Joseph Zarr

Ahhhh the sweet sweet Sounds of mid-September. When there is no threat of a possible 9-11 game slate. Life is good in the late season!

The rules are simple. I post in the GT before the game begins...the Brewers win. I don't make the rules.

For those at home:

Sure looks like 'The Miz' was enjoying that inning of work:

Sounds win on a walk-off baby. Who got the rally started? None other than C Brian Navarreto. He opened the 9th with a single. Noah Campbell pinch ran. Zamora HBP. Sets the stage for 2B Vinny Capra to come through in the clutch with two down:

Can the Sounds turn this series around? They trail 2-0. They turn to their new Ace in RHP Mitch White.

Scott is back! Big time.

I'm just here reporting for Duty. 1) Let's score more runs than the D-Backs 2) Let's pitch better. Let's hit more better. 3) Let's gain ground on the Division Crown and the first round Bye Easy peazy. And so it is.

Let's Not Forget About Mr. Peterson: Now that I've showered praises on RHP Mitch White, let's get back to the Shuckers and the recent form of a suddenly surging LHP Nate Peterson. Peterson has always had the tools to make it work at Double-A, he simply struggled with consistency. His off-speed tool kit is really quite nice, but it lacked polish - he was hanging all too many pitches (in favorable counts, often) over the heart of the plate. He has a really nice ride and rise on his heater which can keep hitters on their heels. It's really quite a nice pitch with solid velo and quite often gets swings chasing out of the zone. But, it was the off-speed in and around the zone causing him to experience more up and downs than prolonged success. This also resulted in too many balls leaving the park - in 64 1/3 IP coming into August he had allowed a whopping 16 HR. Then the calendar flipped to August and the light started turning on. He has only allowed 1 HR since August 1st. One. In 23.0 IP. Extrapolating that out as an overlay over his previous 64 1/3 IP you can see the obvious difference. In his past two outings as a starter for an overstretched and injured unit? 11.0 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 11 K, 1 ER. He has been fantastic of late. His improvements in the late-season are a massive boon to the Shuckers staff in their upcoming three game set versus the Biscuits. Let's see if he can keep it rolling tonight!

For reference: RHP Mitch White had spent the entire season with the Brewers as a reliever - making his first appearance as a Brewers on May 13th. He was DFA'd to the Sounds May 30th. When the calendar flipped to August? He was sporting an 8.20 ERA as a member of the Sounds bullpen. This is where it all gets interesting... In 5 GS since his last relief appearance on 8/3 (a 3.0 IP, 1 H, 5 K master class), White has pitched: 23 2 /3 IP allowing 17 H, 8 BB, 1 HB, 25 K, 1 HR, and 6 ER. Including the relief appearance in early August, he held opposing hitters to a measly 0.189 BAA with a 0.95 WHIP while sporting a 2.14 ERA. Dominant. In September, in one start: 0.190 BAA, 1.00 WHIP, 1.50 ERA. This is one of the more absolutely fascinating storylines of this 2024 Minor League season. He's putting himself in the conversation for an end-of-the-rotation MLB starter in 2025. And, it could be with the Brewers. How he continues to execute to close his season means everything for his next contract. Hence, why this gif has been in muh mind every time he takes the bump:

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Friday. Organizational Scoreboard MiLB Audio Links

As per absolute usual, Not a soul even mentions RHP Manuel Rodriguez? I know it's Single-A. BUT...even without astounding K numbers he had a ridiculous season. Third in the entire org in xFIP. If he's not injured in August and only pitching 2.0 inning stints in his two outings just off the IL, he pitches over 100 innings in his age 18 season. Sub 1.00 WHIP. Rarely walks a batter - 77:10 K:BB ratio in 94.0 IP is ludicrous for an 18-year-old (yes, I know he turned 19 on August 8th). In 10-of-17 regular season GS (I'm not counting his 2.0 IP in his first 'built it up' spot start off the IL) he pitched 5 2/3 innings or more. All of those as an 18-year-old. I continue to be shocked at how often he is overlooked. He is a 'just knows how to pitch' weapon who continually defies what one would expect given modern perspectives on what makes a starting pitcher successful. His extremely likely jump to High-A next year is definitively one of the most exciting bylines of the 2025 season for me. Given his age, that jump to the Midwest League can be extremely daunting for a hurler. Rodriguez will be a fascinating case study for this given his pitching style and tools. Anywho, carry on.

Let's keep the good times rollin'!

I can absolutely roll with a core of Areinamo, Pratt, Adams, and Ernesto Martinez Jr. I will go to battle with those young men and their collective skills and competitive fire 24/7 365. We have to keep EMJ in the system. No other option. Nope. None.

What a win by those resilient T-Rats. So Awesome to see Championship DNA being developed at the A-Levels. And <Gasps> it'a trickling into <Gasps again!> <Gulps> Biloxi?!?

Absolutely true in that regard. No doubt about it. And it certainly deserves to be highlighted (and, obviously, I'm aware of this). However, when it doesn't work out and the moves backfire and, again, my opinion having watched and written about this team since Day 1, there were better options on the bench and in the bullpen...it deserves questioning and in the least discussion. I felt Game 1 was really just a series of bad luck bounces. Left Durow in too long, yes. But the game was there for the taking and if they get some better luck off the Fredericksburg bats and their seeing eye hits the result is likely more favorable. Anywho, my gripes are truly all for naught. The season is over and the team battled as best they could and came up short. Clearly, we have something in all of Payne, Molina, and Dinges. That's quite fun. I am SO SO ready for the upcoming stateside DSL wave! Bring on the Made/ Pena revolution!

When I post pre-game words in the Game Thread, the Brewers win. And so it is. This is the way.

I am still, hours removed, dumbfounded manager Nick Stanley didn't use red hot INF/OF Miguel Briceno in any way shape or form in this series. The over-investment in INF Fillipo Di Turi is awe-inspiring. Find someone who loves you like the Brewers org loves 2024 Carolina Mudcat Filippo Di Turi. He just hadn't shown any real signs of life for over two months. Going to Peina - a wildly inconsistent pitcher - to try and maintain a tie in a divisional Championship win or go home scenario over a guy like RHP Chandler Welch is beyond head scratching. You also have LHP Anthony Flores fresh at that point. Peina?!? That's your 'In Case of Emergency Innings' Break Glass guy. He isn't your 8th inning of a tie game 2 Divisional Series guy in any situation. In the end, I'm quite bummed the Muddies have exited early two years in a row. They certainly shot themselves in the foot in this two game set but I also feel their manager was not ready for the moment.

Oh man that Mehring/Lobner post-game pod is going to be lit tonight. How can you not absolutely LOVE Luke Adams. He is such a gem.

You know, what's wild is the Shuckers actually play the Biscuits fairly competitively.. Essentially, had they not absolutely blown their Saturday night game (?) their past series (and the 10-0ish blowout they then suffered in game 6 can just be tossed our the door) they were looking at consecutive 3-3 series splits in the second half. BUT, as we know, it just depends on which Shuckers team shows up.

^^ This is an AI edit. Fake news! Fake news! That was the Brewers' Jason Lane filling in during the ninth inning.😁

I will put down C Ramon Rodriguez as our best Catcher from Low-A to Double-A at present. This has nothing to do with what you wrote but I'm in the feels! 😅

Run faster, Luis!!!!

You quit soiling my sweet Prince! The crowned jewel! 😅