Fri. 4/21 - Will the Mudcats Get Their Fifth Win in a Row?

[Jim Goulart]

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

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

[Ro Mueller]

High-A Wisconsin has RHP Stiven Cruz (2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 7.0 K/9 in 9 IP) on the mound tonight as they aim to even the series 2-2 in Quad Cities. C Alex Hall, who has 4 home runs and 7 RBIs in his last 3 games, gets his 3rd start of the year in left field tonight. 

[wiguy94]

31 minutes ago, damuelle said:

High-A Wisconsin has RHP Stiven Cruz (2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 7.0 K/9 in 9 IP) on the mound tonight as they aim to even the series 2-2 in Quad Cities. C Alex Hall, who has 4 home runs and 7 RBIs in his last 3 games, gets his 3rd start of the year in left field tonight. 

We were told the Mendez injury wasn’t serious but no word on the injury and he hasn’t played in over a week now. 

[Ro Mueller]

AA Biloxi hands the ball to RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez (1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 11.0 K/9 in 9 IP) for tonight's start in Rocket City, trailing the series 2-1. Switch-hitting LF Noah Campbell (.286 AVG, 1.095 OPS in 21 PAs) starts his 3rd consecutive game. 

[Ro Mueller]

The AAA Sounds snapped their skid yesterday, so a win today behind RHP Janson Junk (0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 6.3 K/9 in 10 AAA IP) would level their series in Jacksonville 2-2. RF Skye Bolt returns to action after a recent injury. 

[Ro Mueller]

The Low-A Mudcats are trying for a 5th consecutive win and 4th this week at Down East. 23-year old LHP Nate Peterson (12.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 13.5 K/9 in 6 IP) is making his first MILB start since being drafted in the 8th round last year. 19-year old SS Daniel Guilarte has reached base in 15 straight games dating to last year. 

[Ro Mueller]

Friday action is underway, with Tayden Hall singling, Luke Adams walked on 4 pitches, then Matt Wood smacking an RBI single to left field for an early 1-0 Carolina lead. Wood also helped his pitcher by eliminating an attempted base stealer in the bottom half of the frame. Nate Peterson also K'd two Wood Ducks in the inning for a solid start. Go Mudcats!

[Ro Mueller]

5'10" Nate Peterson is performing far better than one may have expected based on his 2 prior outings. Even when facing a bind with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning (strikeout-reached-on-wild pitch; base hit), he forced two batters into opposite field fly outs to keep the Mudcats up 1-0.

Unfortunately, his counterpart (19-year old 6'4" RHP Brock Porter - Rangers #5 prospect on mlb.com) has K'd 7 Mudcats in 13 at-bats through 4 innings.

Peterson's staying in for the bottom of the 4th inning.

[Ro Mueller]

Pitching changes have shaken up two of the games:

• In the 5th inning, Peterson exited for LHP Jakob Brustoski, who gave up two singles and uncorked two wild pitches. It's Carolina 1, Down East 1 going into the 6th inning.
• Jacksonville replaced their starter after 4 shutout innings and Nashville has promptly responded with 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. It's Nashville 4, Jacksonville 0 (being 1-hit by Janson Junk thus far), still in the 5th inning.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Stiven Cruz just gave up a 3-run blast (his second HR allowed today) here in the bottom of the 3rd inning. T-Rats now trail 4-2.

[Ro Mueller]

3B Abraham Toro and LF Keston Hiura are 4-for-7 with 5 RBIs (and no Ks!) thus far today, as Nashville pours it on: 7-0 in the 6th inning. Janson Junk has thrown 79 pitches through 5 innings.

[Ro Mueller]

RHP Quinton Low is getting things done: 3 shutout innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 6 Ks. Now Carolina needs to get that second run, so RHP Shane Smith (guessing he'd close) can lock it down. It's 1-1 going into the 9th inning.

[Ro Mueller]

2B Jadher Areinamo single, LF Jheremy Vargas RBI double. 2-1 Carolina still in the top of the 9th inning. Tack another on!

[Ro Mueller]

LF (usually a catcher) Alex Hall just blasted his 5th homer in 4 games, a 2-run shot to tie the game between Wisconsin and Quad Cities 4-4 in the 6th inning. His OPS is now 1.342.

[Ro Mueller]

Well, I'll be darned. The Mudcats did tack on the extra run to go up 3-1 in the 9th inning. RHP Shane Smith did enter to close it out, striking out two hitters. But then he gave up a 3-run walk-off homer to lose 4-3. What a gut punch.

And unhittable RHP Ryan Brady gave up 2 runs to Quad Cities in bottom of the 7th inning (partly due to his own error), after retiring 7 straight batters.

A once-promising night has turned sour in a hurry.