Wed. 4/26: Only Nashville Under the Lights; Matinee Brigade Begins at 10:00 AM Central

[TURBO]

4 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

@wiguy94: I just listened to the post-game T-Rats podcast. Eric Brown Jr. has no fractures, no concussions, and is generally doing really well. Apparently, his parents are in town to watch him play too. So, he may sit out a game or two but, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. He dodged a bullet today.

YES!  Such great news. 

He's a really friendly kid towards fans, seems like a genuinely great guy!

[wiguy94]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

I was at T-Rats game today.  It didn't appear in either case like batters were being thrown at.  Just playing the game.

Brown's HBP looked pretty bad, but it looked to me like the pitch went off the brim of his helmet before hitting him in the face.  That is how it sounded too.  I could be wrong, but I had a pretty good view of the play.

He was able to make it mostly to 1B after being hit before taking a knee, then he got up and touched 1B and was lead off the field.

Let's hope it looked a lot worse than it was.

I didn't see Brown again after he got hit, and did look for him in the dug out a few times.  I could have missed it though.

Acosta came in for him and had a triple, double and single, so that was pretty cool.

I like seeing Joe Gray do well.  That guy needs to take the next step and get out of Appleton.

Lazar looked pretty sharp today as well.  He's another one I am rooting for so he can move up the ladder.

Love the report!

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

I was at T-Rats game today.  It didn't appear in either case like batters were being thrown at.  Just playing the game.

Brown's HBP looked pretty bad, but it looked to me like the pitch went off the brim of his helmet before hitting him in the face.  That is how it sounded too.  I could be wrong, but I had a pretty good view of the play.

He was able to make it mostly to 1B after being hit before taking a knee, then he got up and touched 1B and was lead off the field.

Let's hope it looked a lot worse than it was.

I didn't see Brown again after he got hit, and did look for him in the dug out a few times.  I could have missed it though.

Acosta came in for him and had a triple, double and single, so that was pretty cool.

I like seeing Joe Gray do well.  That guy needs to take the next step and get out of Appleton.

Lazar looked pretty sharp today as well.  He's another one I am rooting for so he can move up the ladder.

Absolutely agreed on your last comments there - both young men need to grab that next opportunity and promotion. I'm really happy Joe Gray Jr. has both started 2023 so well but also he's taken a leadership role in the clubhouse. This is great. Today was definitely a good start for Lazar. He's had such an up-and-down career with the COVID hoopla to boot. BUT, it was telling when the team threw him onto the Sounds roster before the MILB Rule 5 draft.

Edit to Add:

Also, I love when Acosta gets his opportunities. He plays with fire the T-Rats need. Too much nonchalant or low-intensity play going on for my liking early in 2023. So many lackadaisical relay throws and silly errors. 

[TURBO]

27 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Absolutely agreed on your last comments there - both young men need to grab that next opportunity and promotion. I'm really happy Joe Gray Jr. has both started 2023 so well but also he's taken a leadership role in the clubhouse. This is great. Today was definitely a good start for Lazar. He's had such an up-and-down career with the COVID hoopla to boot. BUT, it was telling when the team threw him onto the Sounds roster before the MILB Rule 5 draft.

Edit to Add:

Also, I love when Acosta gets his opportunities. He plays with fire the T-Rats need. Too much nonchalant or low-intensity play going on for my liking early in 2023. So many lackadaisical relay throws and silly errors. 

Leadership comes with maturity, so maybe Gray is finally just "getting it."

He was such an unwarranted prima donna last season.  He just oozed of overconfidence and never backed any of it up on the field.  He's also the guy who would be on his phone texting, or whatever, during auto Sundays, while people were waiting for him to sign.  Always one of the first to get up and leave too, while others would stay until the last fan got their stuff signed.

Lazar didn't start today, he came on in the 5th inning and pitched great for 4 innings.

Acosta is definitely a spark plug, love watching guys like this play, just a different gear than most others.  The others could learn a lot just watching him go about his business.

I didn't follow them on their road trip, so I was a little shocked to see Moore hitting .190 and Brown at .137.  Moore especially was on fire the first home stand.  He hits the ball with a lot of wood and great sound!!!  He seems to be struggling a bit now.   Gray was down in the .260's, so I hope his hot start continues and he beefs that up a bit in the coming weeks.

[Joseph Zarr]

We are minutes away from first pitch in Nashville. We're playing the national anthem on a trumpet, no less. Spark up the band!

[Joseph Zarr]

Right off the bat Omaha is on base with a ridiculous jam shot single that blooped toward Hiura at 1B but then skips about 3 feet to Hiura's right with some nasty spin on the jam shot. Tough break for Boushley and the Sounds. We are featuring my newest favorite baseball glamour: Automated Balls and Strikes. It's a real pleasure, lemme tell ya!

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Tyrone Taylor again leads his night with a first AB XBH. Tonight, he smacks a deep looping double to right center field. I think this is an MLB player.

[Joseph Zarr]

DH Jon Singleton grabs his 8th rbi in a karmic sky high super bloop single to shallow center field. It dropped between three sprinting Omaha defenseman. Singleton extends his on base streak to 17 games with the lucky plop. Taylor scores on the two out poke - Sounds lead 1-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

Boushley works around a lead-off ground rule double - ground out to 3B; pop out to Dorrian in foul territory (3B); and a fly out to Naquin (RF tonight). On to the bottom of the 2nd frame and it is still 1-0 Sounds.

[Joseph Zarr]

INF Patrick Dorrian executes the charging bare-handed web gem play from 3B on an excellent bunt attempt down the 3B line. Dorrian is such an underrated and under-appreciated player. It's really nice to have him back in the infield mix. That was an extremely difficult throw.

And, we have the highlight:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the Boushley of 2022 - weak contact and in and around the zone. A three-up and three-down 3rd, sees the Sounds still clinging to a 1-0 lead. He's only tossed 36 pitches. He looks fantastic.

[Joseph Zarr]

A beautiful one out flip of the wrists and hands sees INF/OF Keston Hiura rip a double to the right field wall here in the bottom half of the 3rd frame. Such a beautiful piece of hitting.

[Joseph Zarr]

Keston Hiura continues to showcase: he is an incredible hitter. Man, I hope he gets another shot to showcase in the MLB and he runs with it. He just roped an absolute dart over the wall in left field off a low change-up. He sat on it, eyed it up, and just crushed his 9th HR of his year, his 20th RBI, and his second dinger of the series. What a bat in the Sounds line-up. A beautiful swing. My goodness. 109 mph off the bat and 409 ft over the fence. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Pedro Fernandez had a fantastic second inning - closing with two key punchouts - and has the Sounds into the bottom of the 7th now clinging to their 2-0 lead. Really nice second inning.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Cam Robinson comes to the mound in the 8th and does what he does in 2023: throws the ball all over the place but not in the zone. A four pitch walk to start followed by a wild pitch to the backstop sending the lead-off batter to 2B. He does get the K facing his next batter but LHP Clayton Andrews is warming up already. Let's hope he can find the zone!

[Joseph Zarr]

After the K, Robinson gets some bad luck with an uber-bloop infield knock on an off-speed pitch with INF Eddy Alvarez hugging 2B holding the runner and, consequently, just missing the diving catch. Runners on the corner. One down. 2-1 count to his third batter.

[Joseph Zarr]

WOW, fantastic escape from Robinson on a full count pitch low and center cut he induces the hard chopper to the mound and he adeptly gets his head out of the way and snags it for the Double Play to 2B Eddy Alvarez. Heck of an escape. Take a look see here:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

And Keston Hiura is now a triple shy of the cycle. He rips a line drive single to shallow right center field and gets aboard in the 9th. Zero down and Big Jon Singleton to the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Tyler Naquin ends his 0-for-3 night with a solid poke single to left field driving in Keston Hiura and giving the Sounds that extremely valuable insurance run. 3-0 Sounds. Men on the corners and one down.

[Joseph Zarr]

And C Brian Navarreto does the studious professional work after taking an awful foul ball off his left foot hitting a deeeeep fly to the warning track and scoring another on the sac fly. 4-0 Sounds. Let's go!

[Joseph Zarr]

And we're piling it on now as INF Patrick Dorrian rips the single through the center infield and OF Tyler Naquin crosses the dish. It's 5-0 Sounds babayyyyy!

[Joseph Zarr]

Just another scoreless 2 K inning from my current heartthrob in the Sounds bullpen LHP Clayton Andrews. Hey Brewers, if you actually need a lefty, this is your man. It's really not up for debate.

[wiguy94]

8 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Just another scoreless 2 K inning from my current heartthrob in the Sounds bullpen LHP Clayton Andrews. Hey Brewers, if you actually need a lefty, this is your man. It's really not up for debate.

I feel like he hasn't looked as sharp the last two outings but he continues to get whiffs and strikeouts. Just a very good pitcher.