Brewers Class AA team, Biloxi, falls just short of league title

In a fiercely contested Southern League title race, the Milwaukee Brewers' Class AA affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers, narrowly missed clinching the championship with a 3-1 defeat to the Rocket City on Thursday, September 23, in Madison, Alabama. Rocket City emerged victorious in Game 3 of the best-of-three series. Biloxi's talented lineup managed to collect 10 hits, but they were unable to break through against Rocket City's ace, Austin Gordon, and the team's strong bullpen.

Gordon showcased his dominance by striking out 10 batters, allowing only one run on six hits over 6⅓ innings. Biloxi's starting pitcher, JD Thompson, who is the 18th prospect in Milwaukee's organization according to MLB Pipeline, also performed well, allowing two runs on six hits while recording five strikeouts over 3⅓ innings. Despite Biloxi's bullpen contributing just one additional run in the final 4⅔ innings, the offense was unable to secure the necessary runs to secure the win.

Biloxi's lone run came in the seventh inning with Damon Keith being awarded home plate due to a balk, bringing the score to 2-1. Rocket City's top prospect, Arjun Nimmala, turned the tables in the bottom half by hitting a home run, further extending their lead. Keith also made a notable play by throwing out a runner at the plate during the game.

Among Milwaukee's top prospects, Josh Adamczewski and Braylon Payne managed to double, but it wasn't enough as Biloxi went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Jesús Made, Biloxi's No. 1 prospect, contributed with a walk and a single. The Shuckers had reached the Southern League Championship Series for the fourth time in franchise history, with their first appearance since 2019, but they have yet to secure the title.