Joseph Zarr

BTW, the infield ump called this runner safe: I mean even IF his toe wasn't on the bag entirely...it's 9-0 at this point and the ball beat the runner by 3 feet. Give the home crowd what they paid for. My goodness, what a play. What a robbery.

Nashville put up an extremely rare snooze fest of a performance. Carolina came back to tie it, but lost a brief lead in extras in a tough loss to Myrtle Beach. TJ Shook (and the Shuckers) continue(s) to scuffle in Double-A (more below). Alas, we can thank the Timber Rattlers for the lone Tuesday victory in a shutout. We're heading down the home stretch of our Brewers Minor League season. Let's get into the reports! Transactions: RHP Miguel Segura was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats RHP Logan Henderson has officially been assigned to the Carolina Mudcats (previously, he was in Carolina on a 'rehab assignment') RHP Jeison Pena was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers INF Cam Devanney was promoted to the Nashville Sounds from the Biloxi Shuckers INF Ethan Murray was promoted from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to the Biloxi Shuckers INF Mike Brosseau was sent on a rehab assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers A big congratulations to RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez and his Midwest League 'Pitcher of the Week' honors. This is the second week in a row for the Timber Rattlers pitching staff (RHP Stiven Cruz took last week's, if you recall). And, lastly, before we get you into the game recaps, here's a quick glimpse at the tantalizing recent outing from RHP Logan Henderson. Now that he's officially assigned, might we be afforded one last longer outing and look his final time on the hill in 2022? Will we see him in the AZL as he builds his arm and game back up? Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Charlotte (White Sox) 4, Nashville 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Shutout by Charlotte in Series Opener - Joey Wiemer's Seventh Inning Double the Only Hit for the Sounds The Sounds postgame write-up says it all. After three consecutive fantastic series versus three top teams in the International League - two on the road and one at home - perhaps an egg was destined to be laid. Either way, an egg was absolutely laid on the road in Charlotte tonight. The Sounds put forth their worst effort in some time with uninspired play and sloppy play. We'll toss this one up to 'excellence fatigue'. With Columbus' loss to the Lousiville Bats, they'll even hold on to their 4 1/2 game lead on the divisional leader board. How about that? Three Quick Strikes: 1) Through 5 IP, the stat line read: Nashville 0 H, Charlotte 1 H. 0-0. It was most definitely a Tuesday snooze fest of a game in Charlotte. Now, this being said, Charlotte has been using the Minor League '3 Challenge' option for teams the entire second half of the 2022 season - something in use in the PCL in 2022 as well. I have to say, the ability to challenge balls and strikes from the dugout is awesome. The feedback is near instantaneous because it uses an on-demand automated strike zone. I love this and hope to see more of it in the future. Both teams tested it out with mixed results. 2) Joey Wiemer, as noted in the article above, grabbed the sole Sounds hit in the unlikely outcome in game 1. However, what isn't mentioned in that byline is his ongoing BB:K improvement. When Wiemer left Biloxi he had a fairly unimpressive 113: 34 K:BB ratio. He was trending in the direction of a classic: 'all or nothing hitter'. However, in his limited exposure in Triple-A (101 AB's after tonight's contest) he's knocked that ratio down to a very respectable 25:13 ratio (K:BB). He has gone on record in interviews with Jeff Hem stating he's working on identifying and waiting for his pitches. This would certainly seem to validate these statements in the early going. Boy, what a development this would be. Also, look at this hit. My goodness: 3) I'm not going to discuss the ugliness I witnessed in the bottom of the seventh inning. I refrain. I'm taking a mulligan! Rather, I will simply share: the Columbus Clippers also lost this fine evening. The Sounds maintain their 4 1/2 game division lead. That's all we'll take from this snoozer. On to the next: Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Mississippi (Braves) 13, Biloxi 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Early Runs too Much to Overcome for Shuckers in Opener - Valerio Records Multi-Hit Night Three Quick Strikes: One team had 13 runs on 13 hits. The other team had two runs on 11 hits. This game was essentially over after RHP TJ Shook gave up eight earned runs on eight hits and five walks in 2 IP. And, well, apparently that was a wrap. Naturally, RHP Arnaldo Hernandez had to remind us of his second half melt down giving up four runs of his own late on 2 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 BB. I am grateful he gave us a clean sheet, however, in the past week - they've been few and far between. 1) I want to talk about the digression I've seen in RHP TJ Shook's time in Biloxi. Firstly, his promotion was absolutely earned and, speaking for myself, I know he is an extremely talented pitcher. He took that promotion and crushed it in the early going. However, what I've seen all too often in his second half in Double-A is a strange departure from his best stuff. I don't know what has gone on or what is going on - it could be fatigue, it could simply be a funk, it could be the muggy Southern air...it could be any number of things. But, he is too talented a pitcher to let outings like this become the norm. What I saw tonight was entirely too much flat, minimal-movement, hittable stuff. This isn't what we were seeing in his best outings in Wisconsin. I want to remind all of us of what we were seeing regularly in High-A. This is what I expect when he takes the hill : 2) RHP Robbie Baker continues his second half surge while he continues to put up solid innings for Mike Guerrero and his Shuckers teammates. After 1 1/3 IP of scoreless work (1 H, 0 BB, 2 K) he lowered his Double-A ERA to 2.70 in a very small sample of 6 2/3 IP over five games. However, what I notice is the 7:1 K:BB ratio and the 0.217 BAA and 0.90 WHIP. I alluded to this at the halfway mark when Robinson was promoted: he'd have to step up. This is what is in his pitching toolkit. He has power, movement, and competitiveness for days. I am absolutely thrilled he is getting these results early. 3) Felix Valerio, Garrett Whitley, Yeison Coca, and Zavier Warren all had two hit evenings. However, when those hits aren't strung together they fall on deaf ears on the scoreboard. All in all, just another in a long line of frustrating games for Biloxi. Frankly, after the top of the third inning I turned it off and headed north to watch the T-Rats finish their game at home. I have rode the Double-A Shuckers seesaw all season. In these final moments, I most likely need relief. Here's hoping they can give us one or two more games of excitement. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 13, Beloit (Marlins) 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Wisconsin Records 13-0 Shutout to Beat Beloit - Quero and Acosta Homer; Schanuel and Mort Combine on Four-Hitter Full Game Highlights: 13 runs on 13 hits. With the win tonight, the T-Rats moved to 221-218 versus Beloit all time in their ongoing series (since 1995). I'm sure each and every one of you is going to update your Minor League ledgers. Right? I kid. I kid. This was actually a 3-0 game headed to the fourth frame. And, well, it certainly got away from Beloit from there. RHP Brady Schanuel continues to perform admirably in his fill-in starting pitching role - if he could cut down on his free passes, he'd really be on to something. Regardless, he gives manager Joe Ayrault everything he needs and more while filling what had become a troubled spot in the Timber Rattlers starting rotation. Three Quick Strikes: 1) It's Jeferson Quero season, folks. It truly is. What we are witnessing in his development as a young catching prospect is nothing short of remarkable. I've watched him all season and the ongoing evolution of his plate appearances is a sight to behold. The confidence is palpable. The swing has power to all fields. And the production is undeniable. He hits his 3rd home run in a Timber Rattlers uniform tonight - a two-run blast over the wall in left field: 2) After he lined out to left field at 106 mph of the bat earlier in the game, I wondered what OF Jackson Chourio would do with two men on base and the T-Rats clinging to a 3-0 lead. How about a 97 mph rope (essentially a one-armed shot - his bat drops in his follow-through) past the leaping third baseman? As always, thank you @Smichaelis9 for capturing these gems - truly appreciated: 3) Let's go ahead and recognize RHP Zach Mort's fine close-out piggyback work in tonight's contest. He shuts the door entirely going 5 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. This was, perhaps, his finest and most effective outing of the 2022 season. The T-Rats appear to be pairing Schanuel with Mort to close the season, and, it's hard to argue with results like tonight's. A fine way to end a season. Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Myrtle Beach (Cubs) 5, Carolina 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Carolina Eliminated from Playoffs with 5-4 Loss in 10th - The Mudcats Fell 5-4 in the Tenth in Tuesday's Series Opener Other than two hanging breaking balls (perhaps a portent to the ugly outing we witnessed by LHP Taylor Rogers in Colorado - I digress ?), RHP Arielbi Gonzalez should feel good about his outing. He finished his night with 5 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. LHP Pablo Garabitos gave his patented multi-inning shutdown performance - he was ultimately let down by a rare Robert Moore error in the 10th inning and he, sadly, took the loss. It was a comeback that fell short, as did the Mudcats improbable playoff push. All in all, however, 2022 has been a major success in Low-A for the greater Brewers organization. I tip my cap to the fine work of manager Victor Estevez in his first full season stateside. Incredible work. Three Quick Strikes: 1) Considering what we've seen offensively from 1B Jesus Chirinos since his late June birthday, I would propose we consider giving him two every season. He finished his evening 2-for-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 2B. There's a reason he's taken the clean-up spot on a consistent basis. Let's take a look at his raw power - power he's just developing, I would propose, given his unorthodox lead foot work: He followed that up with an absolutely crucial game-tying double over the very talented 6'6" 20-year-old Kevin Alcantara in center field: 2) In 30 1/3 IP since August began, LHP Pablo Garabitos has conceded just two earned runs. He has a 32:4 K:BB ratio. He has given up a mere 18 hits and a mere three walks. He has hit one batter. He has given up zero home runs. He's as crafty as they come. I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing him start 2023 in Wisconsin. He gave his team yet another chance to take a victory with 4 2/3 extremely effective innings tonight. Unfortunately, the Mudcats couldn't send the winning runs home. 3) We were mostly told Eric Brown Jr. was a 'contact hitter' by draft experts as he came into his first Minor League action in Low-A. To date, what I've seen is a hitter who consistently puts hard wood on balls - lots of power and exit velocity in the kit. We're also seeing he has quite a bit of base stealing savvy on the base paths. Tonight, he added another successful swipe into his stat ledger and now has 11 steals in just 16 games for Carolina. He has 15 steals overall between the ACL and Low-A and only been caught stealing twice in just 23 overall games. This is a big weapon in his skillset. That's a wrap for me in what was mostly an extremely frustrating night across the entire organization. I wrote this report just long enough to watch the Brewers blow a 6-1 lead in the 8th inning and then lose it in the 10th in ugly fashion. Coupled with the Sounds game, that was a wee bit too much violence below the belt for my liking. So, we're back at it tomorrow and I give a huge thanks to the Timber Rattlers for pounding out a 13-run victory to assuage any pangs of frustrations we fans may have experienced. I'm personally hoping RHP Israel Puello can build off his first solid outing in weeks his last time out in tomorrow's game two in Wisconsin. Let's go for stacked success! Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting these young men as they chase their dreams. 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

No problem - I figured as much but wanted to be sure something was said to point that out. The eye test will always tell you more than the numbers anyhow but the important thing is: with a guy with his toolkit - already having shown us really solid and improving offensive output in extended Low-A action, and given his youth - we are better served to give him time before judging level shifts. 3rd HR tonight. 2-for-2. 11th rbi. He's just a flat out stud. Listen to this sound. Watch the confidence in the swing. He is just an absolutely phenomenal prospect at his age:

I love this. When @CheeseheadInQCwrites, I highly recommend: read it. Thanks for this. Feels like a lovely garnish on a season of watching and writing about the eight teams in the lower levels.

I'm going to chime in here, quickly. The statement '...he has struggled in his short time there.' certainly doesn't match the eye test. In my eyes, he has risen to the occasion and built an extremely solid High-A base. He had a minor injury or rest concern after a slow start, but, the sample size was simply too small there. In a now combined 66 AB's, given his return from the shelf and including August, he's flashed 0.288 BA, 0.779 OPS, 2 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B, 6 R, 9 RBI, 13 K, 2 BB. The sample size is still much too small but what you see is what you see on a game-in, game-out basis: the sky is the limit for this ascending massive talent.

I'm going to chime in here, quickly. The statement '...he has struggled in his short time there.' certainly doesn't match the eye test. In my eyes, he has risen to the occasion and built an extremely solid High-A base. He had a minor injury or rest concern after a slow start, but, the sample size was simply too small there. In a now combined 66 AB's, given his return from the shelf and including August, he's flashed 0.288 BA, 0.779 OPS, 2 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B, 6 R, 9 RBI, 13 K, 2 BB. The sample size is still much too small but what you see is what you see on a game-in, game-out basis: the sky is the limit for this ascending massive talent.

Thanks for the write-up, Daniel. Yesterday was a good day for the Brewers Minor League affiliates. Good performances were had across multiple levels. And, man, Nashville appears to be the real playoff push in the organization given what they're trotting out at the MLB level at present ?.

Thanks for the write-up, Daniel. Yesterday was a good day for the Brewers Minor League affiliates. Good performances were had across multiple levels. And, man, Nashville appears to be the real playoff push in the organization given what they're trotting out at the MLB level at present ?.

Seeing those ump sessions, it's just so classic Minor League umpiring. I spoke to it earlier in the season during the pivotal Taylor Floyd 5-run outing that led to his massive turnaround but I swear the umpire was one-upping him intentionally. Screwing him over on clear strike calls to prove a point. Auto-clock violation calls while he was leaving the mound for home. Just ugly ugly stuff. That Jarvis and Cipion ejection show is more of the same: bush league big timing nonsense. It's up to the umps to be able to take some frustration from the players - they invest everything in these games. Those were not offensive outbursts. They were very minor. Very little was said. Let it go.

Seeing those ump sessions, it's just so classic Minor League umpiring. I spoke to it earlier in the season during the pivotal Taylor Floyd 5-run outing that led to his massive turnaround but I swear the umpire was one-upping him intentionally. Screwing him over on clear strike calls to prove a point. Auto-clock violation calls while he was leaving the mound for home. Just ugly ugly stuff. That Jarvis and Cipion ejection show is more of the same: bush league big timing nonsense. It's up to the umps to be able to take some frustration from the players - they invest everything in these games. Those were not offensive outbursts. They were very minor. Very little was said. Let it go.

I would simply argue: Rough time for Biloxi in 2022. It hasn't really mattered who has been down yonder as several young men have had spurts of excellence. It's a hexed 2022 season for the young men in Biloxi. The proverbial seesaw is alive and well. They had that epic start to the season. That quickly ended. They then got a good, what, 4 games over 0.500 mid-season? Then went right back to 4-6 games under - that was with all the big guns on the roster. Let's just get this one over with?

I would simply argue: Rough time for Biloxi in 2022. It hasn't really mattered who has been down yonder as several young men have had spurts of excellence. It's a hexed 2022 season for the young men in Biloxi. The proverbial seesaw is alive and well. They had that epic start to the season. That quickly ended. They then got a good, what, 4 games over 0.500 mid-season? Then went right back to 4-6 games under - that was with all the big guns on the roster. Let's just get this one over with?

Speaking of those young recent promoted righty hurlers in Rodriguez, Cornielle, and Cruz...here's a look at Cruz's stuff in Wisco. Notice pitch 1: a tailing change-up. He can pull this out versus lefty bats. I've seen it on more than one occasion and it produces many a swing and a whiff. You'll see a version of his curve in here as well - he has two versions, it would appear, a heavier faster curve and he can also plop in 67-68 mph raindrops. He's quite fun to watch (first 18 seconds of this highlight clip...I won't begrudge you if you watch Gasser's Double-A highlights either)

Speaking of those young recent promoted righty hurlers in Rodriguez, Cornielle, and Cruz...here's a look at Cruz's stuff in Wisco. Notice pitch 1: a tailing change-up. He can pull this out versus lefty bats. I've seen it on more than one occasion and it produces many a swing and a whiff. You'll see a version of his curve in here as well - he has two versions, it would appear, a heavier faster curve and he can also plop in 67-68 mph raindrops. He's quite fun to watch (first 18 seconds of this highlight clip...I won't begrudge you if you watch Gasser's Double-A highlights either)

We all know the talent is there. The International League as a whole came into tonight's contest versus Ethan Small hitting a measly 0.187 against the former first round pick - a fantastic mark. BUT, given what we saw in Milwaukee, and now what I'm seeing routinely in Nashville, it's fair to say the confidence and the effectiveness seem to be fading just as the regular season comes to its close and the playoff push intensifies - in both Nashville and Milwaukee. Is he fatigued after winter ball? A 33 pitch first inning with the bullpen active? Yikes. Two more walks in the first inning? Yikes. Another 2-0 count to start inning number two...and then another 2-0 count for batter number two in inning number two? Not good. By my eyes, he's not even sprinkling in his third or fourth pitches (yes, he has them) - currently, he can't consistently locate his primary heater and change with any regularity. I am concerned in the short term. I might be concerned in the mid term. Let's hope the Pitching Lab can do its thing in the off season. Transactions: C Darrien Miller was activated by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (suspension from the Lugnuts series bench-clearing 'brawl') Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 9, Nashville 3 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Slow Start Spells Sounds Defeat to Memphis - Mario Feliciano's Homer a Bright Spot as Redbirds Even Series With a chance to match their season high win total of 17 (May) for the month of August, the Sounds had promising prospect Ethan Small on the hill to take on the Redbirds for the second game. After last night's thrilling comeback victory, it was anyone's guess how the club would show up for another contest less than 24 hours from such an exhilarating 'W'. Could Small find that earlier season form? Could he manage a more eclectic pitch mix? Could he control the strike zone and limit his ongoing walk problems? All this and more were answered. Unfortunately, it wasn't the result(s) we were looking for. Three Quick Strikes: 1) We know he can cover quite a bit of ground in the outfield: And, we know Sal Frelick is currently an OBP machine for Nashville - a 2-for-5 night in game 2 brought his total to 11 multi-hit games in his short stint with the Sounds. Given his output, let's get greedy and ask for more greatness. if we're being honest, many of these hits are slap singles (which is absolutely fine), flares, or dribblers. Is there more power or gap line drives in his Triple-A toolkit? We definitely were seeing this late in Biloxi. This is something I'd like to see in his final 20 plus games in the ongoing Nashville playoff race. 2) C Mario Feliciano spoke in today's pre-game interview with Jeff Hem about his rediscovered power stroke. He's definitely speaking it and he's definitely feeling it. His second home run in two games to straightaway center field would indicate he is correct in his assessment. This is an extremely sexy Feliciano swing. More of this, please! 3) With the Rule 5 draft upcoming, the Brewers have several decisions to make as they consider prized and unprotected assets - read more HERE. Someone making a late-season charge to mandate protection is flame throwing and evolving reliever, Lucas Erceg . What the Brewers have been looking for, admittedly, this season in Erceg's pitching arsenal isn't necessarily results but rather evolution. We're starting to consistently see a a marriage of the two. I imagine the personnel department and the pitching coaches are tickled pink with Erceg's Triple-A progress. Tonight was another feather in his cap: 2 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K. Having seen this young man pitch from the beginning in Biloxi in 2022, his mentality is night and day from the early days of Double-A. A big congratulations are in order for a man who has re-invented himself in so many ways - personally and professionally. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Rocket City (Angels) 9, Biloxi 7 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Wild Wednesday Ends with 9-7 Loss by Biloxi - Clarke Hits Home Run in Biloxi Debut Well, what more is there to say other than this was yet another in a long line of 'another'(s) in this ongoing middling season for our beloved Shuckers. They had leads of 1 run, 2 runs, 3 runs, and 4 runs...only to see every lead evaporate. This is the nature of their season. By now, this is the rule and not the exception. And, as always, there were bright spots in another closely contested loss. Let's get into it. Three Quick Strikes: 1) RHP Ryan Middendorf is discovering pitching in the Southern League in that coastal muggy air is not the same as pitching in the upper Midwest or the East Coast. It's a thing. Having gone 32 2/3 IP from the ACL through High-A Wisconsin conceding a mere 5 R with a 49:4 K:BB ratio, one is wise to give the righty hurler some leash. In 3 2/3 IP in Double-A the strikeouts are still ripping at eight overall - quite a nice mark. BUT, hitters are hitting 0.353 and he's sporting a 2.45 WHIP. This is an extremely small sample size. Let's see how he develops from here. He falls to 0-2 in just two outings. 2) Have a night, Mr. Wes Clarke ! 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 HR. This is exactly what the Shuckers needed. Unfortunately, they couldn't rally behind the young man's fine debut. Let's hope for many more solid lines through the final week plus. 3) Why do we never rush to superlative or definitive conclusions on prospects? Because, well, you never know when a talented player (and, yes, all these players are extremely talented) is going to have a successful night working their crafts. Tonight's unusual suspects: Yeison Coca and Arnaldo Hernandez . Respectively, Coca went 3-for-4 with 2 R and his 11th 2B. Hernandez manage a key scoreless inning late (0 H, 1 BB, 3 K) to give his squad the chance to tie it. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 7, Peoria (Cardinals) 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Chourio Sparks Rattlers Comeback with Another Home Run - Wisconsin Rallies for 7-4 Win after Being No-Hit until Chourio's Sixth Inning Homer Let me simply say it's a testament to manager Joe Ayrault, pitching coach Will Schierholz, and RHP Brady Schanuel (4 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 R, 0 ER) that they could so confidently transition the young hurler into a spot-starter role. Schanuel has filled the fill-in starter role admirably since being first called upon August 13th in South Bend. There might be a new niche here. A tip of the cap for an incredible late-season storyline. Three Quick Strikes: 1) One of the minor concerns for super prospect Jackson Chourio before he came to High-A Wisconsin was his Low-A K rate - for the record, I was absolutely not worried ?. Well, that Low-A number has lowered since elevating to the High-A level. So there! Hmmmmm. That's a big positive. Another concern was his recent absence due to an unknown bout of what is described as 'elbow soreness'. He was shelved for a brief spell and baseball enthusiasts everywhere clamored to know more. Three straight games with home runs off an extended absence is going to calm those worries. His swing is just so pure. He's 18. I keep reminding myself: he's 18 years old! He won't be 19 years old until March of 2023. What more is there to say? 2) INF Zack Raabe has taken to his new surroundings with vigor. He's only been given four games since his call-up but he's starting to declare he's ready for more opportunity. I've remained a fan of his on base proclivities all season long - the man can take a free pass with the best of them - but, he's starting to put together better AB's in his limited opportunity. 2-for-3, 1 3B, 1 R, 1 BB tonight. 4-for-11 overall. Let's roll those dice and give this young man more looks. 3) This is a RHP James Meeker appreciation post. What Meeker has done since Cam Robinson 's departure is nothing short of incredible. He has taken on, essentially, all the closer responsibilities. While Floyd has become the damage-control specialist in the 7th and 8th frames, Meeker has become the closing pitcher. Another scoreless frame tonight; another Save. 7-for-8 in save opportunities with a mere single earned run in 12 August outings? Just get this man a lead, please. Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Columbia (Royals) 7, Carolina 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Offense Stifled Again in 7-1 Loss to Fireflies - The Loss Dropped the Mudcats to 5.5 Games Back of First with Just 10 Games Left this Season I checked in on our Carolina Mudcats throughout their matchup on screen one (and then screen two) and I can verifiably say: this was an absolutely fun Low-A matchup through six innings. Tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, both pitchers faced situations of adversity and rose up. Key hits happened. Good defense was played. And, classic Low-A umpiring missed calls (perhaps two blown caught stealing runners called safe leaving the Mudcats at 81 CS on the year) likely happened as did some head-scratching choices by the young men. The 7-1 score is a testament to Columbia's opportunism and resilience. And, I'll simply say: lefty Frank Mozzicatto might be 2-6 overall for the Fireflies but he has stuff that should have Royals fans quite excited - I came away quite impressed by the 2021 1st round pick. Three Quick Strikes: 1) In another round of 'The Box Score Is Not the Truth', Robert Moore was 0-2 early but absolutely making fantastic contact. A laser-shot line drive deep to the warning rack in right field for out one. A rope directly to the third baseman for his second out. Like Eric Brown Jr. last night (who was notably absent again tonight), these are exactly the type of outs we are looking for. Good contact. Line drives. Easy and level swings. The results will come if the motions repeat themselves. All in all, the 0-for-4, 1 K stat line just doesn't tell the full story. 2) RHP Edwin Jimenez pitched a really decent game and most definitely had his team within striking distance - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Considering he had a mere 1 R with two outs in the sixth inning and it really comes into focus. His next step as an evolving pitcher, from my point-of-view, is the closer mentality or the continued development of throwing and mental stamina to finish his outings on stronger notes. I don't have the data to back it up, but I've watched enough Carolina games this season to confidently proclaim: he tends to lose his shutdown performances in that fifth inning and beyond. He is on the precipice of making those next steps. I'm eager to see if he can cross the threshold. 3) Getting outscored 16-1 through two games at Five County Stadium is certainly not the result the pennant chasing Mudcats were looking for versus a Columbia team who came in with a 48-71 record. Home field is where the Mudcats typically reign supreme, but, through two games this is certainly not the case. This is starting to look all too familiar. It's as if the ghosts of their first half breakdown - a breakdown that vanquished their late divisional lead - have visited the clubhouse. It's time to burn some palo santo or some sage and get back to what this young team does best: win at home. Let's end on a positive note. Here's the best Mudcat highlight of the night - a Hedbert Perez 103 mph double to right center: That's all for me and the Minor League reports this week. Please stay tuned throughout the week as the Sounds keep pushing for that playoff position - now back to a 2 1/2 game lead over a victorious Columbus squad tonight. The Mudcats attempt to keep themselves relevant atop the second half leaderboard (now 5 1/2 back of Fredericksburg) and the Shuckers and T-Rats play for continued development and pride. And, let's be honest, any Brewers Minor League 'Fanatic' is chomping at the bit to see flame throwing Jacob Misiorowski's debut in Zebulon tomorrow night. Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting these young men as they chase their dreams! Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

When your Triple-A team is winning series after series but barely holding back a charging Columbus Clippers squad for a postseason push, what do you do? Promote your best pitching prospect. Transactions: Apologies to this year's Brewers pitching 2022 draft darling, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, but as of now Robert Gasser is our man. The 'Gas Man' Cometh - he heads to the Nashville pitching staff. C/1B Wes Clarke was officially promoted to the Biloxi Shuckers (kudos to @ARobsBrewCrewfor the initial heads up days ago!) C Nick Kahle was assigned to the BIloxi Shuckers from the Nashville Sounds Elsewhere, pitching up-and-comers RHP Logan Henderson and RHP Stiven Cruz took the hill for Carolina and Wisconsin, respectively. Biloxi headed to Rocket City to challenge the Trash Pandas at their home park. Nashville was back at First Horizon after a 12-game road trip taking on the always feisty, classy even, Memphis Red Birds - RHP Josh Lindbolm looked to keep his recent run of stellar play going strong. Let's get into the reports! Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 5, Memphis (Cardinals) 3 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Singleton's Blast Lifts Sounds Past Redbirds - Sounds Slugger Drills Go-Ahead 3-Run Shot in the 8th Inning Three Quick Strikes: 1) In a 0-0 game, with men on first and second base, I invite you to a version of "You can never trust the box score." - a tidbit of insight. The umpire had already missed two straight strike three calls on the batter before to load the bases - give me the power, baseball gods - with two down. Then, in classic baseball fashion on an 0-1 count, an absolute seeing-eye flare found its way skied aloft far down the third base line. A hardline sprint from third baseman Patrick Dorrian was slightly off target and the ball caromed off his mitt and fell to the grass. Two runs plated, miraculously. One wild pitch later, and it was suddenly 3-0. One could very easily argue: had the ump simply called the strikeout, nobody scores. The inning is over. Alas, this is not how the game of baseball works. 2) With a single tonight and a key walk in an eighth inning comeback effort, INF Brice Turang moved into a tie for the most hits in the International League in 2022 with 132 total hits. He's 22 years old, folks. Have I mentioned how under-appreciated I find this young man's game? He might not have that flash and that red hot hype other Brewers prospects have, but, man, I'm telling you (again) Turang is simply an incredible baseball player. He also stabbed a key ground out in a severe lefty shift to grab a key cross-his-body put out in the top of the ninth. I'll put this young man anywhere on the diamond. Give him a catcher's mask. I. Do. Not. Care. 3) Jon Singleton 0.136 versus lefty hurlers you say? A red hot Joey Wiemer whiffed on a nasty slider the at-bat prior? Fear not, ye' Brewer fans. Big Jon can oblige. What a swing. What a blast. It was the 21st long ball of his season and only his fourth versus a lefty. What a huge hit in a tight division race: Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Rocket City (Angels) 5, Biloxi 4 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Rocket City Walks Off Shuckers in Series Opener - Devanney Records Three Hits Including Pair of Doubles An old familiar process and result reared its head at the Trash Panda's ballpark tonight. An early 2-0 lead? Vanished. Tie the game late? The bullpen lost any chance in the bottom of the ninth inning. My Shuckers stamina has been tested all season long. They reel me in and, well, then they pull me off the hook and throw me in the drink. It continues to be a test of wills. I'm here for it until the end, but, It certainly hasn't been easy. Three Quick Strikes: 1) INF Cam Devanney continues to show his improvements in 2022 are not mere blips on the prospect radar. A 3-for-4 night with 1 R, 2 RBI, and 2 2B (27 on the season)? That's what I'm talking about. His OPS is back above 0.800 after tonight's output. I'm going to keep ringing the bell: With his incredibly plus defense, you just can not sleep on this young man. 2) RHP TJ Shook needs some kind of reset - I hope it happens for his last start(s) of his 2022 season. His last three outings have gotten away from him: 3 GS, 13 IP, 12 ER, 3 HR, 1 HB, 12 BB, 9 K, 0.265 BA, 1.59 WHIP. The walks are the concern here as he's putting undue pressure on his outings with free men on the basepaths. What has been a promising 2022 overall, should not be discounted by two challenging months. He has had some bright outings for Biloxi - especially the run of games after he was first promoted. This being said, this is a big off-season for the young hurler. Let's hope he gets at it and comes back stronger. 3) Coming into tonight's contest, RHP Harold Chirino had been solid throughout August - 8 IP, 1 ER, 9 H, 1 HB, 2 BB, 9 K. 1 W, 2 S, 2 SO. That's a really solid run of varying relief work. Unfortunately, tonight was his turn to play the part of 'the one that got away' out of the Biloxi bullpen. With one down, Chirino intentionally walked a batter in hopes of a double play ball. Instead, he surrendered a line drive single and the winning run scored. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 4, Peoria (Cardinals) 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Wisconsin Wins Series Opener at Peoria - Cipion & Chourio Homer and Floyd Pitches Stellar Relief for Rattlers With only 12 games remaining in the Midwest League's second half and trailing first place South Bend by eight games (Western division), the young Timber Rattlers are most likely playing for pride in Peoria. Let's root on those T-Rats as they look to close their 2022 season on a positive note - every game has meaning regardless of what the final standings will say. Coming off his 'Pitcher of the Week' recognition, RHP Stiven Cruz looked to keep the good mojo going. With Wes Clarke suddenly in Biloxi, and with 1B Ernesto Martinez back on the IL shelf, we're going to see a rotating cast of players at first base - tonight, Jose Acosta took his utility belt to man the bag. Jackson Chourio was back in the DH spot in the lineup and a surging Ben Metzinger was manning the hot corner. Let's check in on some observations throughout the game. Three Quick Strikes: 1) In recent discussions of the updated MLB Pipeline Top 30, I've mentioned the strictly personal opinion that numerous worthy candidates were left off the list - in very true fashion of top prospects lists. I'm not casting aspersions here, mind you, I leave prospects off my lists all the time; they aren't easy. This being said, one of the individuals most likely mistakenly left off this list is Cruz. The 20-year-old Nicaraguan is a pitcher - in the realest sense of the word. As the Peoria broadcast booth shared in tonight's broadcast: he really is simply a fun player to watch. He'll drop in a 68-mph curveball on the edge of the plate, or maybe raindrop that curve in at the top of the zone. Then, he can follow that up with a 93-mph fastball up and in that might just feel like 100 after the curve. Maybe he'll follow that heater with a tailing change-up or a subtle whip slider. He has a very standard four-pitch mix, but with that curve - a playful pitch, honestly - he has unorthodox qualities. Couple that with how he adjusts his delivery and his approach with baserunners on, keeping runners off balance, and you can already tell his floor is high. There is simply no way this young hurler should be outside looking in. Quite simply: he is not. 2) In only his second game returned from a prolonged absence, one might think Chourio might have some rust. Well, other than a check swing mishit on an unintentional groundout up the middle, he has shown no rust. This is his second three-run jack in just two games since his return. It was an absolutely huge insurance smash. Check it out. His swing is just so pure and so meaningfully violent, he doesn't even think this ball left the park: 3) 4-1 lead, nobody out, and a bevy of seeing-eye singles found their way off gloves and through infield gaps? Never fear. RHP Taylor Floyd is here. Let me beat a dead horse: Floyd is back. And, it's beautiful. He wants that baseball, and he's ready to deliver. Nobody out. Bases juiced. How about three straight strikeouts? Man, I am here to witness this comeback party. It is glorious. Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Columbia (Royals) 9, Carolina 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Carolina Held to Three Hits in 9-0 Loss to Fireflies - The Loss Dropped the Mudcats to 4.5 Games Back of First with Just 11 Games Left This Season RHP Logan Henderson was back atop the hill for the young upstart Mudcats. The young men started their last home stand of their season trailing first place Fredericksburg by 3 1/2 games. Could they put a small dent in their hopeful climb into first place? Succinctly: absolutely not. Three Quick Strikes: 1) The above-mentioned Henderson was simply not sharp tonight. He walked some batters, he hit a batter, and he committed two errors. This being said, even when certain players aren't sharp and the results aren't in their favor, you can still see the talent. Case and point for this basic assertion is the strikeout to end the first inning. It was an efficient and effective mix of heat and off-speed. The batter was outmatched and the threat was ended with ease. It's all still there. We'll simply chalk this up to a bad outing. They happen. They definitely happen in Low-A. 2) RHP Fernando Olguin came aboard in the third and narrowly escaped a self-induced bases loaded jam. He wasn't nearly as lucky in the fourth inning when he saw the bases load again and quickly empty after a grand slam was smashed over the high wall in left center field. 2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. You are starting to see consistent hard contact off Olguin and I would simply offer, in my amateur opinion, it's partly due to too many pitches flattening out at the same speed: 3) These were Eric Brown Jr's first AB's in five games (DH tonight) and, according to Mudcats announcer Greg Young, his absence was due to unspecified 'soreness'. He ended his evening 1-for-3 but he also put a fantastic swing on a laser shot to deep right field in his first AB. No Statcast velocity was given for that AB, but it was a rope and the Fireflies' right fielder made a fantastic catch off a superb route. It was a great to see Brown Jr. swinging confidently and, hopefully, healthily. Will Mudcats hurler RHP Edwin Jimenez finally stack consecutive stellar outings? I'm here to watch. I've called him 'a young Mike Fiers ' all season long and I'm sticking to my guns - it's all there if he can put it together consistently. Jimenez will look to get the series back to even tomorrow in Zebulon. LHP Ethan Small will take the hill as Nashville looks to grab a 2-0 series lead on Memphis and extend their now 3.5 game lead over Columbus (who lost 4-0 to the Iowa Cubs at home tonight). RHP Brady Schanuelle will continue his yeoman pitcher's work taking the start for Joe Ayrault and Wisconsin while RHP Carlos Luna is a starter again for Biloxi at Rocket City. Thanks for reading and, as always, thank you for supporting Brewers prospects as they chase their dreams. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Here's a take: Who cares where these prognosticators rank us when we have Jeferson Quero in our system? Yeah, that's right. I'm coming at you with some catching beef. No RHP Stiven Cruz on their so called 'Top 30'? Meh. ? Here's a stat to fire at y'all: Carolina (even though they're trailing 8-0 tonight in the middle innings - yikes) just threw out their 81st runner of their season. That leads all the Minor Leagues. Last team in any level to do that? 2016. ?

Here's a take: Who cares where these prognosticators rank us when we have Jeferson Quero in our system? Yeah, that's right. I'm coming at you with some catching beef. No RHP Stiven Cruz on their so called 'Top 30'? Meh. ? Here's a stat to fire at y'all: Carolina (even though they're trailing 8-0 tonight in the middle innings - yikes) just threw out their 81st runner of their season. That leads all the Minor Leagues. Last team in any level to do that? 2016. ?

You'd be hard-pressed to find a reliever in the Milwaukee system having a rougher second half than RHP Arnaldo Hernandez. We've seen an acceptable workhorse season turn into a quagmire since his return from the IL. I sure hope he can find some semblance of form! It's always tough to see a guy consistently get roughed up.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a reliever in the Milwaukee system having a rougher second half than RHP Arnaldo Hernandez. We've seen an acceptable workhorse season turn into a quagmire since his return from the IL. I sure hope he can find some semblance of form! It's always tough to see a guy consistently get roughed up.

OF Abraham Almonte took his act to the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate in Worcester after the Brewers traded him for cash considerations and, it would appear, he is actually mashing at a higher clip - which, if you consider what he was doing in Nashville is fairly absurd. 26 G/ 93 AB/ 23 R/ 21 RBI/ 3 2B/ 1 3B/ 7 HR/ 25 BB/ 25 K/ 4 SB/ 2 CS/ 0.290 BA/ 1.015 OPS ?

I love that I didn't even consider the 2 week discrepancy in his last reported stat line ?. Hello, Monday! I would also imagine there might be some aspect of the drop-off in surroundings. All I ever hear about playing in Nashville is it's a class act unlike most (if not all) Minor League experiences. They truly are setting up to be a future Big League city. And, man, they are going to sell out with ease. Incredible baseball town. And, then, beyond that in the purely speculation realm I'd have to imagine the fact he has a youngster; a wife; and a family (and I believe their home base is in Scottsdale, AZ)...it was simply more appealing to reset and prepare for the future with his loved ones.