Milwaukee Brewers Minors: Gio Gonzalez Makes First Rehab Start

Three of the Milwaukee Brewers affiliates were in action on Wednesday, all picking up losses. But most of the focus was on a Brewers starter making his first rehab start.

Triple-A

The San Antonio Missions were off again on Wednesday, but two of their players participated in the league’s All-Star game. Batting eighth, catcher David Freitas started and represented the Missions well. In the second inning, he doubled home a run to start the scoring for the game and then was driven home by the next batter. Freitas added another double in the fourth and scored for the second time later that inning.

Reliever Jay Jackson entered the game in the ninth and faced two batters. He walked the first batter he faced and induced a fly out from the second. The Missions resume regular season play on Thursday.

Double-A

The Biloxi Shuckers (51-39) had the day off on Wednesday. They begin a quick six-game homestand against the Chattanooga Lookouts (44-45) on Thursday. Drew Rasmussen is scheduled to make his third straight start looking for his fourth scoreless appearance in a row.

Class A Advanced

Carolina Mudcats (51-39) vs Frederick Keys (35-55)

Brewers starter Gio Gonzalez completed his first rehab start with the Mudcats on Wednesday, going two innings and giving up four hits and two earned runs while striking out a pair. Carolina broke out for four runs in the fourth to take the lead, but Frederick tied the game late and then finished the job in the tenth to hand the Mudcats a 5-4 extra-inning loss.

Down by two in the fourth, the Mudcats jumped on the board when Mario Feliciano hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Tristen Lutz. Four batters later with two men on, Pat McInerney launched his second three-run bomb in two days to give Carolina the lead. But the Keys scored a run apiece in the sixth and eighth to draw even and then kept the Mudcats off the board in the tenth before walking off in the bottom of the frame.

Brice Turang had his first hit since being promoted to Carolina, a single to lead off the game, and finished 1 for 4. Lutz finished 2 for 5 with a triple on top of the run that he scored while McInerney added a single to finish 2 for 3 with the home run and a walk.

Class A

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (42-46) vs Dayton Dragons (36-53)

The Timber Rattlers struck first with a run in the first, but the Dragons had the last laugh, scoring the next four unanswered and dealing Wisconsin a 6-2 loss on Wednesday in their series opener. Adam Hill gave up four earned runs over six innings to drop to 6-6 on the season.

2019 5th round pick Thomas Dillard, playing in his second game since being promoted to Wisconsin, led off the scoring in the first inning with an RBI-single, his first hit as a Timber Rattler. Brent Diaz added his second home run in the year, a solo shot, in the seventh for the team’s only other run.

Seven Wisconsin hitters had at least one hit with Jesus Lujano the only one to collect two, both singles. He added a stolen base on top of that. Yeison Coca scored the run on Dillard’s run-scoring hit.

Rookie Advanced

Rocky Mountain Vibes (9-15) vs Ogden Raptors (10-14)

The Vibes gave up six runs to the Raptors late in Wednesday’s game and could only muster a small rally in the ninth, eventually falling 8-5.

Ernesto Martinez and Antonio Pinero led the way for the Vibes on Monday. Martinez reached base four times, finishing 2 for 3 with two walks, a double, a run scored, and a run batted in. Pinero went 3 for 5, all hits being singles, and also scored and drove in a run. Nick Kahle and Bryan Torres each finished 2 for 5.

The All Star breaks are finishing up for the upper level affiliates and soon we’ll have all levels of the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system playing regular season games once again.