Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/11): Pitching Shines in Four-Game Sunday Sweep

For the week, Nashville (4-2) was the sole series winner, while Biloxi and Carolina managed to draw 3-3 with their competition. Wisconsin (2-4) had a rare series loss.

Transactions:

• RHP Rosmel Reyes released by Low-A Carolina

Reyes had been in the system since December 2019, but only saw action in the DSL in 2021, with injuries wiping out subsequent seasons. Best of luck to the young man (still just 21 years old).

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Nashville 3, Indianapolis 0
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: Sounds Blank Indians for Second Straight Night to Win Series

A Sunday theme across several affiliates was pitchers being pushed to give a little more than usual. For Nashville, it was RHP Mitch White, tasked with making his first start since early May (then with the Giants) while covering more innings (5 IP) and throwing more pitches (69) than he had all season.

And Boy did White deliver: 5 scoreless frames, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 Ks, exiting up 2-0 and earning the Win.

From there, the game was well in-hand, as RHPs Craig Yoho, Jacob Misiorowski and Kevin Herget made opposing batters look silly, striking out 8 of 13 batters over 4 scoreless innings.

Sounds’ Extras:

• Right fielder Brewer Hicklen (1-for-3, walk, 2 SBs) got things started offensively, singling and scoring in the 4th inning for a 1-0 lead which was all the Sounds’ pitching staff required.
• Left fielder Carlos D. Rodriguez (2-for-3, triple, walk, run) had the most productive game at the top of the lineup.
• 1B Owen Miller keeps getting the job done: 1-for-4, RBI double to open the scoring:

Next week’s outlook: Nashville (60-53) heads due east (7.5 hours by road; or will they fly?) to play at Rays’ affiliate Durham (53-61). RHP Taylor Clarke is expected to start the series opener on Tuesday.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 4, Montgomery 0
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Shuckers Blank Biscuits Behind Five Shutout Innings From Smith

The weekly RHP Shane Smith (5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks) Show continues to be enjoyable to watch, this time cruising through 4 innings before recently-promoted Rays’ prospect Brayden Taylor tripled to lead off the 5th inning. Twenty pitches later, Taylor was still standing on 3rd base as Smith went K, walk, pop out, ground out to preserve the 4-0 lead.

DH Mike Boeve continues to be a problem for opponents, reaching base 4 times in this contest: walking and scoring in the 1st inning (2-0 lead), doubling and scoring in the 4th (3-0), singling and stealing a base in the 5th, then walking in the 7th.

SS Eric Brown Jr. (1-for-4, double, RBI) may have struggled off-and-on with injuries this year, but he definitely shows promise offensively and defensively when he's feeling all right:

RHPs Bo Bowman and Tyler Woessner each allowed 2 singles and a walk over 2 scoreless innings of relief, which was particularly notable for Woessner as he bounced back from a 6-run partial inning on Thursday.

Shuckers’ Extras:

• 20-year old center fielder Dylan O’Rae went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, although he was caught stealing for the 10th time in 62 tries this year.
• Right fielder Connor Scott (3-for-4, double, RBI) continues to be a solid addition since joining as a free agent (released by Pittsburgh), although we expect he’s eligible for free agency this fall.
• Biloxi only managed to go 3-for-17 with runners in scoring, but Montgomery was no better in that department (0-for-7).

Next week’s outlook: Biloxi (54-51) heads home, where they welcome the Mississippi Braves (49-58). RHP Brett Wichrowski is listed as the scheduled starter for Tuesday’s opening game.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Wisconsin 3, Quad Cities 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Rodríguez Delivers a Win for Wisconsin

Ramon Rodriguez was Mr. Clutch, providing a solo homer to break the 0-0 deadlock in the 7th inning, then calmly delivered the 2-out, 2-run single to shatter the 1-1 tie in the top of the 8th inning. I hope that someone bought a beer for the 25-year old catcher, even if many of his teammates were too young to partake.

Chris Mehring’s game summary linked above wonderfully captures the 8th inning drama of this road affair:

• “Luis Lara singled to start the inning against Isbell. Lara stole second but was ruled to have overslid the base and was tagged out for the first out of the inning. Then, Cooper Pratt singled to reach base. That was the end of the line for Isbell.
• Ben Sears took over on the mound for the Bandits. He hit Luke Adams on a 1-0 pitch to put two runners on base. It was the second time Adams was hit on Sunday and the 36th time he has been hit this season. The River Bandits argued that Adams did not attempt to move but the argument did not move plate umpire Shea Graham.
• Sears missed with his first two pitches to Jadher Areinamo. He turned away from the plate and apparently said something that caught the attention of base umpire Jonathan Rector, who ejected Sears from the game. By the time the arguments ended, Quad Cities manager Brooks Conrad had been ejected by Rector and Hunter Owen, who was the starting pitcher for Quad Cities on Saturday, was tossed from the game for putting in his two cents from the dugout by Graham.
• AJ Block took over the count on Areinamo for Sears and issued a walk to load the base. That brought Rodríguez back to the plate with a chance to put the Rattlers in front again. Rodríguez with a single to the hole at short that deflected off the glove of (shortstop) Dickerson. Pratt and Adams both scored for the 3-1 lead.”

24-year old LHP Mark Manfredi (3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks) had started 4 days earlier, repeating his sterling work to deliver another three scoreless innings. He only needed 37 pitches in Wednesday’s contest and reduced that to 34 pitches (22 strikes) on Sunday.

RHP Stiven Cruz (3 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) had thrown a season-high 59 pitches four days earlier, but was tasked with giving even more, matching Manfredi with three scoreless innings before exiting after a 1-out walk in the 7th inning.

Timber Rattlers’ Extras:

• If RHP Aaron Rund felt bad about allowing an RBI single to knot the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning, he showed it in the best possible way: retiring 6 of the next 7 batters to get within one out of closing out the game.
• Rund was then unfazed by the 2-out, 9th inning double which brought the potential game-tying run to the plate, firing across four straight strikes to get the swinging K in front of 3,300 road fans.
• 3B Luke Adams reached base 3 times (2 HBP, 1 walk) and 1B Tayden Hall added a double, while 34th overall pick DH Blake Burke registered his first professional hit, an infield single in the 6th inning.

Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin (67-40) returns home to face Cardinals’ affiliate Peoria (47-60).

Final: Carolina 6, Fredericksburg 4
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Mudcats’ website, game details: Mudcats Beat Nationals To Split Series

RHP Morris Austin (2 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks) made his first minor league career start (34th appearance), despite throwing 55 pitches five days earlier. He cruised through two hitless, scoreless frames before understandably tiring in an attempted third inning with five consecutive Nationals reaching base.

Just like in the case of Biloxi above, we’re grateful for any road video highlight we’re lucky to get, in this case left fielder Miguel Briceno (2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs) getting the scoring started with a 2-out, 2-run double in the 1st inning for a 2-0 advantage.

Carolina hitters patiently accepted 3 walks and 2 wild pitches to knot the contest at 4-4 in the 4th inning, before center fielder Yophery Rodriguez (singled and scored) and 3B Eric Bitonti (walked and scored) put the Mudcats back into the lead in the 5th inning.

RHP Brailin Rodriguez (3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP – then picked him off, 5 Ks) had never pitched 2 games over a 3-day period in his minor league career to date, but achieved that feat and more with 3 impeccable innings to get Carolina to the 8th inning with a 6-4 lead.

Per the game report, RHP Harrison Durow (2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks) retired 6 of 7 batters to shut the door on Carolina’s victory in front of 3,550 road fans.

Mudcats’ Extras:

• RHP Jose Nova (last pitched July 13) went from the injured list into the fire (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 WP, 2 Ks), entering for Austin down 3-2 with 2-on and nobody out in the 3rd inning, superbly recording essentially 4 outs (including a run-scoring error) to keep the Mudcats in it.
• RHP Jeison Pena entered and walked the first two batters (on 15 total pitches) in the 4th inning, before bearing down to record consecutive strikeouts and a ground out in a fine effort.
• DH Luis Castillo (0-for-1) walked 3 times, scoring twice, while C David Garcia (1-for-3) singled, walked and scored a run.

Next week’s outlook: Carolina (64-42) stays on the road, this time heading 3 hours east of Fredericksburg, Virginia to Salisbury, Maryland to battle Orioles’ affiliate Delmarva (40-67).

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, the only minor league games are found in the Dominican Summer League, with DSL Brewers-1 playing DSL Rojos and DSL Brewers-2 taking on DSL Red Sox Blue at 10:00am CST. The Milwaukee Brewers host the Dodgers in a huge clash at 7:10pm.

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