Joseph Zarr

Hiura rocked his 23rd HR of 2023. Sounds lead 4-2 late. Boushley giving his team a classic Boushley outing.

Folks we have a combined thing going on for the T-Rats in Beloit. We are in the bottom of the 6th. 5-0 Timber Rattlers. RHP Joseph Hernandez: 3 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 4K RHP Stiven Cruz: 1 2/3 IP, 3 BB T-Rats are only 3-for-16 with RISP.

Big 'W' by the Mudcats. Lynchburg is currently steamrolling Fredericksburg so the Mudcats will likely gain a game back on The Nats while maintaining that 2.0 G lead over the Hillcats.

So far, in games 2 and 3 at Durham the Sounds have proved quite proficient at taking a lead and giving it right back in the bottom half. The struggle is real.

Mudcats put 4 on the board in the bottom of the 6th to claim their first lead. 5-3 headed to the top of the 7th. The damage came by way if a bases clearing double from my man C Jose Sibrian.

Boy the Bulls own the Sounds so far in 2023. And, RHP Jason Alexander's nightmare season continues. Ugh. He gives up a solo jack here in the 6th and has also allowed a runner to score on a force out. Still runners on the corners. Two down. It's 9-4 Bulls. Alexander has pitched 3 innings: 5 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 5 ER, 2 K. Ugh. Hurt me. I say this a lot lately but I miss RHP Josh Linblom. He was such a good and dependable vet.

Mudcats trail 1-0 early. Sounds trail 7-4 in the to of the 6th. Both Tehran and Alexander - two of the most tenured vets on the Sounds roster - suffered 4 and 3 run innings, respectively, to give leads to the Bulls. Woof.

Good ?. He's on the 40 so, in theory, he's certainly up for consideration. I would have to think Hiura is in serious consideration given his consistent year as a whole. Black is likely considered given his pedigree; his Double-A work; and what they saw injected into their line-up after Frelick came aboard (who was definitely not lighting things on fire in Triple-A in 2023). I continue to love Toro's bat and think he's proven he can fill in at 1B (I personally only want him as an emergency 3B). They could go in a lot of directions. My darkhorse, as has been all season long, is Patrick Dorrian. I love his game. He deserves an opportunity. Obviously, some of these would required adds to the 40-Man. Anywho, it will certainly be interesting.

RHP Julio Tehran brings his ongoing rehab to Nashville where he'll get the game 1 nod in tonight's double-header affair. We welcome back INF Patrick Dorrian who will be back at SS tonight. Tyler Black is moved back to 3B while rehabbing Jesse Winker mans 1B. Toro will be manning 2B with Hiura back in LF. Josh Van Meter, then, will be playing the DH role. Hopefully, the Sounds can come out hot. With the Game 1 loss, the Sounds dropped to 2.5 GB of the now tied (with Worcester) for first place Durham Bulls. Needless to say, tonight's double-header is huge for their second half playoff birth hopes.

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Thursday, lineup updates, etc.Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

I miss the Brian Anderson I saw in the opening series at Chicago. Can I just pay someone or something to have that player every day? Sigh.

With the preamble that all the above players deserve opportunities in the lower levels. And putting all practicality, historicity and potential desires to relocate for a fresh start, these are the players listed above I would personally prioritize talking to if I were a voice in the Brewers Personnel Department: (not listed in any order): RHP Caleb Boushley - provides much needed veteran presence and gives meaningful innings RHP Luis Contreras - I continue to see MLB arm potential here. Lots to work with. C Payton Henry - Meaningful C depth; underrated bat RHP Tyler Herb - the injury was truly a bummer; one of my favorite interviews in the Brewers ML; lotta talent C Brian Navarreto - love Navs. Just a core depth backstop RHP Thyago Vieira - Can't have enough experienced 100 mph or Closer arms; other than a bad month he has been really important for manager Rick Sweet LHP Luis Amaya - I want to see what he can do year 2 in a new org; he's had flashes throughout 2023 RHP Harold Chirino - oft injured but so so talented. He has been legit lights out for extended periods for the Shuckers. Can he stay healthy? I think the Brewers might have a leg up because of the lack of exposure C Brent Diaz - I love Diaz. Like Sibrian (below) just vastly underrated. Heady player. RHP Max Lazar - They protected him in last year's Minor League Rule 5 when they placed him on Nashville's roster. He's had a solid and healthy 2023. I want to see what the Brewers have here as he builds innings. 1B Ernesto Martinez - After what we've seen over the past several months, the Brewers would be foolish to not try to get Ernesto back in the saddle. He's an ascending player. Would be hard to develop him and demonstrate patience over years just to see him jet away as he starts showing his full talents RHP Cam Robinson - Incredible in 2022. Scuffled mightily to begin 2023. Has really settled down. He's shown a lot of fortitude. Can never have enough high-leverage relief arms. LHP Karlos Morales - Incredible work in 2023 with inherited runners. I enjoy watching him pitch - even if he loses the plate at times. Very intriguing lefty in the mold of Milner. Want him to keep developing as a Brewer. RHP Michele Vassalotti - I think Brewers might have a leg up here given his rough High-A season. He has a historical (albeit brief) reputation of struggling his first exposure in a ML class. He's still just 23. He had very very good moments in the WBC. I'd love it if the Brewers could work with him again. C Jose Sibrian - You know how I feel here. He provides stability, skill, an ascending bat, an arm, the ability to call games. Despite his age (24) at Low-A, he 'should' be offered a regular rotation role with the T-Rats in 2024. Even if he likely tries his talents elsewhere. He's the bedrock of the Mudcats whole show.

Re: Jadher Areinamo...he does stuff like this nearly every game. He is such a pleasure to watch in the infield. Easily one of the more polished and smart defenders in the entire Brewers system by my eyes. Rarely, and I mean rarely, makes a mistake. He's essentially fielding at a 0.975 FP % as a 19 yo playing 2B, SS, and 3B. Just so dang reliable.

It was uncannily bad. Even dead middle wasn't guaranteed. A Smokies reliever was robbed of a K of Ethan Murray somewhere in the 7th or 8th. A Shucker was stealing 2B at the time. Count was full. The ball was a dead middle at the knees strike 3 heater. The Ump just let it go. I was stunned. The Smokies pitcher stood in disbelief looking at any dugout he could find in the universe. The catcher had to go calm him at the mound. Announcers were dumbstruck. This was arguably the worst ump job I've seen in 2023. That's saying a lot.

This is awesome. How cool. Congrats to you both! Excited to listen. (Says the grampa over here realizing this is your third episode. It's a senile belated Happy Podcast Birthday!)

Bless the young men playing in both contests tonight: it was a bit of an ump show behind the dish I'm sad to say. Just ask the Sky Carp skipper. The most egregious missed calls were happening in Tennessee but Beloit's ump sure made a case for that rep late. None the less, I will again remind fans: the players deal with these developing 'referees' on a nightly basis. Everyone is learning and growing in the lower levels. I was privileged to watch two fantastic Minor League baseball games. Truly entertaining and playoff-caliber baseball. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers & Joshua Sumrall - Carlos Rodriguez Pictured Game Balls: SS Eric Brown Jr. gets a nod here for some quality and consistency at SS and getting on base early and often. And, frankly, he gets a nod for just being on the diamond! RHP Cameron Wagoner gets the nod for tossing another incredible performance in his late season resurgence. Carrying a 'No-No' into the deep part of the fifth frame, he saw a hard hit liner short hop the injury fill-in Ben Metzinger at 1B as the ball bounced into RF. Wagoner has been as good as any pitcher in the system over the past month. Fantastic stuff. RHP TJ Shook gave his team everything it needed to keep pace with the Cubs 2022 1st Rd pick in RHP Cade Horton (seventh overall). He didn't wow with eye-popping strikeout numbers. He walked five batters. But, he truly only made one mistake. I'd argue if he had a slightly friendlier zone his line looks even better. CF Luis Lara gets the nod for simply wreaking havoc and causing problems all across the offensive side of things. More below. RHP Ryan Middendorf gets the nod for his three pitch 'mow them down' strikeout to end Shook's final frame after he had walked two aboard. It was a crucial and momentum-killing AB. It was a vintage 2022 Middendorf moment. Transactions: NONE A Word on Carolina and Nashville: Both games were postponed due to inclement weather lasting through the day in both locales. Each game #2 from the respective series will be made up in double-headers. Carolina will play two seven inning games on Friday September 1st beginning at 5 PM EST. Nashville will play two tomorrow, 8/31, at Durham and those games will begin at 4:30 CST. Final: Biloxi 7, Tennessee (Cubs) 4 Box Score / Game LogGame Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Four Late Runs Lead Shuckers to Second Straight Win Over Smokies RHP TJ Shook was decent early but he was fighting to find his best stuff. Honestly, it seemed like the Shuckers - Clarke and staff - were slow a bit too slow or hestitant to jump on the magnificence of his change-up. It was a beautiful pitch all night long. I don't think I saw a single swing make contact with that gorgeous offering. Meanwhile, Shook was struggling to locate his four-seamer and his curveball with any consistency in the early going. Unfortunately, this led to several walks. Two of those walks crossed home plate when Shook gave up a three-run jack just over the 320 foot mark of the Smokies' RF wall in the bottom of the second frame. However, a major credit is due a young man I lovingly call 'The Shookster' (apologies to TJ and his family if this is irksome but, man, it just feels right). He worked around a home plate umpire who squeezed his zone inexplicably robbing him of several borderline pitches in key AB's. As his outing progressed, Shook managed to locate the curveball and it opened up his entire approach. He ultimately got a 'No Decision' after 5 2/3 IP and this is largely due to the mistake three-run pitch mentioned above. He continues to be right there in his development as a professional hurler. He absolutely has the tools. It's now about fine-tuning the location and mix consistency. All in all, he gave his Shuckers teammates 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 BB (2 to the ever dangerous lefty Owen Caissie), 3 K, 3 ER. You take back the mistake home run pitch and you are looking at a brilliant workhorse outing. With Montgomery losing to Birmingham, the Shuckers moved to within 0.5 G of 1st Place and that coveted pole position for the Playoff birth. Only 16 games remain in this quest. Three Quick Strikes: 1) It's just a different creature out there when your infield is throwing to a mammoth 6'5" man at 1B. I can only imagine the benefit to INF's Ethan Murray and Freddy Zamora. As a fan, it's so apparent. Ernesto Martinez Jr. tends to struggle making diving plays within range of his feet - understandable given his OLB size and frame. But, regardless of that deficiency, he covers so much ground and routinely makes lunging catches (as you've seen me write about here) and he has an accurate arm. Here's a brief example of what I see on a nightly basis: Routine? Perhaps. Easy? Not in the least. Clean scoop. Accurate dart to 2B. Easy recovery to 1B to grab the final out. I continue to love the 2023 progression. There's a big baseball future here just beginning to unearth itself. 2) In another late season resurgence and joyous turn of events, RHP Cam Robinson has found a groove. It isn't a dominant 2022 groove, mind you. But, it's definitely a groove that is locking down absolutely crucial games in the win column. Tonight, Robinson came aboard inheriting LHP Luis Amaya's small mess (HBP and a single). After walking his first batter on four pitches making it a tension-filled bases loaded one out scenario, Robinson dug deep and got a sac fly to CF and then a fly out to Sparks in RF. He then calmly and cooly pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the victory. Earlier in the season, Robinson might have caved after that first batter four pitch free pass. It's a testament to his mental strength and resilience he has turned it around. He grabbed his 12th Save of 2023 for the Shuckers. With the earlier loss of talented relievers in RHP Harold Chirino and RHP Abner Uribe (now with the Brewers), Robinson's turnaround has been one of the more unsung qualities of the late-season Shuckers push. 3) Every Shucker got aboard at least one time except for RF Lamar Sparks who had a frustrating 3 K performance. There were timely knocks throughout. No single batter stood out as the game evolved but, rather, the collective; timely; and important knocks in key moments - whether it was the deep LF double smashed off Zamora's bat in the early going or Clarke's insurance-run adding deep blast in the 9th inning. This win was a total team effort. One of the more impressive victories I can recall all season long. Big and opportune plays in big moments. Very very refreshing. Final: Wisconsin 7, Beloit (Marlins) 2 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Rattlers Win Fourth Straight Game Behind a Strong Start from Wagoner As alluded to above, RHP Cameron Wagoner was stellar. He is a different pitcher in the second half. It's a night and day experience as a fan and as a habitual viewer of Timber Rattlers games. With Wagoner, it's the location and deception - it's a combined Achilles' heel. In the early part of 2023 he was hanging far too many off-speed pitches. In the second half he is precision-point laser-focused dealing surgical cuts with his pitches. He's gathering many many swings and misses and many many weakly hit grounders and fly outs. Tonight was absolutely in the recent lineage of 'stellar stuff'. 6 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 5 K. He has become one of my favorite watches in my reporting duties over the past month plus. The T-Rats moved to 2-0 in this road series and they have now won four straight. They remain 4.0 GB of Peoria who squeaked a 3-2 victory out at Quad Cities. Three Quick Strikes: 1) 3B Brock Wilken is trending up of late while, I would opine, ACL HOF'er 2B Mike Boeve is trending down. This isn't any type of bold proclamation of anything lasting, mind you, it is simply an observation rooted in the most recent 4-6 game sample size. Wilken ripped 106 mph and 104 mph rockets tonight - one for a single to LF and the other a shoelaces fly out to LF. He continues to play sure defense at 3B. Boeve, for whatever reasons, is topping many balls to the 1B side and generally hitting weaker balls. He appears to be struggling within his swing and what he is seeing in the batters box. Boeve also made a very poor error on a weak dribbler up the middle in a 7-1 ball game deep in the ninth inning and also had a throwing error in this one. The grounder is a play he absolutely has to make in future opportunities. It was poor form. I continue to root for both young men to flourish. 2) CF Luis Lara was wreaking havoc all over the offensive part of this ball game. His speed forced an error. He 'grabbed' a catcher's interference. He hit a single. He stole 2B and advanced to 3B on a throwing error from the catcher. He then took home while forcing a rushed throw and error when he slid under the catcher's mitt in a bang-bang play. He causes problems in so many ways and continues to do the little thing impacting ball games that may not even show up in the box score. His breakout season is very very legit. He is easily one of the more entertaining players to watch in all the Brewers Minor League. 3) Eric Brown Jr. had an incredible overall game at SS. He ripped a ground ball single up the middle early. He took two free passes in patient AB's. He stole a base. But, the fielding is what really stood out to me. He made several professional plays from the deep infield dirt. None was more impressive than his sliding stab to his right deep in the hole with a quick pop and accurate rope to, then, Vargas at 1B (he was later injury subbed - source unknown). All the tools continue to show themselves even this late in the season after a seven week absence. About that seven week absence: he still has managed 32 SB on the season as of tonight. It's a hard season to judge based on its many absences but make no mistake: when he's available consistently he impacts games in big ways. That's a wrap for my Minor League reporting duties this week. Remember, the Sounds will get right to a double-header tomorrow early evening (or afternoon for us PST folks). RHP Colin Rea is already on the docket for one of those tilts. LHP Adam Seminaris will get his second start since returning to Biloxi's pitching stables. RHP Joseph Hernandez is back in a starting role after his recent relief appearance since returning from his ACL rehab stint. Lastly, RHP Yorman Galindez will try and give his scuffling Mudcats team all he has to keep pace atop the Carolina League second half playoff push. As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball. 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

Boeve gets eaten up by a warm-burner dribbler as he waits for the ball and it bounces over his poor stance (not in front of the ball but waiting and standing to its side). It allows a run to cross. 7-2 T-Rats. Men on the corners. Bottom 9. Two down. Poor play by Boeve who has had a rough stretch of late. Rule number one as a fielder - especially with slow roller - get your full body behind the ball. Poor form here. Anyhow, Gardener gets the K to escape the unnecessary mini-drama.

Quad Cities trails Peoria 3-2 as they head to the River Bandits bottom of the 9th frame. The T-Rats 'W' (likely not complete) would be huge if it just holds a 4 G deficit behind the Chiefs.

Garcia just ripped a deep gapper triple to the wall in deep left CF. Beautiful. It scores two more. 7-1 in the 9th frame. Gorgeous! Garcia punishes Beloit for walking Mendez intentionally to get to his bat.

Wilken has a 108 mph single tonight. He just roped a 106 mph line out that was caught at the LF'ers shoelaces. He is ripping the ball. Meanwhile, Boeve by my eyes appears to be in a mini-funk. I don't see a lot of hard contact and I don't think he's seeing the ball all that well in his recent games. Lots of rolled over grounders to the 1B side. He gets the RBI here in the 9th but that was a weak hit ball and a misfire to home plate - I credit it much more to the disruption of Luis Lara than the bat-to-ball by Boeve.

HUGE WIN for Biloxi. Just HUGE. Robinson pitches a smooth and easy 1-2-3 9th frame. They win 7-4. Meanwhile, Birmingham leads Montgomery 7-1 headed to the 8th. We might be moving back to a mere 0.5 GB. Large Marge sent Me.

Why was Beloit's manager tossed? Just ask a player. This was called strike 3 on Eduarqui Fernandez in the 9th. 6-9" inside. Time of pic that is a curveball coming back. The ball was further inside. It's just really bad in both ballparks in the balls and strikes department. Really bad.