Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/18): Magical Evening for the Mudcats

[Mass Haas]

My Link Report cohorts Joseph and Daniel (co-Rookie of the Year Awards for them, by the way) have taken a bottom-to-top approach this season in that their reports have kicked off from Class A Carolina and worked their way up to AAA Nashville. I will have to re-think my more traditional approach because the 2022 Mudcats have been great fun from the start given their energetic youth and exciting moments. Saturday's doubleheader sweep did not clinch a first-half playoff spot, not at all (one game lead over two other clubs with four games to play), but it put the exclamation point that included Brandon Woodruff's promising K-fest rehab start, Biloxi winning in a rout, and the formal end of the Timber Rattler first-half playoff hopes. All that being said, here's another "traditional" top-to-bottom review.

Transactions:

- CF Jonathan Davis' contract selected (congrats!) by MLB Brewers from AAA Nashville (replacing CF Lorenzo Cain, who was designated for assignment in what Cain described as a mutual decision after reaching ten years' MLB service time)

- RHP Brandon Woodruff sent to AAA Nashville on rehab assignment

Earlier this week it was noted that Nashville RHP Thomas Jankins retired (MiLB Player Page). This occurred exactly one week after he had been placed on the Sounds' IL - unclear whether this was for an actual injury or a roster-juggling paper move. Regardless, Daniel posted a Jankins career summary and best wishes post. Hope things go well post-baseball for my fellow Bay State native.

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 5, Memphis (Cardinals) 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:

Sounds Power Past Redbirds - Quartet of Nashville Pitchers Records Fifteen Strikeouts

We see that first home run of the year, Brian Navarreto, plus Tyler White, your OPS nudging over .800 with a blast of your own, but clearly for the organization, this game was all about Big Woody, and it appears things went well.

Brewers still getting Brice Turang center field starts at least once a week.

Three straight games off for OF Abraham Almonte and his .888 OPS, perhaps something to monitor there. 

Shoutout to catcher Nick Kahle, with one lone at-bat since his placement in Nashville May 24th.

Important note: While Jason Alexander was with Nashville, it was known as the Penske File.

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

Final: Biloxi 15, Chattanooga (Reds) 3
Box Score / Game Log 

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

Eight-Run First Sets the Tone In Shuckers' 15-3 Victory - Shook Strikes Out Seven In Six Frames For Biloxi

Oh hello, first baseman Pedro Severino and your four singles. Thread -

 

Sal Frelick riding an eight-game hit streak, ten-of-eleven games, and multiple-hit efforts in eight of those. Hie is 20-for-53 (.377) in that stretch, five XBH's, four BB's, ten K's).

Meanwhile Garrett Mitchell continues to nurse a strained oblique, having last played back on May 13th.

I'm assuming starting pitcher TJ Shook is a "Junior", because his given name is Franklin Todd Shook. Upon his promotion from Wisconsin, where he excelled to begin the season, Shook tossed three scoreless innings in a get-acquainted Biloxi debut, but it had been a bit of a struggle since, not terrible mind you, but this outing hopefully sets the tone for the reminder of the season. 

Forgive the camera work on this road game, Joey Wiemer, wonderful night for you, three hits and a walk.

Tristen Lutz is having a quietly fantastic "remember me?" extended stretch of play. Similar to all the Brewers' "Zach's and Zack's", it pains me that because of the Timber Rattlers' also-talented outfielder Tristan Peters, I need to confirm the spelling of their names each time out.

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

Final: Great Lakes (Dodgers) 8, Wisconsin 6 
Box Score / Game Log

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

Loss Knocks Rattlers Out of Playoff Picture - Cartaya breaks tie with two-out, two-run double in eighth inning

As we noted yesterday and Chris Mehring mentions in his game recap, RHP James Meeker with his first pro start, including his independent league days. Meeker threw strikes and was solid enough in his three innings of work.

Second baseman Tyler Black's left-handed bat is really good, folks. On base four times here, now at .294/.417/.466 (.883 OPS for those mathematically challenged).

Joe Gray's legs are fine even if other parts of his game are still developing - 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts in 2022, 43-for-48 as a pro.

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Carolina Pre-Doubleheader Media Notes

Final, Game One: Carolina 8, Columbia (Royals) 7
Box Score / Game Log

Final, Game One: Carolina 7, Columbia 3
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Mudcats' site, details, please review:

First Place Mudcats Slug Out Doubleheader Sweep - The Mudcats hit four home runs in game 1 and three in game 2 while sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader

Yee-hah! OK, hope it was a heck of a post-twinbill celebration, but yikes, check out the standings with four games left in the first half.

Down 5-4 to begin the top of the final inning, it was groundout-walk-flyout before Jackson Chourio lined an opposite field single to right. Then, on a 1-0 count, Jeferson Quero snatched the deficit and deposited it in the left field seats, my goodness.

The only thing that could have been better about Carolina's day would have been if it had been in Zebulon. As it is, the Mudcats made things convenient with the two best sports minutes you'll spend this morning.

I understand it's so easy to get caught up in the moment and be hyperbolic, but take a look at the top four in that Game One scorecard and tell me it's very reasonable that those four names will be in a big-league Crew starting lineup in five years or less.

On to Game Two, and well-well, that OPS has snuck back over the 1.000 mark -

We're a little video-heavy today, but why the heck not?

Still can't get past how physically solid Eduardo Garcia appears - 3as long as we're going over the top this morning, a Carlos Correa vibe, anyone?

Thank you to RHP's Miguel Segura and Jeferson Figueroa for allowing us to sweat less in this game.

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Final: ACL Brewers Blue 10, ACL Brewers Gold 2, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score / Game Log

Brewers management can be pleased in that five of the seven pitchers here fared reasonably well to very well.

For the sake of time this morning, I'll borrow from Daniel's post in our Minor League Forum -

• The ACL clubs played a friendly seven-inning contest, with solid starting pitching (combined eight innings, one run, five hits, eight Ks for RHPs Arielbi Gonzalez and Henrison Mota) before OF Eduarqui Fernandez's show: grand slam, double, 6 RBIs, also threw out a runner at home.
• The game included stateside debuts for INF Miguel Briceno, C Darlin Lora and RHP Michael Perdomo (who earned the win), as well as INF/OF Kaylan Nicasia's (16th round draft pick last year) first home run as a Brewer

Let's not forget that 20-year-old Dominican outfielder Eduarqui Fernandez, a right-handed bat, was a very prominent signing in July of 2018, $1.1 million. He has shown both significant pop and effective speed, along with the ability to cover at least some time in center (MiLB.com Player Page), but strikeouts have been a major issue.

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Final: DSL Brewers #2 Squad 7, DSL Phillies White 6
Box Score / Game Log

Had to double-check the game log to make sure this one was scheduled for nine, as the game was tied at five after seven innings - no ghost runners were deployed.

Crew #2 walks it off on a Philly error - I see that organization's defensive issues run deep!

17-year-old Venezuelan LHP Daniel Flores' first pro start (2nd appearance) was very good - 5 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 WP, 1 HBP, 6 K's. Brewers went heavy on LHP's in the most recent international class after a big drought in that regard.

Home run #4 (!) in 31 at-bats for 18-year-old lefty-swinging first baseman Yeison Perez, now slugging .903. Wowza!

Our 16-year-old friend, shortstop Juan Baez, with two doubles and a 1.027 OPS though 37 at-bats. Wowza again!

Small samples be damned...

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Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 10, DSL Tigers #1 Squad 6, 11 innings
Box Score / Game Log

This was a wild one.

Tigers tied the game at 5-5 with a single run in the bottom of the 9th when the inning began walk-HBP-walk. Remarkably, Crew #1 avoided the walkoff loss by inducing a couple of pop-outs within the mini-chaos.

Both teams had a ghost runner thrown out at home in the scoreless 10th inning. The Tigers made the egregious decision as their man was tagged as the first out, Brewers play ended their half-inning.

A five-run Crew 11th was punctuated by a bases-clearing three-RBI double by 17-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Angel Pereira.

Every Brewer fanned at least once and six did multiple times, for a total of 18.

Brewer runners stole four bases and were eliminated four times also,

Brewer fielders committed three errors.

Growing pains galore, but a fun win for the 3-7 team.

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Carolina's 4:05 Central gametime is the latest on Sunday. Rookie-ballers off on Sunday, as usual.

On this Father's Day, we leave you with Curt Hogg's fantastic Journal-Sentinel piece on the Brewers' farmhand development success story, Peter Strzelecki.

Also, BrewerFanatic's Sean Franken penned a moving Father's Day piece, currently featured at our site.

I hope your own Sunday is wonderful, until next time...

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