Sat. 8/9 - Just-Turned 19-year-old RHP Miqueas Mercedes Set to Make Mudcat Debut

[Joseph Zarr]

Sounds lead 3-2 and LhP Brian Fitzpatrick will be thrown right into the fire. He will debut and try to protect this lead. Good luck, Brian! C Jeferson Quero is back in the line up and has a Sac Fly, an RBI single (scoring Tyler Black after his double) and a BB. That will play!

[Ro Mueller]

First plate appearance in 41 days for Dinges: RBI single to score Made (who'd walked).

Second time up: lead-off walk. A Baez infield single and 2 balks have helped Wisconsin push 2 runs across in the 4th inning for a 3-1 lead.

And Luiyin Alastre adds an RBI double. 4-1 good guys.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

First plate appearance in 41 days for Dinges: RBI single to score Made (who'd walked).

Second time up: lead-off walk. A Baez infield single and 2 balks have helped Wisconsin push 2 runs across in the 4th inning for a 3-1 lead.

And Luiyin Alastre adds an RBI double. 4-1 good guys.

Alastre has very sneakily been having much better AB's and much better luck on the balls he is putting in play. It's nice to wee him adapt and evolve at High-A. He'a still not really hitting for any type of power (1 2B and 1 3B all of July - this is his first XBH in August) but he is no longer a hole in the line up. At age 19, that is a big win.

[Ro Mueller]

Fitz had not hit a batter in 39.1 IP this year. He entered today with a 12 BB / 44 K ratio.

Sadly, it's all gone sideways in his first career AAA appearance. Gonna have to forget this one.

[Joseph Zarr]

The Fitzpatrick debut has not gone well. 4-3 Shrimp lead. Bases juiced. Nobody out. 2 H, 2 BB. He is at 27 pitches and has old friend C Brian Navarretto in a 1-2 count.

[biedergb]

Bo Bowman on to try to keep the game close after Manfredi conceding a run in the 8th. 4-2 Shuckers still lead.

Did someone ask for a great KC Hunt outing??

Well you would not be disappointed. He gave up a hit (finally) but 6 1-hit scoreless innings for the 2024 co-pitcher of the minor leagues.

[Ro Mueller]

A Lynchburg reliever came in and retired 4 straight Mudcats (first 3 via strikeout) in this tight 6-5 contest, but Tyler Rodriguez has put the pressure on in the penultimate inning: single to center, 2 stolen bases. Still 1 out and Gery Holguin can hopefully tie this game up.

[Ro Mueller]

7 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

A Lynchburg reliever came in and retired 4 straight Mudcats (first 3 via strikeout) in this tight 6-5 contest, but Tyler Rodriguez has put the pressure on in the penultimate inning: single to center, 2 stolen bases. Still 1 out and Gery Holguin can hopefully tie this game up.

Holguin pops out on a full count for the 2nd out, but a Pedro Ibarguen infield single to 3rd base ties the game 6-6. Nice comeback from down 6-1. Go 'Cats!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Heck of a bases loaded escape by RHP Bo Bowman. Shuckers lead 4-2 in the 9th, Meanwhile, their old stablemate, LHP Brian Fitzpatrick had a nightmare debut for Nashville giving up 6 in 2/3 IP. Sounds led 3-2. They trailed 8-3 when RHP Blake Holub came aboard. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Another Birchard outing averting disaster via a 4:3 BB:K ratio. Sigh. T-Rats lead 4-1 as he is through 4 2/3 IP looking to make it five complete.

[biedergb]

6 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

but Tyler Rodriguez has put the pressure on in the penultimate inning: single to center, 2 stolen bases. Still 1 out and Gery Holguin can hopefully tie this game up.

Is it just me or has Tyler been the creator of runs recently.....

[biedergb]

Grounder to Burke. Out #3, and Bowman closes it out. Shuckers beat Smokies, and a Cub affiliates loses!

[biedergb]

Bjorn Johnson in his fourth inning of work, and giving up base runners. He may exit the game soon.

Still tied amazingly after the Mudcats have rallied from 6-1 down

[Joseph Zarr]

7 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Is it just me or has Tyler been the creator of runs recently.....

Like Alastre, Rodriguez is playing quite a bit more productively as well. He's also made some truly fantastic defensive plays in LF. He's hitting like 0.330's (?) with a plus 0.800 OPS in August I think?

[biedergb]

FredNats come back to win their game tonight. So a lot on the line here. If the Mudcats can somehow complete the comeback. Johnson still in, maybe last batter as the pitch count goes to upper 60s.

Let's go Bjorn!

[Joseph Zarr]

Johnson has walked the bases full.

A younger more impetuous me would have ripped into manager Nick Stanley here. Now that I'm calmer and wiser, I know over-extending Johnson was planned six months ago in a manager's retreat on the Turks and Caicos. 🤭

[Joseph Zarr]

Fowler is apparently the new Mudcats Nick Mears. He debuted last night. They put him back on the bump tonight. Hokay then. Let's hope he brings it. He was fantastic in his debut.

[biedergb]

1 minute ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Let's hope he brings it. He was fantastic in his debut.

Ummm. Not quite. Two wild pitches (although one is at least on Garcia the catcher).

But it's 8-6. Dang it.

[biedergb]

Birchard was throwing a no-hitter through 5 IP. Wow, but the 4 walks and a run allowed seem very Birchard-like.

He gives up a hit and a walk in the 6th, and he is out making way for Aaron Rund

[biedergb]

5 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Let's hope he brings it. He was fantastic in his debut.

OK. well after those two hiccups. He strikes out the next two on 3-2 counts. OK then.

It's a 2 run deficit. Do the Cardiac Cats have it in them to make a comeback with a 7th inning rally?

[biedergb]

Encarnacion just hit that ball into the right field corner, and man how did the RF track it down, that had double or triple off the bat written all over it, but hung up some I guess. Nice running catch to rob Handelfry of an XBH. Dang it.

Bitonti up now.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, biedergb said:

Encarnacion just hit that ball into the right field corner, and man how did the RF track it down, that had double or triple off the bat written all over it, but hung up some I guess. Nice running catch to rob Handelfry of an XBH. Dang it.

Bitonti up now.

Man, I wanted that for Handelfry so badly. We need to see him get going. We know it's in the bag.

[biedergb]

Aaron Rund has completely invited Peoria back into this game. Both runners of Birchard score and he has the bases loaded with only 1 out. Yikes. 4-3 TRats lead still.

[biedergb]

1 minute ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Man, I wanted that for Handelfry so badly. We need to see him get going. We know it's in the bag.

And after that Bitonti takes a borderline pitch (looked low  given he is 6' 5") as strike 3

The Anderson misses and Ks swinging to end the game. 

Shoot so close to a comeback win.

[Joseph Zarr]

I see Rund has allowed both inherited runners to score. Some truly rough bullpen outings for arms throughout the system. However, I know who is paying the baseball gods for the Brewers current run of amazingness. I tip my cap to the selflessness of the players down below.