Wed. 4/17 - T-Rats Make-up Rain-Out with Mid-Day Double-Header; Evening Tilts For the Rest

[Joseph Zarr]

Another hanger from Corniel hit to dead center and Yophery seemed to misread the ball (?) and broke late. Triple. Lead-off. Zero down. Corniel is not all that sharp early.

[Joseph Zarr]

Very well done by Corniel to escape without a run. A pop fly to foul terriotry behind home plate. 2 K's swinging on much better located slider and breaking ball. Great recovery. 3 K's through 2 IP. However, he is already into the mid 40's pitch count. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Rodriguez and Miz first batters: walks. 

[Joseph Zarr]

0-1 pitch to next batter and Massey launches one over the RF wall. 2-0 Omaha - that was a fastball middle-in. Not a good pitch. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Rodriguez's issue right now appears to be location. Location. Location. He just isn't sharp. He is struggling to locate the outer half. And, with a line-up filled with lefty bats he is finding balls hitting center cut.

[Joseph Zarr]

Miz works around 2 walks getting the ground out to 1B. It's a scoreless first frame.

Meanwhile, Black at 1B again, takes a first pitch oppo liner single to LF. BA above 0.300 now.

[Joseph Zarr]

Corniel had two down and the bases empty. He walked two. Then on a 1-2 count hung another slider. It's actually a plus pitch. BUT, not when you're hanging it dead center cut. Mudcats now trail 3-0 in the 3rd. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Chavez Young makes a fantastic run down play down the RF line. Spins and throws a dime and nabs the runner by 6'. Really nice play. Really nice throw. Nice corral and tag by Monasterio. Rodriguez continues to get hit, however, early.

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ may have slightly injured himself diving back to the 1B bag twice here in the first inning. He stayed in and stole 2B. Then, in a hit and run scenario, was thrown out at 2B after rounding 3B on a weak flare fly out to 1B foul territory. We'll have to monitor going forward. He was slow to get up twice and was working on that right shoulder.

[Joseph Zarr]

Tayden Hall lead-off line drive single to CF now has a six game hit streak. Let's get a mini rally here, boys. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Miz with a gorgeous 84 mph curve dotting the outer corner to a lefty gets his 2nd punch out here in the 2nd. Still 0-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh no. AND EBJ is now down and hunched over. Ughhhh.

[Joseph Zarr]

OK, this is what I was talking about above. Those dive backs to 1B were a problem. He worked through it. Then he made a fantastic charging scoop of a weak dribbler past the mound and made an uber-athletic sidearm toss to 1B for the out. IMMEDIATELY hunched over and clearly in pain injured. He's leaving the game after the trainer visited he noticeably shook his head in disgust.

UGH. I am SO over these dang injuries to marquis players! COME ONE!

[Joseph Zarr]

1:24:10 on the MiLB.TV replay is the play described above. HOWEVER, you'll want to go back to the inning before when he walked to 1B as discussed above. That's where it really happened.

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, FOLKS 

Who is telling you about Kay-Lan Nicasia?!? THIS guy. 105 mph off the bat absolutely launched over the RF wall for a two-run jack.

This just in:

I kind of know ball. Just sayin'.

[wiguy94]

Glad you noticed it looked like he was uncomfortable on those dives back to 1B. I didn't really see anything on the groundout, so I worry it's a shoulder issue from those slides. These injuries need to stop.

[Joseph Zarr]

Javik Blake is a bit unaware in his call here. He clearly didn't see what I saw (he is further up in the booth) with EBJ. Those dive backs did something to the shoulder. He stayed in. Then he really found out what happened to that shoulder in the throw.

I'm just in pain for this young man. He was once again showing all his weaponry in this game. Speed on the basepaths. Way underrated defense. Athleticism. This looks like another freak injury related to a, you guessed it, a dive back to 1B. 

I just can't. This is painful. This young man deserves so much better.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Glad you noticed it looked like he was uncomfortable on those dives back to 1B. I didn't really see anything on the groundout, so I worry it's a shoulder issue from those slides. These injuries need to stop.

Yeah, my friend. Does not look good. I noticed it on the two dive backs and was already worried. Was thinking to myself: we're going to find out if he has a throw here. And, man, it just sucks. Absolutely sucks. I'm seriously hurting for this young man. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Meanwhile...

In Augusta: The Mudcats just took the lead on a Blayberg Diaz oppo triple - really smacked a high outside oppo heater - and he is awarded home plate after the throw to 3B goes beyond and hits the foul nets. 4-3 Mudcats!

[Joseph Zarr]

Going back to watch EBJ's first inning now. I missed that he was also hit on his elbow pad in his AB. I mistakenly said he walked (had gone to the bathroom).

[Joseph Zarr]

SO, first dive back is: 1:15:11

This is clearly uncomfortable already for him. He is very slow to get up. You can see he likely cursed himself here. Honestly, looking at this I wouldn't even be surprised if he did something like hairline fractured his clavicle en lieu of some type of shoulder thing. He hit that ground hard. He's slow to get up and Javik even says: "He's moving his arm in a circle."

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Bayden Root looking much better tonight. 2 K already. Walks have previously been his issue (8 in 3IP coming in). He is looking sharp. He gets another K looking to end his frame. You love to see it. He was very confident out there to boot. LET'S GO YOUNG MAN!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

OK, EBJ second dive back in the inning occurs right around 1:16:58. Diving back again he once again is clearly in pain and hunched over immediately after the dive. Just didn't look good first time through. Doesn't look good now. Sigh. He's clearly working on his shoulder briefly. He managed to steal 2B but this is a slide dominated by the glove side arm so the weight and stress is taken off the throwing arm. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Meanwhile, Rodriguez gave up another long ball. His 2nd surrendered tonight. Change-up it appeared. Dead center. Pratto hits his 2nd long ball in as many nights. 3-0 Sounds trail.

[Joseph Zarr]

Tyler Black triple now to the deepest part of right CF. Just a routine reach poke flare liner triple to the gap. LOL. Amazing.