Sun. 4/9: Mudcats Try Again for Two

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Sunday, lineup updates, etc.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

[Ro Mueller]

The Rattlers and Sky Carp play their series-deciding finale in Beloit, with 21-year old starting RHP Stiven Cruz (3.74 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10.7 K/9 in 91 1/3 IP last year) getting his first action. 2B Jose Acosta and CF Terence Doston also make their season debuts. 

[Ro Mueller]

A win would give Nashville a 4-2 series win in Memphis. RHP Robert Stock strives to bounce back from a rough debut (4 ER in 2 1/3 IP). RF Sal Frelick is back atop the lineup: 

[Joseph Zarr]

Best of luck to all affiliates and all Minor League fans on this Easter Sunday. It's a full on family farm day - outside egg hunts, garden and field work, and walks through the forest. Wishing you all a wonderful day and, hopefully, a day filled with victories and achievements.

[Ro Mueller]

It’s the rubber match for Biloxi against the Mississippi Braves in their 3-game series, with 21-year old RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez (3.01 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.8 K/9 in 107 2/3 IP last season) making his AA debut. 2B Isaac Collins makes his first official appearance: 

[Ro Mueller]

After a 2-day rain delay, the Mudcats and Woodpeckers resumed action in the top of the 6th inning of their 1-1 game (which commenced on Friday).

Carolina quickly grabbed 2 runs on a walk, 2 hits (Tayden Hall, Daniel Guilarte) and a sac fly for a 3-1 lead. RHP Quinton Low has entered in the bottom of the 6th inning for his first 2023 appearance.

[Ro Mueller]

Quinton Low has struck out 4 batters in 2 innings of hitless work, walking one (caught stealing by C Matthew Wood) and hitting one (stranded at first).

[Ro Mueller]

It’s an action-packed finale in Beloit, as Ernesto Martinez homered for a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, which Beloit turned around with a walk, 2 singles and a sac fly for a 2-1 advantage.

Robert Moore answered with a 2-run shot in the 3rd inning, adding to his 1st inning double. Joe Gray Jr. continued his solid start with an RBI double. It’s now 4-2 Wisconsin, still in the 3rd inning.

[Ro Mueller]

Other than Keston Hiura hitting his 2nd homer of 2023, it’s not going well tonight in Memphis, where Robert Stock hit 3 batters and gave up 5 runs in what’s officially 1 inning of work, having failed to retire anyone in the 2nd inning.

RHP Luis Contreras did well to only allow 1 of 3 inherited runners to score, so it’s a 5-1 ballgame after 2 innings.

[Joseph Zarr]

10 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Other than Keston Hiura hitting his 2nd homer of 2023, it’s not going well tonight in Memphis, where Robert Stock hit 3 batters and gave up 5 runs in what’s officially 1 inning of work, having failed to retire anyone in the 2nd inning.

RHP Luis Contreras did well to only allow 1 of 3 inherited runners to score, so it’s a 5-1 ballgame after 2 innings.

That's quite the rough start to Stock's brief tenure as a Sound. He was hit quite hard in his first outing. Now, he doesn't make it past the first inning in his second start? Ruh roh, raggy. Longing for the days of Josh Lindblom.

[Ro Mueller]

RHP Jeison Pena entered for Carolina in the bottom of the 8th inning, working around a leadoff walk for a hitless, scoreless frame. He’s still in there in the bottom of the 9th inning, hitting the first batter here as the Mudcats try to hold a 3-1 lead in Fayetteville.

[Ro Mueller]

Just now, damuelle said:

RHP Jeison Pena entered for Carolina in the bottom of the 8th inning, working around a leadoff walk for a hitless, scoreless frame. He’s still in there in the bottom of the 9th inning, hitting the first batter here as the Mudcats try to hold a 3-1 lead in Fayetteville.

And now he’s walked the 2nd batter, bringing the potential winning run to the plate with nobody out. Gulp. C’mon Jeison!!

[Ro Mueller]

1 minute ago, damuelle said:

And now he’s walked the 2nd batter, bringing the potential winning run to the plate with nobody out. Gulp. C’mon Jeison!!

The first pitch to the next batter is hit into right field and deflected by Eduarqui Fernandez for a single, scoring one. 3-2 Mudcats, with the tying run on 3rd base, winning run on 1st base and still nobody out. Oh no!

[Ro Mueller]

Just now, damuelle said:

The first pitch to the next batter is hit into right field and deflected by Eduarqui Fernandez for a single, scoring one. 3-2 Mudcats, with the tying run on 3rd base, winning run on 1st base and still nobody out. Oh no!

An automatic ball to start the next hitter quickly escalates to a 3-1 count and another RBI single. Tie game 3-3 in Fayetteville. Two on, still nobody out in the bottom of the 9th inning. 😥

[Ro Mueller]

5 hours ago, damuelle said:

An automatic ball to start the next hitter quickly escalates to a 3-1 count and another RBI single. Tie game 3-3 in Fayetteville. Two on, still nobody out in the bottom of the 9th inning. 😥

Carolina escaped that jam and sent it to extra innings. Matthew Wood hangs on to a foul tip for Out Number One, Pena hits his second batter of the inning to load the bases with 1 out, then RHP Shane Smith relieves and induces a 4-2-3 double play on his first pitch! Great job by second baseman Jadher Areinamo and catcher Wood. Go Mudcats!

[Ro Mueller]

Stud Carlos F. Rodriguez strikes out 2 of the first 3 batters he faces in AA ball in a 3-up, 3-down inning. RF Lamar Sparks also collected his first hit in the Brewers system in the top half of that inning, but was stranded. 0-0 Biloxi-Mississippi after one.

[Ro Mueller]

Ugh. Stiven Cruz had settled down, but is pulled after 66 pitches (4 innings), leading 4-2. Normally-reliable RHP Brannon Jordan entered in the bottom of the 5th inning and quickly conceded 2 runs on 4 hits, barely escaping with Wisconsin and Beloit tied 4-4 after 5 innings.

[Ro Mueller]

An ugly half-inning by the Woodpeckers will hopefully give the Mudcats an opening game victory. Fingers crossed. Two errors, a hit-by-pitch and a Tayden Hall single have given Carolina a 6-3 lead. The second error was on a throw by the catcher on a potential inning-ending double play. It’s still the top of the 10th.

Correction: 5-3, as they send Tayden Hall back to 3rd base. 2 on, 2 out, still top of the 10th.

[sveumrules]

37 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

That's quite the rough start to Stock's brief tenure as a Sound. He was hit quite hard in his first outing. Now, he doesn't make it past the first inning in his second start? Ruh roh, raggy. Longing for the days of Josh Lindblom.

Sounds like Robert Stock has had a few (eerie music plays) unsolved mysteries in the early going.

[Ro Mueller]

Rough go thus far for our top 2 prospects: Frelick 0-for-3 (now 0-for-his-last-8 in mini-slump), Chourio 0-for-2 with 2 Ks. It’s gonna get better.

[Ro Mueller]

The Low-A Mudcats are 1-and-0 on the season, as hero RHP Shane Smith locked it down to hold onto the 5-3, 10 inning victory, assisted by the ghost runner inexplicably getting caught stealing third base.

Now on to their 2nd game of the day…

[Ro Mueller]

Biloxi scored 3 runs in the top of the 3rd inning on a Lamar Sparks double, Zavier Warren triple and Tristen Lutz double. 3-0 Shuckers.

In the bottom half, Carlos F. Rodriguez strikes out the side. That’s 6 Ks, 0 runs and 0 hits through 3 innings.

[Ro Mueller]

CF Carlos D. Rodriguez gets his first hit in AA ball, an RBI double to extend Biloxi’s lead to 4-0.

[Ro Mueller]

RHP Joey Matulovich calmed the waters by facing the minimum number of batters over 2 innings. It’s still Wisconsin 4, Beloit 4, as RHP Taylor Floyd comes in for the bottom of the 8th.

[Ro Mueller]

LF Je’Von Ward collects his first hit since August 2021, a 9th inning leadoff double for Wisconsin in their 4-4 game.