Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/09): Audio, Video, and A Ton of News and Notes

For many reading this now, one of your likely favorite Twitter follows is Daron at "Cream City Prospects", we've linked to him often, and with good reason. Granted, this interview is a couple of weeks old, but everything within is still highly relevant, and what's especially interesting is how Daron discusses the nature and inherent joys of following so deeply a minor league farm system, the amount of time involved, and more. Go to the 16:00 minute mark:

Transactions:

Ray's injury is undisclosed, within this past week, he had been described as day-to-day. In his seventh season in the system (last under team control unless added back to the 40-man roster), Ray's remarkably lackluster Brewers career appears fading in much the pattern of prior seasons. Of course, it's also a season in which the big-league club's center field issues have been pronounced. Ray's placement on the IL is retroactive to July 7th.

Ferrer (MiLB Player Page) is already in his 5th pro season (again, the 2020 time warp), and the 21-year-old has all of 27-games in full-season ball, all with Carolina earlier this season, playing primarily at third base. He's been sidelined since June 9th.

You'll find details on Sunitsch within this post at our season-long minor league transaction thread.

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 6, Columbus (Guardians) 2
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 Belt Four Homers, Crush Clippers - Nashville Wins Eighth Consecutive Game

Yesterday's report led me to bring out the "Lather - Rinse - Repeat" mantra. Seems today we'll just roll with "clicking on all cylinders".

You know, it's now easier to actually nit-pick things in the box score, since all nine Sounds had a base hit (three with two), five drew walks, and on the mound, the combined effort of the four hurlers was pretty much elite.

So, let's see - Pablo Reyes committed an error at short while Brice Turang did his quite-often Saturday night thing of playing center field. Patrick Dorrian was caught stealing. Brian Navarreto was assigned a passed ball. Luis Contreras threw a wild pitch. The Sounds were 2-for-14 with RISP and stranded 11 when they weren't clubbing home runs.

Re-read the glorious game summary linked above. We tend to focus on the positive in a major way here. The Sounds are making it so easy to do that, so the prior paragraph simply presented a challenge. Remarkable run of success, men.

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

Suspended, top of the 10th: Biloxi 6, Montgomery (Rays) 4
Gameday

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

Shuckers And Biscuits Suspended In the 10th - Biloxi Holds 6-4 When Game Is Resumed on Sunday

Normally we don't wish to overload on video, but with all the full-season clubs on the road, it's been a bit light in this regard this week, so we'll pepper you with highlights the Shuckers' crew culled from the Biscuits' TV feed.

Can we talk about that Wiemer throw? How he had to contort his body yet still got the job done? My goodness. Yes, we know about the recent month-log malaise at the plate. But it's still so easy to picture a Hunter Renfroe-esque stint in Milwaukee down the road for Wiemer, with all three years of pre-arbitration salaries kicking off six-to-seven years of control. Joey doubled in this game, but also fanned three times and grounded into a double play in his other at-bats.

My eyes must be fooling me - I don't recognize the 0-for-5, three K's next to the name "Reetz".

Solid three innings for RHP Noah Zavolas, in line for the win in relief, after his last outing in which he had to take one for the team in a disastrous start.

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

Final: Wisconsin 8, South Bend (Cubs) 3
Box Score / Game Log

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

Big Second Inning Pushes Wisconsin Past South Bend - Mort works five scoreless innings out of the bullpen as Rattlers move back into first place

Big-time mound relief effort from RHP Zach Mort, the 25-year-old former Cub farmhand (8th round, 2018), and we don't want to overlook a nice game for RF Arbert Cipion, including the clutch double you just read about in Chris' summary.

But I can't get past (again) the dynamic Canadian duo of Tyler Black and Tristan Peters, Black walked thrice and stole a base, Peters added two sacrifice flies to his home run and single. Go back to the box score and compare their batting averages and OPS. Why it's almost "Double Vision", which of course was a huge 80's hit for Foreigner. Wait - Canada, Foreigner, it's all coming together!

By the way, The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote that Tyler Black fetches rental 1B/DH Josh Bell straight up. Do you do it? Feel free to add a comment.

It's been quite a while since our last Wes Clarke sighting, last played June 26th. The 1B/C has posted a .739 OPS in 2022.

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Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes

Final: Kannapolis (White Sox) 8, Carolina 5
Box Score / Game Log

Via the Mudcats' site, details, please review:

Chourio Hits 12th Homer in 8-5 Loss - Carolina outhit Kannapolis 13-5, but ended up losing for the fourth straight game

It's the summer of Chourio.

I can't even tell you how many quote tweets filled my timeline with this Chourio home run. I think it was because Brewer fans were so disgusted with Saturday's ugly loss to the Pirates that when this popped up shortly after, it was cathartic.

Chourio also singled (caught stealing for the only the 2nd time in 11 attempts).

Hey, we can tell you that Hendry Mendez had three hits, catcher Jose Sibrian and second baseman Zack Raabe had two knocks apiece, but c'mon, it's all Chourio, all the time. I mean, look at that 18-year-old smile:



Actually, there is other news - shortstop Eduardo Garcia was hit by a pitch in the 9th inning and had to exit the game. Garcia turns 20 years old today (Sunday), hoping he's not suffering on his birthday.

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Final: ACL Brewers Blue 17, ACL Brewers Gold 2, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score / Game Log

I know what you're thinking, especially with how young these kids are in Maryvale, but no, game was not halted due to mercy rule. However, everyone did receive a participation trophy postgame.

It was the 9-16 Blue squad over the 13-12 Gold club.

The two teams combined (in seven innings) to commit four errors, walk eleven batters, throw two wild pitches, balk four times, and catch a partridge in a pear tree.

The first six outings of 2022 for 20-year-old Columbian RHP Fray Morelo were very successful, but Morelo's prior game (and certainly this one) were anything but. Much of the damage fell on his unfortunate linescore.

Yet it does seem when these two clubs meet, the overall coaching grades would probably fall at best in that C+ range.

Oh yes, the rehabbers - 

Garrett Mitchell played CF, 0-for-3, two walks, stole a base. Mitchell grounded out 3-1, reached on a groundout fielding error to second base, and grounded to first when he wasn't walking (both walks in the 4th inning).

Alex Jackson was behind the plate, he doubled on a fly to center in the first, then walked in the third inning. Jackson would catch the bottom of that frame before exiting.

For the defeated Gold club, Alberis Ferrer (see Transactions note above) was the designated hitter, 0-for-3, two strikeouts.

Did we mention that 19-year-old Venezuelan second baseman Alexander Perez hit a three-run home run in the 3rd, and a grand slam the next inning? Because he did, both off Morelo. This was Perez' 20th game in his 2nd pro season, and he lifted his 2022 OPS by 117 points (to .784).

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Final: DSL Tigers #2 Squad 10, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 0
Box Score / Game Log

Try to find a positive. I dare you.

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Postponed: DSL Texas Blue at DSL Brewers #1 Squad

Second day in a row. Methinks there may be a Covid-related issue here with the #1 club, but that is without any confirmation at all, obviously.

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I would like to thank the DSL clubs for reducing my typing here as I wrap up, because the beach awaits, and the Mrs. is getting antsy.

It's all traditional Sunday day games today, and hopefully the Shuckers can successfully complete their suspended game. The rookie clubs are idle as is the norm. My buddy @damuelle will take care of you on Monday AM. How far-ranging is Brewers minor league fandom? If you've ever read our respective bylines at the base of these reports, you'll know I'm in Massachusetts (hence the Mass Haas / Moose Haas play on words), while Joseph is in the Pacific Northwest and Daniel is in sub-Saharan Africa, believe it or not. So yeah, that's why none of us were at BrewerFanatic's Am-Fam bash Saturday. Plane tickets lost in the mail ?

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