Sun. 4/6 - Afternoon Delights (Hopefully)

[Jim Goulart]

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Sunday.

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[Jim Goulart]

 

[biedergb]

Or not. Looks like weather has intervened earlier than expected - Nashville/Gwinnet game is formally postponed and rescheduled to 5/1.

[Joseph Zarr]

3 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Or not. Looks like weather has intervened earlier than expected - Nashville/Gwinnet game is formally postponed and rescheduled to 5/1.

Yeah, I was wondering if they'd be able to sneak a game in. That region seemed to be getting those severe weather systems that had traveled through the Nashville area yesterday. Lots of tornadoes have been happing in that portion of the SE. Scary stuff. I was hoping we'd be able to see them squeak out a series split. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Payne batting lead-off poked a 2-2 line drive looping single to RF. Man aboard. Muddies trail 1-0. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Payne is then quickly picked off 1B in the second pick-off throw. With Peña getting HBP on the very next pitch (he's fine) that pick-off may be costly. Adamczewski batting third will try to knock him home.

[Joseph Zarr]

2-0 count. On a second pitch low change-up swipes 2B with ease when the throw is well up the base path. 

[Ro Mueller]

22-year old RHP Travis Smith (2024 15th round pick) is set for his organizational debut, as Low-A Carolina aims to complete a 3-game home sweep of Fredericksburg. 

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, Adamczewski shows the patience and batting approach I've been lauding adding to his OPS with a five pitch walk. Laid off consecutive inside heaters to take the free pass. Bitonti will be up next and the Nats' pitching coach comes to the bump.

[Joseph Zarr]

The wind is blowing out at a steady 20 mph toward right CF. They are saying it could gust to 30 mph throughout the day. Sheesh.

[Ro Mueller]

After excelling at 3 MILB levels in 2024, 24-year old RHP KC Hunt (2.03 ERA with 139 Ks in 102 IP last year) is ready for his first AA start of 2025, with Biloxi needing a win today to avoid a 3-game road sweep at Pensacola. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Bitonti works the count full. He reaches for a likely ball high and outside the upper corner of the zone and pops out wildly into the swirling winds down the 3B line just into fair territory in shallow LF. Two down. Pitch count at 19. Di Turi will try to do some damage.

[Ro Mueller]

22-year old RHP Chandler Welch (2024 6th round pick) had an impressive playoff appearance for High-A Wisconsin last September (1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks) and now makes his regular season debut at this level, as the squad strives to avoid a 3-game home sweep against Cedar Rapids. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Di Turi takes the count full and swings and misses at t belt high 94 mph heater. Runners stranded. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Smith appears to be working with a four-seamer, sinker, slider early. He gets his second K on a sneakily dropping sinker dead center in a full count. I am also seeing a possible change-up being hurled? Velo readings aren't coming in consistently. 

He just hung a breaker some and Di Turi made a great stab of an 108 mph smoked grounder to 3B. He turned and double hopped a throw but Walling couldn't scoop it - I am unsure it would have mattered - showing his inexperience with those types of scoops.

[Joseph Zarr]

2-0 Fred Nats. Smoked double to the right CF gap. Made it to the wall. Two out poke. That's two balls that have been ripped this inning. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Slow chopper to SS and Pena charges throwing another hopper to Walling who again fails to dig it out. Not a natural glove at 1B but these are not easy scoops either. 3-0 Nats. Still two down. The throwing error is charged to Pena - the right decision.

[Joseph Zarr]

A Nadal ground out to SS. Walling K's on three pitches - uncompetitive AB after the rough inning at 1B. Nicasia will try to find his groove.

[Joseph Zarr]

Nicasia K'as on four pitches. Couldn't hold a check swing on a low outside slider. That was a rough inning offensively.

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Sam Garcia will make his Low-A debut here to open the 3rd frame. 8th Rounder just last season out of Oklahoma State.

[Joseph Zarr]

Garcia gets a sky high pop up in the swirling winds of RF - Nicasia charges and stumbles into the catch. He gets an inside K on an off-speed (change-up or breaking ball) looking. I like his approach and location we're seeing early here. Lot of late swings and poor contact so far. He was a weekend starter for OSU last season. The K:BB ratio from college appears to translate early. Naturally, just as I type that he loses a heater high and well above the outside zone for a full count walk. Man aboard. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Falls behind 2-0 to Ochoa Leyva. Sneaks a breaking ball on the inner black. Misses inside. Then misses high and outside again. Back-to-back free passes where he is seeing his heater sail. Pitch count is up to 19. He's going to have to dig deep and find that early form to get out of this frame.

[Joseph Zarr]

He escapes with a well placed high heater - pop out into 1B foul territory where Walling easily catches it. On to the bottom of the 3rd. Muddies trail 3-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

The Muddies had traffic and an elevated pitch count on the Nats' starter Tejeda in that first frame. They haven't mustered much of anything since. He's retired four straight - three by K. Pena will try to break this trend. Two down in the third - he's having trouble staying off multiple low off-speed offerings. 2-2 count he lays off a slider low and away. He lays off a low heater. 3-2 count. AND, he lays off another low slider to take the free pass. Great work there. Adamczewski will get the RBI opportunity here. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Pena immediately swipes his 2nd base of his day. That's 4 on the season already. Into scoring position as Josh took an outside ball and has the 1-0 count. AND he just crushed a dinger! MY MAN!