Sat. 8/24 - Sample Farm Action after the Big-League Game

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Saturday. 

Organizational Scoreboard

MiLB Audio Links

[Joseph Zarr]

The Mudcats are underway and here's their lineup card for those interested. Bitonti and Yophery are both back in the line-up while Bitonti gets a chance back at his old familiar hot corner stomping grounds. Baez moves to 2B. RHP Bishop Letson is back on the bump. The Muddies will look to bounce back from last night's 6-3 loss.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Here is your T-Rats lineup card for Saturday night with one change as alluded to by announcer Chris Mehring. LF Hedbert Perez looks to continue his run of offensive production since his recent debut. Can 2B Felix Valerio start producing at the dish? Notable is are the continued absences of 1B Blake Burke and 1B/3B Luke Adams. Those are pretty big holes to fill but the T-Rats have indeed pulled even at 2-2 in this six game series thanks to last night's shellacking. Let's hope for three in a row at Great Lakes!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

The question remains: Will the Shuckers offense ever give talented RHP K.C. Hunt any meaningful run-production? Tonight would be a fantastic time to start a new trend. After last night's 1-0 nail biter, we sure could use another outburst. More importantly, perhaps, can the Shuckers keep adding to their second half lead toward an elusive playoff berth?! All these questions and more are swirling in the currents of the Southern League. 3B Brock Wilken is back again at the hot corner - can he break through to set the tone for a better September? DH Dylan O'Rae is a base stealing machine - he's really come on some these past two contests. Is this fleeting or a new foundation? SS Eric Brown Jr. hit the key triple before the first-pitch OF Lamar Sparks (back in RF) single to score the winning and only run last night. 2B Ethan Murray is in the midst of a <gasp> five game hitting streak and has hit safely in 6-of-7 of his last seven games. The Shuckers will need all hands on deck as they face a very pesky Barrons squad for game 5. The series is currently split 2-2.  

 

[Joseph Zarr]

The Sounds will look to keep the good times rolling in Nashville as they pulled within 4.0 G of first place Columbus with last night's Mitch White master class. The bullpen, like down yonder in Biloxi, remains an absolute force. LHP DL Hall will look to keep his run of recent success - at the Triple-A and MLB levels - going strong as he aims for that call-up to avoid a wasted option year. 2B Christian Arroyo is back in the line-up as he swaps out Patrick Dorrian from his two consecutive game stint. C Brian Navarreto is again manning the back-stop looking to flaunt his clutch bat and defensive prowess. Isaac Collins continues his defensive merry-go-round manning the hot corner while we see the return of LF Tyler Black. Let's root the on the Sounds as they look to continue an improbable, but certainly possible, charge toward a second half playoff berth. Just give a lead to this version of the Sounds bullpen and the rest will likely take care of itself. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

The Muddies just lost their 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th on a two-run double off of RHP Morris Austin - tho, it should be added, there was some type of fielding error on LF Yoshwar Garcia during the play. 1B Miguel Briceno (the utility knife in the Mudcats clubhouse) just ripped a one out double in the bottom of the same 7th inning. Let's hope the Muddies can pull this out. They trail 4-3.

[biedergb]

Mudcats didn't have the come back rally in them tonight. 

Meanwhile scoreless across the other games....

wait nope. Jacksonville hits a 2-run HR off DL Hall top of 1. Ugh.

[biedergb]

Birchard keeps it scoreless. 6K in 3 IP. Nice job. But 60 pitches to get through 3, so needs to get a little more efficiency as he ramps up.

Shuckers are threatening against uber prospect Noah Schultz.

[biedergb]

And Biloxi breaks through. Barons defense just abandons their pitcher. An error, and then a botched catcher to 1B pick off, and Warren gets a hit on a ball that the SS could have had. But I'll take it!! 2-0 Shuckers. Let's go.

And TRats up to bat now.

While DL Hall back to work on inning #2

[biedergb]

Nice bounce back inning by Hall. I Ididn't get to watch, but 3 up and 3 down. On to the bottom of 2.

KC Hunt back to pitch in Birmingham with a 2-0 lead. That is a nice feeling for him, hopefully not too foreign for him that he can't pitch with the lead 😉

 

[biedergb]

And after a K, two bloop hits and Barons have men on 1st and 2nd. Let's get outta the inning here Mr. Hunt.

Meanwhile nothing going for Wisconsin or Nashville in their half of the inning/

[biedergb]

Hunt buckles down and gets the K. Nice job.

But DL Hall in trouble. and a double scores 2 more. He is not rolling tonight. Bummer

Birchard night is done after 3 and Root in to relieve him.

[biedergb]

Hall gives up 2 more and his night is done. Not a great start. McKendry in.

And nice diving play by Murray to make it another 3 up and 3 down for Hunt. 

[biedergb]

Well the Barons defense lets them down, and Shuckers have another runner on base.

Meanwhile, just to report that Garcia/Valerio is not the same defense as Pratt/Areinamo. A grounder up the middle and Garcia tries to slide, and misses it, and Valerio can't pick it up. Everyone safe and it's 1-0 Loons. Then a HBP and it's 2-0 Loons, and no one out, bases still juiced. Root struggling with command.

[biedergb]

Root is just losing his command this inning. One just comlpetely gets away from him for another HBP. Another run. This is tough to watch. Birchard threw a lot of pitches but did have command.

Shuckers do not get teh runner home and on to bottom of 4.

[Joseph Zarr]

No Adams, Burke, Areinamo, or Pratt makes for a very challenged T-Rats line-up. That's a lot of T-Rats juice sitting on the sidelines. 

[biedergb]

Sweet defense by Biloxi for another 3 up 3 down inning. Nice play on a grounder to EBJ. Then a nice catch on a flare/line to SS. And Wilken snags a hard hit ball.  Hunt in command after 4 IP.

Root is mercifully getting the hook after allowing 5 runs and only 2 outs. Rough inning for him and hopefully a learning experience.

Not much going in Nashville - Sounds with only 2 hits and still down 6-0. 

[biedergb]

Hunt in some trouble and not commanding as well. Double sac bunt and now a walk.

On a 1-0 count, and a high ball and a SB attempt by Barons, but the throw is to the 1st base side and EBJ cuts it off and tries to go home but to no avail as the runner on 3rd scores. 2-1 Shuckers.

[biedergb]

Just a poor play by Kahle behind the plate. I think it's called a WP, but it is a passed ball. And it is now 2-2. Hunt pitch count is getting up there, let's hope he can just end the inning and sit down with a tie game after a relatively solid start.

 

EDIT - It's 8-0 Jacksonville over Nashville.

And it's 7-0 Loons over the TRats.

Once KC Hunt night is over I may call it a night. I came for the starting pitching and saw a few couple encouraging starts.

[biedergb]

Hunt gets the last out. 5 IP.

And I didn't see the double he allowed but sounds like off Sparks glove. So the defense let him down with the double, the double steal and the "wild pitch" that all created the 2 runs he let in. Good performance by KC overall. Looked in command for most of the start.

Let's hope the Shuckers can get some more runs and pull out a W. The offense needs to wake up again for at least an inning and let's hope the shut down bullpen can do it.

But it doesn't look like a win forthcoming in the other contests. However, I will look forward to reading all about the games tomorrow.

Thank you again to @Ro Mueller @Joseph Zarr @Jim Goulart for all the time you guys do to create the daily Minor League Link Reports - I never start a day without reading it!!!

Cheers!

Good night all.

[Joseph Zarr]

It's another Barrons vs Shucker bullpen showdown. 2-2 game top of the 9th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, I don't know if I can stomach going back to watch the bottom of the 9th in Birmingham. LHP Russ Smith struggled with free passes his entire outing it would appear (3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, . 3 K, 1 WP, 1 ER). A single, sac bunt, fly out had a man on 2nd base with two down. The closing sequence reads: wild pitch advancing the lead runner to 3B, walk, runner takes 2B via indifference, acting manager Fidel Pena ejection, winning run steals Home?!? Yes, it would appear he stole home in a 2-2 count. Ummm, yeah.

Whewwwww. That's tough sledding. 

[Joseph Zarr]

To answer my earlier question above:

No, the Shuckers offense (nor their defense) can back another very strong K.C. Hunt performance. They miraculously remain 2.5 G ahead of the M-Braves for the 2nd half division playoff berth. But, let's call a spade a spade: this offense isn't making it easy on anyone at present.