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

[Joseph Zarr]

Walling is in a 2-2 count. Two down. He just swung and missed off-speed center cut in. Big moment. He takes low. Lays off. Full count. He lays off just low and below the zone. Heck of a take. Walling's second walk. Bases juiced once again for the switch hitting Reidy Mercado. Big moment for the struggling Mercado AND, perhaps predictably, he hits a weak first pitch grounder directly to the pitcher. 

That's a bad loss. The Mudcats outhit and largely outperformed the River Dogs. BUT, they made too many mistakes and got a rough relief outing in the middle. Two straight losses to the River Dogs who now have their first winning streak of their season! 😅

[Kellerowl]

injury to Y Garcia was a killer...he should have been hitting instead of Mercado.

[Joseph Zarr]

Middendorf with a sharp 1-2-3 9th gives the Sounds a chance to walk-off this 2-2 ball game. The Miller error looms large but it can all go to sleep if they can do it in the bottom half.

[Joseph Zarr]

Just now, Kellerowl said:

injury to Y Garcia was a killer...he should have been hitting instead of Mercado.

Oh, right. So that HBP off his glovehand was obviously worse than originally thought. BUMMER. That's another big loss to the Mudcats line-up if he misses extended time. They're without Baez already. If you lose Garcia too, that's two of your premium opportunistic bats. Ugh. 

[brewmann04]

25 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

In a 2-1 game, Tyler Black yet again demonstrated why he can be a hazard at 1B. He short arms a catchable toss from Zamora at SS (not a great throw by any measure) and the ball travels to the stands. Thankfully, Mejia is a heady defensive catcher. He sprinted to that ball and fired a dart to throw the runner out at 2B. Either way, Black is anything but a natural at 1B.

at this point Black is a DH

[Joseph Zarr]

 

5 minutes ago, brewmann04 said:

at this point Black is a DH

Likely true. You can't trust him in an MLB setting defensively. DH would allow him to prove the bat. He's a great young man. The defense is just a major major flaw - it hasn't improved since his time in the org. It's likely regressed. It's just really really unfortunate. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Sounds have the bases juiced after Roller walked on four pitches. Zamora coming to the dish in quite easily his biggest moment as a Sound. 2-2 game. Bottom of the ninth. Two down. Bases dripping. Kriske - the Bats reliever has thrown 31 pitches and walked 3. They'll likely go to their closer Santillan here. They are rushing a warm-up of their closer now. Yep. Freddy is going to face their Ace - the Bats are the second ranked bullpen in the International League (behind the first ranked Sounds).

[Joseph Zarr]

Zamora pops out to RF. Santillan shuts that door. On to Xtras.

[Joseph Zarr]

Middendorf rips a 97 mph heater at the knees to get the second out in the 9th. A chopper up the middle in the first AB grounded out but advanced the runner to 3rd. Huge moment here. Two down. Man on third. Let's see if he can dig deep. Yes he does! He gets the weak one bounce liner Capra calmly collects and throws to 1B. 2-2 and we head to the bottom of the 10th. Fantastic work for Middy!

[Joseph Zarr]

Sounds put up a zero as well. Santillan works around runners on 1st and 2nd getting Clarke to pop out to 1B foul territory on an inside heater in a 3-2 count. On to the 11th. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Pitching for the first time in 6 days, LHP Darrell Thompson conceded a two-out first pitch double to the RF wall off a lefty bat. He did get the K to end any further thread. Manfred's man has done one run of damage. It's 3-2 Bats as we head to the bottom of the 11th frame. This is the first Sounds deficit of the evening. Chavez Young will pinch run at 2B to open the frame. Collins at the dish. Let's get some magic!

[Joseph Zarr]

Well, we'll certainly take that:

A WP and the catcher can't find the ball. He rushes a throw to 3B and it flies past a diving 3B and goes into deep foul territory. Young scores. Collins draws a four pitch walk to boot. 3-3 game. Collins represents the winning run at 1B with nobody down. Capra to the dish (0-for-4).

[Joseph Zarr]

No outs. Pitcher just walked two straight. Hadn't thrown a strike. AND, we're trying a failed strikeout sac bunt attempt with Mejía? LOL. Rough look there. He went down with a whimper. Roller K's swinging on a 100 mph heater center cut. Zamora to the dish and he pops up harmlessly in the infield grass. And, heavy rains start to pour. 

That was a massively wasted opportunity. At least they've proven Mejía can't bunt to save his life. 😅

[Joseph Zarr]

We are now in an 11th inning rain delay in Nashville. 3-3 game. Boooooo! 

[brewmann04]

44 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

Likely true. You can't trust him in an MLB setting defensively. DH would allow him to prove the bat. He's a great young man. The defense is just a major major flaw - it hasn't improved since his time in the org. It's likely regressed. It's just really really unfortunate. 

after this i take his bat up here

[Joseph Zarr]

🫠

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

Likely true. You can't trust him in an MLB setting defensively. DH would allow him to prove the bat. He's a great young man. The defense is just a major major flaw - it hasn't improved since his time in the org. It's likely regressed. It's just really really unfortunate. 

Many Brewer fans wail, whine & complain about Bauers & Ollie Dunn being on the roster. If they don't like it, your comments above sum it up: Blame Black. If he was to the point where he could be at least adequate at 2 or 3 of the positions he's been tried at, he could be filling either role. But he isn't. And if they never felt the need to trade for Bauers we'd still have Jace Avina, who I liked a lot. And Brian Sanchez is doing well in rook ball.

This is the first time I heard someone say he's actually regressed with the glove. Disturbing.

[SF70]

A glimpse into the future with the Peña’s-Corobo-Made & Quintana all having nice pro debuts. Imo, this class will be their best IFA class ever.

I love this organization’s teenage talent.

[Joseph Zarr]

11 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Many Brewer fans wail, whine & complain about Bauers & Ollie Dunn being on the roster. If they don't like it, your comments above sum it up: Blame Black. If he was to the point where he could be at least adequate at 2 or 3 of the positions he's been tried at, he could be filling either role. But he isn't. And if they never felt the need to trade for Bauers we'd still have Jace Avina, who I liked a lot. And Brian Sanchez is doing well in rook ball.

This is the first time I heard someone say he's actually regressed with the glove. Disturbing.

Well, I say 'regressed' in regards to Black as an 'over the duration' remark. He simply hasn't improved anywhere defensively on the diamond in his time with the Brewers. I've loved his bat since his first season. Just as I've loved his competitive spirit. He's gotten stronger, he's got wheels, power etc. They've tried him at 2B, CF, 3B, and now they are tossing him mercifully to 1B. The problem there? He is involved in too many plays. It's just the honest truth. He doesn't have the wingspan to overcompensate for his lack of comfortability. He doesn't make the challenging play - he certainly doesn't make it look effortless in trying. Whereas in 2023 I thought he could be a Zobrist type guy whose bat was too good to leave out and you could hide him in multiple locations, I now feel like he's probably the carrot dangled to acquire help elsewhere. The bat is so enticing. But given you can't really hide him on the diamond and he will likely negatively impact a game at some point(s) (and you see that inevitability), do the Brewers want to exercise the patience needed in call-ups for his bat to adjust to the MLB level? I just do not see them calling up a DH when they have Hoskins and Sanchez - like, at all. SO, I go to the logical place: a trade package. It's not personal in this thought exercise. I just think it's logical. And, I wish I wasn't having these thoughts!

[Joseph Zarr]

2 hours ago, SF70 said:

A glimpse into the future with the Peña’s-Corobo-Made & Quintana all having nice pro debuts. Imo, this class will be their best IFA class ever.

I love this organization’s teenage talent.

Yup. I said it coming into the season. AND, this season has only reinforced my opinions: the lowest levels are just ridiculously interesting and the bedrock of confidence in the system.

Given how the Brewers find pitchers anywhere and have shown a commitment (let's be honest, mandated by budgetary need) to working reclamation projects for the end-of-bench spots with the big club, the Double-A and Triple-A environments become somewhat less important. This isn't to say they are neglecting those environments whatsoever (tho, the Shuckers are sure acting like frumpy petulant teenagers in their first half - yikes). The Sounds repeatedly showcase a roster capably filling the 'we are an extension of the Big League bench' role over the past several years. It's uncanny how solid those Monasterio; Koenig; Paredes; Peguero etc role players have been.

In the past few seasons, the Brewers appear to have really stepped up another level in three areas: Indy and Undrafted FA signings; Minor League Free Agency, and now we are possibly seeing another step up in the International scene. With the new Academy and with the early returns of Chourio (and if Quero can get back healthy - not to mention the young pitching, Yophery's growth curve, Baez etc.) and now this class's potential? It certainly would appear they are building a new foundation to strengthen the Big League house. It also just gives the organization all that much more flexibility at the deadline. Just look at what a guy like INF Jhonny Severino gave both the Brewers and the Pirates: the Brewers got their much-need second half stabilizing force at 1B and the clubhouse, the Pirates got a meaningful lottery ticket (he's having a fantastic early FCL - he's even working toward cutting back the K % though it still is slightly high.)

Anyhow, long old man way of saying: entirely agreed.