Wed. 7/26 - Rattlers Play Early. Three Late Games. Rookies Take a Day Off.

[Joseph Zarr]

A 3-run jack by OF Luis Castillo extended the Mudcats lead to 5-1. RHP Quinton Low is now on in releief of RHP Alexander Valecillo after he gave up a lead-off single to LF to start the 5th frame. He ended his night with 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 1 K.

Let's hope we get that blazingly good version of Low. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Off the bat, we have the inaccurate Low. 3-0 count. Walked on four pitches. This is the type of wildness Low has battled from time-to-time in Low-A. He has elite stuff. But, he struggles to consistently find the zone. He starts his second AB with an off-speed pitch inside. 1-0 count that leads to a heater dead center cut ripped for a diving stop but infield single. We now have the bases juiced for the Fireflies. Nobody down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

And, now Low has thrown a ball in the dirt that goes to the backstop. 5-2 Mudcats. Low is once again fighting himself searching for his stuff and the plate. 2-0 count here. Low throws another wild pitch into the dirt but Diaz sprints to grab it and dives to tag out the runner at home. Runners at the corners. Now full as Low is robbed of a strike dead inner cut at the knees. Terrible miss by the home plate ump. BUT, when you're consistently wild you often don't get those calls. 

Low has to find the plate and trust his stuff here. Yikes. Next pitch, ball in the dirt again. Woof.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 AB's for INF Zavi Warren tonight. 3 rbi's. INF Isaac Collins stole a base when a pitch went into the dirt and off the catcher. Warren then hits a bloop liner into center CF. Shuckers lead 3-0.

Low mercifully got a double play ball to end his first frame. That was an ugly inning of work. These bouts of relief work or GS work when he just can't find the zone anywhere have become all too prevalent lately. I need to see that version that is ripping his stuff.

Meanwhile, INF Luis Urías just took an off-speed delivery over the wall in LF. Sounds pull ahead 5-1. You love to see that pep in Luis' bat. He needs it. And, you love to see the Sounds with a shot to take another here at Norfolk. Hiura just ripped a hard hit liner into LF for a two-out single here in the 7th. Hiura is having a really nice night at the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Alex Claudio finds much too much of the center of the plate on a one out 0-0 pitch. The Tides' batter rips a triple to the wall in deep left center. He then gives up a single to LF to a lefty. It's suddenly 5-3 Sounds. Claudio has definitely scuffled of late. He's getting hit around often in his recent outings. Sweet will pull him after 15 pitches. It appears as though we're going to see RHP Peter Strzelecki.

[Jenkins5]

19 minutes ago, damuelle said:

This young man (“Wiemer Junior”) belongs in Wisconsin. 

 

Luke should be in everyone’s top 8 by end of season. He is just a stud. Not huge fan of Weimer Junior thought. Bat may impact at same level. Both big & can move. So I get that part. However, Weimer can’t touch Adams plate discipline & contact abilities. 
 

Weimer was a career 11% Bb & 25% k, Adams is a 19% to 21%. Weimer was career 18% swing strike & Adams 9%. Adams career OBP is .080 higher than Weimer. Fact he is year & half to 2 years younger than Weimer was before he played his first game in minors makes it even more impressive, he’s just getting started!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Strez gets the double play ball but Hiura can't manage to scoop the rushed turn and throw just in the dirt to 1B. Two down. And the rain starts absolutely pouring down as they look to rush the tarp onto the field. 5-3 Sounds. Bottom of the 7th. 1-0 count. Man on first. Two down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Two walks in three batters here in Low's third inning of work. He now has four walks in 2 1/3 IP. The homeplate ump is calling an odd zone - missing two clear beautiful strikes in his work. But, that ump is certainly not responsible for Low's overall inability to find the zone. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Chourio just made a ridiculous catch in CF after stumbling in his release. Meanwhile Low and Diaz were robbed of a strike him out throw him out play at 3B. Do you think Adams knew he got the tag down in time? Ummmm, yeah. Just another day in the Minor Leagues.

[Joseph Zarr]

Here he is stumbling. And here he is impractically laying out for the catch. Unbelievable play. And, now, you get to see it replayed via the Bird...er....um I mean 'X' app:

 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

And after that infield ump blew that call at 3B, Low went back to famine to load the bases. I believe that's his 6th walk (?) in 2 2/3 IP. Meanwhile in the bullpen RHP Jose Chavez has literally thrown his first three pitches wide of his bullpen catcher. This is incredible DSL stuff we're seeing at Columbia from the Mudcats bullpen. LOL. And, another swinging strike on a wild pitch ball in the dirt. 3-of-4 Fireflies runs have been absolutely gifted by the Mudcats. 5-4. Precarious lead.

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Jace Avina has now doubled and tripled. As I said in yesterday's report: he is absolutely heating up. He's seeing the ball. He's smacking it around the diamond. His double was deep to the left CF wall. His triple was an oppo dart to the gap in right CF. He's on 3B. Two down. 1B Jesus Chirinos will try to knock him across. And, he will fail. He strikes out flailing at a ball in the dirt. That was a three pitch strikeout and it wasn't competitive. Mudcats will desperately try to maintain this 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 8th.

[Joseph Zarr]

The Mudcats bullpen staff must have seen enough of Chavez's warm-up😅. They quickly swapped out the talented RHP Yerlin Rodriguez to try and protect this lead. And, he is on the hill throwing bullets and beautiful off-speed stuff. Let's hope this lasts!

[Joseph Zarr]

Rodriguez gets the inning ending double play featuring a ricochet off his glove. A Guilarte scoop and step on the 2B bag. And a very nice scoop at 1B by Jesus Chirinos. On to the 9th. That's now 7 double plays executed between the two squads tonight. 

[Joseph Zarr]

I suggest the homeplate ump at Columbia review his strike zone after this one. Man, he's blown several very pretty strikes between Rodriguez and Low. 

[Joseph Zarr]

It was only appropriate Rodriguez got the Save inducing the 8th DP of the ball game. Mudcats win 5-4. IF the Shuckers can maintain their 7th inning 4-2 lead, we will witness a 5-0 organizational sweep. They called it at 7 innings in Norfolk as they gave the Sounds the victory. We'll take it!

[wiguy94]

21 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Rodriguez gets the inning ending double play featuring a ricochet off his glove. A Guilarte scoop and step on the 2B bag. And a very nice scoop at 1B by Jesus Chirinos. On to the 9th. That's now 7 double plays executed between the two squads tonight. 

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Yerlin Rodriguez is the next Abner Uribe and by that I mean international FA turned potential high leverage reliever prospect. His breaking ball looks absolutely disgusting. The break on it is so late and so sharp. He struck out that one Fireflies hitter with ease getting multiple swings that weren’t even close to being strikes 

[wiguy94]

Just now, Joseph Zarr said:

It was only appropriate Rodriguez got the Save inducing the 8th DP of the ball game. Mudcats win 5-4. IF the Shuckers can maintain their 7th inning 4-2 lead, we will witness a 5-0 organizational sweep. They called it at 7 innings in Norfolk as they gave the Sounds the victory. We'll take it!

Trusting the Shuckers bullpen to hold the lead. This could get stressful. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Injury Update:

Wes Clarke is catching in the bullpen. His arm. His elbow. And his hand are all fine. He's going to be back soon.

[Joseph Zarr]

3 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Trusting the Shuckers bullpen to hold the lead. This could get stressful. 

I didn't say anything as I feel like I've been beating that dead horse since...well...last summer? LOL. That was a really nice bit of work from LHP Nick Bennett to start the bullpen work. But, yeah, I am essentially on edge nearly every time a Shuckers bullpen arm is on the hill. Adventurous is the word I'll use.

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I didn't say anything as I feel like I've been beating that dead horse since...well...last summer? LOL. That was a really nice bit of work from LHP Nick Bennett to start the bullpen work. But, yeah, I am essentially on edge nearly every time a Shuckers bullpen arm is on the hill. Adventurous is the word I'll use.

Crazy how much things have changed since the beginning of the season when Uribe, Thompson, and Chirino were about as lockdown as it gets back there 

[Joseph Zarr]

Wouldn't be an end to a Brewers affiliate game without an ump just blowing a call. The home plate ump absolutely robs RHP Ryan Brady of a third strike looking to end the game. Except, he blew it. Men on first and second. The call is made to RHP Cam Robinson (gulp). Two down. The ump has to give him that strike for crying out loud. A beautifully executed pitch.

I mean, yeah, that's ball four. What a dweeb.

[Joseph Zarr]

Same ump robs RHP Cam Robinson of strike one on a gorgeous curveball on the inner stripe about belt high. He calls the outside strike on the next pitch and the crowd mockingly cheers. For good reason. Good grief!

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, it wouldn't be a Shuckers game without SS Freddy Zamora butchering another completely routine charging scoop. The runner down the 1B line was a heavy set guy too. Plenty of time to throw him out. Uncanny how many plays Zamora absolutely botches that are not that difficult given his athleticism. Instead of ending the game and saving the bullpen, Zamora's gaffe loads the bases. On the ensuing batter, Robinson allows a chopper up the middle under the glove of a diving Isaac Collins and we're knotted at 4-4. 

Zamora. He's just a heartbreaker at SS. I have seen that error (14th on his season - I would argue he actually has more) too many times. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Black lead-off smack shot double into deep LF past the diving 3B. Advances to 3B on a wild pitch. Chourio works the count to 3-1. Chourio walks. Men on the corners. Nobody out. Red hot INF Isaac Collins to the plate. The Barrons' pitching coach will head to the mound.