Link Report for Tue. 4/15 -- Brevard Saves A Dreary Day

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 5:40 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Chattanooga (Reds), 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 home vs. St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio available for this Manatee series...

West Virginia: RHP Evan Anundsen at Asheville (Rockies), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 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 Tuesday'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_15_omaaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_cngaax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_sluafa_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_04_15_wvaafx_ashafx_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]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omaha 7 4 .636 - 5-2 2-2 W1 Memphis 6 6 .500 1.5 2-2 4-4 L1 Iowa 5 5 .500 1.5 2-4 3-1 W1 Nashville 2 10 .167 5.5 1-3 1-7 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 8 3 .727 - 4-1 4-2 W4 Huntsville 7 4 .636 1.0 6-0 1-4 W1 Tennessee 7 4 .636 1.0 4-2 3-2 L1 West Tenn 7 4 .636 1.0 4-1 3-3 W3 Chattanooga 5 6 .455 3.0 2-3 3-3 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 8 3 .727 - 6-0 2-3 L1 Palm Beach 7 4 .636 1.0 3-2 4-2 L1 Brevard County 6 5 .545 2.0 1-2 5-3 W1 Daytona 6 5 .545 2.0 4-4 2-1 L1 Vero Beach 4 7 .364 4.0 2-2 2-5 W1 St. Lucie 2 9 .182 6.0 2-5 0-4 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 8 4 .667 - 5-3 3-1 W2 Hickory 8 4 .667 - 3-1 5-3 W1 Lake County 7 4 .636 0.5 3-1 4-3 W2 Delmarva 5 5 .500 2.0 4-3 1-2 W1 Hagerstown 5 5 .500 2.0 2-1 3-4 L2 Lakewood 4 7 .364 3.5 3-4 1-3 L1 West Virginia 3 9 .250 5.0 2-6 1-3 L4 Lexington 2 10 .167 6.0 1-7 1-3 L6 

[Never Outhustled]

Interested in how Derek Miller does tonight. He was strong is his 1st 2 starts. He's over-aged, but doesn't have a ton of pitching experience because of all the injury issues he had in college. He's progressed quickly as a pro, and has always had good strike out totals. He's joins Welch and Wright as 3 sleeper lefties in Huntsvilles rotation. My hope is 1 of the 3 makes a move like Vllaneuva made in 2006.

[BoKnowsBall]

Man- I know they aren't a Brewers affiliate anymore but I went to the Snappers game tonight. It was a pretty wild one with three ejections in the top of the ninth and a walk off homerun in the bottom of the 11th.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewers Special Asst. To The GM Dan O'Brien

[Mass Haas]

Final: Omaha (Royals) 4, Nashville 1

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Brad Nelson photo, text follows --

 

Sounds Fall To Royals In Series Opener, 4-1

 

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds dropped the opener of a four-game series on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium, falling 4-1 to the division-rival Omaha Royals.

 

The teams played scoreless baseball over the first six innings before Omaha broke through for four runs in the top of the seventh.

 

Sounds starter Chris Narveson opened the contest by allowing only one hit over six scoreless frames, including retiring 10 straight batters from the third inning through the sixth, before running into trouble in the top of the seventh.

 

Omaha rightfielder Damon Hollins opened the frame with a single before scoring when Angel Berroa followed with an RBI double that landed on the left field line, chasing Narveson and breaking the scoreless deadlock.

 

Steve Bray took over on the hill and was greeted by a two-run Brian Buchanan home run that careened off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left field, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead. The blast, which came on a 1-1 offering, was the Royals designated hitter's first hit of the season. Later in the frame, centerfielder Shane Costa (2-for-5) touched Bray for another longball, a two-out solo shot to right that was his first roundtripper of the year.

 

Sounds designated hitter Brad Nelson broke up the shutout in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff homer to right. The tater, off former Milwaukee farmhand Roberto Giron, was his second of the year.

 

AUDIO: Brad Nelson Home Run

 

Omaha starter Luke Hochevar (1-1), who starred at the University of Tennessee before being selected first overall in the 2006 MLB draft, worked six scoreless innings to pick up his first victory. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked two batters while striking out five.

 

Giron earned his first save of the year for the Royals by working the final three innings, allowing one run on the Nelson homer.

 

Narveson (0-3) dropped his third straight outing to open the year despite turning in a quality start. The southpaw allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six batters over six-plus innings of work.

 

The teams continue the series with a noon matinee on Wednesday at Greer. Right-hander Richie Gardner (0-0, 0.00) will toe the rubber for Nashville in his first start of the young season. Omaha will counter with right-hander Kyle Davies (1-0, 2.25).

 

Nashville Box Score

Good for Brad Nelson -- he and Russell Branyan have been the only productive Sounds...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Chattanooga (Reds) 7, Huntsville 5

Huntsville Press Release:

 

THOMPSON IMPRESSIVE IN LEADING LOOKS TO WIN

 

Sean Henry drove in three runs and Craig Tatum finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in Chattanooga's 7-5 win over Huntsville on another brisk night Tuesday in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville dropped to 7-5 on the season and lost for the first time at home to fall two games behind North Division leading Carolina, while the Lookouts improved to 6-6. The temperature was 57 degrees at first pitch but dipped to 45 degrees by the time the game ended.

 

Derek Miller and Daryl Thompson were locked in a pitchers' duel for five innings, with Mat Gamel's first home run of the season in the fourth inning giving the home team the lead. Miller left after his second five inning scoreless performance at home, allowing four hits, walking four and fanning two and was followed by Ben Stanczyk, who struggled mightily in his third appearance of the season.

 

Henry and Tatum launched back-to-back home runs in the sixth to give the visitors the lead. Thompson, the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week, was taken out after 5 2/3 innings, giving up a single run on five hits while striking out seven. He has allowed only one earned run over 17 2/3 frames in his first three starts at the double-A level.

 

Michael Griffin doubled in a run, Henry tripled home a pair and scored on a double by Tatum, who then scored on a B.J. Szymanksi single to complete a rally in the seventh that produced five runs, the most that Stars have allowed in any frame this season. Stanczyk suffered the loss after yielding seven runs on eight hits, including five for extra bases, over two innings.

 

Danny Herrera, who had also not allowed an earned run in 10 2/3 innings entering the game, retired the first three batters he faced after taking

over for Thompson before allowing five straight two-out singles in the home seventh that, coupled with two Szymanksi errors on the same play, produced four runs. Derrick Lutz came on and gave up an Alcides Escobar single before setting Gamel down on a ground ball out to end the threat. Lutz retired the Stars in order in the eighth and Josh Roenicke threw a perfect ninth to record his second save.

 

The series continues Wednesday morning with left-hander David Welch taking the hill for Huntsville against Lookouts' right-hander Ramon Ramirez. Coverage of the game begins at 10:20 am central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Ben Stanczyk has been scored upon in each of his three outings, obviously a very tough night for him; Stars turned three double plays, only one conventional; Matt LaPorta threw out a runner at the plate from right field in a very eventful but scoreless final inning for Derek Miller; Stars don't draw a single walk; Cole Gillespie and Angel Salome combine for five hits -- that's a start for them...

 

Huntsville Game Log

Chris Errecart thrown out trying for a leadoff triple in the 2nd -- ouch; ugly Stars 3rd inning after a promising start; Rusty Tucker allowed back-to-back doubles to begin the 8th, yet escaped the inning scoreless, without a runner being eliminated on the basebaths -- that's rare...

[uwisfan]

losing is contageous

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 6, St. Lucie (Mets) 2

 

Brevard County Box Score

Six shutout innings from four relievers -- just wild enough (combined one hit allowed, six walks, six K's for the bullpen); six of the Manatees' ten hits went for extra bases, including two doubles for Taylor Green (.897 OPS) and a home run for Jimmy Mojica; Lorenzo Cain's struggles are getting worrisome...

 

Brevard County Game Log

A big Martin Maldonado pickoff from behind the plate quelled the Met rally in the 2nd...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Asheville (Rockies) 9, West Virginia 0

Is it too late to ask for a season-long do-over?

 

West Virginia Press Release:

 

TOURISTS BLANK POWER

 

The Asheville Tourists received seven scoreless innings from starting pitcher Cory Riordan and used a five-run eighth inning to beat the Power 9-0 at McCormick Field on Tuesday night.

 

Asheville jumped on top early on a two-run homer from Darrin Holcomb in the bottom of the first inning. Brent Brewer's fielding error allowed Kevin Clark to score in the second. Helder Velazquez ripped an RBI single in the fifth inning to give the Tourists a 4-0 lead.

 

An atrocious eighth inning added to West Virginia's misery. Pedro Lambertus and Jose Garcia walked five batters and allowed five runs. Velazquez scored the first run on a wild pitch before Kevin Clark and Everth Cabrera ripped two-run singles.

 

Riordan (2-1) struck out ten batters in seven scoreless frames and allowed just four hits in a winning effort. Evan Anundsen (1-1) allowed four runs on five hits over five innings and struck out five in a losing effort.

 

The Power are 3-10 after the loss and have now lost five in a row. The Tourists are 8-5 after the victory. Jonathan Lucroy was the lone bright spot for the Power, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. The loss marked the third time that the Power have been shutout this season.

 

The Power will continue their four game series with Asheville Wednesday night. Right hander R.J. Seidel (0-0, 2.57) will get the start for the Power and the Tourists will counter with right hander Connor Graham (0-2, 5.87). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score

Lee Haydel on twice more, doing some good things as of late; Power draws one walk while striking out 11 times; Caleb Gindl's OPS after 46 AB's is .396 (not a misprint); Brent Brewer's OPS is .376, Curt Rindal .344; thank goodness for Jonathan Lucroy, the lone true early bright spot among position player regulars...

 

West Virginia Game Log

[Mass Haas]

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080416&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=804160444&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

 

Tennessean Photo by Jae S. Lee

Royals shortstop Angel Berroa, right, completes the first leg of a double play on Laynce Nix at second base Tuesday.

[Mass Haas]

Five additional photos in this Tennessean gallery

 

Link while active, text follows:

Sounds get sunk in seventh

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

The first fireworks show at Greer Stadium won't be until next month, but Omaha lit up the skies at least for one inning Tuesday night.

After Sounds pitcher Chris Narveson held Omaha at bay for most of the game, the Royals hit two home runs and scored four runs in the seventh inning in a 4-1 victory in front of 1,752.

Former Tennessee pitcher Luke Hochevar made sure the Sounds (2-11) never got into a rhythm offensively as he picked up his first win.

Narveson (0-3) was just as effective on the mound for the Sounds for much of the game. He retired 11 consecutive batters heading into the seventh inning.

But Omaha's Damon Hollins knocked a single to center field. Shortstop Angel Berroa then doubled and scored Hollins, giving Omaha a 1-0 lead.

Narveson was then replaced by Steve Bray. Brian Buchanan hit a two-run homer giving the Royals a 3-0 lead. Shane Costa homered for a 4-0 lead.

It's been a recurring theme for the Sounds, who have scored a Pacific Coast League low 35 runs and been held to two runs or fewer in seven games.

"Our pitchers are doing a good job, our defense is coming around,'' Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said.

"We've just got to start swinging the bats a little bit better. We're putting a lot of pressure on our pitchers when we're scoring only one run a game."

Nashville's Brad Nelson broke up the shutout with a home run in the bottom of the ninth.

"This has been frustrating - it's obviously not something the Nashville Sounds are used to,'' Nelson said. "If we get our bats swinging it's at the wrong time. Like with two outs or something like that."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

Sounds get experience on mound with Weaver

By MIKE ORGAN
Tennessean Staff Writer

Major league pitcher Jeff Weaver, a right-hander who was with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2006 World Series, is expected to join the Sounds in the next two weeks.

Weaver, 31, reached a minor-league agreement Tuesday with the Milwaukee Brewers. He scheduled to undergo a physical examination today and will sign a contract after that. He then will report to extended spring training and is expected to join the Sounds within the next 10 to 14 days.

Weaver has pitched exclusively in the major leagues since 2000. He spent 2007 with Seattle and posted a 7-13 record and a 6.20 ERA in 22 starts.

First hit: Omaha Royals designated hitter Brian Buchanan's first hit of the season was a two-run homer off the scoreboard Tuesday night. It gave Omaha a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning.

Later in the inning, Omaha's Shane Costa hit his first home run of the season. It easily cleared the right-field wall.

Former Vol on mound: Former Tennessee star Luke Hochevar started on the mound Tuesday night for Omaha.

The right-hander, who brought a 0-1 record into the game, is Kansas City's No. 3-rated prospect. He was the first overall pick by the Royals in the 2006 draft.

Hochevar struck out five, walked two and allowed four hits and no runs in six innings.

Roberto Giron replaced him in the seventh inning.

Olney back in town: Former Nashville Banner sports writer Buster Olney, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, threw out the first pitch for Tuesday night's game.

Olney, a Vanderbilt graduate, was the Sounds beat writer during his time in Nashville in the early and mid 1990s. He also is a contributor to ESPN broadcasts such as SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight.

Olney was in town as a guest speaker at the Nashville Sports Council First Pitch luncheon at Wildhorse Saloon.

The entire Sounds team and Vanderbilt Coach Tim Corbin were special guests.

Olney sat in three innings on the radio broadcast during Tuesday's game with play-by-play announcer Chuck Valenches.

Extra, extra: The Sounds' Russell Branyan got his eighth extra-base hit in the fourth inning. Branyan knocked a double to the left-field wall.

It was Branyan's sixth double of the season. He leads the team in extra base hits.

He's everywhere: The Sounds' Steve Sollmann started at right field, the fourth different position he has started this season. He also has started at first, second and shortstop.

Streaking: Sounds outfielder Brendan Katin enters today's game with the longest active hitting streak on the team.

Katin, who was not the lineup Tuesday, extended his streak to five games with his run-scoring pinch-hit triple in the seventh inning Monday night. It was his second RBI pinch-hit in two games.

The Sounds will play their first noon home game of the season today against Omaha.

No. 2 for Nelson: Sounds designated hitter Brad Nelson hit his second home run of the year as the leadoff batter in the ninth inning. It came off Royals reliever Roberto Giron and cleared the left-field wall.

"It just came a little too late,'' Nelson said. "That's what has happened to us a lot this year."

Just in time: Giron walked Branyan later in the inning and was about to be pulled when the Royals ended the game by coming with their third double play of the game. It marked the second game this season the Sounds have hit into three double plays. They did the same in a series in Oklahoma.

[hsvstarsfan]

The Laws of Baseball

The laws of baseball say that if you have an early ballgame the next day, expect extra baseball on the night before........ It nearly looked as if we'd go extra innings after the Stars got hit after hit after hit in the 7th, in which both teams scored nine runs, but it was one minute shy of a three-hour ballgame on another chilly night......... It wasn't the freeze-out fans got Monday night when it was 45° at first pitch, but it brought out only 100 more to the ballpark tonight........ Still, it fans endured a game-time temperature of 59°, and by the time it was over, it was 47°........ The wind was blowing again from the north, and by the time the sun went down, the blanket was needed....... It would have been nice to have some hot cocoa, but here's some good news and bad news for those who are thinking about the cocoa the next time at The Joe -- the cups for the hot cocoa are bigger, and it's only $2, which I consider to be a bargain....... The bad news is, it wasn't hot........ It wasn't even warm cocoa....... More like luke warm, which in my book, is too warm to call it cold........ So here's a little advice your way --- don't buy the hot cocoa. Save your money.

Now here's a puzzler for you.......... How many runs does a team score in an inning after they get two consecutive doubles and a walk to load the bases?........ The answer: NONE!........ The Lookouts were on the short end of this rarity, tonight....... It happened in the top of the 8th after Eric Eymann, who took over at shortstop in the 7th when Ryan Lutz entered the game, doubled to straightaway center off the Stars' new pitcher, Rusty Tucker. Then on a 1-0 pitch, Cody Strait roped a pitch to right so hard that when it caromed off the wall, right fielder Matt LaPorta was able to catch it on the bounce, then swiftly fire it into the infield. With respect for his arm, Eymann held third....... With runners on 2nd and 3rd and none out, Tucker worked a gem of an inning....... He struck out Michael Griffin on five pitches --- all of them strikes after Griffin fouled a pair off -- then Tonys Gutierrez, who has the highest on-base pct. in the league, lined a low laser straight to Alcides Escobar, who didn't have to move a foot in front of the inside edge of the infield....... Tucker walked Luis Bolivar, who hit in the cleanup spot tonight. (Bolivar hit in every spot in the lineup last year but the #4 spot)....... Finally, Tucker got out of what looked like to be an impossible jam when Angel Salome held on to a foul tip for strike three to end the inning.

It was a swiftly-paced contest for the first five innings. Daryl Thompson, the recently-named Southern League Pitcher-of-the-Week, and Derek Miller were both pretty efficient. Thompson seemed to have a little trouble staying in the strike zone, but finished his first four innings with a strikeout. Miller, the hard-luck pitcher here, threw 60 pitches in his first four innings, 40 for strikes, then had a little trouble in the 5th, giving up a leadoff triple down the right field line to Juan Castro, the #8 hitter..... Miller walked the pitcher Thompson, getting his first professional at-bats tonight, on seven pitches, then got out of trouble by fielding a comebacker by Strait. Miller trapped Castro with a throw to Mat Gamel, who threw to Angel Salome who made the tag. The rundown was a little too long to be good fundamental baseball, and it allowed Thompson to take third and Strait to reach second. Griffin was walked intentionally to fill the bases and again, Miller got a break when Gutierrez hit a 1-1 pitch straight to LaPorta, who was playing pretty shallow. LaPorta didn't have to move much for the liner and made a perfect throw to Salome, who made a long turn from the first base side of the plate to tag Thompson for the completion of the double play.

Miller left the game with a 1-0 lead, thanks to a long home run to right center by Gamel, his first of many more we hope for the Stars....... Ben Stanczyk's outing was disastrous. He gave up back-to-back home runs to the 2nd and 3rd hitters he faced....... Sean Henry's home run, his first, arced high over everything to the left of the light standard in left center, and Craig Tatum's shot -- a no-doubter -- banged high off the left side of the scoreboard, giving the Lookouts a 2-1 lead...... Then in the 7th, the roof caved in on Stanczyk, who has yet to have an outing without allowing a run....... a single, a double, another single, a play at the plate to retire Griffin coming home, then a triple, a double, and a single...... A tailor-made double play gracefully ended the 5-run inning...... The Stars valiantly made a comeback in the bottom of the 7th, getting all four of their runs after Chris Errecart's comebacker and Matt LaPorta's checked-swing strikeout made us all believe this was going to be another quick inning....... Six straight singles followed, and the Stars wound up batting around in the order, instead of going down 1-2-3.

Tomorrow is morning baseball, with busloads of schoolkids coming to fill the park on what looks to be a beautiful day...... David Welch (2-0, 1.64) will face Ramon Ramirez (0-1, 4.50)........ 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 also a Bookmark Giveaway coinciding with "Three 'Rs for the Stars".

REAL Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO has a feature on Mike Coolbaugh this week. Check your listings...... Some of the scenes show Coolbaugh in a Stars uniform during the 1997 season.

Brewerfan.net reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks have released Dave Krynzel....... Krynzel was hitting .232 in 69 at-bats for Class AAA-Tucson (PCL) with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs....... He was the most exciting centerfielder I have ever seen play in Huntsville, but he just didn't hit enough (.276 at Indy was his best after he left Huntsville) and struck out too many times for a leadoff hitter. He had seasons of 122 and 100 Ks for High Desert, 119 Ks in a full season for the Stars in 2003, and 138 strikeouts with Nashville in 2005, followed by 107 the next season. He never walked more than 64 times a season, and that was his first season at High Desert........ Here's hoping he'll catch on somewhere else. He's still only 25.