Wed. 7/10: T-Rats Have the Daylight Action to Themselves

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Actually it was the Arizona Fall League of that season.

That's right. He came back and played the AFL. Forgot about that. Thanks for that deep dive nugget!

[Ro Mueller]

23-year old Tyler Black (.868 OPS in 275 PAs for AAA Nashville) makes his first outfield appearance since late 2022, as the Sounds shoot for a 2-0 home series advantage over Iowa. RHP Joe Ross makes his 2nd MILB rehab start (2.2 IP, 0 ER with 1 K for Wisconsin last week). 

[Joseph Zarr]

I almost wonder - wonder, I say - if Black's random CF action isn't related to some early Trade Talks. Just throwing it out there. I have absolutely zero clue if this is remotely true. But, it certainly makes one pause and contemplate if only briefly.

[Joseph Zarr]

Delayed start in Fredericksburg. Will report back when I know more. Looking at the radar some severe thunderstorms going on. May be a tricky game to get in tonight. We shall see.

[Joseph Zarr]

We are underway in Chattanooga. Pitch one is a shallow pop fly foul in 3B foul territory. O'Rae kept on trucking will be a bit before he gets back to the dish. 

[Joseph Zarr]

A very uneventful 3-up and 3-down first frame for the Shuckers. Ground out to 2B. Fly out to CF. Ground out to 3B. On to the bottom half.

[Joseph Zarr]

We have another 'behind home plate' camera angle going early in Chattanooga. We haven't had a single look from behind the mound. Let's hope this doesn't last. Can't even track the ball to home plate. Wichrowski gets a four pitch swinging K to open the first frame. Have no idea where that pitch landed. Ugh.

[Joseph Zarr]

Clean 1-2-3 sub-10 pitch inning for Wichrowski. Given the camera angle and distance, I literally didn't see a single pitch. I heard contact. I saw swings and misses. My cursed Double-A viewing season continues in beautiful Chattanooga? Come on, now. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The first Shuckers hit of the game comes off the bat of Connor Scott. About a 30 mph drippler up the 3B line that stopped short of the bag. Noice! Men on 1st and 2nd. Hall then blooped a single into very shallow right field. Bases are now juiced. One down (EBJ pop out to 1B foul territory). Warren will try to do some early damage here.

[Joseph Zarr]

They just sang ea beautiful Natty Anthem in Nashville. Jeff Hem on the call. They are announcing starting line-ups.

[Joseph Zarr]

Warren walks on four straight called balls. 1-0 Shuckers. Bases still juiced.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ross first pitch 96 mph heater on the outer black. Swing and miss. Pitch 2 an inside heater 94 mph fouled back. 0-2 count. He goes upstairs and high on a 94 mph heater. 1-2 count. A low and in slider. The batter lays off. 2-2 count. Fly out to Roller in LF. Next batter: line drive line out Black corrals in left CF - shadowed to that side. And another fly out to shallow LF. Three up. Three down. 7 pitches.

[Joseph Zarr]

A sac fly plates another. 2-0 Shuckers. The runner was caught in a run down between second and third for the final out. On to the bottom of the 2nd. 2-0 lead.

[wiguy94]

Joey Wiemer is stupidly locked in right now. Would be awesome if this great start to July was the start of him figuring things out

[Joseph Zarr]

7 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Joey Wiemer is stupidly locked in right now. Would be awesome if this great start to July was the start of him figuring things out

Indeed. Hence why I elaborated on his July in last night's report. Tempered excitement. BUT, I'm just happy for him more than anything.

[Joseph Zarr]

*** He's referring to an opening inning effortless 100 mph deep fly ground-rule double on an outside breaking ball. Just a beautiful piece of hitting. Nothing overdone whatsoever. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Wichrowski does indeed look fantastic early. Two scorless. He did give up a single through the RH side with Warren shadowing the line. 

Sounds stranded Wiems at 3B.

[Joseph Zarr]

OF Chris Roller: very good defensive OF'er. Man, he can cover a lot of ground and has a fantastic glove. He gets the first out in the 2nd sprinting down a deep fly to the LF warning track. Clean grab.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ross grabs 2 K to end his 2nd rame. Sinker is sitting 94-96. Slider dropping in 85 mph range. He looks very comfortable and effortless. Fantastic to see. 0-0 and we head to the bottom of the 2nd.

[Joseph Zarr]

After Darrien Miller pops out to shallow SS, EBJ pokes a 2-out line drive to shallow CF for another RBI sending Cargo across. 3-0 Shuckers early. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The Mudcats game is officially postponed. Boo hiss. 

[Joseph Zarr]

A reach poke 2-out single up the middle with runners on 1st and 2nd has the Lookouts aboard. 3-1 game. That was a professional piece of hitting. 0-2 count. Certainly not a bad pitch. Just a better piece of skilled hitting. Both runners then advance on a very WP from Wichrowski. 

Meanwhile, Ross suffers a defelction single off his glove. He then gives up a shallow poke to LF. Follows that with a K. His 3rd through 2 1/3 IP. He then gets a weak groundout to SS. Tow down. Runners on 2nd and 3rd. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Wichrowski gets away with a hanging 3-1 heater top of the zone. Instead it is a harmless but hard hit line out to deep LF shy of the warning track. Phew. Not a clean inning for Wichrowski. Ultimately, however, he got out with only a single run allowed. 3-1 Shuckers on to the 4th. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Pitch count at 40, Ross begins the 4th. 2-0 Sounds lead.

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now 2B Dylan O'Rae just smacked a double down the LF line and plates 2. That's a 5-1 Shuckers lead.

AND, well, just like that Tyler Black made a very difficult run-down catch look routine. You love to see it. He caught it on a sprint in the deepest part of right CF. Ross gets the ground out, then, to end it. 46 pitches and he'll hit the showers. Great rehab outing. Junk will come aboard to try and finish this inning. The plan is to bridge him to LHP Aaron Ashby, I believe.