Brewers Minor League Link Report (3/28): Valiant Late Effort Can't Offset Nashville's Missed Opportunities

[Jim Goulart]

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Transactions: 

• Milwaukee Brewers recalled C Jeferson Quero from Nashville Sounds.
• C Andrick Nava reinstated from Nashville's Development List

We also learned that RHP Joe Corbett had been placed on the Sounds' Development List to start the season.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Norfolk (Orioles) 7, Nashville 6, ten innings
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds, game details and postgame notes/analysis, and we always encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Sounds Lose in Walk-Off Fashion to Norfolk - Leonard Shines with Three Hits, Falls a Home Run Short of the Cycle

Not enough innings Friday (rain), agony in an extra inning Saturday.

Just watched MLB Network's Saturday night edition of "Quick Pitch" begin with six walk-off games. Add this one to the list.

It's not often we do this, but with a single game, why not take the Sounds' game summary details and mix in the accompanying video. Here goes:

Norfolk struck first in the bottom of the second inning. After retiring the first two batters, Sounds starter Coleman Crow issued a walk to Will Robertson and allowed a single to Willy Vasquez to put runners on the corners. Following a stolen base, Jud Fabian delivered a two-run double to left field, giving the Tides an early 2–0 lead.

 

The Sounds responded in the fifth inning to even the score. Eddys Leonard led off with a walk, and after a flyout, Freddy Zamora and Ramón Rodríguez hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Jett Williams followed with a clutch base hit, driving in Leonard and Zamora to tie the game at 2–2.

 

Crow turned in a solid outing, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six over 4.2 innings. Easton McGee took over in relief and worked out of trouble in the fifth but ran into issues in the sixth. After hitting the leadoff batter, McGee surrendered back-to-back singles to bring in a run, and a groundout later in the inning extended Norfolk’s lead to 4–2.

 

The Tides added another insurance run in the eighth inning on a solo home run off Blake Holub, stretching their advantage to 5–2.

 

Facing a three-run deficit in the ninth, Nashville mounted an impressive rally. Eddys Leonard sparked the comeback with a leadoff triple, and Greg Jones followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit to two.

 

After Jones stole third, Rodríguez brought him home with a soft single to right, making it 5–4. The rally continued as Jett Williams drew a walk and Cooper Pratt reached on an infield single to load the bases. Tyler Black then delivered a game-tying RBI on a fielder’s choice, sending the game into extra innings.

 

In the top of the tenth, the Sounds took their first lead of the night. Leonard singled to put runners on the corners, and Jones came through again with an RBI hit to give Nashville a 6–5 advantage.

 

However, the Tides had the final answer. In the bottom of the tenth, Norfolk rallied with two runs, capped by a walk-off blooper into center field to secure the 7–6 victory.

 

Norfolk Tides on X: "WESTON WILSON WALKS OFF FOR THE TIDES!!! https://t.co/BjM5uUNkot" / X

(Oh, 'X', why must your platform be fussy...)

The link above could not be embedded because x.com does not allow embedding of that tweet.

We are used to Luis Lara getting to, well, everything. The Tides announcer mentions a late jump by Lara on that game winner, perhaps by a hair, that may have been the case.

If you hadn't already, read that full game summary because the Sounds always include cool postgame notes on the tail end of the report.

 

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There are more videos to view, like a sweet Black-Williams-Crow DP. More defense with Brock Wilken flashing third base leather.

Speaking of defense, how about Rick Sweet making sure he's maximizing flexibility:

Game 1 vs. Game 2 defensive position for:

• Jett Williams: 3B, then SS
• Cooper Pratt: SS, then DH (well, you get the point...)
• Tyler Black: LF, then 1B
• Brock Wilken: DH, then 3B

Luke Adams and Ethan Murray sat after their respective 1B and 2B debuts Friday.

As for Saturday debuts, Eddys Leonard (LF), Freddy Zamora (2B) and Ramon Rodriguez (C) combined to reach base ten times. Add in Greg Jones (as his highlights emphasized) and the bottom four in the Nashville order finished 10-for-18 with two walks.

Quite a few folks seemed puzzled as to why Eddys Leonard, a minor league free agent signee out of Atlanta's system, was such a quick exit from Brewers big league camp. 

Oh wait, did we not share additional videos from the unheralded lower half of the lineup? More clicking for you!

Greg Jones RBI single

Eddys Leonard triple - so wait, now we have to learn to pronounce Leonard's last name correctly, too?

Ramon Rodriguez RBI single

For a second night, it was a struggle for most of the bullpen. LHP Drew Rom had a 1-2-3 7th, and fellow southpaw Brian Fitzpatrick worked around a walk and soft single to keep things knotted in the bottom of the 9th. Your box score review will reveal difficulties by others.

Probably should not have waited this long to point things out in this regard, but there were some painful AB's here, and despite our season-long efforts to emphasize the positive, we'll note these "less than two out" failures with RISP:

• Cooper Pratt's shallow fly to RF with one out and a man on 3rd (Rodriguez) in the 4th
• Brock Wilken K'd on a foul tip with the bases loaded and one out in the 9th, just as the Sounds had tied the game in the prior at-bat
• Freddy Zamora with a bunt popout after the first two reached in the 10th
• Jett Williams popped out foul to first base with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th

After each of those failures, no one stepped up with a follow-up two-out knock, either.

Wilken netted the season's first Golden Sombrero, and you are compelled to note the sample is miniscule, 0-for-8, five K's. Shame on me for noting it. Sorry Brock, you'll kick butt moving forward.

 

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I am officially very concerned that you'll expect this level of individual game detail from myself, Daniel (Ro), and Ben going forward this year. Please don't, though we'll always be concisely thorough. These one-game reports are exceedingly rare.

LHP Tate Kuehner gets the start Sunday, 12:05 PM Central, before the Sounds come home to begin a six-game set with Charlotte (White Sox) on Tuesday. Enjoy your day, everyone!

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