Link Report for Tue. 6/17 -- Huntsville Wins or Loses a Title Tonight; Helena Debuts

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

Nashville: Rehabbing RHP David Riske for an inning, then RHP Ben Howard at home vs. Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

Audio link:
www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

Huntsville: LHP Steve Hammond at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

Audio link via WUMP (game will also archive at this link):
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559

Brevard County: Rehabbing LHP Randy Choate to begin, then LHP Chris Cody at Vero Beach (Devil Rays), 6:00 PM gametime; tough opponent (again) in the Ray's Jeremy Hellickson

Audio link, Vero Beach's broadcast (game will also archive at this link):
web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503

West Virginia: Four Power players take part in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game -- 6:00 gametime, check out the tail end of this thread for details, including box score and audio links

Helena: 18-year-old LHP Efrain Nieves at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime

Audio link via KCAP (game will also archive at this link):
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

Arizona: Season begins Monday, June 23rd

[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_06_17_orhaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_17_wtdaax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_17_breafa_vbdafa_1

 

Helena:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_17_grfrok_helrok_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):

 

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 41 30 .577 - 23-12 18-18 W1 Memphis 36 36 .500 5.5 15-17 21-19 W1 Omaha 33 36 .478 7.0 15-19 18-17 L3 Nashville 28 43 .394 13.0 15-16 13-27 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Chattanooga 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Huntsville 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Tennessee 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - West Tenn 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 41 27 .603 - 26-11 15-16 L3 Brevard County 34 33 .507 6.5 21-14 13-19 L2 Daytona 34 34 .500 7.0 16-17 18-17 W3 Vero Beach 33 34 .493 7.5 21-12 12-22 W1 Jupiter 32 35 .478 8.5 18-12 14-23 L2 St. Lucie 18 49 .269 22.5 9-26 9-23 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 41 29 .586 - 19-19 22-10 L1 Delmarva 38 31 .551 2.5 22-13 16-18 L1 Greensboro 38 32 .543 3.0 17-18 21-14 L3 Lakewood 38 32 .543 3.0 19-15 19-17 W1 Hagerstown 34 35 .493 6.5 16-20 18-15 W1 West Virginia 32 37 .464 8.5 13-20 19-17 W3 Hickory 30 40 .429 11.0 14-21 16-19 L1 Lexington 21 48 .304 19.5 10-24 11-24 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Great Falls 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Helena 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Missoula 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - 

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers set for season opener

By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Helena Independent Record

 

Summer is officially upon the Capital City as the Helena Brewers take to the diamond tonight to host the Great Falls Voyagers in both teams' season opener at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

 

The game will pit last year's Pioneer League Northern Division first-half champs from Helena with the season champs out of Great Falls. The Orem Owlz of the Southern Division beat Great Falls 2-0 for the league title last year.

 

Despite their history, both teams have new looks. Both have a new crop of young players fresh out of rookie, high school and college squads. Meanwhile, Great Falls has taken a new moniker since last year's stint as the White Sox.

 

With just 25 men on the roster, the Brewers will make their way onto the field a bit short-staffed. The minor league team is allowed 35 men on the roster, 30 of those active for each game.

 

"We're going to open the season with a pretty small roster," said Steve Wendt, the Brewers' director of broadcasting and public relations, who is back for his fifth year. "We've got some big fellas, just not the numbers."

 

They suffer from a lack of depth in the outfield, which only just Chris Dennis, Michael Vass and Cutter Dykstra, son of former MLB great Lenny Dykstra, call home.

 

They have five infielders to cover the four positions, with Brock Kjeldgaard stationed at first and Venezuelan product Edgar Trejo spending much of the time at third. John Delaney, Jose Duran and Michael Marseco have been swapping in and out of the rest of the infield.

 

Brewers manager Rene Gonzales has been working with the group since spring training began about three months ago, and could have his hands full through the beginning of the season. After two years with the Brewers, Kjeldgaard is making the transition from pitcher to fielder for his third season in Helena.

 

"All of them (have things to work on)," Gonzales said. "It's going to be situations. It's 'OK, what do we have here, it's one out, the scoring run at second base, do I have to pick this ball, do I have to block it.'

 

"He'll just get better just with the repetitions and the more game situations he gets."

 

While they can run into trouble if anyone is injured in the field, the Brewers certainly have depth in the bullpen.

 

They have 14 pitchers ready to take the mound, beginning with tonight's starter, Efrain Nieves.

 

Nieves, an 18-year-old from Puerto Rico, saw limited time at the end of the 2007 season. He went 1-0 in the Pioneer League, playing in just two games. In 4 2/3 innings pitched he gave up just three hits, walking one and striking out four.

 

While he'll have the duty of starting the Brewers' season off on a good note, fans will be waiting to see how well one of Milwaukee's first-round picks will do.

 

Evan Frederickson, the 35th overall pick out of the University of San Francisco, is expected to be tested on the mound early in the season.

 

"He went up there for a try-out in Milwaukee and he was throwing 98," Gonzales said. "We expect big things out of him, he's one of the guys who won't be in a tandem for the games early. We're going to let him go and see what he can do."

 

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound southpaw is welcoming the opportunity to play in Helena after going 5-3 in the college ranks and striking out 109 batters in just over 75 innings of work.

 

"Coming from when I first got drafted I was really excited," he said. "Now, I'm ready to come here and get with the team, start working on baseball and start playing well."

 

The Brewers also used a second-round pick on another pitcher, Cody Adams of Southern Illinois University. He ended up leading the Salukis in strike outs with 78.

 

"We're definitely pitcher-heavy," Wendt said.

 

Few players will probably be eyed as much as Dykstra, another second-round pick who is coming straight out of Westlake High School in Westlake, Calif.

The 5-11, 180-pounder will turn 19 on June 29, and has already made an impression with his coaches.

 

"I've been just talking to him on the plane," Gonzales said after first arriving. "He's confident, maybe you could say cocky in a good way, and I like that."

 

Helena will host the Voyagers in a three-game series to start the season before the Missoula Osprey come to town to finish the weekend. The Brewers will take to the road Monday to face Great Falls again.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sidelines: Past Brewers find success at next level

By TOM STUBER - Helena Independent Record

 

The 2007 Helena Brewers had great success in moving up the ladder, as a total of 19 players are now in action at other Milwaukee affiliates.

 

West Virginia, Milwaukee's low A affiliate, is the new home for 18 players from last year's team, including: Caleb Gindl, who led the Brewers in hitting last year at .372, Jonathon Lucroy, Steffan Wilson, Eric Farris, Curt Rindal, Zelous Wheeler, Lee Haydel, David Fonseca, Eric Fryer, Scott Houin, Roque Mercedes, Jose Garcia, Curtis Pasma, Richard Seidel, Nick Tyson, Corey Frerichs, Daniel Merklinger, and Wes Etheridge.

 

High A affiliate Brevard County has Bobby Bramhall on the roster, along with numerous players from the 2006 Helena team.

 

Milwaukee's AA and AAA farm clubs are loaded with players from previous Helena Brewer' teams.

 

Considering that new Helena Brewers manager Rene Gonzales hit just 19 home runs in his major-league career you wouldn't think his baseball card would be worth much. However, there's one exception, as Gonzales' 1988 Topps card shows him wearing uniform number 88 and his Mr. 1988 Topps. Collectors might want to check and see if the card is in their collection.

 

As for those 19 career homers, he hit them off some quality pitchers, including two off Dave Stewart, and one each off Wilson Alvarez, Tom Henke, Ben McDonald, Jose DeLeon, Rick Honeycutt, Mike Jackson, Kevin Tapani, Dave Stieb, Frank Viola and Kent Mercker.

 

This season marks the 30th anniversary of the first Pioneer League team in Helena, but we missed two years in 2001 and 2002 when the team moved to Provo.

 

The Helena Phillies joined the Pioneer League in 1978, giving Helena a professional baseball team for the first time in 64 years.

 

In 1984 the Helena Gold Sox claimed the Pioneer League championship, a rarity for an independent club. The team hooked on with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1985 and changed its name to the Helena Brewers in 1987. Behind the hot bat of Al Mealing, Helena won the PL championship in back-to-back seasons in 1995 and 1996, but moved to Provo, Utah after the 2000 season.

 

Medicine Hat relocated to Helena in 2003 and Pioneer League ball has been here ever since.

 

Arguably the best Helena team to grace Kindrick Legion Field was the 1995 edition of the Helena Brewers.

 

That squad went 49-22, which is the best record for any Helena PL squad, in the regular season to win the Northern Division and swept the Pioneer League championship finishing the post seaston at 4-1. The Brewers won the title again in 1996, but haven't won it since.

[uwisfan]

rough start for Hammond (Stars), down 2 runs in the first already

[TheCrew07]

Hammond hurts his own cause in the first... darn. Stars down 2-0 after 1.

[Josh23fan]

Stars get one back .... now down 2-1.

[TheCrew07]

2nd error in the game costs the Stars another run.

[Mass Haas]

Game suspended -- Vero Beach (Rays) 3, Brevard County 0, after two innings

Game will be completed Wednesday afternoon at 11:00 Central as the first game of a doubleheader...

 

Brevard County Partial Box Score

Randy Choate walked two and surrendered a three-run home run to open the second inning...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Oklahoma (Rangers) 6, Nashville 0

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Tony Gwynn, Jr. photo, text follows --

 

RedHawks Shut Out Sounds To Open Series

NASHVILLE - Three Oklahoma pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout in the RedHawks' 6-0 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

RedHawks starter Steve Rowe (3-2) picked up the win after working six scoreless frames. Kazuo Fukumori followed with a pair of scoreless innings before Brian Gordon kept the Sounds off the board in the ninth to preserve the shutout.

 

Nashville, which has dropped all nine of its contests against Oklahoma this season, finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the evening.

 

Sounds outfielder Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4 to account for the club's lone multi-hit effort on the night.

 

Rehabbing right-hander David Riske made short work of the RedHawks in the top of the first inning, striking out the side in order while tossing only 12 pitches (nine strikes).

 

Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead in the second inning against Sounds right-hander Ben Howard. John Mayberry reached on a one-out infield single, moved to second on a Ryan Roberts walk, and scored on Travis Metcalf's blooper to center. Metcalf paced the Oklahoma offense with a 3-for-5, three-RBI evening.

 

The RedHawks doubled the lead to 2-0 in the second when Joaquin Arias tripled with one out and scored when ex-Sound Nelson Cruz legged out an RBI infield single to third.

 

Oklahoma added three runs against Howard in the seventh to stretch the lead to 5-0. Arias led off with a double and scored two batters later on a Chris Davis RBI single to center. Later in the frame, Howard was the victim of bad luck as what looked like a potential inning-ending double play grounder off the bat of Metcalf took a bad hop off the lip of the infield and bounced over the head of shortstop Adam Heether for a two-run single.

The visitors wrapped up their scoring in the eighth against Erasmo Ramirez when Cruz singled with two outs then scored on Davis' double to the wall in right-center, bringing the score to its final 6-0.

 

Howard (2-3) took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits while walking four batters and striking out six over 5 1/3 innings of work.

 

One night after having his PCL co-leading 24-game hit streak snapped, Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino was kept off the basepaths by Oklahoma pitchers to end his on-base streak at 26 games, a run that was tied for the second-longest in the circuit in 2008.

 

The teams continue the series with a noon matinee on Wednesday afternoon at Greer. Right-hander Steve Bray (1-5, 4.19) will make a spot start for the Sounds as their pitching staff recovers from back-to-back doubleheaders in Iowa. Oklahoma will counter with right-hander Elizardo Ramirez (5-3, 3.72).

 

Nashville Box Score

Callix Crabbe played third base, made a throwing error, but did walk three times; this is not a good AAA squad, but you knew that -- the Brewers have given Sounds fan a nice run up to 2008...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Tenn (Mariners) 5, Huntsville 1

Tough to psych themselves up for a second-half run (they're 0-1), but the Stars will have to -- details later...

[uwisfan]

brutal day for the affiliates, wow..

[Mass Haas]

Final: Great Falls (White Sox) 9, Helena 0

Details later...

 

"brutal day for the affiliates, wow.. "

 

Yeah, but a Brewer win, and Cub, Cardinal and (hopefully) Marlin losses -- we'll take that every day of the season, but yes, brutal is a good description...

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

First Half Ends in Disappointment, West Tenn Wins One Game Playoff

DIAMOND JAXX CLINCH FIRST PLAYOFF BERTH SINCE 2005

 

Ryan Ketchner spun 7 1/3 impressive innings and Mike Wilson and Luis Valbuena had key two-run hits to lead West Tenn to a 5-1 victory over Huntsville Tuesday night and a first half North Division title. The Diamond Jaxx improved to 42-29 on the season and grabbed the first in-season playoff game in the Southern League since 2000, while the Stars dipped to 41-30 overall and 0-1 in the second half. The two teams were not separated by more than one game over the final 25 games of the half after the Diamond Jaxx overcame a five-game deficit to pull into a first place tie on May 22.

 

Brent Johnson opened the game with a single before Mike Saunders grounder back to the mound was fielded by pitcher Steve Hammond, who made an errant throw to second base, allowing Johnson to remain on the bases and Saunders to reach safely at first. The runners advanced on a Mark Kiger sacrifice bunt and scored when Wilson doubled over the head of Michael Brantley in center field. Hammond had not been scored on in the first inning over his last 10 starts dating back to April 19 at Mississippi.

 

Kiger committed a fielding error on a ground ball hit by Angel Salome to open the home second before Matt LaPorta singled and Cole Gillespie's first sacrifice bunt of the season pushed the runners along. Chris Errecart's line drive sacrifice fly to center then plated Salome with the home team's lone run. The league's best hitting team was held to four hits, matching their lowest total of the season.

 

Johan Limonta led off the fourth with a single and moved to second base on a Hammond wild pitch and to third base on a wild throw towards third by catcher Carlos Corporan. The West Tenn first baseman had rounded the bag at second and was halfway to third base before Corporan's throw sailed into left field. Adam Moore made it a 3-1 West Tenn lead with a base hit to right field to drive in his 12th run of the season against the Stars.

 

Limonta was thrown out at the plate for the second out in the sixth after a single by Jon Nelson to right field. Jeffrey Dominguez followed with a base hit before both runners moved up on a Hammond wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Luis Valbuena to make it 5-1. The two-out hit knocked Hammond out of the game and prevented him from going at least six innings in a 12th straight start. The southpaw suffered the loss to fall to 7-4 after yielding a season-high 10 hits, fanning two and not walking a batter. Joe Bateman retired all 10 hitters he faced in his longest outing of the season.

 

Meanwhile, Ketchner allowed only two more Alcides Escobar singles through the seventh inning and was taken out in the eighth after hitting Corporan and yielding a Brantley base hit. Shawn Kelley, who began the year in the Midwest League, took over and got Escobar to line out and struck out Mat Gamel, the league's leading hitter, to end the frame. He walked LaPorta with one out in the ninth prior to Gillespie bouncing into an inning-ending and game-ending double play to earn his first double-A save.

 

The series continues Wednesday night with Hunsville left-hander Derek Miller taking the hill against West Tenn right-hander Doug Fister. 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

Interesting choice that Carlos Corporan was the catcher chosen to handle Steve Hammond while Angel Salome DH'd, instead of vice versa...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

First-half flameout

Huntsville falls flat in one-game showdown against West Tenn

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

A win would have hidden the ugly truth.

 

But when the Huntsville Stars lost to West Tenn on Tuesday night 5-1 and lost the Southern League North Division's first- half title, it couldn't be denied.

 

No matter how you paint it, the Stars slumped away the title.

 

From five games up on May 14, when they had a 29-11 record, the Stars limped to a 12-19 finish.

 

On Tuesday night, the Diamond Jaxx capped off an 18-13 run during the same stretch with a win in what essentially was a one-game playoff.

 

"We had a pretty good lead at one point, but down the stretch, we just didn't play very good," Stars manager Don Money said. "It was a combination of things."

 

From a shaky bullpen to the lack of clutch hitting to getting in early-inning holes, the final 31 games were forgettable for Huntsville - much like Tuesday.

 

The loss marked the second time in the past nine years that the Diamond Jaxx beat the Stars in a first-half playoff game. On July 15, 1999, West Tenn won 7-6 to take the half.

 

The canvas for Tuesday's game looked to be just as dramatic. Unfortunately, the game itself wasn't.

 

West Tenn starter Ryan Ketchner shut down the potent Stars lineup, and Huntsville's Steve Hammond didn't have his No. 1 starter stuff.

 

Still, Hammond's feelings were mixed afterward as Money called him into his office and informed him he was being called up to Triple-A Nashville. The lefty's final game as a Star was forgettable: 5 2/3 innings, 10 hits, five runs (four earned).

 

He gave up two in the first, one in the fourth and two more in the sixth when he was chased by Luis Valbuena's two-strike, two-out, two-run single.

 

"So many mixed emotions," Hammond said. "It's so soon after a tough night, a tough loss, but this is obviously a big step in the right direction for me.

 

"I've been waiting for this ever since I got to Huntsville two years ago."

 

Ketchner pitched like he'd been waiting for a stage like Tuesday's his whole life. The Jaxx left-hander worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing just four hits and a run. He was spurred on by a crowd of about 80 people who bussed in from Jackson. And behind him, he had a lineup that powdered Hammond.

 

Even when Ketchner faltered in the eighth, reliever Shawn Kelley came in and got Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel out with two runners on to end Huntsville's threat.

 

All of those ingredients led to a first-half title for West Tenn as the Jaxx capped off a month and a half where they simply outplayed the Stars.

 

"Ketchner threw a heck of a game," West Tenn manager Scott Steinmann said. "It came down to one game, and it was nice to win on the road. We got consistently better this year, good series after good series."

 

Now, the Stars must find a way to pick up the pieces after a difficult setback. They lose their No. 1 starter, and they're now fighting for a playoff spot like everybody else.

 

"It's obviously a tough loss, and I think for the rest of the night, everyone will be thinking about it," first baseman Chris Errecart said. "But tomorrow, we're going to come out here and try to beat these guys and get the second half started on the right foot."

 

Added catcher Angel Salome: "It's already behind us. There's nothing we can do about it now. The game is over."

 

Thankfully for the Stars, the season isn't.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars stumbled down the stretch

Loss in 'playoff' game just continued team's month-long slide

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com or visit his al.com blog at http://blog.al.com/mccarter

Huntsville Times

 

It's three pennants. And an empty flagpole that could have held a fourth. Check that. Should have held a fourth.

 

The Huntsville Stars won three straight division titles. Unprecedented stuff for a team that has often seemed to be playing in a vacuum.

 

Amazing stuff considering the up-and-down nature of minor league baseball, the ebbs and flows of talent surges.

 

You could make it four titles, if you hung a Barry Bonds-sized asterisk on it.

 

They were tied with West Tenn in the Southern League North at the end of the first half. That necessitated Tuesday's "playoff."

 

So much for history.

 

The Stars became a footnote, not a headline.

 

West Tenn 5, Huntsville 1.

 

Pass the pennant to the Diamond Jaxx on a night when the Stars looked tortilla flat.

 

It shouldn't have come to this, of course.

 

The Stars limped home, losing three of their last four and 18 of their last 30.

 

"If we won the games we should have won, we wouldn't be sitting here asking these questions," said manager Don Money.

 

No matter Tuesday's outcome, it has been a two-year run of unprecedented success.

 

"The organization has gotten good players," said Money. "Our job has been to put them in situations and give them the opportunity to succeed."

 

The last 24 months, that has happened.

 

In 2006, the Stars endured a 14-game losing streak in the first half and finished last. Then came an amazing second-half turnaround, a tsunami they surfed until a little after 7 p.m. last night.

 

They won 36 of their last 47 games in 2006 and reached the Southern League championship finals.

 

They won both halves of the 2007 season, then came within two outs of a league championship when Montgomery got an epic three-run home run off Stars closer Luis Pena.

 

The starting pitcher that night was Steve Hammond. He couldn't have pitched more beautifully. But last night, Brent Johnson greeted him with a single to open the game and Hammond threw wildly on a sure double-play ball back to the mound. A Mike Wilson two-run double gave West Tenn all it needed.

 

Bittersweet night for Hammond. It was his last game for the Stars. He's been promoted to Triple-A Nashville.

 

While we're moseying down memory lane, this one-game playoff was a little deja vu all over again, from nine years ago when the Stars and Diamond Jaxx finished the first half tied. They met on July 15, 1999.

 

Allen Levrault, an irrepressible pitcher from the south side of Boston, more familiarly known as "Meat," was the starting pitcher for Huntsville.

 

It was his first start in nearly a month, having been smacked in the nose with a ball during batting practice in mid-June.

 

He quickly got figuratively smacked in the nose in the first inning - much as happened to Hammond - for three runs, after holding the Jaxx hitless for 11 innings in a two-game stretch earlier in the season. The Stars trailed 5-1 and rallied to tie the game 5-5 despite going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, then lost 7-6.

 

"This would have been a huge win for us," an outfielder named Toby Kominek said that night.

 

Some things haven't changed in nine years.

 

How huge for history would this one could have been. Should have been.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville WUMP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Manager Don Money

Go to the June 17th archive, then the 02:30 minute mark -- discussion on Mat Gamel's recent defensive lapses included...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Photo Gallery from the Tennessean

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

RedHawks continue to dominate Sounds

By TOM KREAGER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas doesn't point to one thing that has hurt his team against Oklahoma this season.

 

There are too many things to look at as the reason why the RedHawks have dominated the Sounds.

 

Oklahoma defeated Nashville 6-0 on Tuesday night at Greer Stadium for its ninth straight win over the Sounds. The RedHawks have outscored Nashville 57-25 this season.

 

"They are just beating us," Kremblas said. "If they are outscoring us by that much they are just beating us."

 

The nine-game skid against Oklahoma is the Sounds' longest since 2001 when they lost nine straight to New Orleans. The Sounds (28-44) finished the first-half of the season with its worst record since they went 30-42 to start the 1998 season.

 

Nashville was 42-30 at this point last year.

 

"I think we have to get a little bit better mentally," Sounds right fielder Tony Gwynn said. "Over the last couple of games we've seemed to make a lot of mental errors. If we can change that, the pitchers are throwing the heck out of the ball.

 

"It's just a matter of time until we start hitting."

 

The Sounds managed just six hits against Oklahoma in the first of a four-game series.

 

Oklahoma (39-34) broke the game open with three runs in the seventh inning off Ben Howard, who replaced reliever David Riske after the first inning. Riske was scheduled to pitch only the first inning while on a rehab assignment from Milwaukee.

 

Joaquin Arias, who tripled and scored Oklahoma's second run of the game, doubled to open the seventh. Nelson Cruz was then hit by a pitch before Chris Davis drove in Arias with a single. Travis Metcalf's single later drove in Cruz and Davis.

 

Cruz scored again in the eighth when he singled and scored from first on Chris Davis' double.

 

All five runs allowed by Howard (2-3) were earned. Steve Rowe (3-2) gave up four hits through six innings to pick up the win.

 

What they said: "We've got to play better. It's as simple as that ... everywhere ... offense, defense, pitching and baserunning. All facets of the game we are not consistent enough." - Kremblas.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers reliever strikes out three

By TOM KREAGER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Milwaukee Brewers reliever David Riske made the most of his brief start with the Sounds on Tuesday night against Oklahoma.

 

Riske, who is on a rehabilitation assignment, struck out all three batters he faced. He threw 12 pitches - nine strikes - before being pulled for regular starter Ben Howard.

 

"That was good for him (Riske)," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "Early in games here it's hard as heck to see. That always has something to do with it. But he looked really crisp. Everything looked really good."

 

Riske, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, has been used as a late-inning reliever for the Brewers this season. He has appeared in 18 games, pitching 21 innings. He is 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA.

 

Riske made the rare start to guarantee him time on the mound. He is scheduled to start again Thursday.

 

Flood recovery: This won't be a banner season for the farm of Sounds first baseman Brad Nelson's parents.

 

But it could be much worse.

 

Nelson, who is from Algona, Iowa, said his parents' crops of corn and soybeans have been affected by the recent flooding. But his family did not have to evacuate.

 

"There was some water in the basement," Nelson said. "But that's about it. It's not near as bad as it was in a lot of other places."

 

Cruz back in town: Oklahoma right fielder Nelson Cruz helped the Sounds win the 2005 Pacific Coast League championship when his home run clinched the title.

 

He had two hits and two runs for the RedHawks in Tuesday's game.

 

Cruz was an all-star for the Sounds in 2006 before being sent to the Rangers as part of a six-player deal.

 

Current Sounds' center fielder Laynce Nix was sent to the Brewers in the trade.

 

Cain sent down: Outfielder Lorenzo Cain was re-assigned to Class A Brevard County by Milwaukee after hitting .158 in 19 at-bats for the Sounds. His roster spot was not filled.

 

Upcoming: The first 2,000 people at Friday's game with Oklahoma will receive a Joseph the Dreamer bobblehead doll. Game time is set for 7 p.m. There will be a pre-game concert by former American Idol contestant Chris Sligh at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks after the game.

[Mass Haas]

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Slow start to Brewers' season

By TOM STUBER - Helena Independent Record

 

A picture-perfect night at the ballpark didn't yield a picture-perfect game for the Helena Brewers on Tuesday.

 

The Great Falls Voyagers handed the Brewers a 9-0 loss on the season's opening day.

 

Doug Thennis and Eduardo Escobar slugged home runs for the Voyagers, and Jordan Cheatham collected three hits. That was more than enough to back the solid arm of Great Falls' starter Kevin Skogley.

 

Skogley went seven strong innings allowing four hits while collecting eight strikeouts and walking none.

 

Aside from a couple pitches, Helena starter Efrain Nieves wasn't bad either.

 

"I thought Nieves threw well for us today," Brewer manager Rene Gonzales said. "He had a couple balls up in the air, the wind's blowing out and they went out."

 

Nieves went 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs with three of those coming off the home runs, which were both hit with two outs.

 

"They were pressing, but again you have to give (Skogley) so much credit," Gonzales said. "He's dominant, obviously he's their No. 1 starter. I thought he was going to throw a complete game there for a while the way he was going."

 

Skogley (1-0) got all the run support he would need in the first inning. Jesse Avilla smacked a double to left-center and scored on a Johny Celis single.

 

Charlis Burdie finished up for Great Falls by pitching the final two innings and striking out five.

 

Thennis hit a two-run shot in the third and Escobar had a solo job in the fourth.

 

Great Falls picked up five insurance runs over the final two innings.

 

Only two Helena runners advanced past second base. John Delaney got there with one out in the third as Helena threatened to cut into the 3-0 Voyagers' lead, but Mike Vass hit into a double play to end the inning.

 

Helena had one last chance to get rid of the goose egg in the ninth when Vass singled and made it to third on a passed ball and wild pitch only to be stranded as Chris Dennis and Brock Kjeldgaard struck out and Corey Kemp flew out to right.

 

Gonzales still had kind words for his team.

 

"Just making sure they know they're good players and they got drafted and are here for a reason," he said. "It's the first night game for a lot of these guys. Settle down and we'll be fine.

 

"If we're playing this way two-three weeks from now, then I'd be concerned."

 

Milwaukee's No. 1 draft pick Evan Frederickson starts on the mound tonight.

 

Lisa Kunkel IR staff photographer - Adam Arnold pitches to a Great Falls player in the bottom of the ninth inning during Tuesday's opening game at Kindrick Legion Field.

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/18/sports/top/50spl_080618_brewers-2.jpg

 

Helena Brewers' Michael Marseco stops a wide throw as Great Falls' Nick Mahin slides safely into second base during Tuesday night's opening game at Kindrick Legion Field. The Voyagers defeated the Brewers 9-0.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/18/sports/top/50spl_080618_brewers.jpg

 

Helena Box Score

Outfielders Cutter Dykstra and Chris Dennis each 0-for-4 with three K's as the bottom of the order had more success; Dennis is the club's only left-handed bat until reinforcements arrive; John Delaney drew Helena's only walk...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Article detailing Helena's history of producing future major leaguers...