Akron Rubber Ducks @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies
July 19, 2017
Game One
Teams
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
|
Akron
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
|
Binghamton
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
W: Flexen (6-1, 1.66
ERA); L: Hill (3-4, 3.51 ERA)
The Stats:
Pitchers
Chris Flexen
(W, 6-1, 1.66 ERA) – 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4 TB, 3 BB, 7 K (4 K/Sw), 9 GB: 4
FB: 2 LD: 2 PU, 100 Pitches (66 Strikes), 9 Swinging, 16 Called, 9% SwStr, 18%
Whiff/Swing, 14.3 Pitches/IP, 28 BF
Batters
2B - Luis Guillorme - 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K, 15% SwStr, 50%
Whiff/Swing, 6.67 Pitches/PA
LF - Kevin Kaczmarski - 0-2, 1 BB, 12.5% SwStr, 33.3%
Whiff/Swing, 5.33 Pitches/PA
RF - L.J. Mazzilli - 0-2, 1 BB, 4 Pitches/PA
1B - Matt Oberste - 1-3, 2 K, 23.1% SwStr, 50% Whiff/Swing,
4.33 Pitches/PA
DH - Kevin Taylor - 1-3, 1 R, 10% SwStr, 16.7% Whiff/Swing,
3.33 Pitches/PA
3B - David Thompson - 1-3, 1 CS, 11.1% SwStr, 25%
Whiff/Swing, 3 Pitches/PA
C - Tomas Nido - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 K, 9.1% SwStr, 16.7%
Whiff/Swing, 3.67 Pitches/PA
SS - Gustavo Nunez - 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2.67 Pitches/PA
CF - Patrick Biondi - 0-1, 1 BB, 1 CS, 4 Pitches/PA
Recapish
The
Binghamton Rumble Ponies made it two straight double-header wins over Akron
when they came from behind to take the opener 2-1. Chris Flexen made his
seventh Double-A start and it went as well as the first six, as he limited to
Akron to one run and struck out seven. Still, that one run had Akron ahead with
the game going to the final frame, so it looked like Flexen might be a tough
luck loser. Fortunately for 99% of the people in attendance, the Ponies put
together a little two run rally in the bottom of the 7th for a
walkoff win.
Just
like a few weeks ago, I’m not trying to compare the stuff, but this Chris
Flexen breakout is on the level of Michael Fulmer’s breakout from two years
ago. Just compare the stats from Michael Fulmer’s best nine-game stretch with
Binghamton Chris Flexen’s first seven Double-A starts ever:
Fulmer: 53.1 IP, 39 H, 8 R (4 ER), 29.8 K%: 4.4 BB%, HR,
.517 OPS over 205 BF
Flexen: 48.2 IP, 28 H, 10 R (9 ER), 27.9 K%: 3.9 BB%, 4 HR,
.445 OPS over 179 BF
Fulmer
has the clear edge on Flexen in overall velocity and Fulmer’s slider is one of
the best in baseball, so again, not trying to compare the stuff. But Flexen’s
velocity is fine sitting 91-95, his slider has improved considerably this year,
he already threw a plus-curve, and the changeup he learned in instructs
last fall has been very effective, so his stuff is just fine.
As
for this game, he cruised through the first 3.2 IP before hitting a speed bump
in the 4th. He struck out the first two batters of the frame, but
then walked the next two, and Mike Papi followed with a single to RF.
Fortunately for Flexen, L.J. Mazzilli was stationed in RF and he was able to
throw out a runner trying to score from second to end the frame. It was
Mazzilli’s sixth outfield assist in just 25 games in RF for Binghamton this
year – he’s also made a number of good diving plays.
Just
like Akron, the Ponies had gone hitless into the 4th too. David
Thompson broke that streak with a two out single, but then he was thrown out
trying to steal to end the frame.
 |
| Thompson |
 |
| Akron's catcher also picked a runner off at first base |
Tyler
Krieger reached on an infield single to start the Akron 5th and
eventually came around to score the games first run. Joe Sever provided the two
out RBI single, which gave Akron a 1-0 lead.
The Bingo announcers suggested
Flexen’s breaking stuff wasn’t as sharp during the 4th and 5th
innings, which would explain the temporary dip in performance, but whatever the
problem was, it had been fixed in time for the 6th. Flexen would
finish his outing with two scoreless innings, which kept the door open for a
Bingo comeback.
 |
| Guillorme at second |
 |
| Thompson at third |
Matt
Oberste got that comeback started with a leadoff single in the 7th.
Ponies Manager Luis Rojas opted to send in Champ Stuart as a pinch runner for
Oberste, and the move paid off. Champ advanced to second on a Kevin Taylor
single, tagged up and went to third on a fly out, and then came around to score
on a grounder singled through the middle off the bat of Tomas Nido. Oberste would’ve
eventually scored in the frame anyway, but Champ’s speed put the Ponies in a
position to tie the game with an out while they still had an out to spare.
Gustavo Nunez completed the comeback with a walkoff double into the RF corner
to make Chris Flexen the unexpected winner of game one.
 |
| Oberste |
 |
| Taylor |
 |
| Nido |
 |
| Nunez |
Looking
ahead, game two will feature a matchup of two guys making their Double-A debut:
Andrew Church for Binghamton and Dominic DeMasi for Akron.
Pitcher Coverage
Chris Flexen
Table 1 – Flexen pitch stats by inning
1st
|
2nd
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3rd
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4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
Total
|
|
Total
|
11
|
11
|
7
|
26
|
23
|
11
|
11
|
100
|
Strikes
|
9
|
8
|
5
|
15
|
13
|
8
|
8
|
66
|
Swinging*
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
2
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0
|
9
|
*9% Swinging strike rate; 18% Whiff/Swing rate
Info on the strikeouts from the booth
1st inning: 0-2 offspeed pitch on the outside
corner (looking)
1st inning: 1-2 pitch on the inside corner
(looking)
2nd inning: 2-2 breaking ball (swinging)
4th inning: 2-2 curve (swinging)
4th inning: 0-2 93 MPH Fastball on the inside
black (looking)
5th inning: 3-2 foul bunt on a fastball
6th inning: 2-2 breaking ball in the dirt
(swinging)
The ceiling centerpiece of our gorgeous 1930s auditorium includes 8 plates of the #Moon in different phases taken by @MtWilsonObs #MoonDay pic.twitter.com/kwb31CCLuE— Carnegie Science (@carnegiescience) July 20, 2017
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