Joseph Zarr

Herron's results weren't there last night but he made solid swing decisions and I liked the contact on a couple of his outs (without Statcast on hand at the moment, I'd gather his fly out and ground out were close to 100 mph off the barrel - with good swing decisions those are good outs by my eyes). I like the look of what he'll bring. It's only one game, but it's hard not to be impressed with Spain stepping in in that fashion. I didn't expect that whatsoever given his career to date but I certainly am going to laud his output and performance. Another feisty, athletic, diminutive young man. The Brewers have a type it would appear here. Oliva was disruptive in that he covers ground in CF and his legs are problematic on the basepaths - he beat out a routine DP ball and kept an inning alive with runners on the corners. That means something in baseball. Already bringing something. Every line-up needs those little edges. AND, finally, let me talk about EMJ. A 115 mph laser shot grounder that nearly took the life of the Shrimp's 2B and another ball hit around 108 mph. I've been saying it for two years: he hits balls harder, consistently, than any other player in the system. Unfortunately, he had Mona playing SS last night (he was struggling to find a groove defensively - something I've seen many a time while he's been in the Brewers system) or he would have also had a very nice 3-6-3 DP tacked on. In fairness to Mona there, that ball may have also been thrown 115 mph 😅. He makes everything easier on the infielders - as I've been alluding to for two years now as well. He affords Delgado, for instance, to take his time throwing from 2B. Any bang-bang potential is lessened with EMJ's ability to reach 20 feet in front of his body to snag throws of all kinds.😁 All in all, it was a great opening night. To be a team capitalizing on other team's errors while shoring up your own is a credit to the speed on the base paths and the scrap of the team and a look at what may be another very solid Triple-A pitching staff.

Hard to believe the quality of players we keep getting from the Rockies. Delgado was absolutely noticeable in all the best ways at the dish - even managing to lay down an absurdly heady bunt single to get his evening started. I'd also note RHP Grant Anderson had a fantastic and uber-efficient single inning of work. Anderson's slider was a bit tighter than I was looking for (I recall, in ST, talking about wanting to get back to more of a sweeper? Am I misremembering?) but that sinker was moving 19 inches horizontally so it really played off whatever slider he was tossing up there regardless. 100% Zonal efficiency on that sinker. And a 7 pitch 1-2-3 inning is fantastic at any level.

BUMP: - OF Garrett Spain was assigned to the Nashville Sounds after OF Brewer Hicklen was traded to Detroit for cash considerations. I would add Spain more than acquitted himself in his first Triple-A game as a Brewer.

Nittoli will try to close this one down with the Sounds leading 7-1. Let's go, Vinny!

So in game 1, in addition to showcasing his savvy with an impromptu bunt single to open his night in a pitcher's count but adeptly seeing the drastic shift toward 2B by the left side of the infield, Delgado is 3-for-4 with 2 SB, 1 2B, and he scored a run on a WP? Is that accurate? I'm going by recall.

Middy gets two quick outs. He then sees a well hit single to shallow CF followed by a flare to left CF. He gets the 6-4 chopper to end the threat. Delgado with his third poke of his night. He rips an oppo double high off the LF wall. As I was saying...he missed a HR by maybe a foot?

EMJ steals his first Triple-A bag. Atta way big fella! Alfaro swings and misses for strike 3 on a slider low down and in. I have to say: I've missed the mammoth hacks of one-time Sounds catcher, Alex Jackson. Alfaro can definitely play that part. He takes some absolute hacks at the dish. 6-1 and RHP Ryan Middendorf debuts in 2025.

Old Brewer farmhand and friend of BF LHP Justin King's Triple-A debut. He gets the Oliva force out (beating a DP ball with his legs) for the second out. Oliva then takes second base. The throw caroms into CF. Durbin scores. 6-1. Oliva takes third base. EMJ takes a pitch low and in the dirt with a King WP scores Oliva. Woot woot. That's four errors on the night for the Shrimp's D and now a WP on King. EMJ takes a free pass.

Nice to see Mona grab a single after two rough defensive plays in back-to-back innings. Keep grinding. Find some good amidst some hiccups.

Beautiful small ball here in the 7th. Spain takes off in a hit and run. Durbin pokes a flare into RF. Spain makes third. The throw back to 1B goes wild and Spain crosses home plate. 4-1 Sounds. Single and an E6. Those E 6's appear to be haunting both clubs tonight.

Spain with two pokes tonight. You love to see it. He grabs his second knock here in the 7th - a liner single through the right side of the infield into RF.

The most important thing by my eyes: his off-speed was absolutely dialed. That's big. He wasn't all that sharp with his four-seamer. The cutter was good. The curve, slider, and change-up were quite good. I would also opine that was the best RHP Janson Junk has looked in quite some time. He was pretty dang sharp. Really happy to see that for him. Was someone really calling for the Brewers to straight out cut Cargo?! I mean he is only 23 years old for crying out loud.

Bases juiced. Two down. No hits. Bases juiced. AND, García works around the trouble with a routine fly to Oliva in right CF. 3-1 and we are on to the Sounds half of the 7th.

RHP Deivi García stated his first inning of work 2-0. Worked it 2-2 and got the weak ground out to 2B. He walked his next batter on four pitches. Man on first. One down. He gets a first pitch fouled into the stands in 3B territory. 0-1 count. Another heater. Another hack. This one fouled to the backstop. He may want to go off-speed here to the lefty. He goes off-speed down and in but the ball caroms off the dirt high and Alfaro loses it as the ball sits afront home plate. The runner takes 2B. García gets the swinging K on a beautiful change-up low and away. Two down. Man still on second in the 3-1 Sounds lead. Facing Berry, he opens with a change-up belt high and off the plate. 1-0. He gets a challenged inside heater and the call remains. 1-1 count. He gets strike two on an inside heater. He then clipped Berry on a pitch just inside. Weird AB. 😅. Men on 1st and 2nd. Two down. Ronny Simon to the dish. Pitch 1 heater fouled to the 3B side. Mona with his second error in two innings botches a routine inning ending grounder. My goodness.

EMJ takes 2nd on a wild pick-off throw. Tags to 3B on a sac fly to RF off the bat of Alfaro. Delgado drives him in with a single to RF. Golfed a lovely liner. 3-1 Sounds. As I was saying above <coughs>: I think we're realllllly going to like Ray Delgado. He is just a baseball player. You can see it in all the little things. That hit included.

How about a 115 mph one-hopper single off the Shrimp's 2B (Simon) caroming into RF for EMJ? The man can hit some absolute beef.

Well, that was an impressive sixth inning of work for RHP Grant Anderson. Efficient as heck. Had the sinker moving down and in some and had that slider cutting mustard to his glove-hand side. He ends his frame with a three pitch K (slider after two sinker strikes) after a first pitch lazy fly out to RF and a slider that jammed a lefty on a ground out to Delgado at 2B. On to the bottom half. Sounds still lead 2-1.

Thank you! I had to go chop wood and get a fire going for my wife; mom; and daughter 🫠 SO, I paused it for a spell. I'm now seeing Grant Anderson pitch in the sixth. An inning plus behind.

Ahhhhh, they did change the DP error to an E6. That was indeed on Monasterio. I thought so. Nice to see some justice there.

Cargo strands the runner at 1B with his second K of the frame (looking heater outside black). He has 7 K through 5 IP. 2-1 Sounds lead and we are on to their half of the fifth.

Sac Fly to deep left CF scores the Jumbo Shrimp's first run (unearned - EMJ charged with the throwing error). 2-1 Sounds. 2 down. 5th frame.

Mona appears to have completely missed catching a potential DP ball here in the fifth? Hard to tell on any replay angle. The throw from EMJ (who was charged with the error) certainly didn't appear wild to 2B. Perhaps, it got lost when the runner slid? Hard to say. Men on the corners now (lead-off 0-2 single) nobody down. Cargo gets the next hitter, the lefty Berry, on a change-up low and outside. 6th K. 1 down. Men on corners. RHP Grant Anderson is warming up.

I can already tell I'm going to like Ray Delgado quite a bit. Disruptive and intelligent player. Nothing manifested from his savvy bunt single when Clarke K'd swinging...but he stole 2B and was on his way to 3B too. He read the infield playing toward 2B and laid down an absolute beauty in an unfavorable count.