Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/30): Jackson Chourio Hits Another 3-Run Blast; Robert Gasser Promoted to Triple-A

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Apologies to this year's Brewers pitching 2022 draft darling, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, but as of now Robert Gasser is our man. The 'Gas Man' Cometh - he heads to the Nashville pitching staff.

• C/1B Wes Clarke was officially promoted to the Biloxi Shuckers (kudos to @ARobsBrewCrewfor the initial heads up days ago!)
• C Nick Kahle was assigned to the BIloxi Shuckers from the Nashville Sounds

Elsewhere, pitching up-and-comers RHP Logan Henderson and RHP Stiven Cruz took the hill for Carolina and Wisconsin, respectively. Biloxi headed to Rocket City to challenge the Trash Pandas at their home park. Nashville was back at First Horizon after a 12-game road trip taking on the always feisty, classy even, Memphis Red Birds - RHP Josh Lindbolm looked to keep his recent run of stellar play going strong. Let's get into the reports!

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes                    
Final: Nashville 5, Memphis (Cardinals) 3
Box Score / Game Log                                      

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

Singleton's Blast Lifts Sounds Past Redbirds - Sounds Slugger Drills Go-Ahead 3-Run Shot in the 8th Inning

Three Quick Strikes:

1) In a 0-0 game, with men on first and second base, I invite you to a version of "You can never trust the box score." - a tidbit of insight. The umpire had already missed two straight strike three calls on the batter before to load the bases - give me the power, baseball gods - with two down.

Then, in classic baseball fashion on an 0-1 count, an absolute seeing-eye flare found its way skied aloft far down the third base line. A hardline sprint from third baseman Patrick Dorrian was slightly off target and the ball caromed off his mitt and fell to the grass. Two runs plated, miraculously. One wild pitch later, and it was suddenly 3-0. One could very easily argue: had the ump simply called the strikeout, nobody scores. The inning is over. Alas, this is not how the game of baseball works.

2) With a single tonight and a key walk in an eighth inning comeback effort, INF Brice Turang moved into a tie for the most hits in the International League in 2022 with 132 total hits. He's 22 years old, folks. Have I mentioned how under-appreciated I find this young man's game?

He might not have that flash and that red hot hype other Brewers prospects have, but, man, I'm telling you (again) Turang is simply an incredible baseball player. He also stabbed a key ground out in a severe lefty shift to grab a key cross-his-body put out in the top of the ninth. I'll put this young man anywhere on the diamond. Give him a catcher's mask. I. Do. Not. Care.

3) Jon Singleton 0.136 versus lefty hurlers you say? A red hot Joey Wiemer whiffed on a nasty slider the at-bat prior? Fear not, ye' Brewer fans. Big Jon can oblige. What a swing. What a blast. It was the 21st long ball of his season and only his fourth versus a lefty. What a huge hit in a tight division race:

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes                           
Final: Rocket City (Angels) 5, Biloxi 4
Box Score / Game Log                                      

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

Rocket City Walks Off Shuckers in Series Opener - Devanney Records Three Hits Including Pair of Doubles

An old familiar process and result reared its head at the Trash Panda's ballpark tonight. An early 2-0 lead? Vanished. Tie the game late? The bullpen lost any chance in the bottom of the ninth inning. My Shuckers stamina has been tested all season long. They reel me in and, well, then they pull me off the hook and throw me in the drink. It continues to be a test of wills. I'm here for it until the end, but, It certainly hasn't been easy.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) INF Cam Devanney continues to show his improvements in 2022 are not mere blips on the prospect radar. A 3-for-4 night with 1 R, 2 RBI, and 2 2B (27 on the season)? That's what I'm talking about. His OPS is back above 0.800 after tonight's output. I'm going to keep ringing the bell: With his incredibly plus defense, you just can not sleep on this young man. 

2) RHP TJ Shook needs some kind of reset - I hope it happens for his last start(s) of his 2022 season. His last three outings have gotten away from him: 3 GS, 13 IP, 12 ER, 3 HR, 1 HB, 12 BB, 9 K, 0.265 BA, 1.59 WHIP. The walks are the concern here as he's putting undue pressure on his outings with free men on the basepaths.

What has been a promising 2022 overall, should not be discounted by two challenging months. He has had some  bright outings for Biloxi - especially the run of games after he was first promoted. This being said, this is a big off-season for the young hurler. Let's hope he gets at it and comes back stronger.

3) Coming into tonight's contest, RHP Harold Chirino had been solid throughout August - 8 IP, 1 ER, 9 H, 1 HB, 2 BB, 9 K. 1 W, 2 S, 2 SO. That's a really solid run of varying relief work. Unfortunately, tonight was his turn to play the part of 'the one that got away' out of the Biloxi bullpen. With one down, Chirino intentionally walked a batter in hopes of a double play ball. Instead, he surrendered a line drive single and the winning run scored. 

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes                   
Final: Wisconsin 4, Peoria (Cardinals) 1
Box Score / Game Log                                        

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

Wisconsin Wins Series Opener at Peoria - Cipion & Chourio Homer and Floyd Pitches Stellar Relief for Rattlers 

With only 12 games remaining in the Midwest League's second half and trailing first place South Bend by eight games (Western division), the young Timber Rattlers are most likely playing for pride in Peoria. Let's root on those T-Rats as they look to close their 2022 season on a positive note - every game has meaning regardless of what the final standings will say.

Coming off his 'Pitcher of the Week' recognition, RHP Stiven Cruz looked to keep the good mojo going. With Wes Clarke suddenly in Biloxi, and with 1B Ernesto Martinez back on the IL shelf, we're going to see a rotating cast of players at first base - tonight, Jose Acosta took his utility belt to man the bag. Jackson Chourio was back in the DH spot in the lineup and a surging Ben Metzinger was manning the hot corner. Let's check in on some observations throughout the game.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) In recent discussions of the updated MLB Pipeline Top 30, I've mentioned the strictly personal opinion that numerous worthy candidates were left off the list - in very true fashion of top prospects lists. I'm not casting aspersions here, mind you, I leave prospects off my lists all the time; they aren't easy.

This being said, one of the individuals most likely mistakenly left off this list is Cruz. The 20-year-old Nicaraguan is a pitcher - in the realest sense of the word. As the Peoria broadcast booth shared in tonight's broadcast: he really is simply a fun player to watch. He'll drop in a 68-mph curveball on the edge of the plate, or maybe raindrop that curve in at the top of the zone. Then, he can follow that up with a 93-mph fastball up and in that might just feel like 100 after the curve. Maybe he'll follow that heater with a tailing change-up or a subtle whip slider.

He has a very standard four-pitch mix, but with that curve - a playful pitch, honestly - he has unorthodox qualities. Couple that with how he adjusts his delivery and his approach with baserunners on, keeping runners off balance, and you can already tell his floor is high. There is simply no way this young hurler should be outside looking in. Quite simply: he is not. 

2) In only his second game returned from a prolonged absence, one might think Chourio might have some rust. Well, other than a check swing mishit on an unintentional groundout up the middle, he has shown no rust. This is his second three-run jack in just two games since his return. It was an absolutely huge insurance smash. Check it out. His swing is just so pure and so meaningfully violent, he doesn't even think this ball left the park:

3) 4-1 lead, nobody out, and a bevy of seeing-eye singles found their way off gloves and through infield gaps? Never fear. RHP Taylor Floyd is here. Let me beat a dead horse: Floyd is back. And, it's beautiful. He wants that baseball, and he's ready to deliver. Nobody out. Bases juiced. How about three straight strikeouts? Man, I am here to witness this comeback party. It is glorious.

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes                     
Final:  Columbia (Royals) 9, Carolina 0
Box Score / Game Log                                   

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

Carolina Held to Three Hits in 9-0 Loss to Fireflies - The Loss Dropped the Mudcats to 4.5 Games Back of First with Just 11 Games Left This Season

RHP Logan Henderson was back atop the hill for the young upstart Mudcats. The young men started their last home stand of their season trailing first place Fredericksburg by 3 1/2 games. Could they put a small dent in their hopeful climb into first place? Succinctly: absolutely not. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The above-mentioned Henderson was simply not sharp tonight. He walked some batters, he hit a batter, and he committed two errors. This being said, even when certain players aren't sharp and the results aren't in their favor, you can still see the talent. Case and point for this basic assertion is the strikeout to end the first inning. It was an efficient and effective mix of heat and off-speed. The batter was outmatched and the threat was ended with ease. It's all still there. We'll simply chalk this up to a bad outing. They happen. They definitely happen in Low-A.

2) RHP Fernando Olguin came aboard in the third and narrowly escaped a self-induced bases loaded jam. He wasn't nearly as lucky in the fourth inning when he saw the bases load again and quickly empty after a grand slam was smashed over the high wall in left center field. 2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. You are starting to see consistent hard contact off Olguin and I would simply offer, in my amateur opinion, it's partly due to too many pitches flattening out at the same speed:

3) These were Eric Brown Jr's first AB's in five games (DH tonight) and, according to Mudcats announcer Greg Young, his absence was due to unspecified 'soreness'. He ended his evening 1-for-3 but he also put a fantastic swing on a laser shot to deep right field in his first AB. No Statcast velocity was given for that AB, but it was a rope and the Fireflies' right fielder made a fantastic catch off a superb route. It was a great to see Brown Jr. swinging confidently and, hopefully, healthily.