Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/29): Shuckers Cruise, Others Split Four Tight Contests

[Jim Goulart]

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

If reading this report on Saturday AM, there's still time to get questions in to @Spencer Michaelis and longtime Brewers minor league Instagrammer of note "@BrewersFarm" for what should be an awesome new addition to the BrewerFanatic family of podcasts. Think of it as an extended 'Minor League Sandbox', we're all looking forward to it (recording today, Saturday).

Speaking of Spencer, be sure to read his latest:

 

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Transactions: 

• Milwaukee Brewers sent LHP Jared Koenig on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds.
• Nashville Sounds placed LF Greg Jones on the 7-day injured list.
• Nashville Sounds activated C Eric Martinez from the Development List.
• Wilson Warbirds activated RHP Miqueas Mercedes from the 7-day injured list.
• ACL Brewers placed SS Moises Polanco on the 7-day injured list.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes 
Final: Nashville 4, Gwinnett (Braves) 3
Box Score and Game Log

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

Sounds Win Second Straight over Gwinnett

Another fine write-up from the Sounds, highly suggested.

For those exasperated with the Luis Rengifo experience, we check in on Jett Williams, batting 5th in the lineup and only getting three at-bats in this home game win. It was this 91 MPH line single into center, nicely done, that scored the final (and deciding) run of the game. In the nearly complete month of May, Williams has posted a .253/.383/.425 line (.808 OPS), though the 22-year-old has only one multi-hit game in his last ten, and the knock you just watched was his first base hit in four games. In other words, not exactly banging the door down to immediately provide Brewers fans with much-needed Rengifo relief.

Brock Wilken was idle for a second consecutive game - he's slugging .254 in May; that's not a misprint.

Along with Robert Gasser (much mentioned in the game summary and seen here) and Koenig, it was a continued southpaw brigade with Drew Rom and Brian Fitzpatrick. Would love to see Fitzpatrick focus on multi-inning work, as that seems to be the priority working so well in the big-league bullpen. That value still has me thinking that Rob Zastryzny (idle in this one) doesn't have a true fit in Milwaukee and will be biding time as two weeks remain on his 30-day rehab stint capped length.

As for the two runs Gasser allowed, it was hardly a barrage. On this play, you'll see how left fielder Eddys Leonard's error set up Gasser's second run to be unearned, and here you'll see a broken bat flair brought in that unearned run. So, a solid night for Bob Gas overall.

Old friend Brewer Hicklen was 0-for-4, with two K's, but YTD he's at .335/.410/.542, impressive four-A player he is.

Sorry for making you wait, Ramon, here's your big fly:

 

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Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final, Biloxi 9, Columbus (Braves) 3
Box Score and Game Log

Shuckers Tie Franchise Record for Stolen Bases in Win Over Clingstones - Eight Stolen Base Evening for Biloxi Clinches Win in Columbus

The southern-based fans in Nashville and Biloxi do love themselves the Atlanta Braves franchise, so the two wins to kick off our report tonight may sting the locals some.

Plenty of offense-minded content in that game summary, but perhaps this is the most important takeaway:

"Shuckers starter Brett Wichrowski (6.0 IP, 5 K) worked into the sixth inning for the third straight start and has punched out 19 batters over those three appearances."

Wichrowski's still in just his age 23 season, and we should remember his professional experience below the AA level consists of only his first four starts, kicking off the 2024 season with the Timber Rattlers. Count me among those who feel the righthander's development trajectory may have been different if he had been allowed to simmer longer in Appleton that summer. Regardless, nice to see recent results, though he did walk four here (walks have not been an issue season-to-date).

Right-fielder Damon Keith and his .925 OPS last played on Saturday the 23rd.

Circumstances for Darrien Miller - this could only happen because there were two outs:

In some skillset ways, Mike Boeve is set to become the new Tyler Black, minus Black's 40-man roster status. LH bat, LF/1B/3B but no set home, and given Black's out-of-options situation for 2027, we'll be viewing Boeve in Black terms next spring. Those May numbers, by the way - .299/.353/.455. Boeve's first RBI in this game was hardly scorched but did the job (video).

Speaking of doing the job, if you're a sacrifice fly fan, watch Matthew Wood's fly to center and Eduardo Garcia's fly to right.

Three Shuckers were plunked in this game, all lived to talk about it. 

A player who did exit early, however, was first baseman Blake Burke. Burke led off the 5th with a double, pulling a sharp line drive to right. Take another look at that Boeve RBI video above, Burke was hit by the thrown ball as he slid across home plate. He popped right up, trotting to the dugout, but he did not re-enter on defense in the bottom half of the inning.

Glad you're feeling better, Jesus Made (no more illness)! Hitless Friday, but contributing, as your box score review indicated.

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Peoria (Cardinals) 7, Wisconsin 5, ten innings
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: 

Chiefs Top Timber Rattlers in Ten Innings - Early lead not enough for Wisconsin

Yeah, frustrating to lose a game in which the boys were up 3-0 after one inning, no T-Rat scores after the 5th. The game summary has your primary details, then translate that reading into what you'll see here, including Andrew Fischer's oh-so-close attempt to tie things up in the 10th.

Manager Nick Stanley is the guest on Chris and Jonathan's Postgame Podcast.

Luis Pena idle after easing back into action. Josh Adamczewski was scheduled for a night off but was called on to pinch-hit in the 10th. He was the victim of a checked swing that was called a full swing, wasn't happy about it.

We are still on Braylon Payne watch, no new info. It may have been mentioned in recent broadcasts, but we haven't picked up on that yet. Speaking of the broadcast, I paused the big-league Brewers game on the DVR, pulled up the final two innings of the Rattlers, and projected those innings from my phone onto the big-screen TV in my living room. My 2001 Rookie Link Reporter self would not have believed the comfort and technological progress in following the farm in 2026.

Deserved shoutout to Great Britain WBC RHP Jack Seppings - stranded an Ethan Dorchies runner to end the 6th and took it the rest of the way (zero walks). The one earned run against him was weak, as catcher David Garcia mishandled Eric Bitonti's (admittedly low) throw at the plate in the 10th.

 

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Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Myrtle Beach (Cubs) 11, Wilson 10
Box Score and Game Log

Wilson Rally Comes Up Short on Friday Night - Warbirds leave bases loaded in ninth inning

Ah yes, first time I get to see if I can spell "Myrtle" correctly out of the gate.

Sometimes a Link Reporter is getting towards the back end of his daily duties hoping to coast into the home stretch with a couple of low-scoring contests and then realizes that the Wilson and Maryvale games produced a combined 36 runs. Sigh....

Thought the Pelicans might have posted that nerve-wracking final out, Pedro Ibarguen's six-pitch at-bat ending in a strikeout, but no.

Handelfry Encarnacion's two-out, two-run triple in the 4th was a bit of a gift to his season stats, as the outfielder obliged:

Kevin Garcia's two-run double in the 7th also came with two outs:

We see you, Tyler Rodriguez, on base all five times up and three successful stolen base attempts. Rodriguez, playing left field, singled twice and walked thrice.

Brady Ebel walked twice and was also hit by a pitch. Ebel is inching his walk total (37) closer to his K total (41), while remaining a perfect 19-for-19 on the basepaths.

Rylan Mills (designated hitter) also reached three times without a knock, three bases on balls. Those were among the 12 walks earned by Wilson.

Encarnacion has played 35 games in right field, six in center, and his 5th error of the season and first in center did occur Friday.

Starting pitcher Miqueas Mercedes danced around baserunners to allow one run in his two-inning injured list return after a month away. RHP Jarrette Bonet's game log for May will reveal a tough month outside of his stellar bulk relief outing last time out.

As you might imagine, all told, there are 13 MiLB video clips archived, five at the Warbirds site and eight at the Pelicans' locale.

Nearly 4,800 on hand at the beach, impressive.

 

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Final: ACL Brewers 8, ACL Mariners 7, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score and Game Log

From earlier this week, thanks to my fellow Link Reporter "Ro" for bringing this to our attention, it's an excellent read, actually a must-read for diehards:

Concern about quality of ACL/FCL play and impact on young player development: 

What a 29-2 score says about the state of low-level minor-league baseball — and why MLB fans should care

As for this shortened game, first this:

Center fielder Brailyn Antunez missed his first game of the season (infielder Cristopher Acosta is now the lone Maryvale everyday iron man). As Ro wrote in the Link Report for Thursday's games:

Hopefully the victory did not come at a cost, as DH/OF Brailyn Antunez exited one inning after being hit-by-pitch.

The A-Crew knocked out four home runs, perhaps the one most of note being rehabbing Luke Adams' 2nd Arizona League blast in his three desert games.

19-year-old RF Engel Paulino remained hot, with two solo home runs Friday, now 5-for-his-last-13 with another home run within that span. CF Kenny Fenelon had the other long ball, his 4th.

Maryvale scored five in the 5th to overcome a 4-1 deficit and maintained the tight lead the rest of the way, with additional runs scored by each club. Two Brewers errors in the final inning added to the drama.

Nashville fans following rehabbing RHP Gerson Garabito's progress (broken bone in his foot) will see a scoreless 4th (a two-out double), in his 3rd scoreless Arizona outing.

Soon-to-be 19-year-old RH starter Hayden Vucinovich struck out seven in three innings of work but only walked two. He's now at 14 BB and 15 K in 9.2 innings (that's lots of pitches!).

This is one of those games where you review the play-by-play game log, pretend you're there, are actually entertained depending on your virtual imagination level.

 

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Six games on tap for Saturday with the Biloxi road twinbill, they get underway at 4:05 Central. Everyone else is under the lights, with the exception of the usual Maryvale Saturday 1:00 Central matinee.

Enjoy your day, all!

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

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