Link Report for Tue. 6/24 -- Jeffress Touches 99 MPH Several Times in Shutout

[Mass Haas]

Joel Morales had 2 bad outings last year against the Arizona Royals that really skewed his ERA. Otherwise he was one of the more effective pitchers the Brewers had in Arizona last season. He would be someone to watch this summer.

I'm often amazed at what our readers remember and/or note and track -- thanks for the info. It's nice to know there are diehard followers of each and every prospect out there...

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Site Doubleheader Summary and Photo:

 

Manatees Split Doubleheader

By Tyler Stover / Brevard County Manatees

(Viera, FL) Jeremy Jeffress pitched a seven-inning, complete game shutout to lead the Brevard County Manatees to a 2-0 victory in the first game of their doubleheader Tuesday evening. Jeffress (3-3) shut down the Dunedin offense all night, allowing just three hits while striking out eight. Lorenzo Cain helped stake Jeffress to an early lead in the first inning. After a single to right field, Cain quickly stole second base and moved up to third on a throwing error. He came into score on Jonathan Lucroy's RBI groundout. Lucroy added an insurance run in the sixth inning, when he smashed Kenny Rodriguez's pitch over the berm deck in left field for a solo home run, his second since joining the Manatees. Rodriguez (5-7) allowed just two runs (one earned) on four hits while also pitching a complete game, but it was not enough to beat Jeffress and the Manatees.

Dunedin bounced back to win the second game, 6-1, to earn a split for the night. Dunedin jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning. Their first three batters reached base, loading the bases. Brian Dopirak hit a ground ball back to Manatees pitcher Zach Braddock, who threw home to get the force out, but Lucroy committed a throwing error while attempting to throw out Dopirak at first base, scoring a run. Matthew Lane followed with a three-run blast to right field, giving Dunedin a four-run lead that they would not relinquish. Braddock (3-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs in three innings. Julio Pinto (3-0) earned the win for Dunedin, pitching five innings while holding the Manatees to just one run.

 

Photo by Dennis Greenblatt

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/06/24/sTUk2WZT.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 8, Nashville 6

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for new Eric Gagne photo, text follows --

 

Sounds Drop Slugfest In Series Finale

 

NASHVILLE - A strong offensive output was not enough for the Nashville Sounds to take down the Memphis Redbirds as they lost 8-6 on Tuesday night at Greer Stadium.

 

The Sounds recorded five doubles but surrendered three two-run home runs to drop their third straight game to the Redbirds. Richie Gardner gave up five earned runs off seven hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief work for the Sounds after coming into the game posting six wins in his last 10 trips to the hill.

 

Eric Gagne made a rehab start for the Sounds and pitched a perfect first inning, throwing nine out of 14 pitches for strikes and retiring the only three batters he faced on two flyouts and a strikeout. Gagne is scheduled to make one more rehab start for the Sounds on Thursday against Round Rock before rejoining the Brewers.

 

The Redbirds plated the first run of the game in the top of the second inning when Rico Washington singled then scored on a double from D'Angelo Jimenez to center field. The run came against Gardner, who came in to relieve Gagne to start the second inning.

 

Nashville responded in the bottom half when Vinny Rottino scored on a groundout from Ozzie Chavez off Memphis starter Brad Thompson. Rottino previously singled then moved to third on a double from Adam Heether.

 

Jimenez struck again in the top of the fourth inning when he crushed a two-run homer to right field on a 1-1 pitch from Gardner. The longball was his fourth on the year and scored David Freese after he singled to start the inning.

 

Nashville evened things at 3-3 when it plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Heether led off with another double and then moved to third on a single from Callix Crabbe. Chavez then notched another RBI groundout in the next at bat to score Heether from third, and Crabbe later scored on a throwing error from Redbirds shortstop Brian Barden.

 

The scoring continued in the fifth inning when Mather knocked a two-run homer off Gardner over the right field wall. The homer was his 14th of the year, and his fifth against the Sounds in 12 games this season.

 

Brad Nelson responded with a solo shot to start the bottom half of the inning. It was his 11th on the year, which ties him with Brendan Katin for the active team lead. Chavez then recorded a season-high third RBI when he doubled to center field off Memphis reliever Hugo Castellanos to score Rottino, who also doubled to center. Pinch hitter Mel Stocker added the third double of the inning to score Chavez from second and give the Sounds the lead.

 

AUDIO: Brad Nelson Home Run

 

The balls kept flying out of the park when Washington belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning for Memphis off Sounds reliever Erasmo Ramirez. The home run was Washington's fourth of the year and scored Mather, who singled in the previous at bat.

 

Mather added a third RBI to his 4-for-5 night to extend the lead to two for the Redbirds in the top of the eighth inning. He singled in former Sounds catcher Mark Johnson who singled off Sounds reliever Tim Dillard to start the inning.

 

The teams combined to use 12 pitchers in all for the game. Ramirez (1-3) took the loss for the Sounds after surrendering two runs in two innings. Matt Clement (1-0) earned the win for the Redbirds after pitching a scoreless sixth inning in a rehab outing for Memphis, and Thompson gave up four earned runs off nine hits in four plus innings as the Memphis starter.

 

The Sounds will enjoy a league-wide day off tomorrow before heading to Round Rock for a four-game series against the Express on Thursday. Eric Gagne (0-0, 0.00) will make another rehab start for the Sounds against right-hander Ron Chiavacci (1-1, 6.88) for the Express.

 

Baseball will return to Greer Stadium on Friday, July 4, when the Sounds return home for a three-game Independence Day weekend homestand against Round Rock.

 

Nashville Box Score

Sounds fall to 30-49, ouch; Tony Gwynn three singles, hitting .333 in 120 AAA at-bats; Nashville pitching has been consistently weak all season, a major generalization I realize, but wow, have there been some ugly outings...

 

Nashville Game Log

[NastyTwig]

That Jeffress is going to be a good one. I'm salivating at the thought of a potential trio of Yo, Manny, and Jeffress in Milwaukee... This kid could make us forget about Sheets real quick.

 

He's been a suprisingly good ground ball pitcher this year. Could his poor outings possibly be because of grounders finding holes against inferior minor league defense / groundskeeping? Anyone witness any of his starts that could give possible feedback?

[Diskono]

That's a classic FSL game...1-0 until the Lucroy homer in the 6th. Jeffress...wow. In the good starts, 2 ER in 30 innings, just dominating. Then there's the other three...20 ER in 11 innings. Consistency eludes this young man, I guess. I don't know what to make of that. It's possible some of the slow start is because he had to give the rest of the league a few weeks' head-start after his suspension...two of the disaster starts were his first and third of the year.

 

Even in a lot of his bad games, he started off well. I think he may just be working on this endurance thing.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 5, Great Falls (White Sox) 3

Wow, the scoreboard on our home page sure looks full...

 

Helena Box Score

2008 9th round RHP Michael Bowman now has two nice Pioneer League starts under his belt; converted catcher Nestor Corrdor with his best mound work thus far, and Canadian Adam Arnold had a clucth four-out save, stranding two inherited runners; the H-Crew actually only scored one earned run, as the Voyagers committed five errors; 6th round second baseman Jose Duran needs to tighten up the defense, four errors already; Manager Rene Gonzales finally realized stud LF Erik Komatsu is not an 8th or 7th place hitter, batting second in this one (2-for-4); the position players on this squad can't complain about playing time -- in a league that always uses the DH, there's only one current healthy backup (whoever is not catching each night), that's considering that Brett Whiteside and Cutter Dykstra are what we believe are day-to-day, and Edgar Trejo is likely done for the season...

 

Helena Game Log

Gift after gift given to the Brewers, but credit them for taking advantage...

[Mass Haas]

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview with Minor League Pitching Coordinator Jim Rooney

Make sure you go the KCAP audio archive of June 24th, then browse to the 03:15 minute mark...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers get win against Voyagers

By Helena Independent Record

 

The Helena Brewers finally found a way to beat Great Falls on Tuesday: let the Voyagers do all the work for them.

 

Helena (3-5) took advantage of five errors to propel themselves to a 5-3 win in front of 2,816 fans at Centene Stadium. The Brewers were 0-4 against the Voyagers (6-2) heading into Tuesday's game, losing their three-game opening series and a road game Monday, which ended on a walk-off grand slam by Great Falls' Lyndon Estill.

 

However, it was all Helena Tuesday after Michael Vass reached on a throwing error by Great Falls' third baseman Brent Morel in the sixth, pushing Chris Dennis to second.

 

Jose Duran loaded the bases with a bunt toward third and Michael Marseco scored their second run of the night on a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game up 2-2.

 

Morel again erred, allowing John Delaney to reach first and Vass score, and after Erik Komatsu was hit by a pitch, Logan Schafer hit a sacrifice fly to center to score the winning run.

 

The Brewers scored their first run in the fifth when Brock Kjeldgaard struck out swinging but advanced to first on the missed catch by Voyagers' catcher Danny Jordan, and a missed throw to first. Komatsu scored on the play.

 

Marseco added insult to injury when he came home in the eighth on a wild pitch by Stephen Sauer.

 

The Brewers recorded only one earned run in the victory.

 

Komatsu went 2-for-4 and scored a run to lead Helena.

 

Great Falls' Jordan Cheathem was 2-for-4 as well.

 

Michael Bowman (1-0) finished with the win on the mound allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. He had seven strike outs and one walk while giving up a home run to Estill in the second inning.

 

The Brewers will finish up their three-game road series with Great Falls today at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Link Report Bonus -- Mark McCarter in Atlanta

 

Link while active, text follows:

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

Huntsville Times

'Captain Contusion' shining for Brewers

Former Huntsville Star Parra owns 6-game win streak

ATLANTA - Manny Parra has won six games in a row. Lucky devil.

 

"It all started when my car got a flat tire," Parra began, standing by his locker in the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse. Turns out, somewhere along the line, he picked up a loose screw. As opposed to having a loose screw, an affliction some might have accused the left-hander of.

 

"Then I tried to start it and a cap was off the battery and it wouldn't start. I had to call AAA." As opposed to being called up from Triple-A, which happened last July.

 

The car in question, for the record, a 2003 Cadillac Escalade. "The car I had to have," Parra said.

 

"Then I got hit with a ball in the outfield while we were shagging during batting practice. It came off Tim Dillard's glove and hit me in the head," Parra continued. "Then in Houston, (Astros shortstop Miguel) Tejada hit a ball off my stomach. In the same game I got hit by Tejada, I hit a ball off my leg (while batting).

 

"After that, I was in the outfield in Colorado and a ball hit me in the shin. They called me 'Captain Contusion.' "

The prologue to that saga took place last August when he broke his left thumb while trying to bunt.

 

You start hearing all this, you slink farther and farther away from Parra, a 25-year-old from Roseville, Calif. Somewhere, a loose bit of Turner Field rafter may have his name on it. He's getting dressed as he talks, and you want to suggest bubble-wrap instead of that white linen shirt and jeans.

 

It was barely a year ago - June 15, 2007 to be precise - that Parra was promoted from the Huntsville Stars to Triple-A Nashville. He was leading the Southern League in ERA and helped lead the Stars to the first-half SL North championship.

 

He spent parts of four seasons in Huntsville, with the 2005 season cut short because off rotator cuff surgery, going 15-10 in 37 starts.

 

Parra (7-2) said his success has come from "making pitches when I need to make them," but his six-game streak has not necessarily a gallery of masterpieces.

 

On Sunday against Baltimore, for instance, he walked six and gave up five hits in five innings. Manager Ned Yost admitted "I just had to put my seatbelt on and get through it," and not pull the plug on Parra.

 

"They're scoring a lot of runs for me," Parra said. "If I'm a little off, the defense has really picked me up. And the bullpen has been lights-out when they come in for me."

 

Parra said "it took me about six weeks (to feel as if he belonged in the majors). I had a little success. I was learning I could do what I did before, confidently, and get outs instead of having to be perfect."

 

If we don't have enough evidence already that Parra does things a little backward, that things happen a little screwy for him, there is this:

 

When he was sent to Huntsville near the end of the 2004 season, a little thought crossed his mind.

 

"Maybe I'll meet me a Southern belle," he said.

 

Last June, after he learned he was being promoted, on his last night living in Huntsville, he went out with friends.

 

They introduced him to Kelsie Jones, a Huntsville native. Magic happened. They're still dating. Only took him four years, but he found his Southern belle. Lucky devil.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers' reliever takes first step back to majors

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Eric Gagne is optimistic he is on his way to regaining the top form he enjoyed on the mound during his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2003.

 

Gagne started for the Sounds in Tuesday's 8-6 loss to Memphis, his first appearance since going on the disabled list on May 23. He is scheduled to start again in the team's next game Thursday at Round Rock and hopes to be back with the Milwaukee Brewers by next week.

 

The 32-year-old relief pitcher is spending a rehabilitation stint with the Sounds because of rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder.

 

"I think I will be back up (with the Brewers) Monday if all goes well,'' Gagne said. "I really feel like I'm close to getting back to where I want to be."

 

He pitched only the first inning against Memphis. On 14 pitches (nine for strikes) he allowed no runs and no hits while recording one strikeout.

 

"It was good. I went out there at about 80 or 90 percent and it was good to have some good competition,'' Gagne said. "My shoulder feels good, it feels really good. I threw a lot of good strikes and that's really what I am trying to focus on. There isn't one particular pitch I am working on. I'm just working on my health."

 

After Gagne, the Sounds used five pitchers who gave up a total of 11 hits and three home runs in front of a Greer Stadium crowd of 4,884.

 

Manager Frank Kremblas liked what he saw from Gagne.

 

"He looked better than he did in the spring to me,'' Kremblas said. "His curveball looked really good. He threw a good (splitter) on the last strikeout of (Joe Mather). His fastball command was pretty good."

 

Gagne, wearing his familiar black goggles, left the dugout in the third inning to have his shoulder iced.

 

"I'm looking forward to pitching again Thursday and seeing how my shoulder feels,'' Gagne said. "I think it's going to feel pretty good."

 

What they said: "That happens, other teams come back like that. Sometimes you've got to work through that. We got guys on late in the game we just didn't get any hits then.'' - Kremblas.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds find new power hitters

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Brad Nelson's home run to lead off the fifth inning trimmed Memphis' lead to 5-4 on Tuesday night, and tied the Sounds' first baseman with outfielder Brendan Katin as the active team leader with 11.

 

Russell Branyan had a team-leading 12 home runs for the Sounds before being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers on May 25. Branyan already has 10 home runs with the Brewers.

 

Rehabbers galore: Milwaukee closer Eric Gagne is the latest in a long list of Brewers who have spent time on rehab assignments with the Sounds.

 

Gagne, who started the game on Tuesday and is scheduled to start Thursday at Round Rock, is dealing with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder.

 

He is the sixth Brewer to join the Sounds this season. The others were pitchers Yovani Gallardo, David Riske and Randy Choate, and outfielders Mike Cameron and Tony Gwynn. Gagne became the 16th pitcher to start a game for the Sounds this season. Last year Nashville used only 15 starters.

 

That is the most players to spend time rehabbing with the Sounds since they became a Brewers affiliate three years ago. From 2005-07 Nashville had a total of only seven players on rehabilitation assignments.

 

Chavez's best: Nashville shortstop Ozzie Chavez had a season-high three RBIs. He hit an RBI double in the fifth and got the other two RBIs on groundball outs.

 

Mather gets another: Joe Mather's home run Tuesday gave the Redbirds' outfielder five in 12 games against the Sounds this season.

 

Golf tournament: With the team having a day off today before beginning Thursday's four-game series at Round Rock the 2008 Nashville Sounds Charity Golf Scramble will be played today at the Legacy Course in Springfield.

 

Several Sounds players will participate in the tournament, which is a fundraising event to benefit the Nashville Sounds Foundation. Proceeds promote youth baseball, education and literacy in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

 

A silent auction and raffle will accompany the event.

[Mass Haas]

Helena's Brock Kjeldgaard hustles to the bag as Great Falls first baseman Johny Celis waits for the throw during Pioneer League action Tuesday night at Centene Stadium. Celis was unable to field the ball cleanly and Kjeldgaard was ruled safe, which proved to be a controversial call that Great Falls manager Chris Cron argued. (GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE PHOTO/KELLY BLACK)

http://cmsimg.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=G1&Date=20080625&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=806250326&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Jeffress tosses shutout

BY JIM CAWLEY

FLORIDA TODAY

 

Jeremy Jeffress had everything going for him Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium.

 

The Brevard County Manatees 20-year-old flame-thrower tossed a complete-game, seven-inning shutout against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Jeffress struck out eight and walked two in the 2-0 victory.

 

"Pretty much all the pitches were working," Jeffress said. "My mechanics were on; it felt good."

 

Jonathan Lucroy homered and drove in both Brevard County runs. Martin Maldonado doubled in the win.

 

The Manatees lost the second game of the doubleheader 6-1. Taylor Green hit his ninth homer of the season for Brevard County's lone run.

 

Jeffress threw in the mid- to high-90s throughout the game, dialing it up to 99 mph on more than one occasion. That prompted the question, "Is that radar gun correct?" from one fan in attendance.

 

But while many fans were keeping tabs on the fastball, Jeffress wasn't.

 

"Not really. It's not how hard you throw, it's execution and where you place it," Jeffress said. "But it's a plus for me to know when I need to gas it up, I can -- and it's there."

 

Jeffress improved to 3-3 on the season, lowering his ERA from 5.71 to 4.75 with Tuesday's outing. The 6-foot, 197-pounder has now struck out 56 batters in just 41 1/3 innings.

 

"Staying focused is the key," Jeffress said. "It's repetition; you gotta do it next time, and the next time."

[homer]

Well Jeffress certainly says all the right things. Hopefully he can string together several stellar outings in a row.