Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/23): The Best Organization in Baseball Demonstrates Its Might

Grand Slams? We got 'em in pairs! Flirtations with the cycle? We got those too! How about a perfect day at the plate for an emerging prospect? Check! An exciting debut, a shutout, a walk-off, and a blowout so bad the first half champs had to pitch their catcher. Tuesday saw a little bit of everything on the way to a 6-1 night for the Brewers' system.

Transactions: 

• Nashville Sounds activated RHP Blake Holub from the 7-day injured list.
• C Andrick Nava assigned to Nashville Sounds from Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
• Nashville Sounds transferred C Andrick Nava to the Development List.
• OF Alexander Frias assigned to Wilson Warbirds from ACL Brewers.
• OF Gerlyn Payano assigned to ACL Brewers from DSL Brewers Blue.

Also, it’s been reported, but not yet official, that Peter Strzelecki has signed a minor league contract with the Brewers and will return to Nashville.

Game Action:

Nashville flexed their muscle Tuesday night, routing the Gwinnett Stripers 12-5 thanks to explosive late-game heroics. Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sounds' bats erupted to completely flip the script.

Brock Wilken delivered the defining blow of the rally, launching a devastating grand slam to swing the momentum permanently in Nashville's favor. Check out Wilken’s slam courtesy of the Sounds’ X account:

Not to be outdone, Tyler Black punctuated the offensive showcase with another grand slam in the eighth inning, putting the game completely out of reach:

For two guys who have had their shares of ups and downs, it was really cool to see Wilken and Black share this rare feat together. 

But there’s more! Luis Lara’s bat finally reawakened. Entering play Tuesday, Lara was slashing just .174/.309/.174 in June. Lara made that look like a distant memory while going a flawless 5-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. You can check out all five hits in rapid succession here.

Meanwhile, catcher Jeferson Quero delivered an electric performance of his own, falling just a double shy of the cycle. Quero went 4-for-5, launching a solo home run in the eighth:

Quero’s triple, the fifth of his professional career, just missed going out to straight away center as well.

While the monumental power display stole the show, the Sounds' bullpen did its job to quiet the Stripers and secure the victory. After Gwinnett put up four runs in the top of the fifth against starter Thomas Pannone, the bullpen took over and shut Gwinnett down.  Gerson Garabito earned the win with two scoreless, one-hit innings of relief. Drew Rom and Easton McGee also chipped in combining to close out the final three frames with just an unearned run allowed.

RHP Lyon Richardson (2-2, 4.54 ERA in AAA with Louisville and Nashville) is scheduled to make his first start for Nashville on Wednesday. Richardson, a former second round pick of the Reds, only joined the Brewers’ organization earlier in June.

Biloxi pre-game media notes
Biloxi 5, Montgomery (Rays) 1
Box Score

As always, you are encouraged to read the official round-up from the team’s site:

Gillis, Offense Lead Shuckers to Win in Second-Half Opener - Fischer hits 3rd home run in 5 Double-A games with sky-scraping shot

Biloxi opened the second half of their Southern League season with an impressive and complete victory over Montgomery on Tuesday night.

The new look Shuckers' offense was clicking on all cylinders with the team pounding out 13 hits, with everyone but Mark Coley II collecting at least one hit. Catcher Darrien Miller led the charge with a 3-for-4 night and an RBI. Josh Adamczewski had a two-hit day including this run scoring double, courtesy of the Biloxi X account:

Adamczewski has hit safely in all five games since his promotion to AA.

So has his teammate Andrew Fischer who launched his 3^rd home run in five games at the level:

Watching these two seamlessly fit into the Biloxi lineup to support has been really exciting so far. It no longer feels like Jesús Made or Blake Burke have to do the heavy lifting, and the Shuckers' lineup suddenly feels so much deeper.

Other players in the Shuckers lineup are coming around too. Mike Boeve extended his hit streak to seven games with a two-hit night, and Jacob Hurtubise also had two hits and drove in a pair.

On the mound, the Shuckers got a strong performance from starter Tanner Gillis who threw six scoreless innings. Gillis struck out four, allowing just two hits and two walks to improve to 3-3 on the season.

Yorman Galindez (0-2, 10.13 ERA) will take the mound for Biloxi on Wednesday night.

Wisconsin pre-game media notes
Wisconsin 5, Cedar Rapids (Twins) 0
Box Score

Rattlers Run Winning Streak to Three with 5-0 Shutout - Owens strikes out eight over five scoreless innings

Wisconsin secured a dominant 5-0 shutout victory over Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Strong pitching and a single, explosive inning on offense were the winning formula for the Rattlers, who improved their second half record to 3-0.

The Timber Rattlers' pitching staff was completely in control, holding the Kernels' offense to just three hits and one walk while racking up 11 strikeouts. Starter Braylon Owens picked up the win with eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings. Owens’ lowered his ERA to 3.84 with his superb performance. Multi-inning scoreless appearances from Garrett Hodges and Peyton Niksch slammed the door on the thought of any sort of Cedar Rapids rally.

The bats were quiet on both sides until the bottom of the fourth inning when Wisconsin broke the game wide open. The rally started innocently, with Eric Bitonti drawing a walk and Tayden Hall poking a single to center. After a balk advanced both runners, Daniel Guilarte broke the scoreless tie with a sharp RBI single to left field. Juan Baez followed with an RBI single of his own to make it 2-0.

After a Blayberg Diaz single and a walk to Josiah Ragsdale loaded the bases, Marco Dinges delivered the knockout punch. Dinges grounded a single to center field to score two, with a throwing error from the centerfielder allowing Ragsdale to come home, capping off a five-run frame that put the game entirely out of reach.

Check out all the highlights on the Rattlers’ YouTube page:

RHP Josh Knoth (0-0, 2.70 ERA) toes the rubber for Wisconsin in game two on Wednesday.

Wilson pre-game media notes
Wilson 15, Fredericksburg (Nationals) 2
Box Score

Wilson Blasts Fredericksburg in Series Opener

Wilson put on an absolute offensive clinic Tuesday night, crushing the first half champions Fredericksburg 15-2. The Warbirds' lineup was relentless, racking up 12 hits and capitalizing on a dumbfounding 16 walks issued by Nationals pitching to hang some crooked numbers in the linescore through the first six innings. Ultimately things got so bad for Fredericksburg that only a position player on the mound could shut down the Warbirds’ offense late in the game.

Shortstop Brady Ebel was the draw stirring the drink for the Warbirds' offense, finishing the game just a triple shy of the cycle. He put together a spectacular 4-for-5 performance at the plate, driving in four runs and scoring three times. His night was highlighted by a two-run blast which you can see courtesy of the Wilson X account:

Alexander Frias made his Carolina League debut as the designated hitter and immediately made his presence felt. Frias went 1-for-5, recording his first hit, first run, and first RBI in Wilson. However, his biggest impact came on the basepaths, where he collected three stolen bases.

Leftfielder Nick Monile recorded professional highs with three walks and four runs scored. Slugger Jose Anderson knocked in two runs with a double and a single. Anderson leads the Carolina league with 52 RBI on the season.  Juan Ortuno knocked in a run and stole his 20^th base. Leadoff man Handelfry Encarnacion was on base three times and also scored three runs.

The hit parade was so long, and the highlights so numerous, I recommend you click through the video highlights here, rather than link each play individually.

Not to be overshadowed by the offense, the Warbirds got two solid performances on the mound as well. Starter Jarrette Bonet had his best start since May 22, working five innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts. Hayden Robinson backed up Bonet with four scoreless innings to earn his professional save. It was the first appearance of the season for Robinson where he did not walk a batter or allow a run.

Wilson moves to 38-32 on the season and 2-2 in the second half. RHP Miqueas Mercedes (1-1, 5.13 ERA) heads to the hill for Wilson on Wednesday.

ACL Brewers 2, ACL Angels 1, seven innings as scheduled
 Box Score 

The ACL Brewers showcased exactly how to maximize limited offensive opportunities on Tuesday, scraping out a dramatic 2-1 walk-off victory over the ACL Angels despite mustering only two hits all evening.

The foundation of the victory was built on a quality start on the mound. Joan Pena settled in beautifully after giving up a lone run in the first inning, grinding through six strong frames. He scattered just three hits and struck out four, successfully working around four walks to keep the Angels' lineup at bay and give his team a chance.

Offensively, Milwaukee relied entirely on the long ball to manufacture their runs against the Angels’ pitching staff. After trailing for the first four innings, Brailyn Antunez hit a solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the 4^th. It was Antunez' 7^th homer of the year, which is best on the team.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh, when Juan Martinez stepped up and delivered a clutch, walk-off solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 7^th. The win gets the ACL Brewers back above .500 with a 20-19 record.

Outfielder Gerlyn Payano made his stateside debut as the designated hitter, 0-for-2 with a walk.

DSL Cleveland Goryl DSL 12, Brewers Blue 8
Box Score

Despite a strong start and some early offensive fireworks, the DSL Brewers Blue couldn't hold off a relentless late-game surge from DSL Cleveland Goryl, falling 12-8 in a wild, high-scoring affair on Tuesday.

The Brewers came out swinging, building a quick 4-0 lead by the end of the second inning. Third baseman Diego Frontado was the star for the Brewers, finishing the day 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a double that sparked a two-run first inning. The 17-year-old Venezuelan now sports a 1.064 OPS with the completion of Tuesday’s game.

First baseman Eryks Rivero (2-for-3, RBI) and right fielder Angel Gonzalez (2-for-4, RBI) also put together multi-hit performances, each ripping a double of their own. Catcher Sebastian Franeites also chipped in two singles and an RBI on the day.

Things began to unravel for the Brewers in the bottom of the 5^th inning. After starter Luis Aguayo threw two clean innings to stake the Brewers to their early lead, the Brewers' bullpen simply couldn't find the strike zone. Wilmer Duarte (2.2 IP 4ER 6BB) and Jordy Brache (2.1 IP 8ER 5BB) took the brunt of the damage, surrendering all 12 runs and issuing 11 walks in their combined five innings.

Cleveland battered the Brewers for multi-run rallies in each of their last four innings, flipping the score from a four-run Brewers' lead into a five-run deficit heading into the 9^th inning. While the offense battled to the end with a pair of one-run rallies in the 8^th and 9^th innings, it was simply too deep of a hole for the Brewers to climb out of. The loss drops the Brewers Blue to 12-5 on the season.

DSL Brewers Gold 3, DSL Pirates Gold 1
Box Score

The DSL Brewers Gold took care of business on Tuesday morning, leaning on rock-solid pitching and just enough offense to secure a 3-1 victory over the DSL Pirates Gold.

Paul Hoff was dialed in on the mound for the Brewers in his longest outing of the season. Hoff (5IP 2H 0R 1BB 5K) silenced the Pirates’ bats on his way to his first win of the season.

The Brewers made the most of their five hits on the day and then benefitted from some poor Pirates’ defense. The scoring opened in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Romano Donato wreaked havoc on the basepaths. After reaching on a fielding error, Donato immediately stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Pirates' catcher. Shortstop Ricki Moneys then stepped up and delivered a clutch RBI single to center, bringing Donato home and putting the Brewers up 1-0.

Milwaukee found their insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th. Left fielder Angeni Fernandez ignited the rally by lacing a triple to lead off the frame. Following back-to-back walks to Moises Salazar and Carlos Done that loaded the bases, Jefer Lista put the ball in play and reached on a critical fielding error by the Pirates' third baseman. The miscue allowed both Fernandez and Salazar to score, extending the Brewers' lead to 3-0.

The Brewers' early execution and ability to capitalize on Pittsburgh's sloppy defense proved to be the difference-maker. The Brewers, now 5-12 with the win, proved to be the true “gold” standard while the Pirates proved to be mere fools’ gold in defeat. 

What an epic night across the system! Wednesday will see just one rookie ball game in the morning in the DSL. Wisconsin has a day game at noon central. The rest of the full-season squads will get started in the evening, as per usual.

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!