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

[Joseph Zarr]

112 mph line drive double down the RF line from Ernesto Martinez Jr. Breaking that massive 0-for-8 mini slump 😆

[Joseph Zarr]

Now I see a Guilarte K swinging and Baez picked off 2B off the K. AND, Martinez Jr. picked off 2B after the lead-off double. 

Ugly. Come on men. Fundamentals.

[wiguy94]

Has been a really rough start to the year for a lot of our more highly regarded prospects. 
 

Misiorowski - velo is down and his command has been dreadful

Quero - Torn labrum and out for year

Black - Really bad start to the year defensively 

Gasser - started year on IL

Wilken - HBP in face and had multiple facial fractures 

Rodriguez - command has been dreadful 

Lara - slow start with the bat

Pratt - fractured pinky finger on slide 

EBJ - Potential shoulder injury

Thankfully a lot of the less regarded prospects have been phenomenal to start the year. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Root with his first BB of the evening with two down in the bottom of the 5th. He is now 0-2, however, on the next batter. 

As an aside, Diaz has been fantastic fielding sliders off the plate tonight. Both Corniel and Root have been in the dirt a couple times and Diaz has scooped them all. Root has 5 K to 1 BB in 2 IP. Fantastic stuff. Great bounce back.

[markedman5]

Mis with 5 walks through 3 innings………very disappointing that his command has not improved at all as of yet.

[Joseph Zarr]

Yeah, we're back to not knowing what we're getting any time Miz throws a pitch. He also threw three WP's in that inning. Two heaters way inside Miller couldn't corral. Then a curveball in the dirt that bounced up above Miller as he blocked it. He's sitting 95-97 mph. We haven't seen the 98-100's.

[Joseph Zarr]

Boy the umps in Augusta have had some rough moments tonight. The homeplate zone extends about 4-6" off the stripe at any moment. The infield ump has missed some check calls and just blew a call at 1B when Briceno clearly beat the throw. They gave them the DP but the Mudcats scored an insurance run. 5-3. Bottom 6. Two down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Eduardo Garcia was hit twice yesterday. In his first AB today, he gets smacked on the hand up and in. NOT happy. 

[wiguy94]

4 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Yeah, we're back to not knowing what we're getting any time Miz throws a pitch. He also threw three WP's in that inning. Two heaters way inside Miller couldn't corral. Then a curveball in the dirt that bounced up above Miller as he blocked it. He's sitting 95-97 mph. We haven't seen the 98-100's.

Yeah it's about as discouraging as a start as you could get from Misiorowski so far. The command has shown zero improvement in the early going and the velo is way down.

[wiguy94]

Nice to see Rodriguez end up with a respectable start after going BB-HR to start the game.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Nice to see Rodriguez end up with a respectable start after going BB-HR to start the game.

Yeah. It twas. AND, he still isn't dialed in. Just not locating. Fighting his stuff by my eyes. Hopefully, moving forward, he'll be able to locate the outer parts of the zone.

[Joseph Zarr]

My second viewing of RHP KC Hunt. My second time walking to the kitchen thinking: We have something here. He feels like a raw set of potential. Happy we have him in the system.

[wiguy94]

7 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Yeah. It twas. AND, he still isn't dialed in. Just not locating. Fighting his stuff by my eyes. Hopefully, moving forward, he'll be able to locate the outer parts of the zone.

Was nice to see the velo hold extremely well. His last FB of the day was 94.5mph

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Was nice to see the velo hold extremely well. His last FB of the day was 94.5mph

On this we agree. Velo held 94-95. It was the location that haunted him early. He was fighting himself. We've yet to see a complete start. As to your earlier point, however, it is very nice to see him hold it together regardless. And eat some starter innings. 

[Joseph Zarr]

I'm mainly talking aabout location in general and his struggles locating that off-speed consistently. Case and point the pitch 1 curveball about 4' high and outside the zone to open the 6th. Just not locating.

[Joseph Zarr]

I am going to ride-or-die with a guy who responds to my plaudits with a go-ahead two run rocket, a single, and a BB in his first 3 AB's. I just love Kay-Lan Nicasia. He is essentially becoming a 'my guy' before my eyes. He sneaks up on you. Fantastic defender. Great arm. The bat is truly arriving before our eyes. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Black just is a net negative defender wherever you put him. I absolutely hate to say it. He gives us moments. BUT, there's just no consistency and he struggles to make the key play on a near everytime basis - in the 6th he failed to snare a 99 mph liner (not an easy play) and then left Cappra out high-and-dry on a one-hop scoop play at 1B. You can say: he needs reps. Fair. BUT, it's a legitimate problem where ever he has played. AND, I absolutely understand manager Pat Murphy's comments this past ST.

[Joseph Zarr]

Shuckers had a huge opportunity in the 4th frame. 2-2 game. Miller walks and the bases are juiced with one down. 

Garcia proceeds to swing and miss K on 4 pitches on a curveball high and in (a vintage Garcia AB of old, if we're being honest). Campbell proceeds to K looking on an inside 94 mph heater. 

This is the Shuckers offense in the early going of 2024. The struggle is very real.

[Joseph Zarr]

Mudcats win 7-3. Bullpen fantastic. Yophery is experiencing a mini slump - hitless in both contests. Thankfully, he can take the occasional free pass. 

[wiguy94]

Shane Smith lost the strike zone and the Lookouts have the lead on a bases loaded HBP on a 3-1 count.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Shane Smith lost the strike zone and the Lookouts have the lead on a bases loaded HBP on a 3-1 count.

So far, early in 2024 this definitely isn't 2023 RHP Shane Smith. He's been out of sorts in his last two outings. Oddly, he is currently a 'weak link' in a shutdown bullpen. Strange to say given what we saw in 2023!

[Joseph Zarr]

Silver Lining in early 2024: LHP Adam Seminaris has been fantastic out of the bullpen. You love it when a young arm takes to a new role and crushes it from the get go. 

[wiguy94]

Darrien Miller with a passed ball allowing another run in 4-2 Lookouts which will probably be enough for the win with Biloxi's offense.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Darrien Miller with a passed ball allowing another run in 4-2 Lookouts which will probably be enough for the win with Biloxi's offense.

Hard to disagree. These bats are pretty rough right now. And, that's being polite.

[Joseph Zarr]

3 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Darrien Miller with a passed ball allowing another run in 4-2 Lookouts which will probably be enough for the win with Biloxi's offense.

Miller really had a rough game behind the dish. I am unsure every WP to Misiorowski was on him. Miller continues to be a bit slow laterally and we can laud his improvements behind the dish, sure, but he still struggles with the arm. I want to love him more - he's a super likable young man who has his moments. But, I also watch these games regularly. I'll leave it at that.

I also go back to the Shuckers bases loaded scene in the 4th:

Two just really poor AB's from Garcia and Campbell. They'll both want those back. Just poor AB's in a key spot. The bullpen was left, once again, to hold fort for anemic bats.