Trenton Thunder @ Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Eastern League Division Series
Game Three
September 8, 2017
Teams
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
|
Binghamton
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Trenton
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
X
|
2
|
8
|
2
|
W: Widener (1-0,
0.00 ERA); L: Molina (0-1, 1.50 ERA)
The Stats:
Pitchers
Marcos Molina
(L, 0-1, 1.50 ERA) - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 5 TB, 2 BB, 4 K (2 K/Sw), 1
HBP, 1 GIDP, 10 GB: 3 FB: 4 LD, 103 Pitches (63 Strikes), 13 Swinging, 16 Called,
12.6% SwStr, 27.7% Whiff/Swing, 17.2 Pitches/IP, 25 BF
Corey Taylor (0.00 ERA) – 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 TB, 1 K (1
K/Sw), 1 GB: 1 FB: 2 LD, 26 Pitches (15 Strikes), 2 Swinging, 2 Called, 7.7%
SwStr, 15.4% Whiff/Swing, 26 Pitches/IP, 5 BF
Tim Peterson (4.50 ERA) – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 3 TB,
2 K (1 K/Sw), 1 GB: 1 FB: 1 LD, 20 Pitches (15 Strikes), 3 Swinging, 5 Called,
15% SwStr, 30% Whiff/Swing, 20 Pitches/IP, 5 BF
Table 1 – Molina pitch stats by inning
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
Total
|
|
Total
|
18
|
9
|
23
|
18
|
14
|
11
|
103
|
Strikes
|
12
|
11
|
15
|
9
|
8
|
8
|
63
|
Swinging*
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
13
|
*12.6% Swinging strike rate; 27.1% Whiff/Swing rate
Batters
2B - Luis Guillorme - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K, 15.8% SwStr,
37.5% Whiff/Swing, 4.75 Pitches/PA
RF - L.J. Mazzilli - 0-4, 1 K, 5.9% SwStr, 14.3%
Whiff/Swing, 4.25 Pitches/PA
DH - Peter Alonso - 0-4, 1 K, 8.3% SwStr, 20% Whiff/Swing, 3
Pitches/PA
1B - Matt Oberste - 0-4, 1 K, 10% SwStr, 22.2% Whiff/Swing,
5 Pitches/PA
3B - David Thompson - 0-3, 1 K, 11.1% SwStr, 20%
Whiff/Swing, 6 Pitches/PA
C - Tomas Nido - 0-3, 1 K, 3.67 Pitches/PA
LF/CF - Kevin Kaczmarski - 0-2, 1 BB, 5.33 Pitches/PA
SS - Gustavo Nunez - 0-3, 1 GIDP, 2 Pitches/PA
CF - Champ Stuart - 0-2, 2 K, 30% SwStr, 50% Whiff/Swing, 5
Pitches/PA
PH - Kevin Taylor - 0-1, 1 K, 20% SwStr, 100% Whiff/Swing, 5
Pitches/PA
Recapish
The
Binghamton Rumble Ponies were no-hit in game three of the Eastern League
Division Series Friday night, and now the Trenton Thunder are one win away from
taking the series. Thunder starter Justus Sheffield and recently promoted
Taylor Widener combined on the no-hitter for Trenton, although for most of the
game they were working on a one-hitter.
That’s because initially Tomas Nido was awarded a single on a
questionable call in the 2nd. However, when that was still the only
Binghamton hit in the 7th, the official scorer reviewed the play and
overturned it into an error (the correct call given Nido was running).
Trenton’s
southpaw starter Justus Sheffield (21) is a former 1st round pick of
the Cleveland Indians from 2014. The Yankees acquired him in the Andrew Miller
deal and he was one of Trenton’s top starters this year before going down with
an injury in early July. This was just his fourth appearance since returning to
the mound (first two came in the GCL), so he showed a little rust, but his
stuff was too good for the Ponies to square up when he could control it. He has
mid-90’s heat (Trenton announcers called him up to 97 MPH), a hard slider, and
he mixed in a changeup.
The
three Binghamton base runners to reach without the aid of an error came while
Sheffield was on the mound. His first pitch hit Luis Guillorme, then Kevin
Kaczmarski worked a walk in the 2nd and Guillorme worked a walk in
the 3rd. Sheffield finished with three strikeouts and six groundouts
induced, and he left with a 1-0 lead after four.
 |
| Frazier in RF |
 |
| Initially ruled a hit, this play was later changed to an error |
 |
| K #1 |
 |
| K #2 |
 |
| K #3 |
The
Thunder gave him that lead with a 1st inning run against Marcos
Molina. They’ve scored in the 1st inning of all three games, which
is a trend Rumbletown Manager Luis Rojas cannot be happy with. Trenton
announcer’s said the report on Marcos Molina this year has him sitting 89-94
MPH with his fastball, 78-83 MPH with his breaking ball (which is a slider that
he sometimes manipulates into a slurve), and mixing in a changeup.
Jeff
Hendrix reached on a leadoff single against Molina in the 1st and
then Clint Frazier knocked him in two batters later. Molina responded with a
strikeout of Garrett Cooper, but then another single loaded the bases for
Trenton with just one out. Fortunately for Binghamton, Molina induced a double
play grounder to escape the jam and mostly avoided troublesome situations after
that.
 |
| K #1 |
Molina
worked a perfect 2nd inning and then struck out Clint Frazier for
the second out in the 3rd. It would’ve been the final out of the 3rd
if not for an E6 earlier in the frame, and the Thunder nearly made Binghamton
pay for the mistake as Garrett Cooper followed Frazier with a double to left
field. But with two in scoring position and two outs, Molina came through with
his biggest strikeout of the night to escape the jam.
 |
| Thompson at third |
 |
| Champ in CF |
 |
| K #2 |
 |
| K #3 |
After
the 3rd, Molina retired nine of eleven batters before leaving,
working around a leadoff walk issued in both the 4th and 5th
innings. Molina added another strikeout of Garrett Cooper during this final
stretch.
 |
| Thompson at third |
 |
| Champ in CF |
 |
| K #4 |
 |
| Mazzilli in RF |
When
this game started, the Ponies knew Sheffield would be a tough battle, but they
also knew he would be out after 60 pitches or 5 innings (whichever came first).
Because of this and how much the Trenton pen had worked over the first two
days, I expected Binghamton to have the advantage down the stretch of this
game, and thought that advantage might have a carryover effect into game four
(and, if necessary, game five). However, Trenton chose to bring in freshly
promoted Taylor Widener to make his Double-A debut in the outing. It was a risk
no-doubt, but Widener had pitched well in High-A this year, and the Ponies
lineup likely had little information on him. Peter Alonso did face him shortly
before his promotion (on 8/13),
and Widener tossed five hitless innings in that game too (although he did issue
a walk that day).
Widener
was low 90’s (topping around 95 MPH) with a breaking ball that was doing work.
Kevin Kaczmarski was the first to face him and he reached on an E4, but then
Widener retired 15 straight. He finished with seven strikeouts in a dominating
performance worthy of a no-hitter.
 |
| K #1 |
 |
| K #2 |
 |
| K #3 |
 |
| K #4 |
 |
| Arguably the series MVP so far (if Trenton wins), Thairo Estrada |
 |
| K #5 |
 |
| K #6 |
 |
| K #7 |
After
Molina was done, Rojas brought in Corey Taylor to pitch on a second straight
night, which is something he had only done twice during the regular season.
Taylor worked around a pair of singles for a scoreless 7th, striking
out Clint Frazier to end Trenton’s scoring threat.
Tim
Peterson was called on to work the 8th and things didn’t go as well
for him. Peterson struck out Zack Zehner and Ryan McBroom in the frame, but
Nick Solak connected on an RBI double between the strikeouts, which doubled the
Trenton lead.
 |
| K #1 |
 |
| K #2 |
Looking
ahead, the Rumble Ponies face two win-or-go-home games this weekend with Mickey
Jannis and Casey Delgado scheduled to make the starts. Outside of McBroom,
Trenton has no players with experience against Jannis, and Delgado tossed four
scoreless against the Thunder a month ago, so it could just come down to
whether the Ponies offense shows up. Since people always like historical comparisons, it should be noted that the Binghamton Mets faced postseason elimination in 2014 before rattling off five straight wins for the EL Title.
The Sun was lively this week, releasing several solar flares. Here's what @NASA's @NASASun satellites saw: https://t.co/l0ClnDD6mu pic.twitter.com/ESY9iKM0mO— NASA Goddard Images (@NASAGoddardPix) September 9, 2017
Leave your comment
Post a Comment