Brewers Minor League Link Report (9/12): Shuckers Crush Blue Yahoos as Made Is Idle for a 3rd Night

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Brewers Video

Nashville dropped a low-scoring tight affair. Biloxi romped in a game reminiscent of recent parent club routs.

Transaction:

ACL Brewers released RHP Argenis Aparicio.

About to turn 21 years old ten days from now, the four-year run in the Brewers system comes to a close for Aparicio (two seasons in the Dominican, two in Maryvale). In Aparicio's first season, 2023, he was a two-way player but a .501 OPS in 84 plate appearances led his focus to the mound in subsequent seasons.

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes (unavailable)
Final: Durham (Rays) 2, Nashville 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via Cory Hilborne, Nashville's Communications Manager (Video clips, links and follow-up commentary vis yours truly)

Brandon Lockridge Collects Two of Nashville's Three Hits in Loss
Eduardo Garcia Swats Sixth Triple-A Home Run

DURHAM, N.C. – Nashville dropped their second straight to the Durham Bulls with a 2-1 loss on Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Scoreless through four innings, the Sounds held a brief lead in the fifth before allowing two unanswered runs to the Bulls. The Sounds were held to three hits in the loss and just one over the final four innings.

Jonathan Ornelas and Brock Wilken drew a pair of walks in the top of the first and served as the only baserunners for either side until the bottom of the third. Sounds' starter Colton Gordon pitched his way around a leadoff single and two-out double to strand a pair of Durham runners in scoring position and move the game to the fourth. Brandon Lockridge collected the first hit off Durham starter Jesse Scholtens with a single that pushed Wilken to third after he was hit by a pitch to get aboard for a second time. A strikeout and groundout ended the threat and kept the game scoreless.

The Sounds finally broke through with a solo home run off the bat of Eduardo Garcia. It was the second of the week for Garcia and sixth in Triple-A to break the scoreless tie.

Durham answered with a RBI single the next half inning, and Lockridge kept it to one run as he threw out Blake Sabol trying to score from second on the play.

Bulls' announcers a bit too excited, no?

Durham cashed in on back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the sixth off Gordon when Oliver Dunn doubled home the go-ahead run with two outs and brought an end to Gordon's night after 5.2 IP and a pair of runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and the two walks. Lyon Richardson struck out Sabol to strand two Bulls on base and keep it a one-run game.

Old friend Oliver Dunn with the go-ahead and as it turned out, winning RBI

Jacob Hurtubise broke up a run of seven straight Nashville batters retired after the Garcia homer with a two-out walk in the seventh but was caught trying to swipe second and get into scoring position. Garcia walked in the eighth but a double play and ground out prevented the Sounds from getting the potential tying run into scoring position for a second straight inning.

Lockridge singled for his second hit with two outs in the top of the ninth but was too little, too late, with a ground out thwarting any comeback aspirations.

Rob Zastryzny and Brett Wichrowski each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen for Nashville after Richardson struck out the only batter he faced.

The Sounds will need a win in Sunday's series finale to earn the split in their final road series of the 2026 regular season. Left-hander Thomas Pannone is scheduled to get the start for Nashville after tossing the third perfect game in franchise history in the series opener on Monday.

POSTGAME NOTES:

GONE GARCIA: Eduardo Garcia swatted his second home run of the series and sixth in Triple-A with a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the fifth inning on Saturday night. Including his four home runs with Double-A Biloxi earlier this season, Garcia has reached double digit home runs in a season for the third time in his professional career and second straight season after hitting 13 last year between Biloxi and High-A Wisconsin. He set his single-season career-high with 15 in 2022. Since making his professional debut in 2019, Garcia ranks seventh in the Brewers farm system with 51 home runs. He is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with the two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored over his last five games with hits in four of the five.

IT'S A LOCK: Brandon Lockridge recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the year with Nashville in 19 total games and first since August 28 in Jacksonville. After going 0-for-6 in his first two games with Nashville during a rehab assignment, he has a hit in 13 of his last 17 games with the Sounds and has a hit in all three games he has played in the series in Durham.

WITCHCRAFT: Brett Wichrowski worked his seventh straight appearance without allowing a run after tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning on Saturday night. The right-hander has allowed just four hits over his last seven games (6.1 IP) with eight strikeouts, two walks, and a hit batter. His seven-game streak without an earned run allowed is the longest among all active Nashville relievers ahead of Jared Koenig and Cameron Wagoner, who each have not allowed a run over their last six appearances.

TALKING NUMBERS: Saturday night was the 35th time this season the Sounds were held to five or fewer hits and third time through 11 games in September. Nashville had 36 games with five or fewer hits in 2025. Saturday's loss was the 11th time Nashville was held to one or fewer runs and first since August 26 in Jacksonville. Nine of the 11 times the Sounds were held to one or fewer runs have now come on the road. Nashville is 20-19 in one-run games this season but now just 5-12 in one-run games on the road.

***

The Brewers made essentially a $2.5 million investment in LHP Colton Gordon via the Lance McCullers acquisition. He'll turn 28 in December, and it's quite possible he'll maintain his 40-man roster spot all off-season, and we'll see what breaks in spring training. Gordon will be able to be optioned throughout 2027.

A 1-2-3 inning for Rob Zastryzny but barring injury catastrophe among the Brewers' current ranks, too late to salvage even a single MLB inning for Rob Z's 2026.

The organization has found Brett Wichrowski's long-term role it seems with his bullpen resurgence.

Nashville is 4.5 games back in the second half divisional standings with seven games remaining, so postseason play is a longshot. But many don't realize Rick Sweet's squad is tied for the second-best overall record in the 20-team league. There's been plenty to appreciate this season. Only the Nationals' Rochester team in the East Division is better (85-56). Rochester may end up winning both split portions.

Catch up with the latest Biloxi pre-game audio interview archives - Manager Mike Guerrero is the latest guest

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 19, Pensacola (Marlins) 1
Box Score and Game Log

Shuckers Rewrite Record Books in Dominant 19-1 Win Over Blue Wahoos - Fischer extends home run record, Shuckers set single-season runs record, tie single-game mark

A quick caveat that the Shuckers' six-run 9th came against a position player, but this was still a dominant effort. Andrew Fischer's 48th home run came in that 9th inning, but hey, 48 is still 48, and that minor footnote won't cloud history's view of Fischer's amazing 2026 power display.

Voice of the Shuckers (and on this night, Scribe of the Shuckers) Javik Blake details plenty in the linked game summary.

For all we know, Jesús Made has an illness, or is attending to a personal matter without a formal inactive stint. Admittedly, I did not pore over the archived game video to catch a glimpse of Made on the Shuckers' bench. If not for the impending lockout gloom and doom, big league contract negotiations would make sense. It's possible the topic of Made's lineup absence has been addressed within the Biloxi broadcasts, but we have not gained knowledge of that. Until we know more, we don't know more, as the saying goes.

Speaking of youthful studs, this young man just turned 20 years old one month ago.

Yes, the Shuckers' "X" feed and their video page have plenty to share with you.

In a 19-1 blowout win, can this be the note that excites us the most? Hello, Elmo!

Knoth did walk three, allowed a double among his four hits, and required 93 pitches to get through five innings. Yet, they were five scoreless innings. Knoth should be lined up to start in the Southern League championship series, either Game 1 or Game 2, depending on how many games it requires the Shuckers to advance in the league semifinal series starting Tuesday. (See, that's positive thinking!)

Lefty Thomas Pannone returns to his scene of perfect game glory, the mound in Durham, at Noon Central. How many batters will he face before one reaches base Sunday? Meanwhile, RHP Manuel Rodriguez takes his 12-4 record to Pensacola's mound one hour later. Hope it's a wonderful day for everyone.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

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!

View Brewers Top Prospects

Jim Goulart, though born, raised, and still living in Massachusetts, became a Brewer fan by random chance when he opened a pack of baseball stickers at age 10 in 1973 and has maintained a lifelong passion (OK, obsession) with the team ever since. Beginning in 2001, his Minor League Link Reports have detailed the daily action on the Crew's farm.

Follow Jim Goulart on Twitter: Mass_Haas