Joseph Zarr

Great recap @damuelle. Thanks for the output.

Preach it @Tim Muma. It's hard to fathom what we have witnessed from Lauer since his return on that brief 2021 IL stint. You paint that picture quite well. What's his ceiling? Honestly, I think we might just be scratching the surface. He added a couple upticks in velo this off-season. He's worked in the slider to more effect. He has a legit 4-5 pitch Mix. It's uncanny how he has gone under the radar. For me, the question I legitimately and routinely ask myself these days is: Have both Houser and Lauer passed Freddy? Time will tell. We need seasons of consistency. What we've had, imho, is a taste.

Preach it @Tim Muma. It's hard to fathom what we have witnessed from Lauer since his return on that brief 2021 IL stint. You paint that picture quite well. What's his ceiling? Honestly, I think we might just be scratching the surface. He added a couple upticks in velo this off-season. He's worked in the slider to more effect. He has a legit 4-5 pitch Mix. It's uncanny how he has gone under the radar. For me, the question I legitimately and routinely ask myself these days is: Have both Houser and Lauer passed Freddy? Time will tell. We need seasons of consistency. What we've had, imho, is a taste.

Preach it @Tim Muma. It's hard to fathom what we have witnessed from Lauer since his return on that brief 2021 IL stint. You paint that picture quite well. What's his ceiling? Honestly, I think we might just be scratching the surface. He added a couple upticks in velo this off-season. He's worked in the slider to more effect. He has a legit 4-5 pitch Mix. It's uncanny how he has gone under the radar. For me, the question I legitimately and routinely ask myself these days is: Have both Houser and Lauer passed Freddy? Time will tell. We need seasons of consistency. What we've had, imho, is a taste.

Preach it @Tim Muma. It's hard to fathom what we have witnessed from Lauer since his return on that brief 2021 IL stint. You paint that picture quite well. What's his ceiling? Honestly, I think we might just be scratching the surface. He added a couple upticks in velo this off-season. He's worked in the slider to more effect. He has a legit 4-5 pitch Mix. It's uncanny how he has gone under the radar. For me, the question I legitimately and routinely ask myself these days is: Have both Houser and Lauer passed Freddy? Time will tell. We need seasons of consistency. What we've had, imho, is a taste.

Carolina doesn't always score first, but they can still pull out a victory when they fail. Big lefty Russ Smith experiences a rough and frustrating outing in Appleton's wild n' wooly, cold and windy, thrilling comeback affair. Biloxi scuffles and struggles but nearly pulls one out in a long slog for a game. And Nashville does Nashville things scoring many more runs than their opponents. Let's get into the recaps! Transactions: None Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Carolina 2, Lynchburg (Guardians) 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your Link Report routine: Perez Hits Go-Ahead Blast in 2-1 Carolina Victory - An Education Day Crowd of 5,652 Watched the Mudcats Defeat the Hillcats 2-1 on Wednesday Carolina breaks up their eight-game 'we always score first' streak but still manages to pull out the victory on the go-ahead home run from Hedbert Perez - his second homer. In these past few games, he has been turning on balls and flipping those feet and hips adeptly. Take a look: 2-1 is the final in Zebulon. Both teams were hitless heading into the third inning, and that's where Ryne Moore experienced the only real challenge of his five-inning outing. After hitting a batter, he threw the ball away in a pick-off attempt to first, and the runner advanced. Following that up with a strikeout, he allowed a run-scoring single off a liner that made its way to left field, glancing off his glove. Those mistakes will make you pay more often than not - a tough pill to swallow, and Carolina trailed 0-1. He did manage to advance that base runner on a balk, and it seemed he might run into more trouble as that runner advanced to third on a steal. He walked the next batter, who also stole second base, but left the inning after inducing a weak grounder directly to the mound. Moore finished his outing going five innings, with the one unearned run, punching out five and allowing only two hits. A fine showing from the young righty. I'm looking forward to his next start. Final Viewing Notes: I mentioned Arbert Cipion's improved approach at the plate this season in recent reports. He showcased this improvement again today by lining a rope triple to the deep right field wall scoring Micah Bello to tie the game 1-1 in the fifth inning. Micah had a fantastic at-bat going ten pitches deep from a 1-2 pitcher's count to draw the walk. Good stuff from both young men. As mentioned in the headliner, it was 'Education Day' at Five County Stadium, and let's give a big round of applause to the vast array of kiddos who stayed the full nine innings! Truly a surprise. I imagine the post-game rounding of the bases for the youngsters may have taken longer than the actual game itself: Let's keep an eye on Hendry Mendez, who took a vicious hit to his head and upper body in a bang-bang double play collision sliding into second base. He was seen writhing in pain, face down in the dirt, for several minutes before turning over and sitting up in a daze. He did manage to walk off the field under his own power, but he left the game and gave way to Oswald Leones, who replaced him in right field. Hats off to the Carolina Bullpen: four innings of professional relief work - only two total hits with one free pass and seven strikeouts. The MVP of the game will have to go to the middle-relief work of Karlos Morales, who came in for two innings of work with four punchouts. In total, he threw 23 pitches for strikes in 32 total pitches. You love to see a young 22-year-old in a promotional setting, achieving success and punching the zone. Christian Tripp and Michele Vassalotti (who continues a successful transition to the bullpen) also deserve mention here. Both hurlers continued their scoreless efforts of the early season, with Vassalotti, in particular, getting his second save. He looks the part and has the stuff to overpower these Low-A batters. The move to the bullpen is seeing early favorable results. Tripp, if you recall, was picked up as a free agent after the Mets organization released him (drafted 2018) in July of 2021. He is trending in a much better direction since his Brewers promotion to Carolina in August of last year and seems to have gotten off on the right foot in 2022. Could this be the start of a mini-renaissance for the 6'7" 25-year-old who previously experienced middling and frustrating minor league results? He has pitched seven innings with ten punchouts and zero runs with a 0.86 WHIP. I would guess, that if this keeps up, he will see a promotion to High-A this season. I, for one, would love to see it. *** Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes via their all-encompassing Virtual Press Box Final: Wisconsin 10, Quad City (Royals) 9 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please review: Wisconsin Comes Back from 9-2 Deficit to Beat Quad Cities - Frelick Goes 5-for-5 and Clarke Hits Grand Slam as Rattlers Stun Bandits It was cold and windy, with players in long sleeves covering their faces and the power repeatedly going out in the Timber Rattlers broadcasting booth. It was trending as a bizarre day for the Timber Rattlers and River Bandits from the opening pitch onward. Russ Smith struggled early and often in this one, and his body language spoke to his frustrations - a couple of seeing-eye dribblers and a couple of errors did him no favors. Russ was not a happy camper, and he was not experiencing an ounce of luck to alleviate his location and general pitching struggles. He made it a total of 2 1/3 innings, 60 pitches with only 32 strikes when he gave way to Zach Mort, trailing 2-7 with five of the seven runs earned. Further Viewing Notes: When your young hurler is struggling on the mound, silly errors like the drop by Ernesto Martinez at first base on a soft toss from Smith on a weak check-swing chopper will hurt more times than not. With that runner aboard, the same runner took second base off a high throw from Martinez during a successful pick-off to first, catching the runner leaving early. The next batter launched a 2-run home run over the wall in left field. This was a perfect sequence of plays showcasing the early day's happenings for the Timber Rattlers. Tyler Black and Sal Frelick continue to showcase synergy in the batter's box and base paths. After a lead-off double by Frelick in the bottom of the first, he sped home off a line drive single from the bat of Black. Frelick is an on-base weapon - his speed will play anywhere. Today was when Sal showcased his pre-season #1 Prospect status. More to come... Speaking of the dynamic Sal Frelick, the young man went five of five for the first Timber Rattler to achieve four hits in a game (let alone five) to date in 2022. He is cfouroming into his own offensively and showcasing his talents on the base paths. He actually came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning for a chance to make the record books and go 6 of 6...but the ball didn't bounce his way, so to speak, though it did bounce the way of a walk-off wild pitch. Take a look at his beautiful day at the plate (notice sound off to start...like I said above, a weird day). This young man has talent in spades - he also tallied his fifth stolen base. Electric is the word. Plug him in. It took until the top of the fifth inning for the Rattlers' pitching staff, but Zach Mort got three up and three down to try and change the momentum in Wisconsin's direction. Kudos to the young righty as he came in and held it down for his multiple innings of relief. I always felt Zach's 2021 numbers didn't agree with what I saw from him on the mound. He pitched much better, that is, than the numbers showed. Darrien Miller cooled off a bit for this one. Batting in the clean-up spot as a DH, he swung under nearly every ball he made contact with, including the pop-up to third base that started the downward momentum of inning number one. However, he managed to rope a hard-hit single down the right-field line held in check by the swirling winds. Tristan Peters had a beautiful diving catch in left field to put out Quad Cities' Herard Gonzalez for the second out in the top of the 6th. The ball was tailing toward the line and shallow, but Peters managed to lay out and get the out. When you're finding your way as a team, plays like this make a difference. It wasn't for lack of opportunities as the Timber Rattlers put two men aboard in four separate innings. With none down (twice), one down, and two down. They were struggling to find the timely hit into the middle innings - so it goes in the game of baseball. Thankfully, they had the rally caps in the dugout and managed to start taking advantage. Tyler Gillies made his second appearance of the season in the top of the eighth. Always good to see the young Canadian coming off his well-known cancer recoveries. It's a feel-good story, and we need to embrace these. Tyler was struggling with what appeared to be a finger or blister issue (?) on his throwing hand. He did have a couple of breaking balls well off the plate, including a wild pitch to the backstop on one that fourgot away. This will potentially be something to track in the coming days. Wes Clarke hit an absolute no-doubter grand salami bomb over the wall in left-center with the bases juiced in the bottom of the seventh. Thank You, Wes! I was beginning to ponder what I was doing watching the cold and windy misery in Appleton - 11 hits and only two runs to show for it at the time - and I was beginning to wonder if the young Rattlers could knock men in with two or more on as it was the fourth such scenario in the game. It was a key hit, and it made things interesting heading to the eighth inning. Our very own @TURBO was in attendance for this one, and, it is rumored, he was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts?. The winds were swirling and unforgiving in this one. Frelick lost a routine fly ball - the lone 'hit' (scored a double) given up by James Meeker in the top of the ninth - in the swirling winds as it tailed away from him in a hurry. Zavier Warren's double in the bottom of the same frame sped past the River Bandits' centerfielder for a double just off the tip of his outstretched glove in straightaway center. For good measure, I saw the impacts of this same uninviting and disruptive arctic front walk-offsw.hAfter the @TimberRattlers 10-9 win on Wednesday, there was a lot to talk aboute.n shingles flew off my house's roof and poly panels on my greenhouse were sent flying to an undisclosed location this past week. Not a force to be reckoned with! Yeesh! Walk-off wild pitch? We don't mind it one little bit: *** Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes via the Shuckers' Virtual Press Box Final: Birmingham 6 , Biloxi 5 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please review: Late Rally Comes Up Short in 6-5 Loss to Barons - Wiemer Records Three Hits for Shuckers Starting game number two of a six-game series, typically reliable Andy Otero took the mound for the Shuckers amidst several batting order adjustments for the Brewers' Double-A club. After the Shuckers managed two runs to start the tilt on a Brent Diaz two-run single (plating Mitchell and Wiemer), Otero gave up three hits to start his first inning. The first two of these were legitimate well-hit ropes into left-center field, but after a weak hit chopper in front of catcher Brent Diaz, the first base umpire missed a clear out on a bang-bang play down the first baseline. This missed call mattered as the runner stole second (Birmingham's first successful steal on the season). The runner, scored when the next batter found second base after a throwing error by typically spot-on and reliable Cam Devanney. The throw bounced past Thomas Dillard on what was another weakly hit chopper. One might question whether Joey Wiemer should have been there backing up Dillard, but this is precisely how the ball is bouncing for the Shuckers these past two nights. Otero left the inning by striking out the next batter, but it was already knotted back at 2-2. This was a sign of the game to come. Further Viewing Notes: Is Joey Wiemer heating up? He ended last night's game with a double, and through two at-bats early, he had another double, a single, two runs, and a stolen base. A sight for sore eyes as the self-proclaimed number one Wiemer Fan Boy. Joey made things exciting when he ripped a single up the middle of the infield in the top of the ninth. More below.? Props are due for Otero, who gathered himself for a clean inning - three up and three down, including a punch out - to keep the game level through three innings and still only 55 pitches. He managed to battle his way through five, conceding only the four runs - three earned - on the evening while allowing a rather lofty ten total hits and one free pass. Not efficient. Not pretty. But, he kept his bullpen fresh and his team in the game. Last night's Shuckers vs. Barons contest lasted two hours and 21 minutes. Tonight's affair was quite different, Shuckers' with runners on in most innings, deep counts, and a 4-4 game headed into the fourth. It isn't just a pitch clock that keeps game times down, as several other factors have to align to meet those low marks. This one felt like a slog...boy did it ever. I was highly impressed with Birmingham's lefty curveball specialist (and former Kansas City Royal fourth-rounder), Garrett Davila. This now 25-year-old lefty has a nasty sweeping curve that must be a nightmare for left-handed batters when it is on like it was this evening. I think the three up and three down strikeout crew of Holt, Mitchell, and Wiemer would agree (though, at least Joey worked to a complete nine-pitch count). When the Shuckers field is ugly, the Shuckers field is ugly. A slow-rolling routine grounder left of second base and, in the hole, unfairly put two on for Luis Contreras in the bottom of the sixth. It would have and absolutely could have been the end of the inning - at the very least, a force out at second base for two down. But, the inexplicably extremely inconsistent Freddy Zamora fielded it poorly and then tossed an absolute flub dribbler on the ground to Gabe Holt. The latter showed little urgency in retrieving the ball. It was almost as if the entire play happened in slow motion. This one had to have driven the skipper, Mike Guerrero, a tad crazy. Luis struck out the next batter but, on a 1-2 pitcher's count, threw a very wild pitch to the backstop advancing the runners to second and third. With the count 2-2, the same batter ripped a single to right field, scoring both runners, and, just like that, it was 4-6. Biloxi was down. In sports, as in life, it's the little things. And, (coughs) Mr. Scorer: that was an E6, not two earned runs for Contreras, whose ERA will suffer. Lucas Erceg pitched his first scoreless inning tonight to close the eighth. Well done, Lucas. Let's hope for more of that in future contests. A fitting end to this game was the bases loaded ending to close the game: Trailing 4-6 and red hot Joey Wiemer at the plate, he scorched a single up the middle of the infield. One runner in but a controversial call at the plate saw home plate umpire Ben Fernandez tossing Mike Guerrero and Gabe Holt back to the lockers - both vehemently argued the call. The generally cold-hitting 2022 Thomas Dillard proceeded to go down looking on four pitches, watching strike two and strike three breezes over the center-cut of the outer half of the plate. Mitchell and Wiemer were left stranded on third and second base, respectively; the Shuckers fell 5-6, giving up 15 hits. They are now 8-3 on the season. Though the Shuckers came roaring out of the gates to start the season, grabbing an impressive 8-0 record, they are not playing good baseball in their most recent outings. Sloppy defensive miscues, a potential lack of urgency in critical moments, and poor strikeout numbers are ugly. Let's hope they can find some balance and focus and play better games ahead as they look to finish their six-game series in Birmingham with four remaining games. *** Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 8, Charlotte(White Sox) 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Take Down Charlotte for Fourth Straight Win - Scoreless Inning Streak Comes to an End at 31 2/3 innings, Sounds Cruise 8-1 Sinker baller Jason Alexander took the mound for the Sounds hoping to keep the scoreless innings going for the Nashville, and through one three-up and three-down inning, he certainly did (two flyouts and a weak ground out first base side). The Sounds went to work offensively right off the bat with a well-hit double to left field by lead-off man Garrett Whitley who ultimately advanced to third on a chopper to second base by Bryce Turang. After a full-count walk taken by red hot Tyler White, Jon Singleton came to the plate and lined a well-hit fly ball to right field, and, with Whitley tagging, it was 1-0. Alexander was dialed through four innings with a mere one hit and many a ground ball, Final Viewing Notes: Let's recognize 'game': Blake Rutherford (LF) of Charlotte has hit safely in 10 of his last 15 trips. That is quite the hot streak - including two opposite-field singles to get things going for the Knights in the early going. I do not know if you will find a better bullpen in all of Triple-A baseball. The Sounds are legitimately trotting out an MLB-level bullpen every night in those crucial make-or-break innings. Tonight, we watched Luke Barker, J.C. Mejia, and Miguel Sanchez eat lunch. Six strikeouts total and zero runs across home plate over four beautiful and efficient innings. What more is there to say? This pitching staff is on another level - a true joy to watch. Corey Ray broke the 1-0 game open with this bases-clearing triple to deep right-center field in the bottom of the fourth. Way to go, Corey! David Dahl, Tyler White, Garett Whitley, and Bryce Turang had multi-hit evenings. The Sounds batters are starting to put solid at-bats together up and down the line-up. Dahl and White, in particular, are suddenly very hot. While the scoreless innings streak came to an end a mere five innings short of the 2003 Sounds record, another flawless streak came to an end as well on this beautiful Nashville evening: Bryce Turang was caught stealing in the sixth inning, knocking the Sounds record to 17 of 18 successful stolen base attempts on the season. Perhaps, we should be talking about Garrett Whitley more: He has appeared on base in all ten contests he has played in. It's beginning to be an embarrassment of riches down in Nashville. This is an excellent problem, but Garrett deserves some recognition for his steady, smooth play and picking it up at the plate. The Sounds improve to 10-4 overall and are now tied atop the West Division of the International League with Columbus. *** That is a wrap for our organizational matinee and night games. All in all, we should be pretty content with winning baseball across all levels. It might not always be pretty, well, Nashville might protest this assertion, but it is mostly winning Brewers organizational baseball. And, that, my friends, is always a plus. Please peruse tomorrow's docket of games and organizational stats across the board: 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

Awesome piece and I couldn't agree more. I'll top off your beer: There have definitively been days when I find this mix at Low-A more enjoyable to watch than both High and Double-A . These kids have talent. The pitching is demonstrative of their youth: they often struggle to find the zone. But, there is undeniably a wealth and influx of young talent - so much so they prioritized promoting Victor Estevez at manager. Now, if we can get Eduardo to cut back on his strikeouts we might legitimately have a Star shortstop in the making. He has immense talent in that slender but athletic frame. He's one of the most exciting prospects in terms of overall package possibility in the entire system.

There was a time not so long ago when the Brewers farm was seen as top-heavy but suffering from an overall widespread lack of quality arms. One could easily argue it is the system-wide pitching keeping the entire organization up in the standings. A 10-1 victory for the Mudcats, a 3-2 victory for the Timber Rattlers, Biloxi loses a 2-1 affair, and Nashville rocks 7-0 as Luis Perdomo officially shuts the door in an overmatched three up and three down strikeout buffet. Your 2022 Milwaukee Brewers: Pray for the Bats. Stay Blessed by the Pitching. Transactions: In Arizona, RHP Jolon Zhao is added to the Carolina Mudcat roster from Extended Spring Training (ACL Brewers Gold roster). Please read more on Zhao in the Brewer Fanatic forum post below: OF/1B Dustin Peterson, formerly of the Nashville Sounds, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies organization for cash considerations and assigned to their Triple-A Lehigh Valley affiliate. *** Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Carolina 10, Lynchburg (Guardians) 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your Link Report routine: Mendez Homers as Mudcats Route Hillcats 10-1 - The Mudcats Improved to 4-0 at Five County Stadium with Tuesday's Series Opening Victory *** It was advertised as another 'Bark in the Park' night at the Mudcats' very own 'Five County Stadium.' But unlike the cacophonous Biloxi yap fest of the past week, at least early with a sparse crowd in attendance, most locals were frolicking at the dog park and not the ballpark. I see a broader minor league appeal to the masses, understandably so, in this dog-themed night. And, as a dog lover and dog owner myself, I have to say: I don't quite know how I feel about leashing up the pup and bringing him along. We have moved well beyond the casual dog treat novelty from the drive-through bank teller and into a new modern realm of canine collectivism. I am simply thankful we haven't seen the potentially disastrous 'Bring Your Horse' nights! I shudder at the mere thought. On to the game at hand: To start a 6-game homestand, the Mudcats' Jefferson Figueroa took the mound touching 95 on the radar gun in the early going. It was wonderful to see Jeferson Quero man the backstop after a foul tip scare a few days prior - it appears to have been prudent with no lingering or possible concussion side effects. Figueroa mixed a nice off-speed breaking ball into his early pitching mix, yet, he loaded the bases in inning one when he was not given the called third strike on a knee-buckling breaking pitch with runners on first and second base. He did manage to collect himself and induce the ground out to Jesus Chirinos down the first base line. Eduardo Garcia stayed hot off the bat (though, he would strikeout three times on the evening) with a lined single up the middle to get the Mudcats going in their bottom half followed by a single to right field by Hedbert Perez. Please, get hot Hedbert! Ultimately, the bases were juiced on a four-pitch walk and it brought the aforementioned Quero to the plate and Hillcats starter Franco Aleman continued his location struggles walking Quero on five pitches. Mudcats 1-0. Follow that up with a wild pitch and a Chirinos ground out to short and it was 3-0 on the two early singles. Low-A ball certainly can have adventurous innings where the plate is elusive for these young arms as the young men discover the shape of their craft. A credit to Aleman is due as he settled down and left the inning with no further damage. Those three early runs would last into the seventh inning before the floodgates opened for the Mudcats. Final Viewing Notes: Will Micah Bello continue batting the seventh spot if he stays as productive as he has been in the early going? I would love to see him get a stab in that second or third position in the batting order. In the early going, outside of Eduardo Garcia, he has been far and away the most productive hitter in the Mudcats' line-up on a consistent basis. How hot has Bello been? He went 0-4 on the evening but he still sports an unsustainable 0.428 batting average with a 1.219 OPS on the season. Figueroa has an interesting three pitch toolkit when he works in his changeup - his third pitch in his Mix. However, in his young development, he will need to work on fine-tuning that control as he has struggled in that department in both starts. He left the contest after 3 1/3 innings while only managing to toss 31 of 64 pitches for strikes. The stuff is there to develop but he will need to harness that control. Former positional player (OF) Pablo Garabitos made his fourth appearance on the young season. The now lefty hurler features a sweeping breaking pitch as his go-to offering. After throwing his first ball roughly three feet short of home plate he managed to strand his sole inherited runner though he did sprinkle in two wild pitches for good measure. ? It would appear Figueroa and Miguel Segura will be combining in outings in the season's early going and potentially further ahead. Segura picked up the Middle innings after the Garabitos appearance. The two young hurlers have similar stuff in some regards - at this stage of the young season, both hurlers work their ways in and out of walks but overall are finding success. It will be interesting to see how the season progresses for the young arms as they both look to fine-tune their overall pitching toolkits. What I have seen early is worth tracking. As mentioned above, the three early Mudcats runs held until a five-run seventh. I mentioned this in an earlier report, but the name of the game for these young Mudcats is early runs: on the calendar year they have 14 first inning runs (including this evening) and this is their eighth straight game scoring first. Tune in early if you are looking to catch a Mudcats viewing. Arbert Cipion hit a 100 mph fly ball do deep left-center in the early innings. Had he adjusted his launch angle even slightly, that's a home run ball. He continues to demonstrate a better approach at the plate in 2022. Have a night Hendry Mendez! The 18-year-old outfield prospect batted in the DH spot and he raked a 3-4 evening with a two-run home run, 4 RBI total, and a walk. He is showcasing as an ascending talent in his inaugural season at the Low-A level. *** Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes via their all-encompassing Virtual Press Box Final: Wisconsin 3, Quad City (Royals) 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please review: Miller Time for Wisconsin - Darrien Miller has Three Hits, Drives in a Run, and Scores Another in Game with River Bandits *** In the top of the first inning, we witnessed a very strange fielder interference call at second base on Yeison Coca, on a savvy deke move by the shortstop I might add. The runner was given first base even though he was picked off at first on an adept center field fly out and throwback by Sal Frelick. It was a head scratcher. Shortly thereafter, a screeching car alarm fired off in the distant parking lot, and, boy, it was only High-A inning number one. Thankfully, young RHP Justin Jarvis collected himself amidst the confusion and got the strikeout to end his top half. Frelick opened up the Timber Rattlers bottom half with a line drive single up the middle on his 22nd birthday evening. He followed immediately with his fourth stolen base on the young season. Happy Birthday, Sal! Tyler Black followed suit and sent Frelick home with a looping double down the left field line and it was quickly 1-0. Laying off a very tantalizing breaking pitch hooking away from the plate, Joe Gray Jr. took his seventh walk of his 2022 season on an ensuing inside fastball inside to take first base. And, after a botched near double steal on a wild pitch - foiled by confusion on the bases and leading to Joe having to ensure a run down allowing Tyler to make his way to third (a heads up play by Gray Jr. it is worth noting) - Darrien Miller roped a line drive single over the leaping second baseman and it was 2-0. Zavier Warren ended the inning on a groundout. But the single by Miller was a sign of things to come. Further Viewing Notes: The duo of Tyler Black and Sal Frelick is going to be a fun one for the Wisconsin fans. The two young men both play with intensity and skill - a joy to watch on the High-A club. The first run of the first inning was but a glimpse of what these two might have in store. I, for one, am extremely intrigued to watch it play out. Justin Jarvis really dialed in on the evening and finished the affair with aplomb: 5 IP, 2 hits, 2 K's, 2 BB's, and 1 unearned run. The Timber Rattlers pitchers as a group finished the game with one earned run over nine innings with 10 strikeouts. After Jarvis, the pitcher of the evening was Joey Matulovich who completed two innings of one-hit ball with five punch outs. Cam Robinson grabs the save giving up one earned with while fanning two. After a slow start, Darrien Miller is beginning to show why he made @damuelle's recent Six Unranked Brewers Prospects to Watch list. He had a blistering evening at the plate (3 of 4 with an RBI and a run batting clean-up - batting average to 0.333 and the OPS now sitting at 1.104) and backed that up by handling the catching duties with real class. Organizationally, with Quero and Miller the Brewers have two absolutely intriguing catching prospects at Low and High-A, respectively. I mentioned the seventh walk above, and it was a well-taken walk, but it bares mentioning: Joe Gray Jr. also had two more strikeouts and now has 17 fans on the young season. Let's all hope Joe, who is as likable a young athlete and man as you'll meet, can find some of last year's early-season results at the plate. We're rooting for you, young man. Lotta season left. Let's get it! *** Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes via the Shuckers' Virtual Press Box Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 2, Biloxi 1 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please review: Barons Hold Down Shuckers Offense in Series Opener - Bullpen Tosses 4.1 Scoreless Frames *** Garrett Mitchell ran out a deep infield single between second and third base to open inning one. Rising prospect Felix Valerio, batting second on the evening, walked to put two men on with no outs. After a Joey Wiemer routine fly out to centerfield, where Mitchell once again showed his blazing speed by tagging and taking third, Thomas Dillard loaded the bases with Davis Martin's second walk of the inning. It would all stop there, however, as both Aston McGee and Tristen Lutz struck out as Martin found his fastball touching 95-98 mph on the radar gun and ripping the heart of the plate. Little did we know at the time, this was to be a repeated theme throughout the contest. In his inaugural bottom-half inning, Carlos Luna worked himself out of a one out and runners on second and third situation after two opposite-field shots down the left-field line (props in order for Lutz who ran down a deep double and held the runner on third with a nice throw into third base). Luna craftily induced a shallow pop-up to right followed by a chopper to Freddy Zamora, left off second base, where he threw an accurate strike to end the inning. This was a pitching affair early and remained so throughout. Sprinkle in two untimely plays, back-to-back, in the bottom of the fourth, several untimely at bats in the few crucial spots for the Shuckers, and, you have the recipe and result of a disappointing 2-1 loss in the books. Further Viewing Notes: It will be scored an RBI double for Mitchell, but it was merely scored as such because the lofty blooping pop-up never touched a glove. It was as routine as it gets but it was lost in the lights and fell six to eight feet beyond the left fielder Tyler Neslony where the ball died with a thud in the grass. Zamora rounded third base and it was 1-0 Shuckers just like that. Birmingham Barons starter Davis Martin uncharacteristically struggled with walks (two questionable) on the evening but, make no mistake, he has very good stuff. Like many young pitchers, harnessing his mix will be the key to advancing further in the Minor Leagues but it would appear he has a legitimate shot to see some action at the higher levels. He also tallied seven strikeouts on his five-inning evening. Carlos Luna is an enjoyable pitcher to watch. As the game progressed on the evening, he really found ways to mix in quite an effective change-up. He was pounding the zone, really, until he found trouble in the fourth. His only blemish, then, was a home run just after a dropped foul tip by Reetz. With the game then tied 1-1, his night seemed to fall apart after a series of fielding snafus during a routine double-play opportunity seemed to unravel his game (the error seemed unfairly doled out to Zamora. Dillard's throw appeared rushed to second base and in the dirt). In many respects, I would argue he was just getting started but he couldn't overcome the situation overall and fell prey to frustrations. If I'm going to call out Freddy Zamora for throwing issues it is time to celebrate a night of solid ropes to first base. Well done, young man! This was Freddy's best all around game I've seen so far this season. Patient and effective at the plate and clean in the field. Let's keep that going. The Biloxi bats had been feasting on opportunistic hot streaks and opportunistic hits but when you look deeper at the numbers, generally, as a team, they are hitting pedestrian at best. The 4-6 spots of tonight's lineup (McGee, Dillard, and Lutz, respectively) put an unpleasant 0-9 with eight strikeouts into the record books . The only real threat late, a Joey Wiemer lead-off double to start the eighth inning, was squandered by this same, um, hit squad. Let's hope they can get going in some fashion in the games ahead. As is, this type of futility in the clean-up slot down the lineup is going to cause problems in a full season. I still am holding out hope for a Lutz renaissance but the shine of timely early season hits has hit a rough patch. The aforementioned Zamora got aboard again to start a potential ninth-inning rally, Jakson Reetz followed with a single for two on and one out but Garrett Mitchell struck out and Felix Valerio grounded into a force out to end the game with two aboard. A frustrating evening finally over. Alas, let's end on a positive note: Welcome back Noah Campbell! He came aboard as a pinch-runner (for Reetz) in the above depicted scenario during the top of the ninth. Sadly, he didn't cross home plate, we'll see how long before he can swing a bat after his pinky dislocation last week. *** Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 7, Charlotte (White Sox) 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details: Sounds Throw Third Consecutive Shutout - First Time Team Has Thrown Three Straight Shutouts Since 2003 *** In baseball, during long season after long season, when a feat is accomplished for the first time in essentially twenty years for a club, that carries weight. Three straight shutouts. My, how sweet it is. Nashville's current scoreless streak rests at 27 1/3 innings and their pitching staff overall is sporting a ridiculous 2.66 era - tops in the International League. Just wow. Tonight's pitching gem was set up by the fine work of Dylan File - by far his best start in three opportunities on the mound - who pitched five scoreless innings of three-hit ball to pair with three walks and two strikeouts. The Sounds, as a staff, only gave up two more hits in the inning while striking out seven more amongst Strzelecki, Jankins, Kelley, and Luis Perdomo. Luis, I am looking forward to your call-up. Those young men were what we call 'overmatched' tonight. Three up and three walking back to the dugout a wee perplexed. It is always Jon Singleton night in my reports. I am unapologetic. I unabashedly love watching the man play ball. Let us appreciate a moment of Zen: We will see him with the big club at some point this season and, personally, I can not wait. That rope brought to you by the chiseled physique and agility he tirelessly sculpted while managing the gym he owns in California. Pump. It. Up. ? Further Game Notes: Congratulations are in order for catcher Alex Jackson: He had been quite cold at the plate but he got a booming long ball to deep left field tonight knocking in 3. He also walked - always good to see. Let's keep it going! A tip of the hat to Tyler White who was involved in two run-scoring episodes - in the third with a double knocking in the Sounds first run and then again, in the fourth, when he ripped a triple down the right field line. He finished with his first three hit evening on his season to date (three of four overall on the night). Eight walks taken on the evening for the Sounds line-up. You love to see batters with patient approaches making the pitchers work for every out. Weston Wilson was absent from tonight's lineup replaced by Pablo Reyes. Well, it's Weston, who am I kidding? He was replaced by a second baseman, a shortstop, a first baseman and the outfield. The Utility Knife was placed on the shelf. Let us hope he is sharp for his next opportunity. In interviews with voice of the Sounds, Jeff Hem, manager Rick Sweet has been complaining about the impacts of the new pitch clock - and, truthfully, he's said the biggest demand and troubles are concerning hitters. Well, it would appear by the two most recent outings, the Sounds are putting those troubles to bed for the time being. *** This wraps up another early-week report in the Brewers Minor League system - where Tuesday is Minor League Baseball Monday, but it's baseball and that is always good. Please peruse the following links to see what's on the docket for tomorrow's games and what we might currently glean from stats and depth across all levels: 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

That's a fun one. I think, if that was offered, I'd think about it if either or both of the Georgia DL were there. That feels like a lot of Capital to give up, tho, in a draft that is seen as deeper than it is top heavy.

I am going to go the other way on this: I don't believe the Packers select a WR in Rd 1. What I do 'believe' (quotes intentional as I realize I don't know a darn thing) is they will: go defense with both, maybe O-Line, maybe trade up (targeting Karlaftis), maybe use 1 of their 1st round picks while trading back with the other. I am of the opinion they will wait on WR's until their Day 2 picks and later - assuming they grab more than one to throw into the Mix.

Also of note, and prompted in the comments, is Alex Wright (UAB) also with a 25% win rate.

To address the question at the end of your write-up @damuelle, I am going to go the order of my joy watching these young men play for the Sounds in this season to date: (1) Wilson (2) Singleton (3) Dahl (4) Mathias (5) White I think Wilson clearly has the versatility needed to get a chance at replacing either Hiura or Brosseau for a spell to see if there is something there. Singleton is a joy to watch play the game of baseball - as I touched on an earlier Minor League Report, his defense is vastly underrated.

To address the question at the end of your write-up @damuelle, I am going to go the order of my joy watching these young men play for the Sounds in this season to date: (1) Wilson (2) Singleton (3) Dahl (4) Mathias (5) White I think Wilson clearly has the versatility needed to get a chance at replacing either Hiura or Brosseau for a spell to see if there is something there. Singleton is a joy to watch play the game of baseball - as I touched on an earlier Minor League Report, his defense is vastly underrated.

To address the question at the end of your write-up @damuelle, I am going to go the order of my joy watching these young men play for the Sounds in this season to date: (1) Wilson (2) Singleton (3) Dahl (4) Mathias (5) White I think Wilson clearly has the versatility needed to get a chance at replacing either Hiura or Brosseau for a spell to see if there is something there. Singleton is a joy to watch play the game of baseball - as I touched on an earlier Minor League Report, his defense is vastly underrated.

To address the question at the end of your write-up @damuelle, I am going to go the order of my joy watching these young men play for the Sounds in this season to date: (1) Wilson (2) Singleton (3) Dahl (4) Mathias (5) White I think Wilson clearly has the versatility needed to get a chance at replacing either Hiura or Brosseau for a spell to see if there is something there. Singleton is a joy to watch play the game of baseball - as I touched on an earlier Minor League Report, his defense is vastly underrated.

We can juxtapose that HR call from Joey Zanaboni to his Home HR call of the Nats' Sammy Infante from Saturday 4/16: and it is quite clear Hedbert received the Visitor's treatment. ?

We can juxtapose that HR call from Joey Zanaboni to his Home HR call of the Nats' Sammy Infante from Saturday 4/16: and it is quite clear Hedbert received the Visitor's treatment. ?

We can juxtapose that HR call from Joey Zanaboni to his Home HR call of the Nats' Sammy Infante from Saturday 4/16: and it is quite clear Hedbert received the Visitor's treatment. ?

We can juxtapose that HR call from Joey Zanaboni to his Home HR call of the Nats' Sammy Infante from Saturday 4/16: and it is quite clear Hedbert received the Visitor's treatment. ?

Ben Fennell back interviewing with Andy Herman on 'Pack a Day' I always love what Ben Fennell has to say. He doesn't and won't put together draft guides, but he has access to the NFL Film database and can get any down and distance or contextualized play scenario at his fingertips unlike nearly all other analysts. A very good interview here - I highly recommend giving it a listen if you have the time.

Bold article @Brent Sirvio. I appreciate the discussions it is provoking in the comment sections! And, I thank you for your thoughts and elocution. I have to go the way of my good cohorts @CheeseheadInQC, @sveumrules, and @Ron Robinsons Beard: I fairly quickly and easily disagree with your premise and conclusions. I would also point out, and I believe it is worth mentioning: when you win a Cy Young with a young Ace having the best season of his career and your entire starting staff has outlier seasons of excellence the catcher definitely plays a part and deserves some accolades in that ring of successes and celebrations. From a Brewers fan perspective, 2021 was a year to celebrate after Narvaez's ho-hum 2020. But, really, on a personal level: I simply do not place judgments of any kind on the COVID year that was 2020. The world was unhinged, a true mess, and athletic routines were up-ended just as all our lives experienced the same. When I look at the Brewers roster, and when I watch Brewers games, Omar Narvaez and his overall play is very very far down the list of things I complain about. The true sunk cost, as it currently plays out, on this Brewers roster pretty clearly resides in the left field grass batting third in the lineup. ?

Bold article @Brent Sirvio. I appreciate the discussions it is provoking in the comment sections! And, I thank you for your thoughts and elocution. I have to go the way of my good cohorts @CheeseheadInQC, @sveumrules, and @Ron Robinsons Beard: I fairly quickly and easily disagree with your premise and conclusions. I would also point out, and I believe it is worth mentioning: when you win a Cy Young with a young Ace having the best season of his career and your entire starting staff has outlier seasons of excellence the catcher definitely plays a part and deserves some accolades in that ring of successes and celebrations. From a Brewers fan perspective, 2021 was a year to celebrate after Narvaez's ho-hum 2020. But, really, on a personal level: I simply do not place judgments of any kind on the COVID year that was 2020. The world was unhinged, a true mess, and athletic routines were up-ended just as all our lives experienced the same. When I look at the Brewers roster, and when I watch Brewers games, Omar Narvaez and his overall play is very very far down the list of things I complain about. The true sunk cost, as it currently plays out, on this Brewers roster pretty clearly resides in the left field grass batting third in the lineup. ?

Bold article @Brent Sirvio. I appreciate the discussions it is provoking in the comment sections! And, I thank you for your thoughts and elocution. I have to go the way of my good cohorts @CheeseheadInQC, @sveumrules, and @Ron Robinsons Beard: I fairly quickly and easily disagree with your premise and conclusions. I would also point out, and I believe it is worth mentioning: when you win a Cy Young with a young Ace having the best season of his career and your entire starting staff has outlier seasons of excellence the catcher definitely plays a part and deserves some accolades in that ring of successes and celebrations. From a Brewers fan perspective, 2021 was a year to celebrate after Narvaez's ho-hum 2020. But, really, on a personal level: I simply do not place judgments of any kind on the COVID year that was 2020. The world was unhinged, a true mess, and athletic routines were up-ended just as all our lives experienced the same. When I look at the Brewers roster, and when I watch Brewers games, Omar Narvaez and his overall play is very very far down the list of things I complain about. The true sunk cost, as it currently plays out, on this Brewers roster pretty clearly resides in the left field grass batting third in the lineup. ?