Brewers Minor League Link Report (09/04): Sounds Blast Stripers Again Pulling within 3.5 G of a Playoff Berth with 16 to Play

Transactions:

• 2024 1st Round Pick OF Braylon Payne was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats (presumably, from the Arizona Complex)
• UDFA RHP Tanner Gillis was signed to a Minor League Contract (he will presumably be sent to the Arizona Complex)

Final: Nashville 12, Gwinnett (Braves) 3 

Via the Sounds' website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

Nashville Offense Stays Hot and Rolls Over Gwinnett - Roller Continues to Mash 

Box Score / Game Log

Pre-Game Media Notes     

Through two games the Sounds lead the Stripers 25-7. Not bad. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez was dominant in stretches (striking out the side in the fourth inning) but was, overall, somewhat inconsistent in his start - 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 2 WP, 3 ER. It was obviously more than enough, but at this point in Rodriguez's Minor League journey we're looking for consistent dominance. We love the punch outs. We love the fact he willed his way to five complete frames. I enjoyed the pitch call sequences between Mejía and his pitcher. 92 total pitches with 54 total strikes. Solid, yes. But, not the dominant version we've seen over the past month. If this is where I'm nitpicking at this stage of the 22-year-old's season, I think we are sitting fairly pretty. He picked up the win and moved to 9-8 on his season.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) A night after I lauded INF/OF Isaac Collins for his continued stellar play all around, he backed me up with a near Maytag Super Cycle - 3-for-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 3B. His second three-bagger in two nights and his seventh on the season puts him in a tie atop of the International League leaderboard. He has 76 RBI on the season to boot. What more does this young stud have to do to get a call-up opportunity? Will the Brewers roster him in the off-season?

2) A night after I pointed out CF Chris Roller's hot power bat, a night after hitting two long balls over the left field fence, he goes right on ahead and smacks his third home run in two nights and his fourth long ball over the past week. Zesty! 2-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 K, 1 HR on his evening.

3) RHP Shane Smith saw his first action in Triple-A as he was given the ninth inning with a nine-run lead. He was greeted by a first pitch line drive double down the LF line. He followed with a hard hit line out to LF Tyler Black and a hard hit line out to 2B Owen Miller before mowing down his last batter with a high outside heater. It was a mixed bag but for any new arrival facing these veteran bats it was most important to get the feet wet. Here's to bigger and better things ahead for the young hurler!

Final: Rocket City (Angels) 5, Biloxi 2

Box Score / Game Log

Wilken Homers in Second Straight Game, Shuckers Fall to Trash Pandas - Sparks Tallies Multi-Hit Night

Pre-Game Media Notes    

The Shuckers lose. The M-Braves lose. The Wahoos won in extra innings, however, and pulled back within 2.5 G. What a slog we have in the Southern League South division as three teams 'battle' for the second half playoff berth.

LHP Russ Smith was mostly very solid in his spot start considering the ask but, as RHP K.C. Hunt knows, the runs can certainly be very hard to come by when backed up by these consistently struggling Shuckers bats. 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 ER, 1 HB, 2 WP. 54 pitches and 34 strikes. The WP's came via sliders in the dirt that skipped beyond the glove of C Darrien Miller. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) For his second consecutive relief outing in a playoff chase, RHP Kaleb Bowman gave up multiple runs. He gave up three runs his last game out versus Montgomery in 3.0 IP. Tonight, in his second inning he surrendered the lead run after allowing a lead-off single and then hitting the next batter in a 1-2 count. A deep single off the left field wall on a 50/50 play Zavier Warren was unable to make allowed said go-ahead run to cross. A sac bunt advanced both runners and Bowman proceeded to walk the next batter on five pitches. His night was over. RHP James Meeker was called to the bump but he allowed the bases to clear on consecutive bloop singles. Inherited runners scored and they were all on Bowman's tab. That was ball game.

2) One night after mentioning the ongoing issues with SS Eric Brown Jr's approach at the plate, the young man went 0-for-4 with 3 K. Brown is consistently dealing with erratic timing and accuracy with his swing path given the pre-swing set-up orchestration he has developed. He is particularly susceptible to the high heater because he has a very real struggle to get the timing right. EBJ is also consistently hitting harmless bloop fly outs because of this same timing and swing path issue. I am obviously no hitting coach but if it is abundantly obvious to me something likely needs to change in coming seasons, I can near guarantee the greater Brewers hitting coach think tank is contemplating how to approach this. This is every bit the conundrum we saw with OF Joey Wiemer and then some. There's just no getting around it.

3) Let's end on another 3B Brock Wilken feel good moment. The baseball gods know we need as many as we can get down yonder by the Gulf. 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (his 17th). Here's the highlight (you're going to need to wait it out before you get an actual look at the swing and launch from behind the 3B dugout):

Final:  Cedar Rapids (Twins) 4, Wisconsin 3

Rattlers Rally Late, But Fall in Extra Innings to Kernels - Wisconsin Ties Game with Three in Ninth

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

If the T-Rats are preparing for the playoffs as their talented manager Victor Estevez has shared, they're likely going to want quickly move on from this 4-3 loss. They certainly had a fantastic opportunity to pull one out late. Ultimately a couple base running gaffes and a misplay in left field led to their demise. 

RHP Alexander Cornielle conceded all three of the Kernels regulation runs in his first frame of work. The big dagger in the inning was a two-run double with two outs. But, the full count walk with two down the batter before the double was an even bigger snafu. None the less, after the two out rally in this first frame Cornielle was fantastic and gave his team 6.0 IP of 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K, 3 ER ball. He didn't walk a single batter after that two out free pass. You love to see it. His night was called at 80 pitches with 54 strikes. It was really a fantastic performance if we throw away the end of the first inning.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) LF Hedbert Perez giveth. LF Hedbert Perez taketh away. Perez's ongoing blunders on the outfield grass are becoming a somewhat routine problem in his early tenure with the Timber Rattlers. I've spoken of the arm - an absolute cannon - but, we are starting to see a routine issue of unclean habits with the basics at the corner outfield positions. We've seen a couple sloppy scoop and gathers that have led to unchallenged runs at home plate (given his arm he is always a threat for an OF assist in these scenarios), and tonight we saw a truly poor read; route; and approach on what should have been a routine fly out to the left center field warning track to send the game into the eleventh inning. Instead of a clean catch on the run, Perez slowed down miscalculating the flight path and the distance to the wall and fell with a flop as the ball caromed off his glove. That was ball game. He absolutely needs to clean up these fundamentals as he works his way back into day-in day-out playing shape. You be the judge:

2) It was quite the ninth-inning rally and it's fair to say the T-Rats ultimately 'should' have won before the game went to extra innings. A slip and slide face plant rounding third base on the slick grass from one just-returned Luke Adams was the first failed opportunity. He likely would have been safe by a good bit as the throw home sailed up line and he had the beat up the line. Then a failed double steal attempt by INF Jadher Areinamo ended the inning when he was thrown out at home after an accurate throw beat his slide. It was a rare sequence of the young Rattlers failing to execute when it mattered.

3) Major kudos to the combined bullpen efforts of LHP Mark Manfredi, RHP Tyler Bryant, and RHP Dikember Sanchez. To a man they gave their offense and defense everything they needed to make the comeback attempt - even if it fell just short largely due to failed execution. A combined 3 2/3 IP of 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 R (unearned) ball bodes well for the upcoming post-season. 

Special Shout Out: Luke Adams, you have set a new Midwest League record. Congratulations on your bruise-filled feat:

Final: Carolina 4, Delmarva (Orioles) 0

Box Score / Game Log

Pitching Propels Mudcats to Shutout Victory - LHP Mason Molina Impresses Once Again

LHP Mason Molina has not allowed a run in his first two abbreviated starts as a Mudcat hurler. Tonight, he didn't allow a single ball to leave the infield in his 3.0 IP of 2 H, 3 K, 0 R work. Efficiency was his theme. He threw a mere 28 pitches and threw 22 strikes. You have to love evertyhing about this outing. I came away particularly impressed with the arm action on his change-up - a pitch he was using in a variety of ways to both sides of the plate. It's hard not to be over-invested here early in his tenure😂.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) DH/C Marco Dinges hasn't found as much success as he'd like with the batted ball early time in his time in the Brewers system, but it certainly isn't due to a lack of hitting the ball hard. Tonight's 108 mph double to right center field attests to the fact I've seen him hit several balls over the 100 mph mark since lifting a bat for the Mudcats. He has a simple, level, easily repeated powerful swing. It's quite easy to see what the Brewers saw here. Turning 22 years old in early September, this will be a fascinating off-season for this hard-working young man. I remain highly intrigued by his raw skillset.

2) CF Yophery Rodriguez continues to flash the leather and defensive prowess throughout the center field grass and gaps. He made several nice plays yet again tonight. I remain befuddled, however, by the repeated showcase of his undeveloped bat and young approach in the lead-off spot. This isn't a knock on Rodriguez's overall pool of talent - it certainly is deep - but, it's fair to say he does not innately possess the approach or the savvy of a lead-off hitter. And, yet, he is placed in that spot atop the order in the vast majority of his appearances. Given the bunting prowess and the ability to poke balls through all parts of the infield gaps, I am wondering aloud: will manager Nick Stanley put OF Yoshwar Garcia atop his batting order in the playoffs? In my humble opinion it's a much better line-up fit. 

3) SS Daniel Guilarte had a fantastic game in every facet. He played smooth and steady defense at the crucial infield position making several a challenging cross-body play look routine. He also showed his ongoing improved approach at the dish since the calendar advanced in the second half. We are seeing shades of that tantalizing player we saw alongside OF Jackson Chourio just one year ago before his season was derailed by injuries. After putting forth his 21:19 K:BB ratio in August - by far his best output of his season - he is off to a 0:0 mark here in early September while hitting to the tune of a 0.333 BA in just 12 AB. My point here is: Guilarte is trending UP.

That's an official wrap on my final 2024 season report with all full-season affiliates in regular season mode. I'll return next Tuesday for the showdown of the Shuckers and M-Braves, the Sounds continued push for a post-season berth, and the Mudcats first playoff game on the road (likely at Fredericksburg). It's been a long meandering ride to get here. I am grateful - to the players and clubhouses and any of you readers throughout this virtual reality we share on the interwebs. May we see some pleasing baseball in the coming weeks. May we see something special in Milwaukee. All affiliates return for evening tilts tomorrow. RHP Mitch White will showcase his starter wares - this is must watch MiLB.TV at present. Don't miss it.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Milwaukee Brewers Minor League baseball and the many players deserving of our time and recognition. 

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