Wed. 5/15: Three Matinees, Then Shuckers Play Two in the Evening

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, Joseph Zarr said:

After another high heater misses outside for a 2-0 count, Miller throws an accurate dart right to the glove in the basepath to Murray covering 2B. Beautiful throw from Miller. Atta way! That's the first out. 

Miller seems to have seriously improved his arm this offseason.

[Joseph Zarr]

 A momentum building dart from Miller as Blalock gets to 0-2 and then throws a gorgeous outer stripe heater to get the batter looking. None the less, Blalock is still fighting his accuracy and location early in this outing. He starts 3-0 on the next batter, a lefty. He then gets a foul ball to RF foul territory. A fould on an outside heater behind the dish and into the stands. BUT, great work to work the full count and EBJ makes a web gem Willie Mayes style grab sprinting back into No Man's land to grab the out casually. That was an incredibly difficult play. EBJ made it look like a walk in the park. Fantastic. 1-0 and we are on to the 3rd frame.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Miller seems to have seriously improved his arm this offseason.

Absolutely. He started showing signs last year he had gotten to an acceptable floor. But, to your point, he's taken it to another level. That was a fantastic pop and an absolute accurate dart in a perfect location. Beat the runner by a good 3' at that. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Three up. Three down. I believe the Shuckers took a whopping 4 pitches that frame. Two first pitch outs for Campbell (weak grounder to SS) and EBJ (first pitch heater pop fly to CF for an easy out). On to the bottom half at 1-0 Shuckers. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Two AB's for Darrien Miller. Two poor results. The pop out to shallow RF on a very hittable Sac Fly scenario. He then strikes out on a heater up and in nowhere near the strikezone with Cargo and Wilken on 1st and 2nd, respectively. Murray then grounds out weakly to 3B. On to the bottom of the 4th. 1-0 Shuckers.

[Joseph Zarr]

After Blalock's 4th K, he sees an outer half change-up (? May have been a heater) moon shot just over the wall in RF. That ball hung in the air forever. Dirden then catches a ball on the RF warning track. The ball certainly seems to be carrying to RF. Neither one of those felt as though they should have carried that far. 

Anyhow, 1-1 game headed to the 5th. Remember this is a 7 inning double header. Runs are precious.

[Joseph Zarr]

Well this Shuckers juggernaut of an offense is certainly meeting their early season reputation. Just sleepy uninspired AB after sleepy uninspired AB. There just doesn't appear to be any life to this team at present. Show some gusto on the diamond, men! Your starter is giving you a fighting chance to win this and we are seeing way too many swings at pitches outside the zone. Blalock K's his 5th here in the 5th for his second out of the inning on an upstairs heater - got the batter chasing. 1-1. Two down. Bottom of the 5th. What's scary here in Blalock's outing is (and the body language seems to agree) he isn't particularly consistent or sharp. He's been timely and fought through some counts to finish AB's. He gives up a single to RF past the diving 2B Ethan Murray for a two out single. That's the Brave's 3rd hit of their evening. He will now face another lefty. The runner takes 2nd - largely because EBJ dropped another solid throw from Miller. Man on 2nd. 0-1 count. Two down.

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ makes up for the bang-bang drop with another fantastic play from SS. He charges a weak dribbling broken bat grounder away from his body to 3B side (he was covering 2B). He charges. Scoops. And throws accurately across his body to get the final out at 1B. Heck of a play. 1-1 and we head to the 6th.

[Joseph Zarr]

These Shuckers hitters have nothing for Waldrep's 500 some RPM splitter. BUT, Boeve breaks the code with a fantastic piece of 2 strike hitting. Another splitter but this one was too much of the plate. He pokes it to LF. Wilken then pops out to RF foul terriotry on the first pitch. One down. Boeve at first. Cargo (2-for-2 so far) to the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

Cargo is now 3-for-3 with an oppo single to the LF grass through the SS/3B gap. Miller will look to atone for two weak AB's so far. He takes strike 1 on an inside 87 slider. He is gifted a ball on a heater on the outside corner (was a strike according to the Robozone). He fouls 1B side. 1-2 count. He stays off a pitch in the dirt. 2-2. Much better AB so far. Good fight. Good patience. Fouls an off-speed pitch on the high outside corner. He fouls off another pitch - a fastball center cut. Hittable pitch. Good foul, regardless. He fights off a tough outside splitter. Much better AB, as I said. Great fight. AND, he goes down swinging again on a pitch off the plate and in. The splitter. As I said, the Shuckers bats outside Cargo and Boeve have zero answers to that pitch. Two down.

[Joseph Zarr]

And Murray hits about a 40 mph cue shot directly to 1B. These Shuckers bats are just...ouch. To the bottom of the 6th.

[Joseph Zarr]

As I've said, despite Blalock pitching through 5 1/3 IP with 5 K, he's battling himself throughout. He was up 0-2. Threw two pitches in the dirt. Threw a ball high and outside. Hung a heater dead center in a 3-2 count and it's roped as a single to the LF grass. A liner. His body language is indicative. He's fighting. He's battling for the team. He's gotten solid results. AND, he isn't particularly sharp regardless. A testament to his skill.

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, just as I say that he gets the first pitch DP ball. 4-6-3 twin killing. Heck of a performance from a guy who still has yet to unearth his full potential. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Warren goes down on, wait for it, another low 500's  RPM (almost a knuckleball) splitter down and in. As I've said, 7-out of-9 Shuckers hitters have absolutely zero answers for the splitter. He is sprinkling in a slider to boot. and a mid 90's heater. One down. Dirden K's on a high heater now. 5th and 6th K's. These AB's are just not competitive at all. These Shuckers hitters are searching for a clue.

[sveumrules]

Carlos Rodriguez (the outfielder) might be the best single prospect that illustrates how much the depth of the system has improved over the last few years.

Back before the pandemic and as recently as 2022 when he put up a 114 wRC+ at Wisco before a season ending injury he would get some votes in the teens and back end of BF Top 20.

Now he’s posting a 134 wRC+ at Biloxi (before today’s 3-3) and probably won’t get a single vote.

[Joseph Zarr]

Campbell swings twice and misses on, wait for it: splitters. Waldrep strikes out the side as Campbell absolutely flails at another splitter off the plate and about a foot off the ground. Gross AB. Absolutely overmatched. 

All this being said, obviously Waldrep has massive tools. AND, these AB's are extremely weak outside of Boeve and Cargo. They are flailing. Outclassed.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Sam Gardner spells Blalock to start the Braves bottom of the 7th (final regulation inning). The Braves will try to squeak out a walk-off. The Shuckers bats just want a different pitcher after they flunked their class. 

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ makes another sprinting difficult catch sprinting into shallow middle LF. He once again made it look easy. Heck of a play. Not a basket catch. A very tough catch none the less. One down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ grabs the second out skillfully scooping a one-hop hard hit liner in the dirt at SS. Throws accurately across the diamond. Two down. Gardner's off-speed is very sharp so far. Getting several check swing strikes. 0-2 to his last batter he gets a reach chopper to the 3B side of the mound. Gardner corrals it and throws just in time. We are headed to the top of the 8th. 1-1 game. 

[Joseph Zarr]

And, unfortunately, the Shuckers are going to face Waldrep to start the inning. Let's hope he randomly tired in the dugout. Campbell will start at 2B as Manfred's Man.

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ gets the bad luck. He ripped a 1-0 hanging breaking ball right to the SS. Campbell adeptly gets back to 2B just in time. Whewww. Replay may have shown he was out. Boeve lines out to shallow CF. Another low pitch inning for Waldred so far - a common theme throughout for these Shuckers. Hence, Waldrep is pitching into the 8th. Waldrep has set a career high 7 2/3 IP. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Wilken grounds out weakly to SS. Shuckers didn't even advance the runner. It would be funny if it weren't so predictable. Sigh. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Gardner will try to make it through this inning unscathed. His team gave him absolutely zero momentum to work with. Let's hope he rises to the challenge.

[Joseph Zarr]

Here's the Shuckers season in a nutshell. 

Gardner is at a favorable 2-2 count on his first batter. EBJ then causes a five minute contact delay (something in his eye? contact out of sorts?). Gardner then misses high and outside. Gardner throws a ball in the dirt. Miller blocks it 1B side AND the runner advances to 3B on the play. Can't happen.

Next pitch? Sac fly to Dirden who takes a poor angle and throws with zero momentum. Ball game. Shuckers lose 2-1.

Just the season we are currently in with this team. I am bypassing game 2. Hopefully, they can turn a corner without me. I have too many things to do on farm to struggle watching these Shuckers tilts. 🥲

[biedergb]

Carlos Rodriguez doesn't get as much hype because 1) he's repeating AA; 2) he feels like he's been in the system for a decade; 3) limited power.

How is his defense? I didn't see him much in the last 4 innings that I watched.