Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/29): Sounds Ride the Long Ball, Shuckers Take Advantage for a Walkoff

[Jim Goulart]

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

The Sounds and Shuckers grabbed victories. Not so for the Timber Rattlers and Warbirds, as those two squads hope to win their home game finales for 2026 on Sunday. We spotlight Rylan Mills at Wilson.

 

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Transactions: 

• OF Luis Matos transferred to AAA Nashville’s 60-day injured list from 7-day injured list
• RHP Quinton Low transferred to High-A Wisconsin’s 60-day injured list from 7-day injured list

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes (unavailable)
Final: Nashville 13, Jacksonville (Marlins) 5
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 Crush Jumbo Shrimp in Lopsided Win

As always, nobody competes with the Sounds for details provided. Outside of the "OurSportsCentral" link we provide here, when the summary isn't on the Nashville site, very few eyes have access to it. Please take advantage and complete your review.

Always fun when the box score includes four taters:

HR: Naylor, B (11, 3rd inning off Milbrandt, 1 on, 2 out); Baddoo (10, 3rd inning off Milbrandt, 2 on, 2 out); Garcia, E (4, 4th inning off Milbrandt, 1 on, 1 out); Quero (14, 9th inning off Miller, G, 1 on, 0 out).

Couple of things on the home run video clips - at least three times the Jacksonville booth was in the midst of an interview, so that's always a risk and makes for an awkward replay. Also, Jeferson Quero took advantage of a position player.

For this road game, the Sounds socials didn't include the visuals, so click on each name above to view the home runs beyond the one Spencer provides here:

Additional Naylor and Ethan Murray RBI knocks were also of the position-player-on-the-mound variety, links provided if you're into the piling on scene.

On the mound, RH reliever Kaleb Bowman helped keep LH starter Tate Kuehner's line in check.

Eleven rehab appearances for RH reliever Joel Kuhnel, the last ten of them scoreless (game log). Even so, within the next couple of days, his status (likely DFA?) will be determined. For his sake, he's been pulling in MLB pay during the Nashville stint.

RHP Tyson Hardin entered in the 6th and finished up, the exact thinking being what - limit innings, prepare for unlikely MLB postseason relief, too early in the AM to overthink it.

NOTE: Why our "as it happens" Minor League Forum thread is often appreciated - brief note on 3B Luke Adams' exit as part of the action in the top of the first.

 

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Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Latest with Tech Ops. Intern Nate Sanchez

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 4, Knoxville (Cubs) 3
Box Score and Game Log

Shuckers Walk Off Smokies with Three-Run Ninth Inning - Smith, Hodges allow one run across 4.2 relief innings, Keith records multi-hit night

Early, then a long drought, then late!

VIDEO: The 9th inning rally included this unique Damon Keith RBI single.

Then, this:

Andrew Fischer, playing first base, walked and scored in the 9th. He did strike out in his other three at-bats, for those who follow (or choose to ignore) that aspect of his game. Guessing it's close to a 50-50 split on that among Brewers prospect followers.

LHP J.D. Thompson has walked 31 and plunked three in 46.1 innings between High-A and AA in his debut season. Work to do this offseason to be sure...

Love that the game summary gave proper credit to RH relievers Travis Smith and Garrett Hodges, deservedly so.

Luis Pena back immediately after his Friday "funny bone" HBP exit.

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: South Bend (Cubs) 7, Wisconsin 6
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers, game details:

Rattlers Comeback Falls Short against South Bend - Cubs hold on for 7-6 win over Wisconsin

Tough to see after the mind-numbing late blown lead the night prior -

Tough to point this out on a night when Luis Castillo showed off the pop, but there's truth in both these comments as I quote my fellow Link Reporter brethren Joseph and Daniel -

 

On base three times, CF Sawyer Strosnider has cruised to a .323/440/.500 line after his first 75 plate appearances. A June baby, he'll still be just 21 years old when the 2027 season opens.

Speaking of youth on his side, fellow 21-year-old Eric Bitonti's OPS sits at .925.

The linked game summary above provides additional background.

 

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Warbirds pregame audio interviews from this week's final home series of the season:

• Manager Eddy Morgan
• Carsten Sabathia III
• Special Advisor to Player Development and Scouting Julio Borbon

Final: Hickory (Rangers) 10, Wilson 7
Box Score and Game Log

Wilson Eliminated from Playoffs in 10-7 Loss to Hickory - Mills Hits Second Homer of Series

19-year-old Rylan Mills 11th home run in 204 AB's (slugging .500!), and we could have seen this coming.

Via the July 25th, 2025 "Day Two Draft Recap" from @Spencer Michaelis -

"Round 18: Rylan Mills, Oran HS (MO)

A potential sleeper selection for the Brewers in the 18th round, Mills is a catcher from a small school in Missouri. He is committed to Southeast Missouri State.

Mills has posted exit velocities of up to 110 MPH and shown bat speed of up to 83 MPH using Blast sensors. There is tremendous pop in the bat, and he showed it with his 1.794 OPS, and 1.145 slugging percentage in high school his senior year. He had 39 hits, 23 of which were the extra base variety. 10 of those were home runs. 

Defensively, he looks a little slow on the trigger to make throws but has a strong arm. Cleaning up the footwork and the exchange a bit could lead to consistent pop times under two seconds.

The commitment to a smaller school would seem to make it more likely that he will be one of the players to sign from this group of 11-20 selections."

Identifying Mills was simply incredible unearthing work by the Brewers scouting staff.

"The most interesting story of The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League related to the MLB Draft may have been when Flag City Sluggers catcher Rylan Mills was selected in the 18th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Mills is a recent high school graduate, and an incoming freshman commit to Southeast Missouri State University. The Oran High School graduate from Dexter, Missouri is the first ever GLSCL draft pick coming straight out of high school. Mills was selected to participate in the GLSCL Prospect Showcase ahead of the GLSCL All-Star Game at Prasco Park coming up on July 22 (he'll join the Brewers instead)."

Here's one of our favorite feature articles from 2026, via Paul Durham of the Wilson Times back on May 28th.

Back to Saturday's game:

Carsten Sabathia RBI single

Moises Polanco sacrifice fly caps the scoring

Hickory is now 42-17 in the second half, more impressive than their parent club at Am-Fam this weekend.

The top row of highlights here spotlights the Crawdads work against the three Wilson pitchers, as your box score review will show, none shined (Cesar Espinal with two scoreless frames but four walks).

Manager Eddy Morgan was ejected right after this Hickory home run, perhaps a strikeout call was missed just prior.

 

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August 30th?! How did that happen? You can check out the Shuckers after the big-league game today (5:05 Central start in Biloxi). Have a great Sunday, folks.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores
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