Wed. 8/21 - Return of the Fantastic Four: It's All Full-Season Affiliated Ball from Here

[Joseph Zarr]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Wednesday. 

Organizational Scoreboard

MiLB Audio Links

[wiguy94]

I know some have been pining for Wande Torres info based on his numbers and looks like Brewers PD and @Spencer Michaelis have delivered. BrewersPD seems to confirm Wande Torres was brought stateside post DSL season. 95-97 with that arm angle seems like about as good of a chance of being an MLB RP someday as any pitcher leaving the DSL.

 

[biedergb]

Best part of that highlight video was watching him strike out Cubs batters over and over again. ;)

[Joseph Zarr]

I Wanded to know. Now I am Wanding to see.

Very exciting they brought him to the Complex immediately thereafter. He could be a late season addition in Carolina if he shows well in Arizona. Fingers crossed.

[wiguy94]

9 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I Wanded to know. Now I am Wanding to see.

Very exciting they brought him to the Complex immediately thereafter. He could be a late season addition in Carolina if he shows well in Arizona. Fingers crossed.

Definitely possible. Jesus Flores and Jesus Broca have both pitched in both the DSL and Carolina in 2024 so he wouldn't be the first. Plus Torres clearly still has innings to pitch with his season total at only 15 innings.

[Joseph Zarr]

Compliments to the motorbike revving it up in the Torres clip. ALSO, tip of the cap to C Freider Rojas for the adept glove work. Really nice to see a sure glove behind the dish. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Nice to see Brewers PD highlighting another one of 'my guys' in OF Frandy Lafond. I repeatedly mentioned him in my reports. He just kept showing up. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

The weather is looking gorgeous in Zebulon, NC - low 70's and crystal clear. We will get our second look at RHP Jason Woodward in a Mudcats jersey. He was quite impressive in his first showing. DH Marco Dinges is given the clean-up spot tonight with 1B Eric Bitonti batting third and SS Fillipo Di Turi batting fifth. Daniel Guilarte slides over to 2B. And, RF Reece Walling comes aboard as Miguel Briceno is sent back to the bench. Mudcats held on to win game 1. Let's hope they can jump to a 2-0 series lead.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

It would appear RHP Alexander Cornielle is taking the bump for the T-Rats for game 2 as they look to even their series 1-1. RF Eduarqui Fernandez is back in the line-up as is DH Felix Valerio. 3B Eduardo Garcia remains as does SS Cooper Pratt and 2B Jadher Areinamo. C Ramon Rodriguez gets his first action of the series. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

In Birmingham LHP Adam Seminaris will take the bump as he flexes his utility blade as a starter having filled numerous roles already in 2024. In a slight surprise, RF Lamar Sparks gets the clean-up nod. Can 2B Ethan Murray build any momentum off of last night's homer over the LF fence? Can CF Dylan O'Rae recover from a game one filled with strikeouts? Let's hope the Shuckers can even the series 1-1 and maintain their hold on first place.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

We see the smile of the Sounds 'Everyman' in LF Isaac Collins - where can't he play? 1B Patrick Dorrian is back in the line-up hoping to maintain his solid offensive output over the past two months. CF Chris Roller and his improving bat and fantastic defense returns to the line-up in the pivotal nine-spot. The Sounds took game 1 and remain 5.0 GB of the International League lead. Let's hope RHP Logan Henderson keeps bringing his A-Game.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Gorgeous 2-2 curve ball dropped in on the upper corner of the zone for RHP Jason Woodward's second K (looking this time) of his inning. Just a fantastic pitch decision amongst the think tank there and fantastic execution from Woodward. He's sitting 95-96 mph again on the heat. Also dropped consecutive string-pull change-ups to a lefty for his first K (swinging) earlier that inning. He worked around a line drive single to RF and a well-executed hit-and-run poke down the 3B line putting runners on the corners. No harm. No foul. 0-0 as the Mudcats come to the dish for their first AB's.

[Joseph Zarr]

Yophery takes a lead-off walk on four consecutive balls (the last call may have been generous to the batter). Baez will try to move him along.

[Joseph Zarr]

Baez flies out to CF. Bitonti strikes out swinging on a really poor swing decision (he knew it - that ball was a chaser in the dirt). The ball bounces in the dirt and then wide so Yophery takes 2nd base on the WP.  Dinges to the dish and he's taken two strikes looking to start his first AB. He hits a weak chopper to the mound and the pitcher fields it bare-handed for some reason...then throws it well wide of 1B down foul territory. Dinges travels to 2B. Gotta love it 😅

[Joseph Zarr]

Woodward gets the ground out to SS. A three pitch K (96 mph heater on the outer black) looking. He walks the next batter on four pitches - missed a 3-1 inside curve by a tad too much inside. And, in a 1-2 count C David Garcia threw the runner out trying to take 2B. Love me some Garcia. We are really lucky to have him in Low-A - he is a gift to this young pitching staff.

[Joseph Zarr]

Guilarte rips a tailing liner into the deep RF corner on a 2-2 breaking ball on the outer black. The RF'er makes a very valiant effort chasing and chasing that poke. He gets his glove to it, snow cones it, but crashes into the fence along the RF/1B line. The ball pops out and Guilarte kept running and takes a triple-bagger to start the 2nd frame for the Muddies. Castillo sends a deep fly to straightaway CF for a beautifully executed Sac Fly. He has a team leading 67 RBI. Great piece of hitting. Easy swing. 2-0 Muddies.

[Joseph Zarr]

Ahhhhh ye' ol Yophery 28 mph flare snort down the 3B line. It'll go down as a line drive single in the box score. Two men on for the Muddies. Two out. Baez to the dish. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Baez line drive RBI single into right CF. 3-0 Muddies. Runners advance when the relay throw was sent to 3B with nobody covering. Bitonti swings at the first pitch and hits a lazy fly out to shallow LF. Bitonti isn't seeing the ball all that well at present. In a bit of a mini funk. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Woodward is back out on the bump for his third inning. Noice! Pitch count is at 37 so this is nice to see for the overall picture.

[Joseph Zarr]

Three up and three down for the T-Rats. 

Woodward gives up a seeing eye single up the middle under his glove and past a sliding/diving Guilarte. Flores is warming up for the Mudcats. I'm imagining Woodward's pitch limit may be 50-55?

[Joseph Zarr]

Woodward walks the next batter on five pitches. Through 2.0 IP he has 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Two men on for the second time. This time nobody down and runners at 1st and 2nd base. We're going to see manager Nick Stanley make the trip to the mound. Yup. That's it. He ends his evening at 45 pitches. 

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP JEsus Flores will relieve Woodward making his 3rd appearance as a Mudcat. He inherits two runners.

[Joseph Zarr]

Flores comes aboard and throws four consecutive balls. Bases juiced. Nobody out. Go-ahead runner at the plate. Not a good look in that first batter for Flores. Let's see how he responds.

[Joseph Zarr]

Not good. Got ahead 0-2. Walked in a run. Ugly. 3-1 Mudcats. Flores has to be better here. 

[Joseph Zarr]

RBI groundout into 1B foul territory - nice play by Bitonti. Men on 2nd and 3rd. One down. Muddies lead 3-2. Sac fly to CF. 3-3 tie game. Two down. Man on 2B. Can't walk batters when you come on in relief. Recipe for unsavory results.