Link Report for Thursday 7/9 - #1 Pick Trent Clark Hits For The Cycle!

[Mass Haas]

Arcia delivers another three-hit game

Top Brewers prospect stays hot in July with two doubles, three RBIs

By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com

 

Orlando Arcia is already one of the most dynamic talents in Minor League Baseball, and his hitting coach sees much more that the young shortstop hasn't even tapped into yet.

 

Milwaukee's top prospect doubled twice on a three-hit night, driving in three runs, scoring once and stealing two bases to spark Double-A Biloxi to an 8-5 win over Tennessee.

 

Arcia's performance was his seventh of the year with multiple extra-base hits. The shortstop ripped an RBI double to center field in the second and added a run-scoring single to left two innings later. In the fifth, Arcia drove another RBI double to center for the final Shuckers run of the night.

 

 

That at-bat didn't finish the shortstop's day on the basepaths, though. Arcia walked to lead off the eighth and swiped second and third for his second multi-steal game of the year.

 

"Two days ago, he went and swung at first pitches and did not have a very good game," Shuckers hitting coach Sandy Guerrero said. "He gets overaggressive and anxious. The next game he got a little better. Now today he changed his approach, did not swing at a first pitch the whole game, had three hits with three RBIs and a walk. The more pitches he sees, he hits better. But he's just so intense that he wants to go up there and get a hit immediately."

 

Guerrero is working to instill patience in the Anaco, Venezuela native but noted that Arcia doesn't often get cheated in his at-bats despite his love for taking cuts.

 

"He's extremely aggressive," Guerrero said. "Right now, he's working on seeing more pitches. I'm trying to prepare him for future levels where he's going to have to see more pitches, take more pitches out of the zone. Right now, he's a little too much of a free swinger. But his eye-hand coordination, let me put it this way, there are very few guys I've seen with the eye-hand coordination that he has. He doesn't strike out. That's part of it. If he swings, he sees it."

 

Arcia's style reminds his hitting coach of at least one former Major League star.

 

"Vladimir Guerrero."

 

MLB.com's No. 73 overall prospect batted .409/.468/.545 in a scorching hot April and followed with an impressive .302/.347/.466 mark in May. After cooling off in June with a .247/.267/.361 line, Arcia is back in July, batting .343/.378/.543 through his first nine games of the month. He does it all with an energy and ease that impresses his coaching staff.

 

"You see, let's say, a Kia -- which is not a bad car, just giving you an example," Guerrero said. "Then in comes a 2020 futuristic Porsche. You can't take your eyes off the Porsche because you just keep saying, 'Wow. What is he going to do?' He brings everybody up. He elevates other guys' games by watching how he goes about it, how intense [he is] and how much he enjoys playing the game."

 

Arcia's night was his first two-double performance since May 30 at Chattanooga.

 

"He's the complete package," Guerrero said. "He runs. He plays defense. His arm is off the charts. He hits for average. He's going to hit for more power, more home runs in the future, but right now he's hitting for a lot of extra-base power. He's gap-to-gap and controls the whole field. He's not a guy who just pulls the ball or just goes to the opposite field. He'll hit the ball everywhere. He uses 100 percent of the field."

 

No. 23 Brewers prospect Hobbs Johnson (6-4) allowed four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out three in the win.

[Mass Haas]

Final: AZL Brewers 18, AZL Indians 4

 

Brewers first-rounder Clark hits for cycle

Outfielder makes history, slams first pro homer in seventh AZL game

By Jake Seiner / MiLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/8/3/4/135861834/cuts/Clark_khujqdnv_37hthpvv.jpg

 

Just a few weeks after being taken off the field on a stretcher, Brewers' 2015 first-round pick Trent Clark left the field in better spirits Thursday.

 

Clark hit for the cycle -- including his first career home run -- for the Rookie-level Arizona League Brewers in an 18-4 win over the AZL Indians. Clark drove in five runs, scored four times and also picked up his second pro stolen base in just his seventh professional game.

 

The 15th overall pick in this year's Draft opened the game with a triple to left field. He doubled to right in the second inning, then rocketed a grand slam to the opposite field in the fifth. Needing a single, he struck out in the fifth and flew out in the seventh before grounding a single up the middle with two outs in the ninth.

 

"The last three at-bats, everybody was giving me hell," Clark said. "They were placing bets on what pitch it would happen, if it would happen. It was exciting, fun to be around. Everybody was so loose with the nice lead. Everyone was having fun."

 

In his second pro game on June 21, the 18-year-old was taken off the field in a stretcher after running head first into a wall while pursuing a fly ball. He suffered a bruise on his forehead and was reportedly sore following the incident, but avoided serious injury.

 

He returned to game action on July 4, going 1-for-3 with four runs scored and two walks against the Reds' AZL affiliate. He'd hit safely in four of his first six games prior to Thursday's feat.

 

"It was fun, exciting," Clark said. "I was zoned in at the plate. I'm starting to get my timing back after the injury. It's been fun to be able to get my timing back and have things come together like that."

 

The grand slam came in the fourth, when the Brewers sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine times. The outfielder led off the frame and was hit by a pitch, later scoring on a single by Brewers' No. 6 prospect Gilbert Lara.

 

He came up again with two outs and the bases loaded against right-hander Ryan Colegate, who got ahead 0-1 then threw two consecutive balls. The next pitch was a fastball, and Clark laid into it and drove the pitch over the fence in left.

 

"He threw two pretty close pitches out of the zone and got to 2-1," Clark said. "Everything was flowing and I felt good. I got my front foot down in time and got my first [homer]."

 

The Fort Worth, Texas native is hitting .375 in the AZL with four extra-base hits, 10 runs and seven RBIs.

 

"I think I've adjusted well," he said. "I played in a pretty good high school district and saw top level pitching when I played a lot of showcase stuff.

 

"It's something I've seen before, but it's a challenge. There are a lot of guys from the Dominican (Republic) and from the islands that throw well, and a lot of rehab guys coming down. I'm seeing what it's like at that level. That pitching is a big step and something to go through. I'm excited for the challenge."

 

Maryvale Box Score

 

You think there are some proud/happy folks in the Brewers' front office this AM?

 

The A-Crew put 28 men on base via base hit (21, 7 XBH's), walk (5) and HBP (2).

 

As noted, Trent Clark on base five times, as was SS Gilbert Lara (double, three singles, walk).

 

Also, with the rout, there was some shared playing time with the bench -- again within the top of the order, the LF combo of Joantgel Segovia and Nicholas Pierre was 2-for-6 and a walk. The first base combo of Tyrone Perry and Juan Ortiz was 4-for-5 with a walk, with the exciting Perry doing the bulk of the work (3-for-4, double, walk).

 

Others contributed (naturally, 18 runs), as 19-year-old OF Yerald Martinez (DH'ing here), had his best game of the summer, 2-for-5 with a walk and three runs scored.

 

Team RISP: 12-for-23.

Team LOB: 12.

 

Whew!

 

Maryvale Game Log

 

Fun night on the mound too!

 

And more success for the non-drafted free agent hurlers!

 

Rehabbing RHP John Ely was the starter, and he needed second inning help, and undrafted RHP Aaron Myers was able to strand two of his baserunners.

 

AZL Indians Bottom of the 2nd

 

Hector Caro singles on a ground ball to right fielder Demi Orimoloye.

Simeon Lucas pops out to shortstop Gilbert Lara.

Jason Rodriguez called out on strikes.

Miguel Eladio singles on a ground ball to right fielder Demi Orimoloye. Hector Caro to 2nd.

Pitching Change: Aaron Myers replaces John Ely.

Gabriel Mejia singles on a ground ball to first baseman Tyrone Perry. Hector Caro to 3rd. Miguel Eladio to 2nd.

Alexis Pantoja grounds out, third baseman Jonathan Oquendo to first baseman Tyrone Perry.

 

Later on, 3rd round RHP Nash Walters (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) exited his second inning of work with the bases loaded and undrafted RHP Alex Farina continued his dominant ways, now with 8.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 15 K's, and a grateful Nash Walters.

 

AZL Indians Bottom of the 4th

 

Jodd Carter walks. Miguel Eladio scores. Gabriel Mejia to 3rd. Alexis Pantoja to 2nd.

Pitching Change: Alex Farina replaces Nash Walters.

Hector Caro strikes out swinging.

 

35th round University of Hawaii LHP Quintin Torres-Costa earned a three-inning save (3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's).

 

15 runs through four innings -- enjoy this log!

[Mass Haas]

Check out this on-site observation post from our Brewerfan poster "tbbrewers" from the Biloxi game in Sevierville, Tennessee Thursday night.

 

Thanks, tb!

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO via WLOX: Biloxi victory highlights

[Mass Haas]

Always rolling snake eyes

Former Cougar Erickson in blissful situation as Rattlers manager

By Kevin Druley, Kane County Chronicle

 

http://www.kcchronicle.com/_internal/cimg!0/ofxtzfyy980007o2jvxmuvu3tt61lny

 

Fifth-year Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson played for the Cougars in 1998, when the club was affiliated with the Florida Marlins. Sandy Bressner photo

 

GENEVA – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson allows his 10-year-old son, Maddox, to take batting practice alongside Midwest Leaguers.

 

Erickson reasons that “I feel comfortable with him out on the field without him killing himself,” a patience that permeates his entire managerial approach.

 

***

 

Also posted in full in our season-long feature article Coaching Thread...

[Mass Haas]

Brewers' first-round pick ending his slump in Helena

Ryan Collingwood, Helena Independent Record

 

Photos by James Ridle, Blackfoot Media Group, at the link

 

Jake Gatewood knew the onset of his professional baseball career would have its share of trials.

 

His father, Henry Gatewood -- a second-round pick by the Dodgers in 1982 who played eight years in the minors before topping out at Double-A -- was as good a point of reference as any.

 

***

 

Also posted in full in our season-long feature article Helena / Maryvale archive thread...

[Mass Haas]

Crazy hail in Colorado Springs

[BrewCrewForever]

Arcia's swing reminds me a lot of Hanley Ramirez. The leg lift, swing, everything.

[LouisEly]

The good news is that the western Colorado/eastern Utah area is getting some much needed rain.

[CheezWizHed]

[sarcasm]Someone needs to fix Clark's golf grip. I bet his elbow is all wrong too...[/sarcasm]