Brewers Minor League Link Report (9/16): Sounds Lose Big on Wednesday, Yet Our Report is Chock-Full

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Wasn't quite expecting a one-game Link Report detailing a lopsided defeat to include a ton of detail, but there's plenty to dig into here.

Transaction:

Milwaukee Brewers sent RHP Grant Anderson on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds.

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 11, Nashville 1
Box Score and Game Log

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

Sounds Avoid Shutout Late in 10-Run Loss to Redbirds

Brock Wilken Tallys 17th Home Run of the Season

NASHVILLE – Nashville avoided the shutout loss on Wednesday night with a late home run from Brock Wilken as the Sounds fell 11-1 at First Horizon Park. Memphis scored nine of their 11 runs through four innings, including a five-run 2nd.

Colton Ledbetter jumped on the very first offering of the night from Sounds' starter Carlos Rodriguez for a leadoff solo blast and the Redbirds never looked back.

The Redbirds tacked on another five runs off Rodriguez in the second off three hits, three walks, and an error as they batted around in the inning. Rodriguez finished with six runs allowed (4 ER) on six hits with four walks.

Lyon Ricardson stranded three as he struck out the first man he faced in relief of Rodriguez.

The Sounds used six pitchers plus infielder Ethan Murray on the mound in the loss. None of the six true relievers worked more than 1.2 IP with Richardson and Cameron Wagoner getting the Sounds through the fifth inning. Despite 11 runs on 13 hits Memphis totaled on the night, Nashville had five different pitchers work a 1-2-3 inning. Richardson worked around a leadoff single in the third, and Wagoner struck out two in the top of the fifth. It was the start of four straight innings where Sounds' pitchers faced the minimum.

Rob Zastryzny faced just three in his lone inning of work as did Grant Anderson in his first action of his most recent Major League rehab assignment and Jared Koenig in the eighth inning. That streak ended in the ninth as Murray allowed two runs on three hits, including the second Redbirds home run of the night.

Offensively for the Sounds, Brandon Lockridge recorded another multi-hit game at the plate; his third in his last four games as he extended his hitting streak to six straight games. Jeferson Quero ended a run of 10 straight Nashville batters retired by Jurrangelo Cijntje with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth but was followed by a flyout and inning-ending double play.

The Sounds threatened in the seventh with the bases loaded on two walks and a hit by pitch but failed to push their first run across. Wilken finally did so in the eighth with a no-doubter to left-center field to break up the shutout bid for the Redbirds and get his 17th home run of the season.

Two at-bats later, Lockridge doubled for his second hit of the night and final knock of the game for Nashville, who finished with five or fewer hits in a game for the 37th time this season.

The Sounds will look to bounce back on Thursday night with left-hander Tate Kuehner (2-2, 5.03 ERA) scheduled to get the start for Nashville against fellow southpaw Mason Molina and the Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES:

BROCKET: Brock Wilken hit his 17th homer of the season on a solo bomb to left field as he finished the night 1-for-3 (HR, RBI, BB, R, K). Wilken's 17 homers on the year are tied for the second-most in his professional career along with his 2024 season for Double-A Biloxi. The solo shot was his second over his last eight games played when he homered during the last series at First Horizon Park on September 6 vs. Louisville. It was his 79th RBI for the Sounds, which leads the team and ranks sixth in the International League among qualified hitters this season. He also ranks sixth in RBI and now sits 10th in homers among minor league hitters in the Brewers' farm system.

THAT'S A LOCK: Brandon Lockridge extended his hit streak and on-base streak to six consecutive games Wednesday night, posting a base hit in the bottom of the first inning. He ended the night going 2-for-4 with a double against the Redbirds. The six-game hit streak in the second longest-active streak on the team behind Bo Naylor (9). He is hitting .391 (9-for-23), adding three doubles, three RBI and two runs since the start of his streak on September 9 at Durham. In his second stint with the Sounds, Lockridge has tallied a hit in 14-of-the-17 games he has appeared in since August 23. Wednesday night was his second straight multi-hit game with Nashville; third in his last four games; and sixth overall in 22 games played for Nashville this season.

LOAD THE WAGON: Cameron Wagoner extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to eight consecutive games (9.1 IP), allowing no hits and striking out two batters in 1.2 scoreless innings of work against the Redbirds Wednesday night. The 9.1 innings pitched for Wagoner is the second longest-active streak behind Joel Kuhnel (10.1 IP). Wagoner and Jared Koenig both got to eight straight games on Wednesday night, becoming the 10th & 11th different Sounds pitcher to go 8+ consecutive games without allowing an earned run this season and are tied for 12th in the International League among the active pitchers.

FIVE BELOW: The Sounds were once again held to five hits or less in the 11-1 loss to Memphis Wednesday night. It was the 37th time Nashville has been held to five hits or less this season and the 18th time at home. The 37 games surpassed the 36 games from last year, but the Sounds recording 20-of-the-36 from a season ago at home and can avoid surpassing that number with 5+ hits in three of the final four games remaining this year. Nashville had 40 games with five or less hits during the 2024 season and have had 185 overall since joining the International League in 2021. Nashville has had 530 such games in the regular season overall since 2005, including 293 at home.

Well, certainly not the way two-time Brewers Organization Pitcher of the Year (2022, 2023) Carlos Rodriguez wished to close out his career with the Crew. The Nicaragua native turns 25 years old in November, and if other organizations can look bast ghastly 2026 results (likely influenced by various injury setbacks), then "C-Rod" should find a new affiliated job. For better video memories of Rodriguez making his way through the Milwaukee system, here are a ton of clips.

You'll notice that LHP Mason Molina was mentioned as the Redbirds' starter tonight. The Brewers' 7th round pick in 2024 netted Grant Anderson from the Rangers, and subsequently was part of a deal for another big-league reliever, Phil Maton, who went from St. Louis to Texas at the trade deadline in 2025.

Another Crew connection was the opposing starter in Wednesday's game - 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, yes, the switch-pitcher who did not sign with Milwaukee in 2022 (18th round). You can see Cijntje's splits vs. batters from each side of the plate (by season) here.

Cameron Wagoner, you are now officially a "lock" to be added to the Crew's 40-man roster this fall to protect you from Rule 5 (our thread). What an amazing return season for the young man.

The game summary did a nice job detailing the rehab work of Grant Anderson, plus the results for Rob Z and Jared Koenig. I imagine "Mr. Scoreless" in the big leagues, Garrett Stallings, will provide length behind Kyle Peterson on Thursday, and we may then see some roster movement on the big-league level again.

Nice to hear ticket sales are strong (3,500 thus far!) for Thursday's Game Two of the Shuckers' Southern League Division Series, as Biloxi returns home up 1-0 in the best-of-three. Interview with the Shuckers' David Blackwell via WLOX:

Here's your scoreboard link for Nashville and Biloxi Thursday, Go Shuckers!

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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