Wed. 4/3 - Nashville's Opening Week Continues, Biloxi Exhibition

[Joseph Zarr]

Junk gets the line out to LF for out numero uno. Junk then walks the next batter. Uncharacteristically wild outing for Junk here who only walked 44 batters in over 140 IP last season for the Sounds.

[Joseph Zarr]

He hangs another one on a dead center cut heater for another gapper blast to the wall. It bounced for a ground rule double, however. It's 4-1 Saints. One down. Runners on 2nd and 3rd. Lotta of mistake pitches in this inning in between a lot of balls.

[Joseph Zarr]

And, well, it was time to hang an off-speed pitch. Dead center cut hanging curve looped hard on a line out to shallow CF. 5-1 Saints. Runners on the corners. One down. Sounds have activity in the bullpen. Rough rough first outing for Junk. Two really rough innings can ruin a start.

[Joseph Zarr]

And after getting Mirands in front of an inside breaking ball for the 2nd out, manager Rick Sweet will cross the 3B line chalk and signal to the bullpen. It looks like we're going to see RHP Kevin Herget to try and give his team some meaingful innings and a chance to sneak back into this one.

[Joseph Zarr]

Herget impresses yet again. He strands two runners on a really nice change-up tailing in and then back away from the lefty bat. That's a nasty pitch. He gets out of the runners on 2nd and 3rd RISP jam for Junk and his team. Quality work. I like his demeanor.

[Joseph Zarr]

Tyler Black web gem snags a hard hit smash liner turned chopper at 1B. He's looking very natural at 1B in the early going. That was not an easy stab and grab. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Herget gets the weak chopper followed by two hard hit outs to escape unscathed for a 1-2-3 inning of work. Fine grab by Black. Fine run down by Roller in deep left CF. Sounds still trail 5-1 headed to their half of the 5th.

In the Sounds bullpen RHP Harold Chirino is warming up.

[Joseph Zarr]

Fourth time in Five frames, Boushley mows down the Sounds 1-2-3. Same ol' lovable effective Boushley. Sure would look fantastic in a Sounds jersey right about now😅

[Joseph Zarr]

My first live look at RHP Harold Chirino in 2024. Quickly falls to 3-0 (a beautiful sinker must have barely missed low). Gets the swing and miss on the second pitch. Gets the check swing strike on high heat. 3-2 count and he misses just low again on a 96 mph sinker. First batter walk. 

[Joseph Zarr]

THIS is prime example of how I simply do not trust the ABS zone or consistency. That is a strike at the knees. No doubt about it. That is directly over the zone. Called a ball. That's the third highly questionable ball this inning. The system just isn't 'science'. It's highly inconsistent. Not a fan. Let the umps call it and let the players challenge. That's the system. That was a beautiful pitch. Nonsense.

[Joseph Zarr]

No matter, Chirino adjusts (both he and Kahle have appeared flummoxed) and induces the DP. Two down.  Chirino seems to be sitting 95-96 on his sinker. Curve coming into focus. He gets the K to end his inning. Fine work. Fine work in his Home debut. Everything I loved about his arsenal previously is showing. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Capra just scalded a 102 mph liner. Great contact. Right at a shifted 2B just off the bag up the middle. Boushley leaves after 5 2/3 IP and 68 pitches. Great return outing for the Boz. 

[Joseph Zarr]

A Hinklen double to deep LF. A Roller shallow flare liner to RF. We have Sounds runners on 1st and 3rd with one down for 2B Isaac Collins. Sounds still trail 5-1.

[Joseph Zarr]

Collins 3-run Oppo BLAST creeps over the wall in LF. WOW. That's my guy right there! It's suddenly a 5-4 deficit. That puppy just snuck out over the 330 marker. Beautiful swing. We have a ball game folks. Let's go!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Also, this just in:

I like OF/DH Brewer Hicklen a lot. He's a gamer. No wasted movement in his compact powerful swing. I personally think we have something here. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

My first look at LHP Jared Koenig. He looked fantastic. Just tickling the zone. Sitting 93-95 with really interesting off-speed movement. Another lefty in the bullpen who looks like he could give some purposeful innings moving forward. Fantastic work striking out the side in the 8th frame. He overmatched each batter with ease and poise.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

How bad is it going for OF Joey Wiemer? Nothing is picking up steam. Not even a 106 mph liner straight up the middle off the pitchers upper arm. It caroms directly to the SS who fires to 1B on the hop and he's out by a couple steps. When you're slumping, you're slumping. It just takes work to get out of it. Man. It just does.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wiemer is not only struggling at the plate...he just committed his second uncharacteristic gaffe in the outfield. He just absolutely botched a casual foul ball out to RF. AND, what does that mean? Next pitch a liner RBI to LF.

Wiemer is costing dearly in his slump. That's two misplays in the OF grass tonight (only one credited error). And, then nobody covers 2B and Miranda takes another base as the ball just falls dead on the IF grass. That was a ridiculous drop by Wiems. Ugh. He is in the doldrums. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Holub responds with grace and gets the K on a splitter to a lefty. Should be 5-4. Sounds trail 6-4. At least that run was unearned. Boy was it ever. Ugly stuff, Wiems. Clean it up. Trust the process and the results will follow.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hicklen walks on four pitches after the lead-off Tyler Black K. He steals 2B. A WP sends him to 3B. Collins walks. We have the winning run at home plate. Runners on the corners. Two down. It will be OF Chavez Young (2-of-3).

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, another wild pitch scores Hicklen (Hey Mr. Wiemer, that foul ball casual drop sure was costly). Collins to 2B. Tying run into scoring position. A 2-2 count after Young fouls it down the 1B side.

[Joseph Zarr]

Fantastic AB by Young. He fouled off several. He takes the free pass. Men on first and second. Two down. Last night's hero Yonny Hernandez to the dish. Whewww another entertaining affair.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hernandez works a 3-0 count for the walk. Bases are juiced. Nick Kahle to the plate and the Saints are making a call to their bullpen. Kahle takes a splitter for strike one. He lunges at pitch two and pops up weakly to the grass just beyond the infield dirt between 1B and 2B. That's a wrap. The difference, in the end, appears to be Wiemer's dropped foul ball out. Sounds lose 6-5.

[Joseph Zarr]

Norfolk, who has 4 of the top 5 RBI producers in the International League scored 26 runs beating Charlotte 26-11. Imagine plating 7 runs and not being the leading RBI producer. Shhhhhhheeeeeeesh. SO much talent on that Norfolk squad. 

I mean:

Quote

Kjerstad is batting .583 (14-for-24) with four homers and 18 RBIs in five games, while Stowers is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with five homers and 14 RBIs. Holliday, a son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with two homers and eight RBIs for the Tides, who are off to a 4-1 start. Holliday, a 20-year-old middle infielder, was the top pick in the 2022 amateur draft.

There's starting a season hot and there's volcanic.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh, and this just in:

Brock Wilken smashed...