Article: Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/30): RHP Will Rudy Continues Dealing; INF Tyler Black Extends On-Base Streak to 24 Games

[Joseph Zarr]

It is an affiliate week where two teams are on the road (Carolina and Nashville) and two teams will enjoy some home cooking (Wisconsin and Biloxi). The series openers ended up a 3-1 evening after the late and improbable T-Rats comeback. The Mudcats continued to lead the charge. The Shuckers gained ground on first place Pensacola. And, the Sounds lost a frustrating affair. Let's get into the report!

Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic

Game Balls:

• RHP Will Rudy fought a very tight strike zone and continued his fantastic Low-A work while picking up another win over five scoreless innings.
• C Jose Sibrian showcased his vastly underrated defense and arm and knocked in a three-run deciding home run blast for good measure.
• C Matt Wood continues to demonstrate the move to High-A is certainly not too big for his bounty of talent. He went 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, and poked in the tying run late:
  (For even more C Matt Wood goodness, be sure to check his 'T-Rats Talk' HERE)
• RHP Luis Contreras continued to showcase those brilliant flashes I saw in Nashville were no mere illusion. He pitched 2 1/3 crucial innings of one hit four strikeout ball. When he is on, as he was tonight, he is truly a fantastic relief arm.
• INF/OF Tyler Black continued to dazzle at the plate with the game-clinching 2-rbi triple in the second inning and he also showcased maybe he has more defense in that bag than we all give him credit for: 

Transactions:

• (5/29) LHP Alex Claudio was sent outright and activated by the Nashville Solunds
• INF/OF Noah Campbell was assigned to the Nashville Sounds from the Biloxi Shuckers
• OF Roman Quinn was assigned to the Nashville Sounds from the ACL Brewers
• 3B Abraham Toro was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds

 

Highlights from the Week that Was:

Take a look at the most complete starting pitcher in all of the Brewers Minor Leagues:

Rodriguez was interviewed by Voice of the Shuckers Javik Blake for Sunday's pre-game (audio here).

Let's revisit the most exciting young pitching prospect in the entire system:

Lastly, let's remember why OF Jackson Chourio was given such superstar accolades to begin the 2023 season:

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Final: Charlotte (White Sox) 4, Nashville 2
Box Score / Game Log
Game Notes 

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

Sounds Late Rally Comes Up Short in Loss

After a one hour weather delay in Charlotte, the Sounds managed to get their opening road tilt underway. In the first, RHP Pedro Fernandez gave up a lead-off double down the left field line that caromed off the lunging glove of OF Monte Harrison. This double proved costly after a two-out knock through the left side of the infield made it a 1-0 ballgame. In their opening half, the Sounds played to the tune of three straight strikeouts.  Fernandez gave up a solo jack over the wall in right field in the second frame. He carried that 2-0 deficit into the fourth frame where the Sounds managed to scrape a run across in a bases loaded no out situation. The Knights, however, tacked on two more. Fernandez left with his team trailing 4-2. It wasn't the sharpest we've seen the jack-of-all-trades hurler, but he gave his team (and, more importantly, the Sounds bullpen) a shot over 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 4 ER.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Last week it was Biloxi's IF Lamar Sparks. Tonight, it was a gorgeous OF assist from OF Monte Harrison grabbing the final out in the bottom of the third inning and maintaining the 0-2 deficit in the process. There is no margin for error on these throws. Harrison absolutely rose to the occasion and threw a dart nailing the runner by a good 2 feet. Take my word for it or:

98 mph over that distance is absurd. As was the throw. No thank you to the road highlight absence!

2) Every time the Sounds managed to pull within a run, the Knights managed to extend the lead back to two - they did so in both the fourth and sixth innings. It was that type of road opener. What's more, with two down after consecutive lead-off strikeouts from C Payton Henry and INF Noah Campbell (suddenly a second baseman?), the Sounds still managed to load the bases in the final frame. It was all for naught when rehabbing Luis Urias grounded into the final out down the third base side. 

3) Let's tip our caps to the continued resurgence of RHP J.C. Mejía and the continued shutdown work of RHP Thyiago Vieira - 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 ER between the two. They gave their team that crucial opportunity over the final innings to make a comeback run of it. Unfortunately, tonight, the Sounds fell short.

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Final: Biloxi 3, Pensacola (Marlins) 2
Box Score / Game Log
Game Notes 

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

Early Runs, Great Pitching Lead Shuckers to Series-Opening Win

RHP Justin Jarvis was working as fast as ever and was extremely effective early. He was scoreless through 3 IP with a really nice curveball grabbing quite a number of looks as they crossed for strikes. Over the course of the entirety of his start, I would say Jarvis was effective; dominant at times (7K); but without his best stuff (5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 R). It was certainly enough to protect the early lead - especially important considering the Shuckers couldn't muster a single hit after the second frame.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The Shuckers on base streak record is 27 games. INF Tyler Black made it 24 games on a clutch two out triple to the wall in right field. There isn't all that much more to say about the offensive start to Black's 2023. It is, as the kids say: 'The Stuff'

2) INF Felix Valerio is now 4-of-6 dating back to Sunday. It's quite nice to see a young man rewarded with base hits after what seems like a steady year of extended periods of solid contact resulting in mostly outs. Now, these are all singles, so I'm not bringing out a megaphone here. However, we see 1 BB and 0 K. And, in general, it is simply nice to see a one-time blue chip prospect find some success at the plate. Let's hope it continues in the series ahead.  

3) Major kudos are in order for RHP Abner Uribe who fought off a head-scratching display from the home plate umpire in the ninth and final inning. The first missed strike - a gorgeous curveball that cut the inner stripe in two - led off his inning with an undeserved walk. It got so testy for the relief ace, pitching coach Will Schierholtz had to visit the mound to calm the scene. The ump missed another strike 3 call as well during the same inning. It didn't matter, Uribe got the K swinging on another fabulous curve (his off-speed stuff was more dangerous than his heat tonight). He ended the game on a weak pop fly to shallow left field. The Shuckers moved within four games of first place Pensacola.

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Final: Wisconsin 8, Peoria (Cardinals) 7
Box Score / Game Log

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

Fernández Finishes Wisconsin Rally with Walkoff Single in Tenth

Full Game Highlights:

RHP Alexander Cornielle was looking to turn the tides of his season and, well, he did what he has done throughout 2023: he lost his stuff during a single blow-out inning. Tonight, Cornielle's off flavor was a five run fourth frame. With those T-Rats bats hiding in the basement early it felt like one run may have been the difference. This all miraculously changed late when a rally forced extra innings and the T-Rats did the unexpected flipping a 6-0 deficit into an improbable extra innings walk-off.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) INF Robert Moore's three two-out rbi's were key in the comeback effort. Overall, he finished 2-for-5 while tallying his 20th rbi. In the process he managed to get back to the Mendoza line! Let's hope tonight's mini-surge is a sign of better things to come for the young and talented 2022 draft pick. There is an entire summer ahead to get hot in more ways than one.

2) After an unbelievable seeing-eye sky high chopper one-hopped over the 1B and down the 1B line into the outfield grass, RF Joe Gray Jr. threw an absolute one-hop dart to C Matt Wood who calmly laid the tag on the Chiefs runner at home plate. It was an absolutely crucial play. It was a web gem moment. It was a game-saving play the T-Rats desperately needed:

3) The Timber Rattlers giveth - a spectacular charging throw-out to third base from 1B Ben Metzinger to open the 10th inning on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt. The Timber Rattlers taketh away - RHP Brennan Jordan walked the bases full in the same 10th frame. The Timber Rattlers giveth - 1B Ben Metzinger and C Matt Wood execute a fantastic inning-ending 3-2-3 double play to preserve the tie and give their team a chance to walk it off. The Timber Rattlers taketh away - OF Je'Von Ward pops out a bunt weakly to the pitcher at the pitcher's mound. The Timber Rattlers giveth (and taketh the victory) - OF Eduarqui Fernandez ripped a line drive single into center field scoring INF Eduardo Garcia from second base. What a roller coaster walk-off!

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Final:  Carolina 5, Lynchburg (Guardians) 1
Box Score / Game Log
Game Notes 
  
Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review:

Adams and Sibrian Power Mudcats to 5-1 Victory

RHP Will Rudy had an uncharacteristic start to his stellar early season when he walked only his fifth batter of his campaign. This was aided quite a bit by a fairly tight strike zone in the early going. He managed to escape the first inning unscathed, however, after C Jose Sibrian threw that lead-off man out at second base on a very nice pop and toss. This was a key grab as the second batter ripped the ball off the wall in deep left center field. The inning ended after an OF Jace Avina PO and OF Assist during a failed hit-and-run. INF Luke Adams ripped a solo jack in the top of the first frame. C Jose Sibrian golfed a three-run shot over the left field wall in the second frame. It was 4-0 before I could finish my first adult beverage. If only every game could begin so wonderfully. If only we had automated balls and strikes in Low-A. Yeah, it wasn't pretty from the called balls and strikes perspective. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) I said it last week and I'll say it again tonight: INF Gregory Barrios is playing far beyond his lowly offensive numbers - numbers greatly damaged by his struggles at the plate in the very early part of 2023. He led off his evening with a smoked line drive up the middle infield for a lead-off single. He calmly let the pitcher throw to first twice. He then stole his 11th base of his season. Barrios is making better contact, he's playing more aggressively, and he's finding his comfort zone. This is a young player we should all be excited to watch as this season progresses. He ripped a two-out rbi single up the middle in his second AB. It's a night and day difference and I'm very much here for it.

2) I said it in 2022, but I'll say it again tonight (again, I guess 😅): C Jose Sibrian is plain a really solid backstop. He's defensively very sound, he has a plus arm, and he can occasionally do this:

There's a reason the Brewers re-upped this young man. I simply propose to you, dear readers, this is yet another absurdly underrated catcher in the Brewers system. Hello, Brian Navarreto. Hello Brent Diaz. I raise you Jose Sibrian. 

3) It wasn't the shutdown start we saw from Will Rudy, but it was quite nice to see RHP Yujanyer Herrera pitch to the tune of a four inning save. I still see those lingering episodes where he loses his release point and his control (4 BB tonight), but all in all, he has the youth; the size; the frame; and enough tools to work with to see if he can't find more consistency in and around the zone. Hopefully this comes with time - he has quite a bit of deceptive movement in his offerings.

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Tomorrow, LHP Robert Gasser will look to stop that ballooning ERA and bad luck BABIP in a game that starts at 8:05 am my time (yuck!). Rounding out the matinee session will be RHP Edwin Jimenez looking to build off of tonight's T-Rats comeback victory. In the evening, we'll see RHP Tobias Myers (and, hopefully, an improved array of heaters) in Biloxi and, as of the time of publish, we're still TBD for Carolina in Lynchburg. As always, thanks for reading and thank you for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball.

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