No Rhubarb!

Three out of four, seven out of eight. Those would be losses, and this is not a team going in the right direction. The Rainiers lost tonight in Round Rock, dropping a series to a team that hadn’t had a winning series since the first week of April. Tacoma took the lead in first and in the fourth, but neither time could starter Jake Woods keep the lead. Mike Morse was the offensive star tonight, going 2-4 with a homer. It just wasn’t enough as Woods was touched up for 5 runs over six innings.

The Rainiers now head to Albuquerque for a four-game series against the Isotopes. A combination of bandbox ballpark and hot, dry high-altitude air make for the possibility of extra offense. Ryan Feierabend (1-2, 3.38) starts for the Rainiers against Isotope Jeff Fulchino (2-0, 5.02)

Also, reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith was called up to Seattle to replace Jeff Weaver, who was put in the disabled list.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 1:23 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Game Results, Round Rock Express, Tacoma Rainiers

On Wednesday the Rainiers scored two runs and won. On Thursday, they scored eight runs and lost.

Nobody knows a damned thing about this game. If they tell you they do, they lie.

Wait, we know one thing: The Jim Parque Experiment is rapidly coming to a close. Tonight in Texas it was five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. His ERA stands at 7.82, and it's become painfully obvious he just isn't good enough. Really, you score eight runs (two guys – Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson – go 4-4), you have to win this game. The offense had been struggling for a week now, and you just can't let a performance like this go to waste.

Series finale tomorrow in Round Rock. Jake Woods (0-2, 6.50) starts for Tacoma, Jared Gothreaux (1-1, 4.06) for the Express. And hey, tomorrow is Fireworks Night in Round Rock. Just like home.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:39 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Game Results, Round Rock Express, Tacoma Rainiers

Justin Lehr shut down the Express over 6 1/3 innings, giving up only 1 unearned run on six hits. Bryan LaHair hit a two-run single in the first to provide all the offense Tacoma would need. Round Rock starter Juan Gutierrez nearly matched Lehr, going eight innings of two-run ball. The win snapped Tacoma's season high four-game losing streak.

Same two teams tomorrow at 5:05. Phillip Barzilla (3-1, 5.76) for Round Rock against The Jim Parque Experiment (1-2, 7.55).

Minor roster moves today; say goodbye to infielder Alex Meneses (assuming you realized he was here) and say hello to pitcher Drew Fiorenza and infielder Ronnie Prettyman. Prettyman got the start Wednesday, and went 0-3 with two strikeouts.

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:11 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Game Results, Round Rock Express, Tacoma Rainiers

There are two numbers to remember about the game tonight: one and four.

One, as in the total number of hits Tacoma accrued tonight. Four, as in the number of consecutive losses for the Rainiers. Round Rock pitchers were dominant tonight, striking out 13 and walking only three. Jorge Campillo takes the loss, dropping his record to 2-4.

Same two teams tomorrow, this time with a fairly early 10:05 start time. Justin Lehr (3-0, 3.00) - who has taken over as Rainier ace – against Juan Gutierrez (1-2, 2.76).

Box

Posted by frinklin at 11:03 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Game Results, Round Rock Express, Tacoma Rainiers

The Week That Was: An uneven week for the Rainiers, going 3-4, but losers of three out of their last four. After splitting with Colorado Springs, the Rainiers have lost two in a row against Salt Lake, and they haven’t really been competitive in either game. If the Rainiers expect to contend, they have to better than a game under .500 at home. Currently Tacoma stands 14-17, good for third place in the Pacific North division.

On Deck: The series finale against Salt Lake is on Monday Night. The Rainiers will be glad to see the Bees in the rearview mirror. Tacoma and Salt Lake don’t meet again until the last game in June. Starting on Tuesday, the Rainiers hit the road and head for Texas for four games against the Round Rock Express. The Express find themselves with the same record as Tacoma, but they sit in last place of the PCL American South division.

In The Hole: After Round Rock, the Rainiers head to Albuquerque, for four games in gorgeous Isotopes Park. The Isotopes are at .500, just one game back of Oklahoma in the American South division.

Posted by frinklin at 6:02 AM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Albuquerque Isotopes, Review/Preview, Round Rock Express, 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. You must know the enemy!

The Team: Round Rock Express

The Location: Round Rock, Texas

Wait... Yeah, we're heading into the not-quite Pacific Coast teams. Round Rock is a suburb of Austin.

The MLB Affiliation: Houston Astros

The Website: RoundRockExpress.com

The Ballpark: Dell Diamond. Initially built in 2000 to house the Double-A version of the Express, expanded when the Edmonton Trappers moved south. Sitting in what used to be a cow pasture, Dell Diamond has all the bells and whistles, including a game room and climbing rock.

The History: At one point, the PCL had three teams in Canada. This one used to be based in Edmonton, before the Ryan-Sanders group (that would be Nolan Ryan and son Reid) moved the team to Texas. That replaced the Texas League version of the Express, which itself used to be the Jackson Generals as recently as 1999.The Double-A club moved to Corpus Christi, and is home to the unspeakable Rusty the Hook.

The Name: Nolan Ryan's fastball was called the Express. Pretty cool actually.

The Prospects: Hunter Pence, Juan Gutierez and not much else.

Posted by frinklin at 1:00 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Labels: Know The Enemy, Round Rock Express, Tacoma Rainiers