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

[Joseph Zarr]

With the fear Darrien Miller might pop up another sky high infield pop out, the Shuckers execute a successful double steal. O'Rae takes home plate. 6-1 Shuckers. Miller gets away with a sky high pop fly to 3B foul territory. Very trackable but the 3B couldn't find it before it fell to the dirt. He grounds out very weakly to 3B after working the count full. On to the bottom of the 4th. That was a long frame. 

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Aaron Ashby brings his 7.97 ERA and 2.07 WHIP to the hill. Let's hope we get a good version of the roller coaster ride. Sounds lead 2-0. Top of the 5th.

[Joseph Zarr]

A lead-off three bagger begins the bottom of the 4th frame. Looked like an absolute botch job by the LF'er - Adam Hall - there. He got to the ball. Had it. Liner. AND, raised his glove late and it caromed to the wall. He then failed to hit the relay in the OF grass and the runner easily stands up at 3B. Just an ugly play there. AND, Wichrowski led that off falling behind 2-0. He nearly gave up a long ball hanging a heater in there. He did get his 4th K in the following AB. Runner on 3B. 1 down.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ashby works around a first batter single. Fly out to 2B. Line out to Roller in LF. CS at 2B by Mejía. Noice!

[Joseph Zarr]

Wiemer now 2-for-3 with a single in the 5th frame. Black led off with a line drive single of his own to CF. Men on 1st and 2nd now. Nobody down. Isaac Collins to the dish. WP sends runners up a base. Men on 2nd and 3rd now. Nobody down. 2-0 count. Collins ends up K'ng looking - he challenged the pitch but it touched the top of the zone. They intentionally walk Hicklen. Mistake. Owen Miller is back in a Sounds jersey. He rips a double down the 3rd base line. It's 5-0 baby. That was a hot shot down the line. Be interesting to see the Exit Velo there. His first game in over a week and he's 3-for-3. AND, Miller running on contact crosses after Mejía hits an absolute topped warmburner up the line. The pitcher got to it late and the ball caromed off the 1B glove into foul territory. 6-0 Sounds. 

[Joseph Zarr]

I feel the same thing about Wichrowski during this start that I have throughout most starts: uber-talented; uber-stacked in terms of pitch kit and tools; very little refinement at present. He's up 6-2 in this one. BUT, I am looking at little things when we're talking about the upper-echelon of prospects. He is entirely too wild with his arsenal. Lotta work to do in the off-season to refine his mechanics. Too many pitches sail from his hand. He just beaned a lefty in a 1-2 count. He's had a few pitches fly to the back-stop. Miller has saved him on several others with pitches well outside the zone. Gotta batten down the hatches as he progresses in his career. Again, lotta tools in his bag. Little refined control. I like the Double-A placement. This is a great proving grounds for him to keep working on the whole package.

[TURBO]

3 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

30/40 present/future defense according to fangraphs haha

lol...dude...

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, TURBO said:

lol...dude...

Ridiculous, right?

[Joseph Zarr]

Wichrowski will be pulled after he K'd his final out. He completes 42/3 IP. All in all a good outing but not great. RHP Sam Carlson on in relief. Man on 2B.

[Joseph Zarr]

Gotta love that. Carlson comes aboard and gets a K swinging. Looked very in control. Dialed. Got ahead 0-2. Didn't offer anything to hit in the zone. Then came back inside with a gorgeous breaker. 6-2 and we head to the 6th.

[Joseph Zarr]

2nd K swinging for Wiemer in a 2-for-4 night. He's definitely hot with the bat. I'm starting to see a lot of pre-bat motion again. Must be getting comfortable. LOL. Anyone else seeing the overactivity pre-swing again?

[Joseph Zarr]

Ashby finally punished for hanging hittable pitches. Strumpf opens up the 7th with a solo jack. A sinker dead center cut top of the zone. He continues to lack the ability to consistently hit any of his spots. 104 mph off the lumber there. Next pitch, a perfectly placed outer black sinker to the outer black (95 mph). Only the 4th long ball Ashby has surrendered but he had a deep fly out to the RF warning track to endc the previous inning. Slider is really working tonight, regardless of the consistent up-and-down with the curveball and sinker locations.

[Joseph Zarr]

Adamczewski lead-off double bottom of the 1st. Alastre knocks him across. 1-0 Crew baby. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Another K on a slider ends Ashby's 7th. The slider is his money maker pitch tonight. Realllllly solid form.

[Joseph Zarr]

Carlson ends his second inning of work with a swinging K on a high tailing heater. Noice! 6-2 Shuckers as they head to the 7th frame.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ho-Hum. Just another Hicklen two-run jack. 18 on the season. Off-speed outer black hanger. Crushed over the LF wall. I think it's fair to say his timing is back after the early IL return rust. Whew baby. 8-1 Sounds. Their 12th poke of the evening.

[Joseph Zarr]

That's 5 HR in his last 8 games for Brewer. Not a Salt Lake City Keston Hiura tear but we can work with this run of mash!

[Joseph Zarr]

Meanwhile, Owen Miller is now 4-for-4 in his first game since his DFA (over a week). Incredible work.

[Joseph Zarr]

We have a clip of the Tyler Black CF run down. Heck of a play and he made it look routine. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Ashby finally locates a curve and gets the swinging K. His 4th. One down top of the 8th. He follows with another located beauty of a curve. He is finding a groove and I am here for it!

[Joseph Zarr]

Sinker still sitting 95-96 mph. He has 10 swings and misses. 4 on sinker. 3 on slider - make that 4. 3 on the curve. He grabs his 5th K there. This is turning into his best outing in quite some time baby. Let's GO!

[Joseph Zarr]

I am dead serious: this is far and away the most easeful Ashby has looked on the hill in 2024. I AM ABSOLUTELY HERE FOR IT. He is getting better as the outing progresses. He is making 95-96 mph on the sinker look effortless. He misses on a 96 mph sinker down and in on a full count but I liked the pitch. He gives the free pass. Two down. Man on first. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Ashby gets another swing and miss on a K. My goodness. 6 K's on his evening. He'll likely come aboard the 9th as well.

[Joseph Zarr]

The 8th frame for the Sounds bats will be knows as 'The Era of the Goose Snort'. Two consecutive bloop flars puts two runners aboard. Nobody down.

[wiguy94]

Wiemer just flashed some bat control I wasn't aware he had to hit a soft liner to CF for an RBI single on a breaking ball that was well outside.