Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/8): Wilken Slam Highlights Offensive Outbursts in 4-0 Sunday for Affiliates

[Ro Mueller]

Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers

For the week, Nashville (5-1), Biloxi (5-1) and Wisconsin (4-2) were all series winners, while Carolina (2-4) came up on the short end.

Transactions:

• Claimed OF Drew Avans from the Athletics and optioned to AAA Nashville
• LHP Tyler Jay activated by AAA Nashville from Development List
• RHP Sam McWilliams placed on Development List by AAA Nashville
• LHP Russell Smith placed on full season injured list
• RHP Josue Toledo assigned to DSL Brewers Blue from DSL Brewers Gold

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 10, Gwinnett 4
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 End Series With 10-4 Win, Take Five of Six Games Against Stripers

Having already won the series and facing a Sunday bullpen game, one might have expected the Sounds to come out flat in this one. Well, one would have been wrong, as they had 9 straight hitters reach base with 1 out in the 1st inning, plating 6 runs to excite 6,819 home fans.

SS Freddy Zamora’s 2-run double highlighted that outburst in support of spot starter RHP Garrett Stallings (3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K).

Seven pitchers saw action in the easy win, including LHP Tyler Jay (1 IP, 1 K) and RHPs Craig Yoho (1 IP, 3 Ks) and Blake Holub (1 IP, 2 Ks) retiring all 9 batters they faced.

Did this 7th inning no-doubter from 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. only travel 389 feet? Skeptics abound.

Sounds’ Extras: 

• Red-hot Anthony Seigler (.307 AVG, .965 OPS) contributed an RBI double, HBP and 2 runs this game while catching the 9 innings.

Next week’s outlook: Nashville heads due east over to Norfolk, Virginia to take on the Orioles’ affiliate.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 6, Montgomery 4
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Wilken's Grand Slam Leads Shuckers to 6-4 Win, Six-Game Division Lead

Similar to the Sounds’ storyline, Biloxi gave their hurlers some early breathing room, in this case behind 3B Brock Wilken’s Southern League-leading 15th homer, a 1st inning grand slam for a 4-1 lead:

Starting RHP Alexander Cornielle undoubtedly appreciated the support, though it was a relatively short outing for him (3.2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 WP, 3 Ks) as he made his 2nd start in 5 days.

Kudos to RHP Abdiel Mendoza (2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) for being an effective bridge to the bullpen, although things got a bit more tense late.

Three straight 2-out hits against RHP Tyler Bryant brought the potential lead run to the plate in the top of the 8th, but Bryant came thru with a strikeout swinging to erase that threat.

Shuckers’ Extras:

• DH Mike Boeve (single, 2 walks) and SS Cooper Pratt (3 singles, RBI, 2 SBs) each reached base 3 times in productive days at the plate.
• 1B Luke Adams singled, but exited after a hit-by-pitch in the 4th inning. He’d stayed on the bases for one batter after the HBP, so we’re hoping the exit was purely precautionary.

Next week’s outlook: Biloxi heads 6.5 hours north by road to take on Reds’ affiliate Chattanooga for six games commencing on Tuesday.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wisconsin 7, Cedar Rapids 5
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Wisconsin Takes Series with Sunday Win over Kernels

Video highlights of the impressive series-clinching victory are available thanks to the terrific Wisconsin media team:

And we’re also blessed to have a jam-packed 36-minute Mehring/Lobner post-game podcast, featuring RHP Sam Garcia, OF Luiyin Alastre and Manager Victor Estevez.

What a great first High-A start for 23-year old RHP Sam Garcia (5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks)!

As you’ve read, seen and heard at the various links, the Timber Rattlers didn’t get some breathing space until SS Eduardo Garcia’s 3-run 4th inning homer gave them a 4-0 cushion.

The squad then weathered some late inning runs and traffic to send 4,221 home fans happy, highlighted by 1-4-3 and 6-4-3 double plays in the 8th and 9th innings behind RHP Patricio Aquino.

Timber Rattlers’ Extras:

• The team’s 9-thru-4 batters contributed 11 of their 12 hits, including 3-hit days for 2B Juan Baez and DH Marco Dinges. 1B Blake Burke (2-for-4, walk, RBI) also lifted his season average to an impressive .325 with a .869 OPS.
• Although he stranded a baserunner for Garcia, this wasn’t really the outing that RHP Yerlin Rodriguez was looking for: 1 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 4 BB, 2 WP, 2 Ks.

Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin faces a 7+ hour road-trip to head over to Midland, Michigan and battle Dodgers’ affiliate Great Lakes for 6 games, with RHP Ryan Birchard (4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11.3 K/9 in 42 1/3 IP) listed as the expected starter for Tuesday’s series opener.

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Carolina 6, Charleston 2
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details: Mudcats Beat Charleston to Snap Skid

Continuing the day’s theme, the Mudcats jumped out in front 4-0 by the third inning on the back of OF Jose Anderson’s first Low-A homer (a laser 2-run shot), triples from SS Jesus Made and OF Braylon Payne and three second inning singles.

RHP Travis Smith was getting his second start of the week, but we’re still a bit surprised that he only went 31 pitches (3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks). 

LHP Bjorn Johnson’s first inning of relief was a tricky 6th, with 3 hits cutting the lead to 4-2 with 2-on, 1-out, but C Yannic Walther got a huge caught stealing (per the game log, but not the box score – oddly) before a fly out finished the escape.

The very next batter was 3B Filippo Di Turi, who brought the game back to 5-2 with his blast.

Johnson (4 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 Ks) was nearing his season-high pitch total (62) with 2-on, 1-out in the top of the 9th inning, getting a pretty 1-4-3 double play to end the game and his outing at 62 pitches.

Mudcats’ Extras:

• Eight of the 9 Mudcats’ batters collected hits, while the remaining hitter walked twice.
• Walther (3-for-4, double) also contributed with his bat, while 2B Luis Lameda reached base four times (2-for-2, double, 2 walks) and Made had a 2-for-5 afternoon with an RBI.

Next week’s outlook: Carolina heads three hours’ north to battle second place Lynchburg, Virginia to battle the Guardians’ affiliate.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, our Dominican Summer League squads (Blue and Gold) get the action started at 10:00am CST against DSL Tampa Bay and DSL Cubs Blue, respectively. Later, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Braves at 6:40pm and our ACL Brewers host the ACL Athletics at 8:00pm CST.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

 

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[WAN2]

Turang's second half will reveal what we have.  

[sveumrules]

Nice to see Pratt have a good game as he’s been struggling big time lately.

Thru 0517 he was at 166 PA of 259/345/399 (124 wRC+) with a 9.6 BB% | 13.9 K%.

He got HBP on 0517, played the next day, then missed the next few games before reappearing on 0523.

Since 0517 he’s at 62 PA of 161/230/196 (30 wRC+) with a 6.5 BB% | 19.4 K%.

Went back and looked at the game thread and link report for 0517 but didn’t see any specific mention of where he was hit.

Could just be a cold streak, but wonder if he hasn’t playing a little dinged up the last couple weeks.

[MPsconnie]

When do we think the Brocket Ship will get the call up to Nashville? 162 wRC+ .875 OPS in the Southern League both 2nd best in the league. (behind Luke Adams)

[Trax]

What is the Russ Smith injury that's shutting him down for the year?  He's sure had a tough go of it,

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, MPsconnie said:

When do we think the Brocket Ship will get the call up to Nashville? 162 wRC+ .875 OPS in the Southern League both 2nd best in the league. (behind Luke Adams)

And that includes a terribly slow start still...Wilken has been destroying the baseball to get those numbers up to where they now are

[sveumrules]

1 hour ago, MPsconnie said:

When do we think the Brocket Ship will get the call up to Nashville? 162 wRC+ .875 OPS in the Southern League both 2nd best in the league. (behind Luke Adams)

Think it’s still gonna be awhile with the .208 batting average and 27.5 K%.

Brock has also cooled considerably since his scorching few weeks in May batting 148/303/404 with a 30.3 K% over his last 66 PA.