Rainiers notes: Matt Koch tosses immaculate inning in Tacoma’s season-opener
What happened in the seventh inning on a chilly evening last week at Cheney Stadium is a rarity.
Three batters up. Three batters down.
Nine pitches. Nine strikes.
Each of the three batters trudging back to their dugout without putting the ball in play.
The immaculate inning.
It’s such a rarity in the game, in fact, Tacoma reliever Matt Koch doesn’t believe he’s ever seen one in person. He doesn’t believe he’s ever thrown one, either — at any point in his baseball career.
That all changed during his Rainiers debut in Tuesday night’s Triple-A season-opener, when he helped the Rainiers to a 4-2 win.
When Koch entered the game in the seventh, Tacoma had a one-run lead, and the 31-year-old right-hander headed in from the bullpen looking to keep it that way, facing 2-3-4 in Salt Lake’s lineup.
“Coming in, I was just trying to get outs, and then it just kind of happened,” Koch said.
He threw three pitches to Matt Thaiss — two the catcher swung at, and the third sent Thaiss back to the dugout on called strikes.
Koch threw three more to designated hitter Kean Wong — all called strikes — moments later.
Bees third baseman Brendon Davis also watched the first pitch of his at-bat go by, and Koch started to think about the possibility of a nine-pitch frame.
“Striking two guys out in the inning it was like, ‘All right, I’ve kind of got some good stuff today maybe,’ and then strike one, that’s when I really thought about it,” Koch said.
Davis fouled off Koch’s second pitch, then like the two batters ahead of him, was called out on the third, and minutes after stepping onto the mound, Koch walked to the dugout with an immaculate inning.
“I was pumped, obviously, but I didn’t know if I was going to come out for another inning, so I was just trying to keep it locked in,” he said.
That ended up the only inning Koch tossed in the opener, with Penn Murfee following him in the eighth.
Murfee, coincidentally, was the last Rainiers pitcher to toss an immaculate inning, striking out three batters on nine pitches last August in Tacoma.
Before that, it had been five years since a Rainiers pitcher had thrown one, when Emilio Pagan accomplished the feat in 2016.
“It’s something you don’t even think about because it’s so rare in baseball,” Koch said. “It is super rare. It’s wild.”
Koch joins the Rainiers this season after signing with the Mariners organization as a minor league free agent in March.
“I was right on board,” Koch said. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about their organization and how they handle their pitching, so I was excited to be here.”
Koch was drafted in the third round by the Mets in 2012, and has played in stints with New York, Arizona, Cleveland and now Seattle’s organizations since.
He made his big league debut with the Diamondbacks in 2016, and has played parts of four seasons in the majors, all with Arizona.
In two appearances for Tacoma this season, Koch has retired all six of the batters he’s faced in two innings, including five by strikeout.
TRAMMELL PLACED ON IL
The Rainiers placed starting outfielder Taylor Trammell on the seven-day injured list Sunday.
The 24-year-old was placed on the IL without a specific injury designation, but exited Thursday night’s game against Salt Lake in the seventh inning after, while running to first base, he fell to the ground holding his right leg.
Trammell was 3-for-12 (.250) with two runs scored, a double, home run, four RBI and two stolen bases through Tacoma’s first three games, starting two in center and one in left.
A former first-round pick by the Reds in 2016, Trammell is entering his third season with the Mariners’ organization after arriving as part of the seven-player trade with the Padres midway through 2020. He was considered the No. 5 prospect in Seattle’s system by MLB Pipeline that season.
Trammell made his big league debut with the Mariners on Opening Day last spring, played in 51 games with the club in his rookie season and 71 more with Tacoma.
He hit .263/.362/.456 with the Rainiers last season with 15 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, 49 RBI and eight stolen bases to help the club to its Triple-A West title.
SHORT HOPS
▪ The Rainiers were walk-off winners Saturday, capping a doubleheader — Friday’s rain-out was rescheduled as two seven-inning games the following afternoon — with a 1-0 victory.
Designated hitter Mike Ford was the first batter Tacoma sent to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, and he broke a scoreless tie when he crushed the second pitch he saw from Salt Lake reliever Andrew Wantz over the right field fence.
The homer was the first for Ford with the Rainiers after signing with Seattle’s organization as a minor league free agent in March.
It also ended what was a 19-inning scoreless streak for Tacoma to that point in the weekend. The Rainiers’ dugout emptied to celebrate with Ford as he crossed the plate.
▪ Tuesday’s season-opener was also a homecoming for one local pitcher in 26-year-old right-hander Janson Junk.
A former Decatur High School and Seattle U standout, Junk started for Salt Lake and completed 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out three.
He retired seven of the final eight batters he faced and received a cheer from fans behind the Bees dugout following his outing.
“It was pretty cool,” Junk said. “I had a lot of family out. I threw here when I was in high school, just for travel ball, but coming here is definitely nice.
“I’ve been on the East Coast so much … getting an opportunity to pitch at home just makes the moment that much cooler.”
▪ Steven Souza Jr., who played high school baseball at Cascade of Everett, is back in the Pacific Northwest this season.
The 32-year-old outfielder signed with the Mariners as a minor league free agent in March and has played in three games with the Rainiers this spring, hitting 2-for-7 with a run scored, four walks and a stolen base.
A former third-round pick by Washington in 2007, Souza is entering his 15th professional season, and has played stints with the Nationals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Dodgers and now Mariners organizations.
He has appeared in 499 games across seven seasons in the majors, hitting .230/.320/.414 with 223 runs scored, 71 doubles, eight triples, 72 home runs and 206 RBI.
ON TAP
The Rainiers (2-4) hit the road for the first time this season Tuesday, beginning a six-game series against the Isotopes (1-5) in Albuquerque.
Following that week-long set against the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, the Rainiers return to Tacoma to begin their next homestand April 19.
Staff writer Tyler Wicke contributed to this report.
