Off Day Thread, Hultzen’s Minor League Debut

Jay Yencich · April 8, 2012 at 11:51 am · Filed Under Game Threads, Minor Leagues 

The Mariners have a day off today after playing some meaningful games against the Athletics, but unlike the last time that happened, the team will not be flying back to Arizona to follow it up with a series of less meaningful games. I’m sure this is confusing for a lot of people. While we wait with much anticipation for all of our hopes to be deflated tomorrow, as we become the first team to face Yu Darvish, today there’s a different kind of baseball/hope to pay attention to. Danny Hultzen is making his debut today, right around noon.

LF Daniel Carroll
SS Nick Franklin
3B Francisco Martinez
RF Chih-Hsien Chiang
1B Rich Poythress
DH Joe Dunigan
CF Denny Almonte
C Jesus Sucre
2B Gabriel Noriega

P Danny Hultzen

The Generals, playing the lowly Birmingham Barons (how have they not lost their title already?) have won all three games in the series so far. Paxton struck out ten over five and two-thirds innings with only two hits allowed. That was pretty good.

You can head over to the Jackson site, scroll down on the audio page, and find their “Listen Live” link. There will also be a Gameday available, but it’s not up yet. I’ll add it later?

Comments

19 Responses to “Off Day Thread, Hultzen’s Minor League Debut”

  1. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 12:34 pm

    So there is no Gameday, which doesn’t surprise me somehow because yesterday they had it going and it was mostly counting results (i.e., walk -> four balls, strikeout -> three strikes, any other outcome, one pitch).

    Hulzten has struck out four and walked one in two innings.

  2. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 12:36 pm

    Killer play by Nick Franklin, from what I heard. Dove for a ball, bellyflopped, got up and tossed across to get the runner. [Who was the catcher, and probably ran like a catcher]

  3. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 12:47 pm

    Double off the wall by Nick Franklin to score Sucre and Noriega (who both walked, the pitcher threw ten consecutive balls). 2-0 Generals.

  4. MT on April 8th, 2012 12:48 pm

    Sounds like Franklin’s been doing good.

  5. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 12:52 pm

    Franklin was batting .545/.545/.818 coming into the game. I’d like some walks, but hitting is pretty cool too.

  6. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 12:55 pm

    Poythress left the bases juiced. Bummer. Well, they’re still leading.

  7. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 1:11 pm

    Hultzen ran into some trouble in the fourth, as he gave up a single with two outs at it was followed by a triple and a wild pitch. It’s now 2-2.

    Hultzen’s line so far: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 7/1 K/BB, WP

  8. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 1:15 pm

    According to the promotional word there, the Jackson Generals have an official exterminator.

  9. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 1:24 pm

    Well that was disappointing.

    Hultzen opened the fifth by walking the first batter, allowing a single to the second, and then handing out another free pass to the third. Yoervis Medina then came in and gave up a home run. I am not a Yoervis Medina fan.

    The book is closed on Hultzen: 4.0+ IP, 4 H, 5 R, 7/3 K/BB, WP

    Jackson trailing 6-2.

  10. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 2:25 pm

    The offense has been mostly a non-factor for the interceding innings so I just want to mention that Nick Franklin’s walk-up music is “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey. “Don’t Stop Believin'” was first released as single at the end of 1981. Franklin wasn’t born until early 1991.

  11. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 2:43 pm

    It’s 9-2 now. The bullpen has been BAD.

  12. dgood on April 8th, 2012 3:06 pm

    I love this monologue you have going here but I thought I’d ask how you ever got audio. I went to the link you had and it just wasn’t there. Sounds like Hultzen was mediocre. But 7Ks in 4 innings.

  13. groundzero55 on April 8th, 2012 3:14 pm

    I went to the link and it took a minute to load, but it finally showed up. I turned it off shortly after Medina gave up the bomb.

  14. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 3:33 pm

    I thought I’d ask how you ever got audio. I went to the link you had and it just wasn’t there.

    It’s right there around the top if you go through the team’s own site. They have audio for both sides and next to Jackson Generals, they have something that says “All Games.” You just click on that and it’ll pop open a little window. Unlike other affiliates (the Lumberkings for example), you don’t have to go through to some radio station’s website.

    Anyway, Hultzen sounded like he was doing all right when I tuned in, then less so as it went on. It’s one game. Plenty of pitching prospects have faceplanted in their debut.

  15. Jay Yencich on April 8th, 2012 4:31 pm

    As of this moment, Brad Miller has four home runs and eleven RBI in the opening series.

    High Desert, you provide some dumb baseball.

  16. matto on April 8th, 2012 7:08 pm

    I went to Saturday Night and Sunday’s game (there were only 830 people there Sunday) and got some photos and video. I’ll share the photos (via flickr) later but here’s Hultzen’s first at bat (minus the first pitch – a strike – ) as a pro pitcher. http://youtu.be/xcDgYN0BSXQ

  17. matto on April 8th, 2012 9:01 pm

    Also,

    A few photos taken from Today’s game. (A couple of F.Martinez and Franklin are in there as well).
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanbon/sets/72157629408404808/

    Also, a short movie of Franklin’s second hit from Saturday Night’s game (I was taking photos of his HR at bat but not video).

  18. matto on April 8th, 2012 9:10 pm

    The link to @Franklin’s short video of his hit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEFNp9d8RyA&feature=youtu.be

  19. Celadus on April 8th, 2012 11:42 pm

    If Miller continues to OPS 2.071 (after 4 games) for the season, though, he’ll definitely be minor league player of the year. 2 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs in 4 games. Yikes! Even for High Desert, yikes!

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