Wed. 7/3: Just the Full-Season Teams (Evening Action)

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

The great - KC Hunt has 7 strikeouts during 3 shutout innings

The not great - KC Hunt needed 60 pitches to get through said 3 shutout innings

Strikeouts have a cost. Hunt is willing to pay that tab. With the amount of 'chase me' off-speed offerings he has, I personally find it unsurprising he'll have outings where he has elevated pitch counts.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wichrowski. First time seeing him live in a month. Same thing sticks out: very raw. Lotta tools in the kit, obviously, given the number of pitches and looks he can offer. However, very little refinement to his overall offerings. We are on the journey, very much, nowhere near the destination. AND, he's 21 years old. This isn't all that surprising.

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh hey. RHP Chad Patrick 4 IP. No runs. 2 H (including a double that nearly made it over the LF wall). 5 K. Man, he has been such a workhorse for the Sounds. 

[Joseph Zarr]

EBJ snaps his 0-for-15 skid at the dish with a reach single to LF. Let's hope that opens the flood gates. Finally, someone hit Braun's slider. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Brewer Hicklen. Bomb. What did I tell you? It was simply going to take time to find that rhythm. He just crushed a cutter high over the deep LF wall. Boom. 2-0 Sounds baby. Sixth hit of the game. First XBH.

[Joseph Zarr]

Here's a take:

RHP Brett Wichrowksi's delivery very very much resembles a RHP version of LHP Robert Gasser - if he only raised his glove. It's kind of uncanny. Extreme resemblances across the board in everything pre-delivery in terms of appearance and pace. Having a really nice 3rd frame. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Figueroa having an incredible outing in relief. 2 IP. 0 R. 5 K. Hopefully, he gets a chance to close the 9th. Rock solid stuff. Muddies lead 2-1. Top of 9.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wichrowski shows it all striking out the side on the slider in the 3rd frame. Glorious stuff. What an inning. 

[Joseph Zarr]

14 pitch 4th frame for Hunt. He grabbed his 8th K for good measure. 

AND, in an incredible season, this may be the best I've seen from RHP Chad Patrick. Just absolutely dealing through 5 scoreless frames. My goodenss.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Aidan Maldonado will spell Figueroa in the bottom of the 9th. The Muddies will try to take this one 2-1 and move the series to a 1-2 deficit. Big inning!

[wiguy94]

Aidan Maldonado comes in for the save for Carolina and 2 pitches later it's a tie game.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Aidan Maldonado comes in for the save for Carolina and 2 pitches later it's a tie game.

Yup. Just saw the first batter long ball. Ouch. 2-2 game. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Maldonado prevented further damage. Two K. And a single to RF but the runner is thrown out at 2B trying to stretch it by Luis Castillo. Whewww.

Muddies will have to try and take this in Xtras.

Meanwhile, in Beloit Garcia just grabbed an RBI in a fielder's choice. Valerio scores. 2-0 T-Rats. Sky Carp are lacking a tally in a certain column. Fifth frame.

[Joseph Zarr]

Blaack shows his inexperience at 1B by botching an opening ground out to lead off the sixth into a single because he fails to toss the ball to Patrick covering in stride. That 'should' be an error. It will likely be scored a hit. Sigh. He has to simply understand who the batter is and get rid of the ball to Patrick who had a step on Victor Scott II. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Patrick induces a DP - line drive fly out to Dorrian at 3B who tosses to Black with Scott II leading off on contact. That's two down. They escape the misplay for the time being.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wiemer has mishandled two very routine scoop and transfers here in the sixth frame possibly both resulting in runners advancing to 3B. Just sloppy sloppy routine work. This is the stuff that has seen his once promising career fall into an afterthought. It's one thing to be struggling at the dish - this is the obvious low hanging fruit - but it's another to consistently regress defensively. He has to be cleaner in every facet of his game. Sigh.

Sounds lead 2-1. Patrick will be pulled for Kuhnel who will come aboard with two down and runners on the corners. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Muddies managed to plate 2 in the top of the 10th. They lead 4-2. David García with the big knock.

[Joseph Zarr]

Kuhnel with a fantastic piece of work. He escapes the threat on a gorgeous inner black K looking to escape the sixth inning threat. 2-1 Sounds on to the 7th.

[Joseph Zarr]

43 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

The great - KC Hunt has 7 strikeouts during 3 shutout innings

The not great - KC Hunt needed 60 pitches to get through said 3 shutout innings

The very good:

Hunt is on the hill to start the 6th frame

[Joseph Zarr]

10th K swinging for RHP K.C. Hunt to open the 6th. At 90 pitches, he's going to hit the showers. What an incredible outing. Just. A. STUD. 

Muh Man. 

I mean, I've been showering his praises since his very very early relief outings in Low-A Carolina.

Proud Minor League Prospect Papa over here!

[Joseph Zarr]

Down East has pulled within 4-3 on a one out single to RF. AND, it would appear Luis Castillo is charged with a fielding error as the runner advanced to 2B. Gotta be clean in this winning moments. Let's hope they can escape with the 'W'!

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, Muddies WIN! Ok. Let's go, men! 4-3 'W'. Love to see it. Whewwwww.

[Joseph Zarr]

Routine error for Brock Wilken to open the 5th frame. Hard chopper. Glove hand side. Chest high. Just botched it. Lead-off runner aboard for Wrichowski for the 2nd inning in a row.

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, shiver me timbers Mr. Wilken. Thanks for the error. An absolute web gem 6-4-3 DP EBJ to Martin to Martinez Jr. Glove flip across the body from EBJ. Just one of those classic DP web gems. My goodness. Two down. Huge play as the next batter ripped a 108 mph single to LF off a hanging slider. 0-0 game top of 5.

[Joseph Zarr]

WIchrowski ends the inning with a 90 mph slider on the outer black to end the threat. Heck of a pitch. He looks fantastic now that he's settled in.