Went to the Baysox game tonight

[Frobby]

What a dominant night for the Baysox.  Kyle Brnovich, Dylan Heid and Dan Hammer combined to throw a 3-hit shutout of Richmond, walking nobody while striking out 9.

Brnovich started and threw 77 pitches in 5 innings, 50 for strikes.   He scattered three singles and struck out four.   His fastball reached 93 a couple of times in the first inning, but mostly sat 90-91.  His breaking stuff was around 84 and generated numerous whiffs.   Brnovich did leave a few pitches up that generated hard contact, including the three singles (all hard hit) and a few well hit fly balls.  But, he pounded the zone and was regularly ahead.

Speaking of pounding the zone, Dylan Heid came in for three innings and threw 35 pitches, 27 for strikes, and struck out three without allowing a baserunner.  Heid sat 94-95 with his fastball and showed a crisp 87 mph breaking ball too.  He also allowed a couple of long warning track fly balls and a hard liner right at the LF, but he was quite efficient.   

Not to be outdone, Dan Hammer closed the game out with two strikeouts and a ground out on 11 pitches, 7 for strikes.  Hammer hit 97 a couple of times and he threw some hard breakers at 87-88 mph.   

A few impressions of our position players:

Silas Ardoin caught and obviously has a good night calling the game.  He’s quiet back there.   He also threw out a runner with an absolutely perfect throw.  He didn’t make much of an impression offensively, going 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts.  

Dylan Beavers hit a sun-aided triple in the first inning, when the RF retreated to the warning track on a well-hit ball and then couldn’t find the ball, which landed just short of the track about ten feet away.   RF is really a vicious sun field at Bowie in the early innings of a summer night game.  Beavers took a walk later on and scored both times he got on.  He looked smooth in CF but didn’t really have any challenging plays.  He has a very Cowser-like physique and gait.  

Samuel Basallo played 1B instead of C, much to my disappointment.  He looked very smooth and comfortable at 1B, making a good scoop on a low throw, handling a chopper a few feet towards the 2B hole, and otherwise handling several throws.   Nothing super difficult but you could tell he’s spent significant time at 1B.   He’s a big strong guy but in no way heavy for his size.  Offensively, he hit a left-on-left opposite field double that short-hopped the LF wall that ultimately led to two runs.   He also walked, grounded to the pitcher and looked pretty bad striking out on a change up.   

Matthew Erzel pulled the ball three times, a ground smash down the line knocked down by the 1B that was an out but scored Beavers from 3B, a hooking liner down the RF line that rattled around in the corner long enough to turn into a triple, and a hard hit ball in the 1B/2B hole that the 2B was able to glove on a slide but couldn’t fully corral to throw to 1B, scored a single.  He walked in his other at bat.  

Collin Burnes had two solid hits but made a dumb baserunning move when he hit a one out single that sent a runner from 1st and 3rd, but foolishly got caught off base on the throw back to the infield.  

Overall, it was a frustrating night offensively, as Bowie had 8 hits and 7 walks but only scored three runs, going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.  But, Richmond was offensively inept and three runs was more than enough.  Fun game.

[wildcard]

7 hours ago, Frobby said:

What a dominant night for the Baysox.  Kyle Brnovich, Dylan Heid and Dan Hammer combined to throw a 3-hit shutout of Richmond, walking nobody while striking out 9.

Brnovich started and threw 77 pitches in 5 innings, 50 for strikes.   He scattered three singles and struck out four.   His fastball reached 93 a couple of times in the first inning, but mostly sat 90-91.  His breaking stuff was around 84 and generated numerous whiffs.   Brnovich did leave a few pitches up that generated hard contact, including the three singles (all hard hit) and a few well hit fly balls.  But, he pounded the zone and was regularly ahead.

Speaking of pounding the zone, Dylan Heid came in for three innings and threw 35 pitches, 27 for strikes, and struck out three without allowing a baserunner.  Heid sat 94-95 with his fastball and showed a crisp 87 mph breaking ball too.  He also allowed a couple of long warning track fly balls and a hard liner right at the LF, but he was quite efficient.   

Not to be outdone, Dan Hammer closed the game out with two strikeouts and a ground out on 11 pitches, 7 for strikes.  Hammer hit 97 a couple of times and he threw some hard breakers at 87-88 mph.   

A few impressions of our position players:

Silas Ardoin caught and obviously has a good night calling the game.  He’s quiet back there.   He also threw out a runner with an absolutely perfect throw.  He didn’t make much of an impression offensively, going 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts.  

Dylan Beavers hit a sun-aided triple in the first inning, when the RF retreated to the warning track on a well-hit ball and then couldn’t find the ball, which landed just short of the track about ten feet away.   RF is really a vicious sun field at Bowie in the early innings of a summer night game.  Beavers took a walk later on and scored both times he got on.  He looked smooth in CF but didn’t really have any challenging plays.  He has a very Cowser-like physique and gait.  

Samuel Basallo played 1B instead of C, much to my disappointment.  He looked very smooth and comfortable at 1B, making a good scoop on a low throw, handling a chopper a few feet towards the 2B hole, and otherwise handling several throws.   Nothing super difficult but you could tell he’s spent significant time at 1B.   He’s a big strong guy but in no way heavy for his size.  Offensively, he hit a left-on-left opposite field double that short-hopped the LF wall that ultimately led to two runs.   He also walked, grounded to the pitcher and looked pretty bad striking out on a change up.   

Matthew Erzel pulled the ball three times, a ground smash down the line knocked down by the 1B that was an out but scored Beavers from 3B, a hooking liner down the RF line that rattled around in the corner long enough to turn into a triple, and a hard hit ball in the 1B/2B hole that the 2B was able to glove on a slide but couldn’t fully corral to throw to 1B, scored a single.  He walked in his other at bat.  

Collin Burnes had two solid hits but made a dumb baserunning move when he hit a one out single that sent a runner from 1st and 3rd, but foolishly got caught off base on the throw back to the infield.  

Overall, it was a frustrating night offensively, as Bowie had 8 hits and 7 walks but only scored three runs, going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.  But, Richmond was offensively inept and three runs was more than enough.  Fun game.

What are your thoughts on protecting Brnovich and/or Held from the Rule 5 draft?

[Say O!]

7 hours ago, Frobby said:

What a dominant night for the Baysox.  Kyle Brnovich, Dylan Heid and Dan Hammer combined to throw a 3-hit shutout of Richmond, walking nobody while striking out 9.

Brnovich started and threw 77 pitches in 5 innings, 50 for strikes.   He scattered three singles and struck out four.   His fastball reached 93 a couple of times in the first inning, but mostly sat 90-91.  His breaking stuff was around 84 and generated numerous whiffs.   Brnovich did leave a few pitches up that generated hard contact, including the three singles (all hard hit) and a few well hit fly balls.  But, he pounded the zone and was regularly ahead.

Speaking of pounding the zone, Dylan Heid came in for three innings and threw 35 pitches, 27 for strikes, and struck out three without allowing a baserunner.  Heid sat 94-95 with his fastball and showed a crisp 87 mph breaking ball too.  He also allowed a couple of long warning track fly balls and a hard liner right at the LF, but he was quite efficient.   

Not to be outdone, Dan Hammer closed the game out with two strikeouts and a ground out on 11 pitches, 7 for strikes.  Hammer hit 97 a couple of times and he threw some hard breakers at 87-88 mph.   

A few impressions of our position players:

Silas Ardoin caught and obviously has a good night calling the game.  He’s quiet back there.   He also threw out a runner with an absolutely perfect throw.  He didn’t make much of an impression offensively, going 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts.  

Dylan Beavers hit a sun-aided triple in the first inning, when the RF retreated to the warning track on a well-hit ball and then couldn’t find the ball, which landed just short of the track about ten feet away.   RF is really a vicious sun field at Bowie in the early innings of a summer night game.  Beavers took a walk later on and scored both times he got on.  He looked smooth in CF but didn’t really have any challenging plays.  He has a very Cowser-like physique and gait.  

Samuel Basallo played 1B instead of C, much to my disappointment.  He looked very smooth and comfortable at 1B, making a good scoop on a low throw, handling a chopper a few feet towards the 2B hole, and otherwise handling several throws.   Nothing super difficult but you could tell he’s spent significant time at 1B.   He’s a big strong guy but in no way heavy for his size.  Offensively, he hit a left-on-left opposite field double that short-hopped the LF wall that ultimately led to two runs.   He also walked, grounded to the pitcher and looked pretty bad striking out on a change up.   

Matthew Erzel pulled the ball three times, a ground smash down the line knocked down by the 1B that was an out but scored Beavers from 3B, a hooking liner down the RF line that rattled around in the corner long enough to turn into a triple, and a hard hit ball in the 1B/2B hole that the 2B was able to glove on a slide but couldn’t fully corral to throw to 1B, scored a single.  He walked in his other at bat.  

Collin Burnes had two solid hits but made a dumb baserunning move when he hit a one out single that sent a runner from 1st and 3rd, but foolishly got caught off base on the throw back to the infield.  

Overall, it was a frustrating night offensively, as Bowie had 8 hits and 7 walks but only scored three runs, going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.  But, Richmond was offensively inept and three runs was more than enough.  Fun game.

Thx for the firsthand report, I’m heading to the game tonight, hoping to see Basallo behind the dish. 

What were your impressions of Etzels swing/mechanics?  When I saw him in spring training prospects game, to my eye he looked more slap hitterish in the box compared to the other players.  His production is better than that so it could have just been the angle I observed from the 3rd base dugout area stands. 

[Frobby]

48 minutes ago, Say O! said:

Thx for the firsthand report, I’m heading to the game tonight, hoping to see Basallo behind the dish. 

What were your impressions of Etzels swing/mechanics?  When I saw him in spring training prospects game, to my eye he looked more slap hitterish in the box compared to the other players.  His production is better than that so it could have just been the angle I observed from the 3rd base dugout area stands. 

I did not get the impression he was a slap hitter, but when you watch a single game, you have to avoid drawing too many broad conclusions.  Slap hitters don’t usually pull the ball like he did, though.   

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

What are your thoughts on protecting Brnovich and/or Held from the Rule 5 draft?

I probably won’t think about it real hard until the season is over and we see how many guys are eligible and who really stood out.  Brnovich was unprotected last year and not taken, and I think the only way he’d possibly get protected would be if he got promoted back to Norfolk and shone there.  I think I’d say the same of Heid.   He’s got good AA numbers but nothing really wows you when you watch him pitch.   

[wildcard]

46 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I probably won’t think about it real hard until the season is over and we see how many guys are eligible and who really stood out.  Brnovich was unprotected last year and not taken, and I think the only way he’d possibly get protected would be if he got promoted back to Norfolk and shone there.  I think I’d say the same of Heid.   He’s got good AA numbers but nothing really wows you when you watch him pitch.   

With the numbers Held is putting up at AA and a 94-94 mph fastball I would think he will be promoted to AAA sometime this season.

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

With the numbers Held is putting up at AA and a 94-94 mph fastball I would think he will be promoted to AAA sometime this season.

Seems likely.  There are plenty of guys in Norfolk’s pen who aren’t getting it done.