G-Braves vs. Bflo Bisons 629-7/1

K

Knucksie

Called Up to the Major Leagues
OK, going to this 3-game series. The IL has reduced from 4 games. Don't know exactly why.

Current Gwinnett roster:
http://www.milb.com/roster/index.jsp?sid=t431

Intend to pay particular attention to the following pitchers:
Banuelos
Carpenter
Folty
Martin
White

Consider Moylan basically a retread, at this stage, but it's always interesting to see vets who had any kind of major league careers. Part of the appeal of AAA ball. Well, that and not having to pay major league prices at concessions!

Anyway, will not get to see all of the starters with only a 3 game set, but it's kind of exciting to have this many starters, coming up at the same time, with future potential. White has a little more cachet now with that one-hitter last night. Was actually looking forward to checking out Wisler (nice debut against Mets last week) but he's obviously in the show for at least more than a cup of coffee.

For the position players:
Bethancourt
Peraza

in the IF. Confess to not being familiar with the other names.

Then Cunningham and Mallex Smith in the OF. EY Jr. probably is getting some playing time. Will feel funny not having Constanza around. If there's anybody else any of you want an impression of, please post.

Will provide updates along the way (i.e. pitching matchups). My buddy, Carlos, is Bisons season ticket holder. We'll be meeting for coffee tomorrow morning. Expect a crash course on the prospects for the Bisons (Mets affiliate). He's actually an Indians fan (converted from Dodgers loyalty - another story) but has been a staunch supporter of the local team for many years and has been sought out for scouting data.

Only caution is that things are going to be busy early in the week with commuting back & forth downtown. So, there might be lags in finding time to sit down, gather thoughts and log on here. Lastly for now, weather could be a factor. We're getting hammered with rain currently and it's expected to continue into tomorrow. Monday is supposed to be OK, but t-storms are predicted for Tuesday with morning showers on Wednesday. So, it wouldn't be a shock if there's a rainout on Tue with DH on Wed.

All for now...
 
Pitching matchup tonight is Folty vs. Scott Copeland. Mea culpa. Bisons are now Blue Jays affiliate. Copeland did have a cup of coffee in Toronto earlier this season.
 
G-Braves won 2-1. HR's accounted for all of the scoring.

Since these seats were from season tickets this allowed for lineup cards and stat sheets at guest services. So, there are a few initial impressions.

In 11 games, Bethancourt has been hitting AAA pitching at .357 avg/.386 OBP/ .500 slugging % & .886 (!) OPS. He did not catch last night.

Manny Banuelos has been the staple of the staff @ 6/2 with 2.29 ERA, 69K/38 BB. Happy to learn news of his MLB start (debut?) Thursday, but kind of disappointed at not being able to see him pitch tonight or tomorrow.

Big news was Folty. He topped out at about 93 on the fastball. He did not consistently hit the strike zone. Threw a lot of balls, esp. in comparison with Bisons starter Scott Copeland. On the positive side, he worked himself out of a couple of jams. Also, he seems to have some toughness. In the 7th inning, a comebacker hit his leg. He still made the throw to first and didn't outwardly display any signs of pain. It looked like it should've hurt. On the whole, he's got some work to do to get back to MLB ready, but obviously the org has plans for him.

None of the fielders particularly stood out last night. Paid close attention to Peraza. He seems to be a leader in the IF. Also watched Mallex Smith because of the recent callup. He hasn't been long, so it's too early to surmise about his potential. (Admit to not being familiar with his name until the tread announcement for his promotion.) He hasn't hit AAA yet, but he does steal a base in the rare instances that he has gotten on base.

Rained overnight and this morning. Will see how the day goes and if they're good to go this evening.

Summary from last night:
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons-baseball/one-mistake-trips-up-bisons-20150629
 
Cody Martin vs. Randy Wolf (yes, you remember him from the Phillies) @ 7:05pm. The rain's gone, the sun's out and the drainage at the park is as good as anywhere. So, no delays are anticipated.
 
Another win for Gwinnett. This time in extra innings. Almost was a 1-0 Bisons victory, if not for a solo shot by Cedric Hunter. Interesting factoid: turns out that it was the first PH HR given up by the Bisons since 2007 by our old pal, Mike Hessman.

Nice pitching duel from the starters. Randy Wolf gave G-Braves hitters a chance to face some major league pitching. Cody Martin looked much more confident on the mound than this time last year. Bethancourt did catch last night, and handled himself well. Fingers crossed, but the demotion could prove helpful in his development, making him better prepared for the next time he gets called back up.

Nothing else really stuck out. Alex White vs. Daniel Norris tonight as the G-Braves go for the series sweep.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons-baseball/bisons-offense-stalls-in-13-inning-loss-20150701
 
Almost forgot: 5 scouts were in attendance. Heard no rumors about who might be watched from either team.
 
Norris is the Blue Jays top prospect. So, it was interesting to see him. Most of the runs weren't his faulty. Really shaky defense by the Bisons. 6-2 victory for the G-Braves.

White was decent enough but obviously not as effective as in his last start.

On the Bethancourt watch - he threw out every runner attempting to steal 2nd (double steal on the first attempt, with the lead runner grabbing 3rd base). He did have a PB, but it did not prove costly. At the plate, my buddy, Carlos, liked his swing.

Here's the rundown:
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons-baseball/wild-third-inning-leads-to-bisons-loss-20150701

A few more scouts out last night. Radar guns were out.

This concludes this year's edition.
 
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