Wed. 4/19: Three (Central Time) Morning Starts, Kids!

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, Jake McKibbin said:

That's a good awful blown strike 3 call on Robert gasser with two in scoring position and one out. Just awful

Welcome to Minor League Umpiring. It'a nearly an every game issue. Fear not, however! Auto Zones arrive in the International League by month's end. SO swwwwweeeeeet!

[Joseph Zarr]

Regardless of that blown strike call, it's clear Gasser's early season work is what to do the second time through a batting order. He loses his stuff. At present, he's presenting himself to Counsell and the Crew as a middle relief arm if he should get the call in 2023. He has to work on that 2nd and 3rd time through an order. Big moment for RHP Lucas Erceg here coming on with the bases dripping and two down.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Regardless of that blown strike call, it's clear Gasser's early season work is what to do the second time through a batting order. He loses his stuff. At present, he's presenting himself to Counsell and the Crew as a middle relief arm if he should get the call in 2023. He has to work on that 2nd and 3rd time through an order. Big moment for RHP Lucas Erceg here coming on with the bases dripping and two down.

38 strikes to 34 balls for Gasser today. Only a 38% zone rate. Until he figures out how to command the baseball again, he's going to be stuck in AAA.

[Joseph Zarr]

Whew. He gets a decently hit one hope looping infield fly to bounce out to the red hot Mangum. That was intense.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

38 strikes to 34 balls for Gasser today. Only a 38% zone rate. Until he figures out how to command the baseball again, he's going to be stuck in AAA.

Agreed. It's a thing. It really is. As we have discussed in his last two starts. It's extremely odd. As we also discussed: he has a ton of tools. I am wondering what those convos are in their throwing sessions. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Bases dripping for the Shuckers here in the top of the 4th. Noah Campbell at the dish with a full count with a new RHP on the hill. AND he takes the ball to grab that free pass rbi. Gorgeous! 5-1 good guys.

[Joseph Zarr]

With Valerio at the dish we've lost the feed in Rocket City. Well, that stinks.😅

Hard to tell what's going on. Gamecast is stuck on a 1-0 count for Valerio. And we have a screen saver in the stream. This is about as symbolic to our early 2023 viewing experiences as there is. Two series to date with no viewability. Now Valerio with the bases juiced and the feed cuts out?! 😅

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, I see. It's sunny outside BUT:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Here's our update:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Shane Smith is on to try and close this one out. He's working around a single with two swinging K's and another 0-2 count on his fourth batter. After catcher indifference gives the runner 2B, he gives up an infield single on an 0-2 count. men on the corner. Still two down. Strike one on the next batter. Let's go, Shane! You got this young fella! Indeed he does. He induces the groundout to Guillarte at SS. Would have loved to have seen that scenario. Alas, we'll take the second consecutive 5-2 Mudcats victory. Their 4th in a row and they are now back to 0.500 at 5-5! Noice!

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Lucas Erceg gives up a lead-off solo shot to LF here to begin the bottom of the 5th. It looked to be a hanging change-up. 4-3 Sounds and he walks batter #2. The control issues and mix have been problematic for Erceg his past two outings. I'm not seeing that slider. AND, well, just like that he gives up a first pitch two-run bomb over that same LF wall. These were the concerns given his hot start: could he keep up the mix? That was another dead center cut change-up by my eyes. Woof.

[Joseph Zarr]

It's still power down in Rocket City BUT I can tell you RHP Tobias Myers  is again cooking with gas: he's retired 10 straight and it's still 6-1 Shuckers after 4 complete.

[Joseph Zarr]

Erceg recovers and exits the inning with no further damage. Two weak grounders to 3B (one a charging throwing error by Dorrian at 3B it would appear - tho I don't know how they scored it). And a K looking on a heater center left cut. 5-4 Jumbo Shrimp. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Payton Henry leads off the top half of the 5th with a scorching double down the line. Let's get a rally going, men, and reclaim that lead!

[Joseph Zarr]

Yes Sir! INF Patrick Dorrian puts a gorgeous swing on an outside cut heater and rips a left center gapper triple. It's 5-5 Sounds. Still nobody down. OF Monte Harrison to the dish to try to take the lead. Let's go!

[Joseph Zarr]

Yes indeed Mr. Harrison! Great AB. He muscles a looping jam shot single over an extended glove at deep short as it falls to the shallow OF grass. 6-5 Sounds and still nobody down and INF Andruw Monasterio is up. 6-5 Sounds! Way to pick up your pitcher, lads! And, Harrison nabs 2B as the errant throw slices well into RF and he grabs 3B on the error. Looked like a good throw probably grabbed him. Another runner at 3B with nobody down for Monasterio.

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's keep it rollllllling, Mr. Myers:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Very well hit deep sac fly by Eddie Alvarez and Harrison beats the very nice throw from one of my perennial Marlins favorites, OF Jerar Encarnacion, by about three steps. Encarnacion has tools for days. Hiura takes an inside pitch off the hand and trots to 1B. 7-5 Sounds. Two down. Hiura at 1B.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ahhhhh yes, an umpire blowing another call on the base paths? Why not. Last night it was a missed call in Biloxi on a bang-bang play that cost TJ Shook dearly. Today, Dorrian with the crafty slide was safe. Nope. That prevents Henry from adding the insurance run from third. On to the bottom half of the 7th frame. Ethan Small out for his second inning. 7-5 Sounds.

[Joseph Zarr]

We have the sharp version of LHP Ethan Small tonight. This is a very good thing. He's working all facets of the zone. He's in control of his execution and his plan. I absolutely love seeing it. We just need to stack these outings, young man. Fantastic stuff!

[Joseph Zarr]

INF Eddie Alvarez continues to mash in Nashville. Another very well hit double to deep left center and he's aboard in the top of the 8th frame. Oh, and hey, 1B Jon Singleton walks (you don't say?!?). Men on 1st and 2nd for the sizzling Abraham Toro. Both men swipe bags on a WP and move up. 2-0 count. And, with the count 3-1 Toro rips a sharply hit grounder to 3B and the throw nabs him by a good 3-5 steps. Onto the bottom half.

[Joseph Zarr]

Struggling RHP JC Mejía comes aboard. Pitch one gets way inside and plunks a hip. A man aboard already. Nobody down. And, after inducing a weak grounder to 3B to grab the first out he runs too far inside again and plunks his second batter by scraping the jersey? Ruh roh. Two men on. One down. And, just like that, on a meatball center cut he gives up an opposite field single. There's a run across. It really has been a struggle for Mejía in 2023. 7-6 Sounds now.

[Joseph Zarr]

And, now we have a passed ball/wild pitch on a pitch Mejía was set up to throw high and outside. Where does it end up? About 3 feet inside. He's just fighting everything right now. Rough sledding. 7-7. Two down now. 

[Joseph Zarr]

In the ensuing AB, he gets a really nice jam shot weak infield blooper to the 1B side. In typical 'this is how it's going for the Sounds' fashion, Mejía is slow to read his job at 1B. Alvarez is way too far to the middle infield to cover. And, Jon Singleton botches the scoop regardless. Whew. 

Thankfully, I get to watch LHP Clayton Andrews try to calm this current quagmire. Still 7-7 with runners now at the corners. 

It's a struggle of late for our Sounds. Let's hope they can get out of this frame and steal one in an up-and-down affair.

[wiguy94]

Clayton Andrews really battling his command here today. Will be interesting to see how he pitches through this considering he has been firing on all cylinders before today.