Joseph Zarr

Via Jeff Hem's Blog - The four pre-game interviews during last week's 5-1 Series victory vs. Columbus (Manager Rick Sweet, recent indy League signee RHP Marcus Walden, VP of Minor League Ops Tom Flanagan, and Sounds Ace RHP Caleb Boushley)

Well, apparently Joey Wiemer is a late add. Slump be damned, get this man in the game: Biloxi Shuckers press release: HERE

Honestly, that talk has absolutely fallen off this season. All the talk has been of why he was moved to CF and why he'll stick or why it works. Plus, Eduardo Garcia is the daily SS there and he needs all those reps. BUT, as always, these things are flexible as they move through the system. The best 'case and point' we have for this is witnessing the DSL signings (granted, this is at the extreme as this is typically the youngest professional players around) positional prognostications, and then where the players actually play. It's all a chess board is what I'm saying.

If you aren't Jackson Chourio you're playing multiple positions all across the Farm. Frelick plays all over the OF. Wiemer as well. Tyler Black plays 2B and CF. Jakson Reetz plays C and LF (he's definitely not an OF'er). Tristan Peters plays all OF spots. Felix Valerio plays LF and 2B - he's definitely not a LF'er. What I'm suggesting is: the best athletes and the best hitters in the system are simply moved around to give them more opportunities to stay in the line-up. I guess, then, what I'm also saying is our idea of what a 'Utility' player is might be changing. Also, in Nashville, given they currently have a mere 3 true OF'ers on their rosters and not a single healhty true CF'er I'd take it with a grain of salt. Rick Sweet is on record, twice already this year, saying: Brice Turang is a shortstop. My meaningless 2 centavos.

More awesome offerings via the Sounds organization. How about a full RHP Lucas Erceg article in their July program. This is a story we'll all relate to and want to read: Direct Link Here Original Tweet:

Do we pat ourselves on the proverbial back @damuelle? I would like to informally own up to my part in this well-deserved promotion. Pen to virtual paper had to have been that extra lil' motivation the Personnel Staff needed ?. Awaiting the Leoni De La Cruz promotion drop in 3...2...1

20 yo Dominican RHP Jeral Vizcaino grabs the DSL Brewers 2 victory going 4 complete innings of no hit, 1 walk, 5 strikeout ball. He came aboard in the 3rd inning with the Brewers 2 trailing 1-0 and proceeded to close the game in shutdown fashion. Vizcaino moves to 2-1 on the year in 18 innings pitched over eight outings (1 Start). After today's outing, his numbers are becoming increasingly impressive: 21k:8bb, 0.145 BAA, 0.94 WHIP, 3.00 ERA. On the other side of the diamond, and pitching wonderfully for the DSL Brewers 1, 17 yo 6'3" Dominican Lefty Wande Torres gets the no decision - a chance at victory ended when fellow Domincan RHP Gregory Baez surrendered 3 runs in his inning of work; walking two to start and throwing a wild pitch for good measure. Whereas Baez has scuffled over his 7 plus innings of relief work to date, Torres remains upward trending and another arm to watch - 17 years old, lefty, decent k:bb ratio (23:11), hitters only batting 0.182, a respectable 1.25 WHIP, and now a sub-4 era at 3.93 after five complete shut out innings today (2 hits, 2 walks, 3 k's) . The game appears to have been ended early (?): after the Brewers 2 plated 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth the Brewers 1 were never given a chance to answer back in the top-half of the seventh. All three runs came via a Juan Baez (playing 3B today) single hit to short (after the runners had advanced to 2nd and 3rd via the aforementioned Baez wild pitch). Yeison Perez (1B and RF today) then hit a sacrifice fly. And, the game was over or called - it's hard to tell.

Thanks for the update! Always appreciated.

The DSL Brewers 1 and 2 face off for the second time this week. And, some excellent shutdown pitching is happening throughout. Good stuff down South!

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Thursday, lineup updates, etc. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Arizona Complex League Scoreboard Dominican Summer League Scoreboard Standings and sortable stat pages Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

I still remember this 2018 Box Score: AZL, Cam crush began, Garabitos dub/2rbi/SB. He hasn’t pitched in two weeks. I continue to find him an arm and man of mystery. Also, I keep waiting for Edwin Jimenez to put together multiple Starts but, at this stage, we simply have another inconsistent young hurler. I still see Mike Fiers in his stuff but he’s really going to have to fine-tune placement/pitch mix etc as he matures. He’ll turn 21 in December. Very important starts as he looks to close 2022 on a good note.

With matinee games to get things going and Biloxi going for a 1 1/2 game affair, we had a full day of activity even though the DSL and ACL Brewers had days off. Stiven Cruz and Jeison Pena flexed their collective pitching muscles in Zebulon, the Biloxi bullpen...um...we'll get to that, Israel Puello continued his High-A dominance, and the Sounds lost another nail biter one-run affair. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic With matinee games to get things going and Biloxi going for a 1 1/2 game affair, we had a full day of activity even though the DSL and ACL Brewers had days off. Stiven Cruz and Jeison Pena flexed their collective pitching muscles in Zebulon, the Biloxi bullpen...um...we'll get to that, Israel Puello continued his High-A dominance, and the Sounds lost another nail biter one-run affair. Let's get into the report! Transactions: RHP Connor Sadzeck had his contract selected by the Brewers - a big congrats to Connor who is having an excellent and consistent season shutting things down in key innings for the Nashville Sounds. 1B/2B/DH Keston Hiura was optioned to Triple-A Nashville (leaving many to scratch their heads) RHP Luis Perdomo was sent to the Nashville Sounds on a rehab assignment *** Before I get into today's games, I'd like to share some highlights from Brewers ACL 24-year-old southpaw Leoni De La Cruz. I highlighted fellow 24-year-old righty, Ryan Middendorf, yesterday (and, honestly, quite often in the Minor League daily game threads). Well, De La Cruz is the yin to Middendorf's yang. In my humble opinion, it is simply a matter of time before both young men head to higher levels given their age and continued stellar results: *** Carolina Pre-Game Notes Final: Carolina 1, Delmarva (Orioles) 0 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Carolina Ends Six Game Skid with 1-0 Victory - Stiven Cruz Totaled Eight Strikeouts Over Six Scoreless Innings in the 1-0 Victory Coming off his most recent outing in Kannapolis where he gave up five earned runs, 20-year-old RHP Stiven Cruz was looking for the scoreless success he discovered earlier in July versus Fayetteville. Luckily for the Mudcats, he certainly found his Ace form today at Five County Stadium. When all was said and done, Cruz limited the Shorebirds to a mere four hits and one walk over six complete eight strikeout innings. Check out his wily leg kick and strikeout work here: Not to be outdone, recently promoted (July 6th) 19-year-old RHP Jeison Pena strutted more of his excellent stuff in just his second outing for Carolina: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Pena is definitely one to keep an eye on in the second half - he has 10 strikeouts in his two relief outings. Three Key Observations: (1) In a game where the majority of the line-up was shut down (and Jackson Chourio was inactive), SS Eduardo Garcia willed his team to victory. Going 3-for-3 on the afternoon, scoring the winning and only run, and swiping two bases (12 on the season) was all the Mudcats needed to pull out the close victory. Garcia still has quite a bit of work to do to evolve his game at the plate (105k:14bb), but it's games like these coupled with his already stellar defense that keep you very engaged with his progress. The second swiped base led to an errant throw to second and he advanced to third base. It was a game-changing play. Here's to many more in the games ahead! (2) Coming off a game in which he knocked his third home run of 2022, Jesus Chirinos gave his Mudcats teammate a look at a fantastic situational at bat in a crucial spot. With a 1-1 count, Chirinos was able to patiently muscle an off-speed breaking ball to the gap between left and center fields: Chirinos also logged two walks on the day. In a day where the majority of his teammates struggled to find success, he did his best to work in tandem with Eduardo Garcia . The shift to first base from behind the plate certainly has been easy, but, stacking successes like these has to give the young man confidence. (3) The five through nine spots in the Mudcats batting order pulled off an 0-for-15, 1 bb, 6 k performance. The ongoing challenge Victor Estevez faces as the Mudcats manager, with such a youth-filled team, largely relates to somehow coaxing more production from a bevy of players struggling to hit the ball. The numbers don't lie, frankly, and if and when Chourios is promoted these Mudcats are going to have a tough time replacing that production anywhere in the lineup - individually or collectively. This being said, these same struggles also pave the way for players in the DSL and ACL to find a promotional pathway. This will be something to pay attention to as the 2022 season comes to an end and the 2023 Mudcats roster begins taking shape. *** Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Wisconsin 5, West Michigan (Tigers) 2 Box Score/Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Wisconsin Survives for 5-2 Decision in Eleven Innings - Puello Allowed One Run on One Hit in Seven Innings as Rattlers Starter RHP Israel Puello has been putting on an absolute clinic of how to take a promotion and run with it since leaving Carolina - it's truly hard to fathom what the young hurler has accomplished given the circumstances. Puello has now faced three of the Midwest League's toughest teams in Cedar Rapids, South Bend, and West Michigan and, after today's dominant outing, this is what he has put into the record books: 19 IP, 3 ER, 2 HR, 7H (!!), 5 BB, 16 K, 1 HB. Opponents are hitting sub-0.150 against him with a 0.63 WHIP. Great googly-moogly! Here's to more of that. This is definitively one of the more pleasant and awe-inspiring surprises of 2022 as far as I am concerned. Three Key Observations: (1) A day after lauding the fine season from OF Tristan Peters , the young Canadian continued to shine. Batting in the clean-up spot, he went 2-for-4 including the go ahead RBI triple in the pivotal 11th inning. We'll forget about being picked off first base, the young man continues to produce in key spots. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more complete performer in the entire system in 2022. (2) OF Terence Doston made two stellar plays in extras - including a chef's kiss bunt down the first base line to lead off the tenth inning (2-for-4 on the day). It isn't often you see a fabulous bunt these days. Let me tell you baseball nerds: it was glorious. The same can not be said for Jose Acosta' s failed bunt the ensuing at bat, but, alas, Doston showed how it's done. Then, with one down in the bottom of the tenth and Whitecaps on second and third base, Doston stood in extremely shallow center field awaiting a chance to pounce on potential shallow pop ups or liners. He definitively doesn't have a plus arm, so to ensure even the chance at a fly out throw 'em out this was the only workable field position. And, the perfect line out followed. A little luck off the mound (the throw fell well short of home plate) - the bounce and roll were true and skidded perfectly down the mound into the waiting mitt of Darrien Miller who steadfastly held onto the ball as the baserunner slid into his glove and under his body. It was on to the eleventh where the T-Rats plated their winning runs. Doston made winning plays in extras. A game ball is definitely deserved. (3) When it rains it pours and RHP Taylor Floyd can attest to this. When your season has run away from you a bit, it's innings like today's ninth frame that say it all. Floyd was the recipient of some incredibly bad luck and misfortune. It's a true testament to his resilience he left the inning with a tie ball game. It started with a seeing eye looping liner past the outstretched dive of Acosta (I still don't know how the ball found its way beyond his mitt). The ensuing batter hit an absolutely weak top-spun chopper oddly bouncing off the pitcher's mound and beyond the outstretched glove of a charging Acosta (who was trying to both evade the runner running to second base while simultaneously making a read on the weird hop). The very next batter hit another weak grounder directly under the hurried glove of a charging Zavier Warren at third base. The bases were juiced, suddenly, with zero outs and you could argue not a single ball should have left the infield. With better luck, there very well could have been three outs and a game completed! Ultimately, Floyd was credited with the blown save but he did get the victory. *** Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Game 1 Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 11, Biloxi 7 Game 2 Final: Tennessee 5, Biloxi 3 Game 1: Box Score / Game Log Game 2: Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Smokies Storm Back to Win Suspended Game, Take Game Two 5-3 - Mitchell Goes 3-for-4 in Return from Injured List It's always nice to resume a suspended game and send nine men to the plate while putting up a five-spot right off the bat. This was the case for the Shuckers and they took a 1-1 game and made it 6-1 after they completed their top half of the fifth inning. However, if you think it's ever smooth sailing for the Shuckers in 2022 you are sadly mistaken. The Biloxi bullpen managed to give up a seven-spot before a single out in the seventh. Ultimately, the Shuckers felt even more generous and gave up three more runs for a 10-run inning. Woooof! They then fell short in the seven-inning shortened second game after LHP Nick Bennet gave up two deciding home runs - 5 ip, 8 hits, 0 bb, 5 k's, 5 runs (4 earned) - while the Shuckers offense went 2-for-11 with RISP. Three Key Observations: (1) Welcome back Sal Frelick and Tristen Lutz! Frelick hit an RBI single to get the fifth inning rally going in Game 1 and he had a web gem to grab out number one to start bottom of fifth. Lutz also smashed a 3-RBI double deep to the wall in right center to keep the fifth inning rally alive. Here's the Frelick grab in left center - what a jump: (2) Let's add another 'Welcome back!' to OF Garrett Mitchell seeing his first Double-A game action in what feels like months - well, actually, it has been a couple months - quite the 7-Day IL stint! Mitchell stepped right into the five spot in the batting order in game 2 and proceeded to go 3-for-4 (all singles) with a run and an RBI. As the Shuckers continue to ride their roller coaster season trying to find any semblance of consistency, they are going to need a healthy and impactful Mitchell to stay in the lineup. Let's hope he can finish off his 2022 campaign with plenty of reason for optimism. It's just so different when you have Frelick's and Mitchell's wheels spinning down the base paths: 3) Real Talk: The most glaring and concerning ongoing issues for the Shuckers - bullpen meltdowns and fundamentally unsound baseball - reared their heads in a Smokies 10-run seventh inning in Game 1. Robbie Hitt and Harold Chirino were getting absolutely smacked around the park and outfielders were flexing throwing muscles to the detriment of missing relay throws left and right. All three runners who advanced to second on said forced throws scored. These weren't credited as errors as they are subjective decisions, but, let's also call it like it is: the Shuckers lead the Southern League by 15 errors committed. 2022 just hasn't been kind down yonder in Double-A. *** Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 3 , Nashville 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Edged Out by Memphis - Tyler White's First Inning Homer Not Enough as Nashville Drops Third Straight Four more riveting scoreless innings from the Sounds shutdown bullpen were not enough to overcome another ho-hum start from LHP Ethan Small . It's been a very mixed bag since Ethan got smacked around a bit in his MLB debut, and tonight was unfortunately another pedestrian line and performance: 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (a tying two-run jack). The walks continue, unfortunately. In the near-term, we simply don't know which version of the promising lefty we are going to get. We all know what he's capable of, but we'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't recognize: the ongoing walks are a problem as is the over-reliance on a two-pitch mix. Miles to go, and there is ample room for optimism and positivity, but the journey suddenly feels filled with more obstacles than originally forecasted. Sometimes, it's better to serve these opinions cold than to dish them freely and piping hot! ? Three Key Observations: (1) Pablo Reyes, Brice Turang, and Tyler White led the Nashville batting order going a combined 5-for-11 with 2 runs, 2 RBI (all via White's two-run blast), and a walk. They set the tone. However, the rest of the line-up absolutely did not follow this lead: starting with Jon Singleton batting clean-up on down through Brian Navarreto in the nine-slot, Sounds batters combined to go 1-for-21 with 2 walks and 8 k's. Check please! Waiter?!? Check please! (2) A public service announcement: do not sleep on Brice Turang 's age 22 season. Sometimes we hyper-focus on OPS a bit too much - I am a victim of this as well. But, heck, if we want to hyper-focus on OPS let's simply look at his 0.926 OPS sample from July. After a 2-for-4 night at the plate, Turang now further leads the Sounds with 25 multi-hit games, he has hit safely in six straight (the fifth time this season he has hit safely in five or more straight games), and he is now fourth in the International League with 92 hits. Couple this with his fantastic defense and his overall smarts and you have a surefire MLB player. It is quite simply a matter of time. For all the talk of top Brewers prospects, Turang is seemingly consistently overlooked. It's right time we stop doing this. (3) After tonight's loss, the Sounds trail the Redbirds in their season series 3-5. The Sounds division lead fell to 4 1/2 games over these same Redbirds. It's fitting a Cardinals affiliate and a Brewers affiliate are going toe-to-toe in hotly contested match-ups that may just decide the division altogether. All told, the two teams will face each other 16 more times this year (including the four remaining home games for Nashville in this series). Given what I've seen in these first two contests, I'd say the one missing ingredient for the Sounds is the bats simply need to wake up. There haven't been many chances for either club, but the Redbirds are 2-for-13 with RISP whereas the Sounds are 0-for-10. Both games were decided by one run. You can do the math. *** That's a wrap for my reports this week. I certainly hope I can pass the baton toward more organizational victories in the days ahead as I've definitely paid my dues and watched some tough losses. Remember, the DSL and ACL teams will be back on the diamond tomorrow. Taking the mound in the higher level contests will be (Low-A to Triple-A, respectively) Edwin Jimenez, Russ Smith, Brandon Knarr, and Josh Lindbolm . Here's hoping they bring their best stuff and we see many victories! As always, thanks for reading. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Arizona Complex League Scoreboard Dominican Summer League Scoreboard 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

Here's the thing with the struggling 2022 Shuckers: They have 15 more errors than the next team - vastly leading the Southern League in errors. Their bullpen (which has now given up a 10-spot) is a constant source of blown leads. So, it would be great to chalk something like this up to: Well, it's just one of those innings but the Shuckers have all too many of these innings. To the point of errors: In this inning alone they won't be charged with errors BUT three outfield throws were cannoned home or to the furthest base (I'm looking at you Joey Wiemer?) allowing runners to advance to second. All three of these runners scored. This is a fundamentally poor baseball team. I see it every night. It's hard to watch and, yet, I keep tuning in hoping they'll turn an unseen corner. Maybe they will? The momentum for this squad is deeply entrenched toward another disappointing season. I'd love to hear what Mike Guerrero has to say about these ongoing struggles. It can't be easy from the dugout for the veteran leader.

So, still no outs and another knock to center field. Every batter has reached base in the seventh for the Smokies. Let's take a look at the fine work from Robbie Hitt and Harold Chirino: 0 ip, 8 hits, 2 bb, 7 earned runs, 1 hr. A 6-1 Shuckers game is now 8-6 Smokies with men on first and second and still not an out. The crazy thing is: there wasn't even a ball hit remotely close to an out. These are all roped.

My goodness this Shuckers/Smokies game has an absolutely vintage 2022 Shuckers feel. Still not an out. 6-5. Men on 1st and 3rd. When this inning is all said and done...oh wait! A 3-run BOMB over the wall in right field. LOL. Gotta Shuck it up some more, baby. This is literally the Shuckers in a nutshell right here ?. A 7-run seventh inning via an absolute bullpen meltdown. This is starting to feel like a DSL/ACL inning.

It's RHP Robbie Hitt's turn to meltdown out of the Shuckers Pen?. He hasn't recorded an out here in the bottom of the seventh getting hit all over the ballpark. 2 runs have crossed and he'll leave men on 2nd and 3rd base for Harold Chirino. Yikes.

Welcome back Sal Frelick! After the rbi single (and let's not forget about Tristen Lutz who hit a 3-rbi double to break things open in the same inning), Frelick makes an absolute web gem diving grab to get out number one in the bottom half of the fifth on a tailing liner to left center. Sal is absolutely coming on! Lutz BOMB Alert: Another Frelick Web Gem here:

Well, that was quick! Play resumed to complete yesterday's suspended game and, lo and behold, it's 6-1 Biloxi with two down and we're still in the top half of the fifth. Sal Frelick got things going turning on an inside heater to score Gabe Holt from second base:

I'm telling you, RHP Taylor Floyd has had a rough go of it in 2022 but that ninth inning today was anything but his fault. I have absolutely zero idea how any of those balls were hits. Just weak choppers left and right, a seeing eye looping flare. Arguably two errors ruled hits. It's a real testament he buckled down and only conceded one run. He had the bases juiced with nobody down in the ninth and every baserunner a head-scratcher.

He might have tweaked something in the groundout to second base. It was hard to tell but there seemed to be a slight hitch in his giddy-up as he left the batters box (?). I'd say, if it is anything, it was his left leg. He wasn't helped off the field. He trotted back to the dugout and announcer Greg Young didn't mention anything in the immediate aftermath. I will say, the last batter of the third for Delmarva saw Cruz's 68 mph Circle Change followed by a 93 mph heater down the gut. 68 mph!! LOL. Incredible.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a look at 24 yo LHP Leoni De La Cruz. We've been touting both he and Middendorf. We hope to see them both get a look in Zebulon sooner than later:

The 2022 'Try and Reclaim RHP Tyler Floyd Project' continues for the Timber Rattlers. He came on in the ninth inning with the T-Rats clinging to a 2-1 lead and proceeded to barely escape with the tie. All told, in 2 ip, he has conceded the lone run while working around 3 hits and 2 bb's. Kudos to preventing further damage (I don't know if he'll come back to the hill in the bottom of the 11th), but, it has been anything but smooth and easy for Taylor since his return a couple months ago.

RHP (and another Sounds bullpen Triple-A Ace) Connor Sadzeck gets the call as his contract was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers 1B/2B/DH Keston Hiura was optioned to the Sounds

RHP Israel Puello continues to receive the classic Corbin Burnes treatment from his Timber Rattlers teammates. Through 5 complete innings of one hit, three walk, three k ball (67 pitches, 38 strikes), he trails 1-0. Wake up Rattler bats! ?