Joseph Zarr

From our own @Smichaelis9 in today's Minor League Game Thread: Well-observed here and many thanks for alerting our readers!?

No kidding, huh? When it rains it pours...on all umbrellas.?

With the first games of the ACL and DSL now completed, it's really starting to feel like summer. Let's hope the bats heat up in concert with the weather. With this caveat, I will give daily updates and box score tid bits and any possible highlights to our DSL and ACL affiliates first and then carry into my usual Low-A to Triple-A routine. Firstly, let's take a look at yesterday's and today's many transactions and then head to Arizona and the Dominican locales and see how our young men fared. I can tell you, in the higher levels of our minor leagues...I'm getting a wee tired of losses across the board. Let's hope this recent run is just a spurt of hiccups and we rebound and head for greener pastures. Many games does a season make. Let's be honest: we've hit a rough patch. Transactions: ** A reminder: For any and all Sunday thru Monday transactions please peruse and participate in our ongoing '2022 Minor League Transaction Thread' . We will continue to provide cumulative tid-bits here but it is very worth your time to dig into that thread as the details are live and they are quite robust. Let's start with Monday: The Zach Vennaro and Kent Hasler 'sent down' moves make more sense when we consider what is happening in Biloxi: RHP Victor Castaneda, RHP Justin Bullock, RHP Harold Chirino, and RHP Luis Contreras were all moved to AA Biloxi's 7-day injured list. That's a BIG ouch here. Victor has been far and away the most dependable Starter since Andy Otero and Tyler Herb's well-deserved promotions and, until his recent ninth inning meltdown. (Perhaps, this injury gives the clue.) RHP Harold Chirino has been a bullpen stalwart. Luis had been pitching his best baseball of the season of late. No rest for the weary! Fear not, lastly, RHP Brandon Knarr has been promoted to Biloxi from Wisconsin. Let's get into some game reports. Sheesh! BOX: DSL Brewers (2) 10, DSL Brewers (1) 1 Well, this one was a a wee bit of a blow out it would appear. But, hey, it's a game amongst teammates and friends. Some of yesterday's successes carried over for the DSL Brewers 2 - notably, youngsters Juan Baez, Yeison Perez, and Brayan Oropeza continued their productive plate appearances - each with a double. Oropeza also hit his second home run in two games. This will play. Notably, let's give a mention to 18-year-old Erick Perez who tripled in his first DSL at bat - a pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth. He scored on a Perez double - his second of the game. Tasty! On the pitching side of things, the DSL Brewers 2 pitched to the tune of 16 strikeouts with a sprinkling of ... they did walk ten batters. 18-year-old, Anfernny Reyes (with an intriguing 6'3" frame), started and went 3 2/3 innings with 3 walks, no hits, and five punch outs. An intriguing line for the young hurler. Of note in the bullpen for the DSL Brewers 2, Jeral Vizcaino pitched a one hit, one walk scoreless inning with all three outs coming via strikeout. David Dominguez pitched two scoreless innings of one hit, two walk, and four strikeout ball. On the DSL Brewers 1 side of things, every pitcher gave up two or more runs and that'll lead to double digits across the plate. Luis Lara (2-for-5) did manage to plate a run on a single with two men on in the bottom of the ninth (both given free passes) for the lone DSL Brewers 1 run. The 17-year-old Lara is off to a fine start to his DSL season. BOX: ACL Brewers Gold 6, ACL Athletics 3 Hey! A second Brewers affiliate win? My goodness, it's the good old days of May all over again. And, my, how sweet it is. Second baseman, tonight, Gregory Barrios led off the batting order and went 2-for-4 with two rbi's off a triple to right field. Catcher Jason Ollarve managed to plate the other two rbi's via a sac fly and a ground out finishing his day 0-for-2. We also grabbed a run off the lower-levels vintage wild pitch - always in play in the lowest of lower levels. It wasn't all roses, however, as three errors by the Gold led to two unearned runs - a throwing and a fielding error by 19 year old shortstop, today, Jose Caballero are of note. Lastly, let's honor the fine pitching work of the duo of Yerlin Rodriguez and Jeison Pena. Pena managed two scoreless innings in late relief with 3 strikeouts and no other marks on his stat sheet. BOX: ACL Reds 6, ACL Brewers Blue 4 And, the losses begin here all the way down in Arizona. The Brewers Blue lost a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth as the Reds grabbed an illustrious five-spot to pull ahead for good. Let's take note of some young men, however. OF, Luis Medina knocked in three rbi's with his third inning home run. This gave the ACL Blue their 3-1 lead. As noted, it didn't last long. Who other than our very own @damuelleto give us the good details: Remember, Daniel and I are almost always in those daily game threads discussing the minor league contests - often in quite a bit of detail as they happen live. All told, this game really came down to the two-out unraveling by the Brewers Blue pitchers in the top of the fourth. The combined work of Yujanyer Herrera and Trevor Tietz produced the following with two down: walk, single, two-run home run, single, two-run home run, walk, strikeout to end the ordeal. And, well, that was ball game after all was said and finished. *** Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Myrtle Beach (Cubs) 10, Carolina 8 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Late Lead Wasted in Series Opening Loss - Leones Totaled a Career Best Four Hits and Chourio Extended His Hit Streak to 13 Games For the second week in a row, the Mudcats represented with the 'Player of the Week' honors. This time, the much deserved and perennially red hot Jackson Chourio received the award: Read Press Release Here. This is the second such award in two weeks' time (Hedbert Perez , if you recall, received last week's award). Let's keep this going, young men! Facing off against the red hot (21 games over 0.500) Pelicans felt like an extremely tall task for our young Mudcats but they were back home in Five County Stadium to take on such a challenge. Taking the hill for Carolina was Miguel Segura , and, I'd be lying if I said it looked promising early. BUT, baseball is a wily game and seemingly certain trouble can end with a sigh of relief as it did in the top of the first for Miguel. The first three batters Miguel faced got on base and a figurative ominous rustling wind swirled dust across the diamond. And, yet, a mere one run crossed the plate. It felt like a good omen and, boy, was it ever. The young upstart Mudcats plated five runs in the bottom half - including Perez's two-run blast. It was 5-1 Mudcats. Take a look at this incredible smack by Perez: And, once again, I'd be lying late if I said thought the Mudcats would blow the game after leading throughout. But, baseball is a wily game and even when you think the game is in the bag, all nine innings must be played. Let the Timber Rattlers tell you more about this aphorism further below. Further Viewing Notes: It's a baseball adage that walks will kill you. Jefferson Figueroa found this out in a weird way with a confidently called three-run home run after walking two men on in the top of the sixth. It appeared to almost all in the ballpark the ball hit was a double high off the wall in deep left center. But, it was somehow called a certain home run by the infield umpire. The Mudcats players were perplexed. Manager, Victor Estevez? I haven't seen him this animated all season. Nonetheless, it's a two-umpire crew in Low-A and that's sometimes a tall glass to fill. It was close. We can't begrudge the call. It was 6-5 Mudcats suddenly as they headed to the home half bottom of the sixth. With the double and the walk, further extending his hit streak, Chourio also moved his OPS north of 1.000. Will the hype ever end? I sure hope not. The results keep validating all the early accolades. The Pelicans came into this tilt 20-1 after scoring first in games in 2022. Quite the record. They finished 21-1 after pulling out the win with late-game magic. Winning teams find ways to win. It never ceases to amaze. This was a Mudcats victory until the game was decided. After the Pelicans had grabbed a run back to make it a 2-5 game in favor of the Mudcats, Oswal Leones grabbed that run right back: Speaking of which, I tend to see good things from Leones when I tune in live. This was a career-best 4-for-5 night (one rbi batting in the nine-hole) for the young man. Let's hope that continues as the season progresses. There's something here and Leones' game has the ongoing feeling of 'untapped potential'. If you were to pin anything of note on starter Segura and his piggy-back man Figueroa it would have to be walks. Both young men struggle with elevated WHIPS in 2022 and, much like tonight, you can point to their continued free passes. This is all too common for young hurlers. Both guys have solid stuff to work with and the frames to carry said stuff, but, it's the finer points that will ultimately test them as they move forward. Seven walks between the two pitchers in 8 1/3 innings is simply a lot to work around. *** Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Beloit (Marlins) 6, Wisconsin 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Beloit Hands Wisconsin Costly Loss - Sky Carp Rally for 6-4 Win Over Rattlers **Before you read further, please check into this wonderful piece on Darboy, Wisconsin's (and Timber Rattlers' player hosts) Carpenter family: THIS is what it is all about. Family. Support. Togetherness. I love the prospects Justin Jarvis and Cam Robinson have become. But, apparently, I might like Jarvis' Hibachi even more? Who knew?! Russ Smith was looking to turn things around as the T-Rats were on the road all the way down to Beloit. Whew, my hats off to any young men having to live that close to the state of Illinois. As a born-and-raised Wisconsinite, I admit: perhaps I'm a tad biased. But, that's just sub 0.500 tough sledding. I can definitively say, from my vantage point, this was the best version of Russ we've seen to date. He was working fast and with a purpose. Nailing the zone with a mix of heat and off-speed and carried a 1-1 score into the fifth inning. My prospect antenna were perked up and shiny at the display I was seeing. Here's to many more of these types of outings ahead, Russ. RIP: Until our next Home series, here lies all those wonderful Home series YouTube Full Game Highlights and Post-Game Podcasts.? Further Viewing Notes: Tyler Black . Baseball player. That is all. I love watching this young man play. He has that 'It' you look for in a Major League player. I love the way he carries himself. I love the build. He started tonight with a double and a triple. Enjoy him in Appleton as his days are numbered. His feisty 14-pitch strikeout to end the game was what I've come to expect from the young man. I just want to re-iterate: this is by far the best version of Smith I've seen all year. It was a joy to watch. I loved the speed. I loved the confidence. I loved the sprinkling of the change-up. He didn't receive any benefit from the home plate umpire. He didn't complain. Great body language. Just lots to love with this outing. Here's to many more ahead, Russ! Robbie Baker came on in relief of Smith with two down and men on first and second and the Rattlers clinging to a two-run lead. And, he proceeded to snag an absolute rope toward the mound. He made it look a lot easier than it was. It saved a run. And, it was on to the seventh. Joe Gray Jr. will fish anywhere. An avid outdoorsman, Gray showed up for today's game and proceeded to grab his fishing kit and head to the Rock River. Be true to you, Joe. We hope you caught some fish! May is obviously over. Cam Robinson gave us one more scoreless outing in June. Tonight? Not so much. Sent on in the bottom-half of the eighth inning to preserve a 4-3 ball game, Cam gave up three runs. Beloit earned every one of those runs. Disciplined at bats and the benefit of some seeing-eye hits. Good work from the Sky Carps. Shake it off, Cam. Let's get another scoreless streak going! After a 14-pitch battle to close the game, something I alluded to above: Black had words with home plate umpire Kenny Jackson. Something happened during the at bat that had bothered Tyler for many pitches and it seemed to be related to some form of time out call or step out by the umpire - it was unclear in the telecast. And, well, Tyler, I can honestly tell you Jackson bothered me with balls and strikes pretty much all game. Have at it and on to the next. The trivia question reads: When was the last time Robinson gave up a single run? My answer is, lazily, some time in April (the real answer is April 28th). His stuff still looked great tonight. No, really, it did. He still did that Cam thing going where he flirted around the zone risking walks and mixing in steep breaking balls with heat and movement. But, on this particular occasion, a red hot Beloit team was the beneficiary of some timely and, frankly, some lucky hitting early and, well, then they just broke it open a wee bit. And, so it goes. Baseball is such a wonderfully challenging game. *** Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 5, Biloxi 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Three Run Eighth Sinks Shuckers in Opener Against Smokies - Campbell Hits First Double-A Home Run My self-titled 'Where is Joey Wiemer ?' watch continues. We are seven days in and I am begrudgingly digging a bunker to weather this storm. Where for art thou, Joey? Where doth thy wicked swings go when you are dressed in warm-ups tossing baseballs in the dugout? Sigh. While I was drying salty tears from my work desk, TJ Shook took the hill for his third time as a Shucker. Let's take a look at how he fared. Here's a hint: this was his best Double-A start. Unfortunately, no win to tack on the good feelings. But, the lower levels are about much more than wins and losses. Hopefully, TJ's fine work can lead the way for some Brandon Knarr success tomorrow as he faces these tough Tennessee Smokies. Further Viewing Notes: This is my last unofficial 'Stop Sleeping on Jakson Reetz ' announcement. Without further ado: Please stop sleeping on this stud ?. He's had an absolutely incredible and consistent season. He deserves all the plaudits he isn't receiving - I swear, of all the young men raking in the Brewers system I feel as though I hear a mere collection of faint whispers when there should be loud chatter. Another rbi tonight. 3-for-4 throwing out runners. Oh, hey, here's an uber-athletic catcher who can fill-in as a left fielder in a pinch? Let's talk about all the other catching wealth? Not on my watch. I'm here for the whole story. I love this young man's game. Hop aboard my hype train: How about a casual 28th rbi oppo-dribbler? With Sal Frelick aboard, this is the type of hitting you want when you're fighting off a pitch. Savvy baseball is also in the Reetz tool-kit: In the ongoing recent game of 'Which Biloxi Shuckers Reliever Will it Be?", tonight's answer was, unfortunately, Kent Hasler. Kent came aboard late in this one with a 2-2 ball game in the balance. He left after two complete having conceded three earned runs on four hits and a walk with a single strikeout. Gone are those days of High-A dominance. It's been a tough promotional stretch for the previously lights out High-A reliever. Here's to finding that dominant form, Kent! All the tools are there. Give me some of the Tennessee Smokies Double-A Matt Mervis promotional vibe: 18 games. Seven home runs including the game-tying home run in the top of the fourth off of, until that moment, previously cruising Shook. What a run this young man is on. Game recognizes game. Like Smith in Beloit tonight, this was Shook's best work on the mound as a Shucker. Five complete. Four hits and two walks. Six strikeouts. That will give your team a chance on any night, anywhere. In a night where there were losses across the board, TJ's outing was definitively another small victory. Kudos to the young man. Noah Campbell has been playing fine baseball since returning from his IL stint. Here's an opposite-field solo home run (his first in Double-A!) to grab a 2-1 lead coming off his birthday just yesterday. Happy birthday, Noah! What more is there to say of this ongoing Biloxi season as a whole other than: you never really know what you're going to get. We know they can get above 0.500. We don't know they can maintain that above-board standing. We know they can get back to 0.500. Yet, we know they can certainly dip back below 0.500. After tonight's loss, they're back to four games under and, well, it's just re-affirming it's been 'that kind of season'. Across the board. Early it was errors, an inability to hit with RISP, and an under-performing bottom-half of the order that were the consistent record killers. Recently, sitting games above 0.500, the bottom of the order got red hot for a nice stretch but the bullpen started melting down on a night-in and night-out basis. That seems to be a continuing theme into this week. Will they set things straight and head for smoother and more lucrative waters? It's too early to tell. We sure hope they do. We'll keep you posted. *** Nashville vs. Norfolk - Postponed For those of you still so inclined, and to get up-to-date for the series start, here are your Game Notes regardless. Note: Make-Up Game is June 9th *** All too many 0-4, 0-5, 0-3 results on the Win/Loss column as of late. But, we're in it for the long haul. Let's tune in tomorrow and see if. when, and how we turn this ship around. I'll be here to provide your coverage. There are always small victories in every contest - tonight was no stranger to this truth. Let's hope we find bigger truths in the form of victories tomorrow. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Links for affiliate audio Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

This is awesome. You love to see the bounce back. In a game filled with sample sizes, this is a nice one. Congrats, to Ashton! Keep grinding!

There is Carlos F. Rodriguez and then there is every other pitcher on the Mudcats staff. He is absolutely crushing it in Low-A right now. It's going to be real nice to see how he fares as he moves up Levels. He is ready.

Well, it certainly appears Jackson Chourio's power-stroke is picking up as he familiarizes himself with Low-A pitching. That was 3 HR's in that Lynchburg series. What. A. Stud.

Thanks for the Summary, Daniel. I had a busy Sunday and this helps settle my Minor League 'fix'. Good stuff!

7 more stolen bases on Darrien Miller tonight. He is now seeing a 92.2% successful stolen base rate on his arm. That's a 7.8% throw-out rate in 2022. This is entering some really rough territory. Addendum: obviously, it isn't all on a catcher. But, there's something here. They touch on it in the podcast. Give it a listen.

The historical thing about Jose Acosta's dinger was it was on his first pitch as a Timber Rattler. Put it in that 'Brewer Fanatic' Trivial Pursuit (2022 edition).

The historical thing about Jose Acosta's dinger was it was on his first pitch as a Timber Rattler. Put it in that 'Brewer Fanatic' Trivial Pursuit (2022 edition).

The Biloxi write-up above? Absolute, 100%, chef's kiss. That's the stuff that brought me here those many 'Brewer Fan' years ago, @Mass Haas. If there is a such a thing as a 'poet laureate' for Minor League baseball, you win that award on a yearly basis.

The Biloxi write-up above? Absolute, 100%, chef's kiss. That's the stuff that brought me here those many 'Brewer Fan' years ago, @Mass Haas. If there is a such a thing as a 'poet laureate' for Minor League baseball, you win that award on a yearly basis.

Doston has a little bit of ol' CF lead-off specialist, Juan Pierre, to his game. Like Pierre, Lefty. Like Pierre, quite diminutive. Like Pierre, a very quick and shortened hit-to-contact swing. It's been fun to watch his time in Biloxi. Heck of a game last night!

Doston has a little bit of ol' CF lead-off specialist, Juan Pierre, to his game. Like Pierre, Lefty. Like Pierre, quite diminutive. Like Pierre, a very quick and shortened hit-to-contact swing. It's been fun to watch his time in Biloxi. Heck of a game last night!

This is the Way. Tim has spoken.

This is the Way. Tim has spoken.

For all the T-Rats fine defensive plays:

For all the T-Rats fine defensive plays:

Woof. It was definitely one of those vintage frustrating baseball nights across all lower levels. We saw struggles with RISP (several stranded bases loaded across multiple games), a rare Nashville bullpen meltdown, and opponents simply playing better in key moments. All told, we lost them all. Let's get to the recaps and back to a fresh slate of games tomorrow. Transactions: RHP Luke Barker was optioned back to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of RHP Jason Alexander from the Nashville Sound. Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Lynchburg (Guardians) 5, Carolina 3 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Mudcats Slip to Second After 5-3 Loss in Lynchburg - Jackson Chourio went 2-for-5 with a Home Run and a Double in the Game It's becoming a bit of a scene where it's Jackson Chourio 's Low-A world and everyone else is just living in it. This young man has entered the scene running and tonight was no different. The Mudcats had every opportunity to win this one. They outhit the Hillcats. They had fine bullpen work on the back end. But, beyond the really good nights at the top of the order, the rest was sprinkled in. And, unfortunately, the Mudcats fell out of first place. Further Viewing Notes: It looked like Jefferson Figueroa had a decent chance to escape the first inning. With two down, he had runners on second and third. But, he proceeded to walk the next batter and then gave up the grand salami to clear the base paths. Just like that, the Mudcats trailed 4-0 after one complete. Those four runs would hold as the Mudcats only plated three through nine innings of play. The Mudcats outhit the Hillcats by a decent margin: 12 to 6. But, when you go 1-for-10 with RISP it's hard to win unless your pitching staff shuts down the opponent. It was just one of those nights. Chourio continues to mash in Low-A. Coming into tonight's match-up, he had hit safely in seven consecutive games and had gone 12-for-31 while hitting .387/.406/.452 with an .858 OPS (3 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI) during the streak. Holy smokes. It's a matter of time before he is called up to higher levels, but for now, enjoy every moment you can in Zebulon. He added his 12th double tonight and knocked in all three runs on an opposite field line drive home run (his second of the season) to bring the Mudcats within 4-3. What a revelatory prospect this young man is! And, that is now eight consecutive games with hits. On the other end of the spectrum, after tonight's game, Arbreris Ferrer has now struck out at least once in 27 consecutive games. ? After winning the Southern League's 'Player of the Week' last week, Hedbert Perez unfortunately didn't look the part in tonight's contest. He finished his day 0-for-4 and looked fairly over-matched in his two strikeouts. He'll try to regain last week's rhythm tomorrow. Arbert Cipion continues his incredible output in 2022. Another great night at the plate in the lead-off spot set the tone: 3-for-5 with a run and let's not forget the outfield assist! It's been a joy to watch his growth this season. Going step for step at the plate was Eduardo Garcia in the two-spot of the batting lineup. Garcia finished a nice night at the plate going 3-for-5 with a run as well. The top of the order was fantastic overall. Lastly, let's recognize the fine bullpen work of 20-year-old Miguel Segura who pitched three scoreless innings of two walk, one hit ball. He tacked on three strikeouts. Most impressive was escaping trouble in the eighth. After walking the first batter, advancing the base runner on a wild pitch, and walking the next batter, Miguel managed to strike out two consecutive batters and ended the inning with a harmless groundout to the first base side. He gave his team a chance and that's all you can ask from the bullpen. Well done, Miguel. Fine work on the evening. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Peoria (Cardinals) 6, Wisconsin 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Peoria Shuts Out Wisconsin 6-0 - Rattlers Held to Three Hits on Wednesday Afternoon Zavier Warren hit his Midwest League leading 15th double of his 2022 season. And, really, that's where the highlights stop for Wisconsin in their matinee game to open June. Joe Gray Jr. did manage to hit a single and advance to second on his 8th stolen base of the season but, all in all, this is a game the Timber Rattlers are going to want to simply move on from. Eleven strikeouts for T-Rats bats on the day, many a pop out, and Russ Smith continued his inaugural season adjustments to Minor League ball. Get your complete game highlights here: And, follow-up with your post-game podcast - the first since before the Cedar Rapids away series. Good stuff in here - including talk of under-appreciated Joey Matulovich, Cam Robinson, and former T-Rats making their MLB debuts: Soundcloud Link Here Further Viewing Notes: Russ Smith's first Minor League season is beginning to feel like a first year wide receiver in the NFL. He has the size you look for and he is a left-handed pitcher with a mix of pitches to work with, but, to date, he really hasn't found his footing in the step up from college ball. Is this just a matter of time and acclimation? Perhaps, and I would certainly hope so. But, I think it's fair to say the 29 strikeouts to 18 walks is a mild concern at this stage - or, at least it's something to notice. It's early. It's absolutely early. And, as always, the addendum is and should be: there is no need for any type of over-reaction to extremely small sample sizes and eight games is extremely small. But, it is also fair to point out: through eight starts this is not ideal second round pick output. And, that's really all there is to say. Here's to better results ahead, young man. Keep that chin up. Zavier Warren hit his Midwest Leauge leading 15th double of the season today on an opposite field blast to the wall in left field. I continue to be impressed by his relaxed approach and easy swing at the plate. Zavier continues to be a lynch pin to Wisconsin's success. Robbie Baker scuffled a little bit in his first inning but he settled down quite nicely and had batters reaching and flailing in his second and third innings of relief work. Tip of the cap to Peoria's pitching staff: No walks today and only one walk through two games in the series. With all the T-Rats injuries ongoing, it's a real challenge for acting-managers (Joe Ayrault is still shelved due to a positive COVID test) to match lefty or righty bats to pitching. The coaching staff is essentially working with what is available at present and the fact the Rattlers came into this game tied for first place is an homage to the team at large. There is not a single outfielder on the bench right now and it is almost approaching the territory of: "Well, Justin Jarvis was a two-sport athlete in high school?"? Michael Antico didn't steal a base today, unlike yesterday when he stole three bags, but he has been an absolute thorn in the Timber Rattlers' side through two games. A bunt single and two doubles today after multiple on-base trips yesterday. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Pensacola (Marlins) 3, Biloxi 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Reetz' Two Homers Not Enough as Wahoos Edge Shuckers 3-2 - Biloxi Bullpen Hurls 4.2 Scoreless Frames On a night when the Shuckers managed to keep it close, it definitely seemed like they were going to pull one out miraculously in the late innings. However, with men on first and second in the ninth inning young Yeison Coca was incapable of getting the contact the team needed to claw back into a tie or take the lead. As the article above notes, the Shuckers best shot came in the sixth inning with a bases loaded one out situation. However, red hot Tristan Lutz and Cam Devanney hit nearly identical end-of-the-bat dribblers to the pitcher and first base side, respectively, resulting in zero runs across. Further Viewing Notes: Joey Wiemer was notably absent in the starting line-up tonight. After a classic tornado swing and miss before a strike out looking, Wiemer was pulled for a 'defensive replacement' last night in the seventh inning. However, it is worth noting: I did see Joey up and about in the Biloxi dugout casually flipping baseballs and leaning on the railing. It would appear this is merely a well-deserved rest for a young man who has been available night in and night out throughout the entire 2022 season. Jakson Reetz continued his absolutely incredible 2022 campaign with a home run in the top half of the first inning. He followed that up with his second home run of the night in the top of the fourth inning. Both of these came off highly touted Marlins prospect, Eury Pérez. All told, that's now 12 home runs on his season - tied atop the Southern League leaderboard with Joey Wiemer. The young man is playing with renewed purpose and a chip on the proverbial shoulder after leaving the Washington organization. Do not sleep on this young stud. He's back above 0.300 at the plate and his OPS continues to stay north of 1.000. He's having just an absurd season at the plates What's more? He played left field tonight! That's the kind of athleticism he possess. Let's take a look at some mash: Cam Devanney continues to be one of my favorite defensive infielders in the system. He has stepped in since the opening injury to Ashton McGee (now in Appleton), and thrived. He is having a resurgence at the plate in 2022, but it's his defense that continually inspires awe. Check out this web gem: Not to be outdone in the 'outs of importance' department, look at this range and grab by the always impressive Sal Frelick in far left center. Backing up a sprawling and diving Jakson Reetz, Frelick comes up with a diving web gem of his own to preserve the 2-3 score: All told, the bullpen really did its part going 4 2/3 scoreless innings but, unfortunately, no bats joined the Jakson Reetz parade and the Shuckers couldn't turn the tides. The Shuckers are back below 0.500 and will look to get back to an even 0.500 tomorrow. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Durham (Rays) 17, Nashville 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Routed by Durham - Bulls Pile on to Run Away from Nashville Unfortunately, that outlandish score is not a typo. To think, it was actually a 2-2 game through five innings. The Sounds had left many a RISP in the first five innings but, well, it's hard to say how much difference that would have made given what happened thereafter. Really, it was a bullpen meltdown and that's all there is. Tyler Herb pitched very well but for two solo home runs back-to-back in the bottom of the third. All told, Tyler pitched to the tune of five complete innings, three hits, two walks, and eight punch outs. That'll play most nights. Hats off for a heck of a rebound outing on the road. Further Viewing Notes: After Pablo Reyes ripped a single to center left field to start the second inning, he managed to steal second and then take third on a wild throw from the Bulls' catcher. Mark Mathias walked and Mario Feliciano proceeded to rip an extremely well-hit double under the third baseman's glove down the line and to the wall in left field. It was 1-0 Sounds. Corey Ray followed with a strike out on a full count change-up and Jonny Davis was robbed of a double on a sliding catch in right field by Durham's Jordan Qsar. Mark Mathias rushed a throw to start the bottom-half of the second inning but was gifted a generous bounce off the wall in right field directly to the glove of Pablo Reyes preventing further damage on the base paths. Meanwhile, Brice Turang saw six pitches early and struck out twice. And, what's more, after it was reported Wily Adames felt some minor quad discomfort after his start in Carolina, we have yet to see Mr. Adames man the field. Ruh roh, Rastro! Tyler Herb brought his best stuff early. Through two innings he had struck out four, the ball was moving all sorts of nasty, and he had not given up a hit or a walk. A beautiful bounce-back start off his last outing where he was roughed up in a shortened start. Through three innings the Sounds had the first five hits of the game - all off of Durham starter Kevin Herget. However, the Sounds had also struck out seven times. It was a bit of an all-or-nothing state of affairs. They stranded men on second and third after Dahl's strikeout on a high heater to close the third. Herb was absolutely cruising in the third. He had struck out six consecutive at that point. But, one 3-0 count quickly turned into a fastball smashed high over the wall in far right field as Miles Mastrobuoni sat on a fastball. Jonathan Aranda followed with an extremely well-hit bomb over the wall in left center and it was suddenly 2-1 Durham. It felt a bit unfair and I might have said "Well, shucks!". As comfortable as David Dahl looked at the plate last night, he looked equally uncomfortable tonight. It was one of those games where he seemed to be fooled by most pitches or simply uncomfortable in the batters box. Have I mentioned baseball is hard? On to the next, David. On the other side of the batters box, and continuing to look extremely comfortable at the plate, Mario Feliciano hit two doubles tonight in addition to an RBI single up the middle. How hot is Mario? He's batting .453 (24-for-53) with seven runs, four doubles and eight RBI in his last 13 games. My goodness. It was a 2-2 ball game as I've said. And, actually, the Sounds were outplaying Durham through five innings even though the score didn't tell that tale. What's more, the Sounds had stolen three bags for the eighth time this 2022 season. And, so it goes. One of the inevitable by-products of promotions happening from within a lights out pitching staff is promotions coming from elsewhere within the system. The two innings of bullpen meltdown from recent Biloxi Shuckers Nick Bennett, Zach Vennaro, and Andy Otero turned a 2-2 game into a 16-2 shellacking. Sometimes you don't have it. And, sometimes you really don't have it. Bennett made his Triple-A debut lasting a mere 2/3 of an inning walking four and giving up four runs. Let's hope for better stuff in future outings. And, at the time, it felt so promising: And, my, how quickly the tune changed: However, we got to see the fine work of recent Catching call-up, Nick Kahle, on the hill as he came aboard for the eighth inning: Nick did give up a home run, but, all told, a fine fine outing and that home run was overrated. Even though it counted for a run it felt like Nick earned one himself. Let's run out of those locker rooms gentlemen. Let's burn some sage in that club house. And, let's get back at it tomorrow! That's a wrap for my Minor League reports for this beautiful first week of June. We are back to all night games for our affiliates tomorrow where Josh Lindbolm will take the hill for Nashville, Brandon Knarr for Wisconsin, and TJ Shook gets his second start for Biloxi in Pensacola (Carolina starter TBD). That's some fine young arms taking the hill (Josh, you're still in your 30's - that's young to me. We'll give you the nod too ?). As always, thanks for reading and let's continue to support and enjoy our young prospects as they work their ways in the 2022 season. Organizational Scoreboard, including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Links for affiliate audio Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

It's 'Minor League Monday' - the real kind not the Holiday kind - and, as always, I encourage you to check out @Seth Stohs most recent and detailed 'Minor League Week in Review' HERE. These are wonderful reports to give you an ongoing glimpse of the teams, the players, and what to possibly keep track of in the week ahead. What's more? Seth's pitcher of the week for the final week in May, Justin Jarvis, got the start tonight as the Timber Rattlers returned to Fox Cities Stadium to face Peoria. Let's head to Bank of the James Stadium first, however, as our Carolina Mudcats started a road series versus Cleveland's Low-A affiliate in Lynchburg. Transactions: INF Mark Mathias was officially optioned back to the Nashville Sounds, INF Jose Acosta was officially assigned to the Carolina Mudcats Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Lynchburg (Guardians) 4, Carolina 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Mudcats Drop Series Opener 4-2 in Lynchburg - Carolina Lost a 2-1 Lead in the Sixth While Falling to the Hillcats in Lynchburg Firstly, a big congratulations to Hedbert Perez who was named the Carolina League player of the week. The press release is here. It's hard to fathom Jackson Chourio hasn't grabbed one of these awards yet given his continued fabulous play. Regardless, this award was noteworthy indeed as Hedbert is the first Mudcats player to receive this recognition in 2022. Here's to many more! For a pitcher with such a nice breaking curve and growing change-up, RHP Carlos Rodriguez has some truly dangerous tools to work with. This being said, on several 0-2 counts, Carlos appeared to be leaving far too many flat fast balls over the heart of the plate. He was touching 93 on the heater while dropping that curve down to the low 70's. There's lots to work with for the 20-year-old - he utilized his change-up in the second inning for two straight strikeouts to finish the inning. I'd also opine, Carlos might have the best pick-off move to first of the entire Mudcats staff. It's a very quick turn and he nearly grabbed a runner in the first and then he managed to successfully pick the lead-off runner off in the second inning for the first out. For the Hillcats, Jack Leftwich - previously featured as a piggy-back bullpen stud - was on the mound starting for Lynchburg. (He will start a second time in this same series.) He was cruising through the early innings finishing inning number one striking out Jackson Chourio while ending inning number two by striking out both Jeferson Quero and Hedbert Perez on high heat. He was touching 94 and 95 regularly on the radar gun. Throughout Leftwich's outing, the Mudcats were slow to catch up to his velocity. Ultimately, he finished five complete innings with ten strikeouts. Leftwich was dominant in his longest outing of the 2022 season. Rodriguez, it should be noted, went stride-for-stride through his four complete innings. Further Viewing Notes: It was essentially a Jheremy Vargas and Arbert Cipion show tonight for the Mudcats. Both Mudcats' runs were the product of their work at the plate. Their first run came with two outs and their second run - to take the lead in the top of the sixth - came when they lead off the inning. Without these two, the Mudcats batters were simply ineffective on the evening. It was definitely a pitching duel early and often between Rodriguez and Leftwich. Unfortunately, Alex Cornielle couldn't match Rodriguez's settle in and control as Alex walked far too man batters during his 3 2/3 innings of work. In total, Alex walked five batters in his relief stint. I don't know if there is a better defensive catcher in all the Brewers Minor League affiliates than Jeferson Quero. The ease with which he scoops pitches short of the plate or in the dirt is truly a sight to behold. He had several cool, calm, and collect scoops tonight. He is a defensive stud at such a young age. Hopefully, he can get his bat going again. Carlos Rodriguez hadn't started a game since May 7th whereas Cornielle has played the part of Starter and Middle relief seemingly throughout all of May. I don't know if there is a single thing to make of this other than: Carolina mixes up their Starters and their long relief with regularity. It is worth noting: Zack Raabe was not in the field or in the lineup in any fashion tonight... Meanwhile, recent trade acquisition Jose Acosta was officially assigned to the Carolina Mudcats. Is a High-A promotion in store? Stay tuned. I think our very own @damuellemight have the right thinking here: Appleton bound? This game truly came down to the Cornielle and his lack of strike zone control. All else spoke to and resulted in a pitching duel and the quiet bats and the many strikeouts speak to this. On to the next! A random comment regarding the Lynchburg telecast: I watch a lot of Minor League baseball games. I've mentioned the difficulty in adjusting to our own Biloxi feed from 50' up and 100' back of home plate. It takes getting used to. Lynchburg was challenging in a different way: repeated choppy cuts from the camera crew and repeated mistaken player profiles for the batters (ghost profiles from the previous hitter). I know it's Low-A, but, to all involved: I'll be looking for improvements as the series progresses. I have spoken ? *** Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 5 , Peoria (Cardinals) 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Rattlers Beat Chiefs and Move into First Place Tie - Bullpen Works 5 1/3 Scoreless Innings in 5-4 Win Over Peoria Coming off a 6 2/3 inning, nine strike out outing in Cedar Rapids, Justin Jarvis opened his evening walking speedy Peoria lead-off batter Mike Antico with a ball well in the dirt. Antico came into the evening having stolen 21 of 24 bases on the season. He promptly stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Jarvis managed to pick off the walked first base runner with a very fast and sneaky move, but, it's fair to say, this start was indicative of Jarvis' overall outing: inconsistent, inaccurate, and pretty much a struggle. This obviously isn't what we were hoping for, but, he did manage to leave with a 5-4 lead in tact after he left the mound after 3 2/3 innings. In total, he finished his evening with five hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. Control was the issue. Here's to more dominant future outings! Grab your full game highlights here: Further Viewing Notes: Ashton McGee had his best at bat in quite some time (arguably since he opened as the starting third baseman for Biloxi in the Pensacola opening series) on his opposite field double with two down in the second inning. Nice work, Ashton! Alex Hall ultimately drove McGee in immediately after said double. It just feels so good when the bottom of the order comes through clutch. With two down? The cherry on a baseball sundae. This just in: 18-year-old Jadher Areinamo is currently a bit overmatched at the plate in High-A. This is hardly shocking and, as we know, small sample sizes mean little. I'll simply note: he is swinging at any and every off-speed or breaking pitch with two strikes. This is great exposure for the young man. Hopefully, he has many a take away from his at bats and he finds incremental improvements. This was not the dominant Jarvis we have seen in his most recent starts. He was not locating his fastball tonight and, in general, was all around the plate but not touching corners or edges. Lots of high and outside and a few in the dirt. The third inning was the stuff tonight: Tristan Peters catch in sixth inning was an absolute thing of beauty (1 minute 22 second mark above or just watch this Twitter highlight below). Perhaps, he had to out do the Ashton McGee leather? Maybe. Perhaps, the T-Rats are just really good at defense. Ethan Murray's throw out to end the eighth: What a play! With the bases juiced and a diving Zavier Warren incapable of corralling the grounder, Ethan fielded that slow-rolling ball and threw across his body to nail the runner at first. The T-Rats defense continues to impress on a nightly basis. Dominant late inning bullpen? Check. Solid defense on a night in, night out basis? Check. This is winning baseball. Tune in often. You won't be disappointed. I had to give the nod to Cam Robinson over the always noteworthy Tyler Black for the 'Tag' nod. Cam went the entire month of May unscored upon. That's what we might call 'impressive'. He gets his 10th save tonight with a clean ninth inning. All told, in the month of May: 16 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 5 hits surrendered, 5 walks, 1 hit batter, 19 strikeouts, .100 batting average, 0.63 WHIP. Let me quote the great Adam McCalvy: "Sweet sassy molassy" I would be remiss if I didn't not the fine work of Joey Malutovich and Kent Hasler. Hasler, in particular, worked his way out of that bases loaded jam. The bullpen, as a whole, played a huge part in tonight's victory. We have a possible update (and the only one I can find on the interwebs) regarding the status of OF Carlos Rodriguez. He just received the 'Player of the Week' honors himself for the Midwest League: Press Release Here. In a cruel twist of fate, Roriguez was seen in the dugout hobbled on crutches at tonight's game. And, post game, we have this from our very own @zagski6: Having seen how Rodriguez was helped off the field in Cedar Rapids and knowing the typical history of a non-contact leg injury (the announcers claim he fell to the ground in a heap), this unfortunately measures up. What a blow this might turn out to be for such an incredibly evolving season. No official word yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed, but, I have to be honest: I'm prepared for a season ender. Sigh. *** Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Pensacola (Marlins) 5, Biloxi 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Wahoos Walk Off Shuckers in 10 Innings - Lutz Drives in Three for Biloxi A Quick Snippet: I came into tonight's tilt looking forward to seeing former Brewer prospect, Hayden Cantrelle with the Blue Wahoos. However, I had forgotten he was traded to the San Francisco Giants last week (he is now at their Double-A affiliate in Richmond, fwiw)! Good luck in your newest organization Hayden. It's been a whirlwind Minor League tour for the young Cantrelle in 2022. We wish all our prospects - current and former - all the best as they look to get to the Major League level. To this end, I may as well mention: traded on the same day as Hayden, Korry Howell is starting to heat up down in San Antonio (Padres Double-A affiliate) as he is having a very solid second-half of May - his best play of his 2022 season. Keep it going, Korry! On the other end of the spectrum, Brett Sullivan (traded with Korry for current Brewers back-up, Victor Caritini, if you recall) has cooled off considerably down in El Paso (San Diego Triple-A affiliate) in May after a scorching hot start to his season in April. We wish both Korry and Bret the best of luck for the remainder of their seasons. If there's a more beautiful Minor League setting than Pensacola, I don't know what it is. Every game is a glorious view of the ocean harbor past the outfield walls. Much like the Shuckers opening series of 2022, I found myself pondering the sheer beauty of those salt waters. Stay beautiful, Pensacola! The Shuckers had a definitive bullpen game tonight and Lucas Erceg got the nod for the early going. Ultimately, the Shuckers lost the lead late as the typically uber-reliable Harold Chirino surrendered his first (and the game-tying) home run of his 2022 season in the bottom of the eighth - the first Blue Wahoo hit since the third inning, no less. Ultimately, the Wahoos tagged Nash Walter s for the winning runs in extras. A frustrating and tough loss for the Shuckers, no doubt. Further Viewing Notes: It really looked like the Shuckers were going to break the game open in the second inning when they led the frame with four consecutive hits. They did manage to plate three in the frame after the Gabe Holt sacrifice fly, but, they ultimately stranded men on first and second base. The Shuckers finished their night 3-for-10 with RISP. The Tristan Lutz renaissance and IL resurgence continues. I've mentioned it in many a Minor League game thread recently and tonight was no different: he is seeing the ball cleanly and he is crushing the ball. His 2-rbi double in the second was an opposite field rope to the wall. It wasn't just that double though. Check out this contact on the, then, game-leading single in the top of the 10th: Jakson Reetz' 2022 season continues to amaze at the plate. After another 2-for-4 evening (with another double) we saw his batting average creep back closer to .300 yet again while his OPS stayed north of 1.000. Who could have expected this type of season? Keep it up, Jakson. We definitely see your fine work. With runners on 1st and 2nd and only one down, the Shuckers were the recipients of a beneficial caught stealing call. My goodness, I feel like I see that once in a blue moon as a Wisconsin professional sports fan. It deserves mention and a salute: thank you Ump! That call proved quite formidable as Luis Avilas struck out with a flailing swing on the next pitch and Lucas Erceg had made it through two scoreless. Speaking of which, a special mention to Erceg for two scoreless innings of work. His ERA is back below 7.00 and he's worked hard to get there. Let's keep it going in that direction, Lucas. Fine work tonight! With the bases loaded in the top of the fourth and one down, Felix Valerio struck out and Joey Wiemer flew out to right field on his first pitch. It remained 3-1 Shuckers but that was an obvious opportunity missed. Any one of those most likely runs prevents extra innings. And, so it goes in the extremely hard game of baseball. Hats off to Carlos Luna and his fine four innings of work. He was credited with an unearned run on a throwing error, but, in total he went four complete with nary a hit, three walks, and five punch outs. This was his best outing in some time. Well done, Carlos! Chirino has been dynamite for nearly all of 2022. This being said, he fell behind 3-0 to eighth inning Wahoo lead-off hitter Paul McIntosh and surrendered his first home run of his season and it was suddenly a 3-3 ball game. He proceeded to hit the next batter, Griffen Conine. But, Chirino found his way from there. He was ultimately credited with the blown save - an unfortunate stat for the Shuckers' best reliever in 2022. Things don't get any easier for the Shuckers as they face Marlins highly-touted prospect Eury Pérez in their next tilt. Eury absolutely owned Shuckers hitters his last time on the hill to the tune of five innings, no runs, and (gulps) 12 strikeouts. Let's hope the Shuckers find different results this time around. *** That's all for tonight's wrap-up. Stay tuned again tomorrow as all four of our affiliates are back at it to open the month of June. Wisconsin will be our lone matinee game kicking off at 12:10 CST when Russ Smith re-takes the mound. Later in the day, we will see Justin Bullock in Biloxi and Tyler Herb on the hill for Nashville. Carolina's starter is 'TBD' so stay tuned. As always, thanks for reading. Organizational Scoreboard, including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Links for affiliate audio Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Great stuff @Tim Muma. Always nice to see behind the curtain. We see he's dominant. This data really paints that picture. It's hard to fathom how far he has progressed since his first couple seasons. It's a bit like a Giannis evolution curve, honestly. When I see the ongoing greatness in Burnes and Hader, I typically have one thought rise to prominence: Thank goodness the Brewers personnel group understood what they had when fans were proposing trade after trade during their 'struggles' or 'coming of age' seasons or when it appeared the Brewers needed the proverbial something else to cross the threshold. I remember those conversations. When you have greatness, in my humble opinion, in a small market like Milwaukee, you need to develop that greatness.; add to it and support it not ship it away. This 2022 season kind of bespeaks: How much greater can they become?!? It's simply befuddling and, well, awesome.

Great stuff @Tim Muma. Always nice to see behind the curtain. We see he's dominant. This data really paints that picture. It's hard to fathom how far he has progressed since his first couple seasons. It's a bit like a Giannis evolution curve, honestly. When I see the ongoing greatness in Burnes and Hader, I typically have one thought rise to prominence: Thank goodness the Brewers personnel group understood what they had when fans were proposing trade after trade during their 'struggles' or 'coming of age' seasons or when it appeared the Brewers needed the proverbial something else to cross the threshold. I remember those conversations. When you have greatness, in my humble opinion, in a small market like Milwaukee, you need to develop that greatness.; add to it and support it not ship it away. This 2022 season kind of bespeaks: How much greater can they become?!? It's simply befuddling and, well, awesome.