Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/30): Good Times Up Top - Nashville's 16-7, Big League Crew 15-7

[Mass Haas]

The affiliates win three of five on Saturday and move to a cumulative 50-33 after one month of action. Combine that with the big-league Brewers tied for best in the National League with a 15-7 mark, and the organization is 65-40.

Seems that "develop a winning culture" is a real thing, no affiliate under .500 as of this morning. Kudos to all!

 

Transactions: 

From our Minor League Forum season-long transaction thread -

LHP Arman Sabouri (Tommy John surgery, September 2021) and OF Je'Von Ward were both placed on the Wisconsin 60-day IL on April 8th, though the transactions just posted online.

I don't believe we ever saw a definitive report on the nature of Ward's injury, so we won't speculate, but he won't be back until mid-June at the earliest.

RHP Juan Geraldo (Mudcats 2021) was placed on the Carolina 60-day, also as of this year's Opening Day, April 8th. He too underwent Tommy John surgery last fall.

While technically not a transaction, for those of you who have been missing Biloxi's prized prospect Felix Valerio -

Q. Felix Valerio is out of the Biloxi lineup again tonight. He last played for the Shuckers on Wednesday. Any word on a possible reason?

MiLB.TV archive of Wed. 4/27 game (for subscribers)

Go to the 3 hour, 3 minute mark.

Valerio lines a double down the right-field line, beautiful (as always) piece of hitting for Felix.

As the throw comes in to 2nd Valerio does an awkward stutter-step / half-slide as if he was indecisive about how he wished to approach the bag.

Having been thrown out (insult to injury), Valerio sits by the bag grabbing the back of his left leg with his left hand just above the knee. A few seconds later, Valerio makes his way to a standing position on his own, but still with a bit of a cringe and effort. The telecast goes to a replay and Valerio is not on the field after that, having fairly quickly made his way to the dugout.

Voice of the Shuckers Garrett Greene noted that Cam Devanney came in to replace Valerio (who was starting in left field for this game - Valerio has eight starts at second base, one at third base, and five in LF). No mention of Valerio's status was made at that immediate moment, understandably.

Not being able to listen to every sound bite from every game, it's possible that Valerio's injury status has been discussed on air (in fact very likely considering Valerio's prospect pedigree and that he's now missed three games, but nothing has been in printed/online form).

FYI - I did then listen to both the Wednesday postgame and the Thursday pre-game and first inning, but no specific Valerio mention. After all the angst, just watch, Felix will be in Tuesday's lineup (hopefully), as they will take advantage of Monday's day off, so don't expect him on Sunday.

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes

Final, Completion of Friday's Suspended Game: Nashville 7, St. Paul (Twins) 3
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Sounds' site, game details, and we encourage readers to review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: 

Since the Sounds posted a combined report Saturday, this was the summary we linked to yesterday -

Sounds, Saints Suspended After Six Innings - Turang and Singleton each homer in second straight game

Final, Regularly Scheduled Game: Nashville 12, St. Paul 3, five innings, rain
Box Score / Game Log

Sounds Rout Saints in Rain-Shortened Win - Nashville Wins Third Straight in St. Paul

The Sounds squeeze ten hits and seven walks into just five innings. Every batter reached, and seven of them reached more than once! That is crazy impressive, just five innings! And Weston Wilson would have reached twice if he hadn't been robbed here -

Mark Mathias worked really hard for his grand slam, and here's why. Normally the "Mic'd Up" player-with-teammates is not a worthwhile effort, but Mathias was actually very entertaining here! He indicated he needed his long ball.

This squad is just so strong in all aspects of this sport. Keep it up, Nashville, you've been a joy thus far.

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes via the Shuckers' Virtual Press Box

Final: Biloxi 9, Pensacola (Marlins) 1
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please review:

Six-Run Inning Helps Shuckers Separate In 9-1 Win Over Wahoos - Cam Devanney Goes 3-for-3 With 3 RBI

Luis Urias 1-for-5, saw action at both SS and 3B.

Sure, Joey Wiemer was being his usual awesome self, on base three times and driving in two, but let's hear it for Cam Devanney. The versatile Devanney reached four times including -

Devanney's 2021 in Biloxi was, as they say, the opposite of good. We will note that he was skipped two levels coming off the lost 2020 Covid season. So last summer in AA was the 2019 15th rounder's first taste of full-season ball. Devanney just posted a .746 OPS in April, It wasn't much of a big league cup of coffee in 2006, but did anyone think Chris Barnwell was on a big-league trajectory? That's why you keep the jersey on, men. Keep rockin' Cam.

Lest we forget the afore-mentioned Mr. Joey -

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes via their all-encompassing Virtual Press Box

Final: Peoria (Cardinals) 12, Wisconsin 2
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please review:

Chiefs Slug Rattlers 12-2 - Wisconsin falls behind early

You'll notice when a game is pretty ugly (blowout loss, four errors, two balks), Chris' headlines are appreciably shorter.

22-year-old RHP Justin Jarvis' 2022 WHIP of 1.60 nearly matches last summer's 2021 unappealing 1.55 figure. Time is still on the side of the 2018 5th round pick out of a North Carolina high school, and the Brewers have been adamant in keeping Jarvis in a starting role. Might he find better success in shorter stints?

If nothing else, the experienced infield duo of Yeison Coca and Antonio Pinero should be giving the T-Rats supreme defense up the middle as we await Tyler Black's return from the violent first base collision from earlier this week. But in this clumsy contest, even Coca committed a throwing error.

A bit of a pattern developing within this box score - batters who have been warm-to-hot remain as such even in a lopsided defeat, and batters who have been hotsy-notsy continue to struggle.

These fine athletes must really dislike the small-sample notes on the negative side. It's one reason we strive to highlight the positive, I'd say 95% of the time within these reports, over the years. 

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Final: Down East (Rangers) 2, Carolina 0
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please review:

Mudcats Blanked Again, 2-0 in Kinston - The Carolina offense was held to just two hits in Saturday’s shutout loss to the Wood Ducks

20-year-old Dominican native RHP Alexander Cornielle (80 grade name) is sporting a shiny 1.56 ERA through four starts, but a deeper look shows that he has allowed 11 runs in 17.1 innings, but eight of those runs are unearned, and his WHIP sits at 1.85 with a base on ball per inning. So work to do. Sometimes you have to pick up your teammates in the field. In a repeated comment theme from yesterday's report, the nuances of a low-A box score in comparison with a AAA or AA box are glaring. You can just see the inexperience dripping off your screen as you review the Carolina boxes, and that's to be expected.

Mudcats third baseman Alberis Ferrer was ejected after grounding out, and in my mind, an image of a frustrated helmet throwdown took place, whether that occurred or not.

A commitment to bullpen work is really agreeing with 21-year-old Michele Vassalotti, a 13-to-1 K-to-BB ratio in 11 IP over seven appearances. It's Mi-kay-le (not Michelle, for those pronouncing in your heads).

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As expected on a Sunday but not always the case, it's afternoon start times throughout -- enjoy your day, everyone!

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

Links for affiliate audio

Standings and sortable stat pages

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

 

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[Joseph Zarr]

When I tune in to Nashville games, it is legitimately as close to an extension of a Big League club as you can get. The Brewers have not been this deep on the fringes since I can remember. Ther are so many worthy candidates for a call-up it’s almost unfair. Watching the mic’d up clip there, it’s also very clear these men are comfortable with the game; their games; and each other. 

Cam Devanney is an early season contender for ‘Most Surprising Player’. The bat has been night and day better since 2021 and you already know you are getting an extremely good glove and arm at the hot corner. I am very excited about his development. 
 

Hopefully, we can see a resurgence in play from Zamora, Dillard, Holt and McGee at some point and the team could really start rocking.

[Joseph Zarr]

When I tune in to Nashville games, it is legitimately as close to an extension of a Big League club as you can get. The Brewers have not been this deep on the fringes since I can remember. Ther are so many worthy candidates for a call-up it’s almost unfair. Watching the mic’d up clip there, it’s also very clear these men are comfortable with the game; their games; and each other. 

Cam Devanney is an early season contender for ‘Most Surprising Player’. The bat has been night and day better since 2021 and you already know you are getting an extremely good glove and arm at the hot corner. I am very excited about his development. 
 

Hopefully, we can see a resurgence in play from Zamora, Dillard, Holt and McGee at some point and the team could really start rocking.

[Joseph Zarr]

Also, having watched near 3/4 the Wahoo vs Shucker knocks in the early season, I may have to submit a formal declaration to the Marlins: We really would all benefit from a Joey Wiemer and Jerar Encarnacion corner outfield tandem - or, in the very least, when Wiems is manning RF Jerar can man 1B (as he’s done in the past)..  They both have absolute cannons for arms. Both are underestimated athletes who have much better rnge than you’d expect,  and both prospects can absolutely rake. I essentially feel like my inner 12 yo fan boy holding their baseball cards and trying to manifest an Alliance in the same Brewer clubhouse.?

[Joseph Zarr]

Also, having watched near 3/4 the Wahoo vs Shucker knocks in the early season, I may have to submit a formal declaration to the Marlins: We really would all benefit from a Joey Wiemer and Jerar Encarnacion corner outfield tandem - or, in the very least, when Wiems is manning RF Jerar can man 1B (as he’s done in the past)..  They both have absolute cannons for arms. Both are underestimated athletes who have much better rnge than you’d expect,  and both prospects can absolutely rake. I essentially feel like my inner 12 yo fan boy holding their baseball cards and trying to manifest an Alliance in the same Brewer clubhouse.?