Wed. 7/31: Afternoon Tilt for Wisconsin (2:10 Central)

[Joseph Zarr]

Next batter smokes a 1-2 low and in slider right at a charging Valerio. One down. Men on 1st and 2nd.

[Ro Mueller]

4 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

The walk is followed by an oppo line drive single into LF. T-Rats are currently being outhit 8-to-2. This is not a good start to a Home series through 1 3/4 games.

Bryant just needed a minute to remember that High-A batters can strike out too (it’s his High-A debut!).

Still down 3-1.

Time for a big bottom of the 8th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Bryant buckles down! He works a 1-2 count after consecutive fouls on upper corner heaters (lefty bat) he gets the change-up and drops a string getting the swinging K. Then a weak pop out to shallow RF. He escapes unscathed.

[Joseph Zarr]

Lara opens the 8th with a deep oppo fly out to the Left CF warning track. Nice run down grab there. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now! Pratt goes down and golfs a line drive single into LF. Nice poke. Man on base now. Tying runner at the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

Adams masterfully works a count full laying off some very tough off-speed deliveries just off the zone. He takes the full count plunk off his upper thigh. Men on 1st and 2nd. Lead run at the dish. One down.

[Joseph Zarr]

The Cubs reliever absolutely knows the Eduardo Garcia scouting report. Pitch one he delivers a slider low and away in the zone. Garcia swings and fouls it back.

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, indeed he does. He throws a wasted slider low and well outside the zone. Garcia swings and flails and misses for his second K. Very uncompetitive AB given the situation. Garcia is so predictable if a pitcher knows how to attack his flawed approach. 

[Ro Mueller]

2 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Adams masterfully works a count full laying off some very tough off-speed deliveries just off the zone. He takes the full count plunk off his upper thigh. Men on 1st and 2nd. Lead run at the dish. One down.

Since Hull gave up the homer to Adams, then hit him the next time up, doesn’t the ump have to eject him and suspend him for a week? I thought the Freddie Peralta rule was now universally applied… Sigh. Yes I’m bitter that Peralta was mis-treated.

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the second pitch clock violation called on a T-Rats batter and I have absolutely zero idea why that was called on Valerio. It's a pitching change for crying out loud. Have some grace there ump. That's a bogus call in that situation. He starts 0-1 right off the bat. Lame.

[Joseph Zarr]

Double steal executed. 2-2 count now. Big moment. 

[Joseph Zarr]

He fouls one off. The lefty hurler then misses a gorgeous 2-2 curve just off the upper corner. That was a nasty pitch. Valerio laid off but, hey, if I was in that batters box I am absolutely fooled. First time he's seen that nasty hook. 3-2 count. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Heck of an AB by Valerio there. Just a professional AB in the situation - take note Mr. Garcia! He fouls off 4 pitches. That was a 9-10 pitch AB. He takes the free pass. Bases juiced. Rodriguez to the dish. 1-0 count. Acosta PR for Valerio at 1B.

[Joseph Zarr]

Dang. He pops out to the shallow RF grass on a 1-1 high heater. Ouch. That was a big moment. They couldn't find the key hit. On to the 9th. 3-1 Cubs lead.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Yerlin Rodriguez got ahead in the count, as he does, and then walked the batter on two very uncompetitive balls outside the zone - a curve way high and outside. An inside heater up and above. Man, I can not wait for his polish to consistently arrive. Touched 99 throughout that AB. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh no! 98 mph up and in right off the Cubs batters helmet. My goodness. That one absolutely ran away. My goodness. Batter is still down. They're looking at his jaw. Jeeeeez, Yerlin. Come on now. Get that under control. 

[Joseph Zarr]

So we are back to this version of Yerlin. Man. It hurts. He was ahead 1-2. Walked another. 2 walks from pitcher's counts. A 1-1 98 mph heater hit a batter in the face (he was pulled). THIS is why his numbers are what they are. No consistency. You don't know what version you are getting. When you get the good version? MLB level dominance. When you get this version? Only pain. Bases juiced. Nobody down.

[Joseph Zarr]

Facing a catcher hitting 0.140 (came in today batting 0.125) he falls behind 3-1. The struggle is capital real.

[Joseph Zarr]

Not even close. Throws a breaking ball a foot in front of the plate in the dirt. Rodriguez saved him 2 WP in that AB. This is as ugly as Rodriguez gets. Hard to watch.

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's see. He's up 1-2 in the next count. Can he follow through? Ahhh, yes. We are back to a 3-2 count. So ugly. And, of course, he gets a foul tip and Rodriguez can't hold it. Miraculously he gets a swing on another breaking ball in the dirt. What is the batter doing there? LOL. Thank the heavens he gets out 1. 

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, in a 1-2 count how about a heater way down and in and to the backstop? Goodness. 5-1 deficit. This is incredibly ugly. 

[snoogans8056]

24 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Adams masterfully works a count full laying off some very tough off-speed deliveries just off the zone. He takes the full count plunk off his upper thigh. Men on 1st and 2nd. Lead run at the dish. One down.

What’s the deal with Adams and these HBPs? How much does he crowd the plate?

Is it just a product of having a good eye away, and guys have to pitch inside?

[Joseph Zarr]

Pitch count is now at 35. Man. Another full count as well. Just his 6th batter. How about a swing and a miss strike 3 with a WP (breaker in the dirt again) and the runner gets to 1B. Bases back loaded. 

Can I erase this outing from my mind? Unbelievable. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Mercifully, Rodriguez is pulled. Heck of a scenario for Rund to come into. That outing made me <sad face>. Absolutely zero control on anything. The obstacles to moving up the ladder rear their heads all too often for such a talented talented arm. Man. 

[Joseph Zarr]

24 minutes ago, snoogans8056 said:

What’s the deal with Adams and these HBPs? How much does he crowd the plate?

Is it just a product of having a good eye away, and guys have to pitch inside?

He is extremely patient (you can argue too patient given his ability to drive the ball but that's another conversation). He does sit over the plate some, yes, but these are still High-A pitchers in the end. So, lack of polish and refinement and an extremely patient fairly massive selective hitter.