Wed. 7/23: Free Viewing of the Mudcats at 10:00 AM Central

[Joseph Zarr]

Beautiful K on a nasty 1-2 hook on the outer black to start Cargo's second inning of work. We are likely looking at a 65 pitch max for Cargo tonight. Dalbec flashes the leather as well with a gorgeous sliding stop into foul territory behind the first base bag with the easy savvy scoop back to Carlos for the second out. Everything about Dalbec's game is underrated. More than adequate defensively.

[Joseph Zarr]

Cargo ends his frame with a swinging K after he threw five consecutive change-ups. Really nice bounce back frame after ending his first frame with a K as well. 

Meanwhile, Birchard leads off his 2nd hanging a high breaker and it is hit for a double into RF. Castillo isn't the most nimble in the OF grass. Valiant effort. He was incapable of making the sliding catch. And, Birchard falls behind immediately 2-0 to the next batter. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Two consecutive innings Birchard has stranded a one out runner at 3B. After the lead off double, he saw a line out one-hop to Areinamo at 2B. He then K'd the next batter swinging. He then got the pop up to 2B. Flirting with disaster but the T-Rats still lead 1-0 into the 3rd frame. 

[Joseph Zarr]

4 K for Cargo (gorgeous 3-2 outer black slider) through 2 2/3 IP. He has hit a groove and is really mixing it up quite nicely.

[Joseph Zarr]

5 punchies for Cargo through 3 IP after that 2-run shot in the 1st. Got him with a 91 mph high heater above the zone. Really mixing beautifully since the dinger. Love to see it!

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, the Rocket City vs Shuckers Game Two is officially postponed after a prolonged rain delay. The game never started. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Baez goes down looking at a 99 mph heater on the outer black at his knees with the bases juiced and two down. Big opportunity squandered there. T-Rats still lead 1-0. Heading to the bottom of the 3rd. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Cargo just gave up a lead-off 1-1 HR off the top of the wall after originally ruling it a triple. That's Robertson's second dinger of the night off Cargo. Sounds trail 3-2. It was the right call by my eyes. First hiccup since the early two-run shot. Sweetie is absolutely miffed they overruled the call. The closest ump ruled it a triple. The crew convened. He clearly did not like the process. Hate to break it to Sweetie: that was a HR. 

[Joseph Zarr]

And for the third consecutive inning, Birchard will put a base runner aboard with one down. A five pitch walk. His second of his evening. He has worked with a man on 3B every inning. Can he prevent that travel in the 3rd?

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, we are suddenly full on in the RHP Ryan Birchard Experience. He is down 3-0 to the next batter yet again. 3-1 now. Was 3-1 to the man aboard at 1B as well. Sneaks another strike in. 3-2. Runner swipes 2B. BIG pitch. Gets the K swinging on an outside breaker. Two down.

[Joseph Zarr]

Man, the Sounds are not the beneficiary of umpiring in this inning. Home plate ump calls the runner safe on a bang-bang play at home plate. Dalbec scooped the hard hit grounder cleanly. Fired a strike to home plate. Definitely looked like Quero got the tag down and they beat the slide. They changed the triple to a HR. They also gave a bang-bang play to Charlotte at 2B. AND, now we have a 3-run HR off the batters eye on a reach poke to straightaway CF. Man, I absolutely feel for Cargo here. The final line will look ugly. His worst inning of work was the first frame. He was a victim of some flares to LF with one down and then some umpiring that could have very easily gone the Sounds way. Strange game this baseball.

[Joseph Zarr]

Stallings on in relief. Walks first batter. Induces the 6-4-3 DP to end the threat. 7-2 Sounds trail. On to the bottom of the 4th. 

I don't know how many times I need to type this but here's another:

RHP Garrett Stallings has had a phenomenal season as a Sound. Truly. He's done everything. 

[Joseph Zarr]

It's Bobby Dalbec's world and we're all just appreciating his skilllz. Another ding dong. Beautiful oppo shot over the RF wall. The man has so much power. Whew baby.

7-3 Knights lead. 

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, we are BACK-TO-BACK. BOOMING 415 FOOTER off the bat of Ollie Dunn (6th HR as a Sound) to the deepest alley of the park. Sinker dead center. Back-to-Back games with Back-to-Back ding dongs. 7-4 Knights. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey now! Birchard is still working through some control issues and elevated counts but the walks aren't killing him. He's fighting back into counts. He ends his 4th with a K looking. T-Rats still lead 1-0. That's 66 pitches through 4 IP.

AND, EMJ just missed a two-run shot but flies out to the deep RF corner warning track. Oliva had BB'd and then stole 2B. Tagged to 3B. Two down. Zamora ripped a ground ball deep innto the hole between 3B and SS. 7-5 deficit now. Zamora swiped his 8th bag though the slide certainly was not pretty and indicative of a single digit SB runner. 😄

[Joseph Zarr]

HEDBERT! DING DONG CITY. Off the back of the RF terrace baby. 2-0 T-Rats. Let's GO! 13th Johnson of his season and his 4th vs QC baby. 109 mph off the lumber. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Quero replaced in the 5th inning. Could be part of that taking it easy return? Nothing appeared to happen in the outing. I would guesstimate it is part of the plan. BUT, none the less: I report to you as always. Pulled in the 5th for Kahle. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Man, it certainly feels like Birchard got jobbed to get the bases juiced in the 5th. Ump blew a Strike one on a beautiful breaker up in the zone. He then gave a batter a HB free base after he squared and committed to the ball but gave action as if he was hit (he may have been). That's a strike by my eyes. Next batter hits a gap fly that Castillo once again can not get to. Run-scoring single. 2-1 game. Bases still juiced. Nobody out. T-Rats may just T-Rat here and give up a big inning. OR Flores finds a way out. Leaving with a tie here would be huge. 3-2 count right off the bat. 

[Joseph Zarr]

My gods the T-Rats squad needed this! Flores gets the fly ball to a deeper portion of LF with Alastre (who doesn't have a plus arm out there) snagging it. The runner improbably doesn't even tag. What is that?!? AND, Flores gets the inning ending DP. My gods. Let's go, Rattlers. WIN this game! They still lead 2-1 improbably.

[wiguy94]

10 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Quero replaced in the 5th inning. Could be part of that taking it easy return? Nothing appeared to happen in the outing. I would guesstimate it is part of the plan. BUT, none the less: I report to you as always. Pulled in the 5th for Kahle. 

Hug watch?

[Joseph Zarr]

I swear to you the Sounds have gotten absolutely zero love from this crew in Nashville tonight. Every bang-bang play has gone to the Knights. Kahle nearly grabs the runner swiping 2B in the 6th after Kahle was called for catching interference. That runner scores on the next pitch a single up the middle. Tough luck! 8-5 Knights. 

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Hug watch?

Man. I'm going to will it into "This is just part of their plan to have him take it easy in his return." It's 95 F and muggy as heck. Meanwhile, Sweetie is laying into the homeplate ump. For good reason. This crew has been absolutely calling everything in the Knight's favor. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Flores works around a walk with some really zesty off-speed hooks. Gets the swinging K to end his first full inning of work. I do believe he had 2 K's in that inning? (scoreboard is not up and I am listening to Jeff Hem).

[Joseph Zarr]

I know Hudson is generally sitting 90-92 mph on the sinker again (at least the Nashville gun seems to be reading that repeatedly - don't have Savant up) but I have liked what I have seen from Hudson tonight so far. Not a whole lotta of meaningful contact. 

[biedergb]

1 minute ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I know Hudson is generally sitting 90-92 mph on the sinker again (at least the Nashville gun seems to be reading that repeatedly - don't have Savant up) but I have liked what I have seen from Hudson tonight so far. Not a whole lotta of meaningful contact. 

I would love to see Hudson get some consistency- he was such a key cog in the ‘pen last year (well most of last year).  Getting him consistent and confident could be better than any trade deadline acquisition.

i mean a man can dream right ?