Tue. 4/25 - Once Again, The Clubs Are Homeward Bound

[Joseph Zarr]

We're throwing the last warm-up pitches here in Biloxi. The men are about to start in a couple minutes - Shuckers on Screen #2 baby. Let's keep that Shuckers mojo rolling!

[Joseph Zarr]

Man, I do heart me some Edwin Jimenez. He's been one of my favorite 'If he can just pull it together we have something here' pitchers for over a year. This is the sharpest we've seen his mix to date. After inducing three absolute dribblers to the mound in his first frame, he strikes out the side in the second inning. He looks poised and in control in 2023 - he was incapable of maintaining his accuracy in 2022. A lovely development in 2023 so far.

[Joseph Zarr]

Three up and three down for RHP Tobias Myers in the first frame. Two groundouts to Ethan Murray at 2B and a deep fly just before the Center-Right warning track and Chourio corrals it with ease.

[Joseph Zarr]

After striking out looking on a center cut heater, Jadher Areinamo takes matters into his own hand by pushing a weak flare on an inside heater to LF. He grabs the single to put another Mudcat on base. Hopefully, they can finally knock someone across!

[Joseph Zarr]

I think Chourio legged out an infield single?It's hard to tell they were showing the replay of Noah Campbell thrown out (questionably) at 2B. LOL. Chourio quickly grabs 2B and swipes a bag. Tyler Black up to the dish with Chourio now on 2B.

[Joseph Zarr]

Yes Sir! Daniel Guillarte rips a rocket off the pitcher in a come backer ground ball smash. Areinamo scores from 3B and we're knotted at 1-1. Excellent.

[Joseph Zarr]

Gregory Barrios follows with a rope single into LF. The young infielders are starting to find their comfort at the plate and it's a wonderful thing. Hedbert Perez will come to the dish with Guillarte and Barrios on the bags - Kannapolis heads for the pitching change. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Yes Sir indeed! OF Hedbert Perez rips a line drive well over the sprinting right fielder's head and it rolls to the warning track. He scores both Guillarte and Barrios and the Mudcats now lead 3-1!

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Tobias Myers worked around a double in the 2nd and still has the Braves scoreless. 0-0 and the Shuckers are up. Myers doesn't look as sharp as he's been - a lotta deep flies to the warning track areas and just too much flat center cut for my liking. BUT, the results are allowing him to keep working through it to find his best stuff.

[Joseph Zarr]

That's now four straight K's for Jimenez going back to the 5th as he is really dropping dimes with that change-up tonight. Fantastic stuff!

[Joseph Zarr]

And Jimenez gets out of the inning with a strikeout him out throw him out - a beautiful slider (his second gorgeous slider of the inning) and a better throw and tag from Wood to Areinamo at 2B. We're on to the bottom of the 6th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now! OF Jace Avina muscles a ball just inside the LF foul pole and over the wall. That was all beef. Not an easy pitch to hit. Is he heating up? That's his second HR in his past two games. Jadher Areinamo follows suit by ripping a single into RF - his second single of the game. Suddenly, the Mudcats have 9 hits.

[Joseph Zarr]

Guillarte now drives home Areinamo by muscling a single himself into RF. That's four consecutive singles now. Guillarte swipes 2B, the throw goes into the OF grass, and Nicasia trots home from 3B. It's now 6-1 Mudcats baby! Excuse me! Barrios knocks another single into shallow CF driving Barrios home and it's 7-1! Whewww baby!

[Joseph Zarr]

Meanwhile, in Nashville 1B Jon Singleton drops a flare foul ball liner and makes LHP Robert Gasser work through an 8-pitch first AB K. Not a friendly drop by the Big Fella.

[AKCheesehead]

I'm thrilled to see Taylor in the lineup for Nashville tonight.  Really hoping he stays healthy in his return, and that he can soon make his way back to helping the big league club.

[Joseph Zarr]

That's now two consecutive walks for young Luke Adams. I'm telling y'all: this young man has tools for days. A really intriguing athletic talent. He does not chase the high heat. Very disciplined approach. Reallllllly athletic.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, AKCheesehead said:

I'm thrilled to see Taylor in the lineup for Nashville tonight.  Really hoping he stays healthy in his return, and that he can soon make his way back to helping the big league club.

Absolutely, this was the stated plan last week after it was shared he had been playing games in Arizona. I have the Nashville feed on screen 3 at present with Alvarez at the dish... who calmly walks and we get our first live Taylor AB batting #2.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ummmm, I think Tyrone Taylor looks healthy. LOL. He takes an 0-2 heater and loops a double to the wall scoring Alvarez. Oh, I'm sorry, he stretches it to a three-bagger. Get him to Milwaukee! 

[Joseph Zarr]

Keston Hiura knocks Taylor home with an absolute rope double down the 3B line. It's 2-0 Sounds and nobody is out. Noooooice start, men! Singleton flies to deep CF and Hiura tags to grab 3B. One down.

[Joseph Zarr]

A beautiful piece of hitting by Abraham Toro as he hits the deep fly to CF easily scoring Hiura from third on the sac fly. 

Meanwhile, in Biloxi, Tobias Myers has just given up back-to-back absolute ropes (first to LF and the 2nd to RF) and the Shuckers suddenly trail 2-0. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Edwin Jimenez just ripped his 7th and 8th K here in just his 4th inning of work. That's two innings of striking out the side. Meanwhile, the Braves are starting to really hit Myers hard. That's four consecutive hits. None of them cheap by any stretch. Still 2-0 but men on 1st and 2nd.

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Robert Gasser once again looks great through 2 IP. He just ended his second frame with 2 consecutive K's. Can he keep his control past 3 IP tonight? That's been his Achilles' heel to date. Here's hoping!

[Joseph Zarr]

Hedbert Perez actually has a cannon out there in LF. I think I knew this?😅 He's made two very nice digs on well hit liners while turning and firing absolute dimes into 2B keeping the runners at 1B. Excellent work tonight.

[Joseph Zarr]

Lottttta rough Shuckers AB's tonight. Manager Mike Guerrero can't be feeling great about the offense tonight.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Jeferson Figueroa hasn't pitched since the 18th and it shows. He just threw 6 consecutive balls and then threw an absolute meatball heater and gave up a three-run jack off the scoreboard. 7-4 Mudcats. Figueroa hasn't grabbed an out. Things are getting interesting in the top of the 8th. RHP Shane Smith is forced to warm-up.