Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/23): Sounds, Shuckers and Timber Rattlers Combine to Allow Just Two Runs

[Jim Goulart]

Outside of one wayward starting effort in Carolina, the arms on the mounds ruled the day on the Brewers' farm. It led to a 3-1 record among the affiliates, following up Thursday's undefeated evening.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Let's roll up our pitching sleeves and see how it all played out!

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Transactions:

• Nashville Sounds transferred 2B Noah Campbell to the Development List.
• Carolina Mudcats activated LHP Anfernny Reyes from the 7-day injured list.

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes - Unavailable for this date
Final: Nashville 4, Jacksonville (Marlins) 1
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 Simmer Jumbo Shrimp Behind Strong Outing by Pitching Staff - Mitch White tosses quality start, bullpen superb in Nashville’s 4-1 win over Jacksonville

The MLB-caliber bullpen corps faced ten Jacksonville batters over the final three innings, only a leadoff HBP via Elvis Peguero in the 9th marred perfection late. Enoli Paredes (read Peguero/Paredes in parallel, both EP, five letters/seven letters) will be ready for the end of his rehab assignment, but what will the Brewers do to be able to keep the optionless Paredes?

Aaron Ashby? Review these several consecutive posts via our Minor League Forum thread to get a sense of his relief dominance in this one.

 

 

Good for starter Mitch White, we know that's the role he desires greatly. He knows he's pitching for 29 other teams down the stretch here, unless he and the Brewers agree to an unlikely reunion after the season. In the meantime, these are highly beneficial innings he's soaking up for the Sounds' staff.

In one convenient video clip here, you'll see both Tyler Black's triple and his double, and when will this translate to his intermittent big-league AB's? Hopefully Black runs wild with XBH's galore down the stretch, because building trade value for this offseason may be the biggest benefit to the Brewers if Matt Arnold can get creative in that regard. 

In what's going to be a fascinating turn of events this October, a reminder that minor league free agent to be OF Carlos Rodriguez won't turn 24 years old until December. Through 13 games at AAA, Rodriguez is doing exactly what he always does:

• 2024 in Biloxi (84 games) - .298/.376/.396 (.772 OPS)
• 2024 in Nashville (13 games) - .292/.370/.375 (.745 OPS)
• Career - .294/.357/.385 (.742 OPS, 1663 AB's)

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 1, Birmingham (White Sox) 0
Box Score and Game Log

Pitching Dominates in 1-0 Shutout Win for Shuckers over Barons - Five pitchers combine for shutout win, bullpen twirls seven shutout innings

Sure, there's the occasional high-scoring affair, but my goodness, Southern League fans get their share of low-scoring contests. Somehow this game lasted two hours, 47 minutes, so at least the fans had their beer time. A combined 14 walks were part of the story, thankfully Biloxi only tossed five. The Shuckers "improved" to 2-7 in 1-0 games in 2024.

Only 44 pitches for starting RHP Shane Smith, pulled after a single and walk to kick off the bottom of the 3rd inning? RH reliever Will Childers stranded both those runners and was one of the five Biloxi pitchers (each of them) to fan at least two batters despite throwing no more than two innings.

Over 8,000 in Birmingham, a figure the Shuckers simply can't touch.

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Wisconsin 14, Great Lakes (Dodgers) 1
Box Score and Game Log

Rattlers Rout Great Lakes - Wisconsin collects sixteen hits in 14-1 win over Loons

Hoping you read the full game summary from Voice of the Rattlers Chris Mehring, A 5-1 game through seven innings, then stuff happened including the opponent position player mound work in the 9th. I'm going to copy and paste below another example of what makes Chris such an asset to our fandom. Road game, no video, Chris could have cruised in his write-up but took the time to detail this play:

Tyler Wehrle gave up singles to Nevin and Jake Gelof with one out in the bottom of the sixth. He got the second out with a strikeout. He would get the final out by alertly covering the plate.

The runners took off on a 1-1 pitch to Sean McClain. Nevin stopped and Gelof was hung up between first and second. Rodríguez, the Wisconsin catcher, threw behind Gelof to first base. Hall ran Gelof towards second and flipped the ball to Vargas, who began running Gelof back to first with no one covering the base. Meanwhile, Nevin had rounded third to head for the plate. Vargas saw this and threw a strike to Wehrle, who was covering the plate. Wehrle dropped the tag on Nevin for the final out of the inning.

Yes, Blake Burke sat again. But he was listed in the original lineup before a change, so it's quite possible he's back soon. As for Luke Adams? We don't know.

The box score lines are delicious. The two pitching lines are pretty. Dig in and enjoy.

Thank you, MiLB.com for this:

How insightful was what our own Link Reporter Joseph opined about that blast here.

 

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Final: Augusta (Braves) 6, Carolina 3
Box Score and Game Log

Early Offense Lifts Augusta Past Mudcats 

From that write-up: (Augusta, 41-73 overall, 14-35 second half). Yikes, that's rough, but this isn't the NFL where a hapless team is going to be conquered 98% of the time.

Considering Yophery Rodriguez and Eric Bitonti had the night off, the six Mudcats hits (including two doubles from 18-year-old switch-hitting SS Filippo Di Turi), three walks and two HBP's were reasonable production, but not enough (1-for-5 RISP).

Unfortunately, one of those HBP's forced an early exit for RF Reece Walling. That plunking drove in a run, little consolation for the young man, hopefully OK.

Can't ask more from the Carolina bullpen, particularly RHP Brailin Rodriguez' extended stint. 19-year-old RHP Bryan Rivera's 4th Mudcats outing (3rd start) did not go well.

We forget or lose track of just how many players are on the different flavors of injured list - the Carolina official roster page reminds us.

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On Saturday, Carolina's game begins at 4:00 Central. Given the afternoon big-league game in Oakland, there is ample opportunity for you prospect hounds to sample action from the other affiliates during the early evening hours. Enjoy!

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[Joseph Zarr]

A 7-1 mark through games 2 and 3 sure feels really good.

It's hard to convey how absolutely huge last night's 'W' was for Biloxi. Their pitching staff continues to do some extremely heavy lifting and it's important to remember that Barrons bullpen is no joke - they've been dominant essentially the entire season. BUT, as I've been saying for the past two months: the Shuckers bullpen is the team's lifeblood. Coming into tonight's contest, after last night's 1-0 pitchers duel (described above), 61 of the Shuckers 115 games have been decided by two runs or less. Naturally, I manually looked at this last night after I asked "2-7 in one run games? How many two run games have they had?! It feels like a lot." and then it's featured in today's 'Game Notes'!!😅 Could have saved myself some scrolling and tallying. None the less, after last night the Shuckers Pen boasts a 3.25 ERA on the season in 495 1/3 IP. 582 K. 174 BB. Such an underrated group.

[biedergb]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

2-7 in one run games?

Just to clarify this point, that is 2-7 in games where the final score was 1-0, or only 1 run scored total.

They have played in more games decided by 1 run.

But, wow more than half of the games were decided by 2 runs or less, I mean that is common in baseball, but > 50% of the games being that tight seems high.

[Joseph Zarr]

46 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Just to clarify this point, that is 2-7 in games where the final score was 1-0, or only 1 run scored total.

 

Correct on the latter - games in which only one run was scored.