Brewers Winter League Action 2020-2021

[Mass Haas]

Catcher Alex Hall is in the game just underway this Sunday AM U.S. time for Perth. Details on his day later today.

 

Box Score here and watch live and later archived

.

[Mass Haas]

Catcher Alex Hall is in the game just underway this Sunday AM U.S. time for Perth. Details on his day later today.

 

Box Score here and watch live and later archived

.

 

Hall had an RBI single in Perth's 11-run 1st inning. It was a generous call, ball lost in the lights. Go to the 51:20 minute mark

. Alex finished 1-for-3 with a walk.

 

Live baseball very early Monday AM if you wish.

[Mass Haas]

Sunday (U.S. time)

 

Brisbane fell 4-1 (box score)

 

RHP Paxton Schultz retired all three men he faced (one K). To watch his outing go to the 01:27:40 hour/minute mark

.

 

Nick Kahle started the game in right field before moving behind the plate late.

 

Here's the video and a note about his home run in this game.

 

Kahle also had an infield single (2-for-5), but fanned for all three of his outs. You can watch the base hit at the 02:27:05 hour/minute mark

.

 

Next Brisbane game can be watched at 2:00 AM CT Thursday

.

[Mass Haas]

Thursday AM U.S. time:

 

Brisbane was down 7-0 after two innings and lost 9-2 (box score in portal)

 

RHP Paxton Schultz was called upon in the 6th and tossed an eventful scoreless frame, alternating three ground ball singles with three K's. You can watch that at the 01:51:50 hour/minute mark here.

 

Nick Kahle started behind the plate and moved to third base later. He was 0-for-3 with a walk (one K).

 

***

 

In the Perth game, Alex Hall did this.

 

Hall 1-for-3, one K, with the home run.

[Mass Haas]

Via Adam McCalvy:

 

"Particularly astute fans may have noticed that Minor League RHP Brandon Ramey has not appeared in the Australian Baseball League after traveling Down Under with a group of other Brewers prospects. He developed a minor wrist injury while throwing bullpen sessions, and the Brewers opted to play it safe, considering the brevity of the Australian season. Ramey was one of three pitchers acquired from the Phillies in August for reliever David Phelps."

[Mass Haas]

Thursday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane falls 10-8, archived

 

Rough relief outing for RHP Matt Hardy

 

2 IP, 3 H, (all three hits HR's), 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K

 

Hardy's ERA 7.30 in the still-small sample 12.1 IP (stat page)

 

Nick Kahle started in RF before moving to his natural catcher position (one passed ball). He was 0-for-4 but walked twice, drove in a run, one BB, three K's (stat page).

[Mass Haas]

Friday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane was trounced 22-2. The Bandits actually led 1-0 after three innings.

 

After three outstanding outings to begin his Aussie adventure, RHP Michele Vassalotti had a second consecutive rough effort, this one an uncharacteristically wild relief appearance.

 

1.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K

 

Catcher Nick Kahle was behind the plate for all of this one. Kahle was 1-for-3 at the plate. You can see his sharp line drive to center field on an 0-2 pitch as his at-bat begins at the 23:50 minute mark

.

 

Vassalotti entered in the 4th inning with one out and the bases loaded. He closed the inning with a strikeout, two walks (each sending in a run), and then another K.

 

In the 5th, Vassalotti's game log - F8, double, HBP, F3, walk, walk (final walk forced in another run). The reliever that followed allowed all three of Vassalotti's runners to score. Brisbane pitchers walked 11 in the game.

 

You can hear the announcers discuss Vassalotti in some detail during his warmup tosses which begins his night on the mound at the 01:22:45 hour/minute mark at the same video link as above. Throwing gas to that first batter.

 

***

 

Perth played a doubleheader, but neither game was televised. In Game One, Alex Hall was behind the plate for a 7-1 win, but was 0-for-3 at the plate (two K's). He sat out Game Two. In 49 AB's, Hall has a .648 OPS, but has fanned 19 times.

[Mass Haas]

Saturday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane loses 10-7, to fall to a 6-16 record.

 

Day off for the lone Brewer position player on the club, Nick Kahle.

 

Paxton Schultz was the only one of the three Milwaukee pitchers active on the team (Hardy, Vassalotti) to see action, making his 7th appearance.

 

1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (a HR), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP

 

Unfortunately, the home run came with two outs and it was to the first batter Schultz faced. It was a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch (video), allowing three inherited runners to score. The dude who hit it has three grand slams in his last two games. In this at bat, he fouled off four really tough pitches just prior to going deep.

 

After the HR, Schultz got a groundout to end the 4th.

 

In the scoreless 5th, it went groundout, double, wild pitch, pop out, line out.

 

To watch Schultz's outing from the start, go to the 01:10:50 hour/minute mark

.

 

***

 

Perth was idle, so no update on Brewer catcher Alex Hall today.

 

***

 

In case you missed it earlier in the thread here:

 

Via Adam McCalvy:

 

"Particularly astute fans may have noticed that Minor League RHP Brandon Ramey has not appeared in the Australian Baseball League after traveling Down Under with a group of other Brewers prospects. He developed a minor wrist injury while throwing bullpen sessions, and the Brewers opted to play it safe, considering the brevity of the Australian season. Ramey was one of three pitchers acquired from the Phillies in August for reliever David Phelps."

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane wins 12-5 to move to 8-16 on the season, archived

 

Catcher Nick Kahle was 1-for-4, RBI single you can see here.

 

RHP Matt Hardy pitched a perfect 6th inning (one K), his stint begins at the 01:25:30 hour/minute mark at the

.

[Mass Haas]

Thursday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Bandits lose 5-4, in extra innings.

 

RHP Paxton Schultz continued his excellent ABL season, tossing three scoreless, only allowing one baserunner (a single). 17-to-1 K-to-BB in 13.2 IP over eight appearances, sweet. His outing began with two out in the top of the 4th when he stranded two baserunners.

 

The ABL posted a nice summary piece of his work here.

 

Catcher Nick Kahle was 0-for-4 ( two R, one BB, two K). One SB against, one throwing error.

[Mass Haas]

Friday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane falls 12-11 in eleven innings, archived

.

 

This game was even wilder than the score indicates. Each team scored four runs in the 11th, with Brisbane surrendering a grand slam in the bottom of the inning that tied things at 11-11.

 

Earlier in the game, RHP Matt Hardy tossed a scoreless 5th, but was taken out for a three-run HR in the 6th that tied the game at 7-7.

 

Hardy - 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR.

 

You can watch Matt's stint as he enters the game right at the 02:00:00 hour mark at the link above. He ends the 5th with two K's after his mate's fielding error put him in trouble.

 

On the flip side, go to the 02:32:15 mark to see the HR against Hardy.

 

The Canberra announcers were pleased throughout as the 11-14 Cavalry ended up clinching a playoff spot with their win.

 

Nick Kahle was behind the plate for the full game. Kahle was 2-for-5 (double, single, BB, two RBI, K).

 

His single was of the bloop variety and can be seen here.

 

Kahle's first-pitch line drive RBI double to the LF wall is at the 01:48:00 mark

.

 

With the loss, Brisbane falls to 8-18 and is eliminated from the playoff picture. In fact, they "clinched" the bottom spot in the league standings. The Bandits would have had to win their final four games to qualify.

 

Still has been fun to follow, a nice baseball distraction.

[Mass Haas]

Saturday overnight (U.S. time) - Game Log / Box Score

 

Brisbane drops its finale, 4-0.

 

Nick Kahle was a late sub at catcher but did not get a plate appearance.

 

20-year-old RHP Michele Vassalotti made his 6th appearance

 

2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K

 

To watch Vassalotti's outing, go to the 01:51:30 hour/minute mark at the game video

.

 

(Maybe it's just me, but I've been fascinated with the base Michele is able to get with his "long" feet. Optical illusion?)

 

Here's a link to the Brisbane final stat page.

 

Some of those WHIP's are miscalculated...

 

Catcher Nick Kahle finishes with a very solid .749 OPS.

 

RHP Paxton Schultz was consistently good throughout, while fellow RHP's Matt Hardy and Vassalotti had their good moments as well, just not as steady each time out.

 

RHP Brandon Ramey was sidelined by a minor wrist ailment and did not pitch, as Adam McCalvy told us.

 

***

 

FYI - While this was Brisbane's finale, catcher Alex Hall of Perth will be participating in the league playoffs, and we'll track his games here. So our thread lives on for now.

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday overnight (U.S. time):

 

See Alex Hall's two HR's

[Mass Haas]

Final update of the off-season:

 

Perth lost the Australian League Championship Game 9-2, the Heat's first run scored on an RBI single from Brewers catcher Alex Hall (video).

 

I'm always mentioning how Hall is a switch-hitter, and we finally have video evidence in the form of a home run, as Alex finished 2-for-4 and drove in both of his the Heat runs.

 

Two years ago, then 19-year-old Hall had 145 ABL at-bats. A year, later, 95. In 2020-2021, just 49 with a limited Covid schedule.

 

***

 

Thanks everyone who kept up with this thread, even if it was a quiet winter in terms of the number of players participating.

[Mass Haas]

Baseball America with quotes from RHP Matt Hardy on his Australia experience