As I believe the bot informed you all, Carson Whisenhunt and Patrick Bailey both had outstanding showings to begin the week — as has tended to be true all month. And yesterday, both were rewarded for their terrific showings when they moved it on up a level in the course of the day.
Whisenhunt, who was an infield dribbler away from perfection on Tuesday, was the first bit of news, as word broke fairly early in the day that he was the newest Emerald — indeed, it seemed like he barely had time to shower and dress from his Tuesday masterpiece before getting a plane ticket stuck in his hand, so quick was he in Vancouver to don the green.
Bailey’s move came much later — after I had gone to bed, to be honest — and was the result of a chain of circumstances beyond his success on the field, though that success is obviously a big part of the story and one of the biggest stories of the spring.
Those circumstances definitely involved Joey Bart’s tight groin, Blake Sabol’s catching interference, and Gary Sanchez’ slow start to the year — those elements certainly put a time factor into play between Sanchez’ opt out date and the Giants’ daring fate with just one healthy catcher on the roster. But Bailey’s promotion is the result of his own great production to start the year. He’s hitting .333 with a .400 OBP, and slugged his second homer of the season on Tuesday. From his strong side, the numbers are even more encouraging, as he’s put up a .381/.409/.571 line from the left side.
There have been a few passed balls that have gotten by him, so I wouldn’t say that there’s nothing left for him to clean up on the defensive side, but he certainly has had a strong showing at a tough level and well earned his call up. And if you heard my podcast interview with Mason Black yesterday, you got a small sample of the kind of faith his pitchers almost universally have in him. Don’t be surprised to see him don the vanilla or orange and black (or even creamsicles) before the year is out. The Giants are high on this guy!
Rob Emery, who spent time in Richmond last year (and who is really one of my very favorite guys in the system), returns to help fill the gap. The Squirrels also added catcher Cesar Gonzalez from extended spring on Tuesday, so they’re also covered from Brandon Martorano’s trip to the IL.
HITTER of the NIGHT: Tyler Fitzgerald (Rich), 3 for 4, 2b (4), 3 R, 1 BB
PITCHER of the NIGHT: Carson Ragsdale (Eug), 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, HR
Now let’s get to the action on the field, and see if we can locate where the next big news is going to come from!
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