Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/10): Disaster Finale: Five Games, Five Losses

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Late leads were given up by Carolina (5-3 loss), Biloxi (7-6 loss in continuation of Saturday’s game) and Nashville (5-3 loss), while Wisconsin was one-hit in its series finale and the Shuckers couldn’t come back from an early deficit in their Sunday contest.

The Mudcats’ Alexander Cornielle was the man of the day, cruising through six shutout innings of three-hit, zero-walk baseball, with five strikeouts. However, Kannapolis responded with five runs in the 8th inning to snatch a 5-3 win, dropping Carolina to its fifth straight defeat.

The Timber Rattlers fell behind South Bend 4-0 early, which felt like a mountain of a deficit while being one-hit on the day, ultimately losing 6-2 and splitting their series 3-3.

Biloxi entered the day expecting to grab two wins and a series victory, but instead imploded with a 6-4 lead and two outs in the 10th inning, dropping the concluding portion of Saturday’s game 7-6. Then they fell behind 4-0 in the follow-up game, losing 4-2 in Montgomery in spite of 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball from the bullpen.

Nashville entered their Sunday riding an eight-game winning streak and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the middle innings, but were undone by a Columbus three-run blast in the 7th inning and a lack of further offense.

Sunday’s Game Balls go to the aforementioned Cornielle, as well as Caleb Boushley, Mario Feliciano, Hedbert Perez and Kent Hasler.

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Game Action:

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Kannapolis (White Sox) 5, Carolina 3
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Mudcats Lose Late Lead While Dropping Fifth Straight

RHP Alexander Cornielle put the team in excellent position to snap a four-game losing streak in Kannapolis, throwing 87 pitches (60 strikes) over six shutout innings. Cornielle conceded just singles and no walks, striking out five Cannon Ballers, but exited with the game still tied 0-0, as opposing starter Jared Kelley was equal to the task (5 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks).

The Mudcat offense finally awoke in the 7th inning, getting three runs on four hits, including Jackson Chourio’s 18th double of the year, a Hedbert Perez two-run double and an Oswal Leones RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Perez went 2-for-4 in the game to raise his season OPS to .652.

Long inning reliever RHP Fernando Olguin had comfortably covered 2 2/3 scoreless innings (no runner reaching second base) before everything fell apart with two outs in the 8th inning: single, single, RBI single, run-scoring double. RHP Miguel Guerrero then entered the game to try to finish things off, but instead gave up a three-run homer to give Kannapolis a 5-3 lead, from which Carolina could not recover. Of course, most of those runs were charged to Olguin, who took the loss and saw his season ERA balloon to 5.30.

Next week’s outlook: 40-41 Carolina returns home to face 26-54 Delmarva. Expect RHP Miguel Segura (4.11 season ERA) to start the first game of the series.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: South Bend (Cubs) 6, Wisconsin 2
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, details: Cubs Hold Rattlers to One Hit; Gain Split in Series

RHP Justin Jarvis (5 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 0 BB, 5 Ks) came into the game in dominating form, but gave up a first-pitch, 1st-inning home run in this game and he and the team unfortunately never recovered. The Cubs added a second homer in that same 1st inning for a 2-0 advantage.

Jarvis failed to help himself in the 3rd inning by fielding a grounder and throwing late to second base, putting the team in a two-on, nobody out situation. Both Cubs would score for a 4-0 lead.

By the time Wisconsin got its first base runner in the 4th inning, they’d already seen center fielder Tyler Black exit the game early after making a catch to end the 3rd inning. Joe Gray Jr. grabbed the team’s only hit in that 4th inning, a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 4-2. That was Gray’s 12th homer of 2022.

Other than Gray's homer, the principal other Timber Rattler highlight probably occurred in pre-game, when 1B Wes Clarke was announced as part of the opening line-up, his first action in about two weeks.

You can’t really expect to score if you can’t get a hit. One Rattler reached base via error in the 5th inning, then the first two Wisconsin batters of the 7th inning reached base via hit-by-pitch, but no runs came around.

In the bullpen, Robbie Baker (1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K) covered a clean 6th inning, but LHP Justin King ran into trouble by walking and hitting batters in the 7th inning, both of whom scored off RHP Taylor Floyd (nobody out on another fielder’s choice; RBI single). As noted in the linked game summary, King exited due to an undisclosed injury. Floyd (1 2/3 innings, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks) threw well, however, so that’s a nice takeaway.

Next week’s outlook: 47-33 Wisconsin stays on the road, travelling to face 42-39 West Michigan. Expect LHP Antoine Kelly (3.76 season ERA) to start the first game, attempting to recapture his early season form and earn a promotion.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Montgomery (Rays) 7, Biloxi 6 (conclusion of Saturday’s game)
Box Score / Game Log
Final: Montgomery 4, Biloxi 2 (Sunday’s game)
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: First Inning Runs Hold Up As Biscuits Top Shuckers In Finale

In the denouement of Saturday’s postponed extra inning contest, Biloxi failed to do further damage with two-on and two-out in the 10th inning, but still led 6-4 as RHP Zach Vennaro came in for the attempted save.

Two quick ground outs brought home Manfred’s ghost to bring the score to 6-5, before everything went awry starting with an infield single. Another base hit and then a full count walk loaded the bases for Montgomery before a visit to the mound. Shake it off. Make them beat you. Five-pitch walk to tie the game 6-6. Then a hit batsman on a 1-0 pitch to end it. The Shuckers lost 7-6 and had another nine innings to think about it.

Still bruised from that setback, Biloxi starting RHP Victor Castaneda gave up a first batter home run in the next game, one of nine batters to come up against Castaneda that inning.

Down 3-0 with two outs, an infield error on Victor’s 41st pitch of the inning brought home a fourth Montgomery run and sent Castaneda to the showers (2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K). He’s unfortunately struggled in his appearances since returning from an injury in mid-June.

But hey, let’s hear it for the Shuckers’ bullpen: 7 1/3 scoreless innings pitched, four hits, one walk, nine strikeouts! The combination of Nash Walters (2 1/3 innings), Harold Chirino (2 innings), Cam Robinson (1 inning) and Kent Hasler (2 innings, 4 strikeouts) were terrific.

Biloxi’s first hit came via a Sal Frelick 3rd inning single, which yielded nothing. A leadoff 4th inning double by Andruw Monasterio and single by Jakson Reetz (1-for-3, HBP) put the team in shape to claw into that Biscuit lead, but they only managed a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 deficit. Ground ball double plays ended both the 4th inning and 5th inning for the Shuckers. Frelick went 2-for-4 and raised his season OPS to .779.

The next Biloxi threat came in the 8th inning, with a one-out infield hit by Noah Campbell (2-for-3; season OPS .792), Jason Lopez walk and then Frelick RBI single. Unfortunately, the Biscuits’ defense came through again, however, as Lopez was gunned down at third base for a deflating second out. Of course, Joey Wiemer followed with a single (a welcome sight given his ongoing rough patch) which could have really amped up the pressure but instead scored nobody, before Monasterio struck out to end the inning, Shuckers still trailing 4-2.

Next week’s outlook: 38-41 Biloxi remains on the road this week, facing the 42-39 Tennessee Smokies. Expect RHP TJ Shook (5.40 ERA at AA level) to start the opener.

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Columbus 5, Nashville 3
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details: Sounds Win Streak Snapped in Series Finale

Nashville came out on the wrong end of a quality, back-and-forth contest against a solid Columbus team which was not going to roll over when facing a potential 6-0 sweep for the week.

Playing without a few studs (Abraham Almonte, Pablo Reyes), the Sounds still had a formidable lineup, as David Dahl doubled to start the 2nd inning, then scored on a Mario Feliciano single for a 1-0 lead. Feliciano went 3-for-4 in the game to raise his season average to .303 and season OPS to .744.

Unfortunately, the Clippers answered in the bottom half of the inning on a walk and Bo Naylor home run, as starting RHP Caleb Boushley got himself into serious trouble. Down 2-1 with nobody out, Boushley also gave up a double and hit a batter before Columbus gifted Nashville with a sacrifice bunt for the first out. Boushley then walked a batter on four pitches to get the force out back into effect and induced a double play grounder to escape still down only 2-1.

After Boushley escaped a two-on, two-out situation in the 3rd inning, Nashville grabbed the lead back in the 5th inning. Feliciano led off the frame with a single, followed up by a one-out single from Patrick Dorrian. With two outs, Brice Turang was unfazed by an 0-2 count, pulling a two-run double to right field for a 3-2 lead. Dorrian went 1-for-2 with a walk.

RHP Hobie Harris then struck out the side in the 6th inning, before things unfortunately went sideways in the 7th inning. After failing to score despite a single and two walks in the top of the frame (unhelped by Weston Wilson being picked off base after reaching on a fielder’s choice force out), the Clippers tagged RHP Lucas Erceg with a double, single and three-run homer before he collected his first out.

RHP Matt Hardy ultimately entered to retire the final batter, which was the only batter he faced. RHP Trevor Kelley, who’s been see-sawing between AAA and the Brewers, pitched a clean 8th inning, garnering two strikeouts.

Down 5-3, no Sounds reached base in the 8th or 9th innings, but they can still take satisfaction from a 5-1 series win.

Next week’s outlook: The 52-31 Sounds will host Memphis this week, with RHP Dylan File (4.37 ERA) expected to start Game One.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. Good luck to all in this week’s series! The rookie ball kids are in action Monday, scoreboards below:

Arizona Complex League Scoreboard

Dominican Summer League Scoreboard

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]

Just a refresher of the much-needed success at South Bend for Joe Gray Jr:

3HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, 1.012 OPS

He was due. And, he delivered. Good stuff!