Link Report for Games of Friday, June 20th

[trwi7]

Thanks Mass. Get well soon Mat and the same for Matt's grandfather.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers' reliever throws two innings in rehab outing

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Milwaukee reliever Randy Choate, who is recovering from a broken hand suffered during spring training, made a two-inning rehab start Friday in the Sounds' 7-2 loss to Oklahoma.

 

Choate, who spent parts of the previous eight seasons with the Yankees (2000-03) and Diamondbacks (2004-07) before signing with the Brewers in November, allowed two hits and an unearned run. He was relieved by originally scheduled starter Sam Narron to open the third.

 

Including Choate, five different Milwaukee players have spent time with the Sounds this season on a rehab assignment. The others are Yovani Gallardo, outfielders Tony Gwynn and Mike Cameron as well as pitcher David Riske.

 

Superstition unsuccessful: Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas went with the same batting order to start Friday's game against Oklahoma as the one that snapped the team's 10-game losing streak to the RedHawks on Thursday night.

 

The last time the Sounds utilized the same batting order in consecutive games was 48 games ago. Nashville beat Colorado Springs 4-3 on April 30 before losing 5-1 to the Sky Sox on May 1.

 

Heether heats up: With his two-out double in the third inning - sparking a two-run rally - Adam Heether extended his hitting streak to six games, the longest current streak among Sounds players.

 

It was also Heether's third double of the four-game series, a total later matched by Brendan Katin.

 

Doing the Sounds shuffle: Prior to Friday's game, left-hander Mitch Stetter was recalled by the Brewers. He'll take the roster spot vacated when right-hander Tim Dillard was optioned back down.

 

It'll be the second major league stint for Stetter this season. Following an April 18 call-up, he was 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in 13 relief appearances with Milwaukee before he was optioned back on May 16. Since returning to the Sounds, he has posted a 6.23 ERA.

 

Dillard, who joined the Brewers on May 19, had a 5.40 ERA in eight relief appearances. In his last three outings, he allowed 10 runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings.

 

The roster moves bring the Sounds to 77 for the season - four short of last year's 81.

 

True closer: Nashville's Luis Pena has converted 11 of 12 save opportunities, posting an 0.75 ERA with a .146 batting average allowed (6-for-41). In 18 non-save situations, he has a 5.94 ERA with a .308 average allowed (20-for-65).

 

Pena's 11 saves are tied for the third-best total in the Pacific Coast League.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers blank Osprey

By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Helena Independent Record

 

It was like night and day for the Helena Brewers.

 

After dropping their first three games of the season to Great Falls, Helena (1-3) walloped the Missoula Osprey 10-0 Friday night in a battle between the Pioneer League Northern Division's bottom two teams. Missoula (0-4) is winless on the season.

 

Designated hitter Chris Dennis cracked two home runs in subsequent at bats while the Brewers defense played near-perfect ball, ending the night with three double plays and no errors in front of the crowd of 861.

 

"I think you're just going to see better and better ball from us the more we play together," said Brewers manager Rene Gonzales about the win.

 

Dennis' first hit was a solo home run that sailed over the right-field fence in the fourth to extend the Brewers' early lead to 4-0.

 

In the next inning, Cutter Dykstra walked for the third time, John Delaney singled and both were brought in when Corey Kemp doubled off the centerfield wall. Kemp was able to jog the rest of the way when Dennis followed up with his second hit, barely clearing Missoula centerfielder Alberto Diaz's glove at the wall.

 

"I've been working with the hitting coaches and for me, personally, it was just about making solid contact," Dennis said. "Once I made solid contact good things would hopefully happen, and I'm thankful for that tonight."

 

The two-run homer brought the score to 9-0 and Dykstra came in once more on a Delaney single in the sixth to end the scoring.

 

Dennis finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Kemp finished 2-for-4 and Delaney 2-for-3. Meanwhile, Dykstra led the team with three runs scored despite going just 1-for-2 at the plate.

 

Defensively, the Brewers couldn't have gotten off to a better start with Trey Watten (1-0) on the mound. Watten struck out four in the first three innings and finished after the sixth with just three hits.

 

Brandon Ritchie came in to pitch three innings with two strike outs to earn the save. Of course, both pitchers had help preserving the shutout.

On top of the double plays, Helena outfielders made two diving stops in the sixth that would have been fit for Sportscenter.

 

Logan Schafer made the first, running toward the first base line to stretch for the snag a few inches off the grass.

 

Dykstra followed it up two plays later when he made a diving stop at center, this one coming a foot in the air off the ball's first bounce.

 

Dykstra popped up quickly and had home plate umpire Greg Stanzak sold on the catch.

 

Stanzak called it an out, but after Missoula manager Audo Vicente argued the call, Stanzak and first-base ump Jason Hutchings deliberated.

Stanzak turned away from the three-man meeting with the safe sign and the Brewers took the field once again to get the final out.

 

"I think that's the kind of guys that we just drafted," Gonzales said. "No matter what kind of record we come across with, you're going to see a team that's going to go all out all the time. We're always going to be hustling, we're always going to go first-to-third, regardless of the score."

 

Sloppy play harangued Missoula as they ended with three errors and more than just a few mistakes. Helena's first four runs came on just two hits as starting pitcher Miles Reagan (0-1) struggled, giving up four runs, three of them earned, in his only two innings on the mound. He walked four and struck out three before Jesse Orusco came in to relieve.

 

"We were a lot more aggressive today within the strike zone offensively, and their starter got off to a bad start, and that was about it," Gonzales said about the runs.

 

Orusco gave up both homers and five earned runs as the Brewers picked up nine hits on the night. Justin Mace held the final two innings without a run.

 

The Brewers host Missoula again tonight at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m (8:05 and 5:00 PM Central).

 

Helena's Cody Adams is expected to start on the mound today while Rafael Quezada should start for Missoula.

 

Like Gonzales said, the Brewers simply want to build momentum after picking up their first win.

 

"It's a huge burden off our backs, to get that first one's big because after that your team begins to gain confidence," Dennis said.

 

Photos by Lisa Kunkel, Helena IR staff photographer - Helena Brewers' Michael Marseco turns the double play as Missoula's Alberto Diaz, left, slides into second and Bill Musselman attempts to outrun the throw to first during Pioneer League action Friday night at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers had three double plays in the game.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/21/sports/top/50spl_080621_brewers.jpg

 

Brewers' Cutter Dykstra slides safely into third base as Missoula's Kyle Greene bobbles the ball during Pioneer League action Friday night at Kindrick Legion Field.

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/21/sports/top/50spl_080621_brewers-2.jpg

 

The Brewers' Brock Kjeldgaard bats during Friday's game against Missoula. Kjeldgaard walked on to score a run and went 0-for-3 in the game.

 

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/21/sports/top/50spl_080621_brewers-3.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview with General Manager and President Paul Fetz

Discussion about current and planned ballpark improvements...

 

Go to the KCAP audio archive of June 20th, then browse to the 19:00 minute mark

[Mass Haas]

Something to remember, because the Helena squad is going to play a ton of games against still-winless division rival Missoula this season.

 

The Diamondbacks' lowest rung in their USA minor league affiliate ladder is Missoula (they do not have an Arizona League team).

 

So all the games vs. the Osprey would be the equivalent of taking on the Brewer's Maryvale unit -- if Helena does (or does not) not dominate (as they won last night, 10-0), just keep that in mind.