Rainiers notes: Zach Green launches three homers, Tacoma splits Reno series

When Zach Green crushed a two-run homer in the fourth inning of last Monday’s series opener in Reno, he only watched the ball travel for a second.

Likely before the blast reached the apex of its flight, Triple-A Tacoma’s first baseman looked to the ground and began a casual jog to first base, confident the projectile would easily clear the left field wall at Greater Nevada Field.

“That one, I probably got the most of,” Green recalled.

“That one” was also his third home run of the night.

Green had homered in his first at-bat — a two-run shot to right field — and launched another opposite-field homer an inning later, scoring three more.

When the 28-year-old rounded first base for the third time, he thought, “Dude, that was your third.” It was only the fourth inning, but Green had three hits, three homers and seven RBI.

“He led us,” manager Tim Federowicz said of the performance. “And I mean, if we didn’t make any baserunning mistakes, he probably would have had nine RBIs in the first four innings.

“It was just something I’ve never seen.”

Reno picked off Tacoma’s Alex Blandino at first base in the first frame, and Scott Heineman was caught stealing third in the fourth inning, both during Green’s at-bats. He settled for seven RBI and had two chances for an elusive fourth homer, but struck out in the seventh inning and walked on four pitches in the eighth.

Tacoma rolled to an 11-4 win, but Green had provided a highlight-worthy Fourth of July fireworks show himself.

“Going into the third at-bat, I wasn’t thinking like, ‘Man, I wanted three (homers),’ ” Green said. “I (thought), just keep doing your thing, because it’s clearly working today. But after I hit the third, I was like, ‘You know what, do you look back on this day and say, hey, I didn’t try and hit a fourth?’ You might regret it. So I was definitely trying. No doubt.”

Less than 48 hours prior, Rainiers catcher Brian O’Keefe launched three homers on July 2, becoming the first Tacoma player to do so since 2015. Green’s feat was the second three-homer game for the club in three nights.

“We were joking about it,” Green said. “You know, a couple of guys. It was more of a friendly banter in the clubhouse among the rest of the team.”

And Green, alongside his teammates, boarded a 3 a.m. bus for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport the morning of July 4, and later caught a 5:50 a.m. flight to Reno that morning. Green slept only three hours the night before his career night, and the Rainiers were accustomed to Mondays off, having yet to play on a Monday all season.

“Everyone on our team was kind of running on fumes,” Green said. “So as it was happening, I was still so tired. I wasn’t really totally gathering the fact that I hit three (homers) in four innings.”

Selected by the Phillies in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Green later made his major league debut for the Giants in 2019 and signed a minor league contract with Seattle on March 16.

In the best of at-bats, Green avoids chasing the “pitcher’s pitch” and puts a swing over the middle of the plate in each at-bat, he said.

That’s still his goal each day, unwavering after an offensive performance Green says was his best ever. He may have notched more than seven RBI in a game throughout his playing career, he admits.

“But I mean,” Green concluded, “three homers is really hard to beat.”

In 62 games for the Rainiers this season, Green is slashing .231/.267/.465 and leads Tacoma with 13 home runs and 41 RBI. He’s primarily a first baseman, but handles either corner infield position, having logged over 113 innings at third base in 2022.

Green’s career Monday night secured the series opener for Tacoma, and the Rainiers won again Wednesday, 3-2, after receiving Tuesday off.

Tacoma grabbed a fifth straight win on Thursday behind what Federowicz argued was the team’s most complete offensive win of the year, 16-9. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic finished a single shy of the cycle and the Rainiers notched a season-high 21 hits. Eight Tacoma hitters drove in a run and seven had multi-hit games.

“In the games that we haven’t pitched (well), we have been swinging the bat a little bit better,” Federowicz said. “It’s just a better group effort. I think it goes with time together, and just getting comfortable with each other.”

Kelenic homered again Friday — his 10th for the Rainiers this season — but Tacoma didn’t score again in a 5-1 loss, snapping the win streak. Over the weekend, Reno rallied for a pair of victories by scores of 8-6 and 3-2, respectively, and managed a series split.

Tacoma has yet to lose a series in July, and lost only one of six June sets.

“It always starts with our pitching, our bullpen,” Green said. “We keep getting pieces down from Seattle. We have some big league arms in our bullpen. That’ll always help.

“Probably the biggest difference-maker, though, is just our bats are coming around a little bit. … It’s kind of a firing-on-all-cylinders effect.”

SHORT HOPS

▪ Kelenic took home Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors after going 7-for-18 (.389) with two home runs, six extra-base hits, and six walks in five games from July 4-10. He scored six runs — drove in another six — and posted a 1.616 OPS.

“He does feel like he’s made the adjustments he’s needed to, to now produce in the big leagues when he goes back up,” Federowicz said. “Obviously the big league team is playing well right now ... so he’s just gonna have to be patient at this point, and wait for that call.”

▪ Tacoma’s pitching staff owns a PCL-best 4.06 ERA for the month of July. They also rank first in batting average against (.248), WHIP (1.26) and walks allowed (26).

It’s a positive trend — Tacoma’s April team ERA of 6.69 ranked ninth in the league — one Federowicz says helped turn the page from a slower-than-anticipated start to the campaign.

“It sure is a telltale when you’re able to stop the run production on the other end,” Federowicz said.

Pitchers and catchers have built a rapport, now more familiar with each other midway through the season. Catcher Andrew Knapp – called up by Seattle on June 27 and designated for assignment on Saturday – logged 19 total games at the position for the Rainiers this season, plus O’Keefe’s some-237 innings behind the plate.

Added Federowicz: “It’s just easier to call pitches and execute pitches when you have a constant conversation with guys.”

▪ Seattle starter George Kirby was optioned to Tacoma on Saturday as part of eight roster moves made by the big league club. Rainier relievers Matt Brash and Matt Festa received the call back to the Mariners, and Seattle designated Knapp for assignment.

Kirby’s numbers bear no weight on the move — the 24-year-old’s 3.78 ERA and 4.11 FIP impressed the organization throughout 64 1/3 total innings of his unfinished rookie season. Since his debut on May 8, Kirby made a dozen starts and allowed two or less earned runs in eight of them.

It’s considered a rest period for Kirby, who joins the Rainiers this week and is expected to make a shortened start during Tacoma’s upcoming series against Oklahoma City. Kirby “feels great physically,” and the club plans for the rookie to return after the All-Star break, Seattle manager Scott Servais said pregame Sunday in Seattle.

▪ Kyle Lewis (concussion) continued a rehab assignment with High-A Everett last week and homered in three straight games for the AquaSox, most recently on Sunday. He’ll join Tacoma for an upcoming homestand with Oklahoma City, and could be with the Mariners as early as July 22 upon conclusion of the All-Star break.

ON TAP

After a day off on Monday, Tacoma (35-48) returns home to Cheney Stadium and kicks off a six-game set with Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Like MLB, the Rainiers receive four off days next week (July 18-21) for the All-Star break. They’ll play a three-game weekend road set in Salt Lake City after the break (July 22-24) and return home for another six-game homestand on July 26.