Tue. 5/2 - Four Road Trip Openers, and Morning Starts (Central Time) for Mudcats and Sounds

[Ro Mueller]

High-A Wisconsin is in Peoria this week to play the Cardinals’ affiliate. RHP Joseph Hernandez (3.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 in 20 IP) starts the opener. 21-year old CF Eduarqui Fernandez (.231 AVG, .731 OPS in 65 Low-A PAs) gets thrown directly into the fire after today’s promotion. 

[wiguy94]

6 minutes ago, damuelle said:

High-A Wisconsin is in Peoria this week to play the Cardinals’ affiliate. RHP Joseph Hernandez (3.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 in 20 IP) starts the opener. 21-year old CF Eduarqui Fernandez (.231 AVG, .731 OPS in 65 Low-A PAs) gets throw directly into the fire after today’s promotion. 

Still no Eric Brown Jr and he has yet to be put on the IL. 

[Ro Mueller]

The Shuckers are on the road against Rays’ affiliate Montgomery. LHP Brandon Knarr (7.11 ERA, 2.05 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 in 6.1 IP) starts the first game, his first action since April 14. RF Joe Gray Jr. (.247 AVG, .678 OPS in 84 High-A PAs) makes his debut in AA ball. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, for whatever reason the Shuckers stream in Montgomery is unavailable (sigh) but we know LHP Brandon Knarr's 2023 struggle continues: 2 solo jacks surrendered here in the bottom of the first. His ERA now sits at an unsightly 8.59. Shuckers trail 2-0.

[wiguy94]

9 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Well, for whatever reason the Shuckers stream in Montgomery is unavailable (sigh) but we know LHP Brandon Knarr's 2023 struggle continues: 2 solo jacks surrendered here in the bottom of the first. His ERA now sits at an unsightly 8.59. Shuckers trail 2-0.

The stream was up for a bit but it was super pixelated and tons of static. Hopefully the stream is back up eventually.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

The stream was up for a bit but it was super pixelated and tons of static. Hopefully the stream is back up eventually.

It's funny (well not all that funny) but there are definitively technical issues that go on in these lower levels we just don't really see at the MLB level. In the Sounds broadcast today I learned why there was no ABS system or challenge system in place this past Sunday: their designated WiFi system (each team has to have a designated WiFi strictly for the ABS and Challenge system) was down. 😅 It's good to know we literally all deal with techno snafus.

[wiguy94]

Brandon Knarr. 2 IP, 2 HR, 5 SO. What an interesting line.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Brandon Knarr. 2 IP, 2 HR, 5 SO. 

He saw those two solo jacks Returned to the dugout. And had a little convo:

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Joseph Hernandez has run into some control hiccups here in the bottom of the 2nd. After a walk to load the bases, he corked off a first pitch wild pitch about 3 feet behind the left handed batter and straight to the back stop. T-Rats trail 1-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hernandez gives up a well hit single to right field knocking in another run. 2-0 T-Rats lead. Hernandez has been hit hard this inning and lacked control of his off-speed stuff. Tough sledding.

[wiguy94]

Eduarqui Fernandez rips a double to LF in his first A+ AB!

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Eduarqui Fernandez rips a rope to wall in left field and gets a two-bagger in his very first High-A AB. Let's go, young man! That's the T-Rats first hit of their night.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Eduarqui Fernandez rips a double to LF in his first A+ AB!

That was an awesome moment. Proud of the young man!

[wiguy94]

Darrien Miller with a bases loaded 2 out, 2 RBI single. Ernesto Martinez works a walk to reload the bases. Eduardo Garcia comes through with a 2 strike liner up the middle to plate 2 more runs. 4-2 Wisconsin and the inning isn't over yet.

[Joseph Zarr]

17 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Darrien Miller with a bases loaded 2 out, 2 RBI single. Ernesto Martinez works a walk to reload the bases. Eduardo Garcia comes through with a 2 strike liner up the middle to plate 2 more runs. 4-2 Wisconsin and the inning isn't over yet.

Hernandez can't make it 3 IP today. Rough outing. 2 2/3 and he gives one back (albeit on an error) before giving way to RHP Brannon Jordan. This was by far Hernandez's roughest outing of the early 2023 season. And, then C Darrien Miller inexplicably tries to throw the runner out at 2nd with an absolute warm-burner double clutch throw short of 2B by about 4-6 feet and into CF. Yikes. This is a play emblematic of the entire T-Rats season to date. 4-4. Why do those T-Rats catchers literally always go for that runner at 2nd base and nearly always give up the run from 3B? It's uncanny and it still doesn't make sense - in Miller's case, this is especially true as it's simply a high risk low reward play from a catcher with a sub-average arm.

So, that's the two tying runs on no hits and two errors. 

[wiguy94]

7 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Hernandez can't make it 3 IP today. Rough outing. 2 2/3 and he gives one back (albeit on an error) before giving way to RHP Brannon Jordan. This was by far Hernandez's roughest outing of the early 2023 season. And, then C Darrien Miller inexplicably tries to throw the runner out at 2nd with an absolute warm-burner double clutch throw short of 2B by about 4-6 feet and into CF. Yikes. This is a play emblematic of the entire T-Rats season to date. 4-4. Why do those T-Rats catchers literally always go for that runner at 2nd base and nearly always give up the run from 3B? It's uncanny and it still doesn't make sense - in Miller's case, this is especially true as it's simply a high risk low reward play from a catcher with a sub-average arm.

So, that's the two tying runs on no hits and two errors. 

@Smichaelis9 thinks that Hernandez is throwing his FB and slider from different arm slots. Could explain why he's not getting many whiffs/strikeouts despite having good stuff.

[wiguy94]

Biloxi's stream is up!

[Joseph Zarr]

 

2 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

@Smichaelis9 thinks that Hernandez is throwing his FB and slider from different arm slots. Could explain why he's not getting many whiffs/strikeouts despite having good stuff.

He is. I would 'argue' he actually uses three arm slots. If he can't throw everything from each arm slot (he may, I haven't paid that close attention) it could prove problematic as his career advances.

[Joseph Zarr]

Je'Von Ward works a walk. Steals 2B. Micah Bello rips a ball deep off the right field wall and Ward somehow misreads it thinking he'll have to tag. He only gets to 3B. So INF Robert Moore comes up with one down and men on 2nd and 3rd. Moore pops out weakly to 3B foul territory. Metzinger lines out to LF. Threat extinguished with ease. Ward has to score on that ball off the wall. It's truly tough sledding in the T-Rats dugout. The young men will have to turn the tide with smarter and more timely play in the and on the field.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Christian Mejias with some really nice work off the hill! He just struck out the side in the 6th and now has 4 IP, 6 K, 0 H, and 3 BB. Fire. Shuckers trail 2-1. Two more K tonight for Jackson Chourio who is 0-for-3.

[Joseph Zarr]

That's now an 0-for-4 night with 3 K for the young Chourio. He chases a heater high and outside in an 0-2 count. Fear not good Brewers Fanatics! Tyler Black takes the very next pitch and absolutely crushes a ball well over the wall in RF. Whew. That. Was. Crushed. 2-2 baby! That makes it 5 Tyler Black HR's already in 2023. He said the power would come as it was a focus in the off-season. He. Did. Not. Lie.

[wiguy94]

Tyler Black just destroyed the ball. That cleared the fence by easily 30+ feet.

[Joseph Zarr]

7 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Tyler Black just destroyed the ball. That cleared the fence by easily 30+ feet.

Oh yes it did. That was what we call a 'No Doubter'. 

In Wisconsin, RHP Edwin Jimenez picks up where he left off in Carolina looking stellar in his first IP - a groundout on a 1-2 count to Moore at SS and 2 K on gorgeous off-speed deliveries. He continues to be one of my favorite arms in the system seemingly nobody (but me?) talks about. He has taken a big step so far in 2023.

[Joseph Zarr]

Boy Mejias is getting all sorts of swings on misses on front-door/back-door/center-cut sliders tonight. He has the Biscuits on their proverbial heels. He now has 8 K in 5 IP. Just the 4 BB and 0 H. 2-2 and we're headed to the big money innings.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ruh roh. INF Freddy Zamora (who had bloop singled and then stolen 2B) takes off after a wild pitch at home and beats the throw to 3B by inches but comes up with a thumb. The trainer is out now. AND, it looks like he's OK. Whewwwwww. Please let this young man stay healthy!