Joseph Zarr

With 9 Games remaining in an absurdly tight and competitive playoff chase, it is officially time to celebrate the Shuckers bullpen. I don't know how long it's even been since a worthy celebration, here, but it is overdue: Starting at Game 1 of this ongoing win streak (Saturday, August 26th) - a 6-2 victory over already playoff bound Pensacola - we have seen the following collective production: 32 1/3 IP 25 H 15 BB 36 K 2 HBP 1 WP 2 Pitch Clock Violations (it's 2023, afterall) 6 ER (for those of you at home, that's a measley 1.67 cumulative ERA) 1.2371 WHIP 10 Holds 3 Wins 5 Saves (Robinson, Vennarro, and Lazar) 0 Losses Just absurdly good at the most crucial point in their season. This is deserving of a massive round of applause...they're going to need to keep it going if they want to take this division from the also red hot Biscuits. We see you Shuckers bullpen. And, we salute you.

Oh man, that Luke Adams and Logan Henderson clip tho?

- INF/OF Noah Campbell was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Nashville Sounds (retroactive to 9/6) - C Brent Diaz was activated by the Nashville Sounds

In addition to Medina and Garcia, it would appear the Brewers also released: - INF Alexander Perez - Perez was actually called up from the ACL Crew back in late May and filled in for a month filling in, at the time, for injured INF Daniel Guilarte. Cruel end to Perez's season. I wish him the best. - INF Ney Serrano: Unfortunately for Serrano, he was just never able to find consistent AB's and build momentum in the 2023 ACL after a respectable 2022 season. Here's hoping he keeps grinding and finds AB's and playing time in a productive environment. - C Felipe Valderrama - injured late in the 2022 ACL season (60-Day IL placement in the first week of August), Valderrama saw spot playing time in the 2023 summer ACL. He did manage a very respectable 0.303 BA but in only 33 AB's. It's extremely hard for any player to build momentum off of that. He started 7 games as a backstop and filled in or subbed in in 6 other contests. He threw out 5-of-20 base stealers and sported a 0.986 FP%. We wish him all the best as he ventures to other clubhouses.

Thanks for the kind words! Exciting times to be writing about Brewers Minor League games - it's hard to fathom having meaningful late-season games with playoff implications happening across the board every night in early September. Stay tuned throughout the week as Daniel and Jim take us across the Carolina and Wisconsin finish lines.

It was a 2-2 mid-week split - Wisconsin laid their second consecutive egg while the Mudcats were beaten convincingly from the get go (and, yet still lowered their magic number to one). Meanwhile, Biloxi pulled away in the eighth inning and held on while the Sounds pulled ahead in the fifth frame and never looked back. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers & Mike Krebs - Isaac Collins Pictured Game Balls: INF/OF Isaac Collins continues to be a revelation in Biloxi. What a Rule Five Minor League Draft pick-up. More below. INF Gregory Barrios muscled his first Low-A homer and was the only Mudcats batter who showed out in a tough loss in Salem. RHP Evan McKendry gets the nod for his fantastic start pitching into the eighth frame and giving the Sounds everything they needed in a 4-1 victory. 1B Ernesto Martinez gets the nod for several tough stabs of rocket liners and several gorgeous scoops at 1B from some off-target throws. He also managed to rip two absolute rocket line drives. RHP Cam Robinson gets the nod for continuing to play the part of a much-needed closer role in Biloxi. It may not always be dominant. It may not always be pretty. But, it has certainly been highly effective. The Shuckers will continue to need his poise as they look to close the last 10 games strong. Transactions: LHP Clayton Andrews was optioned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of RHP Thyago Vieira from the Nashville Sounds Final: Nashville 4, Memphis (Cardinals) 1Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Vihuelas Claim Victory Over Memphis RHP Evan McKendry was simply put: fantastic. He put it all together tonight and then some pitching into the eighth inning. His final line read 7 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 ER. What an outing. When he came out to start the eighth frame I was quite surprised but he got that first out in just six pitches and his night ended after 101 pitches total. I opined in the daily Game Thread, McKendry's Achilles' heel to date with the Sounds had been his third time through opponent's batting orders. Tonight, he laid that to rest. And, unfortunately for the Sounds, the red hot Durham Bulls won their fifth straight so they remain 5.5 GB the second half crown with 16 games to play. That series in Durham still weighs heavily on their chances. Three Quick Strikes: 1) 3B/1B Tyler Black (first base tonight - an error tonight...every base is a work in progress) was once again wreaking havoc on the base paths. He walked three times. He stole two bases. He forced an uneasy throw from deep shortstop in what could have been a double play ball and scored on the play standing up as the ball went into shallow CF. He's a disruptor. He is definitely still adjusting his swing mechanics during a prolonged drought (by his standards) but he is still impacting games in very positive ways. 0-for-1, 1 R, 3 BB, 0 K for his final line. 2) The key hit in this one was DH Abraham Toro's muscled bloop liner two-run bases loaded double down the RF line in the bottom of the fifth frame. This gave the Sounds their first lead of the game (2-1) and it was the turning point. Toro continues to provide value on nearly every night he plays - whether with the Brewers or the Sounds. He's definitively been one of the revelations of 2023. I don't take his steady work for granted. From the post-game article above: 3) It's definitely early, but I certainly don't see anything from recent veteran signee 3B Josh Dondaldson to indicate he is worthy of taking AB's from other worthy call-ups or rostered Brewer players. I am seeing quite a bit of softly hit balls. I am seeing a late-30's player running the bases. It may be a feel good 'what if' storyline, but, at this point, it would be forcing the issue if he were to take AB's from other candidates. This is my humble opinion and nothing more. He went 0-for-3 tonight with a free pass. Final: Biloxi 6, Birmingham (White Sox) 4Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Career-High Four RBI from Isaac Collins Leads Shuckers to Ninth Straight Win You wouldn't know it looking at the box score, but LHP Adam Seminaris was sitting on a 1-0 lead and was casually working through 1 2/3 IP and empty bases. It all briefly fell apart from there. Sadly, this is what I was witnessing before the prolonged injury absence and the ACL work. The worst of the four-run Barrons rally was an 0-2 count devolving into a walk and C Jeferson Quero's botched throw to 1B on an absolute dribbler up the first base line. All in all, it was just an ugly sequence of two out defensive baseball in the bottom of the second inning. A pitch count of 13 had ballooned to 45. Yes, that kind of ugly. However, we do certainly give Seminaris credit for calming everything down after that ill-fated second inning. He managed to go three more with a final showing of 5 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 4 ER, 1 WP, 1 HBP. It could have been a lot worse and it certainly could have been a lot better. He'll look to polish things up for his next go-around. Three Quick Strikes: 1) CF Jackson Chourio has begun this Birmingham road series in a very quiet 1-for-9 showing at the dish. In the long slog of a full baseball season, this isn't the first time we've seen a slow start in a series from Chourio. Regardless, he is obviously always a dangerous threat. We sit back and hope he can find that roaring contact we've all grown to love. He was covering plenty of ground and safely corralling outs throughout, so the defense was still dialed in. But, let's call a spade a spade here early: lots of swings and misses and many an out off casual contact. 2) RHP James Meeker is a high-leverage relief pitcher - middle innings or late it really doesn't matter. He's really really good in this role. I sincerely hope the entire Brewers organization learned this during the ongoing struggles he faced as a fill-in starting pitcher. A spot start here and there? Sure. Absolutely. But, let's not get goofy beyond that. Meeker once again filled a key shutdown role in a tie ball game and, honestly, he made it look easy. Please, oh please, Brewers leave this young man where he belongs: high leverage relief innings. He picked up the win in his 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K eighth inning work. 3) Tenured Brewers Minor League fans might be wondering why INF Felix Valerio's playing time is so sparse in 2023. I will simply offer it's because INF/OF Isaac Collins has been the better complete player. It's just the plain honest truth and, as a result, Valerio has become a back-up or spot player for Biloxi. Collins has done everything we've wanted Valerio to do and then some and on a much more consistent basis. Tonight was absolutely no different. Actually, if you want to go an easy step forward: one could argue Collins should be in the candidate pool for the Shuckers MVP. He hit the game-tying two-run homer. He hit the game-winning two-run single in the top of the ninth. Winning players make winning plays. Collins does this on a nightly basis. 3-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. Money. Final: Cedar Rapids (Twins) 4, Wisconsin 1 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Kernels Take Game Two from Wisconsin The lackluster post-game article title says it all. It was that type of game. Wooof. I said it after game one and it absolutely remains true: the Kernels are entirely too good to be gifted anything. Well, OF Hendry Mendez dropped a routine fly ball right off the bat and gave the Kernels two free bases. With C Darrien Miller repeatedly struggling to catch rehabbing LHP Aaron Ashby's tailing off-speed arsenal, it just didn't look good. Ultimately, it was another T-Rats stinker against the best team (by a decent margin) in the Midwest League. Ashby was quite low in the velocity department but upon review (and after listening to the post-game podcast) it would appear he is intentionally working on movement and action over letting it fly. I saw primarily off-speed deliveries. It certainly looked as though he was intentionally holding back. If he wasn't? Well, then we certainly have a 'problem' on our hands. When all was said and done, Ashby only managed 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 WP, 2 K, 1 ER (2 R). He only threw 33 pitches in his slow road back to reclaiming his prior MLB form. Post-Game Podcast: Full-Game Highlights: Three Quick Strikes: 1) What was once such a promising ascending young prospect storyline has become one filled with question marks in 2023. OF Hendry Mendez committed his seventh error of his season when he dropped a very catchable ball in the first inning - it led to the Kernels first run. This isn't the first time Mendez has struggled making a routine play with the glove in the outfield grass. In 2022, before the very scary injury running into a RF brick wall (literally), Mendez looked like a possible uber-talented bat-to-contact lead-off hitter with the frame to develop into some intriguing pop. However, after battling through another unfortunate injury in 2023 Mendez has fast become an 2023 AFL candidate with the hopes of rekindling his promise. He's had his moments in 2023, for sure, but they've really only been moments. Let's hope he can reclaim that former promise-filled glory. 2) One of the most humorous thoughts I've had during the early stages of this season-ending serious versus the talented Cedar Rapids Kernels is: Brock Wilken looks like a Kernels player. If you haven't watched this Cedar Rapids squad let me just share: they are almost universally big, athletic, and uber-talented. Wilken fits that bill. He's just a guy I have come to expect to show up and produce every single game. When this series ends, and the T-Rats season likely ends with it, I fully expect Wilken to get the brief call-up to Biloxi to help their playoff push. He's every bit the Double-A player. I honestly don't think he'd skip a single beat - the young man is absolutely that good. 3) Witnessing a second consecutive woeful offensive performance, I'm going to tip one out for the continued resurgences of RHP's Cam Wagoner and Nick Merkel. These young men absolutely dug deep and gave us their best stuff as the season progressed. Both imposing hurlers rely on the impact of their off-speed arsenals and both young men have fine tuned these pitches over the past two months. Their best outings and their greatest impact has arrived when the games counted the most. These are extremely encouraging signs. I've become steadfast fans of both righties. Here's hoping they keep ascending! Final: Salem (Red Sox) 8, Carolina 3 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Barrios Blasts First Homer in 8-3 Loss in Salem LHP Brian Fitzpatrick has been very good since his promotion to Low-A Carolina from the ACL. Tonight was definitely not one of these 'very good' outings. He began his night by giving up a three-spot in the very first frame. His squad was already in a decent hole. He gave up another run in the second frame. He gave up two more in the third. It was 6-0 at that point and his evening was over after just 3 IP - 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 6 ER. He'll look to rebound if the Mudcats find their way into the post-season. And, the optimist in me absolutely sees Lynchburg losing 12-3 tonight. The post-season magic number is ONE. ONE Mudcats win or ONE Lynchburg loss and we are playing game 1 in Zebulon. Stay thirsty Mudcats! It's right there for the taking. Let's end the drought. Three Quick Strikes: 1) As the post-game write-up title reveals: INF Gregory Barrios hit his first Low-A long ball and it was an absolute muscle shot over the LF wall. It was a sight to behold as he took the inside riding pitch and somehow pulled it over the wall in left field. Let's take a look: 2) INF Luke Adams looked every part of the 0-for-3 and 2 K evening at the dish. With the promotion of Baez, Adams has seen his playing time cut into. He has fallen off some in the past month so this isn't all that surprising. However, if the Mudcats are going to try and make some noise in the Carolina League playoffs they are going to need all hands on deck. It's very fair to say Adams is in a mini-funk. Let's hope he gets back to what was working throughout the heart of this 2023 season. 3) Outhit 12-to-4. 1-for-9 with RISP to the Red Sox's 5-for-17. Yet, the Mudcats still walked five times and managed to swipe four bases (hence 1-for-9 with RISP on only four hits). They certainly had their opportunities but this was Salem's game to take from the get go. And, take it they did. It's on to the next. The Mudcats can seal their post-season birth tomorrow. Let's root them on! Very enticing game three pitching match-ups across all levels tomorrow. RHP Yorman Galindez will begin things at Salem for the Mudcats. LHP Robert Gasser brings his skills to the mound in Nashville hoping to boost the Sounds to a 3-0 series lead. RHP Joseph Hernandez looks to build off his recent combined effort in the T-Rats most recent near 'No-No' as he also looks to help chip away at their 0-2 series deficit. And, in Biloxi RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez will look to dominance once again and push the Shuckers lead over the Barrons to 3-0. Lots of skilled arms on the hill. 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

- LHP Clayton Andrews was optioned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers - RHP Thyago Vieira had his contract selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds

Discussed in the T-Rats post-game pod tonight. NOT in detail, mind you. He and Vargas have both been sent to rehab in Arizona and hope to be in the Instructional League shortly. That's all I have for you.

This makes that random (at the time) promotion to Nashville in early August all the more mysterious to me. He was then moved to the Development List. And then the Temporary Inactive List with the ACL Brewers. Just a strange sequence of events. I wish him the absolute best and absolutely hope this isn't related to any serious injury. These stateside roster reductions continue to be hard pills to swallow.

It was a 3-1 evening overall for the four full-season affiliates. Only Wisconsin disappointed putting up a relative stinker in a crucial home tilt versus the Midwest League best Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Mudcats and Shuckers each managed to pull away late after leading tight ones throughout. The Sounds led the entire way and were never really in danger in their 6-2 triumph over the Memphis Redbirds. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers & Mike Krebs - TJ Shook Pictured Game Balls: C Jose Sibrian gets the nod here for his clutch sac fly and two-run home run rocket over the left field wall. But, as per usual, he also gets the nod for his impeccable game management and his deft defensive work behind the plate. I will once again state: this is, in the very least, a High-A catcher given the developments we've seen in 2023. We're lucky to watch him on a nightly basis for the Mudcats and I sincerely hope the Brewers can somehow sign him again for 2024 and beyond. Don't be fooled by the age and the level - this young man is an absolute baller. INF Tyler Black, manning first base tonight for the Sounds, got one of those classic Black games from earlier in 2023. He hasn't hit the ground running like we've liked in Triple-A, and you can easily argue he's been scuffling for awhile now. But, a night like tonight puts those thoughts to the wayside: 1 3B, 2 BB, 1 Sac, 3 RBI, 1 SB. And, let me tell you, he was motoring for the three-bagger. I honestly wanted to see him go for an inside-the-park feat: 3B Brock Wilken continues to showcase play absolutely worthy of his first round pick status. After his first two AB's of his evening, he had gotten aboard in eight consecutive trips to the plate dating back to the final game in Beloit. He hits the ball hard consistently. He's much more patient than any of us were told. 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K on his evening. RHP TJ Shook was absolutely dealing in Birmingham and had only thrown 55 pitches through six complete innings. Had the Shuckers bats not been hitting for what seemed in hour in the seventh frame, he would have likely been given the opportunity to pitch into the seventh frame. Regardless, tonight was a night where I was just proud of the young man for putting it all together. The curveball was particularly nasty - his last outing it was his change-up. The strikeout numbers weren't as high as they typically are but that didn't matter - the contact just wasn't all that good and the situational pitches inducing DP's when needed was sublime. He can come at you in many different ways it's simply about the consistency in and around the zone. 6 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 R is just fantastic stuff. RHP Alexander Vallecillo gets the final nod for his impeccable three innings of relief work covering the sixth through eighth innings in what was a tight 2-0 ball game when he entered. Given his recent outings, this was a huge relief appearance. Perhaps he found his footing again? 3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 3 K. Crucial relief work in a much needed victory. Transactions: ACL Brewers OF Luis Medina was released ACL Brewers C Jesus Garcia was released Highlights from the System at Large Many great things happened amongst the affiliates in August. And, before Nashville's rough series at Durham this past week we were looking at possible post-season surges amongst every full-season squad. This has been the most exciting September in some time in Brewers Minor League land. Without further ado, let's take a look at some recent highlights throughout the system. OF Jace Avina took home 'Player of the Month' honors and deservedly so. He's been discussed at length in the daily game threads of late and, as is often the case, the greater recognition came with it: Avina stayed hot, mind you, tonight. The young man has been absolutely fantastic in the second half: LHP Robert Gasser took home 'Pitcher of the Month' honors and, like Avina, deservedly so. In what has been a breakout season for the talented Gasser, he has played his best baseball throughout the second half. He has reached another level of potential in 2023 and we are here for it every start: There are several other intriguing highlight packages at the Brewers Player Development Twitter page - highlights include RHP Alexander Cornielle's recent start at Beloit, RHP Logan Henderson's career record-setting 10 K performance versus Down East, the near combined 'No-No' from RHP's Joseph Hernandez and Stiven Cruz (also at Beloit), and Jackson Chourio's 14-game hitting streak. Check it out for more clips and intrigue. Final: Nashville 6, Memphis (Cardinals) 2 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Newcomers Shine in Sounds Victory With 18 games remaining in their regular season and trailing first place Durham and Lehigh Valley by 5 1/2 G, the Sounds are going to need a lot of help along the way. Regardless, if they keep winning games that will all figure itself out as the dust settles. After tonight's 6-2 victory over Memphis, the Sounds remained 5 1/2 GB of, now alone in first place, Durham. They can thank rehabbing RHP Julio Tehran and his impactful 5 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 R (unearned), 3 K start. He handed the ball over to LHP Ethan Small with a 4-1 lead. Small wasn't as sharp as he has been for much of late but he held it together enough during his 3 K 1 2/3 IP. Three Quick Strikes: 1) As the post-game title alludes to above, all the newcomers contributed in this one. With Black's speed on the basepaths already well known amongst ourselves and within the system, it certainly appears they netted another speedster who can do some damage in newly acquired OF Greg Allen. It's not often you see men scoring so easily on sac flies like this one off the bat of Tyler Black. Apparently it won't take much to score him from the hot corner - notable for the Brewers pinch-running department: 2) INF Cam Devanney has very quietly put together a 23 double 0.828 OPS season at Triple-A. It's quite the feat considering he started so slowly after a prolonged injury held him out of the early season. He finished his evening 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 2B. It isn't the breakout campaign I was hoping for before the season began, but it's telling his numbers are this good given he missed essentially the entire first month and is in an ongoing infield rotation. I don't know what's in store for Devanney moving forward, but he certainly hasn't hurt his case in any way in 2023. From the affiliated post-game article above (go ahead, click that link): 3) With the arrivals of Allen, Roller, and Donaldson this inevitably means (at least) short term playing time shifts for several other players. Something to watch moving forward is how this adjusts playing time for players like INF/OF Josh Van Meter, OF Skye Bolt, and OF Monte Harrison. One of the more unenviable tasks for managers at this level of Minor League baseball is apportioning playing time and ABs for the entirety of talent on the roster. Iron sharpens iron, they say, but maintaining consistent quality of production with spotty playing time is a challenging feat for any athlete. I don't envy this part of manager Rick Sweet's job - thankfully, he's quite adept at appeasing his players. Final: Biloxi 9, Birmingham (White Sox) 2 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Eight-Run Seventh, Six Shutout Innings from Shook Extends Win Streak to Eight RHP TJ Shook was very good early. He struck out two (of his three total punch outs) in the second frame. Overall, he was inducing many weak fly outs and grabbed two key double play balls with his only two runners on base. With his curveball working beautifully, as alluded to above, he hurled a mere 55 pitches through six complete innings. It was a fantastic display. It was also a display that allowed manager Mike Guerrero to end Shook's night early - potentially pivotal as the season has a mere 11 games remaining - and save the most high-leverage arms in the bullpen. Three Quick Strikes: 1) Holding steadfast to a 1-0 lead, thanks to the above-mentioned shutdown work from Shook, the Shuckers broke it open early and often. It was a buffet of hard hit deep liners to the wall. First it was INF Zavi Warren who knocked in his second RBI of what became a four RBI night: But, things got really interesting after OF Lamar Sparks blasted a deep ball high off the right center field wall and it turned into a 3 RBI error-induced round tripper! The floodgates had officially opened. An eight-run inning was underway. 2) All nine Shuckers tallied a hit in this one. Six Shuckers got aboard multiple times. The breakout inning gave me shades of their torrid output earlier in the second half when runs were being scored at an astronomical rate. This divisional second half push between the Shuckers and Montgomery is truly a sight to behold. Let's hope the young men can keep dealing at Birmingham. 3) CF Jackson Chourio extended his hit streak to 15 games with his oppo-double smashed high off the right center field wall. It was a classic Chourio rocket that missed circling the bases by a mere 5-6 feet. He also picked up two more stolen bases pushing his season total to 39 swipes. It may be streaky in 2023, but, man, those streaks are eye-popping to say the least. Sit back and enjoy the ride, folks. There is infinitely more to look forward to than there is to nitpick about with this young phenom. Final: Cedar Rapids (Twins) 6, Wisconsin 3 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Cedar Rapids Stops Wisconsin I'm going to come out and declare on thing: this was the biggest loss of the Timber Rattlers season. With Peoria improbably losing game one at their ballpark, 6-3 to Beloit, the T-Rats had a golden opportunity to pull within 2.0 GB with five games to play. They squandered the opportunity. It was a tough pill to swallow and a hard game to witness. LHP Nate Peterson was not sharp early in a crucial game one knock versus the juggernaut Cedar Rapids Kernels. He was missing the zone and extending counts and then throwing off-speed over the heart of the plate - not a good recipe for success in any inning in any game. It led to a ripped two-run homer over the LF wall and several very hard hit liners - the outing gave me shades of his second High-A start at South Bend. Miraculously, he escaped with only a two-run deficit after the first frame. And, even luckier for Peterson his teammates were able to muscle several weakly hit bloops for hits in the bottom half of the first to tie the contest at 2-2. There was sudden hope! All in all, Peterson struggled through 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER (6 R), 4 BB, 3 K. He was done in, somewhat, by a rough error by 2B Robert Moore (more below) who sailed an attempted force out throw at second base into the shallow left field grass - it scored a run and advanced a runner to third base (who also scored). Regardless, it wasn't the start Peterson or his team needed and it severely wounded any thoughts of a miraculous run to the post-season. Full Game Highlights: (Bless the T-Rats Media Team - we are truly spoiled) Three Quick Strikes: 1) 3B Brock Wilken is on one. At one point in tonight's contest, Wilken had gotten on base in eight consecutive AB's over the past two contests - whether by hard hit knock or walk. As each game progresses, he just looks more and more the part in many more ways than one. I will be absolutely unsurprised if Wilken is promoted to Double-A Biloxi for their final series at Biloxi versus their first place competition in Montgomery (if the Rattlers should fail to make-up the unlikely ground on the Peoria Chiefs). 2) It hasn't always been pretty, and he's had two blow-up outings since his promotion, but RHP Miguel Guerrero continues to look night and day improved in his second High-A stint in the past two years. He is simply a more poised, a more experienced, and a calmer pitcher than he was in 2022. Guerrero is an imposing pitcher on the hill but he actually relies heavily on low 70's sweeping off-speed pitches as his bread and butter. He came to the hill tonight to spell Peterson after he saw runners on first and second in his fifth and final frame. Guerrero handled the work with skill and savvy - and, he did this after the umpires requested he toss the glove he's used all season into the dugout to use a spare. It was a very odd moment. Kudos to Guerrero for tossing the glove and the strange request to the wayside and escaping the inherited runner jam. It was a huge moment for the young hurler and I was extremely proud he ably met it. 3) 2B Robert Moore needs to be better if his team is going to make a serious run at Peoria - especially with INF Mike Boeve's mysterious prolonged absence. In the limited action he received at 2B tonight, Moore just wasn't sharp. It's a shame - we all know Moore can play a very solid (and, sometimes spectacular) second base and we also know he filled in extremely well at shortstop during Eric Brown Jr's extended injury absence. Moore aided a run to score early when he forced a throw to second base trying to nail a lead runner and avail a double play ball in the next at bat. This gaffe - the throw sailed inside and then into the shallow left field grass - allowed the lead runner to score and the runner at first base to advance to third base. It's a fine play if you make it. If you don't? It leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Later in the top of the eighth inning, Moore also dropped an absolute dime in the base path from C Matt Wood. It prolonged RHP Sam Gardner's outing and it put another runner in scoring position when he should have been heading to the dugout. Moore ended the game with a first pitch weak pop fly to shortstop on the first pitch of his ninth inning AB with Mendez standing on first base in a 6-3 game. It was an appropriate ending to a very frustrating night. Final: Carolina 6, Salem (Red Sox) 1 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Mudcats Lower Magic Number to Two with 6-1 Victory Facing MLB rehabber, RHP Zack Kelly, the Mudcats were patient and opportunistic early. INF Gregory Barrios led off with a four pitch walk. He then stole two bases and was sent home by a INF Dylan O'Rae groundout to shortstop. INF Jadher Areinamo then blasted a deep 96 mph triple high off the right field wall. A walk to 1B Jesus Chirinos saw men on the corners and Kelly's night was done after a mere 1/3 IP. C Jose Sibrian walked in five pitches facing the Red Sox's lefty reliever (2023 18th rounder) but OF Jace Avina grounded out hard into an inning ending double play. And so it goes. Avina got his later in the game. RHP Jesus Rivero was effectively wild (41 of 71 pitches thrown for strikes, 1 HBP). In past outings, Rivero would surely have walked more than one batter. Tonight, he showed the poise we need to see more of as the Mudcats push for the post-season: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K, 0 R. It was an even bigger performance if you consider he was sitting on a mere two-run lead throughout. And, he can thank C Jose Sibrian for nailing the lead-off runner in the third frame. Two batters later, Rivero gave up a triple. Sibrian is every pitcher's best friend. Three Quick Strikes: 1) INF/OF Dylan O'Rae continues to impress on a nightly basis. You add his baseball skills and savvy to the massively underrated Jadher Areinamo's skillset and your baseball team is already cooking with gas. O'Rae has wheels for days so even with his size limitations he can track down most balls hit his way into the CF grass. Couple this with his already plus defense at 2B, his dangerous speed on the base paths, and his overall heady brand of baseball and he just improves and enhances the viewing experience. We can worry about adding muscle mass as he progresses. For now, I am absolutely just going to enjoy the player he already is. Interestingly, manager Victor Estevez has rewarded O'Rae with the second spot in the batting order while he plays around with INF Gregory Barrios in lead-off. It's an intriguing look 2) INF Jadher Areinamo missed out on further extending his Carolina League-leading double total to 27 in the first frame. He hit a triple instead. Everything is on the upward trajectory here - more hard hit line drives; more elevated launch angles; more XBH production. With the defense already upper-echelon, we are looking at yet another highly intriguing middle infielder in the Brewers system. Areinamo has already quadrupled last year's home run output and the season isn't over! <Looks at notes> Ok, fine. He only hit one long ball in 2022. 3) Here's a Carolina League nugget for you - riffing off of Areinamo's League leading double tally: Carolina has three of the top ten Carolina League leaders in the double department. Who else adorns this hallowed wall? OF Jace Avina (22), who you might have guessed, and INF Gregory Barrios (20). And, then there's INF Luke Adams sitting just outside the top 10 with 18 two-baggers. I've been saying it for months, but there are many reasons why the Mudcats have been the most consistently enjoyable Brewers Minor League team to watch throughout 2023 - it would appear doubles play a part in that. Here's to many more to close out this regular season campaign. Feel free to visit the Carolina Mudcats twitter page for a handful of highlights from tonight's game... We are back at it tomorrow as game 2's commence in all four series - Nashville and Wisconsin continue their home cooking. Carolina and Biloxi look for continued comfort in distant locales. Wisconsin will start early in a matinee affair as LHP Aaron Ashby looks to extend his second rehab outing further into the game. LHP Brian Fitzpatrick will attempt to reduce Carolina's magic number further as the evening games begin. LHP Adam Seminaris grabs another start as he moves further away from his extended ACL rehab work - the Shuckers will need his best stuff as they look to keep pace with the Biscuits. And, RHP Evan McKendry will look to keep fine-tuning his stuff in hopes he won't surrender runs as his innings stack. McKendry has been brilliant at times but he's been somewhat shaky, from time-to-time the third time through the batting orders. 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

Best write-up I've seen on Shears. Refreshing to see a real understanding of the catchers challenges catching his stuff (and, as I've said in the past, the umps difficulty calling it) and the obvious benefit he'd receive with an ABS. This being said, as you also touch on above: control is still a real issue. Even with those things in place in this current season maybe that FIP is in the high 3's instead of 4's? Control is a big issue and it is what has allowed him to stay under the proverbial radar across the Minor Leagues. But, man, if he can figure out the consistency...he has some of the best raw tools in the system from the mound. Filthy filthy stuff.

If we go back to last year's blowout loss to Durham in the Vegas Championship Semis, the Sounds are 5-13 over their last 18 contests versus the Bulls. It's fair to say: in the short term they've definitely had the Sounds number.

Monday is typically my 'What are they up to?" day of the Minor League Baseball week. I found RHP Kent Hasler, finally (!!), in a write up of the American Association's Sioux City Explorers expressly focused on him. He has been working on his MBA via Louisiana Tech online in between tossing the white rat with the skill and savvy we grew to love. Great to see he is still in the game (and familiar organization) while angling toward playing as long as he can while staying in it on the other side of the lines: Hasler did rep the Express in the All Star Game, but, the game logs indicate he hasn't pitched since mid-August. And I don't currently seem him on the roster - injury? signed elsewhere? Regardless, as always, I wish him all the best.

I think Wagoner's struggles earlier in the year can be pin-pointed to two classic pitching issues: Mix and Location. He was hanging pitches. He was predictable in his Mix. His location has been lethal for some time now and it has made a world of difference. They are leading with his off-speed and that is setting up everything. His curveball has been absolutely dialed in and I would opine it has become his best pitch. It's been a real pleasure seeing him work through his season - his early struggles (and they were definitely struggles) - and play his best ball by a country mile for an unlikely (given Peoria's performance, improbable) Playoff push.

One of the more fascinating storylines in a Brewers Minor League renaissance: Who is going to Arizona? The only player, at this juncture, I feel very confident in is INF Eric Brown Jr. - given his injuries in 2023 and his late-season return etc it's a logical choice. He needs more continued and consistent PT as he has flashed tremendous signs in 2023 when healthy. Beyond that? Sheeesh, there are a lot interesting candidates. And, I am essentially at a place of waiting and seeing while I scratch my beard. 😂

Wonderful effort, Daniel. Hopefully, the Mudcats bullpen takes note of how to step up in relief.😊

- RHP J.B. Bukauskas was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - 3B Josh Donaldson was activated by the Nashville Sounds - RHP Colin Rea was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds - LHP Aaron Ashby was sent to High-A Wisconsin to begin a rehab stint

- LHP Clayton Andrews was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds - INF/OF Owen Miller was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds

FWIW: Vargas was replaced in Wednesday evening's game mid-game. He was manning 1B. Before an inning commenced the training staff came to the field to look at him (along with manager Joe Ayrault). They appeared to be looking at his right ankle. He was then pulled before his next AB for Metzinger. I didn't see anything happen in the field of play but he was certainly bothered by something.

That's the differentiation with Sibrian: his full game. He is just so underrated, under-placed, and under-discussed. He calls the game individually - he doesn't need to look to the dugout. He has a cannon and good pop - extremely adept at not only throwing guys out in attempted steals but one of the best catchers in the entire system at rifling pick-off throws. It's such an advantage to have for a young squad. Maybe that's why the Brewers keep him in Low-A? As a leader and as a guy who helps mold the pitchers? He is well beyond Low-A in terms of skill and performance.