Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/12): Affiliates to the Parent Club - "This is How You Enter an All-Star Break"

[Jim Goulart]

Big league club stumbles and bumbles into the All-Star break again. Oh, it's a real thing. Thank you to the infamous Tim Allen of 97.3 The Game's Baseball Postgame Show, which we link to regularly in our daily archived Brewers media thread. I strongly suggest you spend one minute with Tim via this IHeart Radio link (go to the 23:50 minute mark). It's been a decade of Milwaukee pre-break headaches save for one outlier year. The big-league Brewers are not taking the lead from their full-season affiliates, each entering their own reprieve from the schedule this coming week. Friday night, the Sounds, Shuckers and Timber Rattlers showed the way, Mother Nature prevented the Mudcats from doing so. 

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Let's examine how the victories came about, and don't forget to watch Cooper Pratt in the Futures Game on MLB Network at 3:00 Central today! Go Coop!!

 

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Transactions:

• Milwaukee Brewers optioned SS Vinny Capra to Nashville Sounds.
• Nashville Sounds placed SS Freddy Zamora on the 7-day injured list retroactive to July 11, 2024.
• Biloxi Shuckers sent RHP Sam Gardner on a rehab assignment to ACL Brewers.
   

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes 
Final: Nashville 5, Iowa (Cubs) 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 Best I-Cubs, Extend Win Streak to Five - Carlos Rodriguez fans seven, Tyler Black scores twice in 5-2 triumph

The Nashville "X" feed features a variety of highlights from offensive, defensive, and pitching standpoints.

You'll need to open a new browser tab to take this discussion in, and we know that in terms of tone or excitement, Tyler Black isn't the most scintillating interviewee, but it's a good chat as he begins his Ben Zobrist-ish nomadic defensive journey (the Brewers, or a future trade partner, can hope there is some Zobrist forthcoming). Go to the 21:15 minute mark for the Black interview —

Black singled twice, walked, scored twice, and stole a base out of the leadoff spot in this game. Yeah, that'll do...

Top of the 7th, Sounds nursing a 3-2 lead. A Cubs single and two walks issued by Blake Holub (one on a successful ABS challenge) loads the bases with two outs. It was the only batter Harold Chirino faced all night, but the subsequent 5-3 grounder he induced stranded the three runners and was the biggest play of the game.

June 2022 indy ball signing RH reliever Ryan Middendorf seems as though he might be older, but he's only 26, and he has firmly established himself as the Nashville primary closer at this point.

The Carlos Rodriguez pitching line was fine, he's not tracking to wow us often. Not saying it was a long-term move of Matt Arnold genius by any means, but the Brewers are 3-0 in Dallas Keuchel's starts after Keuchel took Rodriguez' spot (0-3) in the rotation.

 

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 11, Chattanooga (Reds) 0
Box Score and Game Log

Misiorowski Strikes out 10, Martin Smashes Grand Slam in Dominant Shuckers Win - Complete team effort earns 11-0, shutout win over Lookouts

We didn't open the report with a Jacob Misiorowski intro paragraph, but we're well aware we could have -

 

There's Paul Skenes, and then there's Paul Skenes. He's singular. There isn't even a fair comparison to say, "poor man's Paul Skenes". So, don't. Let Jacob be Jacob. This is fun, though, no?

Shuckers played a near-perfect game with red-hot Eric Brown, Jr. on the bench alongside Adam Hall, the Bermuda native and 2017 Orioles 2nd round pick. Hall has had a nice 16-game sample upon signing with the Crew, and yes, the island residents do follow the exploits of Hall nightly, via press clippings I see. The Brewers also have done well with the even-smaller five-game Connor Scott sample, he of the 2018 13th overall pick status (Marlins). 

Just one of several highlight posts on the team's "X" feed:

This Reds' AA club is just rough, now 24-61, we know that isn't an indicator of individual prospect progress or overall system strength, but yikes.

It's a bit of a hidden gem on our website, but the nightly "as-it-happens" thread is such a valuable read even after the night is over. Contributions and insights are coming in from many. If you don't already make it part of your Brewers prospect-following routine, you may wish to add it to your Link Report-viewing regimen.

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wisconsin 6, West Michigan (Tigers) 0
Box Score and Game Log

Four Rattlers Combine on Shutout of West Michigan - Lara and Adams homer for Wisconsin in team’s fifth straight win

First of all, those Faux-back uniforms are sweet. It can't be a negligible cost to have them (and all the other team uniform identities) produced, fitted, etc. Same goes for the other affiliates, but the T-Rats really shine in this regard. Up next, as you just read in the game summary, is this year's iteration of Star Wars night. Two auctions going on now!

The "X" timeline is a creative joy - it all feeds off of this:

 

In addition to the video timeline, the game story is excellent, the Postgame Podcast is a must-listen (if nothing less than for the Chris Mehring / Kyle Lobner enthusiasm for reliever Yerlin Rodriguez' 100 MPH heat). Box score contributions throughout, and the one player who failed to reach base, RF Eduarqui Fernandez, added an outfield assist.

No matter how you immerse yourself in this contest, nothing but good vibes for this remarkable 2024 Rattlers squad.

 

Plus, Appleton fans get Devin Williams Saturday evening.

 

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Final: ACL Diamondbacks 12, ACL Brewers 8, ten innings
Box Score and Game Log

Weather: 113 degrees, Partly Cloudy.
Wind: 6 mph, Out To CF.
First pitch: 6:00 PM.
T: 3:30.

Oh, and on top of that weather situation, look, the young men and their coaches, trainers, etc. have their usual Saturday day game today.

So yeah, a high-scoring extra-inning affair is not what the hydration systems were hoping for Friday night. I would love to see Baseball America, or another outlet do a feature story on what goes into preparing for and playing in these desert games. We're aware the humidity is brutal for the teams in the Florida Complex League as well. Dry heat in Arizona, 113 is still 113. Both catchers, including 20-year-old Germany native Yannic Walther of the Brewers, played the whole game. Heck, the D-Backs catcher had four hits, a home run shy of a cycle.

The A-Crew rallied for four runs in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game at 6-6, with third baseman Eric Bitonti smoking a two-run shot to center field, his 7th bomb of the season, within the frame. It was one of four hits in the game for the 18-year-old LH beast of a slugger, a triple shy of a cycle of his own. If we don't see a Cooper Pratt post-Futures Game bump to Wisconsin, with Bitonti becoming a Mudcat, Eric may lose his mind. Tom Flanagan hinted that Bitonti was getting "anxious" on a recent visit to the Milwaukee TV booth.

As noted well above, reliever Sam Gardner began his rehab, and did so with a clean outing, The box score will reveal an outstanding bullpen stint for 18-year-old Mexico native Eric Prado, but a rough outing for Venezuelan southpaw Jose Meneses.

 

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Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 5, DSL Braves 1
Box Score and Game Log

Final: DSL Guardians Mendoza 7, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 5
Box Score and Game Log

For the sake of my time this AM (and yours), I am referring you to a series of six posts within that afore-mentioned forum discussion thread for today's Dominican Summer League updates. Much info within.

 

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We are inching closer to Monday thru Thursday off for each of the full-season teams. However, the rookie leaguers will see action on each of those days, so it will be condensed reports on the youngest of the farmhands starting with Monday's games. Considering I regularly report on Friday and Saturday games, I am consulting with my agent to determine when my All-Star break is scheduled for, Enjoy your eight, count 'em, eight games today, everyone!

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