Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/4): Sounds and T-Rats Victorious; Maryvale Debuts

[Jim Goulart]

Nashville bounced back nicely from being no-hit on Friday night. Wisconsin was victorious in a battle of clubs who will face off Sunday with matching 17-9 records. Biloxi fell to .500 despite Mike Boeve and his 1.146 2024 OPS cracking his first home run of 2024 on his last day as a 21-year-old. Carolina couldn't finish as Mother Nature interrupted, and a crop of raring-to-go youngsters officially broke camp in Maryvale with their Arizona Complex League season opener.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Let's roll!

Transactions:

• Milwaukee Brewers recalled LHP Jared Koenig from Nashville Sounds.
• Milwaukee Brewers optioned RHP Corbin Martin to Nashville Sounds.
• Milwaukee Brewers recalled SS Andruw Monasterio from Nashville Sounds.
• Biloxi Shuckers sent 3B Brock Wilken on a rehab assignment to ACL Brewers.
• SS Demetrio Nadal assigned to ACL Brewers from DSL Brewers 2.

Wilken, in his first action since suffering facial fractures via a HBP while playing for Biloxi, singled in three official at-bats in Maryvale's opener. He also was hit by a pitch, which is always a possibility when facing the raw unaccomplished rookie-level arms. Wilken played third base.

Nadal is interesting in that he blew up with a .342/.478/.525 line in his repeat Dominican Summer League season in 2023, 33 steals in 43 attempts, more walks (24) than strikeouts (19), all wrapped into 120 at-bats. For the moment, the Maryvale roster page lists Nadal as on their 7-day injured list.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 5, Norfolk (Orioles) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Sounds Snap Losing Streak, Strike Out 18 in Win Over Tides - Nick Kahle’s three RBI, Carlos Rodríguez’s solid start leads Nashville to 5-2 win over Norfolk

The Sounds' "X" feed is stuffed with nine video highlights to supplement that fine game write-up.

This was certainly an encouraging outing by RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez, his nine strikeouts (by the way, watch #9 here) helped push his pitch count to 93 to complete five innings. Rodriguez walked only one (he did hit two batters).

Keep an eye on this throughout the season, not just for Rodriguez, but for all the Crew's pitchers at the two upper levels:

For Tuesday-Thursday games in Triple-A and the ABS-equipped FSL parks, the ABS system will call all pitches. The home plate umpire will relay the call after hearing it in their earpiece. The ABS challenge system will be in effective for Friday through Sunday games.

I believe it was on a Nashville pre-game audio interview where it was noted that the nature of Rodriguez' stuff and pitch mix lent itself better to the traditional umpire calls. 

Big bounceback effort for embattled RH reliever Blake Holub, and veteran bullpen southpaw Rob Zastryzny, 32 years old, has been outstanding (0.38 WHIP!).

The only choices for designated hitter for Rick Sweet were backup catcher Nick Kahle and struggling Patrick Dorrian. Kahle rewarded Sweet with a big-time performance. 

We look forward to Robert Gasser's effort on Sunday, there's a very good chance it'll be his final game before a big-league debut, and perhaps in an ideal world, the end of his minor league career.

 

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Appreciate Javik Blake's Star Wars spin on the notes!

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 8, Biloxi 6
Box Score and Game Log

Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short in Shuckers Loss to Smokies - Boeve smashes first Double-A home run in ninth down to final strike, Shuckers record 12 hits

Catch up with the Biloxi pre-game audio archive page - Manager Joe Ayrault and RH reliever Kaleb Bowman among the latest entries.

 

You'll find four additional highlights via the Shuckers' own "X" feed.

By the way, kudos on the creativity, Spencer.

Red-hot outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez exited early, with no apparent reason gleaned from the game log or even the video archive. This negates our positive Carlos F. Rodriguez vibes from earlier, it's a net-zero Carlos Rodriguez report.

Despite the loss, it was good to see offensive performances up-and-down the lineup. The batting averages seen in the box score have a bunch of recovery yet to go.

Southpaws Adam Seminaris and Russell Smith had divergent mound days, but it's encouraging to see the 6'7" Smith shine since mid-season 2023.

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Great Lakes (Dodgers) 7, Wisconsin 3
Box Score and Game Log

Cornielle Shows His Quality in Win Over Loons - Wisconsin beats Great Lakes 6-3 behind six shutout innings from starting pitcher

 

 

One thing the Wisconsin video packages allow us to appreciate is that players come in all packages. The diminutive but effective combo of Luis Lara and Dylan O'Rae atop the lineup seem, is it OK to say, even smaller than their listed sizes at times. So much talent, however! Then Luke Adams steps up and seems more hulking than his listed 6'4", 210. And no way RF Eduarqui Fernandez is still 6'1", 176.

Well, hello, Terence Doston! Now up to an .874 OPS. Doston spent much of 2022 in a somewhat-wasted bench role in Biloxi as a 21-year-old. The placement never made much sense, but the 23-year-old speedster is enjoying a breakout early 2024 in a more appropriate place and time.

Sorry to bury the lead, RH starter Alexander Cornielle. Wonderful effort...

 

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ZEBULON, N.C. -  The Carolina Mudcats and Columbia Fireflies will play a suspended game doubleheader on Sunday afternoon after rain washed away Saturday’s contest.
 
The action picks-up in the top of the third inning with two outs and runners at first and third for the Fireflies, who lead the game 1-0.
 
Carolina and Columbia will play out the full nine innings of game one before playing a seven-inning game 30 - 45 minutes following the completion of the first game.

Box Score and Game Log (Thus Far)

 

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Final: ACL Dodgers 9, ACL Brewers 2
Box Score and Game Log

It was reasonable at 4-2 before a five-run LA 9th.

Among the nine position players, each who took part for all nine innings, several made stateside debuts, including 17-year-old CF Pedro Ibarguen, a Venezuelan native. 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Filippo Di Turi, he of the $1.3 million signing bonus, batted cleanup. Another switch-hitter, 18-year-old second baseman Luiyin Alastre, singled twice, stole two bases, but was also picked off. Left fielder Antony Gomez and first baseman Gery Holguin completed the stateside position player debuts - Holguin doubled.

Have to feel good in the Brewers' faith in just-turned-18-year-old Enniel Cortez, part of their near-exclusive Nicaraguan pitching pipeline, to be the Opening Day starter. Cortez, coming off a stellar 2023 DSL season, fanned three, did not walk a batter and allowed only an unearned run in his two innings here.

Professional debut for 18-year-old RHP Hayden Robinson, the Louisiana high schooler drafted in the 14th round last summer. RHP's Aneuris Rodriguez and Eric Prado, of the Dominican Republic and Mexico, respectively, made stateside debuts, no word if each mound entry included Olympic Ring of Nation flags. Such international diversity.

Newcomer Samuel Valerio, just signed out of the Royals' system where he had spent most of 2022 and all of 2023 in low-A ball, was the pitcher who endured the 9th inning Dodgers barrage.

84 degrees and sunny. That's part of MLB's strategy to begin this complex season earlier.

 

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It's afternoon baseball throughout the chain, the Maryvale kids are off until Monday. Enjoy your Sunday, and let's Fly the "L" in Chicago on the big-league front.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

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