Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/18): Gillis, Flores and Pena Shine, But Affiliates Only Grab One Sunday Win

Luis Pena powered Carolina to victory. Tanner Gillis deserved a win in his Wisconsin debut, but late mistakes cost them. Nashville fell behind big early and Biloxi’s offense was silenced in their loss.

For the week, Nashville and Carolina were 4-2 series winners, Biloxi managed a 3-3 split and Wisconsin dropped its series 2 games to 4.

Transactions:

• RHP Easton McGee's contract selected by Milwaukee Brewers from AAA Nashville
• RHP Tobias Myers optioned to AAA Nashville from Milwaukee Brewers

Game Action:

Final: Memphis 10, Nashville 6
Box Score and Game Log

Via the postgame notes provided by the Sounds’ media team, game details:

Nashville Falls in Series Finale to Redbirds - Bobby Dalbec Finishes with Three RBI, Hits First HR with Nashville

MEMPHIS - The Sounds fell 10-6 in the series finale in Memphis on Sunday afternoon. Trailing 10-0, The Sounds scored the final six runs of the game. Bobby Dalbec and Jorge Alfaro each homered, while Dalbec finished with three RBI and the only multi-hit performance for the Sounds.

RHP Deivi Garcia got the start on the mound for Nashville and worked into the fifth inning. Memphis scored a run in the third, two in the fourth, and then stormed in front with a seven-run fifth, including six hits and a Nashville error to take a 10-0 lead.

Dalbec put the Sounds on the board with his sixth-inning two-run home run and Alfaro followed it with a solo shot two batters later to give the Sounds their first runs of the game. Dalbec made it a multi-hit game and three RBI performance with a RBI single in the eighth to score Jimmy Herron who led off the inning with a double. Raynel Delgado collected a RBI in the inning with a single to score Dalbec as the Sounds cut the deficit in half to make it 10-5.

Freddy Zamora extended his on-base streak with a leadoff single in the top of the ninth inning. After being forced off the bases, Oliver Dunn drove home Jimmy Herron with a two-out RBI double to make it 10-6.

Sounds’ Extras:

• BOBBY BIG FLY: Bobby Dalbec ended his series with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBI and two runs scored. He hit his first home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning and ended the series with a hit in each of the final three games. Dalbec was signed by the Brewers to a minor league contract on May 10th and assigned to Nashville. Since the start of the 2023 season, Dalbec's 58 home runs are the fourth-most in all of Triple-A and he has 142 career minor league home runs in 625 minor league games since being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 4th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
• HIP, HIP: Jorge Alfaro also left the yard for the Sounds in the series finale on Sunday, hitting his team-leading 8th HR of the season. It ended a 16-game drought between home runs for Alfaro. He leads the team with 25 RBI as well. After hitting his seventh home run of the season on April 25th, Alfaro was tied atop the IL lead with seven home runs before his dry spell. He now sits tied for sixth along with nine others with his eight round trippers. There is a four-way tie atop the IL leaders with 10 home runs apiece. Sunday's loss was the first of the season for Nashville when hitting 2+ HR in a game. The team entered the day 13-0 when doing so.
• FREDDY TURNS 20: Freddy Zamora extended his current on-base streak to 20 games, hitting a leadoff single in the top of the ninth inning. His 20-game streak surpassed Wes Clarke for the longest by a Nashville player over the last two seasons. The last player to have a 20-game on-base streak in a Sounds uniform was Cam Devanney in 2023 who reached base safely in 20 straight games from August 10-September 5.
• WE DON'T NORMALLY DO THIS, BUT: Memphis' Michael Siani collected the first five-hit game against Nashville pitching since Kristopher Negron did it with Triple-A Reno on August 5, 2017, in Reno. Siani finished the game 5-for-5 with a triple, three RBI, and a run scored.

Next week’s outlook: The Sounds will now return to First Horizon Park for the start of a six-game series against the Scranton-Wilkes/Barre RailRiders for the first ever series between the two clubs. Nashville last hosted a Yankees affiliate in 1991 when the Columbus Clippers visited Greer Stadium. First pitch of the final homestand in May is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, May 20th.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Montgomery 4, Biloxi 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Shuckers Fall to Biscuits, 4-1, in Series Finale in Montgomery

Hoping for a Sunday victory to capture the week-long series 4 games to 2, Biloxi just couldn’t muster enough offense this time, with their final 14 batters of the game delivering 13 outs.

The team’s biggest opportunity actually came in the 1st inning, when an OF Luis Lara (2-for-3, walk, 2 SB) leadoff single and DH Mike Boeve walk went for naught.

LHP Nate Peterson got the call to start after his prior 5 outings had come in relief, keeping the ball in the zone and his team in the game: 3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 Ks.

The replacement of dominant Montgomery starter Ty Johnson (0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 8 Ks) after 4 innings was a helpful reprieve, with the Shuckers’ offense coming alive to the tune of 3 singles and a walk in the 5th inning, but a ground ball double play limited them to only a Boeve RBI single:

It’s great to see RHP Tyler Bryant (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks) shake off his early season struggles, retiring six straight Biscuits after walking his first batter in this contest.

Shuckers’ Extras: 

• Lara and fellow OF Garrett Spain helped the staff by each notching outfield assists, gunning down runners at third base in the 5th inning, with Spain’s assist coming via first baseman Zavier Warren.
• C Victor Torres saw his first action of 2025, drawing a walk on an 0-for-2 afternoon.
• Manager Joe Ayrault and the team will be hoping for a deeper position player situation by Tuesday, after 1B/3B Luke Adams was scratched from the weekend games and C Ramon Rodriguez was injured on Friday.

Next week’s outlook: Biloxi hosts Cubs’ affiliate Knoxville for a 6-game set, commencing on Tuesday.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Beloit 8, Wisconsin 6 (in 11 innings)
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Rattlers Fall to Beloit in Eleven Innings

Video highlights and lowlights of the frustrating loss have been put together by the terrific Wisconsin media:

And we’re also fortunate to have a 29-minute Mehring/Lobner postgame podcast, featuring RHP Tanner Gillis and Manager Victor Estevez.

If anyone compiles the top-5 toughest defeats of 2025 across our MILB squads, this game will undoubtedly be featured, as Wisconsin led 5-0 after five innings and 5-3 with nobody on and 2 outs in the 9th inning, then even began to celebrate what was thought to be a game-ending pop-out. Instead, they suffered a game-continuing catcher interference and game-tying passed ball (sorry C Blayberg Diaz – rough half inning).

But before all of that, RHP Tanner Gillis treated the home crowd to six innings of superb pitching in his Wisconsin debut: 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks, exiting up 5-1 after 68 pitches (47 strikes). This continues the 24-year old’s exceptional production he’d had with Low-A Carolina (1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 IP).

Manager Victor Estevez clearly wanted the victory, so pulled RHP Jose Nova (2/3 IP, 2 R) after he couldn’t find the zone in the 7th inning (16 pitches, 5 strikes), with RHPs Bayden Root and Aaron Rund then notching 6 outs (including a pick-off) from 5 batters to put Wisconsin on the verge of victory (98.9% win probability).

In the end, for better or worse, 4,175 home fans were treated to an extra 2 innings of Timber Rattlers’ baseball and the squad unfortunately ended up on the losing end.

Timber Rattlers’ Extras:

• Despite the 9th inning gut punch, LHP Jesus Broca came in to notch the final out of the frame and SS Eduardo Garcia’s (2-for-4, walk) RBI double to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning pushed Wisconsin’s win probability back up to 80.7%, only to see 3B Juan Baez, DH Tayden Hall and Diaz go down in order.
• In addition the performances of Gillis, Garcia and Root (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K), 1B Blake Burke went 3-for-5 (season average .302) and the team went 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts, led by OF Yhoswar Garcia with a pair.
• Though both teams committed 3 errors, Beloit helped their cause immensely by turning 4 double plays (in the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th innings) and also throwing out Wisconsin baserunner at home (3rd inning).

Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Cubs’ affiliate, with RHP Patricio Aquino expected to start the series opener on Tuesday.

Final: Carolina 9, Fayetteville 5
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details: Mudcats Claim Series Against Fayetteville

DH Eric Martinez and 3B Luis Pena carried the Mudcats until Pena couldn’t physically carry them anymore, combining on a 4-for-9 day with 2 homers and 5 RBIs.

Unfortunately, our attention must go to Pena’s 7th inning exit, when a nasty collision at first base forced him out of the game with the team leading 8-4 at that point. Pena’s such a tough, exciting player (.327 average, .905 OPS, 3 homers, 21 stolen bases), so we’re all hoping nothing’s broken or concussed and he bounces back quickly.

After throwing 85 pitches for Wisconsin on Tuesday, RHP Chandler Welch got the start here knowing the squad’s limited pitching depth would likely require him to go long again. Conceding 4 runs on 3 homers in 4 innings (76 pitches, 47 strikes) may not initially appear like a favorable result, but I’d imagine his teammates were pleased that he got them to the 5th inning with a lead.

When RHP Jesus Flores only threw one inning on Wednesday, we had to figure he’d feature prominently by the weekend and he truly came through for the club: 4 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 Ks. That’s Jesus’ most strikeouts in any game since June 2024 in the Dominican Summer League and he only needed 48 pitches (35 strikes) in amazingly efficient work.

RHP Garrett Hodges (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 Ks) closed the game out, assisted by a nifty 5-4-3 double play.

Mudcats’ Extras:

• Every Mudcat in the lineup reached base via hit or walk, with C Marco Dinges reaching base 4 times (single, 2 walks, HBP) and each of 2B Filippo Di Turi, 1B/OF Reece Walling and OF Demetrio Nadal reaching base 3 times.
• Followers in the Minor League Forum found it interesting that Pena’s substitute Eric Bitonti played first base, shifting three teammates to other positions, taking it as a sign that Bitonti may now be a first base-only prospect. For the sake of his prospect status, I hope that’s not the case, as he’d played 403 1/3 innings at the hot corner in 2024 and has also seen 5 innings there this year.

Next week’s outlook: Carolina travels to Fredericksburg, Virginia for six games against the Nationals’ affiliate, with the series commencing on Tuesday.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, the Brewers host the Orioles at 6:40pm CST and the ACL Brewers seek revenge at the ACL Royals at 8:00pm.

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

Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!