Just back from the game-
2 true-isms of baseball: Good teams find ways to win playing terrible baseball and good pitching covers a lot of ills and both were the case tonight for the Smokies.
The game was delayed around 45 mins from the start because of heavy t-storms in the area with lightning and wind. The Lookouts hired one of the Extreme sports places in Chattanooga to Sky Dive in with the American flag and they still did it. It was one of the stupidest stunts I have ever seen because of the low cloud ceiling, wind and lightning.
Struck looked awesome tonight. He was much better than the last time I saw him in Nashville last year. He would get the ball from Brenly and immediately was ready to throw it (Brenly had trouble on several occasions getting the ball back to the mound). His fastball seemed to have a little sizzle on it tonight and I would have to estimate it around 93 as the Lookouts didnt have their gun working yet in the park. It seemed to have more zip than the 91-92 he was throwing last year. His slider was also breaking well and he buckled 2 separate Lookout hitters with it on called strikes. His sinker was sinking and he induced ground balls when he needed to get big outs. He also plunked the big batting prospect for the Dodgers on purpose for leaning out over the plate which the Lookouts retaliated with by throwing at Ha's knees while he was up in the next inning. For a while I thought we may be looking at a Donnybrook in the first game of the year. Struck was really competitive and really threw the ball well. He didnt struggle like he did last year the 2nd and 3rd time through the order and he seemed to be getting a better feel for the left handers with which has been the knock on him throughout his career.
Now for the bad-
Ha got overly aggressive in the first and got picked off at 2b when the CF through behind him on a single. He also just about accomplished it again in the 3rd inning after he doubled off the left field wall. And later in the game got thrown out stealing (but the Smokies did have 2 steals off the Chattanooga catcher who left everything to be desired for behind the plate). His aggression is great at the plate and I appreciate it on the base paths, but there is a fine line to be toed there. For some reason Bailey decided to hit him 3rd this year instead of in the lead off where he was last season.
Cerda and Bour both had silly errors that cost Struck the shutout. Bour made up for it by hitting a rocket out into the RF stands the half inning after his debacle. He didnt get down on a ball to his right and it squirted off his glove. Cerda had the error at 3b on a bunt which he threw way up the line past the 2b who was covering 1b. Struck did a great job to get out of a bases loaded and no one out scenario in only giving up the one run.
The little SS we have now Elliot Soto I think is his name didnt slide home on a play at the plate that cost us a run. He also struck out looking with the bases loaded and no one out in the 2nd inning. He did hit 2 balls well into the gap later in the game. He is funny looking out on the field because he cant be much bigger than 5'7 and 150 lbs. He also just missed Looey the Lookout as he was riding in on his scooter between innings on an errant throw to 1b which would have been a great Bull Durham type moment.
Michael Burgess TWICE swung at 3 and 0 counts. If you are hitting 7th and are the 3rd OF on a team with runners on, you should not be swinging at 3-0 counts.
Kevin Rhoderick was scaring me to death on the mound. When a runner got on 2b late in the game, he wasnt looking back twice and a couple of times I dont think he looked back at all.
For all of the bone headed mistakes that were made out in the field, the Cubs looked patient at the plate and were waiting for there pitches. The Dodgers #3 prospect didnt look so good and they were making him work for it. We should have scored both in the 1st and 2nd but did not take advantage of the mistakes the Lookouts made and had both innings cut short by DPs. Struck can hit and his DP in the 2nd inning was a scorching 1 hop bounce that the 2b fielded for an easy 4-6-3.
Edited 4/5/12 by sunnydoo
Edited 4/5/12 by sunnydoo