Yesterday my headline read "Jamie Moyer vs Danny Hultzen?" and today I just made a single change for it to read: "Jamie Moyer vs Danny Hultzen!" I love it when the baseball Gods make my job easier.
Also familiar with baseball Gods is Moyer, who is older than most popular Gods in Greek and Roman mythology.
Moyer returns at the age of 49 not to face his old team, the Seattle Mariners, but to face the AAA Rainiers just a little bit south of his former home team. The player that he faces off, Danny Hultzen, is going to be making just his second AAA start of his career and in just his first full-season as a professional baseball player. It's a battle of old crafty lefty versus young crafty lefty, except that this crafty lefty has a significantly better repertoire of pitches than Moyer ever had.
However, Hultzen would be lucky to make out a career even close to resembling the one that Moyer has had for three years longer than Hultzen has been alive. It is at least, without a doubt, one of the most interesting pitching matchups you'll see in the minor leagues this season.
The Rainiers beat Las Vegas last night behind Blake Beaven, who pitched 6 innings, 5 hits allowed, 1 R, 3 K and 1 BB in the 4-1 victory. Chance Ruffin actually had a scoreless, hitless, walkless inning of relief, which is one of the most rare things you'll witness in Tacoma this year. Luis Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a home run.
Finally, the Jackson Generals lost 5-0 and Forrest Snow struggled with 85 pitches (just 48 for strikes) in 4.2 innings. Pensacola (Reds) pitcher Tony Cingrani, one of the fastest rising pitchers in the minor leagues, went 8 innings, 3 hits, 15 K and 1 BB in the win.
Anthony Fernandez gets the start for Jackson tonight.