Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/13): Matinee Joy and Biloxi Meltdowns

[Joseph Zarr]

With matinee games to get things going and Biloxi going for a 1 1/2 game affair, we had a full day of activity even though the DSL and ACL Brewers had days off. Stiven Cruz and Jeison Pena flexed their collective pitching muscles in Zebulon, the Biloxi bullpen...um...we'll get to that, Israel Puello continued his High-A dominance, and the Sounds lost another nail biter one-run affair. Let's get into the report!

Transactions:

• RHP Connor Sadzeck had his contract selected by the Brewers - a big congrats to Connor who is having an excellent and consistent season shutting things down in key innings for the Nashville Sounds.
• 1B/2B/DH Keston Hiura was optioned to Triple-A Nashville (leaving many to scratch their heads)
• RHP Luis Perdomo was sent to the Nashville Sounds on a rehab assignment

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Before I get into today's games, I'd like to share some highlights from Brewers ACL 24-year-old southpaw Leoni De La Cruz. I highlighted fellow 24-year-old righty, Ryan Middendorf, yesterday (and, honestly, quite often in the Minor League daily game threads). Well, De La Cruz is the yin to Middendorf's yang. In my humble opinion, it is simply a matter of time before both young men head to higher levels given their age and continued stellar results:

 

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Carolina Pre-Game Notes  

Final: Carolina 1, Delmarva (Orioles) 0
Box Score / Game Log                            

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

Carolina Ends Six Game Skid with 1-0 Victory - Stiven Cruz Totaled Eight Strikeouts Over Six Scoreless Innings in the 1-0 Victory

Coming off his most recent outing in Kannapolis where he gave up five earned runs, 20-year-old RHP Stiven Cruz was looking for the scoreless success he discovered earlier in July versus Fayetteville. Luckily for the Mudcats, he certainly found his Ace form today at Five County Stadium. When all was said and done, Cruz limited the Shorebirds to a mere four hits and one walk over six complete eight strikeout innings. Check out his wily leg kick and strikeout work here:

Not to be outdone, recently promoted (July 6th) 19-year-old RHP Jeison Pena strutted more of his excellent stuff in just his second outing for Carolina: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Pena is definitely one to keep an eye on in the second half - he has 10 strikeouts in his two relief outings.

Three Key Observations:

(1) In a game where the majority of the line-up was shut down (and Jackson Chourio was inactive), SS Eduardo Garcia willed his team to victory. Going 3-for-3 on the afternoon, scoring the winning and only run, and swiping two bases (12 on the season) was all the Mudcats needed to pull out the close victory. Garcia still has quite a bit of work to do to evolve his game at the plate (105k:14bb), but it's games like these coupled with his already stellar defense that keep you very engaged with his progress. The second swiped base led to an errant throw to second and he advanced to third base. It was a game-changing play. Here's to many more in the games ahead!

(2) Coming off a game in which he knocked his third home run of 2022, Jesus Chirinos gave his Mudcats teammate a look at a fantastic situational at bat in a crucial spot. With a 1-1 count, Chirinos was able to patiently muscle an off-speed breaking ball to the gap between left and center fields:

 

Chirinos also logged two walks on the day. In a day where the majority of his teammates struggled to find success, he did his best to work in tandem with Eduardo Garcia . The shift to first base from behind the plate certainly has been easy, but, stacking successes like these has to give the young man confidence.

(3) The five through nine spots in the Mudcats batting order pulled off an 0-for-15, 1 bb, 6 k performance. The ongoing challenge Victor Estevez faces as the Mudcats manager, with such a youth-filled team, largely relates to somehow coaxing more production from a bevy of players struggling to hit the ball. The numbers don't lie, frankly, and if and when Chourios is promoted these Mudcats are going to have a tough time replacing that production anywhere in the lineup - individually or collectively. This being said, these same struggles also pave the way for players in the DSL and ACL to find a promotional pathway. This will be something to pay attention to as the 2022 season comes to an end and the 2023 Mudcats roster begins taking shape.

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes      

Wisconsin 5, West Michigan (Tigers) 2
Box Score/Game Log                          

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

Wisconsin Survives for 5-2 Decision in Eleven Innings - Puello Allowed One Run on One Hit in Seven Innings as Rattlers Starter

RHP Israel Puello has been putting on an absolute clinic of how to take a promotion and run with it since leaving Carolina - it's truly hard to fathom what the young hurler has accomplished given the circumstances. Puello has now faced three of the Midwest League's toughest teams in Cedar Rapids, South Bend, and West Michigan and, after today's dominant outing, this is what he has put into the record books: 19 IP, 3 ER, 2 HR, 7H (!!), 5 BB, 16 K, 1 HB. Opponents are hitting sub-0.150 against him with a 0.63 WHIP. Great googly-moogly! Here's to more of that. This is definitively one of the more pleasant and awe-inspiring surprises of 2022 as far as I am concerned.

Three Key Observations:

(1) A day after lauding the fine season from OF Tristan Peters , the young Canadian continued to shine. Batting in the clean-up spot, he went 2-for-4 including the go ahead RBI triple in the pivotal 11th inning. We'll forget about being picked off first base, the young man continues to produce in key spots. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more complete performer in the entire system in 2022. 

(2) OF Terence Doston made two stellar plays in extras - including a chef's kiss bunt down the first base line to lead off the tenth inning (2-for-4 on the day). It isn't often you see a fabulous bunt these days. Let me tell you baseball nerds: it was glorious. The same can not be said for Jose Acosta' s failed bunt the ensuing at bat, but, alas, Doston showed how it's done.

Then, with one down in the bottom of the tenth and Whitecaps on second and third base, Doston stood in extremely shallow center field awaiting a chance to pounce on potential shallow pop ups or liners. He definitively doesn't have a plus arm, so to ensure even the chance at a fly out throw 'em out this was the only workable field position. And, the perfect line out followed.

A little luck off the mound (the throw fell well short of home plate) - the bounce and roll were true and skidded perfectly down the mound into the waiting mitt of Darrien Miller who steadfastly held onto the ball as the baserunner slid into his glove and under his body. It was on to the eleventh where the T-Rats plated their winning runs. Doston made winning plays in extras. A game ball is definitely deserved.

(3) When it rains it pours and RHP Taylor Floyd can attest to this. When your season has run away from you a bit, it's innings like today's ninth frame that say it all. Floyd was the recipient of some incredibly bad luck and misfortune. It's a true testament to his resilience he left the inning with a tie ball game.

It started with a seeing eye looping liner past the outstretched dive of Acosta (I still don't know how the ball found its way beyond his mitt). The ensuing batter hit an absolutely weak top-spun chopper oddly bouncing off the pitcher's mound and beyond the outstretched glove of a charging Acosta (who was trying to both evade the runner running to second base while simultaneously making a read on the weird hop). The very next batter hit another weak grounder directly under the hurried glove of a charging Zavier Warren at third base.

The bases were juiced, suddenly, with zero outs and you could argue not a single ball should have left the infield. With better luck, there very well could have been three outs and a game completed! Ultimately, Floyd was credited with the blown save but he did get the victory. 

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes    

Game 1 Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 11, Biloxi 7  
Game 2 Final: Tennessee 5, Biloxi 3
Game 1: Box Score / Game Log    
Game 2: Box Score / Game Log    

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

Smokies Storm Back to Win Suspended Game, Take Game Two 5-3 - Mitchell Goes 3-for-4 in Return from Injured List

It's always nice to resume a suspended game and send nine men to the plate while putting up a five-spot right off the bat. This was the case for the Shuckers and they took a 1-1 game and made it 6-1 after they completed their top half of the fifth inning. However, if you think it's ever smooth sailing for the Shuckers in 2022 you are sadly mistaken. The Biloxi bullpen managed to give up a seven-spot before a single out in the seventh. Ultimately, the Shuckers felt even more generous and gave up three more runs for a 10-run inning. Woooof!

They then fell short in the seven-inning shortened second game after LHP Nick Bennet gave up two deciding home runs - 5 ip, 8 hits, 0 bb, 5 k's, 5 runs (4 earned) - while the Shuckers offense went 2-for-11 with RISP.

Three Key Observations:

(1) Welcome back Sal Frelick and Tristen Lutz! Frelick hit an RBI single to get the fifth inning rally going in Game 1 and he had a web gem to grab out number one to start bottom of fifth. Lutz also smashed a 3-RBI double deep to the wall in right center to keep the fifth inning rally alive. Here's the Frelick grab in left center - what a jump: 

(2) Let's add another 'Welcome back!' to OF Garrett Mitchell seeing his first Double-A game action in what feels like months - well, actually, it has been a couple months - quite the 7-Day IL stint! Mitchell stepped right into the five spot in the batting order in game 2 and proceeded to go 3-for-4 (all singles) with a run and an RBI.

As the Shuckers continue to ride their roller coaster season trying to find any semblance of consistency, they are going to need a healthy and impactful Mitchell to stay in the lineup. Let's hope he can finish off his 2022 campaign with plenty of reason for optimism. It's just so different when you have Frelick's and Mitchell's wheels spinning down the base paths:

3) Real Talk: The most glaring and concerning ongoing issues for the Shuckers - bullpen meltdowns and fundamentally unsound baseball - reared their heads in a Smokies 10-run seventh inning in Game 1. Robbie Hitt and Harold Chirino were getting absolutely smacked around the park and outfielders were flexing throwing muscles to the detriment of missing relay throws left and right. All three runners who advanced to second on said forced throws scored. These weren't credited as errors as they are subjective decisions, but, let's also call it like it is: the Shuckers lead the Southern League by 15 errors committed. 2022 just hasn't been kind down yonder in Double-A.

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes     

Final:  Memphis (Cardinals) 3 , Nashville 2
Box Score / Game Log                

Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review:

Sounds Edged Out by Memphis -  Tyler White's First Inning Homer Not Enough as Nashville Drops Third Straight

Four more riveting scoreless innings from the Sounds shutdown bullpen were not enough to overcome another ho-hum start from LHP Ethan Small . It's been a very mixed bag since Ethan got smacked around a bit in his MLB debut, and tonight was unfortunately another pedestrian line and performance: 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (a tying two-run jack). The walks continue, unfortunately.

In the near-term, we simply don't know which version of the promising lefty we are going to get. We all know what he's capable of, but we'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't recognize: the ongoing walks are a problem as is the over-reliance on a two-pitch mix. Miles to go, and there is ample room for optimism and positivity, but the journey suddenly feels filled with more obstacles than originally forecasted. Sometimes, it's better to serve these opinions cold than to dish them freely and piping hot! ?

Three Key Observations:

(1) Pablo Reyes, Brice Turang, and Tyler White led the Nashville batting order going a combined 5-for-11 with 2 runs, 2 RBI (all via White's two-run blast), and a walk. They set the tone.

However, the rest of the line-up absolutely did not follow this lead: starting with Jon Singleton batting clean-up on down through Brian Navarreto in the nine-slot, Sounds batters combined to go 1-for-21 with 2 walks and 8 k's. Check please! Waiter?!? Check please! 

(2) A public service announcement: do not sleep on Brice Turang 's age 22 season. Sometimes we hyper-focus on OPS a bit too much - I am a victim of this as well. But, heck, if we want to hyper-focus on OPS let's simply look at his 0.926 OPS sample from July. After a 2-for-4 night at the plate, Turang now further leads the Sounds with 25 multi-hit games,  he has hit safely in six straight (the fifth time this season he has hit safely in five or more straight games), and he is now fourth in the International League with 92 hits.

Couple this with his fantastic defense and his overall smarts and you have a surefire MLB player. It is quite simply a matter of time. For all the talk of top Brewers prospects, Turang is seemingly consistently overlooked. It's right time we stop doing this.

(3) After tonight's loss, the Sounds trail the Redbirds in their season series 3-5. The Sounds division lead fell to 4 1/2 games over these same Redbirds. It's fitting a Cardinals affiliate and a Brewers affiliate are going toe-to-toe in hotly contested match-ups that may just decide the division altogether. All told, the two teams will face each other 16 more times this year (including the four remaining home games for Nashville in this series).

Given what I've seen in these first two contests, I'd say the one missing ingredient for the Sounds is the bats simply need to wake up. There haven't been many chances for either club, but the Redbirds are 2-for-13 with RISP whereas the Sounds are 0-for-10. Both games were decided by one run. You can do the math. 

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That's a wrap for my reports this week. I certainly hope I can pass the baton toward more organizational victories in the days ahead as I've definitely paid my dues and watched some tough losses. Remember, the DSL and ACL teams will be back on the diamond tomorrow. Taking the mound in the higher level contests will be (Low-A to Triple-A, respectively) Edwin Jimenez, Russ Smith, Brandon Knarr, and Josh Lindbolm . Here's hoping they bring their best stuff and we see many victories! As always, thanks for reading.

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