Link Report for Wed. 4/9 -- Misery Loves Company

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Hope you've had your morning coffee -- play ball!

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Yovani Gallardo at Oklahoma (Rangers), 10:45 AM pre-game; 11:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Steve Hammond at West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link):

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559

 

Brevard County: LHP Rafael Lluberes at St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry -- no audio for this series...

West Virginia: RHP Roque Mercedes at home vs. Augusta (Giants), 9:20 AM pre-game, 9:35 gametime

 

Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log" or "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_09_nasaaa_orhaaa_1

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_09_hunaax_wtdaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_09_breafa_sluafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_09_augafx_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime.

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

For a subscription fee, Nashville diehards can watch the Sounds on MiLB.TV this morning.

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 4 2 .667 - 4-2 0-0 W3 Memphis 3 3 .500 1.0 0-0 3-3 L1 Iowa 2 3 .400 1.5 2-3 0-0 W1 Nashville 1 5 .167 3.0 0-0 1-5 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 5 0 1.000 - 5-0 0-0 W5 Carolina 3 2 .600 2.0 0-0 3-2 L2 Tennessee 3 2 .600 2.0 0-0 3-2 L1 Chattanooga 3 3 .500 2.5 0-1 3-2 L1 West Tenn 2 3 .400 3.0 0-0 2-3 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 5 1 .833 - 2-0 3-1 W1 Jupiter 4 2 .667 1.0 4-0 0-2 W4 Brevard County 3 3 .500 2.0 1-2 2-1 W2 Daytona 3 3 .500 2.0 1-2 2-1 L1 Vero Beach 3 3 .500 2.0 2-2 1-1 L3 St. Lucie 0 6 .000 5.0 0-2 0-4 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 4 1 .800 - 1-0 3-1 W2 Hagerstown 3 1 .750 0.5 0-0 3-1 W1 Greensboro 4 2 .667 0.5 1-1 3-1 W1 Hickory 4 2 .667 0.5 3-1 1-1 L1 Lexington 2 4 .333 2.5 1-1 1-3 W1 West Virginia 2 4 .333 2.5 1-1 1-3 L1 Delmarva 1 3 .250 2.5 1-2 0-1 L1 Lakewood 1 4 .200 3.0 1-4 0-0 L2 

[gregmag]

Man, the West Virginia bats are cold. It's early, but sheesh.

Is that the best game Mercedes has ever pitched? Pitching into the 6th, let alone pitching fairly well, has to be some kind of moral victory.

Greg.

[homer]

I have a feeling WV may struggle this year. They are so young - maybe they'll pick it up after the draft in June but right now that lineup doesn't really have a lot of firepower. Hopefully Gindl and Brewer can kick it into high gear.

 

EDIT: When will the H'Ville lineup be posted? I'm excited to see Salome's name in there.

[bork]

Rain delay for the Sounds. It would seem that Gallardo's day is done, then. 90 pitches, 5 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 1 BB, 6 Ks. Does he still need that one more rehab start?

[And That]

Gallardo gets one more start, and should debut with the Brewers against the Reds the weekend after this one.

[bork]

I know that was the plan, but the number of rehab starts seemed to be flexible. He went 90 pitches and pitched well. He should be good for 100 next time. If Bush struggles tonight, might we see him next Tuesday?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Augusta (Giants) 4, West Virginia 3

Just a brutal loss -- hopefully all the kids in attendance weren't traumatized by the 9th inning miscues...

 

West Virginia Box Score

Brent Brewer committed consecutive errors and left fielder Kurt Crowell added a third error on one of the plays as the Power lost a 3-2 ninth inning lead; reliever Corey Frerichs should have had the save, but instead takes the loss; the Power did very little offensively, as the run they scored in the first was unearned; at least Curt Rindal homered for West Virginia's final two runs in the 2nd inning; Roque Mercedes and Jared Sutton pitched well -- Sutton needs to make his way to Brevard soon; check out those Power batting averages...

 

West Virginia Game Log

Listened all the way to Andy Barch, who was as disappointed as we listeners were in the final result...

[And That]

Yost said they want Gallardo to go over 100 in the minors.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Catcher Vinny Rottino

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Press Release:

 

NINTH INNING HAUNTS POWER

 

Charleston, WV - The Augusta GreenJackets needed no hits to plate a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon as they came from behind to defeat the West Virginia Power 4-3 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

West Virginia scored first in the bottom of the first inning on Caleb Gindl's run scoring single that brought in Lee Haydel. In the bottom of the second, the Power extended their lead on a two-run homer from Curt Rindal, his first of the season.

 

Augusta started their comeback in the third inning when Brock Bond's groundout scored James Simmons. The GreenJackets came within a run in the sixth when Nick Noonan scored on Ramon Corona's sacrifice fly. In the ninth, Augusta took advantage of two Power errors to take the lead. Simmons reached on Brent Brewer's errant throw, and scored later in the inning on Brewer's fielding error. Noonan knocked in the game winning run with a sacrifice fly that plated Charlie Culberson later in the inning.

 

Daryl Maday (1-1) tossed four fantastic innings of relief to get the win. He allowed just a hit and struck out five. Corey Frerichs (0-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing a pair of unearned runs in the ninth inning.

 

Augusta is 3-4 after the victory and the Power fall to 2-5 with the loss. Augusta's bullpen has held the Power scoreless through 15 and a third scoreless innings of relief in this series. Roque Mercedes allowed just a pair of runs on five hits through five and a third for the Power in his second start, while Jared Sutton held the GreenJackets scoreless through two and two thirds, allowing just two hits and struck out two.

 

The Power will finish their four game series with Augusta Thursday night. Right hander Evan Anundsen (0-0, 0.00) will get the start for the Power and the GreenJackets will counter with right hander Oliver Odle (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Final, six innings, rain-shortened: Oklahoma (Rangers) 2, Nashville 1

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Sounds Lose To 'Hawks In Rain-Shortened Game

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Nashville Sounds lost their third straight game to the Oklahoma RedHawks on Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, falling 2-1 in a six-inning, rain-shortened contest.

 

With the loss, Nashville fell to 1-6 on the young season, matching the club's worst start since 1998 (1-6).

 

Rehabbing starter Yovani Gallardo (0-1) worked all 5 1/3 innings for the Sounds before rain stopped the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. The right-hander threw 90 pitches (58 for strikes) and allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out seven batters while walking one in taking the loss.

 

Oklahoma grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth when the RedHawks opened the frame with three straight hits off Gallardo. Former Sound Nelson Cruz led off with a single and moved to third on a Nate Gold double before both players scored on catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's two-run single to right. Gold's double was the only extra-base hit allowed by Gallardo on the afternoon.

 

Nashville pulled within a run in the top of the fifth when Brad Nelson led off with a double to left and scored to make it a 2-1 contest two batters later on Russell Branyan's RBI two-bagger to left.

 

AUDIO: Russell Branyan RBI Double

 

Oklahoma starter A.J. Murray (1-0) held the Sounds to one run on two hits, the two fifth-inning doubles, over his six innings of work as he picked up his first victory. He struck out five batters and walked none.

 

With his fifth-inning double, Nelson extended his hitting streak to five games, matching the longest by a Nashville player this season. Sounds outfielder Hernan Iribarren went 0-for-3 in the weather-shortened affair to snap his season-opening hit streak at five games.

 

The Sounds will look to avoid a sweep when the clubs wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Thursday evening. Left-hander Chris Narveson (0-1, 3.60) will man the bump for the Sounds and face RedHawks eight-hander Doug Mathis (1-0, 1.13).

 

Nashville Box Score

 

Nashville Game Log

[gregmag]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but today really blew.

 

Greg.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Tenn (Mariners) 9, Huntsville 6

Huntsville Press Release:

WIN STREAK BROUGHT TO A HALT BY D-JAXX

Jon Nelson drove in three runs and Adam Moore knocked in a pair to support the pitching of Doug Fister in West Tenn's 9-6 win over Huntsville Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game set at Pringles Park. The Stars suffered their first loss of the season to drop to 5-1, while the Diamond Jaxx evened their record at 3-3 by winning their home opener.

 

Steve Hammond, who pitched brilliantly on Opening Night, struggled from the outset and gave up three runs in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Moore, a run-producing ground out by Marshall Hubbard and a two-out single by Nelson that scored Shawn Garrett before Prentice Redman was thrown out at the plate by Michael Brantley for the final out of the frame. Hammond, who was scored on in the first inning in 11 of his 26 starts last season, has been dented for a run or runs in both of his starts this season.

 

Nelson's two-out, two-run single in the third pushed the home team's lead to 5-0 and a two-out single by Moore in the fourth drove in West Tenn's sixth run. Hammond suffered the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits over four innings of work. Huntsville's five starters had combined to allow only four earned runs over 27 2/3 innings of work in the first series of the season.

 

Fister threw four shutout innings before the visitors got on the board in the fifth on a run-scoring ground out by Angel Salome and a two-out RBI hit by Ryan Crew, who collected four hits in his first start of the season. Hubbard launched a two-out, opposite field home run, his second of the season, in the bottom of the inning and a leadoff long ball by Luis Valbuena gave West Tenn an 8-3 edge after six.

 

Alcides Escobar's run-producing groundout and a wild pitch that scored Crew in the seventh trimmed the Jaxx' lead to 8-5 before Cole Gillespie and Salome received two out walks in the eighth that chased Marwin Vega from the game. Craig James came on to retire Mike Bell on a ground out to end the threat and wound up recording his first save of the season. West Tenn tacked on another run in the home eighth before Escobar's second run-scoring grounder of the night, and fourth for Huntsville, in the ninth accounted for the final margin. The Stars had allowed only two home runs and 11 runs total in the first five games of the season before tonight.

 

The series against West Tenn continues Thursday night with left-hander Derek Miller taking the mound against Diamond Jaxx right-hander Rich Dorman. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the

internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Bright spot? Three outfield assists, which means the pitching was "fortunate" to give up nine runs...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

http://cmsimg.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=DQ&Dato=20080409&Kategori=PHOTOGALLERIES02&Lopenr=804090803&Ref=PH&Item=8&MaxW=500&MaxH=500

 

Photo by ANDREW McMURTRIE/ The Jackson Sun

Diamond Jaxx Mike Sanders arrives to second base before Alcides Escobar of the take Huntsville Stars can catch the ball during opening day at Pringles Park Wednesday in Jackson.

[Mass Haas]

Final : St. Lucie (Mets) 10, Brevard County 1

Brevard County Box Score

Rafael Lluberes -- ugh; Andy Bouchie three passed balls, now with five on the young season; Taylor Green's .926 OPS still a bright spot...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

9th-inning errors costly in Power loss

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

Another productive season with the bats still looks like a good possibility, especially in a ballpark the hitters affectionately term "a launching pad.''

 

For the moment, however, the Power's hitters have yet to elevate their team batting average to the .200 mark and runs have been a scarcity.

 

Compounding the offensive shortcomings on Wednesday were errors, three of them in the ninth inning that led directly to Augusta's 4-3 victory over the Power in the first of the Grand Slam School Days at Appalachian Power Park. A crowd of 1,980 attended.

 

The Power started the day encouragingly enough, building a 3-0 lead through two innings, but produced just two harmless singles thereafter and finished with only five hits. In seven games this season, the Power has averaged only three runs a game, is hitting .195 and has won only twice.

 

"Losing's tough,'' said Power center fielder Lee Haydel, "but we're going to pull out of it. We're just off to a slow start; we'll be fine. Our pitchers have been doing a great job for us. We just have to improve on our hitting and defense.''

 

Entering the ninth, the Power led 3-2, but a throwing error by shortstop Brent Brewer put the tying run at second with one out. The next hitter grounded to short, and Brewer, perhaps taking a peek at the runner advancing to third, allowed the ball to bounce into left field for his second error of the inning.

 

Making matters worse, left fielder Kurt Crowell promptly misplayed the same ground ball that had eluded Brewer, allowing the runner to reach second and giving the Power three errors in a span of two hitters.

 

A stolen base and a sacrifice fly later and the GreenJackets had a 4-3 lead.

 

"It was a tough loss,'' said Power manager Jeff Isom. "You never want to lose games like that, but I've seen that in the big leagues. So it's not like we're the only team that has had this happen to them. But you have to try and learn from it.''

 

A year ago, the Power led the South Atlantic League with a .281 team average. The current roster is composed largely of players who spent the 2007 season in Helena, a team that batted .291 to rank second in the Pioneer League.

 

Isom managed the Helena team last year. "I know what they're capable of doing,'' he said. "I've seen a majority of them hit. They're definitely better than what we've seen, but the pitching has been pretty good against us.''

 

Power pitching coach John Curtis agreed that some strong opposition has added to the team's troubles.

 

"This is a talented bunch we've got; we're going to hit,'' said Curtis, "but we've seen some pretty good pitching. Those guys we saw in Hickory [last week] threw it up there pretty good, and the two guys [for Augusta] today made it tough on us.''

 

The Power made use of two first-inning Augusta errors and Haydel's steal of third to produce a first-inning run. In the second inning, Steffan Wilson led off with a single and Curt Rindal followed with a home run to left.

 

POWER POINTS: The Power and GreenJackets will play at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central), and the Greenville Drive will visit Appalachian Power Park for a four-game series beginning Friday. ... Dan O'Brien, the Cincinnati Reds general manager in 2004-05 who now works as a Special Assistant to the General Manager/Baseball Operations, attended Wednesday's game. ... Haydel, a Louisiana native, reached the state's high school 100-meter finals three years in a row and, though he never won, once ran the distance in 10.6 seconds. He also ran a 21.7 in the 200 meters. ... Power reliever Corey Frerichs pitched the ninth inning Wednesday, did not allow a hit or an earned run but took the loss because of the three errors. He struck out two. "He got some groundballs; he got some strikeouts,'' Isom said approvingly.

 

Charleston Gazette Photo by Chip Ellis

Power shortstop Brent Brewer made this play, but his two errors in the ninth inning proved costly.

http://www.wvgazette.com/images/thumbs275/Power2_G0804092igob1.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with LHP Sam Narron

Make sure you are on the April 9th archive, go to the 16:00 minute mark...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power pitcher suffers tough loss

by Tom Aluise

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

At a higher level of minor league baseball, things might have turned out better for West Virginia Power pitcher Corey Frerichs.

 

But in the low Class A South Atlantic League, the young talent is not quite as refined and players are apt to make the kind of mistakes that doomed Frerichs to a 4-3 loss Wednesday to the Augusta GreenJackets at Appalachian Power Park.

 

"A baseball player," Power Manager Jeff Isom said, "has to have a short memory. This is one of those times."

 

Leading 3-2 entering the top of the ninth before a crowd of 1,980 on a Grand Slam School Day at Appalachian Power Park, Isom called on the 21-year-old Frerichs to finish the deal.

 

Essentially, Frerichs did.

 

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound right-hander struck out Augusta's Andrew Davis to begin the inning and enticed the next two batters, James Simmons and pinch hitter Angel Villalona, to hit ground balls to Power shortstop Brent Brewer.

 

That was the good news for the Power. The bad news was Brewer committed a throwing error on the first ground ball, allowing Simmons to reach first, and misplayed the second grounder for another error.

 

By the time the ninth was over, West Virginia had committed three errors and trailed 4-3.

 

Frerichs (0-1) was saddled with the loss despite this pitching line: one inning, no hits, no earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts.

 

"Those things are going to happen," Power pitching coach John Curtis said. "That's how you grow up. He went after them and made some good pitches. That's all you can ask of him."

 

The loss dropped the Power to 2-5 and marked another ho-hum day for West Virginia hitters, who rank near the bottom of the league in team batting average.

 

The Power led 3-0 after two innings Wednesday, collecting three hits, including a two-run homer from first baseman Curt Rindal. Over the next seven innings, though, West Virginia managed just two singles against two GreenJacket pitchers.

 

"It's frustrating at times," Isom said. "Obviously, we don't have any problems getting off to a quick start.

 

"It's not unusual. Early in the season, it usually takes a couple of weeks before the hitting comes around. I don't think they're pressing. It's just a matter of them getting their timing down. The pitching has been pretty good against us."

 

Power pitching has been solid as well. West Virginia is near the top of the league in team ERA.

 

And Frerichs did nothing to hurt his Wednesday.

 

"We're not going to make any excuses," Isom said. "We just didn't make the plays. We talked as a team about going out and finishing the game."

 

POWER POINTS: West Virginia will conclude its series against Augusta this evening at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia will open a four-game home series against Greenville at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) Friday. ... The next scheduled Grand Slam School Day is Monday. ...Augusta is a San Francisco farm team.

 

Photo Gallery of Three Photos -- worth your while, check them out, including this one...

Power catcher Ulrich Snijders barehands an Augusta Greenjackets bunt.

Photo by Charleston Daily Mail Photographer Bob Wojcieszak

http://www.dailymail.com/images/thumbs275/GREEENPOW_I080410095737.jpg

[DrWood]

I imagined someone named Ulrich Snijders might have looked a bit different.

[DrWood]

Is that the best game Mercedes has ever pitched? Pitching into the 6th, let alone pitching fairly well, has to be some kind of moral victory.

he did pretty well in Helena. He averaged well over 5 innings per start.