Joseph Zarr

Ugh. Unfortunately, that is absolutely the version of RHP Jake Cousins I also saw his last time on the hill. I didn't see the outing but I am speculating his velo was down again? What a truly rough rough season for the former staple of the Brewers bullpen. Those arm injuries have just really impacted his current career trajectory.

I've said it many times before and I'll say it many times in the future: the transition to the Southern League and pitching in the Southern League is very very hard. I've seen this type of rough transition for so many arms when they make the move from High-A - it's also why it is universally agreed within MLB the jump to Double-A is so challenging for the young players. It's also what makes the continued work of RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez so dang underrated and exciting. Hopefully, Misiorowski can get comfortable before the season's end. It's just a massive jump for him at this stage in his career but clearly he has met a worthy challenge.

Meanwhile, the DSL Brewers Uno apparently lost a frustrating one vs the DSL Athletics conceding two runs (one earned) in the bottom of the 9th for the walk-off loss. A sequence of a single - sac bunt (throwing error) - single - single led to the loss at the hands (and arm) of 17-year-old Venezuelan RHP Argenis Aparicio. He picks up his first BS in his first SVO and takes the loss - 0-1 on his season. It's important to note here: he was done in by a 3B Jhon Bencosme throwing error during the sac bunt. Instead of one man aboard at 2B, he had two men aboard - at 2B and 3B. That's a challenging spot for any young hurler. The real blow, however, came in the bottom of the 8th when 17-year-old RHP Oliver Camilo unraveled after an opening pop out. Walk, single (runners advance on a CF Pedro Tovar error), walk, grand slam. The 6-1 game was suddenly 6-5. Just a rough way to lose this one. Elsewhere in the pitching side of things RHP Jose Meneses threw a fantastic scoreless 3 IP - 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K. Meneses teases us with outings like these throughout his DSL seasons (this being his second with the Crew). But, it's hard to get a read on him other than he is getting better results in 2023 but still likely seeing too many batters on base regularly - 21 H, 17 BB, 3 HB in 27 1/3 IP. This has led to a slightly elevated 1.36 WHIP. But, he's preventing any big blowouts holding his ERA to a very respectable and impressive 1.63 - perhaps, aided by his 27 K. There is certainly enough here to be intrigued moving forward: I also look at the fairly unlucky 0.296 BABIP and consider he could be having an even better season if he could tone back the walks. I definitely want to see what he is capable of stateside. Offensively, the day's highlights appear to have belonged to 1B/C Brayan Oropeza - 4-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 2B. INF Kevin Ereu continues to make impact at the dish as well - 0-for-1, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SF (though he was picked off 1B as well). Despite the 8th inning fielding error, CF Pedro Tovar managed a 2-for-4 day at the dish - 1 R, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB. No doubt, the Crew Uno will look back not so fondly at this one - the late errors, the 6 runs allowed over the final two frames, and the 3-for-17 mark with RISP will sting for a bit. With their second loss in a row and 5-5 mark over their last 10, the DSL Cerveceros Uno have fallen back to 3rd place behind both Dodgers affiliates in the DSL North Division. They remain 8.5 GB of the first place DSL Dodgers Bautista and now sport a respectable 22-16 record overall.

With a 3-7 mark over their last 10 games, it is certainly awesome to see two of this 'W's agains the first place LA Dodgers Bautista. Heck of an accomplishment by the young men! Let's spread this good news into other tilts, por favor. Today included a walk-off single to RF off the unlikely bat of Smarlin Espinal. You love to see it. The 'Day at the Dish' award has to go to 17-year-old OF/1B (1B today) Danny Puerta - 3-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 2B. Heck of a performance. OF Demetrio Nadal stayed impactful as all get out in the lead-off: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 SB. What a season he is having so far this summer. Dominican 19-year-old RHP Aneuris Rodriguez (in his second Brewers DSL season) closed things over the final 3 IP - 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 R. He picked up the 'W' and moved to 1-1 on his season. Intriguing arm to date. The DSL Cerveceros Dos improved to 14-23 overall - 7 1/2 GB their brethren on the DLS Brewers Uno and a whopping 16 GB of the first place LA Dodgers Bautista. Their next contest will be on the last day of July when they face their counterparts on the DSL Brewers Uno.

Seeing Gardner settle in after a rough first couple of outings is really a great story. He had obvious nerves in his debut (I sure as hyeck would too!). But, now that he's comfortable on the mound, he's giving very good innings in high-leverage spots. He's provided a stabilizing force at the back end with the loss of RHP Brennan Jordan. The combination of Gardner, Smith, and Shears has done wonders to keep the T-Rats bid for 2nd half noise alive and well. Also, this is now two years running where Warren slumps egregiously to start the season and then gets ridiculously hot mid summer. One of those baseball things, I guess.

I'm not crying. You're crying.

Matches the eye test as well. He just isn't making anywhere near the consistent hard contact he was pre-injury. Hopefully, he can find that form. The Sounds, in the very least, need it for a Playoffs push.

Great observation on the lower body! Thanks for pointing that out.

Man, I love Brandon Woodruff. I hope he retires a Brewer. Such a pleasantly easy guy in the Media room(s). Relatable. Friendly. Thoughtful. He should come out my way and hunt some elk with me 😂. I feel we'd have a real fun time!

What's wild about O'Rae - at least in the Brewers PD clips from this summer - he looks built. Obviously, smaller in stature, but absurdly fast out of the batters box (shows with his SB success rate as well). I still have to think, given the limited clips we've seen, he'll have a distinct possibility to find some more power in his build. Swing is extremely reminiscent of ol' Scooter Gennett. Like, he doesn't look scrawny to me...at all:

He has reached base in some fashion as the primary lead-off for the ACL Crew in every ACL contest but 1. Completely agreed. He's more than proved his worth and is deserving of a shot in Low-A. I hope we get it! I want to watch him on a nightly basis. I've seen enough of his game logs!😅

Better control than Low - at present. How Low finishes his season going forward is going to mean a lot because we are suddenly in a territory of "Will he end up on their Development List?". His walk issues have really come to surface of late. Before, it was: "I don't like those walks but they aren't killing his outings and man he has electric stuff." This last outing was just really bad control any way you looked at it and it rendered his stuff relatively benign. Rivero was toying with batters tonight. You never once felt he was out of control. I attribute his 5 BB game to "It was only his 2nd outing at Low-A." If we toss that outing out, he only has 5 BB in Low-A over 15 IP. Low has 15 BB over his last 14 1/3 IP in relief. If we toss out his 5 BB this past outing (and the 2 WP's, I guess), we're still looking at 13 BB over 11 1/3 IP. This is a stupidly long way of saying: Rivero is on the rise. Low has slumped himself into prove it territory. 😂

LHP Brian Fitzpatrick's ACL debut appears quite rough: 2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 5 ER, 1 HR ACL Crew trail 6-3 here in the bottom of the 3rd. 3B Brock Wilken has a 3B. The Crew have outhit the Reds 7-to-6 but are 1-for-7 currently with RISP. O'Rae and Baez are doing their ACL thing - getting on base and all that.

After OF Je'Von Ward had one of the most feeble AB's with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one down one could imagine striking out on 3 pitches...BIG Bob Moore rips a line drive single and the pinch runner at 2B (OF Terence Doston - wise choice by manager Joe Ayrault) scores the 2nd and winning run! Wisconsin wins it 4-3 in the 10th. Fantastic clutch game for Bob Moore , baby. It's a 3-0 evening sweep!

INF Jheremy Vargas singled. Stole 2B. OF Hendry Mendez just got him to 3B with a ground out. SS Eduardo Garcia will try to hit a walk-off. 1-1 count. 2-2 game. Bottom 9th. 2 down. 1-2 count on a really nice slider. He strikes out swinging on an off-speed pitch low and outside. ON to the 10th.

Rivero is just dealing here in Columbia. He already has 6 K in 3 2/3 IP and has his potential final batter in an 0-2 count. Yup. He gets the 7th K. My goodness. That's the second time he's punched out 7 in 2023 in a relief role. The young man is a stud. Just a stud. Mudcats win 11-2 and have now taken the first 3 on the road @ Columbia. Let's go!

RHP Alexander Cornielle deserved the win tonight. But he held serve after the unearned run. He gives his team a chance to walk it off. 2-2 and we head to the bottom of the 9th. A lot of 3-2 counts for Cornielle but that's kind of how he rolls. Really nice outing.

He is incredibly underrated. He flashes in nearly every game he catches and calls. As I mentioned in last night's report (and several times in 2023), the bat plays as well. Tonight is my personal catwalk moment 😅.

C Jose Sibrian. Have you heard me mention his name? Grand Slam here in the 9th. I'm telling you because I'm telling you. He's very very good at baseball. Promote this man. I guess he won't hit for the cycle. How awful.

LF Jace Avina just threw out the tag at 3B on a deep fly to the warning track. OF assist and a DP. He aired that ball right to Adams. What a toss. 7-2 Mudcats here late.

His change-up is straight filthy. Hitters sit on it. They still can't hit it. At all.

Rivero K's 3 up and 3 down in the 7th. Man, he is a really intriguing arm y'all.

RHP Jesus Rivero has some nasty off-speed stuff to pair with a heater that moves and rises. Where does this pitch land? Down there. Heck of a pitch. Sheeesh.

Wes Clarke just laid off a very intriguing 84 mph slider to make the count full. He then lays off a high heater in a 3-2 count and walks. This drives in a run. The Shuckers now lead 5-1. And the Barons will go back to their bullpen for another arm - 4 BB's this inning. Still two outs.

And, Cornielle walked him to load the bases. But, he escapes inducing the 0-1 ground out to Eduardo Garcia who steps on 2B and avoids the runner with a gazelle like leap and trots to the dugout. It remains 2-2. Oh, and HEY! C Jose Sibrian is now a triple shy of the cycle. Just ripped a solo shot over the LF wall. Have you heard my thoughts on this young man?