Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/14): Lara Goes Long for Third Time in 2024; Woodward Flashes Plus Stuff in Low-A Debut; Ashby Dominates in Two Innings of Relief

Transactions:

• RHP Patricio Aquino was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (retroactive to August 13th)

Final:  Durham (Rays) 8, Nashville 3

Via the Sounds' website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

Sounds Drop Series Opener in Durham - Dorrian Homers early in Game One Loss

Box Score / Game Log

Pre-Game Media Notes     

Death. Taxes. And the Durham Bulls giving the Nashville Sounds absolute fits in any and every series they ever play. 

The International League's leader in wins took the bump for the Nashville Sounds in RHP Chad Patrick. He started his evening with a nine pitch walk but a pitcher's best friend in C Brian Navarreto caught that base runner attempting to swipe second base. Patrick's heater was sitting 92-93 mph on his heat early and he relied on his season-long approach of changing speeds throughout each and every AB. His pitch count elevated into the 20's in just the first frame because the Bulls batters were putting together great AB after great AB fouling eight two strike pitches. In this same first inning Patrick gave up three runs  - an 0-2 RBI single to RF and a two-run HR over the left field wall. He'll lament his own throwing error on what was an errant misfire into center field when he had the base runner dead-to-rights on the base paths in a pick-off. Patrick had the runner by a good nine feet. All runs scored after this two out error. It wasn't Patrick's best night - three long balls attest to this. Ultimately, it was the throwing error that led to the majority of the struggle. 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HR, 5 R (2 ER). He'll look to bounce back in the weeks ahead.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The Sounds bats struck out four consecutive times to start their evening. 17 pitches. 11 swings and misses. It was not a bullish portent for the game ahead. Ultimately, it was just a sign of things to come. The Sounds, as a team, struck out 16 times with both DH Wes Clarke and RF Brewer Hicklen wearing sparkly Golden Sombreros when the night was through. It's tough to come out roses with a 5-for-23 mark with RISP and 13 men LOB when your run-producing three and four spots go 1-for-11 with 8 K.  

2) Who is this recent short-inning stint LHP Aaron Ashby we are witnessing? My goodness. I have not been this impressed by Ashby all season. In his 2.0 IP of 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 R work I can absolutely share: this was flat out dominance. He was throwing everything. AND, he was throwing everything at any point in any count with movement and purpose. Top exit velo allowed was 77 mph on a slider - the sole hit of his outing. 17 swings and 10 whiffs. Strings dropping left and right with his change-up, curve and slider combinations. I will not let the dream die when I keep seeing signs of vibrant life like this. Let me also follow this up with special mention of RHP Kevin Herget. What more can I say? All he does is answer the bell. 1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K. That's seven punch outs in his last 2 2/3 IP. He has risen to nearly every Triple-A and MLB occasion in 2024. He has been a fantastic MiLB Free Agent signing.

3) SS Freddy Zamora nearly willed the Sounds to victory with a tremendous performance late and solid play throughout. Sitting in his patented 9-hole in the line-up he performed like someone hitting in the upper half of the order. 3-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K. More importantly, with RHP Ryan Middendorf melting down in the pivotal 10th inning - having already squandered a three run Sounds lead - Zamora made the defensive play of the night stabbing a hard hit liner up the middle and improbably getting the throw on one hop to 1B Owen Miller who gets credit for the scoop on the high hop above his glove side shoulder. Immediately after that defensive web gem he gave the Sounds the lead in the 11th by ripping a single into shallow left field to plate the go-ahead run. He did it all and then some for his team. It's a shame the Sounds snapped a loss from the jaws of victory.

Final: Wisconsin 7, Quad Cities (Royals) 2

Wednesday is a Winner for Wisconsin - Rattlers Bounce Back to Beat Peoria

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

LHP Brian Fitzpatrick simply continues to do good things for the High-A Timber Rattlers. In what is essentially his second professional season (he did play in two ACL games in his 2022 draft year), he has improved by every measure across the board. It would appear, from afar, his time in the Australian Winter League was put to fantastic use. For the second time in 2024, Fitzpatrick executed a scoreless six-inning Quality Start. In today's outing, Fitzpatrick went 6 IP allowing 3 H, 1 BB, 2 HB, and 0 R while striking out three. But, much like Wichrowski's break down last night in Biloxi's recap, what's most impressive about Fitzpatrick is the cumulative impact of his body of work across the entire season. Nine scoreless outings in 20 appearances. Four of his past five starts (in seven GS all season) have been scoreless outings. As a whole, he has pitched 70 1/3 innings while punching out 76 and walking only 23 batters - he walked 18 batters in 2023 in 43% of the innings! His BAA is down - from 0.267 in 2023 to 0.214 in 2024. His WHIP is down - from 1.60 in 2023 to 1.12 in 2024. This is exactly what you are looking for on the development path. The chiseled 6'7" lefty is on the right path. If he can keep this level of play up as the season comes to its close, Fitzpatrick is a no brainer candidate to take his wares to Double-A in 2025. He may be approaching AFL territory at this rate. The future is looking quite bright.

Full-Game Highlights:

Post-Game Pod:

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Now that RHP Tyler Bryant has sufficiently gotten his feet wet in affiliated ball he is clearly settling in. After today's scoreless 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, he has now gone five consecutive scoreless relief outings for the Timber Rattlers. What has stayed pure throughout his brief tenure with the Brewers is his ability to strike batters out - he has struck out 27 batters in 16 1/3 cumulative IP. This is a very impressive number and indicative of how much ride he gets on his mid-90's heat in addition to swings and misses on his hooking off-speed offerings. As he moves forward, however, will very likely need to find continued ways to reduce the free passes. Today's clean bill was definitely good medicine. However, the elevated 1.41 WHIP in High-A speaks to putting too many runners on the base paths on a consistent basis. The overarching point remains: this young man has become yet another Independent League signing to keep an eye on 

2) 2B Jheremy Vargas continues to impress on a semi-regular basis in 2024. He hit his 11th double (a line drive to the deep LF corner) plating his 29th and 30th RBI's and he poked a single in there as well leading to his 19th stolen base in 27 attempts. Keeping in mind he has adeptly covered a utility role in the infield and corner outfield spots, while also consistently occupying spots in the line-up that aren't notorious run-producing spots, as a Timber Rattlers fan you have to be pleased with what Vargas has put forth in 2024. The raw numbers aren't going to jump off a page at you but he has been a fantastic teammate what has produced consistently throughout the year. This isn't the first time I'm discussing his performance. However, when he impacts the game in huge ways I'm going to shine the light back on a player who remains firmly under-the-radar. 

3) CF Luis Lara continues to have days where he does it all. Today, he started things off with a lead-off solo bomb to deep left center field - his third of his season plating his 33rd RBI in the process. He also poked another single in there and was hit by a pitch in his 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HB, 1 HR, 1 CS day overall. We know the defense is some of the best in the entire system on that center field grass. The offensive production, as a whole, has not been where we'd love to see it in 2024 - I continue to be befuddled by the amount of times he is caught stealing (13 CS in 49 SB attempts so far), for example. But, in the second half especially, he is having games like today where his imprint is all over a victory. Today was a good day to buy low on Lara stock.

Final: Carolina 6, Delmarva (Orioles) 3

Box Score / Game Log

Late Rally Lifts Mudcats Past Delmarva - Bitonti Homers Again; Walling Rips 105 mph Game-Winning RBI Double

I can tell you if every inning we see from RHP Jason Woodward goes like his first for Carolina we are in absolutely good hands. He came out for his first ever Low-A inning touching 97 mph and sitting 95-96mph. He showed a slider, change-up, and hook curve in his mix. He did lose control a bit in his second frame but let's share the forest for the trees here: there is no wasted movement in his delivery and approach and he can reach back and bring it. There are ample tools to work with here - frankly, I'm excited about another young gun in the pitching stables. I know. I know. This is not all that shocking for this Hype man. Overall, it was a fantastic first dip of the toes in the full-season affiliated ranks for the 2023 fourth rounder out of Florida Gulf Coast - 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 WP, and 4 K for the young man. He threw 34 pitches with 19 strikes. Let's hope for a strong recovery over the next several days. Let's hope we can see his wares a few more times, at least, over the next several weeks before the playoffs.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) 2B Josh Adamczewski had a relatively eventful return to the Mudcats line-up in his first action since a week reprieve due to an ailing back. Most importantly, the therapy worked and he got back onto that dirt between first and second base. He managed to knock a key bases loaded single to left field - a hard hit ball in a pitcher's count. He also made a valiant stab and toss on an extremely rough play up the middle. Unfortunately, newly christened 1B Eric Bitonti wasn't up to the challenge of stabbing the short hop out of the dirt. All in all, we're just happy to see the young stud back healthy and playing. He continues to flash upside on a near daily basis. Lots to love in Adamczewski's game with plenty of fun projections to daydream on.

2) Quite awhile back when we were in the midst of 3B Juan Baez's shoulder injury absence, I opined how much fuel he adds to the fire of the Mudcats line up. He put it on full display tonight. 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB. Moreover, he played truly fantastic defense at 3B. He just adds a cool, calm, and aggressive demeanor to the line-up and I'll continue to assert he's a much better better defender than given credit for. What's more, I'm seeing a slightly more calibrated and strategic runner on the base paths. Are we seeing this young man take a proverbial step? Too soon to tell at this juncture but I continue to believe in what I'm seeing the further he moves on from that nagging first half injury that had him miss the entire month of June. 

3) LHP Anthony Flores continues to bring me joy when I watch him pitch. Flores brings a fast-acting bulldog presence to the mound in his stocky lefty build. He is confident and poised when he takes the hill and he wastes little time pitch-to-pitch. The kind of pitcher it would be fun to play defense for. His best pitch, by my eyes, remains a very active curveball with heavy anchor to its downward movement. He can drop that pitch by most Low-A bats at any point in an AB. All in all, he pitched 3.0 innings of 4 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 2 ER ball. Those were his first four hits allowed in 11.0 IP in Low-A. It's obviously very early but the early signs are this young man has untapped upside while already possessing a competitive edge we should be quite happy about.

Final: DSL Pirates Black 5 , DSL Brewers #1 Squad 4
Box Score and Game Log

When it rains it pours and it is a monsoon deluge for the DSL Brewers Uno (29-21) as they head further down the home stretch of their 2024 season. Leading 3-1 in the seventh inning of a seven-inning scheduled make-up game, the Crew Uno lost 5-4 in extras to the DSL Pirates Black (18-32). Long gone are those feel good days of the vast majority of the summer. The Brewers #1 have no doubt faded from contention and post-season relevance amidst their now six-game losing streak. They now sit 5.0 GB the first place DSL Orioles Orange - the two teams met at the cross-roads this past weekend and they have headed in opposite directions.

INF Luis Pena and CF Jose Anderson once again were absent from the line-up. Clearly, the two young studs have lingering injuries they are dealing with. We wish them both speedy and beneficial recoveries. SS Jesus Made led off for the Crew and managed a respectable 0-for-2 with 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SB (26 overall) and 1 K. More importantly, in 166 AB over his summer Made has managed a 1.009 OPS while walking 36 times to just 28 strikeouts. It remains quite difficult to wipe the smile from my face when I consider this young man's possible future with the Brewers. RF Handelfry Encarnacion was a positive influence in the line-up for the second consecutive game with his 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B (his fourth of the summer), 1 K performance. The same can be said for CF Engel Paulino and his 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB (12 overall) performance. With Venezuelan RHP Carlos Canales blowing his first Save in his first Save opportunity (the big knock being a one out two-run game-tying home run in the seventh inning), the Crew Uno ultimately wasted a solid opening 3 1/3 IP from Mexican 17-year-old RHP Carlos Carra who allowed 1 H, 0 BB, 1 WP, 2 HB, 6 K, and 1 ER over his outing. The young Brewers #1 can take solace in the fact they certainly aren't getting blown out in this losing streak. None the less, these losses have to sting. Let's hope they can bounce back in the days ahead and close out their summer on a positive note. 

As alluded to above, the Shuckers will make up their postponement with a double-header tomorrow. Both DSL affiliates are back at it as the DLS Brewers Uno look to stop their recent skid - the Uno will have two chances as they'll play the Cubs Red twice in a make-up of a July 6th rain out. RHP Logan Henderson will look to shut down the Bulls lefty-heavy power line-up in game three at Druham. RHP Adam Timmerman will look to help the Mudcats take a 3-0 series lead in Delmarva. And, the Timber Rattlers will be back under the evening lights with RHP Will Rudy looking to build on improved play over the past month. 

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Milwaukee Brewers Minor League baseball and the many players deserving of our time and recognition. 

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