Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/24): Eric Bitonti Once Again Highlights the Rookie Level Monday Slate

[Jim Goulart]

In the Dominican Republic, the two Brewers farm teams faced off for what feels like a daily occurrence. Saves on travel costs! In Maryvale, it was hot, as in really hot. 18-year-old Eric Bitonti (all season, turns 19 in November) was as boiling warm as the weather, but it didn't help his club fully overcome defensive lapses. Those miscues? We blame the sweaty conditions! Let's visit the tale of the day's results with the rookie leaguers.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

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None, other than to note that RHP Elieser Hernández cleared waivers (had been sent outright to the Nashville Sounds) and has elected free agency, as was his right

 

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Final: ACL Reds 7, ACL Brewers 4
Box Score and Game Log

The young RedLegs scored in each of the first three innings on their way to a 5-2 lead that held up throughout.

Each team committed four errors, and the Cincinnati club's final four runs, plated against three different Crew relievers, were all unearned.

On the flip side, the Brewers bats only earned two of their four runs. So, in a clean alternate universe, the Brewers fell by a 3-2 score, not 7-4.

A-Crew starting pitcher Ismael Yanez, an 18-year-old Venezuelan RHP in his first year stateside, made two early-season appearances in May, then missed five weeks. This was his second one-inning outing since his return, and his first four batters were HBP - HBP - bunt single to load the bases, and a ground-rule double. Looking at 2nd & 3rd and no outs, Yanez got an infield line out and then two K's to keep things reasonable and earn some kudos from the staff, to be sure.

While we're focusing on the mound, shoutout to LHP Anthony Flores, as the 19-year-old Venezuelan native (3rd pro season, 1st stateside) threw four innings (one unearned run), striking out three and not walking a batter.

Oh, there's Mr. Eric Bitonti again. Both his base hits were doubles (18 of 35 hits are XBH's this season, 22 of 42 in his brief pro career). Bitonti walked as well, he's walking in 17% of his plate appearances in '24. Carolina fans are in for an eventual treat.

As for those errors, Luiyin Alastre was assigned to three of them. Though the 18-year-old Venezuelan has seen 11 games in left field, all nine of his errors on the season have come at shortstop. That's not a defensive shared load (LF/SS) you see very often.

The A-Crew faces the Cleveland kids in another evening game Tuesday, where they will hope for better conditions than what they faced at first pitch Monday:

Weather: 112 degrees, Partly Cloudy.

Hydrate!

 

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DSL Write-Up courtesy of my co-Link Reporter Joseph Zarr -

Final: DSL Brewers #2 Squad 2, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 1, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score and Game Log

The DSL Uno y Dos squared up as foes once again to start the early week of Brewers affiliated baseball. And the two young squads ultimately played a seven-inning 2-1 nailbiter as the DLS Brewers Dos got the best of their brethren across the diamond.

Ultimately, the two runs the Brewers #2 plated during 17-year-old RHP Ayendy Bravo's 3 1/3 IP proved to the difference. One might surmise Bravo was lucky to only concede two runs: 5 H, 2 BB, 3 WP, 1 K. His stablemates, RHP Gabriel Colmenarez (who returns from injury - now 18 years of age and in his first action since a respectable 2023) and RHP Ramwell Smith pitched a combined 3 2/3 scoreless frames with two punch outs apiece and very little activity on the base paths.

In a game where the Brewers #1 offense managed only two hits in total, we can give a nod to a familiar name in the box score: INF Luis Pena knocked his third double of his 2024 season.

On the side of the Brewers Dos, we see last year's pre-season DSL darling INF Kevin Ereu caused quite a few problems at the dish and on the base paths - he smacked his fourth double of his season in a 2-for-4, 1 R day and advanced twice on Bravo WP's. Ereu is now hitting a very respectable 0.293 with an 0.852 OPS in 41 official AB.

INF Jonathan Rangel had a fine 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB day himself while also hitting his third two-bagger of his summer.

German RHP Paul Hoff picked up the win going 5.0 IP of 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 ER ball. His stablemate, 18-year-old Dominican RHP Johan Zapata, picked up the two inning hitless; walk-less; scoreless; 1 strikeout Save - the first of his 2024 season in his first opportunity. In 6 1/3 IP as a DSL Brewers #2 reliever, Zapata now holds a 4.26 ERA with 5 K to 1 BB.

The DSL Brewers Dos move to 8-7 on their season. The DSL Brewers Uno fall to 10-6. Both squads will be back at it tomorrow morning facing very formidable foes in the DSL Orioles Orange and DSL Cleveland Goryl who own a combined 25-7 record 😳. 

 

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Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to pitch before the Biloxi home crowd in a follow-up to last week's outing which netted him Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time this season. It's a full slate of games, enjoy.

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[Joseph Zarr]

Though Alastre's SS work, at face value, does not appear to be quite as bad as 2023 ACL Juan Baez's SS work, it certainly begs to ask the question: when he ultimately is placed in Low-A Carolina will we see all defensive work moved to 2B and the corner OF spots? His ongoing woes do not reflect what was a decent DSL season defensively at the same position. Perhaps it's just a couple bad outings. At the current 2024 ACL rate he is essentially suffering an error at SS every 12 innings. After last season, it certainly seemed 3B was out of the picture. His defensive lapses in the desert have given me some 'where will he land?' jitters.