Seth Stohs

Thursday afternoon, Rawlings Baseball announced the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Finalists. The Brewers have two finalists. What do you think? Did anyone get snubbed? Discuss below. Keep up with which Brewers, if any, are named 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove finalists. The finalists are being announced by Rawlings, approximately 5 minutes apart, so this article will be updated over the next hour. So check back often. Here are the finalists: NL Pitchers: Tyler Anderson (Dodgers), Corbin Burnes (Brewers), Max Fried (Braves) AL Pitchers: Jose Berrios (Blue Jays), Shane Bieber (Guardians), Jameson Taillon (Yankees) Corbin Burnes has become one of the game's best pitchers. He's been an All Star the past two seasons. He's won a Cy Young Award. Does he field his position well too? Well... Well enough to be named a finalist today! NL Catchers: Travis d'Arnaud (Braves), Tomas Nido (Mets), JT Realmuto (Phillies) AL Catchers: Sean Murphy (A's), Cal Raleigh (Mariners), Jose Trevino (Yankees) NL First Base: Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals), Matt Olson (Braves), Christian Walker (Diamondbacks) AL First Base: Luis Arraez (Twins), Vladimir Guerrero Jr.(Blue Jays), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees). Anyone surprised that Rowdy Tellez wasn't a finalist? NL Second Base: Jake Cronenworth (Padres), Tommy Edman (Cardinals), Brendan Rodgers (Rockies) AL Second Base: Andres Gimenez (Guardians), Jonathan Schoop (Tigers), Marcus Semien (Rangers) Nope, Kolten Wong was not named a finalist. Should we be surprised? Jonathan Schoop has always been a solid defensive player, at least when he has played second base. The former Brewers' defense has been acknowledged as a Gold Glove finalist. NL Shortstop: Ha-Seong Kim (Padres), Miguel Rojas (Marlins), Dansby Swanson (Braves) AL Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox), Carlos Correa (Twins), Jeremy Pena (Astros) No Willy Adames either. NL Third Base: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Ke'Bryan Hayes (Pirates), Ryan McMahon (Rockies) AL Third Base: Matt Chapman (Blue Jays), Ramon Urias (Orioles), Jose Ramirez (Guardians) NL Left Field: Ian Happ (Cubs), David Peralta (Diamondbacks), Christian Yelich (Brewers). AL Left Field: Andrew Benintendi (Royals/Yankees), Steven Kwan (Guardians), Brandon Marsh (Angels) Yelich has one Gold Glove award to his name. It came in his first full big-league season with the Marlins in 2014. Could number two be coming to him soon? NL Center Field: Trent Grisham (Padres), Victor Robles (Nationals), Alek Thomas (Diamondbacks) AL Center Field: Cedric Mullins (Orioles), Myles Straw (Guardians), Michael A. Taylor (Royals) Did the Brewers really trade Trent Grisham because he made an error? Do we need to revisit that trade and why the Brewers made it? Much ado about nothing? NL Right Field: Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Juan Soto (Nationals/Padres), Daulton Varsho (Diamondbacks) AL Right Field: Jackie Bradley Jr.(Red Sox/Blue Jays), Max Kepler (Twins), Kyle Tucker (Astros). The Brewers got plenty of power from Hunter Renfroe, but probably not as much defense. Wisconsin native, Daulton Varsho also recognized. In addition, the Minnesota Twins named Varsho the Dick Siebert Award winner as Upper Midwest Player of the Year in 2022. Speaking of... NL Utility: Brendan Donovan (Cardinals), Tommy Edman (Cardinals), Daulton Varsho (Diamondbacks) AL Utility: DJ LeMahieu (Yankees), Whit Merrifield (Royals/Blue Jays), Luis Rengifo (Angels) There you have it. The finalists for 2022 Gold Glove Awards. Only Corbin Burnes and Christian Yelich were finalists for the Brewers. How do you feel about that? Should others have been finalists? Should those two have been finalists? Share your thoughts below. View full article

My 'vote' would go to Peter Strzelecki just because he was in the big leagues for more than 5 weeks. Aaron Ashby would have probably been the easy choice if he would have maintained his rookie status into 2022, but since he didn't, there really weren't a lot of obvious choices...

My 'vote' would go to Peter Strzelecki just because he was in the big leagues for more than 5 weeks. Aaron Ashby would have probably been the easy choice if he would have maintained his rookie status into 2022, but since he didn't, there really weren't a lot of obvious choices...

The Brewers kept fighting, clinging on to the smallest glimmer of hope heading into the final series of the season. They mounted a big, ninth-inning comeback. They fell behind in the tenth, but came back and got a big win, keeping their playoff chances alive. Minutes later, they were eliminated from playoff contention. Box Score SP: Brandon Woodruff: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (100 pitches, 64 strikes (64.0%) Home Runs: Christian Yelich (14), Hunter Renfroe (29) Top 3 WPA: Victor Caratini (0.334), Willy Adames (0.307), Christian Yelich (0.171) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Another Close-And-Late Game For the second straight game, the Brewers needed extra innings. After using most of their bullpen in Sunday's 12-inning loss to the Marlins, they needed a 10th inning to decide this one. Fortunately, Brandon Woodruff was able to get through six innings on 100 pitches. In the third frame, he gave up a solo homer to Cooper Hummel. In the fifth inning, a Sergio Alcantara sacrifice fly scored Corbin Carroll. Sure, it would have been great to see Woodruff get through another inning or two, but overall, he had a nice start. Unfortunately, when he left, Hoby Milner, who has been a fantastic story in 2022, came on and gave up a two-run homer to Alcantara to give Arizona a 4-1 lead. Christian Yelich came through in the second inning with a leadoff homer. However, fast-forward to the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Brewers haven't scored any more runs. A glance at the scoreboard showed that they were losing and the Phillies were winning and giving up certainly could have been an option. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Renfroe is Clutch Again Hunter Renfroe led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a mammoth home run to center off of All Star Joe Mantiply. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Christian Yelich reached on an infield single. One batter later, Kolten Wong walked. Rowdy Tellez grounded out to first base to push Yelich and Wong to second and third, respectively. Victor Caratini came up and hit a line drive right at first baseman Christian Walker. The ball somehow went right through him, and the ball trickled far enough to allow both runners scored to tie the game and send it to extra innings. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Daulton Varsho Comes Home Cooper Hummel was the Manfred Man, starting the top of the 10th inning at second base. After a sacrifice bunt advanced Hummel to third, Daulton Varsho singled to right-center to push in the go-ahead run for the Diamondbacks. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Varsho is the son of former big leaguer Gary Varsho who was named after former Phillie Darren Daulton. He was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, as you may have heard a time or 23 during the broadcast. He attended the University of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, and became the 2nd round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2017. In his third MLB season, Varsho has had a terrific season. On this night, however, that he gave Arizona the lead may have only brought joy to a small section of Marshfield. The Brewers now needed to score on in the bottom of the 10th inning to tie it. Adames, Renfroe Play Hero Jace Peterson was placed on second base to start the inning. Omar Narvaez then walked. With runners on first and second, Willy Adames singled to right to drive in Peterson and tie the game. Almost as important, with nobody out, Narvaez was able to advance to third base. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Hunter Renfroe came up and again came through. He dropped a single into left field, Narvaez scored, and the Brewers kept their playoff hopes alive. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== For about Five Minutes... Down in Houston, the Phillies finished a 3-0 shutout of the Astros to officially clinch a Wild Card spot and eliminate the Brewers. What’s Next? With the final two games now having no playoff implications, it will be interesting to see how the Brewers and the Diamondbacks adjust their lineups and pitching decisions. For instance, does it make sense to have Corbin Burnes make one more start, or just ensure he goes into the offseason healthy? The same can be said about Arizona's Zac Gallen. Do you think the Brewers might announce some roster moves, maybe calling up someone like Brewer Fanatic Minor League Hitter of the Year Sal Frelick, or adding a couple of pitchers from Nashville so as not to burn out a bullpen that has been used a lot in recent games. Here are the remaining pitching matchups: Tuesday at 6:10: Eric Lauer (10-7, 3.83 ERA) vs Zac Gallen (12-3, 2.46 ERA) Wednesday at 3:10: Corbin Burnes (12-8, 2.98 ERA) vs Merrill Kelly (13-8, 3.43 ERA) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Postgame Interviews data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

In a Must Win game, the Brewers and Marlins fought hard. In fact, they needed a little overtime to determine the winner. From about the seventh inning forward, every inning was immensely intense. Box Score SP: Freddy Peralta: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (55 pitches, 35 strikes (63.6%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Kolten Wong (0.336), Brent Suter (0.250), Freddy Peralta (0.212) Bottom 3 WPA: Rowdy Tellez (-0.322), Luis Urias (-0.303 , Christian Yelich (-0.268) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Peralta’s Impressive Start When we learned after Saturday night’s loss that Freddy Peralta would be the Brewers starter on Sunday, it was sort of assumed that it might be just as an opener. And, technically, that is what he did. However, instead of opening with an inning or two, he gave the Brewers four scoreless innings. While not terribly efficient, he needed 55 pitches to get through four innings, but he gave up just two hits and didn’t walk a batter. His performance on Sunday was a good reminder of how good he can be, and how good he has been the past couple of seasons. It is also creates the question of what could have been. He missed about two months earlier in the season with some shoulder issues. Then in early September, he was placed back on the IL with ‘shoulder fatigue.’ He has returned but in a very limited capacity. If healthy - something that should never be fully counted on for any pitcher - he likely would have made 14-15 more starts this year, and how many more wins might that win for the Brewers? And what might the Brewers playoff situation be right now? Seventh Not Heaven After Peralta left the ballgame, he was replaced by Hoby Milner. The southpaw got four outs, three of them on strikeouts. He gave up just one hit. Justin Topa came on and recorded the final two outs of the sixth inning. Then came the seventh inning. Topa returned to the mound. Avisail Garcia doubled to left and Saturday’s Marlin hero Bryan De La Cruz had an infield single. Craig Counsell turned to lefty Taylor Rogers. Peyton Burdick (another Saturday star) singled to right field to score Garcia as the first run of the game. De La Cruz ran the bases well and advanced to third base. Jacob Stallings came to the plate and hit a fly ball to left field, easily deep enough to score De La Cruz and give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. Rogers gave up a single to Jordan Groshans to put runners on first and second. Rogers got Lewin Diaz to pop out for the second out but then walked lefty Joey Wendle to load the bases. At that point, Matt Bush was brought in and got a huge strikeout to end the inning and keep the deficit at just two runs. Lopez Locks Up Brewers Hitters Marlins starter Pablo Lopez made his 32nd start of the season, one more than the two previous two seasons. Coming into the game, he was 0-0 with a 3.90ERA. After shutting down the Brewer for seven innings, his day was done with 96 pitches. He gave up just two hits. He walked three batters but he struck out seven. But then… Missed Opportunity In the eighth inning, Lopez was taken out and lefty Richard Bleier was brought in. The inning started with a single by a pinch-hitting Luis Urias. That was followed by a pinch-hit double by Tyrone Taylor. It was a ground-rule double, so the Brewers were left with runners on second and third base and nobody out. Mike Brosseau then pinch hit for Garrett Mitchell and after a long battle, he struck out for the inning’s first out. A ground ball or fly ball would have scored one run. Christian Yelich came up and grounded out to second base for the second out, but it did drive in Urias with the Brewers’ first run. With Willy Adames coming to the plate, Don Mattingly turned to his closer, Dylan Floro, for the final out of the inning. He came through with a strikeout of Adames, and what started as a huge opportunity ended with the Brewers still down by a run in the ninth inning. The Ninth Inning Brad Boxberger came on for the ninth inning and had a very quick inning which brought the Brewers to bat needing a run to keep their playoff chances at least reasonable. Rowdy Tellez led off with a fly out to left field. On an 0-2 count, Hunter Renfroe took a fastball away and drove it down the right field line for a double. Game-tying runner at second base with one out. On the first pitch, Kolten Wong got jammed but flared a liner down the left field line. Renfroe rounded third and headed home with the game-tying run. On the throw, Wong advanced to second base. As was noted on the telecast, it marked the first Brewers hit with a runner in scoring position since Friday. Andrew McCutchen’s plate appearance started with a 3-0 count before he was intentionally walked. With runners on first and second, Luis Urias was jammed and hit into a double play. But, the game continued and went to extra innings. The Tenth Inning Brent Suter came in and got a little help from his defense. However, with one out (thanks to a great diving catch by Adames) Joey Wendle slapped a single to left that scored The Manfred Man from second base with the go-ahead run. Another lineout to shortstop and a Suter strikeout, and the Brewers came to bat in the bottom of the inning down by a run. The Marlins turned to Tommy Nance. Luis Urias started the inning on second base. Tyrone Taylor came to bat and worked a walk to fill first base. Victor Caratini, who came in behind the plate in the ninth inning, laid down a good sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third with one out. Christian Yelich came to the plate against his former team with the infield in. He hit a hard ground ball right at the second baseman who threw home. The ball was well ahead of Urias, but a creative slide made it closer than it maybe should have been. Wisely, Craig Counsell came out and challenged both the out call and blocking of the plate. The out call was confirmed and there was clearly no blocking of the plate. With two outs and runners on first and third, Willy Adames came to the plate, hoping to extend the game. Adames has been struggling, but on a 1-0 count, he hit a soft single to left field to drive in the Manfred Man and keep the game going. Rowdy Tellez popped out and the game moved on to the… 11th Inning Brent Suter returned to the mound to start the 11th inning with a runner on second base. He walked the leadoff man. However, Bryan De La Cruz grounded to short and Adames started a double play. With a runner still on third, left JJ Bleday popped out to end the inning. Will Rowdy Tellez be The Manfred Man? Ummm… No. Keston Hiura came in to pinch run. Huascar Brazoban came in to pitch for the Marlins. Hunter Renfroe surprised probably everyone by placing a terrific sacrifice bunt down the first base line to advance Hiura to third base. Kolten Wong was intentionally walked to set up an inning-ending double play. Andrew McCutchen worked the count full before walking to load the bases. Luis Urias came to the plate for the third time, and he only entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter. He had a seven-pitch at-bat, but it ended in a strikeout. With two outs and the bases loaded, Tyrone Taylor came to the plate trying to end the game. Instead, he grounded to third base to end the inning on a force out. I find myself asking if things might have been different if Hunter Renfroe would have just hit away, especially considering how well he has been hitting of late. It's a question that will never have a certain answer. 12th Inning Trevor Gott replaced Suter and got the first two batters out. However, veteran Miguel Rojas slapped a two-strike single to right to drive in the go-ahead run. Jordan Groshans followed with another single before striking out Jon Berti to end the inning. But the Brewers were again in a must-score situation in the bottom of the 12th. Tyrone Taylor was the Manfred Man for Milwaukee. Lefty Tanner Scott took over for the Marlins. Victor Caratini led off and struck out. Yelich came to the plate again and after falling behind 1-2, he worked a walk to put runners and second and third with one out. Willy Adames got the crowd excited with a fly ball to left field and ended in the left fielder's glove for the second out. Keston Hiura came to the plate for the first time in the game. He struck out to end the game. What’s Next? The final regular-season series of the season begins on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Here are the pitching matchups: Monday at 6:10: Brandon Woodruff (13-4, 3.05 ERA) vs Tommy Henry (3-4, 5.98 ERA) Tuesday at 6:10: Eric Lauer (10-7, 3.83 ERA) vs Zac Gallen (12-3, 2.46 ERA) Wednesday at 3:10: Corbin Burnes (12-8, 2.98 ERA) vs Merrill Kelly (13-8, 3.43 ERA) Let’s throw the Phillies pitching matchups in Houston: Monday at 7:10: Aaron Nola (10-13, 3.36 ERA) vs Lance McCullers, Jr. (4-1, 2.38 ERA) Tuesday at 7:10: Ranger Suarez (10-6, 3.47 ERA) vs Justin Verlander (17-4, 1.80 ERA) Wednesday at 3:10: Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.90 ERA) vs Framber Valdez (16-6, 2.89 ERA) Wild Card Scenarios The Phillies were in Washington DC where Hurricane Ian’s remnants were passing through on Sunday. They led 8-1 after six innings, and after a long rain delay, it was called. Remaining Games Brewers: 3 at home vs Arizona Phillies: 3 at Houston So the Brewers are now one game out of a playoff spot. Because of the tiebreakers, the Phillies will have to finish a game ahead of the Phillies to take the final Wild Card spot. If the Brewers go 3-0, they need the Phillies to go 0-3. If the Brewers go 2-1, 1-2 or 0-3, the Phillies go to the playoffs. Postgame Interviews (coming soon) Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

I've got to say again that I have really enjoyed getting to follow a second minor-league system. After seeing how the Twins do things over the past 20 years, it's been interesting to see how the Brewers do things. For the most part, there are a lot of similarities, but there are exceptions. For instance, it's hard to imagine the Twins being as aggressive with Jackson Chourio as Milwaukee has been. Frelick has moved quickly. But with pitchers, they're not quite as quick to promote, especially young guys, which makes a ton of sense and I would guess that's true of most organizations, especially still just two seasons after the lost Covid season.

I've got to say again that I have really enjoyed getting to follow a second minor-league system. After seeing how the Twins do things over the past 20 years, it's been interesting to see how the Brewers do things. For the most part, there are a lot of similarities, but there are exceptions. For instance, it's hard to imagine the Twins being as aggressive with Jackson Chourio as Milwaukee has been. Frelick has moved quickly. But with pitchers, they're not quite as quick to promote, especially young guys, which makes a ton of sense and I would guess that's true of most organizations, especially still just two seasons after the lost Covid season.

This week, we have been presenting the 2022 Brewer Fanatic Minor League Awards. Today, we complete our minor league awards with the announcement of our choice for Brewers Minor league Hitter of the Year. Sal Frelick was the Brewers first-round pick just over one year ago. After putting up impressive numbers at the three highest levels of minor-league baseball this year, he finds himself on the precipice of a big-league promotion. Brewer Fanatic Minor League Hitter of the Year: Sal Frelick, OF High-A/Double-A/Triple-A Stats (119 G): .331/.403/.480 (.883), 28-2B, 6-3B, 11-HR, 59-RBI Frelick was the Brewers' first-round draft pick, 21st overall, in the 2021 draft after three strong seasons at Boston College. He posted a .367 batting average as a freshman in 2019. 2020 was cut short. Then during his junior season, he hit .359/.414/.466 (.880) with 17 doubles, two triples, and six home runs. After the draft, he played four games in Arizona (and went 7-for-15) before moving up to Low-A Carolina. In 16 games there, he hit .437/.529/.667 (1.196). He ended the year with 15 games in Wisconsin. He began the 2022 season back in the Midwest League. He spent April there and hit .291 (.847) with five doubles, a triple, and two homers in 21 games. He then spent three months in Double-A Biloxi where he .317/.380/.464 (.844) with 12 doubles, three triples, and five home runs. When August began, Frelick was moved up to Nashville along with Garrett Mitchell and Joey Wiemer. Over the final two months, Frelick hit .365/.435/.508 (.943) with 11 doubles, and four homers in 46 games. Overall in 2022, he stole 24 bases in 32 attempts. In Wisconsin and Biloxi, he played primarily center field, and in Nashville, he spent most of his time in left field. With his speed and strong arm, he is a very good outfielder defensively. Offensively, he has primarily shown doubles power, but it is clear that over time and with more experience, he should add home run power as well. That’s especially exciting when you consider his eye at the plate and his tremendous bat-to-ball skills. Overall, he walked 52 times this season and struck out just 63 times. I feel the need to type that again. Sal Frelick struck out 63 times in 562 plate appearances. And then just look at this swing. And for all those reasons, and especially his numbers (which improved as he moved up levels), Sal Frelick is the Brewer Fanatic choice for Minor League Hitter of the Year. (and he's the Brewer Fanatic #2 prospect) For more Brewer Fanatic content on Sal Frelick, click here. However, there were a few other really strong candidates. Let’s take a look at other hitters who had strong 2022 seasons with the bat. Runner-Up: Jackson Chourio, OF Low-A/High-A/Double-A Stats (99 G): .288/.342/.538 (.879), 30-2B, 5-3B, 20-HR, 75-RBI According to MLB Pipeline, Jackson Chourio was the #18-ranked international player available in 2021. He signed with the Brewers, as a shortstop, for a $1.9 million signing bonus. He hit .296/.386/447 (.833) with seven doubles and five homers in the DSL. He spent a little time playing in the Venezuelan Winter League this past offseason. Chourio turned 18 in March and started his season at the Arizona Complex and spent a month there. On May 3, he moved up to Carolina and was one of the youngest players in the Carolina League and immediately made his proverbial presence known. He had two hits, including a home run, in his first game. Over his first seven games, he hit .467/.500/.767 (1.267) with six doubles and a homer. In 62 total games in Carolina, he hit .324/.373/.600 (.973) with 23 doubles, five triples, and 12 home runs. He moved up to High-A Wisconsin where he played in 31 games and hit .252/.317/.488 (.805) with six doubles and eight home runs. He even ended the season, at 18(!), at Double-A Biloxi where he went 2-for-23 in six games. Chourio quickly moved up prospect rankings everywhere. He wasn’t in Baseball America’s Top 100 before the season. At midseason, he ranked around 30th overall, and after the draft, he is now the #2 prospect in all of baseball. (and the Brewer Fanatic #1 prospect) And for good reason. First, he’s young and dominated at the Low-A level. He moved up to High-A and more than held his own playing against some players 5-7 years older than him. But that’s just part of it. Chourio has incredible tools. The Brewers immediately moved him to center field to take advantage of his great speed and very strong arm. He hits for power to all fields. He went 16-for-20 in stolen base attempts. How aggressive will the Brewers be with him? How aggressive should they be with him? Could he be the next 19-year-old big leaguer? The answer is, or should be, he’ll show when he’s ready, and yes, that could happen as soon as 2023. For more Brewer Fanatic content on Jackson Chourio, click here. Second Runner-Up: Jakson Reetz, C Double-A/Triple-A Stats (83 G): .266/.363/.589 (.953), 19-2B, 1-3B, 25-HR, 67-RBI Reetz made his MLB debut for the Washington Nationals on July 10, 2021. He played in two games and went 1-for-2 with a double. Following that 2021 season, Reetz was removed from the 40-man roster and signed as a minor-league free agent with the Brewers. He had been the Nationals’ third-round pick in 2014 out of Firth High School in eastern Nebraska. He moved up the ladder slowly spending two years in the short-season leagues and one-and-a-half seasons in Low-A. He then spent 2018 and 2019 at High-A Potomac before playing in the AFL. After the lost season, he spent 2021 at Double-A before getting some time in Triple-A Rochester. He began the 2022 season in Biloxi where he crushed the ball in the first half. In 64 games, he hit .281/.392/.636 (1.028) with 16 doubles and 22 homers. He played 19 more games in Nashville. He was added to the Brewers 40-man roster in early August and two weeks later, he was DFAd. He went unclaimed and chose free agency. The Royals signed him to a minor-league deal, and he hit .257 with five homers in 21 games for their Triple-A team in Omaha. For more Jakson Reetz content at Brewer Fanatic, click here. Third Runner-Up: Joey Wiemer, OF Double-A/Triple-A Stats (127 G): .256/.336/.465 (.801), 34-2B, 2-3B, 21-HR, 77-RBI Joey Wiemer grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati for three seasons. His junior season, 2020, was cut short. Knowing he was going to go pro, he spent some time in an independent league before the Brewers used their fourth-round draft pick to select the athletic outfielder. In 2021, he split the season between Carolina and Wisconsin and combined to his .296/.403/.556 (.958) with 18 doubles and 27 home runs. He also stole 30 bases in 36 attempts. He started the 2022 season with 84 games in Biloxi where he hit .243 (.761) with 19 doubles and 15 home runs. He was promoted to Nashville and finished the season with 43 games there. He hit .287(.888) with 15 doubles and six homers. Overall, he stole 31 bases and got caught just three times. He has been a Top 5 prospect at Brewer Fanatic throughout the season and ended the year as the #4 prospect. For more Brewer Fanatic content on Joey Wiemer, click here. Fourth Runner-Up: Cam Devanney, SS/3B Double-A/Triple-A Stats (128 G): .264/.342/.492 (.834), 32-2B, 1-3B, 23-HR, 68-RBI Cam Devanney was the Brewers 15th-round pick in 2019 out of Elon University in North Carolina. He played all over the infield in his first two college seasons before taking over the team’s shortstop role as a junior. He spent the remainder of the 2019 season playing in Arizona and then the short-season Pioneer League. After the lost 2020 season, the Brewers had Devanney skip Low-A and High-A and start at Double-A Biloxi. In 87 games, he hit just .175/.270/.261 (.531) with 10 doubles and five home runs. As you would suspect, the 25-year-old started the 2022 season with the Shuckers again. This time, he was much more prepared. In 115 games, he hit .259/.340/.483 (.823) with 28 doubles, 20 homers, and 57 RBI. Adjustments were made by a very smart hitter. He ended the season with 13 games in Nashville where he hit .306/.357/.571 (.929) with four doubles and three home runs. He played primarily shortstop a Biloxi and again in Nashville, though he played all over the infield. As you can tell by his 56 extra-base hits, Devanney has gap-to-gap power. To put a strong bat with his defensive skills makes for an intriguing prospect in 2023. For more Cam Devanney content from Brewer Fanatic, click here. Fifth Runner-Up: Brice Turang, SS Triple-A Stats (131 G): .286/.360/.412 (.772), 24-2B, 2-3B, 13-HR, 78-RBI Turang entered the season a top 100 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He spent the entire season as a 22-year-old in Triple-A. He started over 100 games at shortstop, but he also played at least seven games at second base, third base and center field. His range is average or slightly better than average, and he is pretty sure-handed and has a strong arm. Offensively, he has a good knowledge of the strike zone. Once at a level, he could be a guy to walk almost as much as he strikes out. He has some gap-to-gap doubles power but could hit 15-20 homers in a season. And, he has good speed and instincts. He stole 34 bases this season and was caught just twice. He ended the season as Brewer Fanatics' #3 prospect. Brice Turang’s father, Brian Turang, played in 78 games for the Seattle Mariners in 1993 and 1994. His mom played softball at Long Beach State. His four older sisters all played college sports. He was the Brewers first-round draft pick in 2018, 21st overall, out of Santiago High School in Corona, California. He had participated for Team USA in several international competitions. Despite his youth, and with the missed 2020 season, the Brewers pushed him to Double-A to start the 2021 season. He finished the year with 44 games in Nashville, and that’s where he spent the entire 2022 season. For more Brewer Fanatic content on Brice Turang, click here. Honorable Mention Tristan Peters, OF High-A Stats (90 G): .306/.386/.485 (.871), 22 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 51 RBI The outfielder from Canada was the Brewers seventh-round pick out of Southern Illinois in 2021. He was pushed to High-A Wisconsin and hit for average, got on base, and showed power speed. And then they inexplicably traded him to the Giants for Trevor Rosenthal who has not, and presumably will not, pitch for the Brewers. (More Tristan Peters content) Jon Singleton, 1B Triple-A Stats (134 G): .219/.375/.434 (.809), 22-2B, 2-3B, 24-HR, 87 RBI Singleton signed a $10 million, long-term deal with the Astros, and soon after he made his MLB debut. And then he hit .171 over 114 games between 2014 and 2015. He stayed in the minor leagues with Houston through 2017. And that was the last time he played in affiliated ball. Still just 31, and maybe not wanting to be left in the weeds, Singleton signed with the Brewers in December. To be blunt, he struggled a bit early. In fact, he hit under .200 in April, May and June. Then in July, he really lit up the joint, hitting .281/.400/.671 (1.071) with nine of his 24 homers. He hit just .181 in August before ending the season strong, hitting .296 (.878) in September. Will he return to the Brewers again in 2022, or will he find a place where the grass is greener, and he’d have a better shot at a return to the big leagues? (More Jon Singleton content) Jeferson Quero, C/OF Low-A/High-A Stats (95 G): .286/.342/.439 (.780), 22-2B, 2-3B, 10-HR, 57-RBI Signed for $200,000 in July 2019, he did not make his pro debut until 2021 in the Arizona Complex League. He spent most of the 2022 season in Carolina (75 games). He moved up to Wisconsin for 20 games and hit .313 with four of his 10 homers and an .860 OPS). Quero is currently the #9 ranked prospect at Brewer Fanatic. (More Jeferson Quero content) Abraham Almonte, OF Triple-A Stats (48 G): .294/.380/.533 (.913), 11-2B, 0-3B, 11-HR, 42-RBI Almonte, 33, has spent at least some time in the big leagues every season since 2013. He’s played for the Mariners, Padres, Cleveland, the Royals, Diamondbacks, the Padres again, and Atlanta. He signed with the Brewers before the season, a minor-league contract, and played well in 48 games for Nashville. He was traded to Boston in July, spent time in Worcester, and has hit .333 in 12 games for the Red Sox. Pablo Reyes, UT Triple-A Stats (99 G): .273/.348/.439 (.787), 27-2B, 2-3B, 11-HR, 59-RBI Another veteran, Reyes spent most of the season with Nashville, but he did get into five games for the Brewers and had four hits over 15 at-bats. The 29-year-old had played in 53 games for the Brewers in 2021. He played in 89 games for the Pirates between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. (More Pablo Reyes content) Tyler Black, SS/CF High-A Stats (64 G): .281/.406/.424 (.831), 13-2B, 4-3B, 4-HR, 35 RBI The Ontario native was the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Wright State. He began his first full season in Wisconsin. In 64 games, he hit for average, showed a great ability to get on base, and showed some power. He played shortstop and some center field. His season ended in July when he had a broken scapula. He remains the Brewer Fanatic #7 prospect. On Monday, he will begin his season in the AFL. (More Tyler Black content) What impressed you the most about the names mentioned above? Should a different player have made the list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. The 2022 Minor League Award Winners Short Season Hitter of the Year: Jace Avina Short Season Pitcher of the Year: Kevin Briceno Relief Pitcher of the Year: Cam Robinson Starting Pitcher of the Year: Carlos Rodriguez Hitter of the Year: Sal Frelick For current Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospect Scouting Reports, articles, videos and more, click here. View full article

Over the past seven to ten games, every Brewers win has been big. Every Brewers loss has been excruciating. Saturday night's 4-3 loss to the Marlins was especially rough. Box Score SP: Aaron Ashby: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (65 pitches, 37 strikes (56.9%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Luis Urias (0.247), Matt Bush (0.120), Trevor Gott (0.109) Bottom 3 WPA: Devin Williams (-0.694), Willy Adames (-0.234), Tyrone Taylor (-0.147) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 9th Inning Blown Save We have to start here. It was obviously the key inning of this game, and potentially for the Brewers season. With a 3-2 lead, Craig Counsell turned again to Devin Williams, hoping for another Save. A night earlier, he finished out a save despite struggling with his control. On this night, it just didn’t happen for him. After walking three in Friday night, he allowed a leadoff walk to Jon Berti. It’s never a good thing, but Berti is leading MLB in stolen bases this season. Joey Wendle pinch hit, and he struck out. But then Berti stole second, his 39th steal of the year. Williams followed it by walking Brian Anderson and then yanking a fastball straight to the backstop to put runners on second and third with one out. Bryan De La Cruz came through with a solid single to left field. Both runs would have scored anyway, but when Christian Yelich bobbled the ball, the Marlins DH on this night took second. Peter Strzelecki came in and got the next two batters out. That sent the game to the bottom of the ninth. The Brewers had the top of their lineup coming to bat, but Don Mattingly turned to lefty Richard Bleier who got Yelich, Willy Adames, and Rowdy Tellez out on three quick ground out. Ashby OK in Short Start While Aaron Ashby is just 2-10 on the season, he has had some solid starts, and that was the hope in this game. In actuality, he pitched fairly well in this game. That said, in the third inning, with Jordan Groshans on base, Peyton Burdick hit his third career home run to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. A huge point of emphasis for Ashby has to be eliminating or at least minimizing his walk totals. While he only threw strikes on 57% of his pitches, he did not walk anyone. Ashby was solid, but he also got some help from his defense. And 4 1/3 innings may not be exciting, but he did keep the team in the game and Counsell turned to a bullpen he has relied upon a lot this season including lately. And that bullpen did the job (until the 9th, as you already read). Trevor Gott got out all five batters he faced. Brad Boxberger and Matt Bush each tossed a three-batter inning. Offense Struggles In the first three innings, the Brewers lineup went one-two-three each inning. Of the nine batters, five of them struck out. Edward Cabrera, however, left the game with some arm discomfort at that point. Andrew Nardi came on and Christian Yelich led off the fourth inning with a home run to the opposite field. The team struck out three more times that inning. The Brewers had a big opportunity in the fifth inning. Andrew McCutchen and Luis Urias started the inning with walks. Mattingly turned to Jeff Brigham who struck out a pinch-hitting Victor Caratini and got a fly out by Tyrone Taylor. With two outs, Yelich walked to load the bases. Unfortunately, Willy Adames was unable to provide a two-out hit and the team went scoreless again. In the sixth inning, the Brewers broke through and probably could have scored more. Jake Fishman came on to pitch and Rowdy Tellez and Hunter Renfroe started the inning with back-to-back singles. Mike Brosseau came on to pinch hit and struck out. Huascar Brazoban came in and threw a wild pitch. With runners on second and third bases, McCutchen walked. Luis Urias got a pain RBI by letting a pitch hit him (We’ve got ice!). Caratini then grounded out to second base for the inning’s second out, but Renfroe came in to score and give The Crew the lead at 3-2. There were still runners on second and third, but again, they could not get some insurance with a big, two-out hit. In the seventh inning, they had two more singles, but Tanner Scott recorded three more strikeouts. In the eighth inning, Milwaukee got one single, and Tommy Nance got three more strikeouts. In the ninth inning, there were no strikeouts, but three routine groundouts. On the night, the Brewers struck out 16 times! What Do You Do? If you look at the WPA, it shows that Devin Williams didn't get the job done on this night. But what would you do? Williams is the closer and one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. But if you look at the Bullpen Usage chart below, he has thrown a lot of pitches this week. Matt Bush didn't throw a lot of pitches in the eighth. Would you have let him pitch the ninth inning? Brad Boxberger only threw 12 pitches in the seventh inning. Maybe he could have pitched the eighth too? But then the question remains, would you pitch Bush in the ninth? Would you have considered using Taylor Rogers in the ninth? The answer to all those questions is... Maybe. And maybe they would have worked on this particular night because that's how baseball works. But if any of those scenarios would have been used, and that situation would have ended in a Brewers loss, the one question that would have been asked is... Why did they not go to Devin Williams in the ninth? What’s Next? The Brewers will finish out this series with the Marlins before welcoming Arizona for the final three games. The Brewers will send Freddy Peralta to the mound at the start of Sunday afternoon’s game, in an “Opener” role. Pablo Lopez will start for the Marlins. Wild Card Scenarios The Phillies played two games against the Nationals on Saturday. They lost the afternoon game but responded with a win in the nightcap. However, the loss meant that a Brewers win would have had the two teams tied heading into the final four games. NOTE: The Padres currently lead the Chicago White Sox 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Three more outs and their record will improve to 87-71. That is the record in the scenarios below. This chart will be updated when the game in San Diego goes final. Remaining Games Brewers: 1 at home vs Marlins, 3 at home vs Arizona Phillies: 1 at home vs Nationals, 3 at Houston Padres: 1 at home vs White Sox, 3 at home vs Giants So the Brewers are now one game out of a playoff spot. Because of the tiebreakers, the Brewers will have to finish a game ahead of the Phillies or Padres to take a Wild Card spot. Philadelphia Phillies If the Brewers go 4-0, they need the Phillies to go 2-2 (or 1-3, or 0-4). If the Brewers go 3-1, they need the Phillies to go 1-3 (or 0-4). If the Brewers go 2-2, they need the Phillies to go 0-4. If the Brewers go 1-3 or 0-4, the Phillies go to the playoffs. San Diego Padres If the Brewers go 4-0, they need the Padres to go 0-4. If the Brewers go 3-1, 2-2, 1-3, or 0-4, the Padres clinch a playoff spot. While the Padres are all but assured of a playoff spot, there still is hope in surpassing the Phillies. Why? They have three games in Houston. Normally, one might assume that the Astros would be resting its key players, but because the top two seeds in each league get a first-round bye, they will want to set up their pitching rotation and try to give those key players reps knowing that they will be getting at least five days off before Round 2 of the playoffs would begin. The Brewers would be greatly helped by the Astros dominating the Phillies. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Two Cy Young candidates met on Friday night in Milwaukee, and the guy with a Cy Young Award already was just a little better to help the Brewers to a big win to help them keep pace with the Phillies in the Wild Card race. Box Score SP: Corbin Burnes: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (103 pitches, 62 strikes (60.2%)) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Corbin Burnes (0.568), Devin Williams (0.161), Garrett Mitchell (0.38) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Cy Young Matchup Many times when two “Aces” match up, the game winds up being a 13-12 game where neither starter gets through four innings. Friday night’s matchup between a couple of Cy Young candidates was everything you would hope it would be. By “you”, I mean the Brewers fans because it ended in a Brewers win. Marlins starting Sandy Alcantara is the leading candidate for NL Cy Young this year. He was fantastic on this night too. He went all eight innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He walked none and struck out eight batters. With the loss, Alcantara is now 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Corbin Burnes knows a little something about Cy Young Awards. On this night, with the Brewers needing him, he came through and looked like the best pitcher in baseball again. He tossed eight shutout innings and gave up just four hits. He also walked none and struck out seven batters. With the Win, he is now 12-8 with a 2.98 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. In his eight innings, Burnes didn’t allow a runner to reach second base. In six of the innings, he faced three batters. As you can see from his WPA (Win Probability Added), Burnes came through when his team needed him the most. That would be the definition of Clutch. One is Enough There was no score until the bottom of the sixth inning. Garrett Mitchell led off with a single to center field. After one out, Mitchell stole second base. He advanced to third base on a single to left by Willy Adames. Rowdy Tellez came up and drove in the game’s lone run on a sacrifice fly to center. The same situation came up in the bottom of the third inning. Jace Peterson singled, stole second and was sacrificed to third base on a nice bunt by Omar Narvaez. Unfortunately, Mitchell struck out and Christian Yelich grounded out to end the threat. Outside of that, Hunter Renfroe had a two-out double in the fourth inning but was left stranded. Then the team failed to add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Mitchell doubled, but did not advance any further. One Was Barely Enough… Craig Counsell left himself open to second-guessing when he removed Burnes after eight innings and turned to The Airbender, Devin Williams, for the ninth inning. As you know, Williams recorded his 15th Save of the season, but it didn’t come without increasing the heart rates of Brewers fans across and beyond Wisconsin. Lewin Diaz led off with a single. He was pinch run for by Peyton Burdick. Jon Berti then walked. Williams responded by striking out Joey Wendle and Bryan De La Cruz. However, he walked Avisail Garcia to load the bases. With the tying run on third base, Williams came through with a strikeout of Jesus Sanchez on a perfect changeup just below the zone to end the game. "Just keeping it exciting..." What’s Next? The Brewers have two more games at home against the Miami Marlins. On Saturday at 6:10, The Crew will send lefty Aaron Ashby (2-10, 4.50 ERA) to the mound against Edward Cabrera (6-4, 3.15 ERA). The teams will finish their series on Sunday afternoon. Wild Card Scenarios The final two NL Wild Card spots are clearly between three teams, and really, that final spot is likely to come down to the Brewers and the Phillies. But, the Padres have also been very mediocre and left the door open a little bit. Remaining Games Brewers: 2 at home vs Marlins, 3 at home vs Arizona Phillies: 3 at home vs Nationals (DH on Saturday), 3 at Houston Padres: 2 at home vs White Sox, 3 at home vs Giants Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUES WED THU FRI TOT Williams 0 0 25 0 27 52 Strzelecki 0 19 0 22 0 41 Gott 0 31 0 0 0 31 Peralta 0 0 0 31 0 31 Bush 0 0 23 0 0 23 Milner 0 0 21 0 0 21 Boxberger 0 0 17 0 0 17 Suter 0 17 0 0 0 17 Rogers 0 0 16 0 0 16 Topa 0 0 0 9 0 9 View full article

As the regular season winds down, it is time to start handing out awards. Today, we begin a series of minor-league awards by handing out our choice for Brewer Fanatic Short Season Minor League Hitter of the Year. When Brewer Fanatic’s minor-league writers were asked to vote for the two short-season minor league awards, it was insisted that only statistics produced in the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Complex League should be considered. Outfielder Jace Avina put up such incredible numbers in the 36 games he played for the Brewers “Blue” squad in Arizona, that it earned him the Brewer Fanatic Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year award. Avina hit .294/.436/.630 (1.067) with eight doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs in 149 plate appearances. Avina hit for average, and he got on base. The crazy thing is that he had 15 walks and he was also hit by 15 pitches. He also provided some big-time thump, something you don’t always see in these lower levels. Not all was perfect. He struck out 51 times (34.2%). He was named the Brewers Player of the Month for July and called up to Low-A Carolina just a few days later. Now these numbers did not go into our voter’s criteria, but Avina ended the season by hitting .245/.336/.471 (.807) in 28 games. He had four doubles, two triples and five home runs. Overall a very impressive season for a youngster who turned 19 years old just weeks before the short-season leagues started their season. Avina was the 14th round pick of the Brewers in 2021 out of Spanish Springs High School in Nevada. He had a full-ride scholarship to the University of Nevada, but when the Brewers offered him $255,900 plus college tuition (to be used later), he signed. In high school, Avina played in the middle of the field. He played shortstop, second base and center field (no, not all at the same time). The Brewers drafted him as an outfielder. In his pro debut this year, he played all three outfield spots, but spent the vast majority of his innings in center field. Avina has been blessed with good genetics too. His father, Armando, was drafted by the Astros in 1991. He didn’t sign but instead went to the University of Nevada-Reno to be a punter and kicker. In 1996, he signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. At 6-2, 180 pounds, Avina is quite athletic. He can run. He’s got power. He can play defense. He has a strong arm. He works hard. He wants to get on base. Now, he just needs to keep working on making more contact because when he does, good things tend to happen. Hitter of the Year: Jace Avina, OF Rookie League Stats (36 G): .294/.436/.630 (1.067), 8-2B, 1-3B, 10-HR, 29 RBI Runner-Up: Yeison Perez, 1B/OF Rookie League Stats (42 G): .331/.409/.654 (1.063), 15 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 40 RBI Not every player develops in the same timeline. Player development is certainly not linear. Perez signed with the Brewers in January 2021 and debuted with the DSL Brewers that summer. He hit .244/.293/.333 (.626) with nine doubles, one triple, and one home run. Now look back up at his 2022 numbers. Huge improvements across the board. He got bigger, got stronger, and really improved. The 18-year-old has primarily played first base. Second Runner-Up: Jadher Areinamo, IF DSL Stats (34 G): .323/.416/.472 (.889), 10 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 21 RBI Like Avina, Areinamo played most of his season in Arizona. He spent about a week in High-A Wisconsin before joining his ACL team. Then at the end of July, he was promoted to Low-A Carolina to finish the season. The smooth-fielding 18-year-old showed some doubles-pop at the Complex, but he also walked as much as he struck out. He spent a lot of time at both middle infield spots and at third base. While his tools aren’t exciting, his instincts, control of the strike zone and intelligence stand out. The Venezuelan signed in January of 2021 for $150K. Which players will most likely impact the Brewers down the road? Who would you vote for as the Brewers short-season hitter of the year? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Wild Card Update: Brewers Lose. Phillies Lose. Padres Win. 9 games remaining for the Brewers. To make the playoffs: If the Brewers go 7-2, they would need the Padres to go 3-6... OR... the Phillies to go 5-5. If the Brewers go 6-3, they would need the Padres to finish 2-7... OR... the Phillies to go 4-6.

Wild Card Update: Brewers Lose. Phillies Lose. Padres Win. 9 games remaining for the Brewers. To make the playoffs: If the Brewers go 7-2, they would need the Padres to go 3-6... OR... the Phillies to go 5-5. If the Brewers go 6-3, they would need the Padres to finish 2-7... OR... the Phillies to go 4-6.

The Brewers need to find ways to win as many games as they can over the final ten games. Unfortunately on Sunday afternoon, a late home run (and a lack of offense coupled with a little bad luck) cost the Brewers in a close loss to the Reds. Box Score SP: Freddy Peralta: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (44 pitches, 28 strikes (63.6%) Home Runs: Hunter Renfroe (28) Top 3 WPA: Peter Strzelecki (0.156), Keston Hiura (0.122), Freddy Peralta (0.107) Bottom 3 WPA: Matt Bush (-0.211), Willy Adames (-0.146), Victor Caratini (-0.143) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Peralta Returns as “Opener” It was quite the query heading into the game. Freddy Peralta was activated from the Injured List before the game. He has been out with shoulder inflammation. How long would he go? How long could he go? How would he look? Let’s start with the last question. Peralta looked really good. But how long did he go? The Brewers chose to use Peralta as an opener in this game. He worked just two innings, though he needed 44 pitches to get through it. He wasn’t perfect, but he got through his innings healthy and without allowing a run. He showed good stuff, with the three strikeouts, but he wasn’t completely sharp. How did you feel about the performance of Peralta? Renfroe Provides More Power After going 4-for-5 with two homers on Saturday night, Hunter Renfroe led off the second inning with his 28th home run of the season to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The Brewers were unable to do much against Reds rookie starter and former first-round pick Nick Lodolo. The southpaw gave up only that one run on just four hits. He walked one and struck out six batters. Overall, he has a 3.75 ERA on the season and certainly has a bright future. Journeymen Derek Law and Buck Farmer worked a scoreless inning each. Then Alexis Diaz came on and struck out Willy Adames, Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe in the ninth inning to slam the door. Key Play of the Game You never know when the most important, most impactful play of any game will happen. Turns out, in this game, that play may have happened in the second inning. Following the Renfroe leadoff home run, Mike Brosseau singled to left field. Luis Urias flew out, and then Keston Hiura doubled Brosseau to third base. Victor Caratini struck out for the inning's second out. However, Tyrone Taylor hit what should have been a two-run single. Unfortunately, and maybe even inexplicably (though Craig Counsell tried to stand up for Hiura in his postgame interview below), the ball hit Hiura and ended the inning. There is no way of knowing what would happen over the rest of the game had the Brewers scored three that inning instead of just one, but in a 2-1 loss, when fighting for a playoff spot, that's a pretty huge play. Ashby Struggles but Bullpen Provides a Mixed Bag Lefty Aaron Ashby came on to replace Peralta. It makes sense. Have the left-hander come in after the right-handed opener. But it didn’t go as I’m sure Craig Counsell had hoped. The rookie gave up one run on two hits, two walks and two hit batters, and maybe more important, he was only able to provide 1 2/3 innings. Fortunately, Peter Strzelecki came on and got the next four outs, two of them on strikeouts. Trevor Gott worked a perfect inning. Brad Boxberger gave up a single, but struck out two batters in a scoreless seventh inning. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Matt Bush gave up a leadoff home run to Reds rookie Spencer Steer to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== What’s Next? The Brewers will hopefully enjoy their final scheduled off day on Monday before playing their final nine games at home starting on Tuesday. Postgame Interviews data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Bush 0 14 12 0 19 45 Boxberger 15 0 13 0 14 42 Gott 17 0 0 10 14 41 Ashby 0 0 0 0 40 40 Suter 18 0 0 17 0 35 Strzelecki 0 16 0 0 16 32 Perdomo 0 0 27 0 IL 27 Williams 0 0 18 0 0 18 Rogers 0 0 0 16 0 16 Milner 6 0 0 0 0 6 View full article

Good catch... I started typing into the software heading into the 9th inning. Oops!

Good catch... I started typing into the software heading into the 9th inning. Oops!

Needing to win as many games as possible over their final 11 games, the Brewers got a 9-2 win in Cincinnati on Saturday. Box Score SP: Corbin Burnes: 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K (102 pitches, 61 strikes (59.8%) Home Runs: Hunter Renfroe 2 (27), Rowdy Tellez (33) Top 3 WPA: Hunter Renfroe (0.328), Corbin Burnes (0.147), Omar Narvaez (0.141) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Hunter Renfroe Provides the Power Things were pretty quiet in the first three innings. The Reds scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the 1st inning on an Alejo Lopez single. In the bottom of the 4th inning, Hunter Renfroe came to bat with Rowdy Tellez on base. He launched his 26th home run of the season to give the Brewers the 2-1 lead. The Crew kept adding on that inning. Omar Narvaez later singled to score Andrew McCutchen, and then Luis Urias scored on a Tyrone Taylor single to make it 4-1. One is terrific but twice is really nice. In the fifth frame, with Rowdy Tellez again on base, Renfroe came to the plate again and hit a second, two-run homer to give the Brewers a 6-1 lead. It was the 27th home run of the year for Renfroe. Both teams went scoreless in the 6th inning. The Reds didn’t score in the top of the 7th and then the Brewers added on. Christian Yelich scored on a Willy Adames double. Soon after, Renfroe drove in his fifth run of the game to score Adames on a single. Renfroe later scored on a single by Urias. Through seven innings, the Brewers held a 9-1 lead. The Reds scored a run in the bottom of the 7th inning. The 8th inning was scoreless for both teams. Rowdy Tellez led off the top of the 9th inning with a solo home run off of position player Alejo Lopez. That brought Renfroe to the plate again. He was 4-for-4 to that point, and of course, the one “pitcher” to get him out was Lopez who started the game at second base. Burnes Comes Through With the Brewers needing to win at least eight of their final 11 games, they really need to be able to rely on Corbin Burnes. It’s fair to say that Burnes wasn’t at his absolute best on Saturday in Cincinnati, but he was certainly good enough on this night. Good enough to earn his 11th win of the year. He struggled with his control a little more than he usually does. His strike percentage was just under 60% He gave up just the four hits, but he also uncharacteristically walked three batters too. However, he worked into the 7th inning and kept the Crew in control. He had eight strikeouts in the game. Bullpen Provides Zero(es) Burnes gave up the first-inning run and then didn’t give up a run until the 7th inning. He left the game with one run in and a runner in scoring position. He was relieved by Trevor Gott who got the next two batters out. Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless 8th inning before Brent Suter struck out two batters in a perfect 9th inning. That’s got to hurt! Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless, hitless eighth inning despite a lack of control. Just six of his 16 pitches were strikes. He walked the leadoff batter of the inning on four pitches, but he also hit Reds’ rookie infielder Spencer Steer. It is interesting because the two were teammates and went to spring training together in 2021 and 2022 with the Minnesota Twins. Rogers was traded to the Padres on Opening Day, and of course, the Brewers acquired him from San Diego in the Josh Hader deal. Rogers got the opportunity in a low-leverage situation. In his previous outing, he gave up four runs on one hit and three walks in just 2/3 of an inning. And before that, he gave up a run on two hits in one inning against the Yankees. However, in his previous four appearances, he worked four scoreless, hitless, walkless innings that included eight strikeouts. It has certainly been a roller coaster season for Rogers. What’s Next? The Brewers will play their final road game of the season on Sunday afternoon when they take on the Reds one more time. Freddy Peralta will come off of the Injured List to try to keep the team’s hopes alive for a playoff berth. He is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA. The Reds will counter with former first-round pick Nick Lodolo who is 4-7 with a 3.90 ERA. Game time is 12:40 central time. Wild Card Update The Brewers won. The Padres beat the Rockies 9-3. The Phillies lost to Kyle Wright and the Braves 6-3. The Brewers made up one game on the Phillies. Postgame Interviews View full article