Thurs. 9/12: Do-or-Die for Mudcats; T-Rats Sweep? Shuckers Scheduled for Two

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Thursday.

Organizational Scoreboard

MiLB Audio Links

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[Ro Mueller]

This is one of the biggest Minor League nights I can remember:

Carolina - do-or-die elimination game. But a win would force a series-deciding game on Friday

Wisconsin - can clinch a division series win with a victory, but a loss would force a series-decider on Friday

Biloxi - a doubleheader sweep and one Pensacola loss (in its own doubleheader) would clinch a playoff berth. A doubleheader loss would reduce Biloxi’s lead to just 1 game with 4 remaining in the regular season

[Jim Goulart]

One less game for you, Daniel -

 

[Ro Mueller]

26 minutes ago, Jim Goulart said:

One less game for you, Daniel -

 

Hehe. It’s fitting that the after-thought game got postponed. It’s like in Texas Hold ‘Em when you’ve got a pretty decent hand, but two competitors are betting with so much excitement that you feel forgotten and just fold.

[Joseph Zarr]

I mentioned this early in last night's thread. The game seemed quite unlikely with a 70% prediction of up to an inch of rain throughout the day into the evening. Unsurprised. What a weird season of consistent rain outs!

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, Ro Mueller said:

Hehe. It’s fitting that the after-thought game got postponed. It’s like in Texas Hold ‘Em when you’ve got a pretty decent hand, but two competitors are betting with so much excitement that you feel forgotten and just fold.

Given what we've seen from the Sounds defense and bats, they could very much use the night off. Let's hope they regroup and start playing some more 'Sound' ball throughout the remainder of the series.

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's hope the line-up card misprint right off the bat for game 1 isn't an inauspicious sign for the execution we see on the field. Obviously, #6 is Dylan O'Rae and we don't have CF Adam Hall and his doppelgänger covering the infield dirt. LHP Tate Kuehner will look to discover earlier season form after a couple tough outings of late. Of note, OF Connor Scott remains sidelined past his 7-Day stint on the IL. This remains a big hole in the Shuckers line-up.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Before line-up cards are shared for the Carolina and T-Rats Home playoff tilts, let's take a trip down memory lane at Quad Cities with Chris Mehring on the inspired call:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Will Rudy will try to keep building off his improved form of late. He takes game 2 on the bump for the playoff-hungry T-Rats fans. C Matt Wood is back in the line-up and batting fifth protecting our everyday baseball hero in 2B Jadher Areinamo. CF Luis Lara goes back atop the line-up protected by SS Cooper Pratt and 3B Luke Adams. 1B Tayden Hall will hope to pair his flashing leather with improved results at the dish. Big game two for the Timber Rattlers as they look for the sweep and an advance to the Championship Series.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

I admire manager Nick Stanley sticking with struggling 2B Filippo Di Turi. With Adamczewski on the shelf with a high ankle sprain (sigh), Stanley keeps rolling with the young switch-hitter in a two month slump. Let's hope he finds some success in game two. RHP Manuel Rodriguez is back atop the hill in only his second action since returning from the IL. The Mudcats are going to need his best tonight versus the Fred Nats and RHP Travis Sykora. RF Braylon Payne is back in lead-off. Two notable changes to the line-up: C Blayberg Diaz replaces C David Garcia and LF Luis Castillo starts the game replacing LF Yhoswar Garcia. Let's see if the young men can find some better luck off the Fred Nats bats and some better defense throughout. Game 1 was a rough loss. Can we take Game 2 and force a Game 3? 

 

[Ro Mueller]

Sykora has surpassed 5 innings once this season, so let’s hang in there gents and then pour it on late.

[Ro Mueller]

Quad Cities is throwing RHP Ethan Bosacker, who has a 2.45 ERA in 124.2 IP with just 28 walks. At least he’s not a big K guy (96), so hopefully Wisconsin can get some BABIP luck for a night.

[wiguy94]

22 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

Sykora has surpassed 5 innings once this season, so let’s hang in there gents and then pour it on late.

That one time was against the Mudcats though...

[wiguy94]

And Carolina will be down by a run before Travis Sykora even steps foot on the mound. Not ideal.

[wiguy94]

Braylon Payne draws a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the 1st. I have no clue how he wasn't rung up on the 2-2 pitch. Hard to tell with minor league camera angles but looked like a pretty good pitch to me.

[wiguy94]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Braylon Payne draws a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the 1st. I have no clue how he wasn't rung up on the 2-2 pitch. Hard to tell with minor league camera angles but looked like a pretty good pitch to me.

And Payne gets picked off trying to take a monster lead. Just shockingly poor baseball.

[Kellerowl]

4 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Braylon Payne draws a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the 1st. I have no clue how he wasn't rung up on the 2-2 pitch. Hard to tell with minor league camera angles but looked like a pretty good pitch to me.

Announcer said it was just off based on the hawk eye system. 

[wiguy94]

Mudcats don't put a single ball in play in the 1st against Sykora. Payne BB then picked off, Yophery strikeout, Baez HBP, Bitonti strikeout (swung 3 times and whiffed all 3 times)

[wiguy94]

3 minutes ago, Kellerowl said:

Announcer said it was just off based on the hawk eye system. 

Just off is usually close enough for low minors umps to call strike 3. Rodriguez strike 3 to end the top half of the 1st inning looked further off that side of the plate than the Payne ball 3.

[wiguy94]

Di Turi just completely outmatched and goes down swinging. 5 batters in and still no balls in play.

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Di Turi just completely outmatched and goes down swinging. 5 batters in and still no balls in play.

Sorry I forgot Dinges singled before the Di Turi K. So 1 ball in play through 5 batters. Luis Castillo also just struck out. So 1 ball in play in the first 6 batters.

[wiguy94]

Guilarte strikes out as well. Sykora with 5 strikeouts through 2 innings. He has 40 pitches through 2 innings though which is the only potential silver lining.

[wiguy94]

Skyora with his first 1-2-3 innings of the game. Absolutely mowed down Yophery who had no chance. He's up to 19 scoreless on the year against the Mudcats