A New Kind of Whiff ... and Old-Fashioned Revenge
Published on June 6, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
Carson Blair of the Midland RockHounds
(Midland RockHounds, Credit: Saydee Bailey)
In the first inning Friday night, Springfield's Michael Ohlman was called out on a 3-2 non -pitch, rung up on an automatic strike due to a pitch clock violation (see below). Four innings later, Ohlman's "timing" was better, taking out his frustrations on a Jake Sanchez pitch for a three-run home run. The drive capped a tie-breaking, four-run fifth inning, and the clubs were scoreless the rest of the way, as the Cardinals won for the third time in four meetings with the RockHounds with a 6-2 victory at Hammons Field.
The Cardinals scored twice in the first, but the 'Hounds came back on Carson Blair's second home run in as many nights (see below), a solo shot to left-center, and an RBI double from Josh Whitaker in the second and third innings, respectively.
The RockHounds committed two errors, and the Cardinals took advantage of both. Wade Kirkland bobbled Charlie Tilson's sharp grounder leading off the first, with Bruce Caldwell and Jeremy Hazelbaker (see below) following with back-to-back RBI doubles. In the fifth, following a Tilson leadoff single, first baseman Renato Nuî=B1ez misplayed Caldwell's bouncer, putting runners at the corners. Jonathan Rodriguez singled Tilson home and Ohlman's three-run homer followed.
The RockHounds
... are now 29-25 for the season (after reaching a season-best five games over .500 at 29-24) ... have won 7-of-10 ... are 3-1 on the current (six-game) road trip ... are 11-15 on the road and 18-10 at Security Bank Ballpark ... are 17-15 in South Division play and 12-10 versus the North Division ... are still six-and-a-half games behind Corpus Christi (35-18) in the Texas League South after the Hooks fell, 4-2, at home to Arkansas ... have 17 games remaining to play in the half (Corpus has 18), including a four-game series with the Hooks at Security Bank Ballpark (June 9-12).
Kibbles & Bits
STAT QUESTION of the DAY: The pitch clock has been a (relatively) quiet addition so far, but the device found its way into the box score Friday night. With two on, two out and a full count in the first inning, Springfield's Michael Ohlman was called out by virtue of a pitch clock violation. Since, as the character Billy Chapel so accurately pointed out in the movie For Love of the Game, "... in baseball, we count everything," how does a pitch clock strikeout go into the books??
We could think of five kinds of whiffs : swinging ... looking ... throw to first (2-3) ... foul bunt ... and (the closest we could come to Friday's version) refusal to return to the batter's box (as in Vinny Catricala, strikes two and three, 2013). Thanks to the "necessity" of the pitch clock, we now have the "necessity" of a new variety of strikeout.
- Five of the Cardinals' six runs were unearned, but Springfield also hit the ball hard throughout the game, collecting 15 hits.
- Jeremy Hazelbaker continued to be an absolute nemesis for the RockHounds, going 4-for-5 with four doubles and an RBI. In the season series, Hazelbaker is 10-for-19 (.526), with six doubles, a triple, a home run (a 1.105 slugging percentage) and four RBI .
- Carson Blair (1-for-3, solo HR) has homered in two straight games and has hit in 12-of-13 games (16-49, .327). The former Boston Red Sox farm hand is a great story. Carrying a career .239 average into the 2015 season, Carson is now hitting .302 (eighth in the Texas League) and has reached base in 23-of-his-last-24 games, hitting nearly .350 (.349) in those 24 games. He ranks third on the club with 25 RBI.
- Renato Nuî=B1ez (1-for-4) extended his on-base streak to 20 games (18-79, .228).
- Josh Whitaker (1-for-4, RBI double) has hit in 11-of-12 games (22-57, .386) with five home runs and 15 RBI.
Images from this story
 Carson Blair of the Midland RockHounds (Saydee Bailey) |
Texas League Stories from June 6, 2015
- Brady Brilliant, Travs Blow First Late Lead - Arkansas Travelers
- Travelers' Pitching Falters - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Jones the Hero Again as San Antonio Clinches Series - San Antonio Missions
- Naturals Rally Late, But Missions Walk-Off in Game Two - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Stults Shines as Drillers Snap Streak with 3-0 Victory - Tulsa Drillers
- Thompson Impressive, But Riders Fall 3-0 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Cardinals Crush RockHounds, 8-0 - Springfield Cardinals
- Fuenmayor, Selman Selected as Players of the Month by Royals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- A New Kind of Whiff ... and Old-Fashioned Revenge - Midland RockHounds
- Suarez, 'Pen Leave Hooks Fishing Friday - Arkansas Travelers
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