Rainiers notes: Tacoma stung in series loss; Vincej’s road from Mariner to manager

Austin Warner may have stifled Triple-A Salt Lake’s offense across three scoreless innings Friday night, but the 28-year-old left-hander was unaware he’d start the game until shortly before first pitch.

When scheduled starter Justus Sheffield was scratched late due to neck tightness, acting manager Zach Vincej called on Warner to take the mound in the series opener against the Bees in Tacoma’s first game since the All-Star break.

A regular contributor out of the Rainiers’ bullpen, Warner allowed only two hits in the contest’s first three frames, whiffing four and walking none. He worked ahead in counts, landing off-speed offerings for strikes, and attacked the strike zone early in at-bats.

“It was awesome,” Vincej said.

Tacoma took a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning, though back-to-back doubles from Scott Heineman and Forrest Wall provided more than enough insurance. The extra-base hits plated two runs apiece and the Rainiers went on to win 6-0, improving to 39-51 across the season’s first 90 games.

“Any time you can tack on runs, especially at the end of the game, you take any chance of the Bees coming back,” Vincej said. “It’s huge for the ball club. It was kind of like a sigh of relief.”

Salt Lake rebounded and won Saturday, 5-3, scoring all of its runs in a third inning that featured six consecutive Bees hits.

In Sunday’s series finale, Tacoma took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning. But, Salt Lake’s Jake Gatewood swatted a two-run homer to tie the game, and the Bees went on to win 5-4 in 12 innings.

The comeback effort spoiled a strong start from Tacoma’s Darren McCaughan, who pitched six innings and allowed only one run on six hits. McCaughan, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in a start earlier this year, struck out four and walked one.

The series loss was Tacoma’s first of the month, and with Monday off, the Rainiers are 9-9 in July and 11-9 in their last 20 contests.

Rainiers pitchers own a team ERA of 4.76 this month — which ranks second in the Pacific Coast League — and have walked a league-low 56 batters in July.

“I think we’re just coming together as a team,” Vincej said. “I think we’re doing everything.”

VINCEJ’S ROAD FROM MARINER TO MANAGER

Vincej joked with those on Tacoma’s roster about last Sunday’s win over Oklahoma City. The 31-year-old bench coach, serving as acting manager in the absence of skipper Tim Federowicz, had notched his first career managerial win.

“We were laughing about it,” Vincej said, “just because of how simple it was.”

Starter Conner Wade lasted seven innings, allowing three runs, and Tacoma’s offense poured on six runs in a 6-3 victory over the Triple-A Dodgers on July 17. Relievers Danny Young and Matt Koch added scoreless relief outings, and the Rainiers rallied from an early 3-0 deficit, never again allowing the lead to fade.

“I know it’s not that easy every single time,” Vincej said, “but it was definitely fun.”

Vincej says he was always drawn to Seattle — first as a player across two stints in the Mariners organization in 2018 and 2021, and now as bench coach. He was “super comfortable here,” he said in an interview Saturday, and liked the philosophies echoed by the franchise.

First drafted by Cincinnati in the 37th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Vincej made his Reds debut in 2017. After being claimed off waivers by Seattle, he appeared in one career game with the Mariners in 2018. Vincej elected free agency later in the offseason and spent a year in Baltimore’s minor league organization in 2019.

Last year, he returned to Seattle and signed a minor league player contract, though a coaching job had always been in the post-playing-career plans.

Vincej calls Aug. 1, 2018 — his one career game with the Mariners — one of the best days of his life.

“That was a fun day,” he recalled. “It was a really fun day.”

When Kyle Seager was scratched from Seattle’s lineup roughly 30 minutes before first pitch, manager Scott Servais plugged Vincej into the lineup, batting ninth. He was “thrown into the fire,” but any major league start is special, he said.

“I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go,’ ” he said. “Things worked out, and it was one of the best days of my life.”

Vincej singled off Houston’s Dallas Keuchel in the second inning, and again in the seventh. He finished 2-for-4, albeit in a Mariners loss, good for his second and third career major league hits.

After retiring from a playing career, Vincej wasn’t sure where he wanted to coach, whether in professional baseball or college. The position as Tacoma’s bench coach “fell into his lap,” and the opportunity, he says, was simply too good to pass up.

He enjoys time spent with those on Tacoma’s roster, some older than Vincej, who turned 31 on May 1. He’s in constant communication with Federowicz, who provides a closer look at everyday managerial responsibilities.

“Learning what kind of moves that they make on the pitching side that I need to get familiar with,” Vincej said. “I think the transition has been great. (Federowicz) helped me out a ton along the way and throughout the season.”

Vincej joined the Mariners earlier this year for a shortened spring training in Arizona, and by April, found himself at T-Mobile Park as the team’s first base coach. Servais and third base coach Manny Acta missed time on the COVID injured list, and when first base coach and former Tacoma manager Kristopher Negron took over as Seattle’s acting manager, Vincej was tapped to replace him.

“I would be lying if I wasn’t a little nervous at first,” Vincej said, “but things got rolling, and I got a lot more comfortable, and the players were great. It was awesome.”

Now, Vincej has six minor league games under his belt as manager. When Federowicz missed time on the COVID IL last month, Vincej took over the reins for two games, losing both. Last Sunday’s victory marked his first win, Friday the second.

“I think they’re feeling more and more comfortable,” he said of the Rainiers. “And I feel like they’re wanting to win ball games and really come to the park every day and try to do the best that they can.

“And I think every single day, it’s been fun to watch. Hopefully, they can continue doing that.”

SHORT HOPS

▪ Right-handed reliever Taylor Williams signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and debuted for Tacoma on Friday night. The Vancouver native and Camas High School product allowed one hit in a scoreless frame, and struck out one.

Vincej could tell Williams’ slider was his pitch of choice, and the 31-year-old mixed in a fastball that jumped out of a unique arm slot, Vincej recalls.

“(It’s) sometimes hard to pick up,” Vincej said. “It looked like he was comfortable out there, and hopefully he can continue.”

▪ Sheffield was scratched shortly before a scheduled start on Friday night due to neck tightness, Vincej said. The move was “more precautionary than anything,” and barring a setback, Sheffield shouldn’t miss more time.

ON TAP

Tacoma (39-53) returns home to Cheney Stadium and kicks off a six-game series against El Paso on Tuesday.

Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger (ankle) is set to join the Rainiers amid the series with the Chihuahuas after starting a rehab assignment with High-A Everett last weekend.