Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/7): A Holiday Weekend Hangover as Rookie Squads Lack Offensive Fireworks in One Win Monday

Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers recalled 1B Andrew Vaughn from Nashville Sounds

Game Action:

DSL Brewers Gold 6, DSL Brewers Blue 2

Box Score

The Brewers’ Dominican teams faced off on Monday, with the Gold squad (now 10-16 on the season) pulling off a mild upset over the Blue side (13-12 following this game) in the rain-shortened six inning affair. The game lacked any real fireworks as the two teams combined for 10 hits, all of which were singles. This performance for the Gold and Blue squads is par for the course as they rank 36^th and 42^nd respectively in the 52-team Dominican Summer League in slugging percentage on the season.

The Brewers Blue hopped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning in typical DSL fashion: HBP, HBP, wild pitch, strike out, and balk led to the first run of the game without a ball being put in play. Cleanup hitter Jefer Lista finally made contact on a sac fly to knock in the second run, making it 2-0 after one inning of play. That would be all the scoring the Blue side would muster in this one.

It would remain 2-0 until the fourth inning when the Brewers Gold squad rallied for five runs off of Brewers Blue starter Lonell Downs. Downs had only faced one over the minimum through the first three innings, but then faced death by paper cut as he came out for the fourth. Cristoper Acosta and Kenny Fenelon led off the frame with singles, with the former scoring on the third consecutive single of the inning by Jonathan Rangel. Rangel is now sporting a 1.023 OPS through 18 games in his second season in the DSL. That mark is the best among all Brewers players in the DSL this season.

After Rangel’s RBI single, Downs committed his own “friendly fire” as he hit Francis Sosa to load the bases and then proceeded to hit catcher Isais Chavez to force in the tying run. Downs walked the next three batters before finally – mercifully – being pulled for relief man Jhosep Ospino. Ospino came on and escaped the bases loaded jam with a strikeout and double play. However, Ospino did allow his first run of the season (in 14IP) in his final inning of work after a pair of singles by Juan Martinez and Matthew Moses led to a sac fly by Cristian Montilla to give us the final score of 6-2.

For the Gold squad, Derlin Garcia worked two clean innings with four strikeouts to earn his first professional win. Ruben Saldana worked 2.1 scoreless innings despite three hits to notch his second save of the season.

ACL Giants 9, ACL Brewers 4

Box Score

The ACL Brewers took on the best team in the Arizona Complex League on Monday night when they hosted the ACL Giants and the score was indicative of the gulf between these two teams at the moment. Though each side produced eight hits, all but one of the Giants hits went for extra bases, including four home runs. The Brewers’ pitchers set the side down in order just one time all night, as the Giants also drew eight walks and stole five bases off Brewers pitching. The Brewers were fortunate to only allow nine runs because the Giants went 2 for 10 with RISP.

The Brewers by comparison had three extra base hits – doubles from the rehabbing Josh Adamczewski and from right fielder Roderick Flores, in addition to Kevin Ereu’s first professional triple in 475 plate appearances. Shortstop Jorge Quintana joined Adamczewski as the only Brewers with multi-hit games. Frederi Montero actually staked the Brewers to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, before the Giants took control of the game with a four run third inning. Montero is second on the team with 26 runs driven in on the season. Catcher Luis Corobo had a late two run single.

One positive note from the Brewers’ run prevention unit was Flores’ two outfield assists. In the fourth inning Flores hit cutoff man Adamczewski, enabling the second baseman to cut down Giants’ top prospect Jhonny Level at the plate and deny the speedy shortstop an inside-the-park homer.

Elsewhere around the affiliates:

The Mudcats took three out of five from Fayetteville last week, with rain washing out the final game of the series on Sunday. The first place Cats will host their closest pursuer in the standings this week, as Fredericksburg rolls into town trailing Carolina by 1.5 games. No word on whether we will see Luis Pena back in the lineup this week as he has been sidelined since July 2 after a scary HBP to his wrist/hand.

Centerfielder Braylon Payne has recently snapped out of a prolonged slump after two weeks off. In four games in July, Payne is 7 for 16 with a homer, four walks, and two steals. Check out Payne’s 4^th of July rocket here:

Eric Bitoni is still mashing, with a 7 for 22 start to July, with a homer, seven RBI and four steals last week.  Unfortunately Bitoni is still whiffing too much, with eight strikeouts in five games last week.

We covered a couple of the Mudcats young arms in our first half post last week, and Melvin Hernandez kept his run of good form going with 5.1 inning of one run ball on the day before his 19^th birthday. Ethan Dorchies and Jayden Dubanewicz, who were each promoted to Carolina in June, looked impressive in the Mudcats win on the 4^th of July, combining for nine strikeouts, which helped them limit the damage to one earned run despite a combined eight walks in 8.1IP.

In Appleton, the Timber Rattlers managed to split the six game series with Beloit last week by sweeping a Sunday doubleheader. Blake Burke collected seven hits last week, but just one double went for extra bases. Juan Baez, who just turned 20 at the end of June, has not fared well (.216/.301/.242) in his first season in High A ball, but he did slap five singles and draw four walks in 20 plate appearances last week.

Jaron DeBerry had a seven strikeout performance in his longest professional outing (6IP) in a loss last week. The weekly Rattlers pod can be found here:

Wisconsin is currently in the cellar of the Midwest League’s second half standings. They’ll try to climb out of the basement when they host South Bend (Cubs) this week.

In AA action last week, the Biloxi Shuckers took four of six from first place Pensacola. One of the more fun games of the week in the Brewers’ organization took place on Saturday when Tyson Hardin matched Marlins’ top prospect Thomas White pitch-for-pitch en route to a 6-4 Shuckers win. Hardin now has a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 IP at AA with a 22:2 K:BB ratio. Besides Hardin, fans of filth will want to keep an eye on each Tate Kuehner start. Spencer had some highlights here:

Kuehner struck out seven batters in his most recent start last week.

Offensively, the Shuckers are missing their two big boppers due to injury, but highly touted prospect Cooper Pratt has picked up some of the slack. Pratt was 4 for 12 with a double, triple, and five walks last week. Mike Boeve has been warming up a bit lately, going 7 for 20 with a triple and four walks last week. Even Luis Lara is hitting some, slashing .283/.360/.354 with eight steals over the last 30 days.

The Shuckers will host Birmingham this week.

Finally, the Nashville Sounds also had a winning week, taking four of six from Memphis. The week was bookended by a pair of Logan Henderson starts, who labored his way through 9 IP, allowing 7 runs with 8 strikeouts, while earning both a win and a loss. Tobias Myers looked dominant in his lone start, throwing 6IP, 2H, 0R, and 8K to earn pitcher of the week honors.

We’ll now see how Chad Patrick fares in Nashville, as he rejoins a few of his former Brewer comrades in AAA this week. Nashville travels to Durham to take on the Bulls this week. Let’s see if any of the Sounds’ hitters can manage to hit the bull.

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!