Wed. 8/20 - Upper Levels Home, Lower Away

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

LOL shouts on the Wisconsin broadcast. 

I know. That was awesome! Have a beer on me Beloit broadcast booth! That was fantastic. 😅

[Joseph Zarr]

Hey Blake Burke with another Double-A hit. Single to LF.

Man, the Mudcats have had base runners on in every inning. They have become very adept at stranding them. Two outs on the basepaths via the run down pickle. AND, Ragsdale was just CS.

[Joseph Zarr]

Peña cracks a shallow line out to CF. Adamczewski cracked a 95 mph line out to the LF corner - well hit ball. He's making solid contact routinely like he has done his entire career. Frankly, his current High-A approach is 2x more palatable than Fischer's who is taking large hacks with his head leaving the zone routinely. 

Meanwhile, Holguin continues to absolutely flash the leather for the Mudcats at the hot corner. Gorgeous charging barehanded gather and accurate toss for the first out of the Salem half of the 3rd.

[Matt]

I have absolutely no idea what to make of Rodriguez as a prospect. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Another K for Manuel. His 5th through 2 1/3 IP. That one swinging on another gorgeous off-speed pitch. 

Meanwhile, in Salem Ebel ate dirt on a charging hard hit grounder. Face first as he stumbled during the gather. Literally may have nibbled on some granules. LOL. He gets the weakly hit ground out force out to 2B on the next play. Nice redemption. They head to the 4th and it's still 0-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, Matt said:

I have absolutely no idea what to make of Rodriguez as a prospect. 

Assuming Manuel? When his stuff is moving like this? It's a whole new conversation. His stuff is absolutely electric tonight. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Mudcats currently have no answer for Meyer's curve ball. Lotta flat feet looking at that big breaker. Bitonti just went down looking. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Shuckers strand two in their first frame after C Babe Wood grounds out to 1B. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Castillo has the two run blast over the RF wall. He now has the 8" ground out just in front of home plate. He didn't even move. I don't blame him. Pull up a lawn chair!

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP KC Hunt is getting a lot of stares at his change-up tonight. Has a K looking on that pitch in the 2nd. Just saw another batter watch it land peacefully for a strike. Seems to be causing early problems for the Lookouts.

[Joseph Zarr]

And, just like that he gets his second K looking - this one on what was either a curve or a slider I saw it late. That's 23 pitches through 2 IP for Hunt. You love to see it. 

[Jake McKibbin]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I will say, it's one game. Yes, it's one game. SS Brady Ebel absolutely looks the part of a professional baseball player. Just so clearly embodied. Comfortable in that body. Knows how to move. Knows how to swing that bat, my goodness - such a beautiful swing. It obviously means very little at this juncture. BUT, it was an impressive flare oppo single liner debut if there is such a thing 😅. 

I'd love to disagree, but I can't really argue anything right now. That swing has my mind all scrambling, the poetry and violence in combination are seriously impressive 

[Joseph Zarr]

First contact of any kind on Rodriguez here in the 4th is a 96 mph fly out to CF that died like a duck in the midland grass. That has been the only contact so far. It was a 2-2 count. He was kind of squeezed on a high inside heater that could have gone either way - with the way he's pitching I think he should have gotten the call. Facing Dylan Head as the next batter he hits a high breaker soft liner into very shallow LF. The No No is over. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The first Mudcats run comes via a bases loaded walk. These Muddies bats were happy to see this new bullpen arm. That's four consecutive walks. All with two outs. And Payne takes ball 1 as well. And, he grounds out. Threat over. 1-0 Muddies lead.

[Joseph Zarr]

Rodriguez ends his fourth frame with another K swinging. Gorgeous, gutsy, inside slider (?) on a 3-2 pitch after a few fouls pulled down the RF line. Fantastic work. 6 K through 4 IP of 1 H 0 BB work.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP KC Hunt opens his third frame with three consecutive curve balls. Three consecutive swings and misses for his fourth consecutive K. Noice!

[Joseph Zarr]

Lameda and Holguin are flashing serious leather early in this Salem road series. Lameda just made a charging cross-body underhand submarine flick to 1B for an out and he made it look routine. He almost gets the diving snare on a liner up the middle on the next play. Caromed off his glove it appears. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Fischer hits a 94 mph two out single through the right side of the infield. Nice to see him make contact. 

[Joseph Zarr]

He quickly swipes his 4th SB in his 4th attempt. He was there quite easily.

[Joseph Zarr]

MADE BOMB!!! 106 MPH PULL SHOT LINED OVER THE RF WALL. BABY!!!! INSIDE SLIDER. ABSOLUTE TURNED AND BURNED. 

[Joseph Zarr]

5-0 T-Rats baby. Love it.

[Joseph Zarr]

OK. After dealing with my 7-year-old melt down that I added mustard powder into the tuna noodle salad (😅 - It's too spicy!!!!!) it's time to pause the games and go do some animal chores. Good early night. Other than the Sounds broadcast snafus after two pitches (it may have come back by now but I waited a good several minutes).

[Ro Mueller]

One pitch, one swing, 103.5mph, 378-foot homer for Rhys Hoskins: 

 

[Ro Mueller]

And Raynel Delgado picks up right where he left off yesterday, with this 101.7mph, 389-foot shot: 

 

[biedergb]

Looks like Enderson Mercado got himself into and then out of (via a double play) a jam. 1-0 Muddies and back at bat with Ragsdale up and runners at the corners