Link Report for Fri. 5/23 -- Huntsville Loses, But Salome Wins

[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: RHP Richie Gardner at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP David Welch at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 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 Josh Butler at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

West Virginia: RHP Amaury Rivas at Lake County (Indians), 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_23_nasaaa_mrbaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_23_biraax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_23_breafa_dunafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_23_wvaafx_lcoafx_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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 25 23 .521 - 9-11 16-12 W3 Iowa 22 24 .478 2.0 13-9 9-15 L2 Omaha 21 24 .467 2.5 13-13 8-11 W2 Nashville 19 27 .413 5.0 11-12 8-15 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 30 17 .638 - 18-9 12-8 L4 West Tenn 30 17 .638 - 17-5 13-12 W2 Carolina 27 20 .574 3.0 12-10 15-10 L1 Chattanooga 24 23 .511 6.0 14-11 10-12 L2 Tennessee 16 32 .333 14.5 6-17 10-15 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 29 18 .617 - 17-8 12-10 W1 Brevard County 25 22 .532 4.0 16-10 9-12 L1 Daytona 23 24 .489 6.0 9-12 14-12 L3 Vero Beach 23 24 .489 6.0 15-7 8-17 W2 Jupiter 22 24 .478 6.5 13-8 9-16 L2 St. Lucie 9 38 .191 20.0 5-20 4-18 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 30 17 .638 - 14-11 16-6 L1 Delmarva 25 21 .543 4.5 17-11 8-10 W1 Greensboro 25 22 .532 5.0 10-12 15-10 L2 Hagerstown 24 22 .522 5.5 11-12 13-10 W1 Hickory 25 23 .521 5.5 9-13 16-10 W1 Lakewood 23 24 .489 7.0 14-13 9-11 W2 West Virginia 18 28 .391 11.5 7-13 11-15 W1 Lexington 14 32 .304 15.5 5-16 9-16 L1 

[Mass Haas]

Michael Brantley not in the starting lineup tonight, a lineup which has Matt LaPorta at first base (let's see if some blogger runs with that -- Prince will surely be traded tomorrow http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif).

 

Caleb Gindl is in center field tonight for the Power, night off for Lee Haydel.

[Mass Haas]

Just an awful outing for Josh Butler in the Manatee game -- 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 3 WP.

 

Mike McClendon saved Butler an uglier line by stranding two inherited runners.

 

Brevard trails 9-3 after eight innings.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Power wins....come from behind 2-1 victory! Pitching is doing their job lately, now if the offense comes around before the second half!!!! Rivas gives up a run on 3 hits 3BB and 4 k's in 5. Ramlow pitches the 9th for his 3rd save.

[Mass Haas]

Welcome back to the Link Report, where any distraction from the big league club, win or lose, is a blessing. Well, I'm actually listening to a Huntsville 9th inning collapse, so maybe not...

 

Final: West Virginia 2, Lake County (Indians) 1

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER CLIP CAPTAINS

 

The West Virginia Power fell behind early on Friday night at Classic Park but rallied late to score twice in the final four innings and defeated the Lake County Captains 2-1 to take the rubber match in the series.

 

Mark Thompson began the third inning with a double. Adam White bunted his way to first base and moved Thompson over to third putting runners at the corners with nobody out. Lucas Montero then hit a ground ball to second base which allowed Mark Thompson to score.

 

Eric Fryer tied the game in the top of the sixth inning with his third home run of the season and his second in as many games. Gary Campfield hit Curt Rindal with the first pitch in the top of the ninth inning. David Fonseca pinch ran for Rindal and moved to second on Lee Haydel's sacrifice bunt before he scored on Eric Farris's go-ahead single to right.

 

Corey Frerichs (3-4) tossed three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and he fanned three to get the victory. Mike Ramlow (3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get the save and Gary Campfield (2-2) was tagged with the loss after surrendering a run on two hits over an inning and a third.

 

The Power improved to 19-28 with the win and the Captains fell to 30-17 with the loss. Fryer paced the Power with a pair of hits, going 2-for-4, giving him four hits in his last eight at-bats. The West Virginia bullpen has now tossed nine consecutive scoreless innings.

 

The Power will begin a four game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws at Appalachian Power Park on Saturday night. Right hander Roque Mercedes (1-3, 7.22) will get the start for the Power and the BlueClaws will counter with left hander Jacob Diekman (0-3, 4.96). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score

As noted above, nice pitching from all, including starter Amaury Rivas (as usaul for Amaury); Brent Brewer singled, walked, and stole three bases in four attempts (now 15-for-19 on the bases); Eric Fryer had a .612 OPS at Helena last year -- this year's start has been a pleasant surprise; Zelous Wheeler was caught stealing once, picked off first once, and struck out with the bases loaded to end the 4th -- tough night in an otherwise fine season; the Power is starting Roque Mercedes to begin the next homestand -- yikes, Power fans may revolt, Brewer brass sure keeps feeding him chances...

 

West Virginia Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Dunedin (Blue Jays) 9, Brevard County 3

Brevard County Box Score

Blue Jays have smoked the Manatees 19-5 in the two games thus far; Stephen Chapman hit his 7th home run -- 21 of his 39 hits have gone for extra bases, problem's been not enough hits (.224 in 170 AB's); Darren Ford walked twice (OBP .318) and stole his 24th base in 31 attempts; Josh Butler never gave the boys a chance tonight -- his first really ugly outing in his six Brewer organization starts thus far...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 5, Huntsville 4

Ugh -- details from the Stars site in a bit -- Juan Sandoval couldn't hold a 4-3 lead after Mat Gamel had doubled in the lead run in the 7th; we'd love to see Manatee closer Omar Aguilar in Huntsville, but the organization won't make that move until the first-half races are decided; Stars have lost seven of eight on this homestand and five in a row.

 

On a brighter note, Angel Salome proposed to his girlfriend immediately after the game and she said yes, to fireworks (which yes, were scheduled to shoot off anyway, but a nice touch); too bad about the loss putting a damper on things...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Sam Narron

[Mass Haas]

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 5, Nashville 4

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Richie Gardner photo, text follows --

 

Sounds Drop Fourth Straight Game To Redbirds

MEMPHIS - The Nashville Sounds lost their fourth consecutive game to the division-leading Memphis Redbirds on Friday evening at AutoZone Park, falling 5-4 in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Nashville (19-28) dropped to 3-8 in one-run contests, including an 0-5 mark on the road, in suffering its first four-game skid since mid-April.

 

The Sounds didn't help their own cause, grounding into a season-high four double plays on the evening and stranding five baserunners in the final two frames.

 

The Redbirds took a 1-0 lead against Sounds starter Richie Gardner in the bottom of the first inning. Brian Barden (single) and Jarrett Hoffpauir (double) ripped two of the right-hander's first three offerings of the contest for knocks to put runners on second and third. Memphis cleanup hitter Josh Phelps put the home team on the board with a one-out RBI single through the left side of the infield.

 

Nashville jumped in front with four runs against Redbirds starter Mitchell Boggs in the top of the second. The Sounds loaded the bases on a singles by Russell Branyan and Vinny Rottino along with an Adam Heether walk before Mel Stocker knotted the contest with an RBI single up the middle. Gardner followed with a grounder to third baseman David Freese, who fired wildly to the plate to allow a pair of runs to score. Stocker scored from third with the inning's fourth run on Hernan Iribarren's fielder's choice groundout.

 

Phelps pulled the Redbirds within a run at 4-3 in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer to left off Gardner, his seventh roundtripper of the year. Hoffpauir, who drew an inning-opening walk, also scored on the blast.

 

Neither team scored again until Memphis tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded Barden sacrifice fly.

 

The Redbirds took a 5-4 lead in the following frame as they scored a rare run against Sounds reliever Erasmo Ramirez. The veteran southpaw had only been scored upon once in his initial 15 outings, including 11 consecutive scoreless outings (13.0 IP) entering Friday evening. Freese put the home team in front with a two-out, opposite-field double off the right field wall that plated Phelps, who had doubled.

 

The Sounds threatened in the eighth, putting runners on first and second for Branyan before Ron Flores struck him out to end the frame.

 

Nashville again put the tying run in scoring position in the ninth. Heether doubled with one out and moved to third on a Stocker single to put runners on the corners for pinch-hitter Laynce Nix, who was intentionally walked after Stocker stole second to load the bags for Hernan Iribarren.

 

Memphis reliever Kelvin Jimenez struck out Iribarren swinging then induced a game-ending flyout from Callix Crabbe to preserve the win and notch his first save of the year.

 

Former Sound John Wasdin (4-4) picked up the victory after working two scoreless innings of relief for Memphis.

 

Ramirez (1-1) took the loss after surrendering the game-deciding run during his two frames of action.

 

Neither starter factored in the decision. Gardner matched his season high with six innings of work, allowing four runs on nine hits, while Boggs gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in his five frames of action.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6:05 p.m. contest on Saturday. Left-hander Sam Narron (1-0, 3.00), who defeated Memphis in his Nashville debut on Monday, will man the bump for the Sounds to face Redbirds southpaw Jaime Garcia (1-1, 3.00).

 

Nashville Box Score

Brad Nelson two singles; Mel Stocker, in a rare start, 3-for-4, all singles...

 

Nashville Game Log

[brewjihad]

a lineup which has Matt LaPorta at first base (let's see if some blogger runs with that -- Prince will surely be traded tomorrow).

 

BadgerBlogger, whatever that is, is reporting that the Brewers will trade Fielder to the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow for Kevin Mench and Lyle Overbay, after talks with the White Sox fell through because they weren't willing to give up minor league pitcher Joe Winkelsas in a potential deal. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

On a serious note, it's incredible that Gamel is still hitting .370- that's not a small sample anymore. Congrats to Salome as well.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Press Release:

 

Stars Lose Heartbreaker in Ninth

BARONS PULL OUT ANOTHER COME FROM BEHIND WIN

 

Stefan Gartrell scored the winning run on an error in the ninth inning in Birmingham's 5-4 comeback win over Huntsville Friday night in the middle of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Barons won their sixth straight to improve to 28-20 and open up a six-game lead over Jacksonville in the South, while the Stars lost a season-high fifth consecutive game to fall to 30-18 but remain in a first place tie with West Tenn in the North Division. Huntsville has dropped seven of eight on the current home stand, with six of the defeats coming by either one or two runs.

 

Juan Sandoval took over on the hill for the Stars in the ninth in his first save situation in 10 days and blew it with two pitches. Victor Mercedes singled on the first pitch and was replaced by pinch-runner Micah Schnurstein, who scored to tie the game when Cole Armstrong doubled on the next pitch. Gartrell, who scored the winning run in the series opener, ran for Armstrong and moved to third on a bunt single by Robert Hudson, who advanced to second base on defensive indifference on a steal attempt. Robert Valido then hit a ground ball against a drawn-in infield that couldn't be handled by Matt LaPorta, who was making his first start of the year at first base. The misplay allowed Gartrell to cross the plate with the go-ahead run. Sandoval retired Miguel Negron on a pop up before Hudson was thrown out trying to score on a Ricardo Nanita ground ball for the second out. Sandoval walked David Cook to load the bases but got out of the inning by retiring

Javier Castillo on a fly ball.

 

Alcides Escobar drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning against Johnny Lujan, who then retired the next three batters to earn his second save of the series and season. The Stars lost for just a second time in 27 games when taking a lead into the ninth inning.

 

Mercedes' two-out, two-run double in the first staked the visitors to the lead and marked the seventh straight game that the Stars' opponent had scored first. Justin Cassel held the Stars hitless through three innings before Mat Gamel singled and Matt LaPorta followed with his 12th home run of the season to tie the game. Ryan Crew's run-scoring ground out later in the frame gave Huntsville its' first lead of the night.

 

Stars' starter David Welch retired 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced and was taken out after five innings and replaced by Patrick Ryan, who gave up a bases loaded single to Mercedes that tied the game. However, he worked out of further trouble in the sixth by getting Hudson to ground into an inning-ending double play. Ryan matched a season-high with three innings of work during which he gave up a season-high four hits, walked two and struck out one.

 

Cassel departed after six frames, allowing three runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out three. Gamel's run-scoring double in the seventh off Joe Torres drove in Escobar to put the Stars back on top, 4-3. Fernando Hernandez threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his third win of the year.

 

The series continues Saturday night with southpaw Brae Wright taking the mound for the Stars against Barons' left-hander Ryan O'Malley. 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

You wonder if Mike Bell would have made a difference tonight in such a tight game -- the second baseman got the night off, and his replacement, Guilder Rodriguez, went 0-for-5 in the leadoff spot normally occupied by a sidelined Michael Brantley; Alcides Escobar reached three times; Chris Errecart had two hits including a double, but is limited to DH duty with his sore back -- with Brantley out, that's why Matt LaPorta was playing first base, and his error was the difference in the 9th, as the go-ahead run was unearned...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[LouisEly]

Stephen Chapman hit his 7th home run -- 21 of his 39 hits have gone for extra bases, problem's been not enough hits (.224 in 170 AB's)

 

Hey, just like the big league club - fits right in! Call him up!!

 

Patrick Ryan with an uncharacteristic 4 hits and one earned run given up in 3 innings... ERA up to 0.74 now. I curse whomever cursed Ryan by announcing his scoreless streak the other day.

 

And did I see Adam Heether at SS today? That would be interesting to see if he can play SS adequately. Would really help improve his chances of making MIL next year as a utility guy. I'm guessing his range would be below average, but having played 3B he should have an adequate arm and glove; decent stick with a good OBP and BB:K ratio. Have Heether be the backup for the left side of the infield (3B, SS), and Iribarren be the backup 2B/OF, taking the roster spots of Counsell and Dillon. I'm all for giving a bunch of starts to Heether at SS in Nashville the rest of this year to see if he could be the backup SS in MIL next year.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars' night not a complete loss

Salome proposes to girlfriend after 5-4 setback

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

At least the Huntsville Stars had something to celebrate after the game.

 

Surrounded by his unsuspecting teammates and their families around home plate, Stars catcher Angel Salome hit one knee and proposed to his longtime George Washington High School (NY) girlfriend Johanica Coronado in Spanish, then in English, following his team's 5-4 loss to Birmingham.

 

He'd handed over 1-year-old daughter Kai-Angeli to Coronado so he could hit the ground and - thankfully - she said yes as 3,138 fans at Joe Davis Stadium cheered.

 

"I just said, 'Would you like to marry me?' " a smiling Salome said. "Thank God she said yes.

 

"I'm a little sad because my team lost, and when they lose, I lose. But I feel happy at the same time because my girl said yes."

 

At this point, Huntsville is looking for anybody to make a commitment to being an answer to its mounting bullpen questions.

 

Stars closer Juan Sandoval added the bullpen's barrage of blunders over the past nine days by blowing a one-run lead in the top of the ninth.

 

Victor Mercedes led off the inning with a single, and Cole Armstrong doubled him home to tie the game with no outs. After Robert Hudson's bunt single, Huntsville (30-18) drew in the infield for Robert Valido.

 

Valido dribbled a ground ball just to the right of Matt LaPorta, who was playing his first game at first base all season. He couldn't come up with the ball, and Armstrong scored on the error to give Birmingham (28-20) its third consecutive win over Huntsville.

 

"I haven't played a lot of first base in the last year, and I didn't realize how close I was to (second baseman) Guilder (Rodriguez)," LaPorta said. "I went over into his area. It was my mistake."

 

Despite the error, the situation Sandoval had painted for himself was anything but desirable. During the Stars' streak of seven losses in eight games, the relievers now have five of those losses. Even Patrick Ryan - who entered the game with an 0.42 earned run average - gave up a run in three innings of work.

 

"That's the way it's going," Stars manager Don Money said. "Somebody in the bullpen has got to step up and take the bull by the horns. We're looking. Somebody has got to step up."

 

Nobody is coming through in clutch situations offensively, either. During the slump, the games have seemed to go by the same blueprint: Get behind early, roar back to take the lead, blow the lead, fail in clutch situations late in the game.

 

It's been a recipe for disaster.

 

Friday, the Stars left 10 runners on base. Alcides Escobar led off the ninth with a walk and was on second with two outs, but Cole Gillespie struck out swinging to end the game.

 

Situations like that overshadow big hits like LaPorta's two-run homer in fourth that tied the game at 2-2 or Mat Gamel's go-ahead RBI double in the seventh.

 

"It's not just the ninth inning that loses a ballgame," LaPorta said. "(The bullpen) has helped us out a lot this year and held a lot of leads for us. But a lot of people, including myself, are not doing what we normally do lately."

 

Huntsville reliever Jason Shiell was promoted to Triple-A Nashville on Friday, and 22-year-old pitcher Donovan Hand of Town Creek was called up to replace him.

[dadofandrew]

Dillon is oodles better than Heether, and has played SS in the minors too.

[NastyTwig]

Escobar has 6 walks in the last 10 games... If he can start to walk consistantly, bye bye Hardy.

[clancyphile]

Dillon is oodles better than Heether, and has played SS in the minors too.

Dillon is also in his 30s. Heether has a higher ceiling.

 

[battlekow]

Dillon is oodles better than Heether, and has played SS in the minors too.

Dillon is also in his 30s. Heether has a higher ceiling.

That's not necessarily true. Just because a guy is younger doesn't mean his ceiling is higher; I am also younger than Joe Dillon, but his potential is considerably higher than mine. In fact, despite his age, Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection system likes Dillon more than former best-prospect-on-Earth Andy Marte.