Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/16): Lovera, Rivero, Antunez Lead Three-Win Day for Rookies

Transactions:

• LHP Rob Zastryzny returned to MLB Brewers from rehab and placed on 60-day injured list
• OF Greg Jones elected free agency after being designated for assignment by MLB Brewers
• LHP Colton Gordon optioned to AAA Nashville from MLB Brewers
• RHP Carlos Rodriguez returned to MLB Brewers from rehab, optioned to AAA Nashville
• RHP Junior Fernandez released by AAA Nashville
• RHP Tanner Gillis transferred to AA Biloxi's 60-day injured list from 7-day injured list

Recently drafted players have also begun to sign: 

Game Action:

Final: ACL Brewers 5, ACL Athletics 3 (in 7 innings)
Box Score

SS CJ Hughes’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning knotted the contest, followed by a single and three walks to chase the Athletics’ starting pitcher with the Zona Crew leading 2-1.

Starting 18-year-old LHP Frank Cairone (1 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 3 BB, 1 K) also struggled with control, walking in a run in the top of the first inning and exiting after a leadoff walk in the 2nd frame. RHP Josue Toledo (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) retired three batters in order to strand that baserunner and preserve the lead.

After stranding two Brewers’ baserunners in the 3rd inning, C Malachai Halterman started a chain of four consecutive hits to open the 4th inning, including OF Brailyn Antunez’s 2-run triple and 3B Moises Polanco’s RBI single for a 5-1 advantage.

19-year-old RHP Chase Bentley (5 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) put in the bulk of the work, covering five innings in relief to earn his 4th win.

Antunez (1-for-3, triple, walk, 2 RBIs; .903 OPS), Hughes (2-for-4, HR, RBI; .801 OPS), Polanco (1-for-2, 2 walks, RBI, 2 SBs; .825 OPS) and Halterman (2-for-3) all had solid offensive days as the ACL Brewers (25-29) snapped a skid which saw the team drop nine of its last 10 games.

Final: DSL Brewers Blue 13, DSL Tampa Bay 4
Box Score

The big bats came through again for the Blue Crew, as 17-year-old 3B Leanders Matos singled home DH Diego Frontado (1-for-2, 2 HBPs, RBI) to open the scoring in the first inning, followed by OF Frandy Lafond’s two-out, two-run single to extend the advantage.

But the larger story was 17-year-old center fielder Enrique Lovera (3-for-5, HR, triple, walk, 3 RBIs) smacking a two-run homer in the 2nd inning, an RBI triple in the 3rd inning and adding a single in the 4th inning to put him squarely in cycle alert territory, with the Blue squad leading 11-4 by that point.

On the mound, 17-year-old RHP Steven Duran (3 2/3 IP, 4 R, 2 H, 6 BB, 1 HBP, 4 Ks) got the start, while 6’5” 17-year-old LHP Alexander Mercedes (3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks) had the top outing in relief to earn his first career win.

Though Lovera fell just shy of his cycle (6th inning walk, 8th inning pop-out), Matos (2-for-4, HR, walk, 2 RBIs) continued his assault on the Dominican Summer League with his 9th homer of the season.

The Blue team registered 14 hits and also drew seven walks and three hit-by-pitches to improve to 19-13 on the season. Eight players had at least one hit, as Lovera, Matos, Frontado, Lafond (3-for-5, 2 RBIs, SB), OF Jesus Mancera (2-for-4, walk, 3 RBIs) and 2B Cristian Montilla (0-for-2, 2 walks, HBP, SB) each reached base three times.

In relief, RHPs Manuel Davila (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 K) and Yancarlos Vasquez (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) retired the combined seven batters that they faced.

Final: DSL Brewers Gold 12, DSL Pirates Gold 10
Box Score

You might think that leads of 9-0 in the 6th inning and 12-7 in the 9th inning are safe, but the Golden Men nearly proved us wrong in the dramatic late innings.

Starting 18-year-old RHP Jesus Rivero (5 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 5 BB, 3 Ks) was the early story, no-hitting the opposition over five innings, though he did issue some free passes.

A six-run top of the first inning had gifted Rivero a 5-0 lead before his first pitch, with 16-year-old C Moises Salazar (2-for-4, walk, 3 RBIs; .850 OPS) opening the scoring with a two-run single and 1B Jefer Lista (2-for-3, 2 walks, RBI; .919 OPS) and DH Matthew Moses (2-for-3, HR, 2 walks, 5 RBIs; .910 OPS) also contributing RBI hits.

Things went a bid sideways against the Gold bullpen, as RHPs Jose Arias and Dalvin Bodre and LHP Noel Cepeda allowed a combined 10 runs (9 earned) on eight hits, nine walks and one hit-by-pitch, with Cepeda escaping the 8th inning on a fly out with the potential game-tying runners aboard and the Gold team leading 9-7.

Moses’ three-run homer in the top of the 9th inning restored breathing room at 12-7, only for Cepeda to issue back-to-back walks to open the bottom half of the frame, followed by two singles, another walk and a necessary pitching change.

20-year-old RHP Wandy Cabrera (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K; 2.70 ERA) entered with the score 12-9, bases loaded and nobody out, notching a strikeout, allowing a run-scoring walk and including a line out double play to second base to earn the save as Gold lifted its record to 17-14.

The top of the order of OF Angeni Fernandez (0-for-3, 2 walks, HBP, SB; .922 OPS), 3B Ricki Moneys (1-for-4, double, 2 walks, 3 SBs; .928 OPS) and 2B Osiris Ramirez (1-for-4, double, 2 walks, RBI, SB; 940 OPS) each reached base three times and were active on the basepaths.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, all levels are back in action after the All-Star break, with seven minor league games on tap. Wilson is on the road at Hickory, while Nashville, Biloxi and Wisconsin all host three-game series.

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