Wed. 7/13: Matinee Games and a Biloxi Double-Header (No DSL/ASL Games)

[Joseph Zarr]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Wednesday, lineup updates, etc.

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

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Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

[Joseph Zarr]

Young RHP Stiven Cruz took the hill early (at least for my PST sensibilities!) as the Mudcats looked to end their six-game losing streak. Let's hope they can pull it out!

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Matinee number two took place in West Michigan as the T-Rats looked to ride the continued excellence of RHP Israel Puello in his most recent High-A start. Coming off a frustrating 1-0 loss late, we're hoping the Rattlers' bats can wake back up.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, we'll call it the 'Cruz & Garcia Show' today at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. Doing their best impersonation of the Whitecaps and Timber Rattlers Game 1 showing last night, the Mudcats just plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the 8th inning. 

Cruz goes 6 full innings: 4 hits, 1 bb, 8 k's. Spicy! ?

SS Eduardo Garcia is red hot on the day. While nearly all his teammates continue struggling to find any form of consistency at the plate (a lone Hendry Mendez knock fills out the remainder of the box score), Eduardo is 3-for-3 with the lone run and two stolen bases. The second stolen base was absolutely key as it led to a throwing error from the Delmarva catcher and an advance to third base. This is where we'll laud 1B Jesus Chirino for the second day in a row: Coming off two previous well-worked counts for walks, Jesus hit the sac fly. 

RHP Jeison Pena looks to shut it down in his third inning of work. He has two down. Mudcats clinging 1-0. Let's Go!

What, you don't believe me? Take a look:

And, here's the Chirinos Sac Fly:

 

AND, the score is now final: Mucats win 1-0. Pena completes 3 scoreless and flawless with 3 k's. Fantastic work!

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Israel Puello continues to receive the classic Corbin Burnes treatment from his Timber Rattlers teammates. Through 5 complete innings of one hit, three walk, three k ball (67 pitches, 38 strikes), he trails 1-0. Wake up Rattler bats! ?

[Joseph Zarr]

The 2022 'Try and Reclaim RHP Tyler Floyd Project' continues for the Timber Rattlers. He came on in the ninth inning with the T-Rats clinging to a 2-1 lead and proceeded to barely escape with the tie. All told, in 2 ip, he has conceded the lone run while working around 3 hits and 2 bb's. Kudos to preventing further damage (I don't know if he'll come back to the hill in the bottom of the 11th), but, it has been anything but smooth and easy for Taylor since his return a couple months ago.

[Joseph Zarr]

For your viewing pleasure, here's a look at 24 yo LHP Leoni De La Cruz. We've been touting both he and Middendorf. We hope to see them both get a look in Zebulon sooner than later:

 

[Ro Mueller]

Wow, what a start to the day - phenomenal pitching from Carolina's Stiven Cruz and Jeison Pena to blank the opposition, as well as Israel Puello for Wisconsin.

Terence Doston threw a runner out at home to send the Rattlers to the 11th inning, so they could finally pull out that victory (Tristan Peters' triple was the game-winning hit).

Too bad Hedbert Perez exited the Carolina game after just one at-bat. Something to watch.

[Joseph Zarr]

27 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Wow, what a start to the day - phenomenal pitching from Carolina's Stiven Cruz and Jeison Pena to blank the opposition, as well as Israel Puello for Wisconsin.

Terence Doston threw a runner out at home to send the Rattlers to the 11th inning, so they could finally pull out that victory (Tristan Peters' triple was the game-winning hit).

Too bad Hedbert Perez exited the Carolina game after just one at-bat. Something to watch.

He might have tweaked something in the groundout to second base. It was hard to tell but there seemed to be a slight hitch in his giddy-up as he left the batters box (?). I'd say, if it is anything, it was his left leg. He wasn't helped off the field. He trotted back to the dugout and announcer Greg Young didn't mention anything in the immediate aftermath.

I will say, the last batter of the third for Delmarva saw Cruz's 68 mph Circle Change followed by a 93 mph heater down the gut. 68 mph!! LOL. Incredible.

[Joseph Zarr]

I'm telling you, RHP Taylor Floyd has had a rough go of it in 2022 but that ninth inning today was anything but his fault. I have absolutely zero idea how any of those balls were hits. Just weak choppers left and right, a seeing eye looping flare. Arguably two errors ruled hits. It's a real testament he buckled down and only conceded one run. He had the bases juiced with nobody down in the ninth and every baserunner a head-scratcher. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, that was quick! Play resumed to complete yesterday's suspended game and, lo and behold, it's 6-1 Biloxi with two down and we're still in the top half of the fifth. Sal Frelick got things going turning on an inside heater to score Gabe Holt from second base:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Welcome back Sal Frelick! After the rbi single (and let's not forget about Tristen Lutz who hit a 3-rbi double to break things open in the same inning), Frelick makes an absolute web gem diving grab to get out number one in the bottom half of the fifth on a tailing liner to left center. Sal is absolutely coming on!

Lutz BOMB Alert:

Another Frelick Web Gem here:

 

[Joseph Zarr]

It's RHP Robbie Hitt's turn to meltdown out of the Shuckers Pen?. He hasn't recorded an out here in the bottom of the seventh getting hit all over the ballpark. 2 runs have crossed and he'll leave men on 2nd and 3rd base for Harold Chirino. Yikes.

[Joseph Zarr]

My goodness this Shuckers/Smokies game has an absolutely vintage 2022 Shuckers feel. Still not an out. 6-5. Men on 1st and 3rd. When this inning is all said and done...oh wait! A 3-run BOMB over the wall in right field. LOL. Gotta Shuck it up some more, baby. This is literally the Shuckers in a nutshell right here ?. A 7-run seventh inning via an absolute bullpen meltdown. This is starting to feel like a DSL/ACL inning. 

[Joseph Zarr]

So, still no outs and another knock to center field. Every batter has reached base in the seventh for the Smokies. Let's take a look at the fine work from Robbie Hitt and Harold Chirino: 0 ip, 8 hits, 2 bb, 7 earned runs, 1 hr. A 6-1 Shuckers game is now 8-6 Smokies with men on first and second and still not an out. The crazy thing is: there wasn't even a ball hit remotely close to an out. These are all roped. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Here's the thing with the struggling 2022 Shuckers: They have 15 more errors than the next team - vastly leading the Southern League in errors. Their bullpen (which has now given up a 10-spot) is a constant source of blown leads. So, it would be great to chalk something like this up to: Well, it's just one of those innings but the Shuckers have all too many of these innings.

To the point of errors: In this inning alone they won't be charged with errors BUT three outfield throws were cannoned home or to the furthest base (I'm looking at you Joey Wiemer?) allowing runners to advance to second. All three of these runners scored. This is a fundamentally poor baseball team. I see it every night. It's hard to watch and, yet, I keep tuning in hoping they'll turn an unseen corner. Maybe they will? The momentum for this squad is deeply entrenched toward another disappointing season. 

I'd love to hear what Mike Guerrero has to say about these ongoing struggles. It can't be easy from the dugout for the veteran leader.

[Ro Mueller]

LHP Ethan Small (3.19 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 10.2 K/9 in 67 2/3 innings) gets the start tonight, as AAA Nashville aims to snap a 2-game skid knot this week's series against Memphis 1-1. SS Brice Turang has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games:

[sveumrules]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

For your viewing pleasure, here's a look at 24 yo LHP Leoni De La Cruz. We've been touting both he and Middendorf. We hope to see them both get a look in Zebulon sooner than later:

 

Leoni jumped out to me last year with both the 39 to 10 K/BB ratio over 29 IP and that age, 23, old man winter for the DSL. Wonder what the story is on him signing so late for a DR prospect.

Middendorf looks interesting too so far. Definitely like that the Brewers seem to be one of the more active teams in signing arms out of the Indy Leagues.

[Ro Mueller]

AA Biloxi has lost 3 games in a row, but has LHP Nick Bennett starting tonight, hoping to replicate his last start (6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 9 Ks). And CF Garrett Mitchell returns to the Shuckers' lineup for the first time since a May 13th injury:

[markedman5]

 

[Robocaller]

Promote Frelick! He's hitting over .300 and Nashville could use an OF or two.

[Neazy32]

havent seen much of anything on Jeison Pena....looking up his numbers quick, hes another young prospect to keep an eye on for the future at just 19 with good K numbers...man i love our farm system

[markedman5]

Robert Murray

 

@ByRobertMurray

·

7m

 

Brewers prospect Joey Wiemer is being added to the Futures Game roster, sources said. Wiemer, the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect, was recently ranked as the No. 64 prospect in baseball by

@MLBPipeline

.

[Jim Goulart]

Here's your final Link Report from Wednesday 7/13