Wow. Shuckers take a 6-5 lead on an E2 into CF. Man on third base now. Two down. A Lara sac fly tied it. Adams walked in the first run. Boeve is in a 3-1 count. Just what the doctor ordered.
A two out hanging tear drop bloop single scores another in a 2-2 count. 5-3 Shuckers trail. Man. Rough outing. Cruz pitches 1/3 inning and is pulled after 20 pitches and five runs allowed.
Well, that's not what we're looking for. Cruz hits his first batter on his first pitch. Three run jack on a pitch one hanging heater immediately after over the right CF wall. Woof. 3-3 game. Yikes.
Right?! Honestly, it doesn't even matter what we call it. It's that pitch that hangs around 93-to-97 (apparently) that moves like a cutter and is also filthy.
Multiple men on for RHP Alexander Cornielle yet again here in the 5th. Men on 1st and 2nd after a failed DP when Vargas couldn't get a clean handle on the ball. One down. He's up 0-2 to the next batter. Still 3-0 Shuckers. Cornielle's pitch count sits 70.
Miz starts off with consecutive 100 mph heaters and follows with a 97 mph slider?! My goodness. 1-2 count. He gets him up top with a swinging K at 100 mph.
Whewwwww.
Shuckers may be leading 3-0. BUT, RHP Jaxon Wiggins is still mowing them down. 8 K of 9 outs. Heater sitting 97-98. Throwing in a change-up and a slider to keep the bats entirely off balance. I can very much see why the Cubs like this arm. He's pretty filthy.
Had to deal with another blown call by an infield ump to put two aboard as well. Delgado botched the handle but that dribbling ball still clearly beat the slide when Zamora grabbed it. Hall's off-speed is continuing to look very nice as a complement. Twice the quality of stuff so far than all of last season.
Hall struck out the side in his second frame of work. He essentially struck out 4 missing a questionable (oh the zone!) replay assist ball four on a gorgeous curve that missed according to the cams by 0.3". I challenge the challenge!
I had to do farm chores quick so paused and am well behind BUT that first inning from DL Hall was about as dominant as it gets. Glorious. Sitting 95-96. In complete command. Got the swinging slider K to end it. Put it in my veins.
Delgado is really making his impact felt on this game. Just drove in Rosario who took 2B when he beat the failed back pick attempt in a pick-off off a ball inside and in the dirt. Savvy vet play. Delgado then ripped a deep single gapper - heck of a play be De La Cruz to keep that ball from going to the wall. 3-0 Sounds.
Totally. Just sucked all the way around. Thankfully, we appear to have dodged a prolonged IL stint. BUT, it's his finger. It's not going to be a seamless transition back to mashing. Those things can absolutely linger.
Yup. Timing is still off. He was right on that late count heater but ripped a foul straight back. This type of thing is what I'm most sad about for Seigler. He was absolutely unconscious and then boom. Injury. Unfair.
Dalbec with a savvy vet reach poke shallow single to plate Dunn. 0-2 count. Sweeper high and just off the plate. No matter. Bloop. Love it. 2-0 Sounds.
Raynel Delgado savvily swipes 3B - really masterful slide avoiding the near bang-bang tag. Herron hit a slow grounder and Delgado scores on the force out at 1B. Hall reached 2B as a result of the slowly hit ball. 1-0 Sounds. Hall got aboard with the first and only meaningful contact - a ground ball up the middle for a single.