Link Report for Sat. 4/12 - Big Boys Beat Santana; Kids Beat Nobody (0-6)

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Nic Ungs and LHP Lindsay Gulin in a double-dip at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 5:40 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime -- each game will be seven innings

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: TBD 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: RHP Alex Periard at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:05 PM gametime

 

Audio link via Palm Beach broadcast (game will also archive at this link):

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=503&sid=t503

 

West Virginia: RHP Nick Tyson and TBD in a doubleheader at home vs. Greenville (Red Sox), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime -- each game will be seven innings

 

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 Saturday'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 Game One:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Two:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_2

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_hunaax_wtdaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_breafa_pbcafa_1

 

West Virginia Game One:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Two:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_2

[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]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 6 2 .750 - 5-2 1-0 W5 Memphis 4 5 .444 2.5 0-1 4-4 L2 Iowa 2 4 .333 3.0 2-4 0-0 L1 Nashville 1 7 .125 5.0 0-0 1-7 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 6 2 .750 - 5-0 1-2 W1 Carolina 5 3 .625 1.0 2-1 3-2 W1 Tennessee 4 3 .571 1.5 1-1 3-2 W1 Chattanooga 4 4 .500 2.0 1-2 3-2 W1 West Tenn 4 4 .500 2.0 2-1 2-3 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 7 2 .778 - 6-0 1-2 W7 Palm Beach 6 3 .667 1.0 2-1 4-2 L1 Brevard County 5 4 .556 2.0 1-2 4-2 W2 Daytona 5 4 .556 2.0 3-3 2-1 W1 Vero Beach 3 6 .333 4.0 2-2 1-4 L6 St. Lucie 1 8 .111 6.0 1-4 0-4 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 5 2 .714 - 2-1 3-1 W1 Greensboro 6 3 .667 - 3-2 3-1 W1 Hickory 6 3 .667 - 3-1 3-2 W2 Hagerstown 3 3 .500 1.5 0-0 3-3 L2 Delmarva 3 4 .429 2.0 2-2 1-2 W1 Lakewood 3 5 .375 2.5 3-4 0-1 L1 West Virginia 3 5 .375 2.5 2-2 1-3 W1 Lexington 2 7 .222 4.0 1-4 1-3 L3 

[DHonks]

Periard is one of my picks to have a breakout year, so I've got my fingers crossed today

[Trowekamp]

When are the suspensions for Salome and Jeffress officially over and has it been announced where they will start the year (Salome - Huntsville? Jeffress - Brevard County?)

 

Also any estimated dates for Braddock and Rogers...

 

Sucks when 4 of my favorite 6 prospects to follow are out.

[And That]

Periard could have a monster year. His velocity is up into the middle 90's and he's good at keeping the ball down. Combine that with the extremely good pitching environments in the FSL and not much should stop him. He might be up to AA around his 21st birthday in the middle of June.

 

Trowekamp - Salome is back and playing with Huntsville. Jeffress will be out until the middle of May and will probably be with Brevard. Braddock should be back within a month and will start at Brevard. Don't know how far Rogers was set back in spring training... haven't heard anything major happened.

[docduany]

Angel Salome is back and active with the Stars. I believe he started two games already this past week but is still hitless on the young season. I'm not real sure when Jeffress will be back. I think I remember late May early June.

[colbyjack]

Final: Brevard County 3, Palm Beach 7

 

Brevard County Box Score:

While the 'Tees match the Cardinals in the hit colum with seven, no one had a multiple hit day, as a team they failed to draw a walk and they struck out 11 times. Periard despite taking the loss does post a familiar 8-2 groundout-flyout ratio. Bobby Bramhall with 4 solid innings in relief.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_breafa_pbcafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

An error and a walk to open the 2nd inning gets Periard on this day.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_breafa_pbcafa_1

[colbyjack]

Final, Game One: Greenville 7, West Virginia 2

 

West Virginia Box Score, Game One:

Nick Tyson with a nice little 3 inning start, his first start of the year, piggy-backing with RJ Seidel, who wasn't as sharp yet the two kept the Power in the game through 5. The Power offense held to just 4 hits as everyone waits for the offense to catch fire -- we're just not used to this team not scoring runs.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log, Game One:

If Zelous Wheeler hadn't been as aggressive as he was on the basepaths in the 2nd inning, the Power may have been held to only one run. Curtis Pasma would like to forget the 6th inning.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_1

 

Final, Game Two, Greenville 5, West Virginia 1

 

West Virginia Box Score, Game Two: Jonathan Lucroy with two hits (one being a double) and a walk, Lee Haydel on base twice. Brent Brewer records his 6th error on the young season. Mike Ramlow's secondary line looks good outside of the 5 ER allowed, while Pedro Lambertus shuts things down with 2 very solid innings of work.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_2

 

West Virginia Game Log, Game Two: The damage against Ramlow piles up in the 3rd inning.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_capafx_wvaafx_2

 

West Virginia site game(s) summary:

 

The Greenville Drive used a pair of big innings in Saturday night's double header to take both ends of the double dip, scoring five times in the sixth inning to win game one 7-2, and they used a four-run third inning to defeat the Power 5-1 in game two.

 

The Power plated a pair of runs in the second inning of the first contest to take their only lead of the night. Zelous Wheeler's double in the second inning plated Caleb Gindl. Wheeler stole third and scored later in the inning on an errant throw from catcher Luis Exposito. The Drive tied the game on a two-run double from Yamaico Navarro in the top of the fifth. In the sixth inning, David Marks hit a Grand Slam and Navarro scored on a wild pitch to put the Power away.

 

The Drive scored four times in the third inning of game two and never looked back. Brent Brewer's errant throw allowed Exposito to score the first run. Navarro tripled in the next two runs and scored on Mike Jones's RBI single. Navarro struck again in the fifth on an RBI single. The Power plated their only run of the contest on Ulrich Snijders's solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Felix Doubront (2-0) earned the victory in game one, allowing just a pair of runs on four hits with seven strikeouts over five innings, while Curtis Pasma (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on four hits in two innings of relief. Chad Popvich (1-0) offered an inning and a third of scoreless relief and was rewarded with the victory, while Mike Ramlow (1-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over five innings with six strikeouts.

 

The Power are 3-7 after the losses and Greenville improves to 6-4 with the victories. Eammon Portis struck out eight in game two for the Drive, and at one point struck out seven out of nine batters he faced between the second and fourth inning. Nick Tyson tossed three scoreless innings for the Power in game one, and Pedro Lambertus offered two scoreless innings out of the pen in game two.

 

The Power will continue the four game series with the Greenville Drive at Appalachian Power Park on Sunday afternoon. Right hander Roque Mercedes (0-0, 5.19) will get the start for the Power and the Drive will counter with right hander Terumasa Matsuo (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM.

[colbyjack]

Final, Game One: Iowa 5, Nashville 1

 

Nashville Box Score, Game One:

Brad Nelson providing most to all of the offense for the Sounds as they face Cubs starter Sean Gallagher. Again, not too much to note in this game, so here's to the second wave of games this evening providing more excitement.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log, Game One:

Nic Ungs was cruising along until he hit the 5th inning.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Final, Game Two, Iowa 3, Nashville 1

 

Nasvhille Box Score, Game Two: The Sounds face a bunch of former and potential MLB pitchers in both game one and game two, and the results just aren't very good. Matt Murton has no business playing at the AAA level for the Cubs.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_2

 

Nashville Game Log, Game Two:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_iowaaa_nasaaa_2

 

Nashville Site Game(s) Summary:

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2636

 

The Nashville Sounds' sluggish start to the 2008 season continued in their home debut on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium as they were swept in a doubleheader by the division-rival Iowa Cubs.

 

With the 5-1 and 3-1 defeats, Nashville dropped to 1-9 to open the year and has lost six straight games.

 

Sounds first baseman Brad Nelson extended his season-opening hitting streak to eight games with knocks in each tilt.

 

Iowa broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out rally in the fourth inning of the opener, plating four runs against Sounds starter Nic Ungs in the frame to go on to a 5-1 victory.

 

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the opener when Nashville rightfielder Brendan Katin dropped a two-out fly ball in the top of the third, allowing Matt Murton, who had walked, to score the contest's first run in unearned fashion.

 

Nashville tied the contest in the bottom of the frame with an unearned run of its own. Nelson reached on a two-out double to right-center, moved to third on a Sean Gallagher wild pitch, and scored when Iowa shortstop Andres Blanco mishandled a Vinny Rottino grounder.

 

The Cubs pulled comfortably ahead with a four-run outburst in the top of the fifth. Centerfielder Sam Fuld gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with a two-out solo homer to right off Ungs, his first of the year.

 

The two-out rally continued against Ungs as Murton drew his third walk of the game before Jake Fox and Josh Kroeger delivered back-to-back singles, the second of which plated Murton and chased Ungs. Cubs third baseman Casey McGehee greeted reliever Tim Dillard with a first-pitch RBI single up the middle to increase the lead to 4-1 and Koyie Hill followed with an run-scoring knock down the left field line.

 

Cubs reliever Geoff Jones (2-1) picked up the victory in the opener with two scoreless innings of work behind Gallagher. Ungs (1-1) took his first loss after giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 frames.

 

In the nightcap, third baseman Russell Branyan gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a one-out RBI single up the middle off Cubs starter Randy Keisler that plated Vinny Rottino, who had doubled.

 

Audio: Russell Branyan RBI Single

 

Iowa grabbed a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth against Sounds reliever Steve Bray. Murton opened the inning with a single and Josh Kroeger was hit by a pitch before Jake Fox ripped a two-run triple just inside the first base bag into the right field corner. Fox came around to score a third run on the play following a throwing error by Sounds right fielder Brendan Katin.

 

Cubs reliever Neal Cotts (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings of work behind Keisler, who allowed one run in three innings but departed after throwing 62 pitches. Bray (0-1) absorbed the loss for the Sounds after allowing all three Cubs runs in his one inning of work.

 

Left-hander Lindsay Gulin worked five scoreless frames for Nashville, working around six walks in lowering his season ERA to 1.04 through two starts.

 

The teams continue the series with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Left-hander Zach Jackson (0-2, 8.18) makes his third start of the year for the Sounds. Iowa will counter with southpaw J.R. Mathes (0-0, 4.50).

[colbyjack]

Final: Huntsville 1, West Tenn 4

 

Huntsville site game summary:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080412&content_id=384206&vkey=news_t559&fext=.jsp&sid=t559

 

Chris Jakubauskas worked five solid frames and teamed with three relievers to keep Huntsville off the scoreboard over the last six innings in a 4-1 victory Saturday night in the fourth of a five-game set at a frosty and windy Pringles Park. The Stars dropped to 6-3 and into a first-place tie with Carolina in the North Division, while the Diamond Jaxx won for a third time in the series to improve to 5-4 and move within a game of the top spot.

 

Jon Nelson doubled with one out in the home second inning and scored on a two-out single by Mike Wilson, who knocked in his first run with his first hit of the season. Ryan Crew led off the Huntsville third with a walk and scored to tie the game on a double by Freddy Parejo, who pushed his hitting streak to five games. However, the Stars could not advance Parejo after the two-base hit in what turned out to be their last best scoring chance.

 

West Tenn took the lead for good in the home half of the inning when Marshall Hubbard doubled Mike Saunders with two outs and a Mat Gamel fielding error allowed Adam Moore to score. Hubbard has driven in six runs in the series and knocked in at least one run in three of the four games. Nelson's two-out run scoring hit off of Ben Stanczyk in the eighth accounted for the game's final margin.

 

Jakubauskas allowed a run on four hits, walking one and fanning four to notch his first win of the season before Marwin Vega followed with 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. Brandon Morrow retired Guilder Rodriguez and Gamel on ground-ball outs to end the eighth and Jason Mackintosh earned his first save of the year with a shutout ninth inning.

 

Brae Wright took the loss for Huntsville, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on six hits over six frames.

 

The series against West Tenn concludes Sunday afternoon with southpaw Sam Narron taking the mound against Diamond Jaxx left-hander Ryan Ketchner.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

This team is just too talented for the bats to be this quiet, but that's pretty much the case from top to bottom in the Brewers system as it stands right now.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_12_hunaax_wtdaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2008_04_12_hunaax_wtdaax_1

[Never Outhustled]

Periard could have a monster year. His velocity is up into the middle 90's and he's good at keeping the ball down.

 

Where did you see that? I know it says that in his BA prospect handbook profile, but numerous 1st hand reports we had on him last year hadhim at 87-89. Hopefully he can work his way into the 90s.

[Kevbo74]

Will west virginia have a regular at first base this year? I don't know much about any of them that have played thus far, but I was getting good vibes from Alonso. Also, how come I've never heard of Ulrich Snijders? Does he only catch or will we see him at 1st base too? Without him, the power would have been shut out. Despite my guy Lucroy getting it together, I'd like to see some more of him too. Never heard of him until today though.

[And That]

Periard could have a monster year. His velocity is up into the middle 90's and he's good at keeping the ball down.

 

Where did you see that? I know it says that in his BA prospect handbook profile, but numerous 1st hand reports we had on him last year hadhim at 87-89. Hopefully he can work his way into the 90s.

Jack Zdurenciek said it a few times in the offseason.

 

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewers Special Asst. To The GM Dick Groch

Informative seven minutes...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds fall to 1-9 start, dropping pair at home

Costly mistakes continue slump

By MAURICE PATTON • Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Coming home didn't help the Sounds.

 

They dropped both ends of a doubleheader in their 2008 Greer Stadium debut Saturday night.

 

After losing the opening game 5-1, the Sounds allowed three sixth-inning runs to lose the second 3-1. Both games were seven innings.

 

With the two losses, the Sounds' record fell to 1-9 - their worst start since joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998.

 

"We've got a good team; we're just not putting stuff together," said Brad Nelson, who doubled and scored the Sounds' only run in the first game and singled in the second game.

 

With three hits on the night, Nelson extended his hitting streak to eight games.

 

"All our guys can hit; we're just not doing it together," Nelson said.

 

In the early game, the Sounds allowed four runs- all with two outs - in the fifth inning after forcing a 1-1 tie. They never recovered. In fact, they managed just two base runners in the final four innings.

 

In the second game, the Sounds took a 1-0 second-inning lead on Vinny Rottino's one-out double and Russell Branyan's RBI base hit.

 

However, Jake Fox tripled off Sounds reliever Steve Bray to drive in a pair of Iowa runners and scored on the play when right fielder Brendan Katin's relay throw bounced and hit second baseman Steve Sollmann in the face.

 

The play was part of a rough night for Katin, who flubbed a fly ball for a two-base error and an unearned run in the first game. Leading off the seventh inning of the nightcap, Katin had worked a three-ball count before swinging at the fourth pitch and eventually striking out.

 

"We've got some stupid things happening that shouldn't happen above (Class) A ball," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said.

The second loss overshadowed a solid performance by starter Lindsay Gulin, who worked out of bases-loaded situations in both the first and third innings. Gulin pitched five shutout innings despite issuing six walks.

 

What they said: "We're obviously not doing much offensively. That's putting a lot of pressure on your pitching to keep them to zero. You can't expect them to do that." - Frank Kremblas, whose team has scored 24 runs in 10 games.

 

Leading the way: With his five shutout innings in the second game Saturday night, Sounds starter Lindsey Gulin's ERA of 1.04 is the lowest among the team's starting rotation. Nic Ungs, who pitched five shutout innings in his previous start, gave up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings in Saturday's early game and his ERA went to 3.72.

Defensive woes continue: The Sounds committed three errors in Saturday's two losses. That gives them 11 in 10 games this season.

Rare doubleheader: The Nashville Sounds' doubleheader to open the home portion of their schedule - forced by Friday's weather-related postponement - was their first to start the season since 1998. Records are not available prior to that time.

Brewers brass visit: A number of Milwaukee Brewers front office personnel were on hand for Saturday's doubleheader.

Crossed ties: A number of participants in the Sounds-Iowa series have connections to the opposing team or area.

Nashville reliever Ben Howard made 55 appearances for Iowa last season, while pitching coach Stan Kyles played for the team in 1983.

Also, first baseman Brad Nelson (Algona) and pitcher Nic Ungs (Dyersville) are both Iowa natives.

On the other side, Iowa infielder Luis Figueroa played for the Sounds during the 2000 and '01 seasons and third-year hitting coach Von Joshua served in that same role for Nashville in 1995.

Catcher J.D. Closser, who opened the 2007 season with the Sounds before he was traded to Oakland in May, was released by Iowa on Friday.

 

Tennessean Photo by Larry McCormack

Ozzie Chavez is late sliding into home and is tagged out by Iowa catcher Koyie Hill during the Sounds' first game of a doubleheader Saturday.

 

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080413&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=804130428&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Pre-Game Audio Interview with Pitching Coach John Curtis:

Make sure you're on the April 12th WSWW archive, go to the 32:00 minute mark -- again, good stuff...

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com

 

A Game of Inches

 

With a win tonight, Don Money could have passed Frank Kremblas as the 3rd winningest manager in Stars history with 209 victories....... Ahead of him are Casey Parsons (213-203), who managed the Stars from 1991-93 and Brad Fischer, the Stars very first manager from 1985-87. Fischer, now a minor league manager again with the State College Spikes, the Pirates' Class A - New York-Penn League farm team, finished with 230 victories and 199 losses. So sometime in the 1st half of the season, realistically, Don will become the winningest manager in Stars history.

 

A chilly evening at Pringles Park. The gametime temperature was 47°. That attracted just 836 to this desertland in the Southern League...... Chris Errecart sat out tonight's game after being hit just below the right elbow in Friday night's game.

 

Brae Wright, who hails not too far from Jackson at Southhaven, Mississippi, just across the Tennessee border south of Memphis, got his second start tonight after hurling 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball on two hits in his last start, a 1-0 victory over the Braves....... Chris Jakubauskas was also coming from his second start in which he pitched shutout ball over five innings. Jakubauskas was 0-1, 3.86 in seven innings against the Stars in three appearances last year.

 

Michael Brantley, who started Friday off with an leadoff double to the opposite field, did the same Saturday. Brantley was penciled in at 1st base for the 3rd straight night ........ Guilder Rodriguez, making his first appearance for the Stars in a week, moved him to third on a bunt back to the mound....... Mat Gamel lined a 1-1 pitch that hugged the 3rd base line, then took a left turn foul just before reaching the bag, where it would have possibly made all the difference. A tough break, for going on a 1-2 pitch to Gamel, Brantley was rundown at third, leaving the base too early after a comebacker to Jakubauskas....... Cole Gillespie struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

 

Out of that bit of rotten luck, of course, the Diamond Jaxx took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the 2nd, and eventually a 3-1 lead that would prove to be the difference in this game. The Diamond Jaxx never lost the lead, although the Stars were able to tie the game in the top of the 3rd........ In the 2nd, Jon Nelson lined a one-out double over Matt LaPorta's glove, caroming off the wall for a double and after Mike Bell made an outstanding diving catch on the outfield grass off Luis Oliveros, Michael Wilson snapped an 0-for-14 start to his season with a single to left. But Gillespie's off-line throw, the 2nd error for the Stars in this game, scored Nelson for the Diamond Jaxx' 1st run...... The Stars have already made 10 errors after eight games. At this stage of the season, that's the most in four years. The Stars had fewer than 10 after the first 10 games of the season the last three seasons...... The Stars have made three errors twice in their first eight games. They hadn't done that since 2004 when they made seven errors in their first two games.

 

Coming after a leadoff walk to Ryan Crew, Freddy Parejo worked a full count and lashed an RBI double down the left field line for a double in the top of the 3rd to tie the game....... That stretched Parejo's hitting streak to five games........ Crew had his first four-hit game of his career with the Stars in the first game of this series....... Parejo has surprised a lot of people with his hot start. He also legged out an infield hit in the 4th to get his average back up to .500 (8-for-16). He finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, raising his average to .471, best on the club.

 

The Diamond Jaxx answered Parejo's game-tying double with two runs in the bottom of the 3rd....... With one out, Michael Saunders took Brae Wright's first pitch and bunted it to the 3rd base side, beating it out for a hit. Mark Kiger also stuck his bat out on the first pitch, sending it back to Wright, and moving Saunders to 2nd. Wright then walked Adam Moore on four pitches....... With runners now on 1st and 2nd and one out, Marshall Hubbard roped a 2-2 pitch down the line to right. Saunders scored to give WT a 2-1 lead. Moore advanced to third...... Jon Nelson then hit a 1-and-2 chopper that Mat Gamel could not field cleanly. He had no play at first, allowing Moore to score, but was able to tag out Hubbard who overran third base........ From the 4th to the end of the game, Jakubauskas and three relievers held the Stars to just two hits.

 

The foursome put an end to Mat Gamel's six-game hitting streak, in which he went 8-for-22 (.364). Gamel has four errors at 3rd base thru eight games. Adam Heether had all of two the first month of the last season, even though he missed the last six games with an oblique strain, and just one playing regularly the whole month of April in 2006. The last 3rd baseman to have four errors in his first eight games was Chris Barnwell in 2004....... Michael Brantley has left 14 runners on base in his last six games...... Matt LaPorta (.212) is 1-for-12 this series. Since his grand-slam HR on Opening Day, he has driven in just one run....... Cole Gillespie, after eight games, has yet to get his average to the .200 level....... Angel Salome is off to an 0-for-9 start and has left seven men on in his three starts behind the plate. He also has two passed balls, which is a part of his real weakness - defense....... The Stars have hit .235 off Diamond Jaxx pitching after smacking Mississippi hurlers for a .284 average in that series....... The bottom three in the Stars order in this series have hit .389 with eight RBIs, while the top five in the order have hit just .149 with seven RBIs.

 

Hernan Iribarren made his major league debut today for the Brewers. He is the 175th former Huntsville Star to graduate to the majors. Iribarren, pinch-hitting for pitcher Brian Shouse, singled to center in the 9th, but then was picked off by Mets' pitcher Carlos Muniz........ No matter, as Rickie Weeks, Bill Hall, and Gabe Kapler homered to give the Brewers a 5-3 win........ Former Montgomery Biscuit shortstop Evan Longoria also made his major league debut this day.

 

After Wednesday's day game at the Joe with Chattanooga, you can "Meet the Stars" at O'Charley's on Balmoral Drive from 6-8 pm. Some of the front office people will be there, too, although you may prefer to get your autographs from the players...... Wednesday is a Bookmark Giveaway coinciding with "Three 'Rs for the Stars". That means schoolkids, hopefully in droves, coming to the ballpark.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with LHP David Welch:

Make sure you're on the April 12th WUMP archive, go to the 14:45 minute mark -- nothing like a good Aussie accent; I'm hopeful folks continue to take advantage of our audio linkage...

[Mass Haas]

Yohannis Perez made his season debut for Brevard in a late-inning switch Saturday.

 

Adam Heether with a start in left field for Nashville in Game Two. Position flexibility is one thing, but Nashville is just completely dis-jointed right now.