Milwaukee Brewers Minors: Saladino Walks It Off for the Missions

The Milwaukee Brewers minor league system was an extra-inning walkoff short of going 4-0 in wins on Thursday. Regardless, San Antonio provided plenty of excitement to end the night.

Triple-A

San Antonio Missions (23-17) vs Memphis Redbirds (21-19)

Tyler Saladino capped off a 4-for-5 night with some late game heroics, sending a 2-2 pitch to right for a two-run walk off double and a 4-3 win over the Redbirds in their series opener.

The walk off double was Saladino’s third double of the night to go along with three RBIs. His hot night raised his batting average to .292 for the year and the extra base helped bring his OPS up to .940. Nate Orf added his fifth home run of the year with a solo shot to open the scoring in the second.

Alex Wilson pitched 1 2/3 scoreless, hitless innings to keep the game within a run and has given up just one earned run in five outings since being outrighted from the Milwaukee Brewers on May 1st. Jay Jackson struck out three of the four batters he faced to pick up the win and set the stage for Saladino’s game-winner.

Double-A

Biloxi Shuckers (21-20) vs Chattanooga Lookouts (21-18)

Alec Bettinger pitched a gem on Thursday night as he and two relievers combined to shut out the Lookouts 4-0 in the opening game of their series.

Bettinger held Chattanooga scoreless for seven innings to start the game, giving up just two hits and striking out ten. After giving up a single and a walk in the first, the righty allowed just one more batter to reach base over the next six innings and collected his first win of the year in the process.

Max McDowell and Michael O’Neill hit their second and fourth home runs of the year, respectively. Patrick Leonard reached base in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a run scored, and an RBI.

Class A Advanced

Carolina Mudcats (24-16) vs Lynchburg Hillcats (19-19)

A four-run fourth inning was all the Mudcats needed en route to a 4-1 win over the Hillcats. The win helped Carolina earn a series split.

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, Eddie Silva delivered an RBI single to open the scoring. Wes Rogers followed with an RBI fielder’s choice and Zach Clark capped off the scoring with a two-run double, his second double of the day where he finished 3-for-4.

Braden Webb was sharp again in his second start since being moved down to Carolina, giving up just a run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Matt Hardy, who earned the win and improved to 6-0 on the season, was fantastic in striking out seven of the ten batters he faced. Clayton Andrews struck out two of three batters in the ninth to earn his fifth save.

Class A

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (17-20) vs Burlington Bees (24-16)

For the second straight night the Milwaukee Brewers Single-A affiliate found themselves in an extra inning affair and for the second straight night they found themselves on the losing end, this time in the form of a 5-4 loss in the series opener against the Burlington Bees.

Korry Howell and David Fry provided all the offense for Wisconsin on Thursday. Howell knocked a two-out, two-run single to center to tie the game in the fourth. Fry followed that in the fifth with a two-run shot to give the Timber Rattlers a brief lead. Unfortunately the Bees would tie it up in the bottom half of the inning before ultimately walking off with a win in the tenth.

Aaron Ashby was equal parts impressive and shaky, striking out 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings but also giving up six hits and four earned runs in the no decision. Brice Turang went 1-for-4 with a walk and his ninth steal, giving him eight hits in his last nine games.