battlekow

No, no one obvious, though I guess there's a chance someone will take a shine to Dan Meadow's underpowered left arm.

Sean Halton started at 3B for the Sounds tonight. He's never played anywhere other than 1B except for three games in LF for Helena in 2009. Interesting.

Matos pinch-hit in the 6th and went 0-2; this was his first game since 6/19.

Final: AZL Brewers 10, @AZL Cubs 8 (10 innings) AZL Brewers box score Beat the Cubs! You gotta love how Clint Coulter is coming alive with the stick lately. He'd been hitting well for average for a while, but as Keith Law noted a few weeks back, he was just trying to make contact and thus wasn't tapping into his prodigious power. Well, after a 3-5 night that included two doubles, he's got his line up to .313/.432/.464. All three of his doubles and three of his four homers have come in the last eight games. My favorite stat, though? His 22/21 BB/K ratio. He even threw a guy out stealing! The maybe-not-so-raw-after-all Edgardo Rivera (should we call him and Tyrone Taylor "rare" instead?) continues to demonstrate an idea at the plate, collecting two hits and a walk. He's hitting .306 with 14 walks against 14 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances, so it doesn't seem like the free passes are just a result of passivity. He was picked off first and committed a fielding error, though. Joses Pena and Sermo also each had two knocks, and Pena "tossed" in an outfield kill at home, too. I've been kinda waiting for Pena's numbers to crash, and while he's certainly cooled off lately, he's hanging in there at .317/.375/.545. I remember voting for him on the Power 50 just after he signed and then feeling pretty foolish after his first DSL campaign and writing him off completely after his second--so don't give up on Juan Ortiz just yet! Let's talk about Taylor Smith-Brennan for a sec. The dude was on three times with a hit and two walks, giving him nine hits on the year--he's hitting .120--but 27 walks. In only 104 plate appearances. With 34 strikeouts. Taylor, I dub thee Sir Two True Outcomes (2TO). As for the pitching, Eduard Reyes' third stateside start didn't go nearly as well as his first two, as he was tagged for ten baserunners and four runs in 4.2 innings, plus a wild pitch and a balk for good measure. Carlos Sosa, despite blowing the save in the 9th, pitched decently, allowing one run on just a walk and a hit over the final three frames. AZL Brewers play-by-play The seven-run 4th: AZL Brewers Top of the 4th Jose Pena singles on a ground ball to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Jose Sermo singles on a ground ball to second baseman Daniel Lockhart. Jose Pena to 2nd. Dustin Houle hits a sacrifice bunt. Throwing error by pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino. Jose Pena scores. Jose Sermo to 3rd. Dustin Houle to 2nd. Alan Sharkey singles on a ground ball to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Jose Sermo scores. Dustin Houle to 3rd. Angel Ortega singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Dustin Houle scores. Alan Sharkey to 3rd. Taylor Smith-Brennan singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Alan Sharkey scores. Angel Ortega to 2nd. Malcolm Dowell out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino to first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Angel Ortega to 3rd. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 2nd. Edgardo Rivera singles on a ground ball to pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino. Angel Ortega scores. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 3rd. With Clint Coulter batting, passed ball by Justin Marra, Taylor Smith-Brennan scores. Edgardo Rivera to 2nd. Clint Coulter doubles (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Edgardo Rivera scores. Pitching Change: Jin-Young Kim replaces Carlos Martinez-Pumarino. Jose Pena flies out to center fielder Albert Almora. Jose Sermo singles on a ground ball to center fielder Albert Almora. Clint Coulter out at home on the throw, center fielder Albert Almora to catcher Justin Marra. Coulter would later leave the game, but I don't think it had anything to do with the play at the plate, but just getting some speed on the bases to try to score an insurance run: AZL Brewers Top of the 9th Clint Coulter singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Renaldo Jenkins replaces Clint Coulter. Jose Pena singles on a ground ball to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Renaldo Jenkins to 2nd. Jose Sermo strikes out swinging. Dustin Houle grounds out, second baseman Daniel Lockhart to first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Renaldo Jenkins to 3rd. Jose Pena to 2nd. Alan Sharkey flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Clutch two-out double from Coulter's replacement, Joe Andrade to score the game-winning runs: AZL Brewers Top of the 10th Angel Ortega flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Taylor Smith-Brennan walks. Malcolm Dowell reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 2nd. With Edgardo Rivera batting, wild pitch by Alvido Jimenez, Taylor Smith-Brennan to 3rd. Malcolm Dowell to 2nd. Edgardo Rivera pops out to second baseman Daniel Lockhart. Joe Andrade doubles (2) on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Taylor Smith-Brennan scores. Malcolm Dowell scores. Jose Pena flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston.

Sorry, just saw this. Basically, I'll write up any AZL game the next morning if no one has gotten to it by then, but I'm not up late enough to do them the night of. Thanks for taking care of it.

Apropos of little, but I thought it was interesting that Segura's one MLB game resulted in this picture: http://binaryapi.ap.org/853d495d4a374d79ae7a87a041501a9b/512x.jpg Hopefully not a metaphor for their careers.

Happily, with Hiram Burgos Nashville-bound, the Thunder is again rolling Downhill--RHP Jimmy Nelson was activated off the DL to take Burgos' roster spot. Nelson has been out since 6/30, his third start for the Stars after being promoted from Brevard County.

I had forgotten that Jean Segura was involved in the dust-up with D'Vo. Funny how Segura is now on the Brewers and Richardson isn't (well, he technically is, but you get my point). That was a fun game. It would have been too cosmic if Odorizzi was the starter, or even if Mike Trout was still with the Kernels (I guess he'd been promoted to A+ by that point).

There is a pleasing symmetry to his following a two-homer game with a two-double game and then a two-triple game. He's slacking on the singles, though--hasn't had one since Saturday.

Thanks much for the first-hand insight, MTBrew. It's very appreciated.

Kentrail Davis HBP rates: 2010 Brevard Co: 10 HBP/150 PA = .067 2010 Wisconsin: 9 HBP/290 PA = .031 2011 Brevard Co: 18 HBP/565 PA = .032 2012 Huntsville: 0 HBP/353 PA = .000 He's not been hit by a pitch this year. Incredible.

Carlos Belonis has been out for five days now. Tyrone Taylor out again for Helena.

Jim Callis on Friday: Seems to be the same situation Anderson is in, yes? Previously, I know the same applied to Josh Fields in 2008.

I believe that as a college senior, the 7/13 deadline does not apply to Anderson; the Brewers would instead control his rights until next year's draft.

There is no A-Crew tonight!

Final: AZL Angels 6, @AZL Brewers 4 AZL Brewers box score 3-3 after six innings, but single runs in each of the last three frames for the Angels won the game. The rehabbing Maverick Lasker turned in four scoreless to start the game, albeit with an ugly 3/4 K/BB plus two HBP, and Juan Francisco followed and was tagged for four runs (one earned). Clint Coulter stayed hot (though who isn't when the game-time temp is 111?), collecting a single, walk, and HBP in four trips. Nothing negative to report on the defensive front for him today, either. Malcolm Dowell, who's quietly having a nice start to his season, reach all four times ups with a single, double, walk, and HBP. Jose Pena got back on the horse with a two-hit effort, and Alan Sharkey had two, including a double, as well. Angel Ortega, who's getting first crack at the leadoff spot in the stead of Tyrone Taylor, went 0-5. Jose Garcia was in left again. AZL Brewers box score

Sergio Miranda on the left and Hunter Morris on the right, I believe.

I think he and his twin brother Matt, in the Rays' system, both had Tommy John.

Final: @AZL Cubs 6, AZL Brewers 5 (11 innings) AZL Brewers box score The Maryvale boys scored 17 fewer runs in the 1st inning than they did yesterday, but had a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the 8th before their bullpen imitated the big club's. Joel Dicent turned in his best start of the year, allowing two runs in five innings while fanning five. Most of the damage came off 18-year-old Anthony Banda, this year's 10th-rounder, who was charged with two runs in the 8th and the tying run in the 9th and earned for his trouble...a hold. Of course. Clint Coulter was on four times with a single, two walks, and a HBP. He DHed, so no defensive miscues, but I'm not going to let him off entirely. I pointed out yesterday that he committed his sixth passed ball in just ten games but neglected to clarify that it was just his sixth game at catcher. It also deserves mentioning that of the 18 baserunners that have tried to steal off him, he's nabbed precisely none of them. Now, it's just six games, and I'm sure most AZL pitchers have bigger things on their mind than controlling the running game, but 0% is rather suboptimal, eh? Malcolm Dowell singled in his only two at-bats, Renaldo Jenkins singled and tripled in four trips, and Jose Garcia collected a single and a double in his five at-bats. The 6'3" Garcia, you'll recall, was an outfielder in his previous four years in the system before converting to catcher this year; he made his first 2012 appearance in the outfield today, starting in left. Jose Pena cooled off with an 0-4 day, though he did notch a sac fly. Tyrone Taylor did not play. I was hoping to see speedy Edgardo Rivera, the Brewers' recently inked 8th-rounder, make his pro debut today, but alas--maybe tomorrow. Maybe he'll bring Gian Rizzo with him, too. Beastly Dan Vogelbach, the Cubs' 2nd-rounder last year and my kind of player, was 0-3 with a walk. AZL Brewers play-by-play Unlike Coulter, Dustin Houle has been decent with his arm, throwing out three of nine attempted base thieves coming into today. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out the same today, and the Cubs' baserunning played a key part in the victory: AZL Cubs Bottom of the 8th Pitcher Change: Anthony Banda replaces Austin Blaski. Timothy Saunders singles on a ground ball to shortstop Angel Ortega. Daniel Lockhart singles on a line drive to center fielder Dionis Hinojosa. Timothy Saunders to 2nd. With Ben Carhart batting, Timothy Saunders steals (4) 3rd base. Daniel Lockhart steals (2) 2nd base. Ben Carhart grounds out, shortstop Angel Ortega to first baseman Alan Sharkey. Timothy Saunders scores. Daniel Lockhart to 3rd. Daniel Vogelbach walks. Justin Marra walks. Daniel Vogelbach to 2nd. With Izaac Garsez batting, wild pitch by Anthony Banda, Daniel Lockhart scores. Daniel Vogelbach to 3rd. Justin Marra to 2nd. Izaac Garsez strikes out swinging. Jacob Rogers called out on strikes. AZL Cubs Bottom of the 9th David Bote walks. Pitcher Change: Carlos Sosa replaces Anthony Banda. Alberto Mineo out on a sacrifice bunt, third baseman Jalen Harris to first baseman Alan Sharkey. David Bote to 2nd. With Timothy Saunders batting, David Bote steals (2) 3rd base, David Bote scores. Throwing error by catcher Dustin Houle. Timothy Saunders walks. With Daniel Lockhart batting, Timothy Saunders steals (5) 2nd base. Daniel Lockhart flies out to left fielder Jose Garcia. With Ben Carhart batting, wild pitch by Carlos Sosa, Timothy Saunders to 3rd. Ben Carhart flies out to right fielder Jose Pena.

The Sounds are facing off against Scott Gorgen today; I remember wanting the Brewers to take him in 2008 because of his outstanding changeup.

Final: AZL Brewers 23, @AZL Royals 8 AZL Brewers box score On a beautiful 105-degree night in the Arizona desert, the Baby Brewers got together and beat the living hell out of the Royals. As with many other games so far this year, the Brewers' pitching was [sarcasm]spot on[/sarcasm] in the early going, surrendering a six-spot in the 1st inning--but, gloriously, it barely registered on the scoreboard this time around, because as you can see from the slackened jaws and improbably long play-by-play above, the Maryvale Crew had already tallied 17 runs by that point. That's a magazine, not a 1st inning. The offense was powered by twin terrors Tyrone Taylor and Jose Pena, each of whom reached three times before the opening frame was done. Taylor, who's certainly panning out pretty well so far, especially for a supposedly raw tools-goof type, finished 4-7 with three doubles and a triple. Boosting the ol' slugging percentage the Ty Cobb way (in fact, the Brewers hit precisely zero home runs tonight). Pena was 5-7 with a double and a triple each. Angel Ortega also had four hits, including a triple, to instantly boost his batting average from a paltry .185 to a perfectly cromulent .265. Sadly, Clint Coulter's .088 entering the day will require more dramatic intervention, but he did his part by collecting as many hits today (three) as he had in his entire pro career to this point; he also walked and committed his sixth passed ball (this is just his tenth game!). Jalen Harris had two hits, including a triple, and walked twice, and Renaldo Jenkins both doubled and walked twice, while Malcolm Dowell tallied a single, three walks, and a HBP; continue taking your walks and eating your vegetables, young gents. Alan Sharkey singled and doubled. Last and also least, Dionis Hinojosa did not see any of the Brewers' 23 hits fall his way, though he did draw two walks and both drove in and score two runs; each starter managed at least one RBI. No truth to the rumor that Dustin Houle locked Coulter in the clubhouse bathroom in an effort to get in on the fun. Oh, you say there are pitchers, too? I'd rather not. Well, okay, actually Danny Keller was awful--eight runs on 12 hits in three innings--but Taylor Mangum and Zach Quintana were both resplendent, allowing just two baserunners over the final six frames. Pitching coaches everywhere nod approvingly: the Brewers, clearly having read the Pitching in a Blowout section of the HR manual, issued zero free passes. AZL Brewers play-by-play Scroll up for gory details.

The Reverse Romanski.

With all the picks in the first ten rounds in the fold, the Brewers are $5600 under budget, which means they can offer Farmer $105,600 without penalty. If they're willing to endure the 75% overage tax on money spent up to 5% over their draft budget, they could offer Farmer up to $443,835 (third-round value), for a total cost of $697,511.25. Any more than that and they lose a draft pick. This being the Brewers, they will probably not go over budget, so let's hope Farmer is interested in the barely-six-figures bonus.

We've noted in the past that the interesting international prospects (such as they are) in the Brewers system tend to be disproportionately Venezuelan; ESPN's Jorge Arangure has a nice article that provides some insight into why that might be the case:

I'll take Maryvale until/unless someone else wants it.