Sun. 4/20: How Many Wins Will Go into the Basket, Eggzactly?

[biedergb]

Phew. Apparent Brewers minor league club killer Tim Elko strikes out with two men on and it is still a 13-9 lead for Nashville in Charlotte. Feeling that Sounds will need a few more runs to close this one out - did someone say more home runs?? 🤣

[biedergb]

Muddies win again!

Miles Langhorne comes on and gives up a walk, then a high fly ball to RF, then every pitcher's friend, as 6-4-3 DP.

The Mudcats pitching crew can join with Walling and Bitonti to create a basketball team (Holobetz 6'3", Johnson listed at 6'3" but looks taller, Vire 6'6" and Langhorne 6'4").

Anyway, that is a 13-2 record for a talented, young, and yes relentless team. Great pitching today, timely hitting, and overall good defense.

 

EDIT: I will be back later today to watch the Shuckers and some guy named Alexander Cornielle , I heard he is a pitcher or something 😉

[markedman5]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

4 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I am predicting a nice bounce back performance from one RHP John Holobetz after getting wee snake bitten by some bad luck (and, honestly, questionable defense from his teammates) his last outing. Here's hoping we see some magic today.

^^ Bump

[Joseph Zarr]

I am not lying, I find myself at the end of some challenging farm days whispering to myself:

"Well, at least I have the Mudcats."

😅

[Joseph Zarr]

Tip of the cap to the Brewers for salvaging the Sounds early season funk with the OF Daz Cameron acquisition. He has been an unbelievable fit and catalyst for a line-up suddenly filling it up all over. Big credit to the team as a whole and manager Rick Sweet and his staff for rallying the troops for what should be a 5-1 road series victory. They lead 14-11 with two down in the ninth after RHP Vinny Nittoli just gave up a two-run shot. A sharp line out ends it. The Sounds now sit 12-8 overall a mere 2.0 GB the International League leading Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins).

[wiguy94]

So happy for Caden Vire to finally make his full season debut after so many injury issues the last few years. He looked nasty. Command might be a work in progress but he's mid 90's with an extremely lanky frame. There's still a lot of room to fill out there. This is a kid who it's not super difficult to imagine making it to an MLB bullpen in the next couple of years.

[Ro Mueller]

Biloxi has the only hit thus far (in 3rd inning now) and had 2 men on in the top of the 3rd, but ran themselves out of it (solid play by opposing catcher). Lara with the hit and a walk. Cornielle worked around leadoff walks in the first 2 frames.

 

[Ro Mueller]

Cornielle exits at 64 pitches with 2-on, 2-out, 1-in in the 3rd inning, done in by some long Birmingham PAs. A Pratt error helped the run score. Cornielle yielded only one hit (a single).

The first pitch thrown by Maciejewski goes for a single, a Spain error and 2 runs.

Biloxi suddenly trails 3-0, with 2 runs recorded as unearned.

[Ro Mueller]

A Barons’ pitching change, Cooper Pratt double and three 2-out singles have brought the Shuckers back into the game, down 3-2 thru 5 1/2 innings.

Unfortunately, LHP Mark Manfredi faces immediate difficulty upon his entry (2 singles).

 

[Ro Mueller]

7 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

A Barons’ pitching change, Cooper Pratt double and three 2-out singles have brought the Shuckers back into the game, down 3-2 thru 5 1/2 innings.

Unfortunately, LHP Mark Manfredi faces immediate difficulty upon his entry (2 singles).

 

Mark Manfredi escapes(!) with a lineout and 2 Ks.

And now Luis Lara (walk) and Cooper Pratt (double) each reach for the 3rd time. 2nd and 3rd, 1 out, top of the 7th inning. Down 3-2. Brock Wilken up. Go Shuckers!

[biedergb]

Just turned it back on (we had weather warnings here in mid Missouri)

And Pratt doubles again. Runners at 2nd and 3rd.

ugh. Wilken lines it right the 3rd baseman and a double play. Ugh. Brock is really struggling even when he hits it hard it’s an out. His prospect status is getting sucked into the Southern League black hole vortex sadly. 

[Ro Mueller]

Oh boy. A Wilken liner to the 3rd baseman doubles off Lara. To the bottom of the 7th we go, still trailing 3-2. Those 2 early errors are haunting us.

[Ro Mueller]

Now 1B Zavier Warren reaches base for the 3rd time, here with 2 outs in the 8th on an 0-2 single, and Birmingham brings in a righty to face Ethan Murray.

But Murray Ks looking at a 2-2 pitch.

[Ro Mueller]

Top of 9: Biloxi loads the bases with 2 down, with Luis Lara starting things with a single. It’s all up to Darrien Miller, (.059 AVG, 0-for-4 tonight with 3 Ks) trailing 3-2.

[biedergb]

Biloxi has had their chances this weekend.  3-2 on Miller. Last chance here 

[biedergb]

Miller draws a walk. And it’s a tie game. Lara the only hit this inning. Otherwise 3 walks. EBJ up now

[Ro Mueller]

Darrien Miller drew a walk! That’s 3 consecutive walks and we’ve got a tie ball game 3-3.

[biedergb]

Ok. Tie game on to bottom of 9. EBJ grounds to 2B and it’s 4 unassisted for the out. 
Hopefully the Shuckers get another chance to hit. Offense showing a pulse the past few days. 

[biedergb]

Shuckers bullpen was 0.41 this series according to the announcer, so the bullpen has done its job. Offense has 9 hits and 8 walk today.

wow Spain with a nice running catch in right. 2 down. Garret Spain has really helped get this team going the past week or so. 

[biedergb]

Yeager strikes out the batter and it’s on to extras.

Yesterday we heard this nugget from the Birmingham announcer - he mentioned and I posted:

”Crazy stat of the 108 outs the Barons have made so far in the series, 56 were strike outs.”

Since then another 48 outs recorded and another 16 Ks. So that’s 72 Ks this series by Shuckers pitchers of the total of 156 outs, just under 50%. Crazy.

 

Oh crap. After Warren flies out, Murray flies out and EBJ tries to go to 3rd base (why???) and he is thrown out. On to bottom of 10. And I doubt Yeager pitches a third inning….

[Joseph Zarr]

2 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

So happy for Caden Vire to finally make his full season debut after so many injury issues the last few years. He looked nasty. Command might be a work in progress but he's mid 90's with an extremely lanky frame. There's still a lot of room to fill out there. This is a kid who it's not super difficult to imagine making it to an MLB bullpen in the next couple of years.

Literally just sitting down to watch it again. Hard not to be super excited about his debut and how hard he's worked to get here. You couple the early season developments of LHP's Sam Garcia and Bjorn Johnson and there's simply some really fun lefties on the Mudcats staff.

[biedergb]

Sac bunt. Infield in and a grounder to Pratt, and Cooper looks the runner back and throws to first. 2 out. That’s huge. Now Fitzpatrick can focus on just the batter.  Hopefully he can get the out here.

[biedergb]

Fitz magic. Gets a big K swinging there. On to 11th. Extra extras. Murray will be the “courtesy” runner on 2nd , and it’s Restituyo, then top of the order. This is the best chance to make it happen. 
Still not sure why EBJ tried to get to 3rd last inning. 2nd or 3rd base with two out either you need a hit to score you. 
OK shuckers bats let’s keep rolling.

And restituyo bunt pops up and is out. Ugh. Poor fundamentals when it counts the most. 

[biedergb]

Spain triples. 4-3 Shuckers lead. 
Daz Cameron joins Nashville as a spark, bumps Spain to AA, and he has been good for the offense.

 

Lara up and the Pratt. Hopefully we can add to this lead. And Lara Ks swinging. Last chance to extend the inning is Cooper.