Shuckers doing their best to execute themselves into a deficit. Rough defense to start this 5th frame. O'Rae tried to force a DP when EBJ hadn't gotten to the bag. Ball arrived late. EBJ arrived steps late. He fires awkwardly and a bit low to Boeve who can't hold the ball. Two men on. One down. Got to at least grab one out there. The Shuckers continue to try to give runs away. 1-1 game.
Zamora just saved Stallings further damage on a full count, two men on, rocket line drive. He was positioned perfectly. Took steps to his right and dove for the snare. 1-0 Sounds trail headed to the bottom of the 5th.
Smith reins it in after consecutive walks. Fly out to RF. Three pitch K on a gorgeous slider dipping low and outside the zone. That was the best pitch of his inning. Not sharp but he still has the tools to work through an outing like this. He's pitched 4 complete 1 ER ball. 1-1 game. He'll likely get the 5th as well as his pitch count is still manageable.
And it's no matter. Cruz throws two straight tailing off-speed for swings and misses. Then gets the batter swinging at high heat. 3 pitch K. He escapes.
Leading 4-1 in Fort Wayne, Manfredi was pulled with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Two down. Bottom of the 6th. RHP Stiven Cruz comes on and walks them full. Missed on a full count low and inside.
And, it continues for Smith. Very luckily gets the benefit of a call on a WP inside when Miller's throw was off-line up the 3B side but EBJ got the call (it was the wrong call). Smith then walks his next batter on 4 pitches. He can't control anything at present.
Yeah a very uncharacteristic inning there. And, now he walked the lead-off in the 4th on a not very competitive 3-2 pitch. Low and inside. Not the sharp version we've seen of late whatsoever.
SO O'Rae turned and cannoned that? That's on him. The announcers made it seem as tho the throw never hit the cut-off (which would have been a cannon). AND, the camera never actually covered the play in real time - upon replay and in real time. Did you hear Javik's call?
I also haven't witnessed a Shuckers victory in any of my report duty evenings in likely over two months. It's unbelievable how much bad Shuckers baseball I've seen.
Areinamo just ripped a solo jack over the LF wall. Absolutely ripped that high heater over that fence. Woot woot.
The runner scores from 3B on a well executed Sac Fly. Shuckers trail 1-0. The little things count in baseball. This Shuckers team clearly doesn't understand that whatsoever.
This first inning of Shuckers 'execution' is about as classic Joe Ayrault managed 2024 Biloxi Shuckers baseball as it can get. Newly called up lead-off guy gets on base and swipes a bag. 2 K's and a weak ground out strand him. Smith gives up a lead-off double to the deep CF/RF gap? Relay play sails past the 3B as opposed to going to the cut-off man in O'Rae. Throw was not good to 3B regardless. AND, the runner had slipped and fell after he rounded 2B. A fundamentally sound and smart play there nabs the runner at 2B quite easily. These Shuckers are anything but fundamentally sound. Such a classic emblematic sequence of events that depict this entire first half.
Dylan O'Rae leads-off (literally) his Double-A career with a first pitch oppo poke through the 3B/SS gap into LF for a single. As classic an O'Rae knock as there ever was. Nice to see the Shuckers with an actual lead-off hitter!
A groundout to 3B and the runner takes third on the play. Guilarte smartly takes the play at 1B regardless of the lead at 2B. A ground out to 1B - Walling back-hands it and takes out 2. Runner scores from 3rd. It's 3-2. We have a mound meeting amongst the infield and the pitching coach. Two down. 3-2 game. Let's go, Aidan. You got this.
It is going to be RHP Aidan Maldonado to try for another Save. He is 2-for-5 in SVO's on the season. He concedes a flare bloop single over the leaping SS Cooper Pratt to lead off the frame. Man on 1B. Nobody down. Runner takes 2B on a high outside heater. 1-0 count. Not a good start for Aidan. Let's hope he can buckle down!
Walling rips a 1-2 single into the shallow RF grass. The diving 2B corrals it but can't execute a meaningful throw. Walling beats the throw and Guilarte takes advantage of a 1B not fully aware of the scene and scores from 2B. It's a 3-1 game. Diaz flies out to end the frame. BIG insurance there.
LET'S GO!!!! Guilarte wisely thinks better of the bunt opportunity after that first effort. He pokes an 1-2 offering into CF and Pratt comes around to score as the throw is up line. It's 2-1 Muddies. Guilarte took 2B on the offering Home. Come on, men! Let's add some insurance and take this game!
Pratt lays down the surprising lead-off bunt. The pitcher rushes the gather and throw and sails it down the 1B line into the Mudcats bullpen. We have a lead-off bunt single and an error. Pratt is on 2B. Guilarte tried to sacrifice bunt him over and nearly popped out to the catcher. Yeesh.