Link Report for Games of Monday, June 30th

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio with LHP Troy Cate

Click on the WUMP archive of June 30th (you have to click on the proper month via "Select Date"), then browse to the 08:15 minute mark; very high praise for the defensive skills of Carlos Corporan...

[Mass Haas]

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview with 19-year-old Outfielder Chris Dennis

Click on the KCAP archive of June 30th (you have to go to the proper month via "Select Date"), then browse to the 03:45 minute mark; interesting chat about his Canadian National Team experience as well...

 

Via that same link, you can listen to Steve Wendt's final call of the no-hitter at the 02:31:00 minute mark, understandably a little more subdued.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville and West Virginia with nice wins, updates by 8:30 AM Central or earlier.

 

Brad (pogokat) will be assisting me this week, so we can avoid some of the recent early morning delays, thanks.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 10, Greensboro (Marlins) 6

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER USE SEVEN-RUN SIXTH TO BEAT GREENSBORO

 

The West Virginia Power erased a pair of three-run deficits on Monday night at Appalachian Power Park and scored seven runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Greensboro Grasshoppers 10-6.

 

The Grasshoppers took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Steffan Wilson's throwing error allowed Matt Dominguez to score the first run before Justin Jacobs knocked in Torre Langley on a base hit and Ozzie Martinez drove in Tyler Belcher on a sacrifice fly. Brett Durand kept the Power off the board through the first four and a third before Uly Snijders clubbed a three-run bomb that followed back-to-back one-out singles from Wilson and Eric Fryer to tie the game in the fifth.

 

Greensboro answered quickly with a three-run sixth inning to take the lead again. Bryan Petersen hit a solo home run before Langley and Martinez singled in the last two runs. In the sixth, the Power sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on five hits. It all began on Lee Haydel's bunt single. Haydel moved to third on Eric Farris's double and Haydel scored on Zelous Wheeler's groundout. Wilson tripled in two runs to tie the game and he scored the go-ahead run on Fryer's base hit. Fryer scored on Kevin Gunter's balk, Snijders scored on Eric Basurto's errant throw and Scott Houin scored the final run on Martinez's fielding error at short.

 

Pedro Lambertus (1-2) allowed a run on three hits over two and a third to earn the victory. Durand (7-4) retired 12 out of the first 13 batters he faced, but allowed seven runs on eight hits over five and a third and was tagged with the loss. Mike Ramlow allowed just three earned runs on five hits over five and two thirds.

 

The Power improved to 40-41 on the year and 8-4 in the second half with the win, while the Grasshoppers fell to 43-39 on the year and 5-7 in the second half with the loss. Six Power players hit safely and the 5-6-7 batters combined to go 6-for-10 and scored six runs. Wilson, Fryer and Snijders paced the Power with two hits apiece. The Power have run off four victories in a row and are only one game below .500 for the first time since April 7th.

 

The Power will finish the two game series against Greensboro Tuesday night. Right hander Amaury Rivas (6-3, 3.70) will get the start for the Power and the Grasshoppers will counter with left hander Jay Voss (2-4, 5.14). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power keeps rolling along

Big inning keys 10-6 win over Greensboro

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

For the Power, scoring opportunities rarely presented themselves through first four innings.

 

But once those opportunities arose, the Power pounced, delivering clutch hits in the manner of a team that seems poised for a productive second half.

 

Faced with a three-run deficit in the fifth inning, the Power tied it on Uly Snijders' three-run homer.

 

And faced with another three-run deficit in the sixth, the home team rallied for seven runs, highlighted by Steffan Wilson's two-run triple, en route to a 10-6 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers Monday night at Appalachian Power Park. Paid attendance was 1,324.

 

It was the Power's fourth straight victory, giving it an 8-4 second-half record and, equally important, maintaining the solid play of a late first-half surge in which the team won five of its final six games before the South Atlantic League All-Star break. Since June 10, the Power is 13-5 and has scored 113 runs.

 

"Our coaches challenged us to keep the momentum rolling in the second half,'' said Wilson, "and I think we've done a pretty good job of doing it. We knew that how we played at the end of the first half would carry over into the second half, and it has.''

 

Wilson and his teammates, in fact, sensed a big sixth inning, especially after the first two Power hitters - Lee Haydel and Eric Farris - reached base.

 

"That was our inning,'' said Wilson, who needs one semester to complete his degree from Harvard. "Everybody knew it when we got the first two guys on.''

 

After Haydel's single and Farris' double, Caleb Gindl singled to cut the Greensboro lead to 6-4. Wilson followed with his two-run triple and scored on Eric Fryer's single to left.

 

In addition to the seven runs, the sixth inning offered five hits, three walks, a balk, two errors, a wild pitch, a passed ball and two pitching changes.

 

The victory raises the Power's overall record to 40-41 - after a slow start in which it won just three of its first 15 games.

 

"We're putting ourselves in a position to win every time out now - on the mound and offensively,'' said Wilson. "That's all you do. Sometimes you catch breaks; sometimes the other team catches the breaks.''

 

BRIEFLY: Because of Monday afternoon's rain, the game started 36 minutes late. ... The Power will face the Grasshoppers at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) and, after an off-day Wednesday, will play host to Hagerstown for a four-game series beginning Thursday. ... Entering Monday's game, the Power was batting .313 and had scored 60 runs in its previous 10 games. ... Greensboro right fielder Mike Stanton, who leads the league with 20 homers, picked up his 100th strikeout, courtesy of Power starter Mike Ramlow, in the third inning. ... The Power's Pedro Lambertus, who relieved Ramlow with two outs in the sixth, earned the victory.

 

West Virginia Box Score

Nobody saw Eric Fryer with a near-.900 OPS at this point of the season back in March, it's almost too bad it's coming while in left field and not behind the plate; that was a big home run from Uly Snijders in the 5th; Rob Bryson strikes out the side to end it -- 69 K's in 52 innings, peripherals are fantastic...

 

West Virginia Game Log

Charleston Gazette Photo by Kenny Kemp

Greensboro first baseman Tyler Belcher watches the ball sail by while West Virginia's Uly Snijders reaches first base safely during Monday's game at Appalachian Power Park. The Power prevailed 10-6.

 

http://www.wvgazette.com/images/thumbs275/safe1_G0806303el8jk.jpg

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Pre-Game Audio Interview with Pitching Coach John Curtis

Click to the WSWW archive of June 30th (you will need to change the month by choosing "Select Month"), then browse to the 31:00 minute mark; nice detailed conversation...

 

EDIT: Just to re-inforce, this is an all-encompassing eight-minute interview on the Power staff, a must-listen for diehards; Evan Frederickson will be taking Mike Ramlow's spot in the rotation, Amaury Rivas is going to be getting some time off so that he doesn't exceed innings limits coming off last year's injury; much, much more available through the chat...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power's Wilson gets a break

Power wins 10-6

by Christopher Wade

For the Charleston Daily Mail

 

West Virginia Power first baseman Steffan Wilson got to make a surprise about-face during the sixth inning of the team's home game against Greensboro at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va. on Monday evening.

 

After hitting what seemed to be a routine pop up only a few feet away in foul territory, Wilson started heading back to the Power dugout.

 

However, Greensboro first baseman Tyler Belcher had other ideas. Belcher dropped the routine play, allowing Wilson a return to the plate and a second chance.

 

Wilson took full advantage of the Grasshopper miscue, lacing a one-out triple to tie the score at 6-6. From there, West Virginia made Greensboro pay in a big way.

 

What started out as a three-run deficit turned into a seven-run inning and West Virginia went on to earn a 10-6 victory over Greensboro on a chilly evening at Appalachian Power Park.

 

"It felt good to get a break like that, especially in that situation, still down two," Wilson said. "That was our inning and everyone knew it.

 

"Sometimes, you catch a break, and sometimes, the other team catches a break like that. It was what we needed right there. I'll take it."

 

The decisive seven-run inning brought 12 Power batters to the plate and included five hits, two Greensboro errors to go along with three different pitchers, three walks and three wild pitches.

 

It sparked a huge comeback that saw the Power respond to two separate three-run deficits at 3-0 and 6-3.

 

The Grasshoppers scored three runs in the second, but the Power tied the score in the fifth on a three-run homer by catcher Uly Snijders.

 

The Grasshoppers quickly responded with three runs of their own in the sixth to take what seemed to be another comfortable lead before the Power's big seven-run bottom half.

 

"That was huge," Wilson said of Snijders' home run. "That started the game over. It's tough to give up three the next inning, but at the same time, we knew how close a three-run game was.

 

"We knew we were slow starting out of the gates and that three runs weren't going to win this game. And to be honest, we also knew six runs weren't going to win this game, either."

 

With the victory, the Power (8-4 in the second half and 40-41 overall) has won four consecutive games and moves a half game behind first-place Hagerstown.

 

Wilson said the team's confidence already was high and coming back from two separate three-run deficits against Greensboro (5-7, 43-39) on Monday can only add to it.

 

"We have been hitting well and our confidence as a team is very high," Wilson said. "I have confidence in everyone in the lineup because everyone is pulling their weight."

 

Three Power players had two hits, including Wilson, Snijders and left fielder Eric Fryer, who now has nine multiple-hit games in his last 13 games.

 

Greensboro starting pitcher Brett Durand had stifled the Power's offense through the first four innings, only allowing one hit before West Virginia erupted for 10 runs the next two innings.

 

"We knew eventually we would hit him," Wilson said. "They threw him back out there the last inning and we were ready for him. It worked out well for us."

[Mass Haas]

From the Huntsville Game last night -- "Seeds Can Fly, Baby!"

By the way, the AA Cubs had only one All-Star named, LHP Donnie Veal, who the Stars have consistently hit hard the last couple of seasons...

 

Tennessee manager Buddy Bailey got the biggest ovation from 3,828 in attendance after he was ejected for the first time this season by first base umpire Booter West in the fifth inning.

Bailey disagreed with West's call and flung his helmet in disgust after being tossed. The manager inadvertently spit a sunflower seed that apparently struck West near the eye during another heated verbal exchange. Hitting coach Barbaro Garbey replaced Bailey.

Bailey will be fined by the league and could possibly be suspended.

"There are three things in life you don't talk about: They are your boss, ex-wives and umpires," Bailey said.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Memphis (Cardinals) 4, ten innings

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Hernan Iribarren photo, text follows --

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds scored a pair of runs in the top of the tenth inning and hung on to record a 5-4 victory over the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds on Monday evening at AutoZone Park in the opener of a four-game series.

 

With the win, Nashville (33-51) snapped a two-game skid and brought an end to the Redbirds' season-best seven-game winning streak.

 

Tony Gwynn opened the tenth with a walk from Redbirds reliever Mark Worrell then was sacrificed to second. Three batters later, Adam Heether put the Sounds in front with an RBI infield single that scored Gwynn. Worrell misfired on a pickoff attempt at first to allow a second run to score later in the frame.

 

The Redbirds didn't go down without a fight in the bottom of the inning.

 

Bryan Anderson led off with a double to left off Zach Jackson that tipped off the end of the glove of a diving Brendan Katin. After Jarrett Hoffpauir singled to put runners on the corners, Brian Barden followed with a single to left that brought home Anderson to make it a one-run game and sent Jackson to the showers without having retired a batter.

 

Joe Bateman took over on the hill for Nashville and induced a fly ball to center from Colby Rasmus, which allowed Hoffpauir to move to third with only one out. The right-hander bore down and retired the next two hitters on flyouts to left, the second of which off the bat of Joe Mather falling into Katin's glove at the base of the left field wall to end the contest. Bateman notched his first career Triple-A save with the effort.

 

The extra-inning contest was the seventh of the year for the Sounds, who led the majority of the evening before Memphis scored a two-out run against Luis Pena while down to its final strike in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Nashville took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. After Gwynn reached second on a throwing error by Memphis shortstop Brian Barden, Sounds rightfielder Laynce Nix extended the club's longest active hitting streak to seven with an infield single to put runners on the corners. Brad Nelson followed with an RBI groundout to third.

 

The Redbirds answered with an unearned run of their own in the home half of the frame when Rasmus singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino, then scored on a Mather sacrifice fly.

 

Sounds starter Richie Gardner helped his own cause in the second and gave the visitors a 2-1 lead when his two-out RBI single plated Chris Woodward, who had preceded the hurler with his first triple of the year.

 

Gardner, who left in line for a win before a late blown save, allowed just one unearned run on five hits over his five innings of work to lower his ERA to 3.98 on the year.

 

Derrick Turnbow followed Gardner with a scoreless inning of work that included a pair of strikeouts.

 

The Sounds scratched across an insurance run in the seventh to stretch the lead to 3-1. Woodward greeted Memphis reliever Ron Flores with a ground-rule double to right and later scored on a one-out RBI single off the bat of Hernan Iribarren (3-for-5).

 

Memphis pulled back within a run in the bottom of the seventh against rehabbing Sounds reliever Randy Choate. After the first batter was retired, the southpaw issued consecutive walks to Rasmus and Mather before pinch-hitter Josh Phelps ripped an RBI single to left to make it a 3-2 contest. The score was the first earned run permitted by Choate in 8 1/3 innings over his five rehab outings with Nashville.

 

Tim Dillard came on to work a scoreless eighth from the hill for the Sounds before turning things over to Pena, who suffered just his second blown save of the season.

 

After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, Pena allowed a Phelps single then walked David Freese on four pitches before ex-Sound Mark Johnson delivered a game-tying RBI single back up the middle on a 1-2 offering to knot the score at 3-3.

 

Pena (1-0) backed into the victory for the Sounds after giving up the game-tying run in his lone frame of work.

 

AUDIO: Final Out Of The Game

Eventful...

 

Worrell (1-2) absorbed the loss after allowing the two tenth-inning scores for Memphis.

 

The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. meeting on Tuesday in the Bluff City. Left-hander Sam Narron (4-3, 4.66) will make the start for the Sounds to face Memphis southpaw Jaime Garcia (4-3, 4.10).

 

Nashville Box Score

Definitely a busy box score and game log, please chew your food and digest carefully; by the way, J.R. Hopf is still with the Sounds, he pinch-hit here...

 

Nashville Game Log

[TheCrew07]

I have to agree with Rotoherb, I don't see Melvin moving Jeffress, Gamel, or LaPorta for a rental. Jeffress isn't going anywhere simply because he's a pitcher, and you aren't replacing Gamel and LaPorta with compensation picks.

While I think everyone agrees the organization needs more pitching, I don't think it makes sense to target players that are "established" as their value is too high. It terms of getting the maximum potential value back for any particular bat (Fielder, Gamel, LaPorta, etc) I think it makes more sense to target arms at AA, like a Michael Bowden. I'm not saying Bowden is the guy, but for Fielder you can get 1 premium prospect maybe 2, plus a 2nd tier prospect or 2. That's my idea of building depth, not trading away players for rentals or for guys that we'll control for a year, I want longevity.

edit. The point I'm trying to make is that the Brewers should be trying to aquire the next Gallardo or Lincecum, before they become established. It's much easier to aquire a given pitcher before they have MLB success, than to aquire one after the fact.

[battlekow]

Gamel makes the Daily Dish for the second straight day, and Escobar & Gillespie also get mentions:

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Prospect Of The Day

It seems like every game is a big game for Huntsville (Brewers) third baseman Mat Gamel, and that trend continued yesterday as Gamel went 3-for-5 with a walk and his 28th double of the year. Yesterday's performance brought Gamel's lofty season line to .383/.445/.639 in 332 at-bats.

Prospect Nuggets

A pair of Gamel's teammates weren't too shabby either yesterday; shortstop Alcides Escobar went 3-for-6 and left fielder Cole Gillespie went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a stolen base.

[battlekow]

I mentioned this in a different thread, but I don't really think that it would take a Gamel or LaPorta to get Sabathia. Just look back at all of the trade deadline deals for a two month rental over the last five seasons. Two month guys simply don't command that much on the trade market, especially when it is well known that they won't resign with their current team. Bowden claims that he was offered nothing for Soriaon a few years ago, Carlos Beltran was traded for Travis Buck, Mike Wood and Mark Teahen - none of which were top 50 prospects according to BA. Sabathia may be bit better than most of those trades, though the Beltran sweepstakes was a big thing at the time, but based on the recent past I don't think the Indians will get any top 20-30 type prospects in return. I can't remember the last trade deadline deal where a two month guy was traded for a top 50 prospect even, maybe Ugueth Urbina for Adrian Gonzalez in 2003? Even Gonzalez was a fringe top 50 guy at that point. If I had to guess, I'd say that they'll get either one solid, major leaguer with a reasonable contract or two to three middle tier prospects. Maybe some team will overpay, but everyone knows that the Indians have trade him and will wait them out.

Ken Rosenthal says LaPorta is on the table, and he and Escobar might get packaged together:

The Brewers' offer for Sabathia includes Class AA left fielder Matt LaPorta, according to sources with two other clubs that are interested in acquiring the pitcher.

Class AA shortstop Alcides Escobar also may be in the Brewers' proposed deal, one of the sources says.

The Brewers likely would prefer to substitute a lesser player for Escobar, or perhaps would insist upon additional talent if the Indians demanded his inclusion. But if the Brewers indeed were willing to give up both LaPorta and Escobar, the Sabathia sweepstakes might be over before they started.