Hicklen's timing, as I said in my report, is just not right as he works his way back. He gets under one and pops out to CF. This a pitch after missing a heater by a good second. He'll get there. He isn't there yet. Sounds lose 4-3. Tough loss.
Er merrr gerrrrd. Garrett Mitchell just smacked an oppo inside-the-park 2-run HR. The Bulls LF'er tried to dive and catch the ball. He missed. Mitchell has wheels.
Here's your look:
Chirino gives up another run. 4-1 game. First pitch elevated heater hit oppo down the line. The runner tries for two but is thrown out by Hicklen. Man, that was a really poor inning from a very talented pitcher. <Sad Face>.
CF Chris Roller saved Chirinos from another mistake. An 0-2 count. Hangs a dead center cut heater. Roller runs it down in a fantastic track and catch sprinting into the warning track in deep left CF. That pitch, again, can't happen. 0-2 count. Gotta get him to chase on something flirting with the zone not sitting in the meat.
He then hangs a breaking ball for a double down the RF line past a diving 1B Owen Miller. These are bad pitches. Very hard hit balls. Come on, Harold my guy. You are a much better pitcher than this.
A 2-0 hanger on the inside part of the plate. Oh how the disadvantaged counts can haunt a pitcher. This is Chirino's Achilles' Heel. It truly is. He puts too many men on base because he can't control his awesome set of tools. 3-1 Bulls.
Yonny Hernandez!!! He ties the game on an oppo 3-2 single. Glorious AB. That's Zuber's first run allowed (earned or unearned) as a Durham Bull all season. 1-1 game. Hernandez then caught stealing on a beautiful throw from the Bull's Driscoll. Bases empty now. One down.
Collins K looking (inside heater). Hicklen swings and misses on 2 sliders center cut, fouls 2 off, grounds out to 3B. Miller K's swinging on a 95 mph inside heater. Zuber is pretty tough. His slider has some really interesting pace. Nobody could touch it.
He's working around a flubber bloop nuffer single to shallow CF with the outfield deep. O'Rae almost caught it over his shoulder. He then walked the next batter - it was close. AND, he's also working around 2 WP's that have advanced runners 3 bases. Men on 2nd and 3rd. 1-1 count. 8-7 Shuckers. Whewwwww. AND, he induces the ground out to Martinez Jr. We can thank his 8 foot frame for handling that weird hop. It's a 3-0 Series LEAD. Let's GO!!!!
RHP Sam Carlson pitches a dominant 8th frame with 2 K. His last K on three pitches. We are on to the 9th in a 8-7 game. Shuckers lead. Let's go! A 3-0 series lead would feel so dang sweet after the past month.
Norman struck out to end of the 8th on a weird reach flailing swing and miss on a slider low and well outside the zone. He was subbed out for C Blayberg Diaz in the 9th. Will be something to possibly pay attention to tomorrow and into the weekend. Hopefully, he didn't tweak anything.
One thing is for sure, say what we want about the WP's from Sanchez. That turn and get from Satchell Norman and the sprint; slide/dive; and tag from Sanchez was legit ridiculously spry and athletic. Heck of a play to keep a run off the board.
Oh baby. The Shuckers want the 'W's in Rocket City. A WP just scored two. 6-6 game. AND, just after that Boeve rocked a HR over the RF wall. A two run jack. 8-6 Shuckers. Let's go! He golfed out a 93 mph heater off the inside of the plate.
Speaking of Hall. I see a max four-seam velo of 96.1 mph. Averaged 94.1 mph. 36 pitches. 15 swings. 4 whiffs. Zero meaningful contact on his slider - avg exit velo of 77.4 mph. Did get tagged for a 105.2 mph exit velo line out off a 4-seamer. Also tagged for a 102.9 mph single off a change-up.