Soundboard - Game 4 vs. Wenatchee

Like most managers, Frank Mutz is not terribly fond of 1-0 games for the very reason fans (and broadcasters) are - they're so close - but I think he'll take a two-hit shutout from his pitching staff like the one he got last night. Here's the boss on the key to his team's success:



Addie Rincon got the start for the Sweets and went deeper than any starter to date on the young season. How did he feel about his first outing?



He did have four walks, but Mutz said any trouble the southpaw has with command isn't serious.



And that's completely true. Even after giving up a walk, Rincon made the pitches he needed to make to get outs and limit pressure on himself; Wenatchee never had more than one base runner in a given inning against him.

Jake Simmons kept that trend going and has put in a couple of great outings during his 10-day contract with maybe one more to go before that deal expires. Skipper has taken note of his work, although he was a little nervous watching him warm up:



What did the Walla Walla CC pitcher have to say about his night? We talked to him about his bullpen time and his aggressiveness on the mound.



Paid big dividends for everybody. Before the game, I spoke to Cam Richman - who got the save with a perfect ninth inning - and asked him if he liked being aggressive.

His answer was simple: "Yeah," with a slight smile. The ninth inning was case in point.

Moe Handcox was a big factor in his first game on a ten-day contract, with the sac fly and several impressive displays of speed to track down balls in left field. Skipper came away impressed.



Now another group of pitchers looks to go out and attack Wenatchee tonight, led by another lefty - Easton Lucas, who has already thrown for Walla Walla this year, though it wasn't so much by design as necessity.



Six pitches? This is going to be fun.