Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/26): Garrett Mitchell Shows Out Again BUT Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury

Transactions:

• C Eric Haase's contract was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds
• LHP Dallas Kuechel's contract was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds
• RHP Ruben Saldana (Mexico, 18 years old) was signed by the Brewers and assigned to the DSL Brewers #1 (More info HERE - article is in Spanish)

Final:  Nashville 12, Jacksonville (Marlins) 11

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):

Sounds Win Thriller in Extra Innings Against the Jumbo Shrimp - Wes Clarke Hits Grand Slam

Box Score / Game Log

Pre-Game Media Notes

What a roller coaster of a season for RHP Evan McKendry. It's truly a tale of pitching 'Jekyll & Hyde'. His last two games in long relief? 9 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 13 K, 0 R. Heck of a set of performances. His last two games started (including today)? 8 2/3 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 7 K, 1 HB, 4 HR, 16 ER. Yikes. Let's just say: he had a rough one. We'll leave it at that. His ERA falls to 6.37 on the season in 11 appearance (1.37 WHIP)  - today being his sixth start.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) OF Garrett Mitchell was here. He was there. He was everywhere. His run of excellent play absolutely continued and then some. Take a look at the whole package:

Unfortunately, as the video clip above briefly shows (at very end) he also left with an apparent left hammy tweak of some kind. We'll have to monitor in the days ahead.

2) Let's give a special mention to RHP Ryan Middendorf for stopping the bleeding. He came aboard in the eight frame with a 10-10 score on the scoreboard and runs being scored left and right. He didn't allow a hit, walk, or run in his 2 IP. He tallied two K. His work allowed the team to get to extras where they ultimately came out victorioius. He sat 96.2 mph on his four-seamer. He touched 97.6 mph. He achieved a 27% whiff rate on the pitch. Fantastic work.

3) Props to the OF tandem of Joey Wiemer and Brewer Hicklen. 4-for-9, 4 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 2B, 1 SB. If the Sounds are going to make any noise in the second half they absolutely need these two to get the motor humming.  Today was a fantastic start. Can they keep a modicum of this pace up in the games and series ahead? 

Final: Pensacola (Marlins) 7, Biloxi 6

Wilken Clobbers Eighth Home Run of the Year, Shuckers Fall to Pensacola - Bullpen Ties Season-High with 11 Strikeouts

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

RHP Bradley Blalock was, quite simply, not sharp. His slider was his best pitch of his evening but he and C Nick Kahle only sprinkled it across his abbreviated outing - I personally would have altered the game plan and led with off-speed. His heater, a pitch that lacked movement; ride; or any eye-popping velocity, was sat on and peppered throughout the diamond. He almost surpassed his inning pitch count in the first. He almost was pulled in the second frame. He lasted one out in the third frame. It was ugly. 2 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 6 ER. Throwing 76 pitches through 2 1/3 IP isn't a winning proposition in any ball game at any level. Blalock's season ERA dips to 5.06. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Through four innings, the Shuckers had four hits. Three were for extra bases. All three were two-run pokes. OF Lamar Sparks and 3B Brock Wilken both crushed two-run 107 mph rockets over the LF wall. The see saw battle had begun. 

2) Speaking of XBH's, when SS Eric Brown Jr. rocked an 0-2 double to the deep part of left field he extended his hitting streak to eight games. He extended his on base streak to 11 games. It's been enjoyable watching EBJ work his way out of the offensive cellar. The struggle was very very real earlier this season. That is not the case over the past month. Let's root this young man as he seeks to continue turning his season around. 

3) This was a back-and-forth game throughout. Outside of Blalock's rough start, the Shuckers will lament the inability to score with runners on the corners and Ernesto Martinez Jr. and Eric Brown Jr. on deck and in the hole, respectively. RHP Nick Merkel will wish the home plate ump gave him the benefit of the doubt on a couple pitches and he had tightened up a slider that hit a batter resulting in another run. LHP Adam Seminaris had a mildly rough second inning of relief, but no manager (or teammate) is going to complain about 4 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 ER. It certainly felt unfair he took the loss in the stat column.

Final: South Bend (Cubs) 5, Wisconsin 4

Cubs Get the Final Rally to Beat Wisconsin - South Bend Scores Three in the Ninth for 5-4 Win

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

Full Game Highlights:

Post-Game (1 & 2) Podcast:

LHP Tate Kuehner continues to stake his claim as the Ace of the Timber Rattlers pitching staff. He has stacked four consecutive fantastic starts in June and now holds a 1.64 ERA over 22 IP with opponents managing a woeful 0.133 BAA in the same month. Todays' scoreless 5 IP gave his team everything and then some to pull out a victory. Unfortunately, RHP Will Childers couldn't close the door.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The T-Rats didn't lack for opportunities to really break this game open. In the same eighth inning where they plated three go-ahead runs for their 4-2 late lead, the Rattlers also stranded the bases loaded. They will ultimately lament their 3-for-11 with RISP and none more important than the failure to knock some more across in the eighth frame. 

2)  After today's 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K performance, INF Jadher Areinamo is now hitting 0.300 on the season. I've already lauded his defense with accolades for a year plus. The plate discipline is starting to arrive. He has an 18:17 BB:K ratio over the past two months. Do with this what you will but let me get out ahead of the curve for you: please start taking his potential more seriously. This is a 20-year-old with multiples tools. He doesn't turn 21 until late November.

3) After five consecutive scoreless outings (dating back to his last outing with Biloxi), RHP Will Childers has now allowed five runs to cross the dish over his past two outings. In today's ninth frame: 1 IP, 5 H, 1 K, 3 ER. He'll obviously look to bounce back - these types of blips happen in high leverage scenarios. He's shown the ability to shut things down at this level.

Final: Lynchburg (Guardians) 6, Carolina 3

Box Score / Game Log 

Lynchburg Levels Series with Mudcats - Corniel Stumbles in Rare Shortened Start

This was young Daniel Corniel's shortest start since his last start in the month of May where he lasted a mere 2 1/3 IP. His outing today ended after one out in the fourth frame: 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K, 4 ER. He only threw 64 pitches but alos only threw 33 strikes. Given the greater body of work in June, we'll toss it up as a mulligan. He'll look to bounce back in the next series.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Facing the number of injuries in the pitching ranks, manager Nick Stanley has to be pleased to see RHP Dikember Sanchez's scoreless, hitless, walk-less 2 2/3IP. He grabbed 3 K for good measure. We saw all the signs of a possible reliever capable of high-leverage spots with his ACL performances, perhaps we're starting to see that come to fruition early in his Mudcats tenure.

2) Just an observation: SS Cooper Pratt (who I mentioned in detail in yesterday's report) was held out of today's line-up. We have no official word on the severity of his left leg dust up at home plate yesterday. BUT, we'll obviously want to track this in the remainder of this series in the least. In his absence, INF Filippo Di Turi took his place. I've mentioned Di Turi in recent write-ups - ie, he is looking more and more comfortable at the plate - swings like this exemplify what I've been seeing. Controlled, smooth, unhurried:

3) What are we looking for when a newly signed 25-year-old pitcher enters the Low-A ranks? Clean innings. What did RHP Tyler Bryant give us in his debut? A clean inning of work. 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 0 R. His feet are now officially wet. Let's hope he excels and works his way up to more age0appropriate levels. 

That's a wrap for my reports this late week of June. We'll be back it with a full seven slate of games as both DSL clubs and the ACL Crew are back in action. Highlights for me personally as I peruse the scheduled starters: RHP KC Hunt will look to bounce back from his recent (and only) rough start, RHP Enniel Cortez will look to make it two consecutive scoreless outings, and RHP Chad Patrick will look to keep rolling for Nashville. Just the DSL Crew in the morning - all remaining affiliates will be playing under the lights.

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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