Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/23): Sloppy Play at Upper Levels; Justin Topa Begins Rehab

Transaction: Brewers 40-man roster RHP Justin Topa (flexor tendon surgery on right elbow last September) began a rehab assignment with Arizona Gold in Maryvale.

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Final: Louisville (Reds) 10, Nashville 6

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 Fall Short in Louisville - Nashville Outslugged by Bats as Series Evens

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Brice Turang's pedestrian .717 OPS seems to be one of the more misleading OPS lines in the system. Going the month of June without an extra-base hit didn't help, but as you just read in the summary, he’s hitting .302 in 16 games in July with an .849 OPS and a league-high 18 runs scored. Turang is only striking out at just under a 23% clip and has walked 34 times vs. 345 at-bats (hey, easy math!). He's playing all season at age 22 and is a rock defensively (only six errors, one in this contest). There's a reason Manager Rick Sweet gushes every chance he gets:

Keston Hiura 1-for-5, one K, played left field in his Sounds return.

It'll partly be Lucas Erceg's call if he wishes to return to the organization in 2023. A minor league free agent this fall, the Brewers would probably have interest in bringing him back, but he's an unlikely add to the 40-man roster.

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Final: Pensacola (Marlins) 7, Biloxi 5

Errors Doom Shuckers In 7-5 Loss - Frelick Records Three Hits, Mitchell & Wiemer Both Drive in Two

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Plenty of game details at that summary link, but the real focus here is on the outfield duo of Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell gets the available video love below, but Frelick's just been a monster as well. The pair combined for four doubles. The drought of not having home-grown position players in the big-league lineup is going to end, and it's going to do so in a big way.

So much faith and confidence in VP of Amateur Scouting Tod Johnson right now.

You'll find out why "double" is in quotes in the tweet below:

Honestly, we tend to get hung up on wins and losses here, when a game like this reminds us of what it's all about. High-end talent from within is so critical to this organization, that's not news.

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Postponed: Beloit (Marlins) at Wisconsin, rain

Rattlers Game Postponed on Saturday - Wisconsin to host Sky Carp in doubleheader on Sunday

DVR Reminder for locals: Sunday’s twinbill will be broadcast on CW-14 in Northeastern Wisconsin starting at 1:00 PM.

Marvel Iron Man Jersey Auction Ends Early Sunday Evening!

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Final: Carolina 3, Down East (Rangers) 1

Mendez Hits Leadoff Blast in 3-1 Carolina Victory - Hendry Mendez extended his hitting streak to 12 straight while going 2-for-3 with a home run

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

There may be a difference in OPS of .280 points, but we should start considering more strongly that RF Hendry Mendez is the Robin to Jackson Chourio's Batman, or if not quite 1B to Chourio's 1A, then how about 1C? (Chourio's on his own planet.)

It was seven starts ago on June 9th when we last saw RHP Edwin Jimenez this effective, that was five innings of shutout ball. RHP Michele Vassalotti recorded just one out, but it was the key out of the game, stranding two Jimenez baserunners in the 6th.

Remarkably, this is 23-year-old Venezuelan catcher Jose Sibrian's 7th season in the system. Injuries (and the lost 2020) have limited Jose to only 192 games since his 2016 debut. He's set to be one of the youngest minor league free agents on the market this fall. Perhaps the Brewers seek to bring him back.

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Final: ACL Brewers Gold 7, ACL Brewers Blue 1, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score / Game Log

Shortstop Ney Serrano's 2nd inning line drive single to center field was the only hit for the 13-20 Blue Man Group. Blue's only run came in the first inning on a bases loaded walk.

Team Gold (17-16) was aided by eight walks and an HBP by Blue pitchers.

The highlight among the Golden arms was 31-year-old rehabber Justin Topa's stint, which went HBP, GIDP, and K swinging.

There's that young man again -- 18-year-old Jadher Areinamo, playing shortstop, was the only player with a multi-hit game and he walked as well. He was caught stealing for the fourth time in eight attempts this season (Last year was 5-for-9).

Sunday off for the Maryvale Crews.

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Final: DSL Phillies White 8, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 4
Box Score / Game Log

All ten hits for the Uno boys were singles. The three arms utilized all sport ERA's of 6.62 and above, and the team committed three errors behind those pitchers. 

Backup catcher Roman La Torre out of Venezuela, who only turned 17 years old in May, has appeared in 14 games this summer. This was his 2nd with multiple hits, as he posted a 3-for-4 line. He's a LH bat.

Switch-hitting CF Luis Lara, just 17, still has the top offensive numbers on the team, though his gaudy .338/.383/.527 June has molded into a .264/.317/396 line in July.

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Final: DSL Twins 6, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 1
Box Score / Game Log

Coming off five innings of shutout ball in his last outing, RHP Daniel Corniel was hit hard here, surrendering all six runs in his four innings.

This team's breakout star, 2nd year Venezuelan corner OF/1B Yeison Perez, doubled, singled, and drove in the only run for his club. Video game line is at .321/.389/.691 in just 81 at-bats. Perez was idle from June 22nd to July 4th, He posted a ridiculous 1.392 OPS in June, and in a similar number of July at-bats, it's a still-respectable .785.

Shoutout to leadoff man and recently-turned 18-year-old second baseman Demetrio Nadal as the Dominican native singled twice and stole his 12th base in 13 attempts.

Guess what? The Dominican League is having its All-Star Game Sunday! We won't know the Brewers participants until we see the box score, which will be available at the usual Dominican League link we provide below.

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Well, we learned that it's the folks in Louisville, Kentucky and not Zebulon, North Carolina who will see Freddy Peralta's first rehab outing. Missed opportunity, Brewers!

That game will run concurrent to the Crew's big-league affair, so surely, we'll get updates from the Bally Sports team. But another reason to get that rather inexpensive MiLB.TV subscription! It was supposed to be an Ethan Small day for the Sounds, so we'll see if it's Small who piggy-backs on Freddy's outing.

As for the rest of Sunday's action, Biloxi has the evening to themselves if you wish to check out Sal, Garrett, Joey and the men in Shuckerville.

Stay cool and hydrated folks, we are looking at a record 100-degree day in my southeastern Massachusetts locale today.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

Dominican Summer League Scoreboard

Standings and sortable stat pages

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth