Wed. 6/28: Full Season Clubs Return to Play; Day Off on the Island

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Russ Smith inherits two runners. He gets a very nice K versus the righty bat. THen the Braves left hits a weak grounder to Clarke at 1B. Smith is likely beat to the bag but drops the scoop regardless. 

Can someone make a defensive play tonight? This is getting ridunkulous.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now, INF Abraham Toro follow his double earlier with a roped liner over the RF wall for a Grand Salami! Who needs defense?! Moar runs!!! 7-0 Sounds.

[Joseph Zarr]

Smith has now loaded the bases. The aforementioned weak dropped dribbler. A hit batter on a 1-2 count off the batter's helmet. He just walked a batter after he was likely robbed of a strike 3 on an inside heater. He is now 0-2 on the next batter with the bases juiced. This outing is emblematic, however, of his entire tenure in Double-A. You just don't know what you're going to get.

[wiguy94]

Russell Smith is not a good pitcher. Bailed out by a great throw from LF to get the out at home, but he's blown the lead.

[Joseph Zarr]

• Smith gives up a well hit liner to LF. It bounces in front of Sparks. A run scores but runners should know: don't run on Sparks. He nabs the runner at home by a good 2' on a beautiful throw (not shocking). C Jeferson Quero did pop up in distress waving his throwing hand as if the runner slid directly into it. We'll have to see what happens there in-game.

[Joseph Zarr]

4 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Russell Smith is not a good pitcher. Bailed out by a great throw from LF to get the out at home, but he's blown the lead.

He's extremely erratic - this is now a trait through two seasons. What I realized tonight, particularly, is he is facing a line-up with 7 lefties and he absolutely just doesn't have any go-to out pitch. He's still just struggling to understand his Mix and generally to locate consistently. There are many many miles to go if he is to realize his potential.

[Ro Mueller]

Lifeless game for the Mudcats, unfortunately. They lose 2-0, with only 3 men reaching base (Sibrian infield single, Vargas single to left field deflected by third baseman, Avina walk). The Wood Ducks threw just 107 pitches.

On the bright side, Patricio Aquino and Yujanyer Herrera didn’t give up any earned runs (both 1st inning runs were unearned after an Adams error) and only conceded 3 hits in 8 innings. Plus, we only K’d 5 times.

[Ro Mueller]

I don’t envy ACL Brewers Manager Rafael Neda having to juggle 22 position players (including 3 rehabbers). Many regulars are out of the starting lineup tonight (e.g. Baez, Severino, Barrios, O’Rae, Mercado, Walling), yet that does not mean that Edgardo Ordonez, Yeison Perez or Miguel Briceno are starting either.

RHP Darling Solano got tonight’s start and they trail 3-0 against ACL Reds before getting a chance to bat in the 1st inning.

[Ro Mueller]

The Shuckers grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the 6th inning, as CDR singled and Freddy Zamora blasted a 2-run homer. They lead 4-3. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

5 minutes ago, damuelle said:

The Shuckers grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the 6th inning, as CDR singled and Freddy Zamora blasted a 2-run homer. They lead 4-3. 

 

Big moment for Freddy who appears to suddenly be the everyday Shuckers 2B. 

[Joseph Zarr]

NOT to be outdone, INF Tyler Black just smoked a liner to RF. 109 mph off the bat. Sneaks over the wall. May have killed a squirrel.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hats off to RHP's Nick Merkel and Sam Gardner for calming the third inning storm and ripping off 6 1/3 scorless innings of relief work. Gardner picked up his first save and this was the calmest and most in control he's looked since joining the T-Rats. Kudos to him!

Meanwhile, in Biloxi, Super-Utility man Noah Campbell just hit a tailing double to left center that bounced past the diving CF. It clears the bases. Shuckers lead 9-3.

Lottttttta runs from High-A up to Triple-A tonight.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Cam Robinson is aboard and will try to protect a 6 run lead. His last time out, he was pulled after he loaded the bases in a four-run situation. Let's hope he has his best stuff! He works around a two-out single to CF. He ends his 1 IP with 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 R. Shuckers win 9-3.

[Joseph Zarr]

Man, C Alex Jackson just continues to crush baseballs! 33 degree launch angle. 109 mph off the bat. HR numero dos. A two-run knock. It's 10-2 Sounds. Let's go!

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Thyago Vieira on in the 8th frame. He gives up a 103 mph liner to CF facing the lead-off batter. It's no secret, he's been getting rocked in June. He gives up a looping line drive single to shallow left center and Frelick tosses an extremely weak throw short of 3B and the runner advances to 2B. This is an all too familiar (of late) outing for Vieira. Vieira then fails to cover 1B on a weak chopper Toro had charged to field. RBI infield chopper. 10-3 Sounds. Nobody out.

He is really in a rut.

 

Let's hope he can reclaim some of his early-season glory.

[Joseph Zarr]

OH BABY. Sal Frelick just absolutely atoned for his poor throw to 3B with an absolute web gem of a jumping and diving grab at the deep CF wall for the 405' double play. An incredible jump from the get go. An incredible read. An incredible HR saving play or double-triple high off the wall. That was the sauce! 

AND, we have the highlight now:

Folks, that was a seriously seriously incredible jumping grab at the wall. He put everything into that 8-3 putout dp. Just wow. Hopefully we'll see that somewhere in the bird app cuz it's a road game in Memphis.

It's very very fair to say Vieira is in trouble. He is getting hit hard a lot in every outing right now.

[Joseph Zarr]

Two absolutely incredible slides tonight from INF Josh Van Meter at home base (here in the 9th) and INF Ben Metzinger earlier at Quad Cities. And, frankly, kudos to the umpires for seeing their skill beating tags from throws that beat their attempts. Really incredible skillful stuff.

[Joseph Zarr]

It is an absolute buzzsaw seesaw affair in the desert. The Brewers have recalimed the lead late. They lead 9-8 headed to the top of the 7th hoping to squeak out a victory here and reclaim 1st place in their back-to-back night tilts vs the ACL Reds. Oooooof, and just like that RHP Cristofher Carrasco gives up the pinch hit long ball with one down. We're tied 9-9. This game is bonkers.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh drats. They lost it. 11-9. It's been a really rough go in the end results department for the DSL and ACL Crew of late. That's a tough one.