Happy Opening Day 2016 Sky Sox fans!

Welcome back to the Sky Sox blog for the 2016 season. Here you’ll find game previews, game notes, interviews, and a whole lot more information throughout the season.

The big-league club has the day off today, so all of #Brewers nation can focus on the MiLB openers from Colorado Springs to Biloxi to Brevard County and Wisconsin. Good luck to all of the fellow affiliates on the farm! Here’s to a great 2016 season.

TODAY’S SKY SOX GAME NOTES 

Now, on to the Sky Sox game at hand tonight. Manager Rick Sweet and club have made the trek southeast to Memphis, Tennessee where the Memphis RedBirds will play host to the Sky Sox in the first game of a four-game series tonight at AutoZone Park. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. MT. The pre-game show begins at 5:35 on XTRA Sports 1300.

Pitching Matchup: RHP Zach Davies (0-0, 0.00) at RHP Deck McGuire (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

The Sky Sox will throw RHP Zach Davies in the season opener tonight against the Cardinals’ top affiliate. The Brewers acquired Davies, 23, in a trade-deadline deal with the Orioles that sent OF Gerardo Parra to Baltimore on 7/31/15. The Gilbert, AZ resident made five starts with the Sky Sox and went 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA. He allowed 17 runs, 15 earned on 38 hits in 27 innings while striking out 21 and walking 12. Davies has not faced the Cardinals top affiliate in his minor-league career.

The righty earned his first call to the big leagues on September 1, 2015 and made his MLB debut at Miller Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 2. He tossed 4 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs, all earned, on 4 hits, he walked and struck out 3 Pirates and did not record a decision. Perhaps more importantly, Davies went 1-for-2 at the dish – the one being a single to deep LCF against lefty Jeff Locke. He earned his first MLB win his next time out with seven-strong innings against Miami. In six starts with the Brewers, he went 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA on the mound, 1-for-13 at the plate, and earned Brewers Pitcher of the Month for September/October honors to round out the season.

Baseball America’s #12 Brewers prospect finished the 2015 campaign with 15 straight scoreless innings and looks to keep that rolling tonight with his highly-rated changeup along with his fastball, cutter, and curveball.

The Memphis RedBirds will counter with RHP Deck McGuire. The Richmond, Virginia native is set to make his debut in the Cardinals system after spending the 2015 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ AA and AAA affiliates, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, respectively. The 26 year-old righty went 9-6 with a 3.69 ERA across the two levels and has a career minor league record of 40-49 with a 4.57 ERA. The Toronto Blue Jays originally selected McGuire in the first round of the 2010 draft out of Georgia Tech. This will mark his fourth stint in AAA as he continues to wait for his call to The Show.

McGuire went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two games with the OKC Dodgers against the Sky Sox in 2015. He features a fastball, sinker, slider, and change-up.

Tune in! Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) enters his 27^th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he’ll have the call of the opener tonight from AutoZone Park. Coverage begins on XTRA Sports 1300 with Matt Pauley (@MattPauleyRadio) and the pre-game show at 5:35 MT.

Farm Report:

Milwaukee Brewers (1-2): OFF DAY

Double-A: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Twins)

LHP Josh Hader (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Jason Wheeler (0-0, 0.00)

High-A: Brevard County Manatees at Daytona Tortugas (Reds)

TBA at TBA

Class-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Beloit Snappers (Athletics)

LHP Jake Drossner (0-0, 0.00) at RHP Kyle Friedrichs (0-0, 0.00)

See you on the radio,

Dan

@Dan_Acheson