit ERAs and the possibility of rain. Could be a long night

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:19 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Game Results, Tacoma Rainiers

The Week That Was: The Rainiers saw their first off-day of the season and – more importantly – their first series win on the road. The week started ugly as Tacoma dropped back to back games in Salt Lake in ugly fashion, then salvaged the finale. Tacoma then moved on to Las Vegas, and took three out of four from the 51s. Tacoma stands at 11-13, all alone in second place of the Pacific North division, three games behind the Bees.

On Deck: The Rainiers head home for an eight game home stand, kicking off with a visit from the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The Sky Sox – great name, ain't it? - find themselves at the bottom of the division with a 7-13 mark. Colorado Springs is one of the more veteran teams in the PCL.

In The Hole: Division-leading Salt Lake comes to Tacoma for the first time this season for a four-game series starting on Friday. The Bees star is a bit dimmed now, as star thirdbaseman Brandon Wood has been called up to the parent Angels. We have to admit a certain fondness for the Bees, partly because they are the Los Angeles – California – Anaheim – Los Angeles Angel farm club. We lived behind the Orange Curtain for some time and took in many games at Angel Stadium. Also – and the depth of our obsession with uniforms will come out soon – we love the Bees throwback look.

Posted by frinklin at 12:17 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Review/Preview, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers

The modern-day Pacific Coast League is a massive enterprise consisting of 16 teams stretching from Tacoma and Portland in the Pacific Northwest to New Orleans of the Deep South. These are the teams our hometown nine will face throughout the long season.

The Team: Colorado Springs Sky Sox

The Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

The MLB Affiliation: Colorado Rockies

The Website: SkySox.com

The Ballpark: Security Service Field. Built in 1988, this is charmingly-named field has the highest elevation of any stadium in professional baseball. One of the smaller venues in the PCL, this field does not have a view of the Rocky Mountains, instead a housing development is seen over the outfield walls.

The History: A member of the Class-A Western League until it folded in 1958, the Sky Sox are the former Hawaii Islanders, which were one of the 1,237 different teams that once played in Sacramento. Colorado Springs has been the AAA affiliate for the Colorado Rockies since that teams inception in 1993.

The Prospects: Ian Stewart, Ubaldo Jimenez. The Sky Sox feature one of – if not the – most veteran clubs in the PCL.

Posted by frinklin at 12:32 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Know The Enemy, Tacoma Rainiers

The Week that Was: The Rainiers finished with another losing week, going 3-4 against Sacramento, Fresno and Salt Lake. After dropping Sunday's series finale against the River Cats, the Rainiers did manage to pick up three in a row against Fresno. Tacoma missed a chance at the sweep though, and have since lost consecutive games against the Bees. The Rainiers now find themselves at 7-11, four games back of the Salt Lake.

On Deck: The Rainiers have two more tough games in Salt Lake, a night game on Monday and an afternoon tilt on Tuesday. After that game it's on to Sin City (yes, we're deeply ashamed at using that nickname) for a four-game series against the Las Vegas 51s. The 51s stand at 10-6, a game back of Sacramento in the PCL Pacific South.

In The Hole:After the series in Las Vegas, the Rainiers have another only-in-the-minors travel situation; after a 12:05 game in Las Vegas, Tacoma heads to Colorado Springs for a series against the Sky Sox. They play on Saturday, travel Saturday night and play a 6:05 game against the Sox on Sunday. Colorado Springs is las in the Pacific North, currently at 5-10.

Posted by frinklin at 4:00 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Las Vegas 51s, Review/Preview, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers