Brewers Minor League Link Report (9/18): Nashville Cracked 18 Hits in Victory, Though Biloxi’s Season Ended

[Ro Mueller]

Transactions:

• LHP Nate Peterson activated by AAA Nashville from Development List
• RHP Garrett Stallings placed on Development List by AAA Nashville

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 15, Louisville 4
Box Score and Game Log

Via a Sounds’ press release, game details: Sounds Pile up Season-High 18 Hits in Win over Bats

After just 13 Sounds’ batters had come to the plate, Nashville had already raced out to an 8-0 lead in the 2nd inning, scorching the Louisville Bats to grab a 2-1 road series lead.

OF Daz Cameron (2-for-5, walk, RBI) got it all started with a first pitch, 101.7mph double to open the game, while OF Brandon Lockridge (4-for-5, walk, 4 RBIs, SB) delivered a 105.8mph RBI single and a 102.5mph bases-clearing double within the first two frames.

DH Jeferson Quero’s 105.3mph, 3-run dinger completed the early barrage in support of starting LHP Tucker Davidson (5 IP, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 Ks), who can be forgiven for losing his edge for one inning (3-run 2nd frame) while holding such a big lead. Quero went 2-for-4 with 2 walks and 3 RBIs in the contest.

Every Nashville batter collected at least one hit, with 8 of the batters driving in runs in a fun evening at the park, highlighted by 3B Anthony Seigler’s 107.9mph, 426-foot 2-run blast in the 4th inning.

Sounds’ Extras:

• C Eric Haase doubled home 2 runs in the 5th inning to extend the advantage to 14-3 by that point, part of a 3-for-6 evening for him.
• 40-man MLB roster men RHP Easton McGee and Craig Yoho stayed fresh by covering one scoreless inning each, along with LHP Nate Peterson.

Next week’s outlook: RHP Carlos Rodriguez (5 IP, 1 R, 5 Ks last week) is scheduled for his 2nd start since being optioned back to AAA, with Nashville aiming for a 3-1 series advantage.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Montgomery 4, Biloxi 2
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 Eliminated from 2025 Playoffs in Game Two Loss Against Montgomery

A truly dramatic playoff game from start to finish saw both starting pitchers dance around traffic in the early innings before 2B Jesus Made (2-for-5) blasted his first AA homer (3rd inning solo shot) and SS Cooper Pratt (2-for-4) doubled and scored on a 1B Blake Burke (2-for-4) single in the 6th inning for a 2-0 lead.

While Shuckers’ RHP Jaron DeBerry minimized hard contact and received strong defensive support over 5 2/3 scoreless innings (5 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 Ks), his counterpart TJ Nichols relied more on strikeouts (5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 Ks), including six consecutive Ks at one point.

After the teams combined to strand 5 baserunners in the bottom of the 6th and top of the 7th innings, old friend Jadher Areinamo drew an inning-opening walk against RHP Austin Roberts, who then conceded a game-tying 2-run homer. A few batters later, old friend Gregory Barrios reached on a rare error by Pratt, ultimately allowing 2 unearned runs to cross.

2-out walks by 3B Luke Adams and C Darrien Miller gave Biloxi its last real chance in the 8th inning, but an OF Bladimir Restituyo pop-out dashed that hope.

Shuckers’ Extras:

• Pratt’s return to action was a very welcome sight after he’d exited his last game with a hand injury 8 days earlier.
• RHP Abdiel Mendoza did well to strike out Brayden Taylor in relief of DeBerry to strand two baserunners before working around a walk and single in the 7th frame, covering 1 1/3 innings in just 22 pitches. RHP Travis MacGregor also covered 1 1/3 scoreless innings to give the Biloxi offense a chance to come back.
• We’d like to give a huge thank you to Biloxi’s management and administrators, particularly Javik Blake and the media team. This was a successful season in so many respects and you did exceptionally well to cover it all.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, the Sounds commence their game at 6:15pm CST, while the Milwaukee Brewers head to St. Louis for a 7:15pm CST start.

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[biedergb]

Yay Nashville offense.

 

Biloxi - what a season. I mean in early April I thought this team was heading toward a repeat of their 2024 season with no offense, who squeezed their way into the playoffs with some amazing pitching in the second half. But late April this offense came alive after Garret Spain's arrival (technically a demotion from AAA), and while his numbers never popped he was a guy in the center of a lot of success (key HR, key catch or throw, etc). The offense was led by Wilken, Adams, Pratt and Lara and supported by Warren, Murray and R. Rodriguez, and looked like a runaway team in the Southern League.

But injuries, man, the big what-if's for that club. It was Rodriguez who went down first, and while not a prospect he was a good veteran catcher with solid offense as an over-age player (26 years old, but his OPS was .941). Then it was Adams in that awkward collision at the plate. And as the team cruised to a first half title, Wilken suffers his second freak injury in as many years. There were so many nights of a single man bench.  The team got his second legs late in the year with Matt Wood and later Blake Burke who both hit really well in the Southern League (Burke especially) which is no small feat. Luis Lara had an exceptional year, I mean an OPS .712 with 44 SB and gold glove defense as a 20 year. Cooper Pratt put himself as a clear top3-5 prospect, but whether it was nagging injuries or something his month-by-month splits showed good-bad-good-bad-good, so consistency was a challenge for him.  They got Adams and Wilken back at the very end but neither really looked like the late April - early June versions of themselves. Boeve was never fully recovered this year I don't think. Made had a cup of coffee and showed he belonged. But that offense never clicked like they did in May, or even in late July or August.

Pitching was very solid for most of the year, and that original Cornielle, Hunt, Kuehner, Mendoza and later Wichrowski rotation, that was later augmented with Coleman Crow. And when he was promoted, then it was Tyson Hardin, who then was shut down for a while until the end of season. The bullpen was solid with Yeager, Childers, Bowman, Bryant and Manfredi. But injury to Bryant in late July, promotions to Yeager and Childers really hit that bullpen.

Overall a team that a ton of prospects, but man injuries (and a few promotions which is a good thing) really depleted the squad. I think they would have had a chance to truly compete for the Southern League title, but they felt like they limped along at the end and ran into a buzzsaw team in Montgomery who won what 8 straight against the Shuckers.  

This minor league season has been so fun, but I feel like a lot of the clubs in the organization, I kind of just limped along to the finish. I couldn't even get myself to watch the game last night just nervously looking at the scoreboard from time to time, and the 8th inning collapse just crushed my night.

The good news is a lot of the names I typed here will be back and likely in AAA, or back in AA, and several will find their way on to the big league roster someday as there is a lot of talent here. 

While Nashville still has their season to wrap up this is not the end of affiliate ball, but it is right around the corner with the 3 games this weekend to play.

[Joseph Zarr]

The better team in Montgomery won that series. It's as simple as that. Had they played at the end of the first half (before Wilken's calamitous celebration), I think we all know this is very very likely a flipped script. But, that's not how it works in Minor League baseball. It's why you look at a team like the Michigan Whitecaps and marvel: they lost their three top prospects to promotion - McGonigle, Briceño, and Clark - at the start of the second half and still won the Midwest League post-season title. Now, that's organizational depth. These same three helped Eerie win 15-of-18 to get into the Double-A post-season as well where they are knotted 1-1 in their DLS. I've grown quite accustomed to the late season fade amongst the Brewers full-season affiliates. Injuries and promotions have very obviously played their part in recent years. BUT, it sure would be nice to see one of the teams capitalize when it matters most.  It will all be moot if the Brewers can continue defying all the odds and all the naysayers this post-season. We turn our collective hopes and dreams and, honestly, baseball prayers in that well-deserving direction. 

This one was a long Minor League season with very different halves of Brewers Minor League baseball. The second half was a grind and it was filled with many many losses. I'm quite glad it's over after Sunday.😅 Thankfully, the Sounds are playing good ball. They really showed resolve and grit as they turned their second half around. It's easy to forget they had losing streaks of 7 and 4 games in August. Sitting here as the season comes to a close at 6 games over is a win for the club. Proud of that team and the coaching staff given what they've dealt with all season along in the roster shuffling department. Here's hoping they can give us a pleasant taste in our mouths to close this season out officially on Sunday.

[Ro Mueller]

I’d meant to include @ARobsBrewCrew’s update on Ernesto Martinez Jr.:

”Ernesto Martinez’ 2025 MiLB season is over.  He was placed on the Development List earlier this week and is no longer in the states as he will be playing for the French Men’s Senior Team competing for the Baseball European Championship.  Colin Walsh (Ireland) and Noah Zavolas (Greece) are also set to compete.”

If that’s the last we see of free-agent-to-be EMJ in a Sounds’ uniform, he finished on an 8-game hitting streak and with a .890 OPS over his final 69 PAs.

[Ro Mueller]

I don’t know how much managing wiggle room they really get (probably not much), but I’d suspect the main “what ifs” running through Manager Ayrault’s mind after that tough loss are:

1) Whether he could/should have sent out Abdiel Mendoza for the 8th inning. After a blow-up on May 14, Mendoza tossed 11.2 scoreless innings against Montgomery the rest of the year.

2) Whether he should have had Eduardo Garcia bat instead of Restituyo with 2-on, 2-out in the 8th inning. They were facing a lefty or else Matt Wood would have been the obvious choice.

[Joseph Zarr]

3 hours ago, Ro Mueller said:

I’d meant to include @ARobsBrewCrew’s update on Ernesto Martinez Jr.:

”Ernesto Martinez’ 2025 MiLB season is over.  He was placed on the Development List earlier this week and is no longer in the states as he will be playing for the French Men’s Senior Team competing for the Baseball European Championship.  Colin Walsh (Ireland) and Noah Zavolas (Greece) are also set to compete.”

If that’s the last we see of free-agent-to-be EMJ in a Sounds’ uniform, he finished on an 8-game hitting streak and with a .890 OPS over his final 69 PAs.

It certainly appears as though we will not be seeing the fairy tale Brewers ending many of us had hoped for with the long-tenured EMJ. This will actually make me legitimately sad if it is indeed the last we see of EMJ in the Brewers org. He is an extremely likable player who has massively entertained over the past two plus seasons.