Joseph Zarr

With the DSL rained out for the second day and with the Shuckers shelved by rain as well, we had an abbreviated four game slate. The Mudcats got off to a slow and uninspired start in Charleston wasting yet another fabulous RHP Manuel Rodriguez start. The T-Rats added insurance runs late and managed to overcome a rare poor outing from LHP Mark Manfredi. The Sounds hurled a masterful shutout in RHP Jakob Junis' first rehab outing with the Triple-A club. And, the ACL Crew led 2-1 late but failed to hold on losing their second game in two days. Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Transactions: **There were a slew of DSL transactions on Monday. I'm not going to belabor those here. IF you would like to see any of the extensive list of DSL transactions, please visit our ongoing Minor League Transaction Thread (direct link to first list). Conversely, you can visit the Brewers-specific Minor League transaction page HERE** RHP Jakob Junis was sent to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers (Rehab work) C Satchell Norman was activated off the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats C Victor Torres was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from the Carolina Mudcats C Alejandro Rodriguez was released by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers RHP Harrison Durow was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats (retroactive to 6/3) 2B Felix Valerio was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers by the Biloxi Shuckers RHP Mitch White was sent outright to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers (he has yet to receive a roster designation according to Jeff Hem in tonight's broadcast as the Brewers and White likely are negotiating a best case scenario for the hurler) Final: Nashville 5, Louisville (Reds) 0 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): Sounds Shut Out Bats to Start Homestand Box Score / Game Log Pre-Game Media Notes RHP Jakob Junis debuted for Nashville in his first rehab outing since taking that precarious BP fly ball off his neck at PNC Park back in late April. It was his first live action overall since he last pitched for the Brewers back on April 2nd. It was fantastic to see Junis healthy and throwing strike after strike. Addendum: his velo was way down. Junis sat 89 and touched 90-92 mph a couple of times. Regardless, his off-speed was very very impactful and he was throwing quite a number of strikes - 15-of-21 pitches. I'm going to toss this up as a non-chalant casual 2.0 IP - 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. The velocity was down but, man, he was dominating. Louisville is a second place ball clup in the International League West division - this isn't the Charlotte Knights. Three Quick Strikes: 1) RHP Chad Patrick put two men on the bases in each of his first two innings. And, well, that was about all there was for the Bats. He shut it down from there in superb fashion. I've seen Patrick start slowly in each of his past two outings but he simply knows how to buckle down and find the groove. He pitched 5-of-7 quality starts coming into tonight's bullpen effort. For all intents and purposes, he tossed another: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K. He was sharp the final 2 2/3 IP. He threw 92 pitches total with 58 for strikes. It pretty much took off from here - a 3-2 punch out slider (my favorite pitch of his evening) to lead off the fifth frame: 2) Would the Brewers ever consider carrying four lefties? Probably not, but LHP Rob Zastryzny is absolutely ready to stake his claim in 2024. Every time I've seen him pitch for the Sounds he has been absolutely dominant. Tonight was no different. He peppers the zone. He has velocity. He has sneaky movement. He is a problem. I have zero doubts he could fill-in at the MLB level if need arises. 1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K. He has given up a mere three runs in 23 games pitched for Nashville. He gave us a very Junis-like 14 strikes in 21 total pitches. Exactly what manager Rick Sweet is looking for with a 5-0 lead late. 3) I could talk about Wiemer's ongoing seven game hit streak or a bevy of other mildly intriguing offensive storylines (after all, only two of the Sounds five total runs were earned!), but I'm simply going to give a little nugget: SS Freddy Zamora simply looks better in Triple-A. Maybe, just maybe, it's a 'get the heck out of Biloxi' type of season (RHP Tyler Woessner would opine otherwise)? Regardless, the urgency has stepped up a notch. Everything is tighter and just a tad smoother fielding - he is making a legitimate case to stick. He's also giving us some consistently slightly better AB's. We may have found an early 2024 season lotto pick that has scratched surprisingly well. This is a mildly important storyline. Final: Wisconsin 9, Quad Cities (Royals) 5 Wisconsin Hits Three Homers in 9-5 Win - Rattlers Get a Big Game from Rodríguez Box Score / Game Log Pre-Game Media Notes The T-Rats were the recipient of a truly rare combination of a poor LHP Mark Manfredi outing and some sloppy defense early. The trailed 3-0 after half a frame. They reclaimed the lead 4-3 completing the first inning. They then trailed 5-4 after 1 1/2 complete. Only three of these runs were earned. In years past, this type of start may have caused the Rattlers to fold. Not in 2024 under manager Victor Estevez. This team has grit and fight. They truly do. They're also finding bits of power in key spots - more below. Three Quick Strikes: 1) During a recent slump, I shared OF Edquarqui Fernandez was hitting the ball quite hard he was simply having a classic spell of bad baseball luck off the barrel. Tonight, an AB after he lined out very hard to deep LF in a 3-1 count, Fernandez was finally rewarded with a rocket triple (ruled a double and an E8) to straightaway CF. Fernandez hits balls harder, on a more consistent basis, than any other T-Rat. This has been a statement season - pay the average and 0.759 OPS little mind. This is a much better and more dangerous hitter in 2024 than we saw at any point in 2023. I'm here for it. 2) LHP Brian Fitzpatrick clearly has trimmed his physique since heading to Australia this winter. He looks quite a bit more chiseled and in shape than he did at any point in 2023. It's a good look for the big fella! He struggled with some base runner scenarios in his first two frames as he couldn't quite put innings away with two down. Perhaps, this was the nature of a tight 7-5 ball game? Or, perhaps he was just getting acclimated to the game at hand before his teammates gave him two insurance runs. Either way, his final inning was by far his best - it's always a fantastic sight when a pitcher strikes out the side and then leaves a ball game. He finished with a scorless 3 IP - 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K. Fine work from the lefty. 3) C Ramón Rodríguez didn't get a 'Tag' above but he likely should have - he got a key PO at 2B in Fitzpatrick's first inning of work that proved hugely beneficial (a BB and single after that pick-off). I wrote explicitly about the play HERE. He also had a fantastic night at the dish. 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K? That's just a heck of a night in every facet. He'll want the catcher's interference back but fantastic to see him impact the game in other beneficial ways. Special shout outs to DH Jesus Chirinos and RF Jheremy Vargas for major offensive impacts as well. Final: Charleston (Rays) 3, Carolina 1 Mudcats Drop Opener in Charleston - Muddies Still Lead Division by 4.0 G Box Score / Game Log RHP Manuel Rodriguez continues to pitch well beyond his years. He remains a true pleasure to watch from start-to-start. He doesn't have any type of imposing velocity but he just knows how to play the zone. When he's on point, like tonight, all his pitches have troublesome movement. As he ages, I hope we are the beneficiaries of some muscle added to his frame (it certainly appears he can handle it - he has a good build) and some added ticks in velocity. He already has what you can't teach: he knows what he's doing. 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 1 HR, 4 K. He lowered his season ERA to 3.66. Rodriguez's season is definitively one of the most pleasant surprises of the first half of 2024. Three Quick Strikes: 1) Despite the lower batting average, I continue to see an improved approach at the dish - showcased by his fourth inning RBI single - for OF/1B Reece Walling. He gave me the best AB I saw all night in what was a relatively uninspired effort throughout most of the lineup. Given his athleticism and coordination for his size, I see enough smooth and savvy in his swing to future dream into improvements with age. Walling, like Nicasia, continues to be an under-the-radar player who surprises me on a consistent basis. The batting average just doesn't mean all that much to me when I take the entire picture into context. 2) This was a rough game for LF Yoshwar Garcia. 0-for-4 at the dish (uncharacteristic for one of the better bat-to-ball Mudcats in 2024) and a costly fielding error in the two-run deciding seventh frame. He cut the ball off but it caromed off his glove. That slight delay allowed both runners to advance - to second and third base, respectively. This allowed two runs to score on the two out single to center field as opposed to what would have likely been a single run. Given what we've seen over the course of the season, Garcia gets the pass here as one of the stalwarts of the Mudcats lineup. 3) RHP Brailin Rodriguez is a raw ball of pitching clay. He is averaging nearly a hit and walk per inning pitched in 2024. What I see in Rodriguez is a guy who simply needs to fine-tune his slider. It could be a nasty pitch. Truly. It has tons of bite and movement. However, at this juncture, I think it's fair to say he doesn't know when or where it is going to land. As such, he's playing with fire nearly every time he takes the mound. I like the raw tools. I really do. But, there is a big field of refinement awaiting him. Until that time, I would personally like to see him take the hill in lower leverage spots. Not tight 1-1 ball games in the late innings. But, hey, that's just me. (6/3) ACL Reds 12, ACL Brewers 5Box Score / Game Log In an unfortunate homage to the season-long youthful pitching struggles of the ACL Crew, the Reds plated 11 over four innings to run away with this one. I'd dive deeper for you, but Daniel gave us a fine recap in yesterday's game thread: Cover your eyes. There's some rough pitching lines in that box score. (6/4) ACL Guardians 3, ACL Crew 2 Box Score / Game Log It's late and I have early farm chores so I'm simply going to give you my key takeaways from this one: LHP Brandon Knarr pitched another successful scoreless rehab relief inning of work - 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K. You love to see this! RHP Bryan Rivera had his best outing, in his fourth game started, in 2024 - 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 HR, 8 K. Fantastic work! INF Felix Valerio went 2-for-3 in his first game action in 2024. A successful rehab outing! 3B Eric Bitonti hit his third triple of his ACL season. Quite the feat. 1B Luis Lameda (0-for-3, 3 K) left his ninth inning AB early with an apparent injury. This will have to be monitored in coming days. RHP Dikember Sanchez had gone seven consecutive outings without allowing an earned run. Tough luck to give up two doubles, a single, and two earned runs to lose the 2-1 lead and the ball game. He'll look to bounce back in the games ahead. It's a Timber Rattlers Home Game and no post-game pod? That's right, silly - they play a matinee tomorrow. Hopefully, they'll see LHP Tate Kuehner take the hill after the DSL Crew squads sneak in a couple morning tilts. I don't know about you but I'm ready to start over-interpreting these DSL game logs and box scores to make extremely unimportant early proclamations! In the evening hours, RHP Daniel Corniel will look to bounceback from his rough outing last week. RHP's Jacob Misiorowski and Carlos F. Rodriguez will look to wow us (if Biloxi should beat the weather) to close out the evening slates. As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Milwaukee Brewers Minor League baseball and the many players deserving of our time and recognition. 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 View full article

Welp, the ACL Crew managed to lose 3-2. RHP Dikember Sanchez will take the loss as he gave up the double, single, double around a ground out. Ouch.

1B Luis Lameda just left his 9th inning AB with an injury. Ruh Roh. 0-3, 3 K...and an injury. Rough night. We head to the bottom of the 9th as the ACL Crew looks to take this 2-1 nailbiter.

INF Luke Adams had an 0-for-3 night in a rare lead-off appearance. He also took two of the better walks of the entire season across the entire organization. Including a late 11 pitch free pass after an 0-2 count. He remains an enigma to me but he always manages to pull you back in.

ACL Crew still hold a 2-1 lead as they head to the 9th frame. Another scoreless - hitless and walkless - 1 K frame from rehabbing LHP Brandon Knarr. You love to see that. Man, I hope he can stay healthy and build a season for himself. It's been too long!

I'm well aware of that action. Luis Castillo does it from the other side. Adams does it as well. He has extremely good coordination - as his defense attests. And, he's an aggressive hitter. He doesn't really walk - hence the low OBP. He also doesn't really strike out a high rate whatsoever. I would generally agree with you - they will likely let him let this ride until it fails (that's essentially the Brewers way). BUT, man, the defensive savvy is eclipsed by nobody else in the org. He's the most savvy and naturally gifted infielder the Brewers have. I stand by that having watched likely 80-90% of his stateside games. Just an unreal wizard with the glove. He also has a keen keen sense of situational awareness. Stuff you can't teach. IF the bat comes along and fine tunes, he's only 20 years old afterall, this is another of those fringe Top 30 guys that screams MLB utility at the very least. But, yes, to your point the batting approach is the biggest question mark. At this point, however, I really don't care. He is so dang entertaining and gives me great joy when I watch him play.

The Timber Rattlers haven't won a division in any capacity since 2012. After tonight's 9-5 victory, they lead Cedar Rapids by 1.5 G with just 14 G left in the first half. Lotttttta ball game left. Sweet sweet comeback victory after trailing 3-0 after 1/2 inning.

In addition to C Victor Torres being transferred in these catcher moves, C Alejandro Rodriguez (3 G, 2 AB - last played 5/25) was released by the Timber Rattlers.

After putting two men on base each inning, LHP Brian Fitzpatrick takes the momentum of the two 7th inning insurance runs and strikes out the side in the 8th. Noice!

RHP Bryan Rivera with his best outing of his ACL season to date. 4 IP, 1 R (solo HR), 8 K. Fantastic effort. ACL Crew hold to a tight 2-1 lead as they head to the 5th.

What. A. Game for Vargas. Whew. He crushes a ball high off the LF wall for his 2nd dub. A 3 hit game. 3 XBH's? Yes, please! Two 2-out RBI's give the T-Rats a 9-5 lead as they look to maintain that 1.5 G lead over Cedar Rapids.

AND, after Eduarqui lined out hard in his last AB to deep LF in a 3-1 count, he does not miss with a runner on 2B and two down here in the 7th. He rocked an absolute rocket adding a key two out insurance run. He gets the triple bagger. 2-3 (HR, 2B) red hot Jheremy Vargas will try to add further damage. Scratch that. Eduquarqui gets the double and an E8. No triple.

Sounds score 5. 2 earned variety. A Junis, Patrick, Zastrzyny shutout. 5-0 game 1 Dub. Noice! T-Rats cling to their 7-5 lead in the bottom of the 7th.

Phillies are a really good ball club. We've lost two tough ones. On to the next. Despite the lack of opportunistic knocks, these are good showings. 🤷‍♂️

HUGE out at 2B by Areinamo and Rodriguez there as Fitzpatrick gave up a BB and a hard hit single to LF. He strands those runners with a K swinging. 7-5 T-Rats. As we head to bottom of the 6th.

Patrick is absolutely humming now. Really really picked it up. AND, in true fashion just as I type and post this he gives up a hard hit line drive double to left CF. 😅

Here is what I am saying when I tell you Jadher Areinamo is a defensive savant. He makes the challenging look sublimely easy. Go to 2:48:10 on the MiLB.TV viewing. See a 3-1 ball in the dirt with a man on 2B result in the second out when Rodriguez throws a ball slightly up line (1B side of the bag) but sliding head height. Areinamo is just so dang good with the glove and everything defense. He corrals that ball and swipes a tag with his lead foot just in front of the near corner of the bag giving the runner just enough to think about. Not only is the catch, swipe, and tag just fantastic. BUT, that little itty bitty thing of how sneaks to the bag and where he places that right leg makes all the difference. SO MUCH TO LOVE watching Jadher play baseball. I treasure his game. What a play! Here's a freeze frame for you for those that don't have the luxury of watching.

A nice friendly error from ol' friend Hernan Perez at SS on a possible weird bounce allows the bases full on a Haase E6 reach. In the next AB, Roller breaks the curse with a 2-RBI bloop single to shallow LF. 4-0 Sounds.

Kernels lead 5-2 in the 9th. T-Rats hold a 7-5 lead here in the top of the 5th. Costello on the bump after he got the final out of the 4th. Man on first. Nobody out.

AND, the Sounds have now had two base runners in three consecutive innings. Is the third time a charm? Mudcats lose 3-1. No life in the bats in game 1. A snoozer.

Patrick settling down quite nicely after the early two men on scenarios. We head to the bottom of the 6th and Sounds still lead 2-0. Meanwhile the Mudcats are down to their final 3 outs. They still trail 3-1.

Sounds lead 2-0 but have squandered two consecutive two men on scenarios here looking to add runs. On to the 7th. Zamora did grab his first SB in Triple-A after his lead-off single on a 3-1 heater. Nice easy oppo line drive.

AND just like that he gives up an 0-1 line drive single to LF that is mishandles slightly by Garcia as he tried to keep it from the gap. Bounces toward CF. E7 scored. Men on 2nd and 3rd. Nobody out. Rodriguez continues to struggle in Low-A relief. He gets a pop fly out to shallow RF. He gets a 2-2 swing and miss for a punch out dead center on a heater (batter was late). Two down now. The River Dogs doing their last place best with a runner on 3rd and nobody down. AND he gives up the line drive single to CF scoring 2. Runner thrown out at 2B. Mudcats trail 3-1 now headed to the 8th. Just way too much of the plate in an 0-1 count. Rodriguez has stuff. He really does. BUT, you never know where it's going to go. His slider could be a very plus pitch if he knew where it was going.

RHP Braelin Rodriguez doing his absolute best to honor his 1 H and 1 BB per Low-A inning since his assignment to Carolina. He walks his first batter in the bottom of the 7th on 5 pitches. The balls were as they say: not close.

Wes Clarke really showed off the concrete blocks on his wheels after Isaac Collins hit an absurdly slow check swing goose snort to SS. Clarke was thrown out by 3 feet and it appeared he was running in quicksand. 😅