Wed. 7/2: Six-Pack Evening (Two Shuckers Games, DSL Idle)

[Joseph Zarr]

Bitonti walks. That's his third time aboard. Heck of a night for a heck of a player trending in all the right directions as this season advances. Wrote about him last night (wink wink).

[RedStickBrew]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

We legitimately need to talk about the season INF Ethan Murray is having. Like a legitimate discourse. This is possibly an emerging MLB player before our eyes. Full stop.

I had this same thought recently. Reminds me a bit of the season Isaac Collin’s had a couple years ago in Biloxi

[brewmann04]

It helps that he is finally healthy 

[biedergb]

Just what we needed. An injury delay mound visit for Melvin Hernandez🙄

But he was checked out and is still in there…..

‘Hopefully nothing worrisome, but he is still pitching. 

[biedergb]

Double against Hernandez and he is likely out now. 2-1 lead. He’s at 83 pitches 

He is out and it’s Nick DeCarlo. 

[biedergb]

DeCarlo walks the bases full around a fly out. 2-1 still. Got to get that third out.

DeCarlo will need to hone it in. Not really close with a lot of pitches.

[Joseph Zarr]

De Carlo now in a 3-2 count. And, what a pitch to escape the jam. Just located a filthy low outer corner curve ball. Man, that took some guts. Hadn't been locating that pitch really at all that frame. That pitch was gorgeous. 

[biedergb]

And he does it. Comes back from a 3-1 count to get the K. I’ll take it.

Shuckers cut their deficit to 2-1now. 

TRats up to their last at bat. Top of down 4-1

[Joseph Zarr]

Man, this relief arm on the Wahoos mound is giving K.C. Hunt a run for his money on the open top three buttons full chest ablaze look. LOL. He means outs!

[brewmann04]

Bitioni is finally healthy too and looking like a a very solid prospect moving up 

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, brewmann04 said:

Bitioni is finally healthy too and looking like a a very solid prospect moving up 

I think the over-reactions to the early season were pretty overblown. Yes, he is going to have strikeout tendencies. But, I still like his pitch recognition and swing selection. I love the shape of his swing. He has legit MLB power. He plays a very good 1B. He may just be a DH/1B player today given how they've played him in 2025 and that will knock him down a peg losing the hot corner in the cards. But, man, he is just such a solid heady baseball player who legitimately loves the grind and loves the study.

[Joseph Zarr]

I swear I am at a 50/50 clip with the infield umps tonight. I swear they are blowing calls left and right. It's as if they don't know ties go to runners and balls that land inside the foul line are fair. 

[Joseph Zarr]

DeCarlo starts his second frame of work falling behind 3-0 before landing a heater for a strike. The zone remains elusive. He walks him on five pitches. That's three walks in 2/3 IP. 

[Joseph Zarr]

DeCarlo now has gotten ahead 0-2 to both the next batters. Here we go, young gun. He gets the 1-2 pop out to the catcher. He gets his second K swinging on an 0-2 change-up. Two down. Man on first. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Trailing 3-1 after Cornielle gave up a first pitch two-out one-run double in fifth, RHP Ryan Middendorf comes aboard and does 2025 Middendorf things:

BB on four pitches. 

First pitch single into right CF. 

4-1 Shuckers trail

[Joseph Zarr]

5-1 Shuckers trailed after a successful double steal. Made just stole two bags in a row (36 on his season). Peña misses an oppo homer by a matter of feet right of the foul pole. Very close. 2-1 Mudcats. Two down. 1-2 count.

Oh no. This does not look good. He just took a heater high and in off his left hand/wrist. He is writhing in pain. Oh man. This is NOT good!

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh man. Yeah, he is wincing and scrunching in pain when the trainer presses on it. He's coming out.

DANG IT!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!

[wiguy94]

If Luis Pena is hurt...can we please go more than a week without a good prospect getting injured?

[biedergb]

This is a very disappointing few weeks. Feels like very prospect keep getting injured.

ugh.

[Joseph Zarr]

Goodness. That play sucked. You can hear it as it smacks him. That was ugly. Come on! That was 94 mph up and in directly off that left hand/wrist with the hand gripping the bat. He keels over in pain when the trainer presses it. 

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

If Luis Pena is hurt...can we please go more than a week without a good prospect getting injured?

Truly unbelievable. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Switches over to the Shuckers to see Spain strikeout on another massive hack. LOL. Man he just really means it when he strikes out swinging. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh hey another homeplate ump blowing an important call with a Brewers pitcher. Hodges absolutely robbed of a strike 3 looking in the 8th. Puts a man aboard instead. Two down. Man on 1st. Hawkeye data clearly showed that was a breaking ball belt high in the middle of the zone. Unbelievable. No matter, he gets the weakly hit groundout to Made. 

I am at odds with the professionals who call baseball games and who score them on a nightly basis. 😅

[wallus]

Put Made in bubble wrap please

[wibadgers23]

I’ve been following the minor leagues religiously for many years now and I have never seen this many injuries to top prospects. Hoping for the best for Pena.