Category: Missions

When will the Brewers take another look at Aaron Wilkerson?

The San Antonio Missions' Aaron Wilkerson pitches against the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions’ Aaron Wilkerson pitches against the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Last night in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee Brewers starter Jhoulys Chacín gave up seven earned runs in less than three innings in a 9-4 loss to the Pirates.

Before leaving in the bottom of the third inning, Chacín walked three men with the bases loaded.

Chacín, 3-7 on the season, went 0-4 in the month of May in five starts.

Last night in Triple-A, the San Antonio Missions’ Aaron Wilkerson threw seven scoreless innings and allowed one hit with six strikeouts and three walks.

Obviously, it’s a significant difference between playing in the bigs and the Pacific Coast League.

And in Wilkerson’s time with the Brewers earlier this season, he didn’t exactly tear it up. Wilkerson appeared in three games with Milwaukee and gave up six earned runs in 7 1/3 innings.

But since coming back to San Antonio, he has gotten in a groove and dominated. Here are his last three starts in the Pacific Coast League when he had three wins and gave up no earned runs:

May 31, San Antonio def. Omaha 3-0
win, 7.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 6 SO, 3 BB

May 25, San Antonio def. Memphis 4-0
win, 5.2 IP, 0R, 0 ER, 3 H, 8 SO, 2 BB

May 19, San Antonio def. Memphis 9-3
win, 6.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 7 SO, 1 BB

In all, the 6-foot-3 right-hander from Fort Worth has pitched in five games with San Antonio since coming back from Milwaukee. He has allowed one earned run in 28 innings in that stretch with 13 hits, 25 strikeouts and 9 walks.

Whether Wilkerson goes back up to Milwaukee in the near future will depend as much on the health and performance of the Brewers’ pitching staff as it does on his own stats.

For the time being, down in San Antonio, Wilkerson is doing his part.

More on Wilkerson and Travis Shaw

  • Jerry Briggs of samissions.com takes a look at Travis Shaw and Aaron Wilkerson playing in San Antonio:
    Story on milb.com

    • Brewers’ Travis Shaw heating up at the plate with Missions

    The Milwaukee Brewers' Travis Shaw playing for the San Antonio Missions against the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Brewers’ Travis Shaw playing for the Missions against Omaha on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

    Travis Shaw had three hits including a solo home run on Friday in the San Antonio Missions’ 3-0 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers at Wolff Stadium.

    The Milwaukee Brewers infielder is with Triple-A San Antonio on a rehab assignment while coming back from a wrist injury. On Friday, he was 3-for-3 with a walk.

    Shaw is hitting .438 (7-of-16) over his last five games with the Missions.

    He is expected to rejoin the Brewers after the Missions’ current four-game series, which concludes Sunday.

    Milwaukee Brewers infielder Travis Shaw with the San Antonio Missions

    The Milwaukee Brewers' Travis Shaw playing for the San Antonio Missions on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Brewers’ Travis Shaw playing for the Missions on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Travis Shaw of the Milwaukee Brewers is currently playing with the San Antonio Missions on a rehab assignment due to a wrist injury.

    Media reports from Milwaukee indicate he will return to the Brewers after the Missions’ current four-game home series against the Omaha Storm Chasers ends on Sunday.

    Through Thursday, Shaw has played in seven games with the Missions and is batting .192. In the last four games he is 4-of-13 (.307) with three runs.

    The 6-foot-4, 230-pound infielder played in his first Missions home game on Thursday with the team wearing their alternate Flying Chanclas uniforms.

    Houston Astros prospect and Round Rock Express outfielder Yordan Alvarez

    Yordan Alvarez of the Round Rock Express playing against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Yordan Alvarez of the Round Rock Express playing against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    You get the feeling that Yordan Alvarez is going to be playing in the majors very soon.

    And that the 21-year-old from Cuba is going to stay in the majors for a long time.

    The 6-foot-5, 225-pound outfielder is currently with the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A farm club of the Houston Astros. The word around the league is that Alvarez will continue to improve his skills in the outfield. He has also seen time at first base for the Express.

    His left-handed batting skills have already made him one of the biggest offensive threats in Triple-A and the Pacific Coast league.

    Here is how Alvarez ranks in Triple-A as of May 23, 2019 (41 games played):
    1st in batting average – .396
    1st in total bases – 133
    2nd in home runs – 19
    2nd in RBIs – 57
    2nd in hits – 61
    3rd in doubles – 15
    3rd in runs scored – 39

    The Round Rock Express are currently at home for a four-game series against the San Antonio Missions. The series continues tonight and concludes Friday, weather permitting.

    Is Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson’s work in San Antonio almost done?

    Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson in his third appearance this season with the San Antonio Missions on May 17 at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson in his third appearance this season with the Missions on May 17 at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Jimmy Nelson is slated to make his fourth and what may well be his final appearance in a San Antonio Missions uniform on Thursday.

    The Missions are playing on the road against the Round Rock Express – central Texas weather permitting.

    The Milwaukee Brewers pitcher has appeared in three games with the Missions while rehabbing from an injury suffered late in the 2017 season.

    Nelson started two of his three games with the Missions and has a 2-0 record with a 3.77 ERA. In his last outing, he pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and threw 86 pitches (54 strikes).

    If all goes well Thursday, the 6-foot-6 right hander might once again be a starter for the Brewers by next week.

    Todd Rosiak, who covers the Brewers for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reported this quote from Brewers manager Craig Counsel:

    “Then, at that point, we’ve got to make a decision. It’s just time. He’s healthy, he’s responding well. We’ve got to decide on putting him in the starting rotation.”

    Nelson had a 12-6 record and 3.49 ERA in 29 starts with the Brewers in 2017. His season ended when he was diagnosed with a partially torn labrum and a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

    Missions’ Tyler Saladino blasts Redbirds again

    Tyler Saladino hits a seventh-inning home run in the Missions' 4-0 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Monday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Tyler Saladino hits a seventh-inning home run in the Missions’ 4-0 victory over the Redbirds. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Tyler Saladino and the San Antonio Missions made life miserable for the Memphis Redbirds over the last five games.

    Saladino had a two-run pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning Monday as the Missions beat the Redbirds 4-0 at Wolff Stadium to complete a sweep of their series.

    In the five games against the Redbirds, Saladino batted .643 (9-of-14) with five runs scored, two home runs, two doubles and 10 RBIs. He has nine home runs and 23 extra-base hits on the season.

    Jake Hager and Tuffy Gosewisch drove in the other two runs Monday.

    Missions reliever Taylor Williams (1-0) pitched the fifth and six innings and got the win. He allowed no runs and two hits with two strikeouts. Burch Smith was the starter and did not get a decision. Smith went four scoreless innings and allowed two hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

    Lucas Erceg, Tyler Saladino homer as Missions pound Redbirds

    The Missions' Tyler Saladino watches his three-run homer sail over the right-field fence in the sixth inning against the Redbirds on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Missions’ Tyler Saladino watches his three-run homer sail over the right-field fence in the sixth inning against the Redbirds on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    The San Antonio Missions lashed out 15 hits including two home runs in a 9-3 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

    Lucas Erceg hit his sixth home run of the season, a two-out solo shot in the second inning.

    Tyler Saladino hit his eighth homer of the season with two runners on base in the sixth inning.

    Erceg, Saladino and Blake Allemand had two hits each for the Missions.

    Missions starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson (2-0) went six innings for the win. He allowed one unearned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

    It was the fifth straight win for the Missions, including the first four games of the current series against the Redbirds. The teams conclude their series with an early game Monday at 11:05 a.m.

    Brewers’ Jimmy Nelson looks strong in rehab start for Missions

    Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson playing for the San Antonio Missions on a rehab assignment on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson playing for the Missions on a rehab assignment on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson looked so strong Friday night at Wolff Stadium, it might be his last game in San Antonio.

    Nelson pitched in his third rehab appearance for the San Antonio Missions. He went 5 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win. He gave up three hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.

    The 6-foot-6 right-hander missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. Nelson had a 12-6 record with a 3.49 ERA for the Brewers in 2017.

    Nelson is tentatively scheduled to make another start for the Missions on their next road trip. If Friday’s game was any indication, he might be back with the Brewers before long.

    Missions catcher and Brewers prospect Jacob Nottingham

    San Antonio Missions and Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jacob Nottingham playing for San Antonio this season at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    Missions catcher Jacob Nottingham, playing for San Antonio this season at Wolff Stadium, was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. – photo by Joe Alexander
    Jacob Nottingham had seen time as both a catcher and first baseman with the San Antonio Missions this season.

    Nottingham was called up to the majors on Thursday when an injury left the Milwaukee Brewers in need of another catcher.

    In 26 games with Triple-A San Antonio, Nottingham hit .247 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. He was on a hot streak before called up, recording hits in 9 of his last 12 games with the Missions and hitting .324 in that stretch.

    Nottingham played in nine games with the Brewers last season and 50 games in Triple-A.

    Missions edge Redbirds on Tyler Saladino’s walk-off double

    The Missions celebrate after Tyler Saladino's walk-off double against the Redbirds on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
    The Missions celebrate after Tyler Saladino’s walk-off double against the Redbirds on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
    On a night when he already had three hits including two doubles, Tyler Saladino needed to come through one more time.

    The San Antonio Missions trailed the Memphis Redbirds by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Saladino went to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

    It looked like Saladino might push over the tieing run when it appeared he was hit by a pitch after the ball bounced. Saladino didn’t get the call.

    So Saladino took one more swing. This one produced his fourth hit and third double of the night – and ended the game.

    Saladino’s walk-off double drove in Tuffy Gosewisch and Jake Hager to give the Missions a 4-3 victory Thursday night at Wolff Stadium.

    Gosewisch had entered the game as a pinch-runner for David Freitas, who started the rally with a one-run walk. Hager, who pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot, followed with a single. Mauricio Dubon drew a two-out walk to load the bases and set the stage for Saladino.

    Missions relief pitcher Jay Jackson (2-1), who entered the game in the eight inning, pitched the top of the ninth and got the win.

    The Redbirds had taken a 3-2 lead on a pair of solo home runs in the top of the sixth inning.

    Saladino had a run-scoring single in the fifth inning that gave the Missions a 2-1 lead.

    The Missions’ Nate Orf scored the first run of the game by hitting his fifth home run of the season in the second inning.