Link Report for Games of Tuesday, May 27th

[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 Albuquerque (Marlins), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at Mobile (Diamondbacks), 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: Idle

 

West Virginia: LHP Chris Cody at home vs. Lakewood (Phillies), 9:20 AM pre-game, 9:35 gametime

 

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

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens:

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

 

Nashville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_27_nasaaa_albaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_27_hunaax_mobaax_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_05_27_lwdafx_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 27 25 .519 - 11-13 16-12 W1 Iowa 25 25 .500 1.0 16-10 9-15 W2 Omaha 24 25 .490 1.5 13-13 11-12 W1 Nashville 21 29 .420 5.0 11-12 10-17 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Tenn 32 19 .627 - 19-6 13-13 L1 Huntsville 31 20 .608 1.0 19-11 12-9 L2 Carolina 29 22 .569 3.0 14-11 15-11 L2 Chattanooga 25 26 .490 7.0 14-12 11-14 L3 Tennessee 19 32 .373 13.0 9-17 10-15 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 30 20 .600 - 17-8 13-12 L1 Brevard County 26 25 .510 4.5 16-10 10-15 L1 Daytona 25 26 .490 5.5 11-14 14-12 W1 Jupiter 24 26 .480 6.0 15-10 9-16 W2 Vero Beach 24 26 .480 6.0 16-9 8-17 W1 St. Lucie 11 39 .220 19.0 5-20 6-19 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 32 19 .627 - 14-12 18-7 W2 Delmarva 27 23 .540 4.5 18-11 9-12 L2 Hagerstown 27 23 .540 4.5 12-12 15-11 W2 Greensboro 27 24 .529 5.0 12-13 15-11 W2 Lakewood 27 24 .529 5.0 15-13 12-11 W6 Hickory 27 25 .519 5.5 11-15 16-10 W1 West Virginia 19 31 .380 12.5 7-16 12-15 L3 Lexington 15 35 .300 16.5 6-18 9-17 L2 

[Mass Haas]

Final: Lakewood (Phillies) 6, West Virginia 5

Entertaining game, as I listened in, but another painful loss..

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

WILSON DRIVES IN FOUR, POWER LOSE

 

Steffan Wilson hit his eighth homer of the season on Tuesday morning at Appalachian Power Park and drove in four of West Virginia's five runs but it was not enough as the red-hot Lakewood BlueClaws completed the four game sweep of the Power with a 6-5 victory.

 

The Power took their only lead of the series in the bottom of the first when Wilson grounded out to score Lee Haydel. Lakewood answered quickly with a two-run homer from Matt Rizzotti in the top of the second. Michael Taylor ripped a two-out RBI double in the third to give Lakewood a 3-1 lead. Jonathan Lucroy ripped a run-scoring double in the fifth inning before Wilson's second RBI groundout tied the game.

 

Lakewood snapped the 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth after Rizzotti's sacrifice fly scored Dominic Brown and Travis Mattair's double plated Taylor. Wilson struck again in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run homer to tie the game. T.J. Warren ripped a one-out single in the ninth and scored on Dennis Winn's game-winning double. David Fonseca began the bottom of the ninth with a single and was left stranded at third when the game ended.

 

Moises Melendez (2-0) allowed four runs on four hits with four strikeouts over four innings and got the victory. Jared Simon (8) tossed a scoreless ninth to get the save and Mike Ramlow (2-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing a run on three hits over an inning and a third.

 

The Power fell to 19-32 with the loss and the BlueClaws improved to 28-24 with the win. The BlueClaws have now won seven in a row. The BlueClaws scored 30 runs on 51 hits in the series. Lucroy and Haydel had the only multi-hit games for the Power. Lucroy paced the Power with his second straight three-hit game going 3-for-4. West Virginia has now lost seven games in a row at Appalachian Power Park.

The Power are off on Wednesday but will begin a four game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at NewBridge Bank Ballpark on Thursday night. Right hander R.J. Seidel (1-3, 4.86) will get the start for the Power and the Grasshoppers will counter with left hander Jay Voss (0-2, 3.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM (6:00 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score

Eric Farris and Lee Haydel couldn't plate the winning run in the 9th; Chris Cody with a decent starting effort; Mike Ramlow could not strand Rob Bryson's runners from 2nd and 3rd with one out in the 8th; Jonathan Lucroy is just solid; Jeff Isom tried to give Zelous Wheeler a day off, but he was needed as a sub late -- Wheeler has still appeared in every single Power game this season; just what this team needs after a brief homestand -- hit the road again, not that they've been winning at home...

 

West Virginia Game Log

 

Steffan Wilson's huge (at the time) 8th inning two-run HR was worth a "Jack-Jackety-Jack" Call to brighten your day -- go to the WSWW archive of May 27th, then to the 02:36:00 minute mark (two hours, 36 minutes)

[twobrewers]

Huntsville has 10 hits through 5 innings with only 1 run.

 

That is just hard to do!

[battlekow]

Three GIDP, a pickoff, and a guy thrown out going first to third on a single all help in that endeavor.

[uwisfan]

you keep thinking its impossible for Gamel to raise his batting average and then it happens

[SZBrewerFan]

Maas and the guys who really study the minor leaguers......is Gamel this good of a hitter. I know he was posted solid numbers on the way up, but this is upsurd. The Southern league is a pretty notorious pitcher's league if I am not mistaken and he is making it look like a joke. I know there are models to relate what a hitter is doing in the minors and project that to a major league equivelant....what do Mat's numbers look like?

[uwisfan]

you look up and down the lineup at the stats and you have to wonder if this is a down year for pitching they are facing. Salome matching Gamel stroke for stroke as well..bot have 3 hits and nearly identical averages (obviously Gamel with more PAs).

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas

Discussion begins with Steve Sollmann's retirement...

[battlekow]

Maas and the guys who really study the minor leaguers......is Gamel this good of a hitter. I know he was posted solid numbers on the way up, but this is upsurd. The Southern league is a pretty notorious pitcher's league if I am not mistaken and he is making it look like a joke. I know there are models to relate what a hitter is doing in the minors and project that to a major league equivelant....what do Mat's numbers look like?

Using Jeff Sackmann's MLE calculator, Gamel would be hitting .324/.374/.527 if his numbers are translated from Huntsville to Milwaukee.

 

[battlekow]

LaPorta did have two singles, but also three GIDP. Rough.

[Trowekamp]

Huntsville is really must see viewing.. I haven't followed one team this closely since Prince, Hart, Hardy, and Weeks all played on the same team.

[SoCalBrewfan]

A quick look through the H'ville hitters' numbers shows almost all of the key guys are quite a bit better at home. Not sure why...didn't think that park played as such a hitters' haven. Didn't have time to check pitchers....

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 3, Mobile (Diamondbacks) 0

 

Huntsville Press Release:

 

Stars Post Second Shutout Victory of Season

HUNTSVILLE EARNS MUCH-NEEDED WIN

 

Derek Miller, Robert Hinton, Patrick Ryan and Juan Sandoval combined on a five-hit shutout in Huntsville's 3-0 win over Mobile Tuesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. The Stars improved to 32-20 and stayed within a game of victorious West Tenn in the North Division, while the BayBears dropped to 21-31. Huntsville had at least one hit in every inning and had multiple hits in six innings in collecting 17 hits, their second-highest single game total of the season, both of which have come against Mobile.

 

The Stars loaded the bases in the first inning on a walk to Michael Brantley and singles by Alcides Escobar and Matt LaPorta but the threat ended when Chris Errecart grounded into a double play. Angel Salome singled with two outs in the second inning and was thrown out trying to advance to third base on a single by Miller, who picked up his first hit of the season.

 

Brantley led off the third with a double, advanced to third base on an Escobar sacrifice bunt and scored on a base hit by Mat Gamel, who knocked in his 43rd run of the season. LaPorta followed with a single before Errecart bounced into an inning-ending double play. The Stars stranded two runners in the fourth and LaPorta grounded into an inning-ending twin-killing in the fifth.

 

Mike Bell walked with one out in the sixth and scored on a double by Cole Gillespie to push the visitors lead to 2-0. Mobile starter Brooks Brown was taken out after six frames and was charged with two runs on 11 hits, while walking three and fanning one. He is winless in five starts at home and dropped to 2-6 after the BayBears were shutout for a third time in one of his turns.

 

Matt Elliott took over in the seventh inning and gave up a pair of singles before LaPorta grounded into another inning-ending double play. Jose Marte took over in the eighth and gave up a leadoff double to Errecart, who moved to third base on a Bell sacrifice bunt and scored on a Gillespie single to make it 3-0. Gamel collected his fourth hit of the night in the ninth only to be wiped out when LaPorta bounced into the Stars fifth inning-ending double play to match a franchise record set in August, 1986 against Knoxville.

 

Meanwhile, Miller stranded runners at second and third in the first inning and yielded only two singles in his five frames to earn his fifth win. The southpaw walked three and struck out three in his third start of the season in which he tossed five shutout frames. Hinton tossed two scoreless innings, yielding one hit, walking one and fanning one before Ryan tossed a shutout eighth inning. Sandoval took over in the ninth and gave up a one-out double to Cyle Hankerd and walked Frank Currerri before getting Orlando Mercado to ground out and striking out pinch-hitter Greg Thompson to end the game and record his fifth save.

 

The series continues Wednesday night with southpaw David Welch taking the hill for Huntsville against BayBears' right-hander Tony Barnette. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Three runs on 17 hits -- how often have you seen that on any level? The crooked numbers this team puts up is just dizzying; it's too bad only the AAA box scores have pitch counts -- too often Derek Miller doesn't get past the 5th despite fine results...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[colbyjack]

Huntsville is really must see viewing.. I haven't followed one team this closely since Prince, Hart, Hardy, and Weeks all played on the same team.

 

Unless you mean with the Milwaukee Brewers, I'm pretty sure those four guys never played together for the same team in the minors. I think Hart, Fielder and Weeks had some time together at AAA, but Hardy was in Milwaukee by then IIRC, and even then Hardy was more well known for his time spent with Hart, Brad Nelson and Mike Jones at AA a few years before ('03?).

 

Maas and the guys who really study the minor leaguers......is Gamel this good of a hitter. I know he was posted solid numbers on the way up, but this is upsurd. The Southern league is a pretty notorious pitcher's league if I am not mistaken and he is making it look like a joke. I know there are models to relate what a hitter is doing in the minors and project that to a major league equivelant....what do Mat's numbers look like?

 

battlekow already provided the MLB calculator, which sounds way too good to be true, but yes, Gamel is this good of a hitter. He drew high praise from the team for his left-handed stroke when they drafted him, and just take a look at his minor league numbers as he has progressed. They keep getting better at each level, and people all along have been telling us that there is more power in his swing that his numbers suggest. It's a shame that he's not considered a better bet to stick at third base than he is, but he should hit well enough to play a corner OF spot down the road should 3B not work out.

 

Just to share some praise for a couple of my other organizational faves, Jonathan Lucroy continues to put up big numbers, and is among the league leaders in almost every offensive category in the Sally League. Cole Gillespie's numbers may not be as gaudy as Gamel's, Salome's or LaPorta's, but his average has been creeping higher and higher this year after starting the year slow. He, like Lorenzo Cain at BC, is having a big month of May (and Gillespie didn't have too shabby of an April).

[LouisEly]

Gillespie's OPS now up to .925; two days in a row going 2-3 with a walk.

 

Don't you wish that Errecart hit left and threw right, and not vice versa?

[JoeHova]

The thing about MLEs is that I'm always extremely wary when they translate someone's batting average as .325 or .350 or something like that. There are 3 guys in all of baseball who are legit .325 or above hitters (Pujols, Ichiro, Vlad). I think in almost all such cases, it's fair to knock the player down to a .300 or so average and make the corresponding demerits to his other numbers.

 

In other words, I put more stock in an MLE that says a guy will hit .290/.390/.490 than I do one that says a guy will hit .325/.375/.500 or whatever. Maybe that's wrong of me, but I just feel that the chances of anybody's true talent batting average being .325 are extremely miniscule. And I realize that MLE's measure what happened, they don't try to predict what will happen going forward. It's certainly possible Gamel could hit .325 in the majors for a month or two. I just think that anyone hoping for that kind of production right off the bat is likely to be disappointed.

 

 

I don't know, maybe what I just said didn't make any sense. Maybe I'm losing the ability to tell.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Albuquerque (Marlins) 11, Nashville 3

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Callix Crabbe photo, text follows --

 

ALBUQUERQUE - The Albuquerque Isotopes scored 11 runs on 14 hits in handing the Nashville Sounds an 11-3 defeat on Tuesday evening at Isotopes Park in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Albuquerque took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on John Gall's eighth home run of the season, a two-out solo shot to left off Sounds starter Chris Narveson. It would have been a two-run shot but catcher Vinny Rottino gunned down Robert Andino attempting to steal second during Gall's at-bat.

 

The Isotopes erupted for four more scores in the fourth against Narveson to increase the lead to 5-0. Andino got things started with a one-out solo homer to left, his first longball of the year. Later in the frame, a pair of two-out walks came back to haunt Narveson when Gall and ex-Sound Jason Wood both drew free passes then trotted home on Tagg Bozied's three-run home run to center, the first baseman's sixth roundtripper of the season.

 

The Sounds plated their lone runs of the evening in the top of the fifth against Isotopes starter Chris Seddon to pull within 5-3. Two of the three runs came plateward on a Callix Crabbe two-run triple.

 

AUDIO: Crabbe Two-Run Triple

 

Albuquerque put the game out of reach by scoring in each of its final four trips to the plate, with much of the damage coming off the bats of former Sounds. Wood plated a run in the fifth with a single then added a two-run single in the eighth, and three-year Sound Chris Barnwell delivered a two-out RBI single in the sixth.

 

Seddon (4-3) fanned nine batters over six innings of his quality start to earn the win. He allowed three runs on nine hits in the outing.

 

Narveson (2-7) took the loss after he lasted only three innings for Nashville and surrendered five runs on seven hits while throwing 67 pitches in his third consecutive losing outing.

 

The teams continue the series with another 8:05 p.m. CT meeting on Wednesday night. Right-hander Richie Gardner (3-1, 5.35) will make the start for the Sounds to face Isotopes right-hander Dallas Trahern (0-4, 9.25).

 

Nashville Box Score

Sounds batters fan 13 times while drawing only one walk; the Sounds' current rotation of Narveson, Gardner, Narron, Gulin, and Weaver is a little less than inspiring for Brewer fans -- I honestly think if Dave Bush had "blown up" last night, Mark DiFelice would have been moved into the rotation next turn...

 

Nashville Game Log

[igor67]

I think there is a fair amount of legitimacy in what you say Joe, though I'd say my skepticism has more to do with the small portion of the season we are talking about. At this point I'm comfortable talking about Gamel as a .300+ hitter, but based on near absurd numbers for two months I can't project him to be a perennial contender for a batting title. Now if He still is .370+ at the end of the year given the tough nature of the Southern league I'd find it more reasonable to think about him as a .320+ type hitter.