What my gut tells me (4/11/10)

I am going to try to make this a feature this season*. Consider these posts a gut-reaction that will be available at the conclusion of a game (or games in case of doubleheaders)**. I will try to keep it to five points or fewer.

And now, the inaugural post of the series titled: What my gut tells me.***

1. You may look at the 8 runs on 12 hits by the offense and the job done by Damon Krestalude, Chad Robinson, and Jake Odorizzi as the key parts to the win. But, I want to look at the defense in the top of the third as a big part of the victory. There were runners on first and second with no outs and Krestalude threw wildly on a pickoff play to second. Centerfielder D'Vontrey Richardson charged the ball and threw a strike to third that pegged out the runner. The next batter sent a slow chopper to third and Joey Paciorek made a nice play to get the out at first. Then, Danny Carroll looked like he had a RBI base hit with a line drive to left. But, Paciorek made a leaping grab of the liner and the Rattlers still led 2-0.
2. This year's Rattlers team has the ability to bunch a lot of hits together. They had three hits in the third and four hits in the fourth.
3. I try not to get to involved with velocity. BUT, Odorizzi hit 91 with a fastball in the seventh inning today.
4. The biggest difference between the 10-5 loss on Saturday and the 8-2 win on Sunday... On Saturday Wisconsin's hitters went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. On Sunday, the Rattlers were 6-for-14 with RISP.
5. Even after a full year, it is weird to see Danny Carroll in a Clinton LumberKings jersey. It was weirder to hear a few cheers for Carroll and Kalian Sams.

*-Time permitting. It may not be possible after some road games. I don't like to be the last person on the bus.
**-Some days it will be Gibbs, some days it may be a different figure from pop culture.
***-I realize that this post contains more words than Gibbs says in an entire episode, but work with me here. I put the wrong reliever in the Today's Pitchers post.