Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/9): Lara Wills T-Rats to Victory with his Glove; Sounds Pour it On in Memphis with 15 Runs

Transactions:

• C Brian Navarreto was transferred to Nashville's 60-Day IL from the 7-Day IL - more detailed conversation HERE
• RHP Kevin Herget's contract was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds
• LHP Aaron Ashby was optioned to Nashville from the Brewers
• RHP Vladimir Gutierrez was officially activated by the Nashville Sounds

Final: Nashville 15, Memphis (Cardinals) 2

Via the Sounds' site, 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):

Sounds Pile On in Rain Shortened Win at Memphis - Nashville Pours Runs on in Pouring Rain for 15-2 Win in Series Opener

Pre-Game Media Notes - None available for Game 1

Box Score / Game Log 

RHP Janson Junk returned to the hill for his second outing of 2024 and this one went much smoother than his first. Working into the sixth inning through the constant rain of a wet evening in Memphis, Junk managed a solid if unspectacular outing of 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 ER. When your teammates are blowing the proverbial lid off the stadium, however, all a team wants from its starter is a solid showing. Junk gave more than that when all was said and done. I'm sure manager Rick Sweet will take this end result anytime Junk takes the hill. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) OF Joey Wiemer is starting to get consistently rewarded for hitting the ball hard, well, consistently. Though he did get caught swinging out of the zone on several off-speed offerings with big swings and misses, it feels the baseball karma gods are rewarding that tough luck first part of his early season. Take a look at this extremely hard hit grounder down the third base line:

Let's just hope he can keep it up. It was also refreshing to see him back in center field - a position he has really grown into over the past two seasons.

2) OF Brewer Hicklen continues to mash in Nashville as he did with Milwaukee in spring training. He has earned the trust of his skipper as he is a constant feature in the cleanup role. Tonight he ripped his first long ball of the season driving in Tyler Black (lead-off walk) in the process to keep the pressure on in the sixth, and what proved to be, final inning. Last year, I shared with all of you OF Blake Perkins has all the tools to be an MLB player. This year, I don't care if it's early, I'm going to say the exact same thing with Hicklen. He is just flat out a gamer and a legitimate MLB baseball player. I see it in everything he does - the consistency; the effort; the fluidity; and the swing. He has fast hands, quick wrist turn, a good eye for the pitch, and the ability to drive with power. I will be absolutely unsurprised if he is the first call-up should the Brewers need a bat or an injury replacement. Perhaps, the real question here is: Can he maintain the 1.106 OPS? Stay tuned! 😁

3) Special shoutouts to SS Yonny Hernández and OF Chris Roller for stuffing the stat sheet and filling the bill as dual lead-off hitters in the 9th and lead-off spot, respectively. The two veterans hit a combined 5-for-8 with 6 R, 6 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, and 1 K in the process. Two unsung heroes in the early going of the Sounds season. Their production has been pivotal and will continue to be so as the series advances.

Final: Mississippi (Braves) 2, Biloxi 0

Shuckers Drop Weather-Shortened Opener to M-Braves - Tornado Warning and Severe Weather Shortens Opener to Seven Innings in 2-0 Loss

Pre-Game Media Notes

Box Score / Game Log 

I discussed RHP TJ Shook's impressive last season in my lone off-season blog post HERE. And, in my first look at the young righty in 2024 I have to say he absolutely validated my words. I spoke of it in our game thread, but it's worth mentioning again here: Shook's change-up is one of the best pitches in the system. It's just a tasty pitch and words won't do it justice here. It was working to full effect in his 4 2/3 IP debut performance. Shook was ultimately credited with an earned run but that's not really baseball justice. His last hit allowed was a highly lofted wounded duck that somehow found its way past a sliding LF Noah Campbell and a charging CF Carlos D. Rodriguez. LHP Russ Smith then allowed an 0-2 double to the deep left center field gap. He pitched to just over a K an inning while allowing a mere two hits and two free passes. I'm looking for even bigger and better things as his season progresses.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Speaking of LHP Russ Smith, despite being gifted the job of retiring consecutive righty bats by manager Joe Ayrault (I would love to know the thinking here in an 0-0 ball game so early in the season) and allowing the aforementioned inherited runner to score, he actually acquitted himself very well in his relief stint. After scuffling mightily earlier in his time in the Brewers system, you could say Smith has re-entered the chat as a hurler to keep an eye on in 2024. Smith struggled hitting the zone when with the T-Rats when first drafted and he struggled avoiding bats when first promoted to the Southern League. But, dating back to the latter half of 2023, the young lefty has been stringing together solid innings for quite awhile. Just take a look at this sneaky off-speed delivery to get his second K in his second inning of work:

This may come out of left field but I'm going to share it anyway: perhaps being a draft pick then a professional baseball player and becoming a young dad took some time to get used to. I'm rooting for him to put the adjustment period further in the past.

2) Jumping to another Smith, I can't even remember the last time RHP Shane Smith conceded a run. I truly can't. It's either been that long or I'm just getting old and tired (maybe it's both 😮). After starting his inning of work with a vintage 2023 Smith punch out - high riding heat sprinkled with a devastating curve (and, I should add, his newly added slider wrinkle) - he scuffled. With two down, he starting hanging heat and was getting hit hard to left field. He can thank RHP Bo Bowman for stranding both runners. He'll look to bounce back in his next outing.

3) With the Shuckers bats doing the bare minimum of work - not a single XBH - I'll give a nod to 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.. He snuck an oppo bloop shot off a broken bat. And, he continues to look every bit the part of a quality first baseman. His size and agility just do so much to make his teammates' lives easier.

Final: Wisconsin 3, South Bend (Cubs) 1

Late Rally Sends Rattlers Past South Bend  - Areinamo and Chirinos Get RBI Hits in Ninth for 3-1 Win over Cubs

Pre-Game Media Notes

Box Score / Game Log 

Let me get one thing off my chest to start this little blurb: I am completely unsurprised the most pleasing game of my evening came via a team managed by Victor Estevez. The man just knows how to get the most out of his players and I will continue to be here to you about it. In a hard fought back-and-forth affair, it was a cliché bit of solid fundamentals; one spectacular play; and then opportunistic hitting that stole this one in South Bend. 

RHP Patricio Aquino looked every bit the ascending Ace we saw as the 2023 Carolina season progressed in his 2024 debut. If I laud Shook's changeup (rightfully so), I will do the same for Aquino’s slider. When you are essentially sitting 91-93 on your heat, you have to have off-speed to sell it. Aquino's slider has all sorts of magic carpet ride movement to it. It's an undervalued pitch in the system. He did everything and then some to keep his squad in the game as the bats struggled in the early going: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 ER. That'll play on any single night. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) I alluded to it in the article title above. I alluded to it in my sentence above. What is the 'spectacular play' I speak of? One LF Luis Lara saving a tie ball game from an unknown deficit. Setting the scene: with two men on and only one down after RHP Jack Polancic walked the men aboard after conceding a game-tying solo shot, it was RHP Miguel Guerrero tasked with shutting down the Cubs. What looked like a surefire hard hit shot to the LF wall was masterfully sprinted down by Lara. It was a breathtaking tip of the webbing grab. Even tho it was a road game, thankfully, we have a field level view (SOUND ON - the Cubs crowd most definitely thought they had runs here): 

It was even more impressive live via MiLB.TV. This play, I am certain, catapulted his team to victory. He's just a winning baseball player.

2) Speaking of fundamentally sound winning baseball players, I bring you 2B Jadher Areinamo and CF Dylan O'Rae. Pivotal players in the 2023 Mudcats playoff push, they continue to bring the same energy and efforts to the T-Rats on a nightly basis. They are just so sure, so versatile, and constantly doing all the little things well - well beyond their years I should add. And, heck, with O'Rae we are looking at a bonafide true lead-off specialist. The Cubs announcers were just gushing over O'Rae's skills by the game's end and for good reason: he's batting 0.400 with a 0.993 OPS in the early going. He also nabbed his second stolen base. We are lucky to have both young men in the system.

3) I could talk about how I continue to love Luke Adams at 1B (despite a silly fielding error on a very easy play down the 1B line I'm sure he'd love to have back), but I will instead direct your attention to RHP Yerlin Rodriguez. I alerted you to his nasty last season. I'm going to remind you again in 2024: set-up and/or closer material here. It's undeniable at this point by my eyes. He is sitting 95-97 mph comfortably at 22 years old with a stocky build that lends me to believe he will ultimately be able to add a couple notches. He mixes in a slider and curve combo that leaves batter with their bats on their shoulders. He is just a stud. He struck out the side in the ninth including his last batter on three straight pitches. He is currently averaging over 2 K per IP in his two outings. Small sample size? I could care less. 😁

* Special shout out to RHP Will Childers who held it down in the seventh inning while looking quite good in doing so. I'm eagerly awaiting more trips to the mound in 2024!

Final: Down East (Rangers) 4, Carolina 1

Mudcats Drop Home Opener to the Wood Ducks - Carolina Suffers First Loss of the 2024 Season

Pre-Game Media Notes - None Provided 

Box Score / Game Log 

It seems every contest between Down East and the young Mudcats in the past several seasons carries significant weight. It certainly seems the same will be the case in 2024. Of course, the caveat here is much like Cedar Rapids in last year's Midwest League, Down East is playing with a roster filled with several over-age players by the Carolina League Low-A average age. Regardless, it certainly seems the Mudcats will have these talented and experienced Wood Ducks to contend with throughout the season. Speaking of age, shout out to cohort extraordinaire Jim for sharing the Youngest Players in Each League List this AM in the daily game thread. How about the Mudcats having the three youngest and four of the top 10 youngest Carolina League players?!

One such youngster, 18-year-old Mexican RHP Manuel Rodriguez, had a tough match-up for his Low-A debut. Many of us on Brewer Fanatic were looking forward to seeing what constituted Rodriguez's surprise promotion to the Carolina League after putting up unspectacular numbers in the DSL and ACL over the past couple seasons. I can say, after one start, I 'think' I see the rationale. There are definitely tools to work with here. The glaring thing, unfortunately, that stood out (in just one start, mind you) was simply: location. Rodriguez conceded six hits and many of these were hit quite hard to the deepest parts of the ballpark because they hung dead center. He was particularly susceptible to his slider and curve finding much too much center cut. This is a fixable 'issue' over time. In his 4 IP of 6 H, 3 K, 3 ER, 1 HR ball, I would generally consider this a success for such a young arm especially considering his counterpart was 23 years old and the Wood Ducks have consistently been one of the better teams in recent seasons. We'll simply have to see how these accuracy and targeting issues evolve over the months ahead. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) If we're going to look back on missed opportunities in this game, we're going to look back on the Mudcats bases loaded no out scenario in the bottom of the eighth frame. The lone highlight is right here: 

What happened from there is indicative of what happened for the meat of the Mudcats order all night: nothing. Pratt lined out to CF. Hall grounded out to 2B. Pratt, Hall, and Castillo (oh my, Castillo) went a combined 0-for-11, 1 BB, 4 K. Not a good look from the run-producing spots in the lineup.

2) I continue to see quality baseball plays, in one form or another, from OF Kay-Lan Nicasia near every time I tune into the Mudcats ball games. He played a key part in nabbing a runner rounding too far past second base in the meat of this game with an adept play off the wall and a fantastic throw to the relay man in Briceno in the very shallow CF grass. I personally believe manager Nick Stanley would do his team better by moving him up in the lineup to boot. He's an impactful switch hitter who has demonstrated underrated gap power and improving plate discipline. Given a gentle boost in support and confidence, I remain convinced Nicasia is a serious breakout candidate. Regardless, he remains one of the better defensive outfielders in the system nobody talks about.

3) In my first live viewing action of LHP Osbriel Mogollon, I came away very impressed. For a pitcher as young as Mogollon, I saw an awful lot of LHP Andy Otero in his game (shout out to you Brewers Minor League heads who recognize the name). This is a significant step up in competition for the 20-year-old Venezuelan. Mogollon absolutely looks and looked ready for the challenge. It will be quite interesting to see how his season progresses. All told, he finished 4 IP of 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 ER ball. He absolutely gave the Mudcats sleepy bats time to wake from their slumber. Unfortunately, those same bats stayed busy counting sheep.

We'll see the affiliates back at it tomorrow - Biloxi and Nashville will be trying for mid-day slates weather permitting (it seems iffy at present). Carolina and Wisconsin will close with our two evening slates.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Milwaukee Brewers Minor League baseball and the many players deserving of our time and recognition. I'll be back tomorrow evening (and, as a result, Thursday morning) reporting on all four affiliates.

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