OnlyBucs

Bucs

3B K. Hayes R
LF B. Reynolds S
DH A. McCutchen R
1B Connor Joe R
C E. Rodriguez S
RF M. Andujar R
2B L. Peguero R
CF Ji Hwan Bae L
SS A. Williams R
SP Bailey Falter L

Cards

CF L. Nootbaar L
1B P. Goldschmidt R
3B Nolan Gorman L
DH N. Arenado R
C W. Contreras R
LF T. O'Neill R
2B Tommy Edman S
RF J. Walker R
SS Masyn Winn R
SP Drew Rom L

"Holy Cow" Harry Caray used to say! The lineup includes Joe, Andujar, Peggy, & Bae. Suwinski is not in the lineup and I hope he spends the game on the end of the bench.

Hoping Andujar shoqws us something

I guess with Andujar’s promotion, we’ve seen the last of Nick Gonzales in 2023. Since he was sent down, Gonzales is hitting .291 in 73 at bats, with seven doubles and two home runs, while he’s walked 11 times against 20 strikeouts, so he hasn’t been feeling sorry for himself, he’s showing some positive work.

I’m really rooting for him but it looks like he’s now behind Peguero for the second base job if Cruz is going to remain at SS. And with Termarr Johnson coming through the system, there may not be room for Gonzales. We shouldn’t be surprised if he’s involved in a trade sometime between the Trade Deadline next July and the beginning of the 2025 season.

Doc, I just posted about that in the minor league thread. What would it have hurt this season to take a long look at Peguero at SS and Gonzales at 2B instead of Williams nearly every day at SS. Gonzales was optioned hitting .216. Williams can't even hit that well.

Bobster wrote: ↑Sat Sep 02, 2023 10:57 pm Doc, I just posted about that in the minor league thread. What would it have hurt this season to take a long look at Peguero at SS and Gonzales at 2B instead of Williams nearly every day at SS. Gonzales was optioned hitting .216. Williams can't even hit that well.

I just saw your post in that thread. I’ve wondered the same thing about all the time Williams has received at, ultimately, Gonzales’ expense. Nick’s a #1 pick, why he’s taking a backseat to a player who’s obviously not a major leaguer is head scratching. The last three months of this season was the perfect time to immerse the future core in Major League Baseball, and they’ve done that for the most part. But is Gonzales being left behind?

If he is being left behind, it's a terrible waste of an early #1 draft pick. You would think they would want to give him every chance to show what he can do. But they seem to have written him off and would rather give the opportunities to Williams who,if he has a future in MLB, it's likely as a light-hitting, late inning defensive specialist.

McCutchen with a two out walk, but that’s all our boys can muster in the first. Cardinals coming to bat.

Nice start by Hatch. Just seven pitches. No score after one.

Bucs go down in order in the 2nd. Still no score.

Hatch throws four pitches to start the 2nd and finds himself down 3-0.