Brewers Minor League Link Report: Clarke Hits Second HR in Two Days in Mammoth Game-Winning Blast; Mudcats Magic Number is 3

Transactions:

- INF/OF Adam Hall was assigned to the Biloxi Shuckers (after briefly rehabbing with the ACL Crew)
- RHP Edwin Jimenez has been placed on the full season IL by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers <sad face>
- RHP James Meeker was DFA'd by the Milwaukee Brewers (back to the Nashville Sounds)
- OF Joey Wiemer was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Nashville Sounds

Final:  Nashville 4, Gwinnett (Braves) 2

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):

Three Run Eighth Propels Sounds to Win at Gwinnett - Clarke's Two-Run Bomb the Difference

Box Score / Game Log

Pre-Game Media Notes

RHP Taylor Clarke played the part of the 'starter' with another abbreviated pseudo-bullpen effort. In a grand total of 46 pitches, he coaxed 17 swings and zero whiffs. This being said, from a pitch-to-contact perspective the highest exit velocity off one of his pitches maxed at 99.8 mph off a four-seam heater. If you dive a wee deeper from there, you can actually gather he was inducing quite a bit of weak contact. All told, he gave manager Rick Sweet and his squad a solid 3.0 IP of 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 2 K ball. He left with the Sounds trailing 2-0 and did not factor in the final decision (obviously).

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Filed under the 'Baseball is a Funny Game' Department (it's just science, folks), we can counter Clarke's two earned runs with newly acquired RHP Garrett Stalling's relief outing. In just his third 2024 outing (in 13 total outings for the season) in which Stallings did not allow a run to cross home plate, it would certainly appear a bit of luck fell his way. Contrasted to Clarke, Stallings grabbed only five whiffs in 28 total swings and he gave up Max Exit Velo's on four-of-five pitch types well above 100 mph - topping out at an 111.6 mph single. You aren't going to walk away scoreless with that type of contact on most nights.

2) As alluded to in the post-game article and in my Link title above, 1B Wes Clarke hit an absolute monster shot on an inside change-up that rode belt high. It was a two out game-winning jack. It is fair to say he avoided a golden sombrero in epic fashion. That's two long balls in two consecutive games to open this road series. I don't know about you, but I am absolutely ready to feast on some Wes Clarke taters. It is time to feast at House Clarke!

3) RHP Ryan Middendorf and Harold Chirino are both incredibly talented young hurlers with tools and ride for days. However, to a man, they each struggle to master the pitching art of consistency and execution given their respective deep pools of talent. Each young man came to the mound in a high-leverage moment protecting a narrow lead and proceeded to walk their lead-off batter on four pitches. They both know, moving forward, that just can't happen with MLB aspirations. I continue to see MLB talent in each outing. However, the flaws are very real and, in my eyes, this lack of consistency outing-to-outing is preventing them from their next step in their professional careers. 

Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 5, Biloxi 4

Back-and-Forth Battle Goes to Smokies in Shuckers' Series Opener  - Smith Ties Career-High with Five Innings 

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

RHP Jacob Misiorowski continues to stumble down his path of development in 2024. Let's not put lipstick on a pig for the highly touted prospect: Misiorowski has largely been in a prolonged and inconsistent struggle in 2024. It has absolutely been a fairly big step back from the overall highs we witnessed in 2023. Tonight, by my eyes, we reached the low point of his first half. 75 pitches over 4 IP - 41 strikes. 6 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 3 HB, 3 HR, 6 ER. It. Was. Ugly. Was Keith Law right? Are we actually looking at an uber-talented arm destined for the bullpen? I certainly don't have a meaningful answer to these questions but outings like these certainly get the hamster wheel squeaking. For the record, I personally don't really care all that much where he ultimately lands - I simply want him to experience success while the Brewers win World Series. I certainly, at a baseline, would love to see him stack outings where he throws strikes and piles on K's. Now, on a positive note...thankfully, given it was a home telecast I couldn't really see the ball reach home plate anyway. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) 1B/CF/DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. can still really crush a baseball. I certainly miss the red hot version of Mr. Martinez we witnessed in the second half of 2023. But, nights like tonight remind us of his innate power. A 112 mph bomb. Take a look. Well, you aren't going to see much of anything - Biloxi. 2024 etc. - but, take Javik's word for it: off the scoreboard. The ball left in a hurry. Martinez also cracked a double in a 2-for-4 night for good measure. Unfortunately, he couldn't muster any of this mustard with the game on the line. 

2)  In another productive offensive showing for suddenly lightly simmering INF Eric Brown Jr. (2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K) we'll take a quick look at his second long ball of the season and his second of the past week:

3) All 8 contests between the Smokies and Shuckers to date in 2024 have been decided by two or fewer runs. And, as their respective records would indicate, the Shuckers trail in the series 2 - 6.  It isn't for a lack of opportunities for the Shuckers either - like the men on the corners, two down, winning run at the plate scenario in the ninth and final frame. Will the tides change for this Shuckers ball club in 2024? We'll simply have to stay tuned while enduring the foggy camera lens 100 feet above home plate. I politely opine: as soon as this ball club can remedy the center field camera situation, the tides will turn in the Shuckers favor. They are stuck in a bad camera karma loop!😜

Final: West Michigan (Tigers) 4, Wisconsin 1

Walks to Whitecaps Hurt Rattlers in West Michigan - T-Rats Magic Number Stays at Five

Box Score / Game Log  

Pre-Game Media Notes

LHP Tate Kuehner gave us another fantastic starting performance. He has really come into his own over the past month or so. What's fun about watching Kuehner is everyone likely knows the high heater is coming in favorable pitcher counts and, yet, very very few can do anything with it. He gets many swinging K's on that pitch. Kuehner absolutely gave his team every chance to make a winning game of this one - 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 ER. A fantastic effort. He also showed his fantastic moves to 1B getting two pick-offs on his scorecard. He, personally, was a rally killer. Unfortunately, there were only three scattered hits to back him up.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) I have seen several very hard hit fly outs to the warning track from OF/INF Dylan O'Rae the past two-to-three weeks. He's getting great launch and loft off the lumber. The thing is, at present, O'Rae just doesn't have the strength to get it over the wall. I saw another cracked deep ball in this tilt that simply died at the CF warning track. Now, West Michigan's ballpark is definitively one of the harder parks to go long in all the Midwest League. So, there is that. However, for O'Rae in particular, it truly does feel like if we wait three-to-four off-seasons of a sensible strength program we might just start seeing occasional long ball power. He does so many other things incredibly well. I am intrigued by what I am beginning to see in the launch and loft despite the results.

2) We've had the full-on 3B Luke Adams experience over games one and two of this series. It's a carousel. He crushed a deep ball over the CF wall last night while playing solid defense at the hot corner. Tonight, well, he went 0-for-4 with 1 K, AND, he was absolutely responsible for two throwing errors from third base. He short hopped a very makable throw from deep 3B on a one-hop fairly routine play that bounced and sailed over Hall's glove hand shoulder. He later forced a throw home, allowing ol' friend Jose Sibrian to take 2B in the process, sailing the ball wide and to the backstop. Adams just turned 20 - there is plenty of time to try and iron out the rough edges. But, let me tell you, with all the wonder there is certainly all the raw. Nights like this remind us the path of a prospect is rarely linear.

3) When RHP Yerlin Rodriguez came aboard and fired his first relief pitch into the dirt and to the back stop, well, I sighed. I sighed an audible sigh. Just as we are seeing incredible pitching developments across the Brewers system in 2024, we are also seeing very 'toolsy' guys like Rodriguez continue to lack the polish. Rodriguez is type-casting himself into a category of 'Great Stuff. No Control'. It's confounding. There are tools for days in his pitching kit. He has movement, deception, good velo, ride etc. It's all there. But, like Chirinos and Middendorf at Triple-A, he puts trouble on the base paths too often. After tonight's 1 IP of 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 ER ball Rodriguez saw his ERA pop slightly to 4.50 with a 28 K: 23 BB ratio over 22 IP. 

Final: Carolina 8 , Fredericksburg (Nationals) 2  

Mudcats Roll Past Nationals Behind 14-Hit Effort - Magic Number Falls to Three

Box Score / Game Log  

Looking to move a step closer to a first half title and a playoff berth, the Mudcats got an absolutely sublime outing from 18-year-old RHP Daniel Corniel. Not only did he conquer his recent third inning woes, he set a season high in punch outs with nine. He expertly pounded righty bats in favorable counts with sliders down and away. He expertly fired high heaters to lefties in favorable counts as well. He had a hiccup two walk opening to his fourth frame. But, really, Corniel was in complete control. It was a dominant outing. When you are looking at the savvy and poise the combination of Rodriguez and Corniel are bringing, it is just so dang impressive given their age relative to the level of competition. I don't care about the low 90's velo's here - at all. Give me young men who know how to pitch. Such impressive seasons. Both game one and game two winners have frames and age on their side to add whatever they'll need moving forward. The future is bright.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) RF Reece Walling had a game in RF. And, he was rewarded with some hits for a change. I continue to love the swing and the approach - sometimes he gets a little trigger happy with sloppy swings and misses. But, hey, for all intents and purposes this is his second professional season straight from high school. He's 20 years old. He's a smooth mover - really fluid agile mover given the 6'5" frame as demonstrated by an early leaping out at the warning track I fear no other OF'er makes. And, what I also see is the beginning of growing confidence. This is a young man to keep an eye on. Again, what I share with you here is often beyond the numbers. Walling belongs in the conversations.

2) You would 'think' with an 8-2 lead, handing the ball over to a reliever like RHP Jesus Rivero - a guy who truly has fantastic tools - would be an easy transition. Unfortunately, for Rivero, and for viewers like myself, we all had to sweat out a tense eighth frame. It's troublesome at this point. The same issues that popped up in 2023 are popping up on a semi-routine basis in 2024. So much talent. Sadly, so little control over the tools. This is his age 21 season - so, in theory, there is plenty of time on his side. But, the meltdown innings are a primary concern. 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 WP, 1 HB. Thankfully, only one run crossed the dish. 

3) When you pepper 14 hits throughout the diamond, some names definitely deserve mention. Beyond Walling, we witnessed great approaches from Pratt (shocker); Guilarte; Castillo; Briceno; and Di Turi. It felt like a matter of time - even early, with the game knotted at zeroes, we were seeing several very hard hit outs. The bats were just not getting the results. Then, we had a glorious five-run sixth frame after the Nats had pulled within 2-1.

This was the type of performance we're looking for as Fanatics when the Muddies are chasing a first half crown. Let's hope for more throughout the remainder of this series.

** Special Shout Out: I need to mention the ongoing fantastic effort and game-wrecking defense we are seeing from young CF Yophery Rodriguez. It doesn't always show in the box scores but I have consistently witnessed impeccable effort on the center field grass on a nightly basis. His OF assist on a charging mound-bound cracked grounder to center, was just an all out effort play. And the throw was a dead-on accurate one-hop strike. He gave his catcher, David García (who had a fantastic defensive game himself), plenty of time to corral the ball and tag. It was beautiful.

Final: DSL Padres Gold 12, DSL Brewers Uno 1
Box Score / Game Log

Before going further here, let me share: red hot infielders Jesus Made and Luis Pena sat this one out. And, this being said, this game was entirely about a collective pitching meltdown for the young DSL Brewers Uno. It truly is not all that often you concede a mere four hits over just seven innings of baseball and give up 12 earned runs. So, how were they earned? Well, 14 BB; 3 WP; 2 Balks and 3 HBP seemed to have played no small part. That's an impressive display - even for the DSL. Unfortunately, it continues to be a very rude introduction for young RHP Francisco Guevara. If you recall, he was signed last summer but spent the entirety of the summer inactive on a '7-Day IL' designation - he never pitched an inning in 2023. He's appeared only twice so far in 2024 but he is having a very rough go. In just two appearances, including today, he has not gotten a single out and has given up 2 H, 6 BB, 2 HB, and 8 ER. Let's hope he turns a corner shortly and finds a groove. Thankfully, 18-year-old Colombian RHP Danny Puerta managed to stop the bleeding with a relatively clean 1 H inning to close the seventh and final inning. As I noted in today's Game Thread, INF Juan Ortuno may be making a quick case for more PT in the near-term. The just turned 17-year-old Venezuelan infielder was 2-for-3 today with his second two-bagger. Ortuno now has five knocks in just 11 AB's with two doubles. Also showing keen discipline and eye early (albeit, yes, in a very small sample): 3 BB: 2 K. This might be a peripheral development on a DSL Uno squad dominated by big name signings performing to the hype. 

That's a wrap for me in another bit of early-week Brewers Minor League coverage. I wish all the squads the best of luck and winning results throughout the remainder of this week. Tomorrow, we'll be back to a classic seven-game set of games. Both DSL squads will take to the diamond for their morning knocks. All full-season affiliates and the ACL Crew will be taking to the diamonds as night falls. I'm personally looking for playoff performances from RHP's K.C. Hunt and Yorman Galindez. Let's keep lowering those Magic Numbers, baby!

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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