Brewers Minor League Link Report (9/12): T-Rats Advance! Shuckers Clinch! Mudcats Bow Out

[Ro Mueller]

Luke Adams delivered a walk-off Division Series win for Wisconsin, while Biloxi swept its doubleheader to clinch a playoff berth. Carolina lost its second tight playoff game to end a strong year.

Transactions:

• RHP Elvis Peguero optioned to AAA Nashville from MLB Brewers

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Postponed: Memphis at Nashville

Via the Sounds’ website, rainout details: Sounds and Redbirds Postponed on Thursday

After two losses to start their series, hopefully the rainout will allow players and coaches to come back refreshed for the remaining 4 games of the home series, including a Saturday doubleheader.

Friday’s outlook: RHP Taylor Clarke is listed as the scheduled starter, but don’t be surprised if it’s RHP Mitch White instead. The teams will make a second attempt to play the third game of this this week’s 6-game series in Nashville.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Game One Final: Biloxi 5, Mississippi 4
Box Score and Game Log

Game Two Final: Biloxi 8, Mississippi 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Shuckers Punch Playoff Ticket, Sweep M-Braves in Doubleheader

After two days of rainouts, the tension was palpable at Keesler Federal Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers, who could potentially clinch a playoff spot with a doubleheader sweep of the Braves and some outside help from Montgomery or perhaps see their lead dwindle to a single game if they were swept themselves.

Starting 23-year old LHP Tate Kuehner was able to rise above the tensions through 4 1/3 innings, keeping the Braves hitless and riding a 2-0 lead before consecutive walks and a gut-punch 3-run homer turned the tide in a flash (down 3-2). A walk and single brought on RHP Kaleb Bowman in relief, who got the crucial strikeout to give Biloxi’s offense a chance to respond.

Respond. They. Did.

2B Dylan O’Rae (2-for-4, 2 runs) beat out an infield single on an 0-2 pitch to start the bottom of the 5th inning and C Darrien Miller had a masterful 10-pitch at-bat which ended in him singling the other way. 3B Brock Wilken then sent a loooonggg fly ball to right center which hit the right fielder’s glove and was ruled an RBI double (tied 3-3) before team leader 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. restored justice to the world with a 2-run double for a 5-3 Shucker advantage.

 

Mississippi came back with 2 singles off Bowman to start the 6th inning (one of whom scored to make the contest 5-4), then 2 more singles off RHP Blake Holub in the final (7th) inning. However, Miller gunned down the first baserunner of the 7th inning on a steal attempt and Holub induced consecutive ground outs to ultimately strand the Braves’ potential game-tying runner at 3rd base for a pivotal win in Game One of the evening. 

With Montgomery doing Biloxi a favor by defeating Pensacola in the first game of their own doubleheader, the Shuckers magic number was down to one as they handed the ball to 24-year old RHP KC Hunt to handle the nightcap.

Does everyone remember that Hunt, who signed as a non-drafted free agent in July 2023, is a tremendous pitcher, entering with a 2.06 season ERA with 133 Ks in 96 1/3 innings? Yeah, that’s the man we want on the mound in a playoff clincher: 6 shutout innings, allowing just 2 singles and 2 walks, while striking out 6 Braves.

Dependable Martinez got things going with an RBI double in the 1st inning, with right fielder Lamar Sparks (2-for-2, walk, RBI, 3 runs) then doubling and scoring in the 2nd frame before old man C Nick Kahle (26) delivered the clutch 2-out, 2-run single to push the advantage to 4-0 in the 4th inning, which likely felt like a 15-0 deficit for the Braves facing Hunt.

 

To put the matter cleanly to rest, Sparks added an RBI single in the 5th inning, immediately followed by INF Ethan Murray 3-run blast for an 8-0 advantage in front of 1,726 joyous home fans.

Shuckers’ Extras:

• Along with Martinez (combined 2-for-5, 3 RBIs in the two games), OF/IF Zavier Warren was also an excellent contributor, hitting a solo homer to boost the Game One lead to 2-0 and putting together a 3-for-5 evening with a walk.
• Congrats to playoff-bound Biloxi(!), who will host Montgomery in Game One of their Division Series on Tuesday before heading to the Biscuits’ home for games on Thursday and Friday (if necessary).

Friday’s outlook: Biloxi and Mississippi will continue their series, with surging LHP Nate Peterson (0.93 ERA with 24 Ks in last 19 1/3 IP) expected to start.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wisconsin 7, Quad Cities 6
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Rattlers to Play for Midwest League Pennant after Walkoff Winner

Thanks again to the awesome Timber Rattlers’ media team for putting together comprehensive video highlights (>10 minutes!):

 

And don’t you dare miss the 31-minute Mehring/Lobner post-game podcast featuring two of the men of the moment in 3B Luke Adams and Manager Victor Estevez.

After snagging a 1-0 victory at Quad Cities on Tuesday, Wisconsin had the first of two (if necessary) home opportunities to clinch the Division Series, which as you’ve read and seen at the above links was an amazing back-and-forth game in which 20-year old Adams featured prominently.

Similar to the first Biloxi game above, Wisconsin starting RHP Will Rudy had cruised for 4 2/3 innings before a 4-pitch walk and consecutive RBI singles to see their 2-0 lead reverse to a 3-2 deficit. Rudy tossed 84 pitches (54 strikes) and K’d 8 River Bandits in his solid effort.

C Ramon Rodriguez has been solid offensively and defensively throughout 2024, so his pinch hit ground ball double play to strand Adams at 3rd base and end the 6th inning down 3-2 would have certainly given him some greater focus for his next at-bat. And he came through big time via his game-tying RBI double with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning. What a clutch smash high off the left field wall!

Speaking of clutch, did you see the wizardry of 2B Jadher Areinamo to initiate the inning-ending ground ball double play to strand a River Bandit at third base to help the bullpen escape the top of the 7th inning down only 3-2? The somehow simultaneous extension, gather and flip to Pratt at second base was astounding.

Yes, things nearly fell apart with two errors in the top of the 9th inning, but that’s the pressure of playoff baseball and Wisconsin’s 9th inning game-winning response showed how special and resilient this club truly is.

Timber Rattlers’ Extras:

• Along with Rudy and Rodriguez, the individual highs and lows of this game were really something, with Adams getting the 3 RBIs but also the 9th inning error, Pratt collecting 3 hits and an RBI but also having a 9th inning error, left fielder Jheremy Vargas collecting 2 hits and an RBI but mis-reading a fly ball which helped contribute to a run, and 1B Tayden Hall going hitless but drawing a full count walk to start the Timber Rattlers’ 9th inning rally.
• Manager Estevez pressed a number of right buttons (e.g. substitutes Rodriguez and Hedbert Perez contributing clutch hits; RHP Dikember Sanchez mowing down 5 of the first 6 batters he faced with 4 Ks), though he’ll be thankful Adams came through with the game-winning hit after a questionable send of Luis Lara home to be thrown out by 15 feet for the 2nd out of the final frame.
• Congratulations to the Wisconsin Timber for reaching the Midwest League Best-of-3 Championship Series against Guardians’ affiliate Lake County! Wisconsin will host Game One on Sunday, while Game Two would take place Tuesday in Ohio.

Final: Fredericksburg 5, Carolina 2
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details: Nationals Beat Mudcats To Advance To Championship Series

Back home in Zebulon after a tight series-opening loss at Fredericksburg, the young Mudcats were facing potential elimination and quite possibly the best starting pitcher in the Carolina League in 20-year old RHP Travis Sykora (2.33 ERA, 0.906 WHIP, .168 batting average against, 129 Ks in 85 IP).

As such, the game plan was to (i) hang in there, (ii) grab a lead against the bullpen and (iii) close it out. And to their credit, Carolina largely kept to that script, battling to claim a 2-1 lead in the 6th inning before allowing a solo homer and a rough 9th inning.

19-year old RHP Manuel Rodriguez’s innings were limited after a recent injury and recovery, but he retired 6 of 7 batters faced, with a single, stolen base and wild pitch unfortunately leading to an early 1-0 deficit. However, he handed over to LHP Mason Molina and RHP Tyson Hardin, who combined to toss four shutout innings to keep Carolina in it.

The pitching prize for the Mudcats in this game definitely goes to Molina, who retired all 9 batters he faced with 5 Ks over 3 IP (38 pitches, 29 strikes). Let’s keep an eye out for the 21-year old seventh round 2024 selection’s placement and role in 2025.

The offense did manage to get the leadoff man on base against Sykora in the 1st (Braylon Payne walk) and 2nd innings (Marco Dinges single), but 5 strikeouts and a pick off squelched those threats. Sykora retired the final 12 Mudcats he faced before giving way after 5 shutout innings and 79 pitches.

However, Carolina seized its chance against Fredericksburg’s bullpen with a Dinges 2-out RBI double, two singles and a walk leading to 2 runs in the 6th inning for a 2-1 advantage in front of 2,971 excited fans. Unfortunately, two baserunners were stranded as they opted not to pinch hit for struggling 2B Filippo Di Turi (0-for-3, 3 Ks).

Fredericksburg responded with a first-pitch game-tying solo shot off Hardin to lead off the 7th inning and threatened again in the 8th inning with a leadoff single and walk, but Hardin ultimately escaped with an inning-ending double play.

 

Manager Nick Stanley’s 9th inning call went to 21-year old RHP Jeison Pena who unfortunately hit the first batter he faced on a 2-2 pitch and then threw 8 consecutive balls. 22-year old RHP Jack Sepping entered with the bases loaded and nobody out, conceding a single and sacrifice fly for a 5-2 deficit before inducing a ground ball double play.

With one out in the 9th inning, Dinges (3-for-4, double, RBI) singled yet again to attempt to rally the troops before OF/1B Reece Walling saw his first action of the series to draw a walk as a pinch hitter. That brought each of left fielder Luis Castillo (fly out on first pitch), SS Daniel Guilarte (single) and pinch hitting OF Yhoswar Garcia (ground out) to the plate as the potential game-tying run, but it wasn’t meant to be this year.

Mudcats’ Extras:

• Carolina out-hit the Nationals 6-to-4 and limited them to just 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position (with 3 left-on-base), but stranded 7 baserunners in the frustrating season-ending defeat.
• One might question the choice of Pena to handle the 9th inning (5.02 ERA, 35 Ks / 26 BB in 43 IP), but the truth is we don’t even know who was available (e.g. youngsters Anthony Flores (18) or Bryan Rivera (19)?; newcomer Chandler Welch (just 1 2/3 IP since signing)?), given so many familiar faces being on the injured list or promoted to Wisconsin. In the end, the offense needed to deliver something more against a solid Fredericksburg team.
• The bigger question was perhaps the rationale for red-hot Walling only batting once in two games and experienced Miguel Briceno not playing at all, while Di Turi and Castillo struggled, combining to conclude the year in an 0-for-44 funk with 30 Ks.
• That said, what a year for the Carolina Mudcats, capturing the first half division title despite being the youngest team in the Carolina League. Hats off to the players, coaches and administrators on a phenomenal campaign!

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. Nashville and Biloxi get things started tonight at 6:35pm CST, while the Milwaukee Brewers have an 8:40pm start time in Arizona.

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[Joseph Zarr]

What a win by those resilient T-Rats. So  Awesome to see Championship DNA being developed at the A-Levels. And <Gasps> it'a trickling into <Gasps again!> <Gulps>  Biloxi?!?

[Joseph Zarr]

I can absolutely roll with a core of Areinamo, Pratt, Adams, and Ernesto Martinez Jr. I will go to battle with those young men and their collective skills and competitive fire 24/7 365.

We have to keep EMJ in the system. No other option. Nope. None.

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's keep the good times rollin'!