Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/25): Clarke and Lara Produce Clutch Hits in 3-Win Thursday

Transactions:

• INF Christian Arroyo activated by AAA Nashville from 7-day injured list
• RHP Tyler Woessner assigned to AA Biloxi from AAA Nashville
• RHP Jose Nova of Low-A Carolina placed on 7-day injured list
• LHP Osbriel Mogollon released by ACL Brewers
• RHP Felipe De Los Santos released by ACL Brewers
• OF/INF Angel Pereira released by ACL Brewers
• RHP Samuel Valerio released by ACL Brewers

We wish the four young players released by the Brewers success in their upcoming endeavors and will post more about their careers-to-date on the BrewerFanatic Minor League Transaction Thread.

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 6, Charlotte 5
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Big Fourth Inning Drives Sounds Over Knights

Per the game link, one swing from 1B Wes Clarke (2-for-4, double, 4 RBIs) on a high fastball turned the game on its head, driving home 3 runs in the 4th inning to give Nashville a 4-3 lead it would never relinquish.

Starting RHP Chad Patrick didn’t allow any baserunner in 4 of the 5 innings he covered, so we’ll chalk up the 2nd frame (3 runs, 4 hits, 1 BB) as an aberration.

The Sounds’ defense played a big role in helping out Nashville debutant LHP Tyler Jay in the 6th inning and RHP Evan McKendry (3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 WP, 1 K) in the 7th inning to maintain the lead:

• C Brian Navarreto threw out an attempted basestealer to help Jay throw a scoreless frame, despite allowing a walk, single and HBP.
• SS Freddy Zamora gunned down the potential game-tying run at home for the second out of the 7th inning.

Sounds’ Extras:

• Each of center fielder Tyler Black (single, 2 walks, 3 SBs - see the video) and right fielder Joey Wiemer (3 walks, 1 SB) reached base three times to keep the pressure on the opposition.
• DH Brewer Hicklen and Zamora each contributed RBI singles which provided pivotal insurance runs to help Nashville take a 2-1 series lead.
• Here’s our first look at the 30-year old Jay, who’s sinker peaked at 95.4mph in this game and is on the 40-man MLB roster:

Friday’s outlook: Rehabbing DL Hall is set to make his 10th rehab start for Nashville, holding a 2.95 ERA and 1.91 WHIP in 18 1/3 innings with the club.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Pensacola 4, Biloxi 3 (in 11 innings)
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers Fall to Blue Wahoos, 4-3, in Extra-Innings Affair

Whichever team lost this game was going to feel terrible for letting their pitching staff down, with the Shuckers hitless for 6 innings and starting RHP Shane Smith (5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks) holding the Blue Wahoos hitless for 5 2/3 innings.

In relief of Smith, RHP Sam Carlson (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K) had gotten ahead 0-and-2 before giving up the back-breaking 2-run double to break the scoring deadlock in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Biloxi’s offense ultimately went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, with right fielder Lamar Sparks (2-for-4, double, 3 RBIs) producing both of those hits (RBI double in 7th, RBI single in 11th) along with a game-tying sacrifice fly in the 8th inning.

Per the game write-up, RHP Justin Yeager (2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K) had allowed 2 singles to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, then lost an 0-and-2 advantage to walk in the game-tying run, before notching a strikeout and allowing the walk-off single.

Shuckers’ Extras:

• 27-year old fire-balling RHP Sam Gardner (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks; season ERA 2.73) hasn’t missed a beat since returning from injury, recording his 4th straight scoreless relief outing despite allowing the lead runner to reach in each of the 8th and 9th innings.
• RHP Will Childers also stepped up to keep the Manfred man from scoring in the 10th inning (pop out, line out, walk, fly out).
• Each of left fielder Adam Hall, SS Eric Brown Jr. and 2B Dlyan O’Rae reached base twice, though none recorded a hit. Brown also stole his 15th base. C Nick Kahle (0-for-4, walk) caught all 11 innings, but will wish he’d been able to make more of clutch opportunities at the plate in the 8th and 11th innings.

Friday’s outlook: 21-year old RHP Brett Wichrowski (3.74 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.9 K/9 in 65 IP) is scheduled to make his 17th start of 2024, with Biloxi needing a victory to tie this week’s series 2-2.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wisconsin 3, Beloit 2 (in 10 innings)
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Rattlers Take Down Sky Carp in Extra Innings

Wisconsin prevailed in this tight road battle behind the solid pitching of RHPs KC Hunt (6 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 WP, 3 Ks) and Stiven Cruz (3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 Ks), then RHP Bayden Root bearing down after some ticky-tack contact got him in trouble in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Per the game summary, 19-year old center fielder Luis Lara reached base via hit or walk in each of the 4th (single, scored), 6th (double, stranded) and 8th (walk, stranded) innings before his big 10th inning 2-run double to give the Timber Rattlers their first lead of the game, 3-1.

@ biedergb in our daily MILB forum summarized Root’s 10th inning escape which earned him the Win:

“TRats - a bloop base hit makes it 3-2. Root strikes out the next hitter. Then a tailor made DP ground ball hits the pitcher goes left and no play and runners on 1st and 2nd with an infield single. No solid contact at all. He strikes out Olmstead with power (96mph fastballs). Then a bloop right at the SS Garcia. Game Set Match. 3-2 TRats victory!!”

Timber Rattlers’ Extras:

• Along with Lara reaching base 4 times, 20-year old 1B/3B Luke Adams came aboard 3 times (single, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 CS), boosting his Midwest League-leading on-base percentage to .446.
• After 3B Jadher Areinamo (1-for-4, 29th stolen base) singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the 8th inning, 1B Tayden Hall came on as a pinch runner, which didn’t seem like a run-of-the-mill substitution. Let’s check the lineups Friday and Saturday to see if there may be anything more to this.
• It took some time for the 22-year old Cruz to adjust to relief work, allowing at least one hit in each of his first seven appearances of 2024. However, he’s been solid since May 9th: 2.42 ERA with 22 Ks in 26 IP.

Friday’s outlook: RHP Patricio Aquino (3.70 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.6 K/9 in 65 2/3 IP) has largely been used in long relief over the past two months, but is set for his 8th start (18th appearance) of 2024, with Wisconsin aiming for a 3-1 series advantage.

Final: Salem 3, Carolina 0
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details: Carolina Drops Contest At Salem

Starting 20-year old RHP Daniel Corniel set aside a difficult 3-game stretch to record his first scoreless outing (4 IP, 0 R, 3 H – all singles, 1 BB, 3 Ks) of 2024, but the Carolina offense never fully came alive.

The Mudcats only produced three hits (all singles, one via a bunt from SS Cooper Pratt), but had the leadoff batter aboard in each of the 1st (erased on GIDP), 3rd (picked off), 6th (stranded) and 7th (stranded) innings. The final nine Mudcats were retired in order, putting the team down 2 games to 1 in this week’s series.

Mudcats’ Extras:

• Trusting the process: after registering a 6.49 ERA in his 3rd season in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, it may have been a mild surprise to see 20-year old RHP Dikember Sanchez brought stateside this year, but he and the team obviously trusted the development process. In his 9th game since an in-season promotion to Carolina, Sanchez yielded his first run (5th inning solo homer) and took the Loss in this contest, but still had a respectable outing (2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks) and sports a 0.54 ERA in 16 2/3 innings of Low-A work.
• The perils of relief work, particularly on the road: 20-year old LHP Anferrny Reyes (1 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) walked the second batter he faced on 4 pitches, then immediately gave up a first-pitch, 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th inning.
• 25-year old RHP Tyler Bryant (1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks) has now delivered scoreless relief work in 7 of his 8 games since joining the organization out of the independent Frontier League.

Friday’s outlook: 18-year old RHP Josh Knoth (4 scoreless innings last week; 3.75 season ERA) is the expected starter in Game 4, with Carolina needing a victory to even the series at 2-2.

Final: DSL Brewers Uno 3, DSL Orioles Orange 0
Box Score and Game Log

This game was a re-start of the weather-delayed July 9th contest, commencing from the bottom of the 4th inning with the Uno squad leading the first place Orioles 3-0.

Upon resumption, RHPs Wande Torres (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 7 Ks) and Carlos Canales (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks) dominated over five scoreless innings of work, striking out 11 of 18 batters faced.

Offensively, Team Uno placed two runners on base in each of the 5th and 6th innings, but weren’t able to push any insurance runs across. 1B Yohandry Cruz had not seen action in 13 days, but returned here with a fly out and single.

3B Luis Pena may be pleased that his triple and 2 RBIs from the earlier innings are now officially in the record, while 17-year old RHP Ayendy Bravo (season ERA 2.79) also now keeps his four scoreless innings (2 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks).

The victory pushes DSL Brewers-1 (22-12) into a tie with first place Orioles Orange (23-13). Team Uno faces DSL CLE Mendoza (16-17) on Friday morning.

Final: DSL CLE Goryl 3, DSL Brewers Dos 2
Box Score and Game Log

The Dos youngsters welcomed starting 17-year old, 6’5” RHP Paul Hoff (3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 K) back for his first appearance in 24 days, but weren’t able to muster enough offense to support him.

Former two-way player, 18-year old RHP Argenis Aparicio (2.92 season ERA) continued his strong campaign by capably covering the middle innings: 4 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks.

Through 7 innings, Team Dos trailed 3-1, then scored without the benefit of a hit in the 8th inning. In fact, the offense only produced two hits over the entire 9 innings, both in the first frame. 2B Moises Polanco singled and walked, while 1B Eduardo Charles walked, was twice hit-by-pitch and stole two bases. Stud center fielder Jose Anderson went 0-for-2 with a walk, HBP and stolen base.

The loss drops DSL Brewers-2 to a record of 19-16 before a Friday morning tilt against DSL Rays (16-19).

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. Six Minor League games are on tap for Friday, while the Milwaukee Brewers are home to commence their series against the Marlins.

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