Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/2): Sounds Lose Fourth Straight Despite 4 2/3 Combined Scoreless Relief Innings

[Joseph Zarr]

Losers of four straight, the Sounds bats are deep asleep. It's always a tough watch when a collective team's best weapon in a given game (or series of games) is the free pass. A second consecutive night with double digit strikeouts as a group, a mere two pokes but no extra base hits, but there are those five zesty walks. Unfortunately, even with the free passes the Sounds were 0-for-4 with RISP. There's no putting lipstick on this baseball pig at present: Sounds baseball currently just isn't pretty. The 1-4 record is every bit the 1-4 record. Thankfully, the collective bullpen rescued RHP Deivi García from his wild outing and salvaged a more palatable score when all was said and done. Let's get into the report!

Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic

Transactions:

No official transactions BUT there was important news on the prospect front pertaining to the Nashville Sounds:

Let's simply hope this 'slight hamstring issue' doesn't linger. 

---

Final: Gwinnett (Braves) 4, Nashville 1 

Via the Sounds' website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

Sounds Held to Two Hits in Wednesday Loss to Gwinnett - Sounds Bullpen Holds Stripers to One Hit Over Final 4 1/3 IP

Box Score / Game Log

Last year the Sounds had one of the best bullpens in the entire International League for large portions of the season. As bullpen arms were plucked by the Brewers to give them innings with the big club, the Sounds arms kept churning. This year, the bullpen continues to show flashes it has the horses to hold their own - they've now allowed a single earned run over their last 13 1/3 IP. Today's battery mates were RHP Blake Holub, LHP Grant Wolfram, RHP Jesús Liranzo, and RHP Craig Yoho. Once again, they gave their team every chance to make a game of it. The starting pitching remains a different story. Outside of a single Jacob Misiorowski outing, the starting arms have not looked the part. RHP Deivi García darn near replicated LHP Bruce Zimmerman's work from game one: 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 HB, 1 WP, 4 K, 4 R (3 ER). Nearly a 3.00 WHIP in game two. Garcia topped out at 93.3 mph on his four-seamer and averaged a mere 91.4 mph. He mixed in a cutter and a change-up but threw the heater nearly 70% of his outing.

Needless to say, Garcia's overall output just isn't going to do any favors for a struggling offense. Addendum: we're five games in. The early season loss of C Jeferson Quero and INF/OF Tyler Black (as well as a rest day for one INF Caleb Durbin) has made its mark in the early going. Let's hope the veteran bats wake up and start delivering some more production.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) There isn't all that much to discuss offensively, but a very early bright spot would have to be the improved early discipline from 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. He has only collected three pokes in 16 AB but he's sporting a 4:3 BB:K ratio. He grabbed two of the team's five free passes in the loss. He also collected a single. Despite the small sample induced 0.188 BA he has managed a respectable 0.663 OPS as a result. Unfortunately, his error in the fourth frame led to the Stripers final run.

2) INF Freddy Zamora saw his second action of the season in his seemingly entrenched nine-spot in the Sounds batting order. He managed an 0-for-3, 2 K outing. Zamora has yet to grab a hit or a free pass in his meager six AB. Like many others on the Sounds roster, he's looking to find a spark. It will be interesting to see if he is given another chance tomorrow when INF Caleb Durbin surely returns to third base duties.

3) As alluded to above, the offense has been struggling. How bad has the struggle been through five games? The bats as a whole have struck out a whopping 54 times in 161 official PA. That's good for a team K-rate of 33.5%. This is not a typo. DH Wes Clarke has certainly done his part in this department with 10 whiffs in just 16 AB. It isn't just Clarke, however - as a team the swing and miss has been a major problem. There are far too many veteran hitters in this line-up to see this level of futility last for much longer. I'm calling for a breakout tomorrow. My over/under is the Sounds scoring five runs. I'm taking the over.

---

Game Three starts at a more reasonable 5:05 CST and RHP Logan Henderson will look to rebound from an erratic first outing.  Let's hope the Sounds bats wake up as a group and the men can pull out an elusive victory. Until then, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

MiLB Audio Links
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

View full article

[Jim Goulart]

From Biloxi's Exhibition Wed. night -

Media Notes

Pitching Dominates, Shuckers Defeat Pearl River in Final Tuneup before Opener
Five Shuckers’ arms combine for a three-hit shutout, Pratt records multi-hit night

 

[Jim Goulart]

Media Day Video -

 

[Jim Goulart]

This includes video of the Ethan Murray catch (audio above, wow).

By the way, incredible job by the Community College players...particularly on the mound.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Watching 3B Brock Wilken K twice on video has me nostalgic for late 2024. The more things change...😅. I also had to laugh at the first video clip acting as though EBJ is still the everyday SS. They didn't even mention Mr. Pratt once in that segment. Fake News!😝