Bad managing all around the last 10 mintues. Estevez leaves Rudy in too long and lets him face 2 dangerous LHH in Nivens and Caglione for a 3rd time. It comes back to bite the Rattlers in the backside and they are now down 3-2.
And Pena walks the next hitter on 4 pitches as well. Bases loaded 0 outs. Just an unspeakably bad decision to use one of your worst RP in this scenario.
Mudcats go down 1-2-3 on 6 pitches in the 8th inning. Jeison Pena in to pitch. Can't say I love bringing in a reliever with a 5.02 ERA in the 9th inning of a tied win or go home game...
MUDCATS GET OUT OF IT! A liner hit to Guilarte at SS and he doubles off the runner at 3rd (no thanks to Baez who for some reason tried to tag the runner instead of stepping on the base)
Juan Baez throws a ball about 5ft above Bitonti's head allowing the leadoff runner to reach 2B. Just cannot be making mistakes like that. Hardin will need to dig deep here to keep that runner stranded.
Castillo and Diaz the two new starters for Carolina in Game 2 tonight have gone 0-6 with 4 strikeouts. Nate Stanley's moves in this series have not paid off to this point. We head to the 8th tied 2-2.
Sykora's season line against the Mudcats up to 20 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 27 SO, 1 HBP. Just absolutely dominating this Mudcats lineup and looks like he's on pace to go 6 innings.