Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/26): Joey Wiemer - "Simply Addicted to Hitting Nukes"

[Mass Haas]

Sincere apologies to Biloxi's Terence Doston and Carolina's Jackson Chourio for not referencing their walk-off base hits within the title of this report. But when you hear the line "simply addicted to hitting nukes" within a local TV highlight package, and it refers to the golden boy of the Brewers' farm system, well, the headline decision is automatic. But this report will certainly get to the last-moment victories within, and it was an unusually busy Thursday on the transaction front, even if there were only two actual active roster changes.

Transactions: 

18-year-old Venezuelan native Jadher Areinamo struck out only 22 times in 152 Dominican Summer League at-bats in 2021. While not the official word, his arrival in Cedar Rapids to join the Timber Rattlers is most likely associated with the apparent injury status of infielder Antonio Pineiro, which was referred to in our report of Wednesday's games.

Regarding the three position players who were let go, none had seen time with a full-season club (A-ball or above). BrewerFanatic's @damuelle provided details on their baseball journeys here.

We learned that OF Je'Von Ward's injury status (formally not disclosed) will unfortunately cost him the 2022 season.

Finally, a player signing reminder that the Brewers still have a portion of their international bonus pool available to ink players overlooked during the initial January signing period, during which the Crew brought 33 players on board.

On to the evening's action -

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes

Final: Toledo (Tigers) 9, Nashville 4
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:

Sounds Downed by Toledo - Nashville unable to erase early deficit

Even in a loss where the outcome was determined early (Nashville down 9-2 after three innings), the Sounds' staff puts together a game summary that includes bullet points worth knowing. We realize that linking to each affiliate's game summary requires four additional clicks on your part, but the information provided is helpful and often important to know, and it aids us from having to re-write readily available details on the action and allows us to focus on items we find of interest.

After opening the game with his second home run of the season, CF Jonathan Davis followed up four innings later with his glove -

Weston Wilson was caught stealing to end the 6th, Sounds down 9-3 at the time. Guess it can be kind-of-justified, with two outs a big inning is probably not forthcoming, where if successful, a single base hit at least nets another run. But no, despite that sentence, can't talk myself into approval here -

Corey Ray did not play despite his now-active roster status.

RHP Dylan File had only made one relief appearance since his 2017 rookie season, save for a five-inning performance in April that followed Luis Perdomo's work as an opener that night. File got one inning of work in with a no-pressure 8th, and following his removal from the 40-man roster, we'll have to monitor what the organization's plans are for him.

Starter Tyler Herb is having trouble establishing a presence at the AAA level, though his two appearances this month (one in relief) is a blatantly small sample. In 2019, Herb struggled with a 7.16 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) in the Baltimore system.

Kudos, LHP Andy Otero, big-time bullpen-saving effort.

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

Final:  Biloxi 4, Montgomery (Rays) 3, ten innings
Box Score / Game Log  

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

Doston Delivers Walk-Off Winner In Series Opener - Wiemer Hits League-Leading 12th Home Run

Terence Doston is only 21 years old and is getting his first taste of full-season ball. The 2019 22nd round pick out of a Tampa high school is up partly to cover for the non-disabled list absence of fellow outfielder Sal Frelick, who had missed some time after getting dinged up laying out for a ball. Frelick returned in this game, 2-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, great news.

Doston was in the game as initially box score reviewers gulped. He took over for Joey Wiemer defensively in the top of the 9th. No injury update here, thankfully, Wiemer struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the 8th, MiLB.TV subscribers can go to the 03:26:50 hour/minute mark here. But a pitch earlier in the at-bat low in the zone had been called a strike, and it seems Wiemer did some barking from the dugout three pitches into Thomas Dillard's subsequent at-bat that got him tossed, along with Manager Mike Guerrero. Guerrero slammed his helmet and was fired up!

WXXV with the full-game highlights during which we now have the infamous phrase that will clearly be etched on Wiemer's Cooperstown plaque someday - "Simply Addicted to Hitting Nukes". Thank you, Jeff Haeger, for this.

Seven and one-third shutout innings via the Biloxi bullpen, monster effort, guys!

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

Final: Cedar Rapids (Twins) 9, Wisconsin 0
Box Score / Game Log

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

Cedar Rapids Shuts Out Wisconsin - Rattlers held to two hits in 9-0 loss

T-Rats went 2-for-28, ten K's (five walks). RF Carlos Rodriguez had both knocks, pushing his May OPS to .903. Two of the Kernels' nine runs were unearned, as Wisconsin tossed three errors into this unappealing salad mix of a game.

Shout-out to RH reliever Joey Matulovich on his fine work, stranding a baserunner for LHP Russell Smith before throwing an additional shutout frame. Smith, the 6'7" 2021 2nd round pick, continues to seek his footing in pro ball, while Matulovich is clearly still inspired by my brief interaction with him at a Cape Cod League game in the summer of 2018 shortly after his being drafted by the Crew out of Cal (I also convinced him to sign).

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes

Final: Carolina 3, Kannapolis (White Sox) 2, eleven innings
Box Score / Game Log

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

Chourio’s Walk-Off Lifts Pescados to 3-2 Victory - The first place Mudcats won their third straight on a game-winning hit in the eleventh

Consecutive-game bonus where we get the postgame chat -

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Victor Estevez

The Mudcats went with their all international-signing lineup, as the only two U.S. born position players on the roster, infielder Zack Raabe and outfielder Arbert Cipion, sat this one out. The composition of this roster is almost incomprehensible to longtime followers of the Crew's system - simply remarkable efforts on the part of the international scouting staff, although let's be honest, the proof will be in the pudding in the coming years.

Although it sure seems like Jackson Chourio's pudding is going to be awfully yummy --

 

Earlier in the evening -

Mudcat pitchers walked ten and plunked one in the 11 innings, but also fanned 15. 

In addition to reading about it in the team's summary, the game logs we link to are often a great review on how teams (both the good guys and the bad guys) escape the zombie runner innings unscathed occasionally.

Chourio's OPS certainly stands out among all the others listed in the box score (others all sub-.700).

But hey, still in first place and a super-fun bunch! Be sure to continue listening to the brief postgame interviews Voice of the Mudcats Greg Young Jr. posts, good stuff, especially "in the moment" after a walk-off.

As of this time, it does not appear there are plans to make up either of the two postponed games in Biloxi this weekend, that may change. As is the norm, all evening action on a Friday night. We have also fixed the standings link below, MiLB had messed with their links and we've now adjusted. Stop doing that, MiLB.

TGIF, everyone! Holiday weekend TGIF at that!

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Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth

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