Wed. 8/14 - Timber Rattler matinee amongst 5 contests

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now! Garcia -to - Adamczewski and the walked runner was CS. That's two CS now. Baez with a beautiful play at 3B with a rocket to Bitonti ends the 7th. Fantastic work there from Baez.

Ashby gives up a 1-1 looping single to start his ninth. Man on first. Nobody out.

[biedergb]

And Br. Rodriguez comes in get the first guy out. Then a walk. And an easy caught stealing - I mean out easily. Bad jump or just slow.

Then a hard hit ball and nice backhand by Baez to end the inning. 3 up 3 down (via walk and CS). On to inning #8

[Joseph Zarr]

Gorgeous 1-2 curveball gets a first out swinging K. Wheww. Nasty pitch. Threw two gems of curves that AB. Starts the next batter with another hook looking for a strike. One down. Man on first. 0-1 count.

[Joseph Zarr]

Pulls the string on another curve for his second K swinging. Gorgeous. ALso pulled the string on a swinging change-up. If this is the Ashby we have arrived at late season...I'm buying front row seats, folks. He is throwing all of it. AND, he is absolutely dominancing. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Herget K'd 4. Ashby has K'd all 5 so far. 

[Joseph Zarr]

After Herget and Ashby had combined for 9 consecutive K's, Ashby mercifully gifts the Bulls a weakly hit ground out to Collins at 3B who fires a dart to 1B for the last out of the 9th.

[biedergb]

Mudcats trying for another rally.  Base big then a balk (pitcher lost balance and just held on to the ball as opposed to throwing who knows where), then Mercado strikes out.  New pitcher in for Delmarva.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Mudcats trying for another rally.  Base big then a balk (pitcher lost balance and just held on to the ball as opposed to throwing who knows where), then Mercado strikes out.  New pitcher in for Delmarva.

Fun fact: The Mudcats have scored in the 8th inning in 6-of-7 of their first 7 contests vs Delmarva this season. Another fun fact: In 5 of those 8th innings, the Mudcats entered trailing. 

[biedergb]

And two 4 pitch walks for the Mudcats and free swinging Baez

So pitcher who hasn’t got in the strike zone vs a hitter who loves to swing at anything…..

[Joseph Zarr]

DP is now set up for the Bulls. Collins advanced to 3B on a ground out. Roller just walked. Men on the corners. Zamora will try to rise to the occasion. One down. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Bitonti does not get the benefit of the call from the home plate ump on a 1-2 check swing. Looked like he held. None the less, that's an out now. 

[Brewcrew82]

Not ready to give up on Ashby quite yet. He looks like the Ashby of old tonight. Velo pretty much back to where it was before the injury, too. 

[biedergb]

Ugh. So Baez grounds out softly. But only the one out. Lead 6-3.

Bitonti then flails on a pitch low, then tries to check on another pitch out of the zone and called as a swing. Bitonti- when he can make contact is a heckuva hitter with elite power. Pitch recognition is his to-do list.

[Joseph Zarr]

Collins challenges a 0-2 count and is successful! That ball was 1.1" above the zone. That's the fourth successful Sounds challenge and further validates my beliefs this is the way. The very next pitch he rips a change-up for a double into RF and it's 7-5 Nashville.

The Challenge System IS THE WAY

[Joseph Zarr]

Capra hits a dribbler and Zamora crosses. Yeah baby! 8-5. Let's friggin' GO! 

[Kellerowl]

No wonder Delmarva is in last place trying to steal last inning down by 2 and this inning down by 3

[Joseph Zarr]

Clarke strikes out for the 4th time swinging to end the Sounds 10th. Yikes.

[biedergb]

Yup another three batter inning for Rodriguez- another caught stealing, and inning ending grounder to Baez at 3B.

Sounds big lead heading to bottom 10.

[Joseph Zarr]

6 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Not ready to give up on Ashby quite yet. He looks like the Ashby of old tonight. Velo pretty much back to where it was before the injury, too. 

He looked absolutely fantastic. IF this is the 2-3 inning guy we are looking at for the rest of 2024? That man is a weapon. Those batters were simply outclassed. Plain and simple.

[Joseph Zarr]

Middendorf comes aboard with that 8-5 lead and does what good pitchers do: throws strikes. He does give an 0-2 single on the very next pitch. Can't have that much center cut in that count. Mistake pitch.

[Joseph Zarr]

Mejía is now behind the dish replacing Navs in the 10th. Interesting. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Middendorf was up 1-2 in the next count. Now in a 3-2 count. Gets a shallow pop out in the fringe left CF grass. One down. Runners on the corners now. DP ball is in play. Austin Shenton is to the dish - a long ball threat. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Middendorf gets ahead 0-2. Wisely throws low and outside. 1-2 count. Comes high and in, fouled off. On the next pitch he gives up a reach oppo double down the LF line. Sheeeesh. Tying runs both in scoring position. That was a nice poke. Professional hit. 8-6 game. One down. Runners on 2nd and 3rd. Whewwww.

[Joseph Zarr]

Groundout to 2B. Shenton to 3B. Peters scores. 8-7 Sounds. Let me state the obvious: Big AB here. 😂

[biedergb]

Brailin in for the ninth trying for a 9 out save.

Sounds up 8-7, 2 out, tying runner at third