-First, another great Friday night game. All three that we've played so far this year have been entertaining games to watch... We've played quite a few close games already this year and seem to be getting more comfortable with it.
-Robert Tyler was good tonight. He didn't have his best stuff.... The fastball movement just wasn't what we've seen previously this season. He did a good job of locating and changing speeds though. He averaged over 1 K per inning without his fastball REALLY working, against the best offensive team we've seen so far. There is a lot to be said for that. I think a younger Robert Tyler may only give you 3 or 4 innings tonight. Lot of growth and maturity from his this evening.
-Home plate umpire was Blake Carnahan. I guess I should have known he'd have a big strike zone when I saw him wearing short sleeves. And it was a big zone, but he was very consistent with it. By the book, his zone may be too low, but he was giving that low (and away) strike all night long, for both teams. I have no problem with that. Call it consistently, both ways. I think that's all the hitters are looking for.
-I had to laugh on the out that they didn't give us at 2nd base, when Stricklin sprinted out of the dugout. I don't think that so many of our players could simultaneously react that way if they were faking it. I realize that you can't base a call on player reactions, but I think all of our players (and the Wright State runner) demonstrated very conclusively that the runner was out, based on their reactions.
-Wright State is a good team. I was really impressed with their SS. That guy is an SEC caliber player. To that end, winning the game in 9th was huge for us... We would have had to pitch to Roman and Fucci again in the 10th, had it gotten that far, either with Bo Tucker who was getting up there in pitches, or with a new pitcher. I felt that our chances of putting up a 0 in the 10th weren't great. We didn't handle the situation on Saturday against Ga Southern. We did tonight.
-Bo Tucker looked really good. Each time out, his curve his looked a little better (excluding last Sunday, as I didn't a chance to see him then). He didn't throw a lot in the fall (or any) and it's really encouraging what he's done out of the gate this year.
-Four times tonight we got the leadoff runner on base and all four times the next guy tried to bunt. That was the right call in the 9th inning, but I really didn't care for it earlier than that, especially in the 1st inning.
-Trevor Kieboom had a great AB there in the 9th to draw the walk. He clearly wasn't going to swing unless he got his pitch. It was a very unselfish at bat on his part and that run was ultimately what won it for us.
-When Nick King got down 0-2, I thought to myself "Well, Skyler is going to have to do this for us".... I just didn't think that King, the ways that have been going for him, could come back from 0-2 and push that run across. I was so happy for him... He deserved some good fortune and will hopefully take some confidence away from that AB.
-There was nothing cheap about either HR that Wright State hit tonight.... I sure they'd gotten a 3rd one off of Bo Tucker there in the 8th (or 9th?) that pushed Keegan McGovern back to the wall. They hit another one to the wall just left of CF that would have been a HR in every other SEC park. Those guys can swing it, and they didn't have their guy, Murphy, in there at all tonight.
-How about Stephen Wrenn hitting a triple on a ball to right center that didn't hit the wall? That guy has some serious wheels, which we knew, but you still just shake your head at things like that.
-Really solid win overall. Lots to be happy with. As I say, Wright State is a good, quality opponent. They've lost five games in a row now after starting off 5-0.... You can bet they'll come back hungry tomorrow. We'll have to earn it and I really believe that we're going to have to play our best game of the year so far if we are going to get the W and win the series tomorrow afternoon.
-I just love Friday nights. I love the drive over from Atlanta knowing that three games are ahead, I love going through the lineup for the first time, I love seeing the other guy's top pitcher, and I love how it feels to get that W to start off the series.
-Robert Tyler was good tonight. He didn't have his best stuff.... The fastball movement just wasn't what we've seen previously this season. He did a good job of locating and changing speeds though. He averaged over 1 K per inning without his fastball REALLY working, against the best offensive team we've seen so far. There is a lot to be said for that. I think a younger Robert Tyler may only give you 3 or 4 innings tonight. Lot of growth and maturity from his this evening.
-Home plate umpire was Blake Carnahan. I guess I should have known he'd have a big strike zone when I saw him wearing short sleeves. And it was a big zone, but he was very consistent with it. By the book, his zone may be too low, but he was giving that low (and away) strike all night long, for both teams. I have no problem with that. Call it consistently, both ways. I think that's all the hitters are looking for.
-I had to laugh on the out that they didn't give us at 2nd base, when Stricklin sprinted out of the dugout. I don't think that so many of our players could simultaneously react that way if they were faking it. I realize that you can't base a call on player reactions, but I think all of our players (and the Wright State runner) demonstrated very conclusively that the runner was out, based on their reactions.
-Wright State is a good team. I was really impressed with their SS. That guy is an SEC caliber player. To that end, winning the game in 9th was huge for us... We would have had to pitch to Roman and Fucci again in the 10th, had it gotten that far, either with Bo Tucker who was getting up there in pitches, or with a new pitcher. I felt that our chances of putting up a 0 in the 10th weren't great. We didn't handle the situation on Saturday against Ga Southern. We did tonight.
-Bo Tucker looked really good. Each time out, his curve his looked a little better (excluding last Sunday, as I didn't a chance to see him then). He didn't throw a lot in the fall (or any) and it's really encouraging what he's done out of the gate this year.
-Four times tonight we got the leadoff runner on base and all four times the next guy tried to bunt. That was the right call in the 9th inning, but I really didn't care for it earlier than that, especially in the 1st inning.
-Trevor Kieboom had a great AB there in the 9th to draw the walk. He clearly wasn't going to swing unless he got his pitch. It was a very unselfish at bat on his part and that run was ultimately what won it for us.
-When Nick King got down 0-2, I thought to myself "Well, Skyler is going to have to do this for us".... I just didn't think that King, the ways that have been going for him, could come back from 0-2 and push that run across. I was so happy for him... He deserved some good fortune and will hopefully take some confidence away from that AB.
-There was nothing cheap about either HR that Wright State hit tonight.... I sure they'd gotten a 3rd one off of Bo Tucker there in the 8th (or 9th?) that pushed Keegan McGovern back to the wall. They hit another one to the wall just left of CF that would have been a HR in every other SEC park. Those guys can swing it, and they didn't have their guy, Murphy, in there at all tonight.
-How about Stephen Wrenn hitting a triple on a ball to right center that didn't hit the wall? That guy has some serious wheels, which we knew, but you still just shake your head at things like that.
-Really solid win overall. Lots to be happy with. As I say, Wright State is a good, quality opponent. They've lost five games in a row now after starting off 5-0.... You can bet they'll come back hungry tomorrow. We'll have to earn it and I really believe that we're going to have to play our best game of the year so far if we are going to get the W and win the series tomorrow afternoon.
-I just love Friday nights. I love the drive over from Atlanta knowing that three games are ahead, I love going through the lineup for the first time, I love seeing the other guy's top pitcher, and I love how it feels to get that W to start off the series.
