Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/5): Warbirds are Walk-off Birds of Prey

[Jim Goulart]

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Transactions: 

• RHP Craig Yoho promoted to MLB Brewers from AAA Nashville
• LHP Brian Fitzpatrick promoted to MLB Brewers from AAA Nashville

Hoping for the best, but this seemed devastating in Denver Friday night -

• LHP Mark Manfredi Sr. transferred to Nashville from Biloxi
• OF Damon Keith placed on Biloxi's 7-Day Injured List (Keith last played on Tuesday, May 23rd)
• RHP Wandy Cabrera assigned to DSL Brewers Blue from DSL Brewers Gold.
• RHP Carlos Canales assigned to DSL Brewers Blue from DSL Brewers Gold.

Both 20-year-old's (Cabrera actually turns 20 today, Saturday 6/6) are in their 3rd year of island ball, and each had made one appearance for DSL Gold this week before these swaps.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes 
Final: Jacksonville (Marlins) 4, Nashville 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 Let Late Lead Slip Away 

When veteran LHP Thomas Pannone tossed six innings of two-run ball in his prior effort last Saturday, we made note that he'd become a worthy candidate to assist the big-league rotation as needed. Well, after 5.2 innings of scoreless ball with one walk, "as needed" seems fairly imminent.

Don't believe we learned why RH reliever Will Childers missed a month (activated May 23rd), but this was an unfortunate 8th inning outing, and it began with a quick triple, walk, and a tough location for this pitch to a LH bat:

Childers quickly then retired the next three batters, and Brock Wilken's two-out oppo taco only closed the gap to one -

Luis Lara missed a 3rd consecutive game, no known update.

From the 4th inning, Luis Matos gave the Sounds a two-run lead. Matos has been productive, but he'd have to really light up to find his way back to the Brewers.

Cooper Pratt doubled and singled (and importantly discussed his mustache). Ethan Murray, playing third base as Jett Williams (0-for-4, 2-for-his-last-19) again patrolled center field. Williams might be eyed at this point as more of a diverse Blake Perkins replacement in the short run, but also remember Brandon Lockridge is due back fairly soon.

With Fitzpatrick surely headed to the Milwaukee IL, Carlos Rodriguez seems to be a logical return candidate, and Easton McGee is in play as well. Manager Rick Sweet's juggling will continue, and Sweet should be fine as long as super-brief starts are avoided.

The game summary linked above, is chock full as always. Oh, hey there, Bradley Blalock on the Jacksonville mound.

 

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Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Manager Mike Guerrero's Friday night chat is among those listed

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 3, Montgomery (Rays) 1
Box Score and Game Log

O’Rae’s Late Game Dinger Drives Shuckers Past Biscuits - Shuckers Retake First Place with Friday Victory

The game summary was as concise as the final score, doing a nice enough job of filling you in.

Good thing for these long balls, because Biloxi was 0-for-6 with RISP. Each of the first six men in the lineup reached at least once, Matthew Wood twice. Right fielder Mark Coley II walked twice out of the 9-hole and was on base for the Dylan O'Rae go-ahead blast.

RHP Stiven Cruz turns 25 in November. He's not truly a candidate for 40-man addition, but he'll be a popular target as a minor league free agent this fall. His solid work with Nicaragua in the WBC will aid his cause as well.

We shouldn't gloss over the work of RHP Yorman Galindez, 23, and LHP Anthony Flores, 21. Consider them un-glossed.

Versatile Jheremy Vargas didn't play in this one, but he remains a tool in Mike Guerrero's back pocket, as Vargas is the lone non-catcher on the Biloxi bench at this time. And yes, that means long-awaited bumps from Wisconsin are truly imminent after this weekend. Hope you saw some of the key Timber Rattlers in recent weeks. Speaking of the T-Rats...

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Cedar Rapids (Twins) 8, Wisconsin 3
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers, game details: 

Kernels End Wisconsin’s Win Streak with Late Comeback - Fischer homers and Dorchies deals for Rattlers in tough loss at Cedar Rapids

As Chris Mehring's game summary notes (and look for Tayden Hall's RBI and Andrew Fischer's 17th tater within):

"South Bend is four games ahead of the Timber Rattlers after play on Friday night.  Wisconsin has thirteen games left in the half.  The Cubs have twelve games remaining."

We've seen this before from the Brewers. Give the current Rattlers the chance to claim a first-half crown, and that may factor into some of the promotion decisions we're waiting upon.

No video of the first-inning balk by Ethan Dorchies that gave the Kernels an early lead. but Dorchies' outing was very encouraging. As for the Wisconsin bullpen struggles, the Cedar Rapids "X" feed has you covered, unfortunately.

Wisconsin managed just four hits, one walk, and a Tayden Hall HBP. The starting outfield was Hall in left, utilityman Luiyin Alastre made his second career start in center, and Luis Castillo in right. On the bench all at once, and there's likely more to the story that will work itself out, be it banged-up players or otherwise - Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne and Josiah Ragsdale. Yes, safe to say the T-Rat reserve roster is flooded compared to what we just discussed in Biloxi. A reminder - both A-Ball rosters limits are 30 active, while it's 28 active at AAA and AA. The Shuckers are sitting at 25 currently.

By the way on Hall, we're 122 plate appearances into his 2026, and his OPS is still north of .900 at .915.

 

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Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wilson 11, Salem (Red Sox) 7, 11 innings
Box Score and Game Log

Anderson Slams Door on Salem - Walk-off Grand Slam Completes Comeback

I've completely lost count, as have many of you. Who among us is willing to go through the Wilson's season day-by-day results for home games and count the walkoffs, pointing out how many of those walkoffs have been via the home run variety. It's unreal, and what a treat for the new fans in Wilson! They've been spoiled so far, even with the first couple of weeks of missing offense. This time it was Jose Anderson.

Scoreless on both sides in the 7th, 8th, and 9th - you can pick up the game log to see how the four half-innings in extras played out, including videos throughout all the innings in the log (MiLB.com has come so far, all for our betterment as fans.)

Brady Ebel, DH'ing here, walked three times, lifting his OBP to a shiny .404.

Now in his 4th year, it's hard to think of Pedro Ibarguen still as a teenager, but he is for another month. He doubled, singled, and walked twice. He was also caught stealing for the 9th time (ouch) in 17 attempts.

RHP's Tyler Renz, Peyton Niksch and Joshua Quezada impressively combined to toss 9.1 innings, allowing only one earned run, two walks, nine strikeouts. Fellow righty Miqueas Mercedes has his toughest outing of 2026, but that helped set up the late dramatics.

Darn it, Warbirds, you need to promote these player and coach interviews from the current and prior homestands, the latest with Coach Ricky Carvajal. This collection flew under our radar completely unless they were just added to your Virtual Press Box page (scroll to the bottom). Catch up with Manager Eddy Morgan and outfielder Nick Monile from this week and then sample prior interviews from the list as you wish. 

By the way, I caught up on all the interviews while composing this report!

 

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Final: ACL Brewers 14, ACL Rangers 13, ten innings
Box Score and Game Log

All those runs plus extra innings, oh my!

If you were checking out our Minor League Forum daytime thread, you caught these notes within two posts for this matinee.

Again, oh my! (Thanks, Ro Mueller.)

Where to begin - six pitchers for Maryvale, and four of them pitched well, including a professional debut for 23-year-old RHP Bryce Schaum, as we had posted this on his signing previously.

Still so young out of a Minnesota high school, 18-year-old 2025 8th round RHP Hayden Vucinovich (19 in two weeks) has fanned 16 in just 11.1 innings. Walks and hit batters now total 22, however.

RHP Bryan Regalado is also struggling. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in May of 2025, Regalado turned 19 this past April, and it's a bit odd that he was brought stateside after only two Dominican League appearances last summer.

CJ Hughes doubled with one out in the 7th and stayed on the basepaths as the next two Brewers struck out. As noted at the link above, he did not return to the field in the top of the 8th.

18-year-old Alexander Frias is it, folks. He singled three times and walked twice. Now, if you're like me and checking exit velocities on those knocks, none of them were impressive for this game (rare for Frias), but they found holes. Be sure to learn more about Frias and the other ACL boys, you won't need to wait long as it's where Spencer and Alex begin their system journey from their recent pod:

Again, referring to the link just above, what a special walk-off home run moment for 18-year-old corner infielder (third baseman on Friday) Yu-Lin Liao, so far from his Taiwan home.

Here's hoping the @BrewersPD 'X' account provides video eventually of the Liao blast (pulled to LF, 387 feet, 102.1 MPH) and celebration.

 

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Final: DSL Tampa Bay 11, DSL Brewers Blue 4, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score and Game Log

Blue was down 6-0 heading to the bottom of the 6th but scored four at that point to narrow the gap.

Just 17 years old, Venezuelan RHP Daniel Munoz made his pro debut to begin the 5th and would face 17 batters in all, retiring six through the first few batters of the 8th. Munoz walked four and plunked two. His defense didn't help as both the box score line and game log review will show. Third-year RHP Ruben Saldana didn't quiet the Rays bats either, though an error contributed to his troubles as well.

Second-year catcher Johanderson Tarazona made his season debut and singled once within his three trips to the plate.

Blue batters walked nine times, including three for bonus baby shortstop Diego Frontado.

 

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Final: DSL Royals Ventura 1, DSL Brewers Gold 0, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score and Game Log

No, you're not imagining things, these same two teams combined for 27 runs just 24 hours earlier (a 14-13 Brewers loss)! Where's Jayson Stark to chime in, "Baseball!"

The Royals scored the lone run of the game in the 6th after starting 17-year-old southpaw Santiago Martinez exited following his five shutout innings, 7 Ks, 1 single, 1 walk.

In the fateful 6th, reliever Jean Rivero of Venezuela made his pro debut and learned quickly you don't walk the leadoff batter. However, he then had the runner picked off but shortstop Santiago Garcia's error at the 2nd base bag on the play proved harmful. A one-out flyout to right advanced the man to 3rd, and then a wild pitch scored the game's lone run.

A two-out single for first baseman Matthew Moses in the 7th was one of his two hits in the game (the Golden Boys only managed three), but Moses was stranded and the team fell to 0-4 despite allowing just one hit.

Can't imagine a more completely diverse pair of consecutive losses by a Brewers affiliate, perhaps in all of the 26 years of Link Report history.

 

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There are seven games on tap for Saturday, early games for the complex clubs and under the lights at the full-season level. Is it getting more summer-like where you are? Enjoy!

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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[jay87shot]

Maybe I've missed a game or two but it seems like Dinges hasn't caught for a couple weeks. I know some other people have brought it up. Is there an injury he is still nursing? At 22 it seems like he is due for a promotion but the bat has slowed in May and he is catching very little. Any notes on weather to be concerned or not from some of you who watch more often.

[cragi]

6 minutes ago, jay87shot said:

Maybe I've missed a game or two but it seems like Dinges hasn't caught for a couple weeks. I know some other people have brought it up. Is there an injury he is still nursing? At 22 it seems like he is due for a promotion but the bat has slowed in May and he is catching very little. Any notes on weather to be concerned or not from some of you who watch more often.

him being banged up was confirmed