Sun. 5/7 - Sounds Doubleheader - Part of Five Day Games

[Ro Mueller]

After Tanner Shears walked 2 batters with 1 out in the 8th inning, RHP Jeison Pena entered and…got out of it (K, fly out)!

Then Carolina erupted for 5 runs in the top of the 9th inning as all 9 players hit in the frame. 1B Jesus Parra hit a 3-run double for the major blow.

It’s 7-2 as Pena tries to close it out.

[Ro Mueller]

Joseph Hernandez only gave up 2 hits (triple, homer) in 4 innings for Wisconsin, but they trail 2-0. RHP Edwin Jimenez has come on in relief.

[Ro Mueller]

Joe Gray Jr’s miserable time since his promotion continues. He grounds into a double play to end a nice Biloxi rally in the 3rd inning. He’s now 0-for-19 with 9 Ks since moving up to AA ball. 😥

On the brighter side, it’s 3-3 in the 3rd inning.

[Ro Mueller]

After Eduarqui Fernandez homered to pull Wisconsin within 1 run in the 6th inning, Darrien Miller doubled and moved to 3rd base to open the 7th inning.

But they failed to bring him home (K, K; groundout).

It’s still 2-1, now in the top of the 9th inning.

[Ro Mueller]

6 minutes ago, damuelle said:

After Eduarqui Fernandez homered to pull Wisconsin within 1 run in the 6th inning, Darrien Miller doubled and moved to 3rd base to open the 7th inning.

But they failed to bring him home (K, K; groundout).

It’s still 2-1, now in the top of the 9th inning.

Two 9th inning singles amounted to nothing and the Timber Rattlers fall again, 2-1. Swept in 6 games in by Cardinals’ affiliate Peoria. 😢

[Ro Mueller]

38 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Joe Gray Jr’s miserable time since his promotion continues. He grounds into a double play to end a nice Biloxi rally in the 3rd inning. He’s now 0-for-19 with 9 Ks since moving up to AA ball. 😥

On the brighter side, it’s 3-3 in the 3rd inning.

Hey hey, Joe Gray Jr. doubles in 2 runs, then scores on a Carlos D. Rodriguez double as Biloxi claws back to tie the game 6-6 in the 5th inning.

RHP Christian Mejias had an up-and-down start, struggling in key spots (8 Ks, 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings).

Gooooo Shuckers!!

[Ro Mueller]

Biloxi ultimately scored 6 runs that inning and 2 more the next for an 11-6 lead.

We’re in the bottom of the 6th inning. LHP Brandon Knarr has come in and quickly found trouble.

[Joseph Zarr]

14 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Biloxi ultimately scored 6 runs that inning and 2 more the next for an 11-6 lead.

We’re in the bottom of the 6th inning. LHP Brandon Knarr has come in and quickly found trouble.

If we were to craft an ongoing list of 'Ugly Starts to the 2023 Season', LHP Brandon Knarr would surprisingly make it. He's been hit hard and often in the early going.  It's a real bummer as he was, for all intents and purposes, a possible break-out candidate. Now, he has to claw his way back to organizational relevance. The fickle nature of trying to climb the Minor League ladder. Let's hope he turns it around and finds that form of 2022!

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Jace Avina has now struck out 35 times in 56 AB's. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's juxtapose those Avina eye-popping numbers with INF Daniel Guillarte who now has reached base in all 23 games as a Mudcat. That's a 23 game debut on-base streak. AND, of those 23 games he is only hitless in two. 

SHEESH that is impressive.

[Joseph Zarr]

Not to be outdone, C Matt Wood sees the young Guillarte after his 0-for-5 Game 1 2023 debut, and has followed suit:

Wood has a 19 game on-base streak himself. Of those 19, only 3 are hitless - and, one of the three games he took 3 free passes. If you want to look at the Mudcats success early, look no further than these two. What a dynamic duo they are.

AND, further down today's batting order, INF Gregory Barrios went 2-for-4 and clawed his way above the Mendoza line! Heck of a fight for Barrios after an 0-for-25 start to 2023!

[Joseph Zarr]

Really nice to see Nashville bounceback after some tough luck losses and take Game 2 7-1. It was a complete bullpen effort. Of course, I'll note RHP Ryan Middendorf with a scoreless 1 BB, 0 H, 2 K inning. BUT, many kudos to go around. RHP Jake Cousins shows he is worthy of another call-up with a 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K effort to grab the 'W'. RHP Thyiago Vieira continues his scoreless streak to 3 G with 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, and 2 K (that's now 5:1 K:BB in his 3 IP). RHP Lucas Erceg bounced back with a clean 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K inning of work. And, LHP Ethan Small closed out the victory with a scoreless 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K inning himself - that's now six straight scoreless outings covering 10 1/3 IP for Small. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The T-Rats may have lost, again (sighs), but RHP Edwin Jimenez continues to stack success in 2023. This is a major early story for me as this is a young arm who truly has a complete package of tools to develop at a still quite young age - this is entirely his age 21 season (December birthday). He goes another 3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Such an impressive season. RHP Kaleb Bowman also threw a scoreless 8th to give the struggling offense yet another chance to knock across some winning runs (1 H, 0 BB, 1 K). 

[markedman5]

Tyler Black with 17 steals………i had no idea he was fast……

I know the defense seems to be the biggest question on him but they have to be excited with his start to the season at the plate.

[wiguy94]

41 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

The T-Rats may have lost, again (sighs), but RHP Edwin Jimenez continues to stack success in 2023. This is a major early story for me as this is a young arm who truly has a complete package of tools to develop at a still quite young age - this is entirely his age 21 season (December birthday). He goes another 3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Such an impressive season. RHP Kaleb Bowman also threw a scoreless 8th to give the struggling offense yet another chance to knock across some winning runs (1 H, 0 BB, 1 K). 

Edwin Jimenez with two of the brighter pitching performances vs Peoria this week. He was getting a lot of swings and misses with his breaking balls.

[Joseph Zarr]

34 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Tyler Black with 17 steals………i had no idea he was fast……

I know the defense seems to be the biggest question on him but they have to be excited with his start to the season at the plate.

Very savvy base stealer. Very athletic in general. Really good arm, actually. BUT, defense overall still very much a work in progress. 

[Joseph Zarr]

31 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Edwin Jimenez with two of the brighter pitching performances vs Peoria this week. He was getting a lot of swings and misses with his breaking balls.

His off-speed and breaking stuff is really advanced. Really made headway with his change-up to lefties this year. AND, he now has a slider to pair with an already very plus curve. IF he could advance his heat a couple notches we are looking at a legitimate breakout candidate. I saw all these things last season but the inconsistency finding the zone was his biggest issue. In 2023, he's attacking hitters and it is beautiful.

[wibadgers23]

44 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Tyler Black with 17 steals………i had no idea he was fast……

I know the defense seems to be the biggest question on him but they have to be excited with his start to the season at the plate.

Future DH or 1B maybe?

[SF70]

9 hours ago, wibadgers23 said:

Future DH or 1B maybe?

I keep waiting for the team to have him play some 1B, which I believe is his big-league future with this club. His emerging power to go with his BTB/plate discipline makes for a very intriguing player.

[Jake McKibbin]

22 minutes ago, SF70 said:

I keep waiting for the team to have him play some 1B, which I believe is his big-league future with this club. His emerging power to go with his BTB/plate discipline makes for a very intriguing player.

If they can sharpen up his fielding abilities though, with his arm he could be a very viable third basemen, which drastically increases his value

I can see why they're doing this in the minors, but maybe once he gets to AAA they'll reconsider

has there been any improvement so far this season since he was butchering everything the first few weeks?

[SF70]

1 hour ago, Jake McKibbin said:

If they can sharpen up his fielding abilities though, with his arm he could be a very viable third basemen, which drastically increases his value

I can see why they're doing this in the minors, but maybe once he gets to AAA they'll reconsider

has there been any improvement so far this season since he was butchering everything the first few weeks?

3B is such an important position defensively and I just don’t see him ever being anything more than a below average defender there, and that’s with improvement.

 

[SF70]

12 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

His off-speed and breaking stuff is really advanced. Really made headway with his change-up to lefties this year. AND, he now has a slider to pair with an already very plus curve. IF he could advance his heat a couple notches we are looking at a legitimate breakout candidate. I saw all these things last season but the inconsistency finding the zone was his biggest issue. In 2023, he's attacking hitters and it is beautiful.

Seems to have the body that can fill-out some more and get stronger where he could add 2-3 ticks to his FB. He’s definitely one to watch.