Johnny Guiterrez started and was dominating - 6 innings, one hit, four strike outs, one walk. Worked fast, threw strikes, pumped fastballs. There's no gun in McCormack field, but he seemed to be placing it pretty much where he wanted with what I'd guess to be low-nineties stuff. I didn't sit where I could get a good feel for his breaking stuff.
Pence went 2-5 with a triple and single and hit the ball hard each time. He looks like a real hitter in the batter's box. Einertson had a good game, tonight, with a homer and sac fly and three RBIs. He looked stymied the first couple at bats and then really turned it on.
Clint (is it Clint?) McGill put on a workshop at shortstop. This guide made two or three really excellent plays, as well as all the routine ones.
Home runs were also hit by Johnny Ash and Francisco Carballo. Justin Humphries (who - you heard it here first - has a pretty major bald spot) also had an impressive day at the plate.
Carballo went 2-4 with 2 strike outs, a dinger and a single. Einertson went 2-3 with a k, a homer, a sac fly and a double. Pence was 2-5 with a single and a triple and a series of well struck outs. Humphries was 1-3 with a double, a walk and one helluva strikeout.
There was one instance in tonight's game where something happened that I didn't understand at all and am pretty sure I've never seen before. With Lexington pitching and a runner on first, the catcher (Santangelo) received a pitch and threw to first in a pickoff attempt. The ball skipped past Humphries' glove into the outfield. By the time Ash (the second baseman) recovered it, the Asheville runner had advanced to third. I looked down to record this play (E2, two base advance) and by the time I looked up, the runner was back on first and everything was proceeding from a 1-2 count - which is what it had been when the play was made.
I have no idea what happened. Had it been runner's interference, I imagine he would've been called out and the inning ended. I don't know. The pitch was caught clean, so it couldn't've been a foul.
Raymar Diaz relieved Guiterrez and got into trouble. Raymar Diaz, folks, is tall and thin and snatches at the ball angrily when it's thrown to him. He got into trouble - allowed a homer (the second hit and first run of the game for the Tourists) and three walks and a single over one and a third inning before being relieved - in between he struck out two. It was a matter of control. He seemed to have really good stuff.
Jeff Wigdahl relieved Diaz, got the last two outs of the eight and three in the ninth for his eighth save. Wigdahl, a south paw, inherited the bases juiced in the bottom of the eighth, gave up a sac fly to their number three hitter and then k'd the number four. In the bottom of the fourth he surrendered a leadoff double and then struck out the next three guys swinging.
Since this is the ask and ye shall be answered forum, here's my question: who is this guy? He looked good, and I see he was drafted in the twenty-some odd round in 2004.
Fun night. LOTS of Legends fans there, including some Greeneville Astros fans. Greeneville, it turns out, is only an hour away from where I live. So expect some reports from me of them once their season kicks off, starting June 24. I would say expect some more reports from Asheville over the rest of this weekend, except I'm going to Austin tomorrow for my sister's wedding and won't get to see these games. In fact, I'll be at Round Rock on Monday. Section 120, row 9.
Peace
D
