Link Report for Games of Wednesday, June 25th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: Idle

Huntsville: LHP David Welch at Carolina (Marlins), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime

 

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

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559

 

Brevard County: TBD (it's RHP Josh Butler's turn) at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:00 gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

West Virginia: LHP Mike Ramlow at Greensboro (Marlins), 11:20 AM pre-game, 11:30 gametime

 

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

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t525

 

Helena: LHP Brandon Ritchie at Great Falls (White Sox), 7:45 PM pre-game, 8:00 gametime

 

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

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433

 

Arizona: TBD at the Mariners' complex in Peoria, 10:30 AM local Mountain Standard Time

 

Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew...

[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". 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.

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_25_hunaax_cmcaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_25_dunafa_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_25_wvaafx_gboafx_1

 

Helena:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_25_helrok_grfrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_25_brrrok_mrnrok_1

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 45 34 .570 - 25-14 20-20 L1 Memphis 41 38 .519 4.0 17-18 24-20 W3 Omaha 39 38 .506 5.0 15-19 24-19 W6 Nashville 30 49 .380 15.0 17-22 13-27 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 5 2 .714 - 4-2 1-0 W3 Carolina 4 3 .571 1.0 1-0 3-3 W1 Chattanooga 3 4 .429 2.0 3-3 0-1 L1 Huntsville 3 4 .429 2.0 3-3 0-1 L1 West Tenn 3 4 .429 2.0 0-1 3-3 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 5 1 .833 - 3-0 2-1 W3 Jupiter 3 2 .600 1.5 1-0 2-2 L1 Daytona 3 3 .500 2.0 1-1 2-2 L1 Vero Beach 3 3 .500 2.0 1-2 2-1 W1 Palm Beach 2 3 .400 2.5 2-2 0-1 L1 Brevard County 2 4 .333 3.0 1-3 1-1 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 4 2 .667 - 0-1 4-1 L1 Hagerstown 4 2 .667 - 1-1 3-1 W1 West Virginia 4 2 .667 - 0-0 4-2 W3 Delmarva 3 3 .500 1.0 1-3 2-0 W2 Hickory 3 3 .500 1.0 0-0 3-3 W2 Lakewood 3 3 .500 1.0 2-2 1-1 L1 Lake County 2 4 .333 2.0 0-2 2-2 L2 Lexington 1 5 .167 3.0 1-5 0-0 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 6 2 .750 - 3-2 3-0 L1 Billings 5 3 .625 1.0 0-0 5-3 W1 Helena 3 5 .375 3.0 2-4 1-1 W1 Missoula 2 6 .250 4.0 1-4 1-2 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 2 0 1.000 - 1-0 1-0 W2 AZL Padres 2 0 1.000 - 1-0 1-0 W2 AZL Athletics 2 1 .667 0.5 1-1 1-0 W2 AZL Rangers 2 1 .667 0.5 1-1 1-0 L1 AZL Cubs 1 2 .333 1.5 1-1 0-1 W1 AZL Giants 1 2 .333 1.5 0-1 1-1 L2 AZL Mariners 1 2 .333 1.5 0-1 1-1 W1 AZL Royals 1 2 .333 1.5 1-0 0-2 L1 AZL Brewers 0 2 .000 2.0 0-1 0-1 L2 

[Mass Haas]

That's likely it from me until deep into the overnight. Staff or others will keep you posted about transaction or other news, we know we can count on our readers for that sort of thing.

[DHonks]

Fryer sure is raking in West Virginia. And W Va trying to go to 5-2 in the 2nd half. Playing better, and better pitching

[And That]

Adrian Rosario is the starter for the Baby Brewers this afternoon. Rosario is a big 18 year old righty in his second season with the club.

[battlekow]

I like the idea of Ramlow starting. There's a lot of potential in that stringbean frame.

[And That]

I imagine Ramlow was only in the pen for a time to limit his innings. Bryson should be cycled back into the rotation sometime soon as well.

[battlekow]

The AZL Mariners' pitcher is named Ariel Alcantara, and he's from the same city as Izzy Alcantara. I wonder if they're related.

[battlekow]

Disastrous 8th for WV. Started ahead 7-4, ended behind 8-7.

[battlekow]

Shawn Zarraga having a nice day: 2-2 with 2 doubles, a walk, and 3 RBI.

[Never Outhustled]

Zarraga is definately somebody to get excited about. He recieved the 3rd highest signing bonus of all Brewer draft picks last year, an overslot $250 K. That says a ton about his ability. The Brewers have awesome catching depth. In a few years, we'll be argueing about which catchers will have to move to a different position so we can get there bats in the lineup. You heard it here 1st.

[TheCrew07]

More likely we'll keep the best 2 and flip the others... and we're both happy getting arms/needs for bats.

[brewjihad]

Nice to see Josh Butler finally have a decent outing- 5 2/3 innings, 2 ER, but 8 strikeouts and no walks.

[Minigoon]

Looks like a good performance by Adrian Rosario until he tired in the 6th. Only allowed 3 hits and 1 walk prior to the 6th but did hit a couple of batters. 11 ground outs to 2 fly outs.

Damon Krestalude recorded 5 outs, all on strike outs. He did allow 2 runs on 3 hits.

Arizona Mariners did score a run off Jose Sanchez without the benefit of a hit.

Seems like so far the Arizona Brewer pitchers are throwing more strikes than I remember from prior years.

[bullox]

2 more throwing errors for Gamel so far tonight, now up to 21 errors on the season...

[Minigoon]

Logan Schafer and Brock Kjeldgaard go back-to-back in the top of the 3rd to give Helena a 4 run lead. Great Falls with 2 in the bottom of the 3rd though.

[Minigoon]

Per Steve Wendt on the Helena broadcast tonight, Cutter Dykstra is day to day with a sore groin and Brett Whiteside is still down with a quad injury.

[Bambis Bombers]

An awful outing for the H-Crew tonight. Helena made three errors, walked twelve Great Falls batters and Corey Kemp had four passed balls. Great Falls wins 12 to 6.

 

Edit - Final stats

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 7, Carolina (Marlins) 6

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Parejo Comes Through in Clutch For Stars

Bullpen Outstanding in Shutting Down Mudcats in Late Win

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

Freddy Parejo's pinch-hit double with two outs in the ninth inning knocked in the winning run in Huntsville's 7-6 see-saw victory over Carolina Wednesday night in the second of a six-game set at Five County Stadium. The Stars improved to 4-4 in the second half and 45-33 overall, while the Mudcats dipped to 4-4 in the second half and fell to 42-36 overall. Huntsville won for just a second time in seven games against the Mudcats, with five of the games being decided by either one or two runs.

 

Mat Gamel opened the ninth inning with a single off Tim Corcoran, making his first appearance for Carolina, and moved to second base when Angel Salome was hit in the head with an 0-1 offering. Matt LaPorta was called out on strikes and Cole Gillespie went down swinging for the second out. Parejo stepped in and ripped Corcoran's first pitch on a line into left field to chase home Gamel with the go-ahead run. It was his third pinch-hit and third pinch-hit run-batted in of the season. Juan Sandoval retired the Mudcats in turn in the bottom of the inning to record his seventh save.

 

Manuel Mayerson led off the home sixth with a double and advanced to third base on a Brad Davis sacrifice bunt that was thrown wildly past first base by Gamel, allowing Mayerson to score and Davis to reach second base. Chris Coghlan then dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Gamel's throw to first pulled second baseman Mike Bell off the bag allowing Coghlan to reach after Davis had advanced to third. John Raynor then bounced into a force out at second to score Davis to tie the game at six. Stars' starter David Welch was taken out with Raynor at third and two outs and replaced by David Johnson, who got Sanchez to ground out to end the frame. Jason Shiell then threw two scoreless frames to grab his second win.

 

Gaby Sanchez singled with two outs in the home first and scored the game's first run when Alberto Concepcion doubled high off the wall in center field. The Stars answered with four runs in the second inning, all with two out, against Rick VandenHurk on a two-run home run by Chris Errecart and a two-run double by Alcides Escobar, who has hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games on the road.

 

Carolina rallied to tie the game in the home third on a run-scoring single by Cameron Maybin and a two-run double by Andy Jenkins, who has knocked in five runs in the series. Welch walked Maybin and Sanchez to start the fifth before he struck out Concepcion for the first out. The runners pulled off a double steal with Jenkins at the plate before he fouled out to first base for the second out. Welch retired Grant Psomas on another foul out to first to get out of the inning and keep the game tied.

 

VandenHurk was taken out after five frames, allowing four runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out two. Matt Yourkin took over in the sixth and issued a walk to start the frame to Errecart, who advanced on a Welch sacrifice bunt and scored to give the Stars the lead on a Michael Brantley double. Brantley scored with two outs when Gamel singled into center field to put the visitors on top 6-4 with his league-best 67th run batted in.

 

The series continues on Thursday night with left-hander Brae Wright taking the hill against Mudcats' right-hander Daniel Barone. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 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

Michael Brantley, Mat Gamel and Chris Errecart all reached three times; first time in eight starts David Welch has allowed more than three earned runs...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link Report Bonus -- McCarter in Atlanta

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Braun continues to brew up big stats

Ex-Star is in his second year in MLB but is second to none in natural ability

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

Huntsville Times

 

ATLANTA - Ryan Braun tugs at the gloves, pulls an imaginary wrinkle out of the shoulder of his jersey and takes his stance. He takes his initial pose at the plate, feet slightly wider than shoulder width, slightly leaning toward the pitcher, the bat held out defiantly at an angle in his left hand, like some sort of "I dare you" pose out of "Braveheart."

 

He then settles back, confidently holding the bat high, like trying to entice a lightning bolt out of the sky.

 

Why not? That seems appropriate, especially to reach for another movie image.

 

"He looks like 'The Natural,' " said Jim Powell, the Milwaukee Brewers' radio voice.

 

There is an arrogance to it all. There is a message to the pitcher from Braun that, odds be damned, I own this at-bat, this plate, this game.

 

In this case, it is exuded by a 24-year-old with a mere 190 games in the major leagues. He's still supposed to be knock-kneed and fetching the doughnuts for the veterans, not up there acting he has Cooperstown on call-waiting.

 

"From the day he came up he looks like the best major league hitter I've ever seen," Powell said. "We keep waiting for him to tail off, for the flaws to be exposed, the problems to emerge, and it's not happening."

 

In 77 games this season, Braun is batting .287 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs. He's fifth in the National League in homers, sixth in RBIs, third in total bases, eighth in hits, fifth in extra-base hits.

 

This after a .324 average with 34 homers and 97 RBIs in 113 games of his rookie season in 2007.

 

"Come up your first year and just instantly start putting up the numbers he did, you don't see that. Guys don't do that," said Jim Skaalen, the Brewers' hitting coach.

 

"The guy did it last year and he's doing it again this year," said teammate Rickie Weeks. "He's a great hitter now, and he's getting better and better."

 

For big-picture stuff, Braun is the Brewers' left fielder, the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year and superstar in the making.

 

To think locally, Braun will ultimately be considered the greatest major leaguer to have ever worn a Huntsville Stars uniform. Better than Jose Canseco, who became an inflated Marvel Comics character and nowhere near the all-around player he had been in Huntsville. Better than Mark McGwire, who had a season for the ages, but an inconsistent career.

 

Braun played only 59 games for the Stars and, like McGwire (who played just 55 games for Huntsville), was a third baseman whose defensive skills did not bring to mind the word "smooth."

 

Hence the Brewers have moved Braun to left. For the most part, he has made the transition nicely. For the most part. Apologies to lip-readers who caught the close-up Wednesday afternoon when a misjudged line drive soared over his head.

 

"He's already started to look like a guy who has been playing left field for a long time," Powell said.

 

There's one guy in particular, though, who isn't very impressed with Ryan Braun.

 

Ryan Braun.

 

"I'm disappointed in my performance so far," he said, sitting at his locker in the Brewers clubhouse. "I've got to keep working hard. I feel like I've swung the bat OK, but I feel like I can do a lot better than I've done."

 

That's not false modesty. It's actually a little of that arrogance or confidence.

 

"He's a nice kid, quite down to earth," Powell said. "He just knows he can play. I don't think he looks down his nose at anybody, but he knows he's a stud. And it's hard to argue with him."

 

Said Braun, "I know what I'm capable of doing. I've always had high expectations for myself. My goals far exceed anybody else's expectations for me. I don't worry about what anybody else says."

 

Naturally.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Dunedin (Blue Jays) 7, Brevard County 6

 

Brevard County Box Score

Manatees couldn't recover from a disastrous and sloppy four-run Blue Jay 7th; LHP Casey Baron had a nice strikeout on the first batter he faced, to end the 6th, stranding two of Josh Butler's runners at 2nd and 3rd, but Baron was the victim of errors on three consecutive plays in the 7th -- two throwing errors by Brent Brewer, and a fielding error by Taylor Green; five Manatees had two hits apiece, but Lorenzo cain drew the team's only walk; Stephen Chapman hit his 9th home run, but it's going to take a while before his .204 season average gets to a reasonable level to salvage his season...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Updates on the losses for West Virginia, Helena, and Arizona will be available by mid-morning.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Greensboro (Marlins) 8, West Virginia 7

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

TWO-OUT HITS NOT ENOUGH IN POWER LOSS

The West Virginia Power scored all seven of their runs on two-out hits in Wednesday's game at NewBridge Bank Park, but the Greensboro Grasshoppers erased a three-run deficit in the eighth inning on Matt Dominguez's grand slam to secure an 8-7 victory.

Bryan Petersen blasted a solo home run with two outs in the first inning to give the Grasshoppers an early 1-0 lead. The Power answered quickly as Eric Fryer hit his fifth home run of the season with the bases empty and two out in the second inning to tie the game. The Power used the long ball to take the lead in the fourth, where Steffan Wilson extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-run homer, his 14th of the season. The Power scored two more times with two outs in the fifth. Lee Haydel tripled in Curt Rindal and scored on Eric Farris's base hit.

Greensboro plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game. Tyler Belcher's triple scored Ryan Anetsberger before Justin Jacobs delivered a two-out single to score Belcher. Jacobs scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Fryer singled in a run in the sixth inning and Zelous Wheeler delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh to plate West Virginia's final run. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth inning, Corey Frerichs got Petersen to pop out to shallow left field and then struck out Mike Stanton, the South Atlantic League's leader in home runs, on four pitches. Dominguez blasted a grand slam two pitches later to erase the three-run deficit and gave the 'Hoppers the lead for good.

A.J. Battisto (5-0) retired all four batters he faced over an inning and a third to get the victory. Corey Madden (1) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

Frerichs (3-5) retired the first seven batters he faced before the eighth inning. He allowed four runs on a pair of hits and fanned four over three and a third but was tagged with the loss.

The Power fell to 36-40 on the year and 4-3 in the second half with the loss, while the Grasshoppers improved to 43-34 on the year and 5-2 in the second half with the win. Every Power player reached safely and eight Power players hit safely. Four Power players recorded multi-hit games, including Farris who paced the Power with his second consecutive three-hit performance. Haydel extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his triple in the fifth and Steffan Wilson extended his road hitting streak to 11 games.

The Power will begin a four game series against the Lexington Legends at Appalachian Power Park on Thursday night. Right hander Amaury Rivas (6-3, 3.48) will get the start for the Power and the Legends will counter with right hander Jeff Icenogle (1-5, 6.55). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

***

Link while active, text follows:

Hoppers knock off Power with late slam
By Rob Daniels
Greensboro News-Record Staff Writer

GREENSBORO -- If Matt Dominguez's blast to left-center field had been an airline flight, it would have included a movie and a three-course meal. Yes, even today.

The Florida Marlins' top draft pick of 2007 hit a grand slam with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday to elevate the Grasshoppers over the West Virginia Power 8-7 and give them a 5-2 record in the South Atlantic League's second half.

Dominguez, an 18-year-old third baseman who still has more pounds to his frame than pro at-bats to his name, bludgeoned a pitch over Natty's Hill as the Hoppers capitalized on late wildness by Power reliever Corey Frerichs.

"You always think of that stuff being down by three runs," Dominguez said. "It's pretty cool to do that."

The moment constitutes the biggest highlight in the young career of a player drafted 12th overall a year ago. Dominguez had signed with Cal State-Fullerton and was a few hours from being a Titan when he took the Marlins' contract offer Aug. 15, the last permissible day of the negotiating period. The Marlins shuttled him to the Gulf Coast League and then Jamestown in short-season Class A, but he played in only 15 games before the season ended.

His arrival in Greensboro this season was postponed until late May after he contracted mononucleosis during spring training.

So there Dominguez was Wednesday with the game on the line and a promising rally in jeopardy. The first three Hoppers batters had reached base. The next two had popped out and struck out, respectively. When Frerichs grooved one, Dominguez didn't pass up the chance to play Home Run Derby.

"That same confidence will carry him in Double-A, Triple-A and the major leagues," manager Edwin Rodriguez said.

The homer was the fourth of the year for Dominguez, who is hitting .327 with 16 RBIs in 107 at-bats. Drives of that length dominated last week's home run contest at the All-Star game, but they're rare in the pressurized world of three-run deficits.

Then it was up to Corey Madden, the All-Star setup man given his first save situation of the year. Garrett Parcell, another All-Star and the Hoppers' usual closer, just went on the seven-day disabled list, and his job fell to a guy whose ERA has been hanging around 1.00 most of the season. Madden gave up a one-out single and a steal of second one out later, but he toyed with West Virginia's Eric Farris and ended it. Farris, who had three of the Power's 13 hits, fell behind in the count and futilely pursued a fastball out of the strike zone.

"I'm not trying to throw anything over the plate," Madden said. "I'm going to try to make him chase. If I walk him, I can still go after the next hitter."

Madden has fanned 68 batters in 42 innings. That translates into 14.57 strikeouts per nine innings, second in the minors to Anthony Slama of the Fort Myers Miracle.

West Virginia Box Score
Caleb Gindl on base three times -- OBP of .358 certainly acceptable; Corey Frerichs had been cruising in his extended relief outing of Mike Ramlow until the fateful 8th...

West Virginia Game Log