Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/6): Only a Rare Misfire from the Sounds Bullpen Dampens a Nice Saturday Slate

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RHP Alec Bettinger was released from AAA Nashville - it was a fantastic showing at AA Biloxi in 2019 (1.07 WHIP, 157 K in 146.1 IP) that netted Bettinger a late summer 2020 invite to the alternate training site and a 40-man roster spot that fall. Four 2021 MLB appearances, including a difficult debut start at the Dodgers. is what Bettinger can look back on at this time from a big-league perspective. His diminished role in the system came pretty abruptly this year. Hoping Alec can hook on quickly with another organization and flash his potential again, as he just turned 27 years old last month.

• RHP Adrian Houser sent on a rehab assignment to Nashville.
• Both INF Ethan Murray and LHP Russell Smith were placed on the Wisconsin 7-Day IL, each retroactive to August 4th
• INF Alberis Ferrer has been placed on the 7-Day IL at Carolina
• RHP Logan Henderson and 1B Ernesto Martinez commence rehab assignment with ACL Brewers Blue - both had been on the Wisconsin roster, though Henderson, the 2021 4th round selection, had yet to make his pro debut prior to Saturday
• INF Robert Moore, 3B Ben Metzinger and C/1B/OF Tayden Hall assigned to ACL Brewers Blue from ACL Brewers Gold (reversing yesterday’s musical chairs move)

Here's a LHP Clayton Andrews (Tommy John) update.

Final: Norfolk (Orioles) 3, Nashville 2

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 Stunned in Ninth by Tides - Nashville Suffers First Loss of Season When Leading After Eight Innings

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Three Quick Strikes:

• There are two strong suggestions this AM - be sure to read that game summary linked above, it's just one note of interest on top of another. The other is to indicate that while the Sounds bring a strong Twitter game, it's the Voice of the Sounds Jeff Hem who manages during the course of his broadcast to post more detailed nuggets, as he did last evening, so be sure to follow him as well. Take special note of his Joey Wiemer arm commentary, which we were aware, but always nice to re-confirm.
• Nashville 0-for-10 with RISP, Norfolk a bit better at 3-for-14, especially considering two of those knocks came in the fateful 9th.
• It appears that Jake Cousins may have the edge on Justin Topa in the rehab race, but the Brewers have more roster confusion ahead in order to free up 26-man and/or 40-man spots once either is activated from their 60-day IL stints.

Look how very close Garrett Mitchell comes to saving the day - a catch here would have ended the game. The Tides wore Marvel Hulk jerseys, this game-winning double needed every inch of Hulk-power to escape Mitchell's glove.

Final: Biloxi 5, Mississippi (Braves) 3

Gasser Hurls Five Scoreless in 5-3 Shuckers' Win - Robinson Records Third Double-A Save

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Three Quick Strikes:

• A reminder that each day we post a thread on our Minor League Forum, and while the volume of posts varies, it's often a running commentary from @Joseph Zarr and @damuelle of our reporting team, along with additional thoughts from our readers. Saturday's thread began here, while Joseph's Robert Gasser observations began here. Joseph, not sure if you have four monitors simultaneously up each night or how you do it but thank you! And don't you have a farm to maintain :)?
• Shuckers win despite their own RISP struggles, 0-for-8, Braves 1-for-7. About that clutch gene...
• Glad catcher Brent Diaz still has another year of organizational control before hitting minor league free agency, there is value in the glove and bat.

Final: Wisconsin 3, Quad Cities (Royals) 2

Wisconsin Rallies Past River Bandits - Piñero’s 2RBI single gives Rattlers 3-2 lead; Bullpen holds on to the end

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Three Quick Strikes:

• Must be a misprint - Jackson Chourio, 0-for-5, three K's - K rate is 23.4% in 47 T-Rat at-bats; it was 30.4% in 250 Carolina at-bats, as impressive as those at-bats were otherwise
• First base hit at the High-A level for shortstop Eduardo Garcia
• With Ashton McGee still sidelined, I went to the MiLB TV archive from Tuesday's game (subscribers 02:33:45 hour minute mark) It was a nasty HBP on his right hand. Incredibly, McGee remained in the game for another inning before he was pinch-hit for next time up. With Wes Clarke still sidelined (no news there) and Ethan Murray formally placed on the IL as indicated atop this report, the T-Rats bench remains extremely thin.

Mudcats Win 9-3 as Avina Homers Twice in Debut - Starter Alexander Cornielle pitched through six scoreless while earning the victory

Pre-Game Media Notes / Box Score / Game Log

Three Quick Strikes:

• Nice photo of Jace Avina in his Mudcat debut at that game summary link - that is my sneaky way of making you read the report from Carolina, loaded with nuggets well beyond what we could provide in quick blurbs. In 37 pro games, Avina is slugging .675. He's hit 12 home runs in 123 at-bats. Just a ridiculous find in the 14th round last year out of his Nevada high school.
• Mudcats didn't draw a single walk, yet everyone in the lineup had a base hit, and six players had two knocks. the boys were a-hackin', and effectively so!
• Dominican native RHP Alexander Cornielle turns 21 later this month. It's not easy to accumulate decisions at this level, Cornielle (now 7-7) has consistently pitched deep into games, has struck out 110 in 90.2 innings, and has only walked five in his most recent 28 frames as he's now overcome early-season control difficulties. This young man has been coached up since April, kudos Brewers!

Final: ACL Brewers Gold 8, ACL Brewers Blue 4, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score / Game Log

A combined fifteen walks (one intentional), two HBP's and five wild pitches likely had coaches frustrated for the intra-squad battle, all in a truncated game, remember. 

Notes below from the Minor League Forum thread:

  17 hours ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Nice to see Ernesto Martinez and Logan Henderson getting back on the field in Arizona.

NOTE: This was Henderson's pro debut, a scoreless inning, one base hit allowed.

18-year old LHP Caden Vire is also seeing his first action since June 30th in this game, along with OF Luis Medina returning after missing a few games this week and 9th round pick Tayden Hall getting his first start at catcher in organization.

Meanwhile, it seems a little odd that 4th round pick C Matthew Wood is missing his 2nd consecutive game. Perhaps his early exit in the 3rd inning on Thursday wasn’t pre-planned. SS Daniel Guilarte and C Darlin Lora also continue to miss time.

In your daily reminder that every single player in the organization is a prospect, 19-year old 1B Jesus Parra (.718 season OPS) has a homer and a double, while 20-year old OF/INF Kaylan Nicasia (.817 season OPS) smacked a grand slam. Both play for ACL Brewers Gold.
 

Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 5, DSL Texas Red 4
Box Score / Game Log

Notes via @damuelle -

Good 12-hit, come-from-behind, 5-4 victory for DSL Brewers1, scoring 2 runs in the top of the 9th inning to defeat DSL Texas Red.

18-year old RHP Aneuris Rodriguez (5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 1 balk, 1 K) had his 2nd straight solid start.

17-year old 2B Angel Pereira (4-for-5) notched four singles and super signing SS Jhonny Severino (2-for-5; stole his 10th base, though committed his 17th error) had a key 9th inning double. RHP Bryan Rivera also returned after a five-week absence.

Suspended: DSL Tigers #2 Squad 0, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 0, rain with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning
Box Score / Game Log

Notes via @Joseph Zarr -

The DSL Brewers 2 game versus the DSL Tigers 2 was suspended in the bottom of the 3rd inning. 18-year- old righty, Daniel Corniel, was dealing through 3 IP with a sole hit surrendered and four strikeouts in the tally. 

However, the real news of this game, perhaps: 

Yeison Perez, playing right field today, hit his 15th double of the season in his sole AB. That’s now a .351 BA with a 1.127 OPS after 114 registered AB’s.

All afternoon action on Sunday for the full-season affiliates, while as the norm, the rookie teams enjoy their Sunday off. Here's to a nice summer Sunday for all!

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