Tue. 9/17 - T-Rats Hope to pop Champagne; Shuckers Open Best-of-Three Semifinal at Home

[wiguy94]

Bringing Cornielle back out for the 4th just feels like a total punt from Estevez. Trying to preserve the pen for Game 3 because he knows this offense is being mostly dominated by Wilkinson.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

Bringing Cornielle back out for the 4th just feels like a total punt from Estevez. Trying to preserve the pen for Game 3 because he knows this offense is being mostly dominated by Wilkinson.

Cornielle gave up a roped single to CF to open the 4th but followed it up with a ground ball double play.

[Stealofhome]

"Luke Adams takes a pitch that doesn't hit him for the first time today." Give props to the Captains PBP crew for that nugget.

[Ro Mueller]

Was Areinamo out by a lot on that play at home to end the top of the 5th inning?

This game needs more runs or Joseph will have to become an assistant coach next year (stop Cornielle at 68 pitches, I command you!).

[Stealofhome]

Just now, Ro Mueller said:

Was Areinamo out by a lot on that play at home to end the top of the 5th inning?

This game needs more runs or Joseph will have to become an assistant coach next year (stop Cornielle at 68 pitches, I command you!).

It was a bang-bang play and took a perfect throw, but it still felt like he shouldn't have been sent.

[Ro Mueller]

Four batters in and Montgomery has a 3-0 lead on a walk, base hit and 3-run shot. Oh my.

[Ro Mueller]

Considering Lake County’s Matt Wilkinson came in with a 1.90 ERA with 174 Ks in 118.2 IP, I think Wisconsin did well to knock in 2 runs (almost 3 - they dunned down Areinamo at home) on 7 hits off of him.

However, he got through 6.2 innings and Wisconsin trails 4-2 with only 2 innings left to stage a comeback.

[Ro Mueller]

11 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

Four batters in and Montgomery has a 3-0 lead on a walk, base hit and 3-run shot. Oh my.

Another walk, double (+ error) and single boosted Montgomery to a 5-0 first inning lead. Tough start for Kuehner obviously.

Time for Biloxi to start chipping away.

[Ro Mueller]

Things are going poorly now.

3-up, 3-down in the 8th for our Timber Rattlers. Eduardo, Tayden and Jheremy are due up in the 9th, trailing at least 4-2.

Biloxi got O’Rae (walk) and Miller (error) aboard to start the bottom of the 1st, but a Wilken K and Martinez GIDP left there with nothing except their 5-0 deficit.

[biedergb]

Well getting after my youngest’s tennis match and then dinner. Oof. Good night to take a mulligan I guess. Crap. Let’s hope the TRats get that one post season loss out of the way tonight and get back to the winning formula tomorrow.

And Biloxi - honestly I didn’t have high expectations, so I guess they met it so far tonight 😟

I will watch more of that game in a bit to see what kind of fight they have left.

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, it certainly took the shape of Cornielle's early work: ugly. 6-2 T-Rats trail headed to the 9th. Not a fan of how this game went. 😅

[Joseph Zarr]

T-Rats go down with a whimper. They lose Game 2 6-2. It's going to take a mercurial effort from RHP Will Rudy. And, hopefully, manager Victor Estevez can manage his pitching staff as aggressively as he's sending runners from third these days. He leaned too far into RHP Alexander Cornielle who very clearly didn't have his stuff from batter one. They lost their early 2-1 lead when he gave up the two-run jack. Anywho, brush it off and try to take it in the final tilt. 

[biedergb]

9 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Well, it certainly took the shape of Cornielle's early work: ugly. 6-2 T-Rats trail headed to the 9th. Not a fan of how this game went. 😅

Yeah. Sounded like a dud start. And a quiet finish. Not how any of us envisioned this game. But the TRats are such a good talented team, and hope that tomorrow they finish what they started.

Amazing to think the core of this team was in the playoffs last year (Carolina's first playoff appearance in some time, right?) and now getting Wisconsin to the playoffs again, and this time to the finals. Adams, Areinamo, Lara, Estevez; and even T Hall, Chirinos, Perez, Vargas as well).

[Joseph Zarr]

Also, a big round of applause for the in-game adjustments we saw from young RF Yophery Rodriguez. He looked entirely over-matched in his first AB. He came back with some truly professional AB's to grab consecutive pokes. One scored a run. The other nearly scored Areinamo. Both came with two out. 

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, biedergb said:

Yeah. Sounded like a dud start. And a quiet finish. Not how any of us envisioned this game. But the TRats are such a good talented team, and hope that tomorrow they finish what they started.

Amazing to think the core of this team was in the playoffs last year (Carolina's first playoff appearance in some time, right?) and now getting Wisconsin to the playoffs again, and this time to the finals. Adams, Areinamo, Lara, Estevez; and even T Hall, Chirinos, Perez, Vargas as well).

Yes. Carolina held the longest post-season drought in all of the Minor Leagues until they reached the post-season last year. It was, off the top of my head, a 12 or 13 year drought? Last season feels like, well, a season ago. Can't recall off the top of my head.  

[Joseph Zarr]

Tanner Murray just ripped an oppo homer over the RF wall on a really nice high outside heater from Kuehner. I mean, nothing you can do about that poke. 6-0 BIscuits. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Wilken misses a solo jack down the LF line by about 1 foot. My goodness. I have no idea how that hooked foul. He then strikes out looking on an outer black 89 mph sinker. This is the nature of the affiliated games tonight. Martinez does not miss down the RF line, however. He rips a solo jack down the line inside the pole. 109 mph rip. 442 feet. Whewwwwww. SIGN THIS MAN. 6-1 deficit. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Lamar Sparks doubles with two down. Warren goes down looking at an 89 mph sinker dead center. On to the top of the 5th. Merkel will come back for his first full inning of work after helping end the last frame. Murray makes a fantastic snaring snag of a 2-0 99 mph liner headed to the gap for the first out. That was quite the grab. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Biscuits taking advantage of sloppy Shuckers work. Merkel walks a runner with one down. Runner takes 2nd base on a swinging K on a change-up - Miller threw late and airmailed it to CF. The runner didn't advance. BUT, with two down, the next batter rips a line drive RBI single to left CF. 7-1 Shuckers. Merkel isn't as sharp as he typically is out of the pen. He seems to be struggling with some humidity and grip issues pitch-to-pitch. Though, in fairness, this ump is giving him absolutely nothing near the outer black unless it is inside that stripe. He's missed on several very very close pitches not getting a single call.

[Joseph Zarr]

A two out O'Rae oppo double down the 3B line. A Miller five pitch walk. Two men on. Two down. Let's see if Wilken can find some better luck after his bad-luck near HR miss in his last AB.

[Joseph Zarr]

And Wilken flies out harmlessly to straightaway CF. On to the 6th. Shucker trail 7-1. This game has the feel of regular season Game 1 of 6 down in Biloxi. Very little life from the team or at the ballpark. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Simpson reaches on an infield single. Stealing 2B in 3...2...1. Miller has almost zero chance to catch Simpson on a pitch out. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Simpson doesn't get the chance to steal a base as Merkel gets the classic first pitch DP ball and Dylan O'Rae botches it with a terrible throw to 1B up the line and beyond the reach of the 6'6" Ernesto Martinez Jr. NOT easy to do. That was a poor turn and an even worse throw with plenty of time to get the DP. Sigh. One down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Merkel gets past O'Rae's error with a swinging K on an 83 mph knuckle curve below the zone and a hard groundout to Wilken at 3B. 7-1 on to the bottom of the 6th. 

[Joseph Zarr]

EMJ came to the dish just one AB after his long ball down the RF line. He is beaned directly on his lead leg just below his knee. And the umpires are gathering to discuss the HBP. After the long ball in the last AB the umps have ejected RHP Evan Refiert after just one pitch. He is not a fan of the decision. Now the Biscuits manager is out to discuss things. They're as confused as I am. The Biscuits are leading 7-1. They aren't trying to hit Ernesto there. They've ruled it intentional. Amazing. Their manager may end up getting tossed. Quite the leash he's getting. Jawing two umps. Pointing fingers. I can't blame him.