Link Report for Friday 5/16 -- Russell Muscles Out Three!

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. New Orleans (Mets), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 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 home vs. Jupiter (Marlins), 6:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

West Virginia: RHP Evan Anundsen at Lakewood (Phillies), 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 Friday'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_05_16_nozaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_16_cmcaax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_16_jupafa_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_16_wvaafx_lwdafx_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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 20 19 .513 - 13-9 7-10 L1 Memphis 20 21 .488 1.0 7-10 13-11 W2 Omaha 17 20 .459 2.0 11-11 6-9 L4 Nashville 16 23 .410 4.0 8-8 8-15 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 29 12 .707 - 17-4 12-8 L1 West Tenn 24 16 .600 4.5 11-4 13-12 W1 Carolina 23 18 .561 6.0 11-9 12-9 W1 Chattanooga 22 19 .537 7.0 12-9 10-10 W3 Tennessee 15 26 .366 14.0 6-14 9-12 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 25 15 .625 - 16-7 9-8 W3 Brevard County 20 20 .500 5.0 11-9 9-11 L1 Jupiter 20 20 .500 5.0 12-5 8-15 W1 Daytona 19 21 .475 6.0 7-9 12-12 W1 Vero Beach 19 21 .475 6.0 14-7 5-14 L1 St. Lucie 8 32 .200 17.0 5-18 3-14 L8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 25 14 .641 - 9-8 16-6 W3 Greensboro 23 17 .575 2.5 10-12 13-5 W5 Delmarva 20 18 .526 4.5 12-8 8-10 L4 Hagerstown 19 20 .487 6.0 6-10 13-10 W3 Lakewood 19 21 .475 6.5 10-10 9-11 L4 Hickory 19 22 .463 7.0 7-12 12-10 W3 West Virginia 14 24 .368 10.5 7-13 7-11 L3 Lexington 12 27 .308 13.0 5-16 7-11 L3 

[And That]

The Stars go up against another top pitching prospect tonight in Carolina (Florida)'s Chris Volstad. Chris Errecart not in the lineup as Freddy Parejo gets a start in CF.

 

Callix Crabbe not in the lineup against New Orleans.

[Minigoon]

Good start for Nashville and Russell Branyan. 2 homers and 4 RBI's.

 

Not so good a start for the BC Manatees.

 

Rain takes out the Power game tonight as well.

 

POWER RAINED OUT AGAIN

Friday night's game between the West Virginia Power and Lakewood BlueClaws has been postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a double header on Saturday afternoon at First Energy Park in Lakewood, New Jersey. The first pitch in game one is scheduled for 4:05 PM. Right-hander Evan Anundsen (3-3, 3.85) will get the start for the Power and the BlueClaws will counter with left-hander Walter Tejada (3-1, 4.09).

[TheCrew07]

Geez, my boy Periard got lit up again, only this time he really got rocked. Other than Hand, there hasn't been a starting pitcher step up in WV or BC thus far this year. That notion is a tad depressing with all of the good starting pitching prospects there are between the 2 teams. (Periard, Braddock, Hand, Jeffress, Bryson, Anundsen, Seidel, Butler...) The other 7 haven't been bad, but they haven't been great either, I was hoping 2 or 3 of those guys would have stepped up their game and begun to separate themselves by now. Come on boys!

 

I know we're dealing with extremely small samples for Jeffress and Braddock, and Scarpetta still hasn't pitched at all, and there's plenty of time... Yo and Inman just spoiled me, I want dominance at every level...

[DrWood]

Branyan finished with 3 HR and brought his average up over .370. Weaver pitched badly, turnbow pitched badly (but picked up the win), and Pena pitched a clean inning for the save.

[Mass Haas]

Chris Errecart not in the lineup as Freddy Parejo gets a start in CF.

 

Callix Crabbe not in the lineup against New Orleans.

Chris Errecart is nursing a sore back, and is day-to-day.

 

Callix Crabbe won't be reporting to Nashville for another day or two or three -- when he does, a roster move will need to be made.

[TheCrew07]

I've never had much love for Branyan, but I must say he's hitting the crap out of the ball right now. He's doing everything he can to earn another call-up, and the more I think about it, the more I like him on the big club instead of Gwynn. I guess I've slowly migrated to the dark side... pretty soon I might be running around posting Ginter love too...

[uwisfan]

with Hall struggling and the team needing offense, Branyan provides a big lefty stick. Right now I think he should platoon with Hall. Very surprised he hasnt been called up.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Carolina (Marlins) 5, Huntsville 4

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Mudcats Rally Late For Second Straight Win

Carolina Caps off 12th Comeback Victory of Season

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

Kris Harvey's home run in the eighth inning was the deciding blow in Carolina's 5-4 comeback win over Huntsville Friday night in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Mudcats improved to 24-18 on the season and pulled to within five games of the division leaders, while the Stars dropped to 29-13 and saw West Tenn move to within three and a half games of the top spot in North Division.

 

Brett Hayes legged out an infield single with two outs before Harvey, a .132 hitter entering into the game, launched a 1-1 offering from Robert Hinton over the wall in left field to break a 3-3 tie and give the Mudcats their first lead since the first inning. It was Harvey's third long ball of the year and gave him five runs batted in over 117 at-bats.

 

Cole Gillespie's two-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth off of Chris Mobley kept hope alive for the Stars. Mike Bell then reached on a fielding error by Lee Mitchell at second base before Freddy Parejo grounded out to end the game. Mobley earned his third save after Matt Yourkin tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his second win.

 

Mitchell's bases loaded walk in the first inning drove in the first run of the game but Stars' starter Derek Miller worked out of further trouble to keep it a 1-0 score. Huntsville tied the game on a two-out, run-scoring hit by Gillespie in the bottom of the first before RBI hits by Bell in the third and Mat Gamel in the fourth extended the home team's lead to 3-1.

 

Miller walked John Raynor and Cameron Maybin in the fifth and the pair pulled off their second double steal of the series before a Gaby Sanchez sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI hit by Mitchell got the game tied. Raynor and Maybin were the first two of 21 batters walked by Miller this year to score. He was lifted after five frames, giving up three runs on four hits and issuing a season-high five bases on balls.

 

Mudcats starter Chris Volstad was taken out after 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and five walks. Yourkin took over with Alcides Escobar at first and struck out Gamel to end the home sixth. The southpaw allowed one hit, walked one and fanned two.

 

The series continues Saturday afternoon with left-hander David Welch taking the mound for the Stars against Mudcats' right-hander Marc Lammachia. Coverage of the game begins at 1:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Matt LaPorta and Cole Gillespie each reached three times; Derek Miller's 28 K's and 21 BB's in 46.2 IP nothing special, and he's gone exactly five innings in five of nine starts and six innings three times -- that's not enough at this level; need more consistency from Robert Hinton as well...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars upstaged again

Carolina uses homer in eighth inning to hand Huntsville 5-4 defeat

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

With the Florida Marlins' top hitting prospect in center field and their top pitching prospect on the mound for Carolina, it was a good bet one of them would do some damage.

 

About the last guy anybody expected any noise from was an outfielder hitting .132.

 

But Kris Harvey upstaged teammates Cameron Maybin and Chris Volstad by belting a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the eighth off Robert Hinton to give the Mudcats a 5-4 win over the Huntsville Stars in front of 3,903 fans at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"I feel like I got my hitting going the last series," Harvey said. "I rode home with my dad and hit in our cages (in Catawba, N.C.) back home, and I got back to hitting the way I did in high school and when I was at Clemson."

 

Harvey's shot gave Carolina (24-18) its second win in as many nights against the North Division-leading Stars (29-13).

 

"It's a big confidence-booster," Harvey said. "Now, we've got to try to take the series."

 

After Huntsville took a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning behind Derek Miller, the Stars starter's control problems finally caught up to him. His fourth and fifth walk of his five innings both came around to score and tie the game.

 

The walks negated the good work Huntsville batters had done off of Volstad - the 6-foot-7 2005 first-round draft pick who was 3-1 with a 2.58 earned run average.

 

The Stars scored single runs in the first, third and fourth, and Volstad worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits, walking five and giving up three runs.

 

"We've played against those guys the last three years, and it's the best hitting team in the league," Volstad said. "They have good at-bats and a good approach at the plate."

 

Volstad said Huntsville fans didn't see his best work Friday.

 

"A couple of starts ago in Jacksonville, I was kind of all over the place," he said. "Sometimes that happens, and you've got to get through it and not let it hurt you big.

 

"I definitely finished stronger than I started."

 

Maybin made the most noise he has in the series during the eighth when he was ruled out on a questionable call at first base. He was tossed and proceeded to get in the umpire's face with an animated argument.

 

By then, the Mudcats didn't need him, anyway. Harvey had done all the damage.

 

Huntsville blew a prime scoring opportunity with two on and no outs in the seventh, but Bell tipped a sacrifice bunt attempt that was bare-handed in foul grounds by Carolina catcher Brett Hayes.

 

Gillespie added a long home run in the bottom of the ninth, but it left Huntsville a run shy.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Jupiter (Marlins) 10, Brevard County 2

 

Brevard County Box Score

Darren Ford on base three times; Yohannis Perez three singles; Stephen Chapman really struggling; Josh Wahpepah a nice effort coming off the disabled list, but did we all envision the soon-to-be 24-year-old former 3rd round pick (in '03) pitching middle relief at high-A in '08? As mentioned above, Alex Periard a rough start -- a post above was spot-on, where are the pitching breakout seasons this year?

 

Brevard County Game Log

Looks like Taylor Green was removed with the score 9-1 after five -- chance to get Matt Cline some AB's with Perez at SS in this one...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 10, New Orleans (Mets) 8

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Russell Branyan photo, text follows --

 

Branyan Belts Three Homers, Sounds Win 10-8

NASHVILLE - Third baseman Russell Branyan's club record-tying third home run of the evening in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled the Nashville Sounds to a 10-8 victory over visiting New Orleans on Friday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

Branyan (4-for-5) drove in a Sounds season-best six runs while becoming the sixth Nashville player in the club's 31-year history to club three home runs in a contest.

 

With his four-hit effort, the veteran infielder raised his batting average to .374 on the year.

 

Branyan's three roundtrippers increased his team-leading tally to 11 on the year, a total that ties him for third in the Pacific Coast League, only one back of the leaders.

 

The Sounds squandered an early 7-2 advantage as New Orleans scored six unanswered runs to grab an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth before Nashville rallied for a three-spot in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Branyan's opposite-field, two-run, game-winning blast to left.

 

AUDIO: Branyan's Game-Winning Third HR

 

Sounds first baseman Brad Nelson also enjoyed a solid evening, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored to increase his average to .324.

 

New Orleans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Argenis Reyes' two-out RBI single off Sounds starter Jeff Weaver, which scored Michel Abreu from second.

 

Branyan quickly erased that deficit when he slugged a two-run home run off Zephyrs starter Adam Bostick in the bottom of the frame. The blast, which plated Nelson, was the veteran's team-leading ninth of the year and gave the home team a 2-1 lead. The Sounds added a third run later in the frame when Brendan Katin scored from third on a Steve Sollmann sacrifice fly.

 

Branyan struck again in the third when he belted another two-run homer off Bostick, this one an opposite-field shot to left that again plated Nelson.

 

Zephyrs right fielder Val Pascucci pulled the visitors within 5-2 in the fourth with a one-out solo homer to right, his sixth roundtripper of the season.

 

Nelson increased the Sounds' lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a bases-loaded two-run single that chased Bostick from the contest.

 

New Orleans rallied to knot the contest at 7-7 with a five-run fifth against Weaver, highlighted by a two-run Jesus Feliciano single as the Z's sent nine batters to the plate.

 

The Sounds squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with one out but failing to push a run across as Adam Heether struck out and Laynce Nix flew out against Z's reliever Ivan Maldonado.

 

The Zephyrs took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth against Derrick Turnbow when Abreu, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame, scored from third on a two-out wild pitch.

 

Nashville evened things in the bottom of the frame by also scoring on a wild pitch. Sollmann led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third when catcher Raul Casanova's throw went into center field, and scored when Nate Field's 3-2 offering to Nix went to the screen.

 

After Nelson struck out, Branyan crushed a 1-0 Field offering over the left field wall to put Nashville in front by the final 10-8 margin.

 

Turnbow (1-0) was awarded the victory following the late Nashville rally. The right-hander allowed one run in his lone inning of work and walked a pair of hitters. He threw only 10 of his 24 pitches for strikes.

 

Luis Pena retired the Zephyrs in order in the ninth, including strikeouts of the final two batters, to notch his fifth save.

 

Field (1-2) took the loss after allowing the three eighth-inning runs to the Sounds.

 

Neither starter factored in the decision. Weaver allowed seven runs (six earned) on a Sounds season-high 12 hits over six innings. Bostick surrendered seven runs on eight hits over his 3 1/3 frames of action.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. matchup on Saturday. Left-hander Chris Narveson (2-4, 3.94) will man the bump for Nashville and face New Orleans right-hander Tony Armas, Jr. (1-4, 3.02).

 

Nashville Box Score

Russell, Russell, Russell, save some of those for an inevitable call-up; Brad Nelson, what can we say - wow; Steve Sollmann on base three times with three stolen bases and a sacrifice fly out of the leadoff spot; Jeff Weaver --sigh; Luis Pena is getting closer and closer -- Derrick Turnbow is not...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Branyan's three homers lift Sounds

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Russell Branyan had a historic night Friday against New Orleans.

 

The Sounds' third baseman became the sixth player in franchise history to hit three home runs, and his team needed all three in a 10-8 victory.

 

"Any time you give your team the lead, it's joyful - I don't care what level you're playing at," said Branyan, who appeared to take a little longer to get out of the batter's box after his third drive. "I'm definitely not trying to show anybody up. You don't get that opportunity much."

 

Branyan, who has 11 homers on the season, went deep in each of his first two at-bats - pulling a two-run shot to right field in the second inning and hitting one to left for a pair of runs in the third.

 

Behind the two homers, the Sounds took a 7-2 lead before New Orleans scored five runs in the fifth and went ahead 8-7 on an eighth-inning Derrick Turnbow wild pitch.

 

But Steve Sollmann tied the score when he scored on a wild pitch; Laynce Nix drew a one-out walk and stole second; and Brad Nelson struck out.

 

With an open base and a struggling Eric Munson on deck, Branyan got a pitch he could handle - and did.

 

"I guess they thought they could get him to swing at some bad pitches, but he's pretty locked in right now," said Munson, who came into the game hitting .143 and was 1-for-4. "I was surprised because he's been so hot and I've stunk so badly."

 

Branyan raised his average to .374 with his 4-for-5 effort, and the Sounds have won 12 of 17 games after a 5-18 start.

 

"It's starting to come together," he said. "Our pitching is coming around, the bullpen is settling in, and the lineup is starting to do it."

 

"We've got a lot of threats in our lineup. We're getting on base and we're making things happen. It's good to see."

 

Photo by GEORGE WALKER IV / FILE / THE TENNESSEAN

Russell Branyan tied a Sounds record with three home runs Friday against New Orleans.

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080517&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=805170377&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Turnbow picks up first win as a Sound

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Derrick Turnbow's second Greer Stadium appearance didn't go as well as his first - but he got a better result.

 

The former Franklin High standout came out of the Sounds bullpen in the eighth inning Friday night against New Orleans and allowed the go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch. But Russell Branyan's third two-run home run of the night pushed the Sounds to a 10-8 victory.

 

Turnbow, who came into town in 2004 as a member of the Salt Lake Bees and notched a save, has given up three earned runs in three innings of work since joining the Sounds earlier this week. He had been designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Still, he picked up the win, his first since joining the team.

 

"It works out that way sometimes," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "He has to figure out the mechanical adjustments he has to make. His delivery, the consistency of his delivery when he's good, isn't there yet."

 

Ex-Sound heads south: Nelson Figueroa, who led Nashville with 12 pitching victories in both the 2003 and '04 seasons, was designated for assignment by the Mets earlier this week after going 2-3 with a 5.12 ERA in nine games (six starts). Figueroa has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to New Orleans, and is expected to join the Zephyrs in time for Saturday's contest.

 

Come on back: Jeff Weaver thought he had one more strikeout than he eventually totaled in Friday night's start.

 

The veteran right-hander was so sure his two-out 0-2 pitch to Jesus Feliciano finished off the Zephyrs' center fielder in the third inning that he headed toward the dugout and was within about three strides of the third-base line before realizing home plate umpire Jason Dunn had called the pitch a ball. Feliciano took another ball and fouled off two pitches before grounding out to shortstop.

 

Base path bandits: Three stolen bases in the fourth inning extended the Sounds' string to 16 consecutive successful attempts. Steve Sollmann - who stole two of those bases - got another one in the eighth.

 

Sollmann is the first Sounds player to steal three bases in a game since Jermaine Clark did so on Aug. 31, 2006, at Albuquerque.

 

Laynce Nix added a steal in the eighth to give the Sounds a season-high six, one short of the team record that was set June 22, 1990, against Denver - which moved to New Orleans for the 1993 season.

 

The Sounds have converted 22 of 23 attempted steals, a streak broken only by pitcher Ben Howard's caught-stealing. They lead the Pacific Coast League with 47 stolen bases.

 

Shake 'em up: A handful of roster moves were announced prior to the game Friday, with at least one more anticipated in the next few days.

 

Mitch Stetter, who excelled as a situational left-hander out of the bullpen for parts of the past three seasons, was optioned back from Milwaukee prior to the Brewers' interleague game Friday night at Boston and was activated by the Sounds before their game.

 

Stetter, who was called up by Milwaukee on April 18, will be replaced on the Brewers' roster by left-hander Zach Jackson. After opening the year with a 1-3 record and an 8.89 ERA as a starter, Jackson posted a 2.92 ERA in five relief appearances for the Sounds.

 

Also joining the Sounds for Friday's game was pitcher Sam Narron, called up from Class AA Huntsville to fill the spot vacated with Thursday's call-up to Milwaukee of Mark DiFelice. Narron, also a left-hander, was 6-1, 2.77 in eight starts for Huntsville, including a win Wednesday in his second complete game of the season. He is expected to start Monday against visiting Memphis.

 

Meanwhile, former Sounds infielder Callix Crabbe is expected to rejoin the team during the current eight-game homestand. Crabbe hit .287 with nine homers, 38 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases in 130 games with Nashville last season before he was selected by San Diego in the Rule 5 Draft during the winter meetings in December.

 

After hitting .176 (6-for-34) in 21 games, Crabbe was designated for assignment last weekend, giving San Diego 10 days to either trade him or have him clear waivers. Once he cleared waivers, the team was required under Rule 5 guidelines to offer him back to the Brewers for half the $50,000 the Padres paid to select him. Milwaukee opted to reacquire him and assign him to Nashville.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas

[Mass Haas]

Audio from New Orleans' feed of all three Branyan home runs

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Branyan goes yard three times

By Rob Jemella / Special to MLB.com

Russell Branyan wasn't expecting to homer for the third time in the game when he came to the plate with two outs in the eighth inning Friday night, but it would be difficult to blame him if he had.

Branyan proceeded to smack his Nashville Sounds club record-tying third homer of the game to break an 8-8 tie and rally the Nashville Sounds to a 10-8 victory over the New Orleans Zephyrs at Greer Stadium.

"It was hard not to think about it," Branyan said. "You don't go up there swinging for the fences, but I got a good pitch and hit it out."

The Major League veteran, who has 11 home runs this season, went 4-for-5 with six RBIs to become the sixth Sounds player to go deep three times in a single game. The most recent effort came from current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun in April 2007.

Branyan became a regular for the Cleveland Indians in 2000. He also has played for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals before returning to the Brewers organization and being assigned to Triple-A Nashville.

The Sounds built a 7-2 lead by the fifth inning, in large part due to Branyan's two-run homers in the second and third innings, but the Zephyrs fought back with six unanswered runs to go ahead in the eighth, 8-7. After Steve Sollmann scored the tying run on a wild pitch, Branyan delivered an opposite field two-run shot to left field off New Orleans reliever Nate Field (1-2) to put Nashville back on top.

"We're playing good ball right now," Branyan said. "The team is starting to shape up, I'm just glad I was able to get a big hit to give us the win."

It was the first victory of the year for Derrick Turnbow (1-0), who had allowed the Zephyrs to take the lead on a wild pitch in the eighth. Luis Pena struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save.

Another former Major Leaguer, Nashville starter Jeff Weaver, gave up seven runs -- six earned -- on 12 hits in six innings of work.

Brad Nelson went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Sounds.

Zephyrs' starter Adam Bostick lasted just 3 1/3 innings, surrendering seven runs on eight hits, including Branyan's first two home runs.

Valentino Pascucci hit his sixth homer for New Orleans, a solo shot off Weaver in the sixth.

Russell Branyan is the first Sounds player to hit three out since Ryan Braun in '07. (Photo by Mike Strasinger/Nashville Sounds)

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/05/16/AadpkpTM.jpg

[homer]

Gillespie with another dinger. He's quietly having a really solid year.

[LouisEly]

Gillespie with another dinger. He's quietly having a really solid year.

 

I was just going to say the same thing. Normally a guy with a .891 OPS in Huntsville is one we'd be going nuts over, but with three other guys on the team blowing that away it's just a "ho, hum" performance. Eight dingers for Gillespie so far and we're only in the middle of May.

[battlekow]

Gillespie is definitely doing his part to answer questions about whether he'll have enough power to play the corner outfield.

[LouisEly]

Gillespie is definitely doing his part to answer questions about whether he'll have enough power to play the corner outfield.

 

Is Gillespie athletic enough to possibly play CF? I don't know - just asking those who are more familiar with him.

[Oldcity]

I believe his past shoulder issues have him pretty much stuck to left field? He has decent speed, probably enough for center, but I think the arm might be a problem.