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

[Joseph Zarr]

Be still my heart, I've now seen García lay off two pitches away in 2-2 counts. He is 0-for-1 on the evening but 2 BB and 0 in the K department. I could get used to this version of the young infielder!

[Joseph Zarr]

The rally ends with a sharply hit ground out to 1B off the lumber in C Darrien Miller's hands. A well hit ball. Directly to the 1B playing deep off the bag and just in front of the OF grass.

[Joseph Zarr]

It looks like we are going to see Hernandez give way to talented LHP Karlos Morales. Let's see if he can maintain the lead here in the bottom of the 7th.

[wiguy94]

6 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Oh baby! Joe Gray Jr. works the walk. He steals second. Metzinger worked the count full. Metzinger rips a single to shallow right field through the infield dirt and Gray Jr. hustles his behind and executes a perfect slide around the tag at home plate. It was as bang-bang as it gets and the call could have gone either way but it did appear Gray Jr. slid in just before the turn and tag. Whewww baby. 1-0 T-Rats. Metzinger now at 2B with Eduardo García looking to do some more damage.

Fantastic way to break up the no-hitter!

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Fantastic way to break up the no-hitter!

They couldn't get an ounce of anything going on Guerrero (who was extremely sharp all over the zone - very impressed) but were quite patient in their approach there to get a key run with two down. Great work indeed!

[Joseph Zarr]

Morales will have to work around a two out free pass here. Honestly, I didn't mind it. He played it safe with a power bat. The final pitch slider got away from him inside. And with a 2-0 count he executes getting the weakly hit grounder to Moore who scoops it to Brown Jr. covering 2B. On to the top of the 8th. Another nailbiter!

[Joseph Zarr]

Morales was absolutely robbed of a gorgeous inside stripe K call (the ump heard it from the dugout) but gets the weak fly to Metzinger at 3B on the next pitch - a fantastic sweeping slider. He then adeptly fields a running bunt attempt down the 1B side showcasing his athleticism. Fantastic work. Two down here in the bottom of the 8th frame.

[Joseph Zarr]

Insurance run here in the 9th frame off the bat of Ben Metzinger. 2-0 T-Rats. He drives home Robert Moore who had made it to second base off an errant throw in a pick-off attempt to 1B.

[Joseph Zarr]

Je'Von Ward just missed a bases clearing double down the RF line by about 3-6'. Man that was close. 3-1 count now. Bases dripping. Two down. Top of 9th 2-0 Rattlers. He takes strike two looking on a solid heater center cut. He strikes out swinging on an inside slider. A nice pitch there by Arias.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Kaleb 'Bo' Bowman is on to attempt to close this out for manager Joe Ayrault and the T-Rats. He gets the first out on a weak chopper over the mound and Moore manages to corral it miraculously after it flew straight in the air off his glove - he gets the barehanded bang-bang throw out and beats the runner by a hair. Bowman gets another grounder to Moore at 2B for the second out. He really struts his stuff in the third AB. Attacking up in the zone. Low in the zone. Mixing his breaking ball. Using his slider. He misses the punch out by about 2" off the outer half and then induces the weak dribbler to Miller just in front of home plate.

T-Rats win, improbably, 2-0!!!