Brewers Farm Update

Brewers Farm Update: Tuesday, August 18

Colorado Springs Sky Sox: (51-71), 23.0 GB

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Reno 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 7 0
Col. Springs 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 7 1

RHP Zach Davies:  6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K — 4.50 ERA
RHP Preston Guilmet:  (L, 2-1) 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 2.79 ERA
LF Domingo Santana:  1-for-4, RBI, K — .324 AVG
SS Luis Sardinas:  2-for-3, RBI, BB — .274 AVG

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Reno 0 0 2 1 3 0 1 7 11 0
Col. Springs 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0

RHP Tim Dillard:  4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR — 5.36 ERA
LHP Jeremy Horst:  (L, 0-1) 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR — 4.26 ERA
LF Domingo Santana:  3-for-3, R — .329 AVG
1B Matt Clark:  1-for-2, HR (17), 2 RBI, BB, R — .282 AVG

Biloxi Shuckers: (

Did not play.

Brevard County Manatees: (24-25), 4.5 GB

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Brevard County 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 6 0
Daytona 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0

RHP Jorge Ortega:  (W, 9-8) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K — 2.48 ERA
RF Clint Coulter:  1-for-3, HR (12), RBI, R — .242 AVG
1B Garrett Cooper:  1-for-3, HR (7), RBI, R — .294 AVG
C Rafael Neda:  2-for-3, 2B — .239 AVG

[Game two of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain.]

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: (17-31), 18.5 GB

Did not play.

Helena Brewers: (3-14), 7.0 GB

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Helena 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2
Ogden 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 0 x 7 11 0

RHP Joshua Torres:  (L, 2-3) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K — 3.75 ERA
1B Steven Karkenny:  2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB — .247 AVG
3B Jose Cuas:  1-for-4, HR (6), RBI, R, 2 K — .247 AVG

AZL Brewers: (9-10), 2.0 GB

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
AZL Brewers 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 6 1
AZL Athletics 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 1 x 6 14 2

RHP Karsen Lindell:  (L, 1-3) 2.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — 4.81 ERA
1B Juan Ortiz:  1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, R, 2 K — .294 AVG
LF Ben Guez:  1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, K — .333 AVG
DH Trent Clark:  1-for-4, BB, R — .306 AVG

DSL Brewers: (30-37), 12.0 GB

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
DSL Pirates 3 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 7 11 1
DSL Brewers 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 11 1

RHP Nattino Diplan:  (L, 3-7) 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR — 4.55 ERA
LF Bryan Torres:  3-for-5, 3B, RBI, K — .313 AVG
DH Bismar Nunez:  2-for-4, HR (1), RBI, R, K — .322 AVG

Prospect of the Day:  RHP Jorge Ortega, Brevard

Amidst the quality performances of bigger-named pitchers, such as Jorge Lopez and Devin Williams, it seems that right-hander Jorge Ortega has slipped under the radar with a stellar 2.48 ERA for High-A Brevard County. He tossed a complete-game shutout in the Manatees’ seven-inning victory over the Tortugas. The right-hander doesn’t have an overpowering repertoire — as his fastball hovers around 90 mph with a changeup and curveball — but relentlessly pounds the strike zone. His 2.1 percent walk rate actually improves upon his walk rate in 2014, when he only walked eight batters (2.3 percent) all year.

Though I have yet to see Ortega pitch in a live-game setting, his statistical profile has multiple factors working against him. The walk rate is lovely, but his already striking out just 4.51 batters per nine innings. Project that into the higher levels of the minors, not to mention the majors, and that’s unworkable. He’ll be heavily reliant upon BABIP for his success. Even last year, he posted a 4.23 ERA in rookie ball as a 21-year-old because he surrendered 13 homers in just 83.0 innings. Again, not a recipe for sustainable good fortune. The difficult offensive environment in the Florida State League has benefited Ortega. It is also encouraging that the organization felt confident enough in the right-hander to skip the Midwest League; however, he’s not young for the FSL and needs to show this contact-heavy approach can work in the higher levels. Consider me very skeptical.

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