Sat. 8/2 - Start Your Day with Spencer's "Sandbox"

[Joseph Zarr]

Made's last long ball was May 29th. He hit 0.229 in July. He is 0-for-3 so far today. This has been a tough stretch for the young man who has clearly not hit like those first two months for quite some time.

[Ro Mueller]

Tougher night than usual for Ethan Dorchies, particularly a 3-run, 3-hit 3rd inning.

Mudcats trail 4-1 in the 6th inning, but the good news is that RHP Jayden Dubanewicz is in after exiting early on Sunday.

[biedergb]

25 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Made's last long ball was May 29th. He hit 0.229 in July. He is 0-for-3 so far today. This has been a tough stretch for the young man who has clearly not hit like those first two months for quite some time.

Wow. Yes he was ok in June and dreadful in July. Long year for the young kid. Peña hasn’t slumped as much.

Again it has felt that Pratt/Lara in Biloxi and Made/Pena in Carolina have had to shoulder a lot of the offense during the injuries/slumps of other players. All 4 still so young for their levels.

Still I was hoping for more from all 4 of those young lads.

[Ro Mueller]

Reece Walling had his first multi-hit game since May 18 and the Mudcats had many more baserunners than Augusta, but still fall 5-3, with Jesus Made (0-for-5, 1 K) flying out to strand the bases loaded in the 9th.

[Ro Mueller]

Similar to Carolina, Nashville has entered the 9th trailing, but has now loaded the bases with 1-out, down 2-0.

Freddy Zamora is up. Alfaro represents the potential game-tying run on 2nd base.

We could pinch-run Herron for Alfaro, but that’d basically force Kahle into the game and leave the bench empty (assuming Dalbec and Haase are unavailable).

[biedergb]

Nice to see the D&D combo pitch - Dubanewicz back, and the 2 combined for 9 K to 1 walk, and only 5 hits. They should have fared better than the 5 runs allowed. 

[Ro Mueller]

A Zamora single scores Dunn, who’d reached on a HBP with 1 out to start this last gasp rally, but Alfaro holds up at 3rd.

Struggling Ernesto Martinez Jr. comes to the dish, bases juiced, Sounds trailing 2-1 with 1 out.

[biedergb]

2 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

Similar to Carolina, Nashville has entered the 9th trailing, but has now loaded the bases with 1-out, down 2-0.

Freddy Zamora is up. Alfaro represents the potential game-tying run on 2nd base.

We could pinch-run Herron for Alfaro, but that’d basically force Kahle into the game and leave the bench empty (assuming Dalbec and Haase are unavailable).

EMJ

[biedergb]

Big double to give the Sounds a lead. First hit for EMJ this series.

[Ro Mueller]

And EMJ smokes (112.3mph) a below-the-zone pitch from old friend Joel Kuhnel to right field for a 2-run double!

Sounds lead 3-2 in the 9th. Let’s get more!!

[Ro Mueller]

Daz the Man triples home 2 more runs and Nashville turns a 2-0 9th inning deficit into a 5-2 advantage! Yay!!

[biedergb]

1 minute ago, Ro Mueller said:

And EMJ smokes (112.3mph) a below-the-zone pitch from old friend Joel Kuhnel to right field for a 2-run double!

Sounds lead 3-2 in the 9th. Let’s get more!!

Daz answers. With a 2 run hit. 5-2 now. Wowza

[Joseph Zarr]

HUGE. The Sounds of Freedom ring throughout Scranton/Wilkes-Barre! I spoke to this earlier in the week, but worth mentioning again here:

Zamora may hit for essentially zero power but he is unafraid of the Big moments. A major progression for him since being assigned to Nashville is the clutch single. That has to be at least 3-4 run producing clutch hits this season.

[Ro Mueller]

It looks like 9 of the 15 Arizona Complex League teams are participating in Bridge League, which started on July 29: 

 

[biedergb]

Will Payamps blow the 7-2 lead??

oh no it’s 7-3 with only 1 out, runners on the corners, nay now bases loaded. Yikes 😳 

[Joseph Zarr]

Ahhhhh blessed be we are in a full on RHP Joel Payamps experience. Already allowed one run. Has one out. Bases are now juiced after a full count walk. I can feel the nostalgia.

 

[biedergb]

Delgado throws away out #3 on a nice play to get to it.

Payamps falling behind again to the 8th batter.

Delgado fields it and makes the throw. And it’s over 7-5.

[Ro Mueller]

Odd to have Yhoswar pinch hit for Eduardo in the 6th inning.

He comes thru with their 3rd infield single of the frame. Wisconsin’s down 2-1, but should hopefully at least tie it here.

I’d guess Guilarte will have to shift over to shortstop for the rest of the game.

[biedergb]

3 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

Odd to have Yhoswar pinch hit for Eduardo in the 6th inning.

I didn’t watch but there was an injury time out Eduardo’s last at bat after a foul - so maybe hit something and soreness didn’t go away 🤷‍♂️

‘Otherwise exactly why? Hedbert comes up and smokes a 3-2 pitch, but right at the second baseman- I mean he didn’t move.  Dang. Still down but the deficit is 2-1 now

[Tim_Unroe_Helped]

Eduardo Garcia fouled the ball off his foot in his first at bat. The trainer came out and he was limping a bit even after the trainer left. I was fairly surprised he stayed in.

[Jim French Stepstool]

8 hours ago, wallus said:

Move up the Mudcat studs now

If they feel the glove can play up a level at this time--and I have no idea if they feel it can--I'd like to see Adamczewski get a taste of A+. The rest I'd leave where they are, except maybe Pena for a very late-season taste.

Fischer starting out at Wisco seems to make sense,

[LouisEly]

9 hours ago, wallus said:

Move up the Mudcat studs now

With the Mudcats leading in the 2nd half standings and fighting for a playoff chance, and the T-Rats... not, those guys are probably going to stay in Carolina.

[biedergb]

10 hours ago, LouisEly said:

With the Mudcats leading in the 2nd half standings and fighting for a playoff chance, and the T-Rats... not, those guys are probably going to stay in Carolina.

Good point

And while some may say it’s more about individual success in the minors, there is something to be said for a group of players having individual and team success together - and getting playoff experience even if at the lower levels is a valuable experience.  So very likely most of the Mudcats roster stay intact.  Travis Smith was just bumped, and if a position player gets bumped up it’s more like Adamczewski and he could see a “Pratt” style cup of coffee with Biloxi prior to the playoffs maybe. But I could see him staying in Carolina for the season given the time he missed and to keep him and the others fresh and hopefully healthy.