Fri. 4/8 - Let All The Kids Play!

[Mass Haas]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news of the day, lineup updates (when damuelle is available, which is often), etc.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

[Mass Haas]

 

[damuelle]

Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Freddy Zamora, Felix Valerio & Co. lead the re-stocked Biloxi Shuckers against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in their season opener. RHP Justin Bullock gets the start as the team opens on the road: 

 

[Mass Haas]

 

[Mass Haas]

Pre-Game Media Notes:

Nashville

Biloxi

Carolina

[damuelle]

RHP Jason Alexander makes his organizational debut, getting the start as AAA Nashville aims to even the series against Durham 2-2. Top prospect Brice Turang re-joins the line-up and re-hot Jamie Westbrook moves up to third in the batting order:

[damuelle]

Eduardo Garcia leads five teenagers atop the Mudcats' line-up in the season opener, as Low-A Carolina hosts their arch-nemesis, the Down East Wood Ducks. Ryne Moore (6'4", 23 years old) gets the start as an exciting season kicks off:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

This Middle Aged Man just climbed off his enormous barn roof (we've had massive wind storms this way and have lost sections of roof - definitively not a fun activity for an aging bag of bones) after patching up some sections...and hopped over to MiLB.Tv and got his yearly subscription. I'm tuning into Low A, High A, and AA all season long and, well, frankly, I'm excited about this. Heck of a pitching match-up tonight for the Shuckers.

I'm unsure what my wife thinks...surely she'll have some thoughts.

[Joseph Zarr]

  On 4/8/2022 at 11:07 PM, damuelle said:

Eduardo Garcia leads five teenagers atop the Mudcats' line-up in the season opener, as Low-A Carolina hosts their arch-nemesis, the Down East Wood Ducks. Ryne Moore (6'4", 23 years old) gets the start as an exciting season kicks off:

 

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I'm really looking forward to seeing these young men in action. This is such an interesting blend and such a uniquely different opening roster than 2021. I am consistently finding Low A and High A filled with excitement these days.

[damuelle]

Justin Bullock out after just 48 pitches (2 innings) for Biloxi, down 4-0.

Ryne Moore went 70 pitches (5 innings) for Carolina, tied 3-3 after giving up 2 late runs (infield single, walk, ground ball single to center).

[damuelle]

Arbert Cipion with his 2nd double and 4th RBI through 6 innings. Carolina Kids are up 5-3. Let’s go!!

[damuelle]

Christian Tripp with 3 innings of scoreless relief for the Mudcats, up 5-3 over Down East in the 8th.

Pensacola thankfully removed their exceptional 18-year old starter and the Shuckers have promptly scored 3, including Joey Wiemer’s first hit and RBIs in AA, to tie it up 4-4 in the 5th.

[damuelle]

Maybe Jason Alexander found something special in limited action last year. He's out in Nashville after 5 scoreless innings, yielding just two singles and a walk. Luis Perdomo is in with a 3-0 lead.

Micah Bello hit his second double and later stole home. Then Michele Vassalotti closed it out with 2 Ks in 3 batters. Victor Estevez is a winner in his first game managing state-side. Mudcats 6, Wood Ducks 3.

[damuelle]

Zach Vennaro gives up one run, then Tristen Lutz answers right back with a solo shot. 5-5 Biloxi and Pensacola in the 6th. Win 'em all boys.

[damuelle]

Wiemer throws out a runner at home and Reetz nails a would-be base stealer at second (some guy named Cantrelle - sound familiar?). Then Pensacola walks the bases loaded and Freddy Zamora makes 'em pay with his first AA hit: a 3-RBI double. 8-5 Shuckers lead in the 7th.

[damuelle]

Biloxi’s 4th error of the night opens the door for old friend Hayden Cantrelle to smash a 3-run blast to tie it 9-9 in the 8th off of Lucas Erceg. Uh oh.

[Joseph Zarr]

  On 4/9/2022 at 2:34 AM, damuelle said:

Biloxi’s 4th error of the night opens the door for old friend Hayden Cantrelle to smash a 3-run blast to tie it 9-9 in the 8th off of Lucas Erceg. Uh oh.

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This Shuckers game is nuts. Erceg was let down by a Zamora bobble of a routine double play ball previous to giving up an 0-2 double to former Shucker Aviles Jr. on a mistake hanging breaking ball. The same can be said to his pitch to Cantrelle for the 3-run knock.

Erceg clearly has Major League stuff but it is going to take time and he really needs to work on that breaking ball location. A lot to like there.

[Joseph Zarr]

Brock Holt with a quiet workmanlike day leading off as the DH. Really dialed in after his first AB which he was a wee overmatched.

[damuelle]

A Cam Devanney double, Felix Valerio’s first hit in AA and Tristen Lutz sac fly help Biloxi re-gain the lead 10-9 in the 9th. Harold Chirino will try to finish this thing off.

[Joseph Zarr]

Chiri

  On 4/9/2022 at 2:53 AM, damuelle said:

A Cam Devanney double, Felix Valerio’s first hit in AA and Tristen Lutz sac fly help Biloxi re-gain the lead 10-9 in the 9th. Harold Chirino will try to finish this thing off.

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Chirino gives up 2 opposite field singles, struggles with control and location, and hits the next batter. With the bases juiced, he gives up a sac fly to Left but manages to get out of the inning on a very impressive K on 94 mph high heat. 10-10 going to 10.

[Joseph Zarr]

I went to put my daughter to bed and it’s 13-11 Shuckers Top of 11? LOL. This game may not end.

[Joseph Zarr]

Whew...with the bases juiced, Victor Victor-Mesa misses a Grand Salami by a mere few feet as Lutz tracks it down in Left Center. 13-11 Shuckers victory after 11. The victory will go to breaking ball specialist Arnaldo Hernandez, who managed to get out of a bases loaded jam to close the 11th after Felix Valerio’s go-ahead two run jack in the top of the same frame. Hernandez struggled a bit of with his fastball as his pitch count elevated into the 30’s,  walking 2 to load the bases. After K’ng Forming Shucker Luis Aviles Jr. in an at bat where Luis may not have seen a strike, Arnaldo manages to dig a bit deeper with an elevated pitch count and get the ‘W’.

 

As a side note: Tho he had a fielding error and a throwing error, I think we might have something in Ashton McGee. He has some athleticism in a nice frame and he certainly looks the part at the Plate. I’ll be watching as the season progresses. Do we have a legit 3B prospect in the system?!? Stay tuned!

 

 

[CheeseheadInQC]

Nice to see every batter reaching base for Biloxi and Valerio continuing the power uptick from last season, Bello and Cipion getting off to fast starts in what is likely a make-or-break season and the Nashville pitchers holding Durham without an extra base hit.

[Mass Haas]

Here's your final Link Report from Friday 4/8