Brewers Minor League Link Report (9/18): Timber Rattlers Fall Short in Winner Takes All Game Three; Sounds Swept in Tight Double-Header

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Final:  Lake County (Guardians) 9, Wisconsin 4

Captains Take the Title with Game Three Win Over Wisconsin - Rattlers Can't Overcome Big Lake County Innings

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

RHP Will Rudy saved his best for last. My goodness what an absolutely fantastic start this young man put forth for his team and the fans. Young man, take a bow. In a second half where Rudy really started to come on, he pitched his best High-A game of his season. It was a masterful performance for the young man. He deserves all the flowers we can give him. The off-speed was absolutely painting the outer and inner black. He was setting up the high heat to perfection. And, with a start as impactful as Rudy's, C Matt Wood absolutely deserves the credit for handling his Ace. It was just a truly unfortunate turn of events when manager Victor Estevez had to turn to his bullpen - a typically very reliable group had an uncharacteristically tough evening. Rudy, on the other hand? Truly a Chef's kiss performance. He finished his work tossing 5.0 IP allowing 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, and 1 ER. 72 total pitches were thrown with 46 strikes. The decision to pull his starter was absolutely the right one for the Skipper. It was simply not to be. And, well, that's truly just baseball.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) One could argue the Timber Rattlers had more than enough opportunities to settle the score early in the game. And, when we revisit the Box Score: my goodness did the bats squander opportunities! 2-for-15 with RISP. 2-for-15 in your championship game. Marry that unsightly line to the 5-for-6 execution by the Captains. We can lament the bullpen performance, but those multiple runners on scenarios with nobody crossing home plate certainly proved ominous. What's more, the run that did cross was the byproduct of a routine grounder that was misfired to first base with a failed scoop:

Credit to CF Luis Lara on that hustle! After a rough playoffs leading into this game, Lara truly had a great performance (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB) when it mattered most. Will we see him in the AFL? Stay tuned.

2) With SS Cooper Pratt and 3B Luke Adams combining for a paltry 0-for-9, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 SB, 1 PO performance we turn our attention and admiration to 2B Jadher Areinamo. Is there a player who impressed more in 2024 stateside? I have a very very hard time thinking of another position player who had the complete season Areinamo just had. 3-for-5, 1 R, 2 2B batting clean-up in a championship winner takes all? That is the stuff of absolute winners. He played his typical savvy defense as well. The sky is the limit with this young man. I know I've showered praises in his direction for two years running but he's only getting better, more consistent, and more impactful with the lumber. What will 2025 bring for this young phenom?

3) I wanted to see LHP Mason Molina in game two. I definitely wanted to see him in game three. And, unfortunately, we saw Molina's worst outing as a young professional pitcher. He was hit hard for two doubles and then walked a batter on five pitches. His night was done after a mere nine pitches and nary a single out. That was a tough tough debut at the High-A level in a key spot. Was it a tough ask? Perhaps. But, I have no qualms about the process only the results. Things didn't get better from there as both RHP Dikember Sanchez and RHP Tyler Bryant had their worst outings in quite some time. The three young hurlers allowed 8 ER in a mere 1 2/3 IP. That's just a tough result any way you look at it. One has to think LHP Mark Manfredi simply wasn't available given the way the game unraveled. Thankfully, amidst all that carnage, we saw more high impact work from surging RHP Stiven Cruz. Cruz threw one of the filthiest breakers I saw all season in his second inning of work. In a frustrating loss, I'll take a small revelation like that and hold it close.

My only regret after such a wonderful Timber Rattlers season? These pictures aren't filled with the young men we so passionately followed from Game One.

What a season. What a Team. Hold your heads up high, men. You gave it your all and came up short. Such is sports. We play for the glory but we live with the results, regardless.

Game 1 Final:  Norfolk (Orioles) 2, Sounds 1 
Box Score / Game Log

Game 2 Final: Norfolk (Orioles) 8, Sounds 7
Box Score / Game Log

Sounds Swept by Tides in Doubleheader - Nashville Gets Walked Off Twice in Series-Opening Twinbill

Pre-Game Media Notes

Ooooof. The pain. Game One saw the return to some semblance of form for RHP Logan Henderson. 30 swings and only seven whiffs speaks to the ongoing late-season downward trend but we'll look at the 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HB, and 0 R as a much better result than what we've seen of late. He has now eclipsed 80 IP for the first time in his young (he's only 22 years old, after all) professional career. Tonight, Henderson was essentially a two pitch starter - his four-seamer (maxing at 93.5 mph) and change-up led the way eating up 89% of his pitches. He only threw the cutter 6 times in 54 total pitches. We did not see a breaking ball or a slider for the second consecutive outing. Has Henderson turned his slider into a cutter? Is Statcast identifying his slider as a cutter? Does it really matter? Regardless, he ends his season on a high note. He is healthy. Let's pray he has a fantastic off-season. In Game Two, we saw RHP Taylor Clarke do Clarke things. He was impactful with his mix - 33 swings and 17 whiffs is nothing to scoff at. He kept the exit velos down. BUT, he still found trouble in a tough luck frame. 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 ER. All three runs crossed in the second frame. He left with the Sounds trailing 3-1. Seven runs versus old Brewers friend RHP Adrian Houser over 6.0 IP wasn't enough on this tough opening night.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) With his season-long stablemates celbrating with champagne in a Home locker room, LHP Bryan Hudson was still put to work in Game 1 for the Sounds. In his ongoing 'get right' Tour, he's continuing to pitch quite well of late. 12 swings and five whiffs tonight. Max Exit Velo of 95.2 mph off a four-seamer. He was the victim of a botched grounder off the glove of 2B Christian Arroyo. He did max out at 91.7 mph so his four-seamer was a tick down from his last outing. The sweeper, however, was getting massive sweep and gathered 50% of the whiffs. He was credited with an earned run and a blown save but that is due to the scorer graciously not charging Arroyo with an error. All in all, 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K, 1 ER. He deserved better. And, if I'm being honest seeing Hudson not celebrating with his Brewers teammates almost felt as bad as QB1 Jordan Love not getting his Thanksgiving turkey leg last fall. I'm just saying! 

2) CF Chris Roller went 1-for-3 with 1 K in Game One. He followed with a 3-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB in Game 2. Why do I share this? Roller has battled his way back to the Mendoza Line! He's hit 0.333 in 42 AB so far in September with a whopping 0.999 OPS. Roller is proving he's hot out of the gates and heading into his offseason. Perhaps, his off-season work will be figuring out what goes in May-through-August? I kid. I am more celebrating his hot month and his recent run of impact AB's. Always a plus defender, it's fantastic to see him end his season with a hot stick.

3) 15-to-15 hits apiece in aggregate for the two games between the Tides and Sounds. 10-to-8 on the scoring ledger in favor of the Tides. These were two extremely closely played baseball games. There's no crying in baseball but there are no ties either. In Game One, SS Freddy Zamora's absolute web gem of a diving and sliding stop and toss to help Misiorowski to a clean frame was wasted. In Game Two every Sounds pitcher (and there were five of them) allowed a runner to cross the dish. These are simply tough luck losses. The only thing to do is shake them off and get back to it tomorrow in hopes of shifting the series momentum. Let's end the season on a four-game winning streak.

Well folks, that's a wrap on my report writing season. It has truly been an absolute pleasure (yes, even with some post-season disappointments) writing for you. Stay tuned as @Spencer Michaelisand I roll out our post-Minor League Season pod(s) discussing the big picture down on the Farm when this season and the Brewers season is all wrapped up. Hopefully, oh so hopefully, after a World Series title! I believe! We're going to take our time and savor the end of this entire Brewers season as a whole. Once that's done simmering we'll start announcing something under the Brewer Fanatic banner. 

Tomorrow, the Shuckers will be on the road at Montgomery trying to avoid a two-game sweep. RHP K.C. Hunt will try to deal his best hand. I have faith he will show out. It's what he does. In a mid-day matinee, RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez will try to help the Sounds take game three. 

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Milwaukee Brewers Minor League baseball and the many players deserving of our time and recognition. I truly mean these words. The players deserve our time and recognition and I am happy to help give to this cause. 

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