Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/25): Only A Nashville Doubleheader Split Avoids an Organizational Wipeout

[Jim Goulart]

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

The balls were flying in Charlotte (as they always do), but runs were tough to come by below the AAA level - and heck, hits for that matter, for the youngest of the affiliates, nothing new there.

 

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Transactions:

• Nashville Sounds placed RHP Will Childers on the 7-day injured list retroactive to April 24.
• Nashville Sounds activated RHP Kaleb Bowman from the Development List.

No word on what is ailing Childers, His ERA is 0.00 and WHIP is 1.00 through seven outings. It seems a retroactive placement in and of itself is hopeful of a short stint.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final, Game One: Nashville 12, Charlotte (White Sox) 5
Box Score and Game Log

Final, Game Two: Charlotte 16, Nashville 6
Box Score and Game Log

NOTE: Both games in Charlotte were seven-inning contests, while the Sounds were the home team in the nightcap due to a prior postponement in Nashville

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

Sounds Split Doubleheader in Charlotte - Nashville Records 25 Hits, 11 Extra-Base Hits, and 18 Runs Across Two Games

The Sounds' staff wisely included all five home runs from the doubleheader in video form (Eddys Leonard grand slam, Ethan Murray solo bomb, Jeferson Quero solo, Jett Williams two-run dinger, Luis Lara solo) in their report linked above, so I have peace of mind in knowing you will now familiarize yourself with those and all the statistical tidbits within.

Also from Game One:

Additional Game One Video:

Ethan Murray two-RBI single
Brock Wilken RBI single
Cooper Pratt RBI triple
Luis Lara RBI groundout

Additional Game Two Video:

Jeferson Quero sacrifice fly
Ramon Rodriguez RBI single

Our own @Spencer Michaelis added detail to the Lara home run here.

OK, that was quite the feast for your eyes. The Knights scored 21 runs over 14 innings so you know there were some unfortunate pitches thrown by Sounds hurlers as well. Craig Yoho was taken deep twice within five pitches. 

All position players on the roster saw action, with Jacob Hurtubise and Freddy Zamora swapped in for Leonard and Murray in the later contest.

Luis Lara did commit his first fielding error in Game Two but also threw out a runner at third base later in the game. Cooper Pratt was on base six times on the day, that's promising. Nashville batters only K'd eight times between the two games. Sounds pitchers walked ten total on the day.

Robert Gasser's first appearance in fifteen days (third start overall) was brief (32 pitches, 22 strikes) and was aided by old friend Oliver Dunn's ill-fated attempt to steal home to end Gasser's second (and final) inning of work.

Given Gasser's planned short stint, Garrett Stallings was forced to wear one in Game Two, and even with that Manager Rick Sweet wanted to see more than three innings out of the minor league veteran. Logan Henderson is Sunday's scheduled starter, and the Brewers have been conserving his bullets, with 3.1 innings being the longest Henderson's gone in his four appearances thus far - just 12.2 IP over four AAA games. Sweet will once again be glad to leave the Coors Field of the East.

 

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Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Rocket City (Angels) 6, Biloxi 3
Box Score and Game Log

Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - RHP Tyson Hardin's interview available, discusses his changeup development process

Shuckers Doubled by Trash Pandas on Mudbugs Night - Shuckers Drop Second Straight to Trash Pandas 

Mudbugs merch! (For you crawfish fans...)

The Shuckers won the first three games of the series and hope to avoid a 3rd consecutive loss Sunday. The game summary mentions this as a second consecutive "rubber game". The first came about in the opening series of the season, which you may remember was a three-game weekend set. It is true that today's finale will decide whether the series ends in a split or a Shuckers win, but if the series isn't tied heading into the finale, is it really a rubber game? It's open to your interpretation (origination of the term, nothing to do with actual rubber).

Oh yeah, the game.

Nice that Damon Keith's recent IL stint was brief, .990 OPS through his ten games played:

The lone hit for this young man in four AB's, but let it grace our screens -

Made almost beat out this groundout, but it netted him an RBI.

It was rosy for 20-year-old starter Manuel Rodriguez through four innings. Then came the Trash Panda 5th, all of this after two outs!

Single (no video)
Stolen base
RBI single
RBI double
RBI single
Single, runner to 3rd (no video)
Stolen base, men on 2nd and 3rd
Run-scoring balk (no video)
RBI single

Rodriguez has only walked five in his four starts, and none here.

Biloxi batters only K'd four times but were 1-for-11 with RISP.

This was Mike Boeve's 9th start in left field (4 at 3B, 2 at 1B, 4 as the DH).

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Fort Wayne (Padres) 2, Wisconsin 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers, game details:

TinCaps Snap Rattlers Win Streak - Wisconsin scores eleven runs on eleven hits to beat TinCaps

Braylon Owens gives off Aaron Civale vibes, not the worst thing, young man (Civale signed for $7M with the Athletics for 2026).

In the history of professional baseball, there have only been six "Braylon's", five of them are active, and it would be six if one had not been released by the Pirates last August. So yeah, it's a name that only caught traction early this century. It was shocking to learn that of the six, the only two who were born in Texas were the Timber Rattlers duo (by the way, you did see the Braylon Payne missile within the game summary linked above, right?). Payne does not turn 20 years old until mid-August. My goodness, he's been amazing all month.

Defense is fun!

Speaking of the Wisconsin game summary, here's the fateful bottom of the 8th inning sequence verbatim:

"Omar Linares, the ninth batter in Fort Wayne’s order, drew a one-out walk. Jake Cunningham followed with a sharp single to right to put runners at the corners. Kasen Wells dropped a perfect safety squeeze bunt to score Linares from third for a 1-0 lead.

Galindez hit Lamar King Jr to load the bases before striking out Alex McCoy for the second out. That strikeout left McCoy hitless on the afternoon to end his hitting streak at fifteen games and ended the day for Galindez as the Rattlers went to the bullpen.

Yerlin Rodriguez took over for Galindez and issued a four-pitch walk to Rosman Verdugo and Fort Wayne picked up a very important insurance run."

Longtime Link Report readers might say, wait, Yerlin Rodriguez was brought in to replace another RHP who had just fanned a tough batter with the bases loaded and two outs? The Yerlin Rodriguez who had issued 12 free passes in 3.2 innings on the season-to-date and is beginning his 3rd high-powered yet roller-coaster and sometimes mind-numbing season with Wisconsin? Wouldn't you know it, Rodriguez fanned the next batter after the base on balls.

This, folks, is why it's all about player development. Can it frustrate fans, sure. 

The final pitcher for the TinCaps was a southpaw. RH bat Daniel Dickinson walked immediately after the Payne home run. On the bench were fellow righties Marco Dinges and Andrew Fischer. Tempting to bat for LH swingers Eric Bitonti and Josiah Ragsdale, right? Please read the brief paragraph above this one again! Bitonti flied out to left, Ragsdale was caught looking (on what was definitely not a strike three, watched it live).

Not the best angle on that final pitch, but judge for yourself, the CF view was just as questionable!

 

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Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Delmarva (Orioles) 4, Wilson 1
Box Score and Game Log

Home Runs Doom Wilson in Series Loss - Warbirds Drop Fourth Straight

You know, we haven't really done nearly enough wordplay with this whole Warbirds vs. Shorebirds matchup. Have to believe there are some broadcast challenges there!

Wilson was being no-hit until two were down in the 7th.

Luis Lameda lines a single to break up the Delmarva no-no

Had to wait until there were two outs in the 9th inning for this:

That was Wilson's second hit of the night. The third hit immediately followed - Handelfry Encarnacion pulled a fly ball triple to right (no video available).

Don't have the actuals on this, but how many times has Jose Anderson (4 HR, 19 RBI) accounted for all the Warbirds RBI in a game?) By the way, Anderson's K percentage now sits at 49.4% through 85 plate appearances.

19-year-old RHP Tyler Renz walked four today, giving him 14 through 18.1 IP over five appearances (four starts). Can't be easy (or fun) for these Wilson pitchers to lack run support, not to mention the brief dugout layovers with so many quick innings.

Wilson batters drew ten walks (Brady Ebel twice plus he was hit by a pitch), so if it had been a no-hitter, it would have been of the ugly variety.

Team RISP: 0-for-13.
Team LOB: 14.

It's been tempting all month to insert a Tom Hanks screaming "Wilson!" image into a report. Too many painful moments.

 

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All four Sunday games have early starts, none later than 1:00 Central. RHP Jason Woodward continues his return from a second Tommy John surgery in Fort Wayne for the Rattlers. Hope everyone caps off their weekend on a positive note, including a certain team playing at Am-Fam Field.

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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[biedergb]

Braylon Owens is one worth watching.  The pitching in the organization has not been up to its own incredibly high standards.  Birchard has started out well (walk rate and pitch count are his Achilles heel), and early results from DeBerry, Renz, Meccage and Torres are encouraging.  Hardin is really interesting with good peripherals but such a high BABIP that is has his WHIP and OPS against so high.  Otherwise it’s been a mixed bag.  Yes early on and SSS.  But it would be nice for a guy like Owens to force himself on the scene.  Hopeful the other long and deep list of arms can get going as the season progresses and get/stay healthy please!!

[SF70]

45 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Braylon Owens is one worth watching.  The pitching in the organization has not been up to its own incredibly high standards.  Birchard has started out well (walk rate and pitch count are his Achilles heel), and early results from DeBerry, Renz, Meccage and Torres are encouraging.  Hardin is really interesting with good peripherals but such a high BABIP that is has his WHIP and OPS against so high.  Otherwise it’s been a mixed bag.  Yes early on and SSS.  But it would be nice for a guy like Owens to force himself on the scene.  Hopeful the other long and deep list of arms can get going as the season progresses and get/stay healthy please!!

They still have a ton of big arms yet to debut, Thompson-Knoth-Morrison-Broughton-Episcope all should appear in the next month or two. That handful should be fun to follow.

I think by mid-season things will look a lot different pitching-wise.