Sun. 5/29 - A Mix of Early Afternoon / Early Evening Action

[Joseph Zarr]

It's getting interesting in the bottom of the ninth, the hit batter is followed by a full-count single to deep center. Men on first and second and nobody out for Cam who looks a wee amped. Let's hope he settles it down and we get that series split!

[Joseph Zarr]

Anthony Prato misses a mammoth 3-run shot down the left field line and Robinson then walks him (Prato was a double shy of the cycle) and the bases are juiced for Cam with one down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh baby, that's why he's Cam. He remains unscored upon in May. Leaves the bases juiced. Finishes the inning with 2 straight strikeouts - including a fantastic stop on a tailing strikeout pitch into the dirt to Wes Clarke's lower left. Wes manages to keep the ball in front of him and up the third base line. 

The T-Rats earn the series split. What a win!

[Ro Mueller]

AAA Nashville needs a win tonight to split their series 3-3 in Toledo. RHP Alec Bettinger (7.88 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 5.6 K/9 in 8 innings) gets the start in his 4th appearance of 2022. CF Jonathan Davis (.840 OPS in 116 plate appearances) is riding a 12-game on-base streak:

[Ro Mueller]

Boy, the breaking in of RHPs Noah Zavolas (AA Biloxi) and Alec Bettinger (AAA Nashville) after missing the first month of the season is a bit tough to stomach, though we understand it's necessary to give them time. Here's how they did today, with both somewhat shockingly being sent out to attempt to cover the 4th inning:

• Zavolas (85 pitches, 47 strikes) - 3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 6 H, 4 BB, 2 WP, 4 Ks
• Bettinger (64 pitches, 43 strikes) - 3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 8 H, 2 BB, 1 K 

Thankfully, the Biloxi and Nashville offenses both came to play today:

• Biloxi trails 6-5 in the 4th inning
• Nashville is tied 4-4 after 4 innings

[Joseph Zarr]

6 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Boy, the breaking in of RHPs Noah Zavolas (AA Biloxi) and Alec Bettinger (AAA Nashville) after missing the first month of the season is a bit tough to stomach, though we understand it's necessary to give them time. Here's how they did today, with both somewhat shockingly being sent out to attempt to cover the 4th inning:

• Zavolas (85 pitches, 47 strikes) - 3 2/3 IP, 6 R, 6 H, 4 BB, 2 WP, 4 Ks
• Bettinger (64 pitches, 43 strikes) - 3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 8 H, 2 BB, 1 K 

Thankfully, the Biloxi and Nashville offenses both came to play today:

• Biloxi trails 6-5 in the 4th inning
• Nashville is tied 4-4 after 4 innings

Yeah, there is some serious rust on the rails with these two at present. Zavolas, in particular, from what I've seen is just 'off'. I guess 6 hits, 4 walks, and 2 wilds speaks to what I've seen in his previous two starts. The best part of the Biloxi game today, for me at least, is all the damage has essentially come from the bottom of the order. That's huge. Stay within striking distance and let's hope the big guns get hot late.

Vennaro is on for his first work of his Triple-A time and, so far, he's gone 1 1/3 scoreless. Let's hope he keeps it rolling for that Nashville pen!

[Joseph Zarr]

Yup, Vennaro has completed two scoreless innings of one walk and three punch out ball. Heck of a debut in a 4-4 game in a tough road series!

[Joseph Zarr]

Jonny Davis continues to have a year at the Triple-A level. With 2 more doubles today and now a single to left field here in the top of the sixth, Jonny improves to 8-for-20 on this Mud Hens series. The man is playing lights out for the Sounds. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Holy heck is Abraham Almonte en fuego right now. Goodness gracious, he just jacked a two-run bomb to right field. The ball was down and in but, man, he just flipped those hips and launched it off a window in deep right. The first home run allowed by Mud Hens' reliever Brian Garcia all season. 6-4 Sounds baby!

[Joseph Zarr]

Cam Devanney rips a deeeeeep double off the high wall (I don't know how it stayed in the ball park) in left center and, with runners on the corner, he scores Dillard from third. Men on second and third now, with one down, and it's 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth. Gabe Holt is now up to the plate. Devanney and Reetz are on the bags.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh man, the lack of replay in the Minors...Jakson Reetz just clearly beat a run down in a pickle between third and home plate but the ump blows the call. Reetz was irate, and rightfully so. It was a close play, but, tie goes to the runner they say.

Fear not, I say! Brent Diaz and the bottom of the order continues to do it all. Diaz now with 4 rbi's ropes a single - turned to a double on the throw home - over the leaping attempt of the Biscuits' second baseman. The bottom of the order has now knocked in 7 of 8 runs. Beautiful stuff, men! It's now 8-6 Shuckers in the fifth. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Great complimentary stuff from Wily Adames regarding our young and uber-talented squad in Zebulon. He will move to Nashville from here for his next rehab assignment, but, he sees what we've been seeing in recent weeks: these young men have a lot of exciting and inspired baseball in their futures.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Matt Hardy with another clean inning for the Sounds. He gives up a seeing-eye bloop single off the shallow grass in right field but, with the shift on, Pablo Reyes adeptly fields a sharp-hit grounder and grabs the inning-ending double play. It's on to the top of the eighth and it's still 6-4 Nashville.

[Joseph Zarr]

The Biscuits grab a run back in the top of the sixth, but the Shuckers take two to start the bottom-half with a Thomas Dillard well-hit single that snuck under the Biscuits' pitcher's mitt and straight into center field. Felix Valerio (laser shot single to left field - his second on the day) and Joey Wiemer (walked) scored. Both runners had advanced on a wild pitch. It's now 10-7 Shuckers. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Pablo Pablito clavó un clavito. ¿Que clasé de clavito clavó Pablito?

Un 'Home Run'

The 3-run type.

The type of low grabbing beautiful golf swing bombs over the walls in left giving your team 3 runs to add atop a 2 run cushion. It's now 9-4 Sounds off of Reyes' beauty. LET'S GO!!!!!

[Joseph Zarr]

Hobie Harris works out of some no out trouble - a seeing eye dribbler to third followed by a well-hit single up the Middle. BUT, Nashville now has an 8-0 record on series closing games on the season. Think about that. These Sounds are unreal good at the Triple-A level. Hobie gets a double play ball and follows with a K. One harmless run and the Sounds split the 6-game series winning 9-5. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, Shucks! I watch Nashville close out a victory and, meanwhile, the Shuckers' Pen allowed a three-run opposite-field jack to tie the game at 10. 10-10 now (whew) in the bottom of the seventh. Montgomery does not want to get swept! Kudos to the Biscuits for staying in it and making a real game of this.

It would appear those runs came on Hintzen but an error was charged previous the HR to Cam Devanney. We'll have to go back and 'see the tape'.

[Joseph Zarr]

The bases are juiced. There are NO outs. And Southern League Home Run leader, Joey Wiemer is at the dish. Felix Valerio worked an 0-2 count in true Valerio fashion for the walk to load the bags. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Joey strikes out on a ball in the dirt but Thomas Dillard comes through again with a second knock up the middle and the bases remain full with one down. Jakson Reetz is at the plate. Shuckers lead 11-10.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh BABY! A bases-clearing double from who other than the red-hot Tristan Lutz! He ropes an absolute laser down the right-field line. And, it's a five-run bottom half of the seventh. Still only one out. That's now a 15-10 game. Yowza! Let's grab that Organizational SWEEP!!!!

[Joseph Zarr]

Taylor Floyd with the Yeoman's work in the eighth as he takes on JT Hintzen's 0 down and two-on 'work'. He walks his first batter, gets the double play ball (great work from Dillard here) and then closes it out with the strike out. 15-11 and on to the bottom half.

[Joseph Zarr]

Brent Diaz: baseball player. What a game! He just jacked a home run over the wall in left field, into a tree (a Sycamore by my eyes) and it's now 5 rbi's on the night. That Biscuit run re-claimed: 16-11 now. Thats 3-for-4 on the evening with 3 runs and 5 rbi's for Brent.

[Joseph Zarr]

Nash Walters grabs 2 k's and a well-hit fly out. That's a 5-0 Organizational Memorial Day Weekend Sunday! Heck yeah! The Shuckers get the four-game sweep to boot and are back above 0.500!

[Joseph Zarr]

So, the Carlos Rodriguez injury today:

1:58:17 on the replay.

Extremely hard to tell what happened but it does not look good seeing him walk back into the dug-out. That's a non-contact left-leg injury. Those typically don't fare well in the prognosis/diagnosis. Ugh. We'll have to wait and see but, I am unabashed in saying: I am a wee heartbroken for the young man. This was the best stretch of Carlos Rodriguez baseball we have seen. He was electric in May. ?

[sveumrules]

Cool to see Jackson Chourio (4 for 5 with a 2B) put on a show for Willy down in Carolina.

Big bummer about Carlos Rodriguez though. Hopefully he gets some good news & it’s nothing too severe.

Gotta think Arbert Cipion would get the call up, though I’m sure he’d prefer it to be under different circumstances.