Wed. 6/5: Timber Rattler Home Matinee on Tap

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Wednesday.

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[Ro Mueller]

Look who’s back from slight injury and hitting leadoff, as High-A Wisconsin seeks a 2-0 home series lead over Royals’ affiliate Quad Cities. Also, LHP Tate Keuhner has been solid over his last 4 outings (1.59 ERA with 21 Ks in 17 IP).

[Ro Mueller]

Season debut starting lineup for DSL Brewers-1, hosting DSL Padres Gold:

1 - Jesus Made* - SS
2 - Luis Pena* - 3B
3 - Juan Martinez* - 2B
4 - Kevin Garcia* - C
5 - Engel Paulino* - CF
6 - Handelfry Encarnacion*- RF
7 - Joandrew Pena* - 1B
8 - Joan Gutierrez - LF
9 - Yohandy Cruz* - DH
X - Carlos Canales* - P

[Ro Mueller]

Season debut starting lineup for DSL Brewers-2, hosting DSL Tampa Bay:

1 - Jorge Quintana* - SS
2 - Kevin Ereu - 2B
3 - Jose Anderson* - CF
4 - Luis Corobo* - C
5 - Frederi Montero* - 1B
6 - Roderick Flores - RF
7 - Jonathan Rangel* - 3B
8 - Pedro Tovar - LF
9 - Moises Polanco* - DH
X - Alejandro Parra* - P

[Ro Mueller]

16 of our 20 DSL starters are making their organizational debut (marked with *).

14 of those are from the 35-man January 2024 international signing class, while the other 2 debutants are the starting pitchers (both signed in July 2023).

[Ro Mueller]

SS Jesus Made is staking his claim to super-prospect status on Day 1: homered first at-bat, doubled his 2nd time up.

[Joseph Zarr]

Good showings thus far!

7-3 lead in one tilt. On to Xtras in the other - Rays have men on corners, 1 down and lead 9-8 in the 10th.

I see the T-Rats trailing 2-0 in the 5th but the main takeaway for me is Lara is back healthy and in the line-up (0-for-2 so far).

[Joseph Zarr]

Make that 1-for-3 for Lara! He just scored Hall (BB) with a double. 2-1 T-Rats trail but are clawing back in it! O'Rae will try to inflict further damage.

[Joseph Zarr]

Kuehner had 8 K (I think?) in his last start. He has 7 today through 5 IP. At 85 pitches, facing a right-handed bat to lead off the 6th I'd tend to think his day is probably over.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wow, Kuehner completes the 6th frame for a QS and grabs his 8th K. He does so in 10 pitches. AND, the T-Rats have tied it up 2-2 as Wood knocked home Areinamo. On to the 7th. Big innings here!

[Joseph Zarr]

Cruz rudely greeted by four consecutive lefty bats on in key relief. He opens with a first pitch sharply hit liner past the leaping Hall (weird looking play) and Fernandez must have bobbled the corral as the batter took third somehow as O'Rae received the throw late and threw a tad late to try for 3rd. He gets two pop outs. AND, with two down, he absolutely hung a no need 1-2 count heater dead center and the River Bandits most dangerous hitter, 1B lefty Squires crushes it over the RF wall. Can. NOT. Have that pitch in that situation. A regression for Cruz there. That's the stuff that leaves you second guessing his run of late. If anything, with a righty coming to the dish? Nothing goes over. Nothing. No need to challenge their best power bat (hitting 0.300 mind you) with a heater. T-Rats trail 4-2.

[Joseph Zarr]

Wood sets up for a high outside part of the zone heater?

 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, Cruz puts the heater right in Squier's wheelhouse. Bad mistake. He absolutely obliterated that pitch.

[Joseph Zarr]

WOW, the DSL Cerveceros Dos came back to win it in the 10th! That's an opening game DSL sweep. 10-9 victory for the Dos. Two huge Broca K's escaped the 10th. Then SS Jorge Quintana earned his first hit of his season in a 1-for-5 day by smacking an apparent triple scoring the winning run (Moises Polanco - RBI single) from 1B. Heck of an opening 'W'!

[Joseph Zarr]

Areinamo gives it a ride to the RF warning track but the ball falls about 6' short of a HR distance. Lara stays at 1B. On to the 8th frame. Still 4-2 River Bandits. That hanging two-run jack looms large here late.

[Joseph Zarr]

Cruz gives up his 2nd HR. He is really struggling against these lefties. That ball hit hard and deep over the straightaway CF wall. That's now two long balls. 3 total runs allowed. Three hits in 1.0 IP so far. Manager Victor Estevez is going to leave him in here to try and work his way into success. I should add: he's faced two righty bats so far and punched them both out. 

[Joseph Zarr]

And, now his 4th hit conceded to a lefty bat. A line drive single to RF. 

[Joseph Zarr]

It's worth noting, even though the T-Rats hold a 5-2 series advantage coming into today's knock they only lead the run differential by 2 vs these River Bandits. These games have been much closer than that mark would advertise.

[Joseph Zarr]

3-1 count to OF Eduarqui Fernandez. One down. Bases juiced. He lays off and takes the RBI walk. Bases still juiced. 5-3 deficit now. Vargas to the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

Vargas lines an RBI single in a 1-2 count over the leaping SS. Ball was slightly left up. Huge hit. 5-4 deficit. Tying run at 3rd. Lead run at 2B. Lara, in his first game back off IL, will face the new pitcher. One down. Bases still juiced. Whew. What a development.

[Joseph Zarr]

WOW. An 0-2 ripped two-run single to RF. What an AB by Lara. 

He pulled that rocket through the right side off the glove of the diving 1B. 6-5 T-Rats. O'Rae to the dish!

[Joseph Zarr]

Lara takes 2B. Eliminates the DP. 18 or 19th SB. Can't recall.

[Joseph Zarr]

O'Rae walks on four pitches. Wow. Areinamo will be the 9th batter of the 8th frame. What a wild and unexpected frame. Bases juiced yet again!

[Joseph Zarr]

And, the threat ends on a chopper up the middle DP. 2B steps on the bag and nabs Areinamo running to first by about 10-12 feet. With the bases juiced, that ball was hit right into the defense, unfortunately. Big inning none the less! T-Rats will try to steal this one 6-5 as we head to the 9th!

[Joseph Zarr]

Unsung RHP Aaron Rund will try to close it out in his 15th appearance. BIG big moment for him in his first SVO.