Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/6): The Complex-Level Kids Finally Get Their Day in the Sun

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers four rookie level teams debuted on Monday, with two games played in Arizona and two in the Dominican Republic. There were professional debuts, stateside debuts, and names that are now etched in Baseball Reference and thus Milwaukee Brewers history.

While we won't be going into too deep of a dive each day to recognize these efforts, we will acknowledge notes of interest. Heck, here's a post from last summer in which we noted the first two professional base hits of a certain currently ultra-red-hot Crew prospect.

Our diehards had fun dissecting the day's action in our Minor League Forum preview thread, I suggest you review that first for lineup insights and such.

NOTE: Arizona Complex League will be shortened to ACL all season long

Box: ACL Reds 9, ACL Brewers Blue 4

Six Blue Team errors led to four unearned runs, but the absence of those that wouldn't have netted a win given the final score. 

Although he allowed an inherited runner to score, 19-year-old Dominican RHP Samuel Dario, who debuted directly in Maryvale in 2021, was effective in the late innings.

With the exception of 19-year-old 2021 14th round CF Jace Avina, who made his pro debut on his birthday, everyone in the lineup reached at least once, led by 18-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Daniel Guilarte who singled and walked twice from the leadoff spot in his pro debut, All eight Brewers hits were singles.

And yes, the listed gametime temp was 102 degrees, but don't worry parents, it's a dry heat, as we all know.

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Box: ACL Brewers Gold 5, ACL Athletics 4, ten innings

Just-signed Canadian native LHP Justin King kept the top of the 10th scoreless - sacrifice bunt, HBP, then GIDP. (If you're the road team, don't open with a bunt, folks).

As seen in the game log (remember, just click on the word "plays" in the upper left on each of these box scores), you'll see that the walk-off win wasn't all that dramatic - an error allowed for the win, but, hey, surely the youngsters celebrated with many a root beer postgame.

Four relievers allowed only a single run over the final six innings.

What an international flavor here on Day One. Native of the Netherlands, switch-hitting 20-year-old third baseman Kaylan Nicasia reached base thrice.

You'll see two doubles and a triple here, and after not homering in 139 island at-bats last summer as a 17-year-old, Dominican RF Luis Castillo went deep here on a fly ball to center field. 

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Box: DSL Tigers #1 Squad 8, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 6

Tied at 6, the Brewers surrendered a two-run single in the top of the 9th.

Third baseman Juan Baez, initially listed as a catcher upon signing, went 3-for-5 in his pro debut. Baez won't even turn 17 until later this month, and he was batting third in this lineup.

18-year-old 2nd year catcher Brayan Oropeza cracked his first professional home run, a shot to left field that tied the game in the 7th.

Cerveceros batters fanned 18 times, drew five walks, and the teams combined for four HBP's. The game was played in a tidy three hours and 53 minutes, as they try to repair the pitch clock in Santo Domingo.

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Box: DSL Phillies Red 2, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 0

Brewer batters reached base seven times - three singles, three walks, one HBP, and had only one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

So clearly the focus here goes to the two Crew arms who combined to allow only one earned run while walking none and striking out ten. 19-year-old Venezuelan RHP Kevin Briceno posted numbers last summer that might have earned him a bump to Maryvale for 2022. This was the pro debut for 18-year-old Dominican RHP Jesael Cabrera.

85 degrees, sunny, no wind. Lather, rinse, repeat. Get used to that as island games only seem interrupted by weather when tropical storms wreak havoc with the schedule from time to time (hopefully not in 2022).

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We are hopeful our faithful daily followers will understand that we will need to focus our efforts on the four full-season affiliates most days, so our game notes on the complex-level players won't be as comprehensive, however you'll see the results posted regularly. As statistics build during the course of the season, we'll dig deeper as necessary. Thanks.

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