Joseph Zarr

The men are taking the field for the National Anthem. As of yet, we still have no audio feed via the MiLB.TV feed. It's not entirely abnormal to have a silent start but I would also opine it is standard to hear the stadium's national anthem. Needless to say, I'm nervous we will once again have zero audio. It is an eerily similar beginning where we can barely get audio from the field - could be that Jeff Hem isn't hooked in yet? OR it could be the disastrous MiLB.TV audio issues continue onward. Eeeeek.

Just a quick tidbit to share from today's 'Game Notes': Brewers bullpen certainly didn't look fresh and dominant today. BUT, they've been overworked early due to their lack of any true starting depth. There are a lot of options starting off quite well in Nashville, however, in their very young season. Let's hope it continues and there develops a bevy of worthy arms to help up and down throughout the season.

Let's look at the bright side here: If the Crew do indeed manage to blow this one after the fine work from last year's key bullpen arms, this takes the immense pressure off the clubhouse shooting for that elusive, nearly impossible, undefeated season. This paves the way for a realistic season ahead and more practical expectations.

^^ What this HOF Legend said @Jim French Stepstool. Couldn't have nailed it better myself.

With April Fools Day barely in the rearview mirror, the Sounds returned to Nashville for their Home Opener of their 2024 season. Having lost their opening road mini series at Toledo (1-2), the Sounds were hoping to get some flavorful home field cooking going with LHP Aaron Ashby toeing the rubber for his first start of his young season. But, wait a minute! Stop the presses! The MiLB.TV Audio feed was entirely botched from pitch one. And, well, then we lost the video feed after a mere two AB's. Perhaps, it's still April Fool's after all in the Central Time Zone? I muddled through, however, folks. I gave it my all despite these ill-timed technical snafus. Yes, even with Brewer Fanatic website issues popping up to boot in the midst of a 6th inning rain delay and disappearing my original report and even with the ongoing audio/video blackout, I braved the elements for ye' faithful readers. I went back to the times of yore and listened to Sounds impeccable call man, Jeff Hem. Blessed be we are back aboard the Minor League season. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Transactions: C Eric Haase was officially outrighted from the Brewers to Triple-A Nashville (having somehow made it through the MLB Waiver Wire) C Brian Navarreto was placed on Triple-A Nashville’s 7-day IL C Blayberg Diaz was quickly assigned to Triple-A Nashville from Low-A Carolina (most likely due to geographical proximity) Final: Nashville 5, St. Paul (Twins) 4 Via the Sounds' site, 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): Yonny Hernández's Heroics Lead Sounds to Win in Home Opener - Second Baseman Launches Go-Ahead Three-Run Shot Pre-Game Media Notes Box Score / Game Log (A quick reminder: MiLB and MLB changed the Box Score/Game Log format during the 2023 season - we now get it all in one cozy little hyperlink. Lots of information here so poke around) LHP Aaron Ashby currently lacks his pre-injury velocity on the hill (not surprising given the nature of his injury), but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of of competing and finding different ways to effectively work with his mix. Striking out four batters through three innings, and five batters through five innings, Ashby was able to work around a handful of knocks and a couple free passes by keeping the ball on the ground with his sinker and getting plenty of swings and misses with his off-speed mix of slider and change-up. Unfortunately, for Ashby, his offensive line up was just as inept as the Saints in the early going. Simply put, there just wasn't a lot of meaningful contact anywhere in the batters box through four and one half innings. Don't take my word for it: Though the Sounds did manage to load the bases in the fifth frame - all after two down - OF Joey Wiemer hit an 0-1 pitch sharply but directly to the third baseman. It was an all for naught state of affairs. To wrap this up, I'll simply share Ashby was mainly sitting 92-93 mph. He did manage to touch 94 mph in the fifth inning during his final strikeout but he quickly fell back to 91-92 mph in his brief work prior the rain delay in the sixth inning. His pitch count reached 77 and he threw 47 strikes when all was said and done. And, given where Ashby is coming from, this outing has to be viewed as a fairly big success in his ongoing recovery road. We can definitely work with this. We can definitely look forward to ensuing outings with hope and dreams he can start reaching higher on the radar gun for longer periods of time. Three Quick Strikes: 1) If I were to point to a second MVP of tonight's tilt, I'd have to go with lefty hurler Rob Zastryzny. He pitched two very clean innings of late relief while keeping the game within striking distance. He certainly sounded dominant (a reminder: no video feed throughout) in his three punch outs while ultimately throwing 19-of-29 pitches for strikes. Early in 2024, it seems like Zastryzny has the potential to be a key bullpen arm for the Sounds with a distinct potential to get back to the Big Leagues if the Brewers should need some help. Having watched as much Minor League baseball as I have, I can not impart to you how crucial it is to have a dependable veteran arm in the ranks to work pivotal innings. 2) With the video feed shot. With the audio feed mostly wrecked. And, with the radio feed two-to-three pitches ahead of the brief video feed when we actually had it, I can absolutely still tell you 1B Tyler Black handled himself quite well in the limited work he had at first base. He handled all throws cleanly. He looked comfortable. I'm excited to see what's ahead for him. What's more, he ripped a single to LF and he took a key walk to get the Sounds sixth inning mini rally going. 3) Let's hope the overall MiLB.TV broadcasts get more polished from here. To have an entire off-season of preparation for your Home opener and to have a completely botched video/audio situation feels almost akin to a completely botched roll-out of a new parking scene at an MLB ballpark <cough cough>. I'd expect this type of things from the Cardinals or the Cubs (yes, Chi-Town, we saw your Opening Day pyrotechnic 'display' at Wrigley! Oh yes we did!), but as a lifelong Brewers fan I'm mildly embarrassed. There I said it. This was an embarrassing Opening Day befitting the Fanatics jersey quagmire MLB thrust upon us in the late off-season. Is it strange to expect the basic things we pay for approaching the season to run smoothly? My MiLB.TV down payment feels like a sunk cost today. My Brewers pennants are flying at half mast. Hats off to the players to making it to the baseball diamonds and playing through it all. We took it on the chin for our beloved teams today. Let's hope tomorrow is a different state of affairs! What's that you say? A video highlight in a game with no in-game video?!? Yes indeed. Hey, after a big fat zero in the road series highlight department, I'm coming hot and heavy with a C Nick Kahle to 1B Tyler Black super buffet: That's all you get, folks. Let's just be grateful. It was an extremely inconvenient modern day attempt to watch Minor League Brewers baseball on this spring Monday evening. All this being said, I absolutely did manage to hear Jeff Hem's live call of INF Yonny Hernandez's 3-0 count gulf shot over the left field wall off a low and tailing in RHP Hobie Harris splitter. Great call, Mr. Hem. A libation was spilled. A middle-aged man yipped and fist pumped. A tip of the proverbial cap is due. The Sounds will take on old friend RHP Caleb Boushley tomorrow. Sigh - doesn't it just feel like Boushley should be a lifer in the system akin to Dillard? I digress. He'll face the Sounds' RHP Janson Junk who is healthy again after his skipped start in Toledo - he was apparently suffering from a little bit of a bug. Let's hope the Sounds can take another one and let's hope it's mildly less dramatic! 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

WOW. Paredes strikes out the side. Whewwwwwww. WHAT an improbable 5-4 comeback victory. AND, that is why having such a trusty veteran arm in LHP Rob Zastryzny is so important. His two innings of work were huge.. What a 'W'!

28-year-old Enoli Paredes will try and shut this down. He's on the attack sitting 95-96 mph. He last worked a 1-2-3 frame in Toledo on Saturday with a K. He comes out dealing a K on another 96 mph heater.

WHOA Yonny Hernandez 3-0 splitter down and in RIPS a 3-Run Bomb that just snuck in over the LF wall! He gulfed that baby out. WOW. It's 5-4 Sounds. Off ol' RHP Hobie Harris! Geeeeee it sure would have been nice to see that one in a video feed!!!! Still grateful to hear to call from Jeff Hem! Woot woot!

Harris is still throwing 95-96 and working that splitter cutter with aplomb. Such a nice Triple-A reliever. I hope he gets another shot at the Bigs. He K's Miller and Capra. He walks Wiemer (nice, Wiems!). Black flies out to RF on a pitch that tailed in on his bat. On to the 8th frame. 4-2 Saints.

Old Sound hurler RHP Hobie Harris just got Vinny Capra on three straight pitches. Man, he was fantastic out of that Sounds Pen in 2022. 30 years old now, he's coming off some Big League action with the Nationals last year. This is just his 2nd outing in the early season for the Saints.

Zastryzny dealing in his lone inning of work tossing 2 K's in the mix. He's setting up to be a key member of the Sounds staff here early. He's been very very effective in limited action so far. On to the Sounds half of the 7th trailing 4-2.

Alright Mr. Roller! He rips a single up the middle and drives in both Black and Hicklen. Sounds pull within two runs. Dorrian represents the tying run at the plate.

A Tyler Black walk. An Oliver Miller pop out. Then a Brewer Hinklen roped Double down the 3B line. We have men on 2nd and 3rd. One down. Chris Roller to the dish. Let's go, men. Let's get some runs across.

Middendorf gets the last out swinging. He strands two of his own; allows both RISP to cross; and allows a sac fly of his own. Sounds trail 4-0 headed to their bottom half. Let's see if those sleepy sleepy uninspired Sounds bats can wake up.

Sac Fly to RF. Roller appeared to have made a decent attempt to Home but Hem says it was just a hair up the line. 4-0 Saints. Runners on the corners. Two down.

Line drive hit to LF - sounded good off the bat. Ashby is given another run as Middendorf allows both RISP to score. 3-0 Saints. Bases still juiced. One down.

A strike out. Followed by a first pitch Middendorf curve hitting the batter smack dab in the center of his back. Bases juiced. One down. Sounds still trail 2-0. Middendorf is sitting 96-97 on his sinker. That off-speed one clearly got away.

Middendorf gives up a 1-2 seeing eye single through the left side. Men on 1st and 2nd. Sounds trail 2-0. Run is charged to Ashby.

According to the MiLB.TV feed we are still in a rain delay even though Middendorf just threw strike one. Ugh. Come on.

Rain Delay is over. Sounds are in the dugout. Still no video feed as of yet. RHP Ryan Middendorf will make his second appearance of the year for Rick Sweet and the Sounds. He'll take over for Ashby, obviously.

At least, yes. Hey, he got into the 70's pitch count today. He hit 94 mph. He still struck out 5. He ran out of steam. But, all in all, a successful debut all things considered.

It looks like the heavier weather may have moved along and the weather is clearing up in Nashville. I imagine they will actually finish this one? Yes indeed: We'll begin back again with the Saints having runners on 1st and 2nd. Nobody down. And, an unknown new Sounds pitcher. AND, an unknown video/audio situation.

So we have the Brewers Parking quagmire. We have the Bucks losing to the Wizards. We have the video/audio quagmire in Nashville where we are now in an ongoing rain delay. We had the Brewer Fanatic website down for quite a bit. Thankfully, the Brewers won. Phewwwww. Rough weekday slate.

A walk. A SB (no throw from Kahle on a 92 heater up). And a 1-2 count single to LF and it's 1-0 Sounds. Ashby is now sitting 91-92 and is down 3-0 to Miranda.