Thurs. 5/18 - Need to Reverse Some Mo-Jo at the Upper levels

[Jim Goulart]

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

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

[Ro Mueller]

Low-A Carolina leads their series 2-0 in Kannapolis and plays a doubleheader today. RHP Aidan Maldonado (4.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 11.0 K/9 in 18 IP) makes his 4th start (7th appearance) in the opening game. After an atrocious start to 2023, LF Jace Avina is finally starting to heat up with a 5-game hitting streak (8-for-20, HR, 2 doubles, 3 walks). 

[Ro Mueller]

AA Biloxi has dropped 4 straight games, including 2 in Chattanooga. RHP Justin Jarvis 2.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 10.4 K/9 in 33 IP) tries to right the ship tonight. 3B Tyler Black is 6th in the league in OPS, 2nd in OBP and 1st in stolen bases. 

[wiguy94]

Maldonado getting some very unfortunate batted ball luck in this game and the defense has not been helping him out whatsoever.

Lara had a great throw home and Sibrian dropped the ball on the tag (also the runner never came close to touching home plate but the ump ruled him safe). When I say he wasn't close to touching home, I mean it wasn't remotely close. He missed home plate by multiple feet.

[Ro Mueller]

High-A Wisconsin trails Quad Cities 2-0 in this week’s home series. RHP Alexander Cornielle (6.33 ERA in 21.1 IP) starts tonight. SS Eric Brown Jr. comes in with a 15-game on-base streak. 

[Ro Mueller]

The AAA Sounds need a victory in Durham to avoid a 3-0 series. RHP Robert Stock (9.39 ERA in 15.1 IP) gets his first action in nearly 3 weeks. SS Andruw Monasterio has a 19-game on-base streak. 

[wiguy94]

Mudcats are entering the final inning of game 1 without a hit. Can they break up the no-hitter?

[wiguy94]

And the Mudcats go down 1-2-3 and get no hit. A Luis Lara walk was the only Mudcat player to reach base.

[wiguy94]

Ethan Small comes in with runners on the corner in the 2nd inning. He proceeds to walk the first 2 batters on 9 pitches with none of them being in the strike zone. He struck out the 3rd hitter to end the inning. That's now 6 BB in Small's last 6 IP.

[Ro Mueller]

Here’s how the Mudcats line up for the 2nd game is todays doubleheader, with LHP Nate Peterson (3.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 12.2 K/9 in 23.2 IP) getting his 3rd start (7th appearance). We’ve no word on why steady SS Daniel Guilarte has been absent today. 

[markedman5]

So 3 1/3 mostly good innings from Small…..no runs 1 hit 4 ks…..but 3 more walks ………that’s the last hurdle for him it seems.

[Ro Mueller]

Justin Jarvis has only conceded 1 run on 2 hits through 4 innings, but Biloxi’s only managed 1 hit thus far themselves. Shuckers trail 1-0.

[Ro Mueller]

3B Eduardo Garcia with a no doubter solo shot to give Wisconsin a 2-0 lead through 3 innings, with Alexander Cornielle cruising thus far. 

 

[Ro Mueller]

Nashville ties up Durham 2-2 in the top of the 7th inning, as Skye Bolt, Patrick Dorrian and Brian Navaretto open the inning with 3 straight hits.

[Ro Mueller]

10 minutes ago, damuelle said:

with Alexander Cornielle cruising thus far

Four consecutive hits off Cornielle to open the 4th inning, the last a homer, have completely undone his earlier work. Rattlers trail 4-2.

[wiguy94]

Clayton Andrews command is so much worse at the moment than it was to start the season. He's in a jam to start his second inning after a HBP and a BB with 0 outs.

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Clayton Andrews command is so much worse at the moment than it was to start the season. He's in a jam to start his second inning after a HBP and a BB with 0 outs.

And he walks the next hitter to load the bases with no outs. He was pulled. 36 pitches only 14 for strikes.

Honestly seems like a growing trend of Brewers pitchers losing their command in AAA.

[SF70]

1 hour ago, wiguy94 said:

Ethan Small comes in with runners on the corner in the 2nd inning. He proceeds to walk the first 2 batters on 9 pitches with none of them being in the strike zone. He struck out the 3rd hitter to end the inning. That's now 6 BB in Small's last 6 IP.

Then proceeds to throw 34 strikes in his next 43 pitches, 79%. Definitely has come a long ways from last year when he was spiking pitches 5 feet in front of home plate nearly once per batter, but still hasn’t nailed his release-point where he can consistently throw strikes in every outing. Lots of progress, but still a ways to go.

[SF70]

13 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

And he walks the next hitter to load the bases with no outs. He was pulled. 36 pitches only 14 for strikes.

Honestly seems like a growing trend of Brewers pitchers losing their command in AAA.

He was so wild it was shocking. Injured?

[Ro Mueller]

Nate Peterson K’d 6 in 5 innings of work for Carolina in their nightcap, conceding 1 run, while the offense manufactured some early runs. Mudcats ultimately win this one, 5-3, with RHP Shane Smith coming in to bail out RHP Jeison Peña.

[Ro Mueller]

Wisconsin gives up 1 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, now trails 7-4 and is down to their final 3 outs. Alex Hall, Terence Doston and Eric Brown Jr. are up.

[Ro Mueller]

LHP Bennett Sousa calmed the waters for Nashville, coming in to limit damage on a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the 7th inning (1 run scored, 3-3 game), then striking out the side in the 8th inning to earn the win.

[Ro Mueller]

5 minutes ago, damuelle said:

Wisconsin gives up 1 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, now trails 7-4 and is down to their final 3 outs. Alex Hall, Terence Doston and Eric Brown Jr. are up.

Hall and Doston grounded out, but Eric Brown Jr. and Robert Moore collected hits. It’s 7-5, 1-on, 2 outs with Matt Wood up.

[Ro Mueller]

Just now, damuelle said:

Hall and Doston grounded out, but Eric Brown Jr. and Robert Moore collected hits. It’s 7-5, 1-on, 2 outs with Matt Wood up.

Wood flies out and Wisconsin has a 4-game skid.

Biloxi also dropped its game, its 5th in a row.

But Carolina earned a split today, leading series 3-1.

And Nashville also grabbed a win, now trailing series 2-1.

[wiguy94]

After a really slow start to the year, Eric Brown Jr's OPS is up to .681 which should put his wRC+ above league average. He's slashing .240/.361/.320 with 17 SB to 2 CS. 

Seems like he's adjusted to the swing change and just needs to find the power now that his load isn't as pronounced. Today was a good trend towards finding his power with 2 doubles off the wall in LF.