Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/15): DSL Squads Sweep Morning Docket; ACL Crew Shutout in Two Hit Loss

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• OF Luis Castillo (last appeared in mid-April) was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• RHP Alexander Vallecillo was placed on the 7-Day IL by the ACL Brewers

Final: ACL Athletics 4, ACL Brewers 0 - Final/7 Innings
Box Score/Game Log

Earlier in the day, the ACL Brewers had only two pitchers on their ledger. By the evening hours, we saw a three-pitcher combined seven innings. A rookie league anomaly if there ever was one. RHP Miqueas Mercedes did the heavy lifting: 4.0 IP of 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 ER work throwing 74 pitches and 47 strikes. He was followed by RHP Ismael Yanez who threw 1.0 IP of 2 H, 1 Balk, 1 K, 1 ER work throwing 21 pitches and 15 strikes. RHP Ayendy Bravo closed the game going 1.0 IP of 1 H, 1 K, 1 HB, 1 WP, and 1 K throwing 16 pitches and 12 for strikes - wildly efficient, you might say.

In a game with a mere two hits for the ACL Brewers offense, we see DH Kevin Garcia was responsible for both knocks. He was also caught stealing in one of two times on base. CF Handelfry Encarnacion also reached via base on balls. He was summarily picked off first base. 0-for-1 with RISP and a mere single runner left on base. You get the picture. Outhit 9-to-2, with those ACL Brewers offensive stats (pun intended?), a 4-0 loss seems generous.

They'll look to bounce back when they return to action Thursday evening. Will INF Josh Adamczewski still be in Arizona? As of today, he is (sourced by me via the Complex) still on schedule to be returning to Carolina for the post-All Star break portion of the Mudcats second half. With the loss, the ACL Brewers fell back to 0.500 at 27-27 overall.

Final: DSL Brewers Blue 8, DSL Athletics 7
Box Score/Game Log

Five multi-hit performances for the DSL Brewers Blue in a walk-off win they truly deserved, or in the least 'earned', from a bird's eye view. The Blue outhit the formidable Athletics 13-to-6, with nearly identical free passes (7-to-8 in favor of the A's).

RHP Manuel Moreno once again gave a solid outing to his squad: 5.0 IP of 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 ER work. When he left the game, the ACL Brewers Blue were leading 6-2.

Things unraveled a bit, shall we say, for RHP Jean Rodriguez who saw five runs cross in his 1 1/3 IP - 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 2 HB, 5 ER - immediately thereafter. Despite only allowing a single run in his first inning of work, Rodriguez was clearly flirting with disaster throughout both frames. He surrendered a run-scoring triple to bring the A's within 6-3 and he proceeded to load the bases with consecutive hit batters before ending said first frame via fly out. Phew. It only got worse in the seventh inning, unfortunately. Rodriguez was ultimately driven from the game after earning only one out in the seventh inning via strikeout. He surrendered consecutive run-scoring doubles after two walks, runs that tied the game, and then proceeded to allow the go-ahead run on consecutive wild pitches. He was pulled for RHP Lenin Mendez after walking the next batter.

Mendez, like Rodriguez, also took a dip in adventurous waters: single, balk, fly out, walk, ground out. He left the frame with the bases dripping stranding Rodriguez's last runner at third base. Kudos are much deserved for Mendez as he worked an efficient three-up three-down eighth frame and then successfully worked around a one out HB in the ninth inning. He gave the two scoreless innings needed for a walk-off. He also picked up the win improving to 3-2 on his season - a much needed outcome given his 11.20 ERA over 13 2/3 IP while sporting a 2.20 WHIP.

Offensively, the big game award goes to surging second-year 2B Moises Polanco. A day after hitting a crucial run-scoring go-ahead triple, Polanco hit his second long ball of the summer and added his tenth double in a 3-for-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 2B, 1 HR day at the dish. Polanco is up to a 0.301 BA and a 0.945 OPS in 125 PA's.

Who hit the go-ahead knock? None other than C Johanderson Tarazona. As an everyday observer of these Brewers DSL Game Logs, I can share Tarazona has consistently popped in these box scores when he's seeing the field. 2-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 2B. With a 0.984 FPCT and a 21.42 % CS rate to pair with a 0.350 BA and 1.025 OPS over 52 time share PA's (7 BB: 11 K) Tarazona is absolutely stating his case.

2025 Headliner, CF Brailyn Antunez continues to showcase improved results at the dish and today was no different: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 BB, 2 K. After a rough month of June, Antunez is hitting 0.270 in July with a healthy 0.741 OPS and 7:7 K:BB ratio in 37 AB. This is an encouraging development.

Rounding out the multi-hit efforts were lead-off RF Carlos Done (2-for-4, 1 R, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB) and DH Jefer Lista (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K). With the victory, the DSL Brewers Blue improved to 18-13 overall - good for third place in the DSL Northwest division. 

Final: DSL Brewers Gold 14, DSL Rojos (Reds) 3
Box Score/Game Log

Stop the presses. The DSL Brewers Gold (15-17) find themselves in a first place tie with the DSL Cleveland Goryl atop the DSL Central division 😳. All this despite the Goryl scoring 67 more runs and allowing a mere six more. The DSL Brewers Gold have gained three games over their past 10. Are the DSL Brewers tides turning? It's fair to say we can see the early signs of improved play and results. Let's just leave it there.

The DSL Brewers Gold jumped in front from the get go plating two runs in the top of the first frame. They wouldn't relinquish the lead and only built on it from there. Of course, a seven run break-it-all-open ninth inning sure helped. This was capped off by a 3-run bomb from one 3B Juan Martinez (one of last summer's unheralded darlings Spencer and I discussed in our off-season 'State of the System' BF Pod series) who managed a 2-for-6, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR day at the dish.

C Jonathan Rangel remains a work in progress behind the dish (2 PB, Catcher's Interference - 93.7 FPCT/ 6 PB / 4 Errors on the season) - hey, it's a first exposure back there - but he remains an absolute menace at the plate in 2025. He hasn't skipped a beat, really, since winning Complex Player of the Month back in June:

With a 2-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 HR day at the dish Rangel improved his season tallies to a 0.329 BA with a 1.046 OPS in 92 PA's. That is indeed a healthy looking near 100 PA sample. 10 XBH's amongst his 23 knocks. 17 BB-to-16 K. One of the more unsung but truly entertaining seasons happening at the Brewers DSL Academy.

With Martinez and Rangel grabbing the sole multi-hit performances, it is worth noting: the entire lineup grabbed a hit in this one. Actually, every DSL Brewers Gold player except CF Kenny Fenelon (go figure) grabbed an RBI. Fenelon still managed a 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB day of work. 

On the pitching side of the ledger we see 17-year-old RHP Gustavo Garcia put forth 5.0 IP of 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 ER work while grabbing six outs via ground out and six outs via fly out. He picked up his third win of his season improving to 3-1 overall after five starts.

Pitching 2 1/3 innings of 1 H, 1 K, 1 ER work was enough to credit 19-year-old Carlos Canales with his second Hold of his summer. 20-year-old RHP Linbel Jimenez, in his third season as a Brewers DSL'er closed the game going 1 2/3 IP of scoreless 2 BB, 1 K, 2 WP work. 

A friendly reminder, all affiliates - including the Rookie League club Brewers - will be off tomorrow. Thursday the Rookie Clubs return to action. Friday, we are back in full swing with every Brewers affiliate - full-season and rookie ball - taking the field.

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