Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/12): RHP Bryan Rivera Has 17 K in Two Starts; INF's Jhonny Severino and Juan Baez Continue to Dazzle in the ACL

Transactions:

• RHP Abner Uribe was assigned to the Nashville Sounds from the Biloxi Shuckers: 
• INF/OF Josh Van Meter was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers from the Nashville Sounds
• RHP J.B. Bukauskas was Optioned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers (after being activated off their IL)
• INF/OF Noah Campbell was assigned to the Biloxi Shuckers from the Nashville Sounds

Game Balls:

• LHP Anthony Flores dealt 4 IP of 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 ER ball. That is now 2 GS, 8 IP, 12 K, 3 BB, 0 ER, 0.115 BAA, 0.75 WHIP
• C Yannic Walther continues to show hints, albeit in an absurdly small sample size, the Brewers can find catchers anywhere on the planet. More below.
• RHP Bryan Rivera is demonstrating real growth in his age 17/18 season and his second in the Brewers DSL. He hurled 5 IP of 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 9 K ball. He's been stellar through two starts. The punch out ratio is very new in 2023.
• INF Jhonny Severino hit two HR on the evening. He tallied 4 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 K. There's a reason he was the 21st ranked International Signing by MLB Pipeline in 2022. Now that he's stateside and removed from a rather pedestrian DSL season in 2022, by his lofty standards, it would appear he is ready to take off. Thanks to our very own @wiguy94, we have clips of both blasts and they sure sound pretty:
  This second blast has that 'it':
• INF Juan Baez is proving to be quite the right-hand man to Severino. He nabbed four SB on the evening. He also went 3-for-5 with 2 R and 2 RBI. 

Final: DSL Brewers #1 6, DSL Braves 3
Box Score/Game Log

To be a 19-year-old German athlete playing in the Dominican Summer League. What a world. C Yannic Walther signed a professional contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on August 31st, 2022. And, so far, in a four game sample-size in the DSL he's demonstrating the bat he showed in the Bundesliga translates to the lowest level of affiliated ball. What a story for a young man who was originally destined to play college ball at Florida Southwestern State College and then Miami Dade as he chased his baseball dreams across the proverbial pond. He finished his day 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI (including a two out rbi). I'll be tracking what is quickly becoming a very fun story.

We see INF Kevin Ereu left the game in the sixth inning. It shows up as a defensive switch and substitution after Ereu had singled, took 2B on a wild pitch, and then stole 3B (where he was stranded) in what proved to be his fifth and final frame. Hopefully, this was precautionary or a planned defensive shift. My antennae are on alert, however, given the bevy of injuries we've seen throughout the Brewers organization in 2023. More to come.

There are intriguing tidbits all throughout the box score here. I'll highlight a few as the Dos moved to 4-2 on the young season:

• RHP Yonawil Florimon finished with a 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K final line. A wonderful bounce back performance after his previous outing. However, we also see he inherited two runners in his opening action and allowed both to score on his bullpen mate's tab. 
• In three games to date, 22-year-old Dominican RHP Roman Perez (in his second year with the Brewers DSL) has a 0.00 ERA and a 0.000 BAA. Yet, he also sports a 2.50 WHIP and hasn't hit a single batter. You can do the math. He grabbed his first save today in his first opportunity (3-for-3 in SO in 2022).
• The Brewers Uno had six stolen bases on the day. OF Idalberto Santiesteban had three of these.
• Speaking of Santiesteban, he also had a solid day at the dish: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 3 SB.  This is a name that has shown up for me  now in both my reports in the first two weeks of the DSL. I'm listening.

Final: DSL Guardians 4, DSL Brewers #2 2
Box Score/Game Log

17-year-old Dominican OF Antony Gomez continues to flash intriguing potential in the very early going for the Brewers Dos. His 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K outing is the only line that really pops at you when you scan the box score. The numbers 5 through 9 hitters went a combined 0-for-13 with 1 BB and 3 K. The Brewers Dos could have used just one of those elusive knocks after the bottom of the order had loaded the bases in the sixth frame with nobody down. Unfortunately, they only plated one run in the scenario. That brief one run lead quickly vanished in the seventh and final frame when 18-year-old Dominican RHP Lenin Mendez ran into trouble to the tune of three runs. That was all she wrote as the Brewers Dos went down swinging in three straight trips to close out the affair. Sadly, this late mini collapse tarnished the fantastic outing of surging young Nicaraguan RHP Bryan Rivera who is highlighted in the game balls above. The young men fell to 3-3 on their young season.

Final: ACL Guardians 11, ACL Brewers 10
Box Score/Game Log

The ACL Crew actually grabbed a brief 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth inning. This came on the heels of INF Jhonny Severino's second HR of his evening - a three-run shot (clip above). However, things unraveled relatively quickly from there. A throwing error from rehabbing Josh Van Meter opened a small window and the Guardians took advantage reclaiming the lead 6-5. The Guardians then broke it open with four more runs off RHP Anthony Perez in the next frame - in the blink of an eye, it was 10-5 Guardians. However, with this current offense - led by the dynamic duo of Severino and Baez - anything seems possible for the ACL Crew. A five-spot in the seventh inning saw the game tied back up at 10-10. The Crew were outhitting the Guardians 11-to-5 at that point. It seemed a matter of finding an arm out of the bullpen who could limit the free passes. Or, unfortunately, in tonight's case, a clean inning in the field. A fielding error by OF Reidy Mercado - the Crew's 4th on the evening - allowed a run to cross. The 11-10 deficit would be the final score. RHP Jose Chavez likely deserved a no decision at worst given his valiant effort when the score was knotted at 10-10. He completed 2 1/3 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 ER ball but was credited with the loss. The young ballers also managed a 10-for-10 SB tally on the evening. A frustrating and tough loss. The Crew fell to 4-2 on the year.

We'll close with a quick OF Sal Frelick update. Frelick finished his evening with a 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K line. It would appear, by my estimations, he is just about ready to head northeast to the Nashville clubhouse. I'd say the thumb looks just fine in this easy swing single to RF:

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