Link Report for Sat. 7/5 -- Power Win Via 'Squeeze-Off'; Gwynn Goes Deep

[TheCrew07]

Pena, Ryan, and Aguilar certainly aren't pushing the promotion issue like they could be...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 5, Brevard County 4, 11 innings

Game Summary from the Cubs' Site:

Bullpen Blows Lead, But Cubs Prevail To Win

Daytona Pulls the Plug on Brevard County's Win Streak

 

[VIERA, FL] The Daytona offense needed to rebound after last night's one-run performance that amounted to a loss. They were able to put enough runs on the scoreboard to support a phenomenal pitching performance by starter Grant Johnson, but the bullpen blew it in the ninth and the Cubs needed extras to win the game.

 

Johnson has been in the process of stretching out his arm and making the move into the starting rotation. He made a huge step forward as he pitched five innings giving up one run on five hits, walking none and striking out four.

 

The Cubs scored their first four runs in the fourth. Brevard County had a one-run lead off a Jimmy Mojica solo home run when Daytona came to the plate against Manatee RHP Josh Butler. Hot hitting Robinson Chirinos started with a single. Blake Lalli followed him with the same results. Yusuf Carter grounded into a fielder's choice, but Steve Clevenger followed with a walk to load the bases. Jonathan Mota came up and stroked a single into centerfield to bring in Carter and Lalli. Ryan Harvey then hit his seventh double to bring Clevenger. Darwin Barney ended the scoring in the inning when he grounded out to bring in Mota. That put the Cubs up 4-1.

 

The Manatees put another run up in the sixth and threatened to take the game over in the eighth. Blake Parker entered the game and ended the threat by retiring the only batter he faced in that inning. He stayed on in the ninth and that spelled trouble.

 

With runners on first and third, Parker gave up a single to Jonathan Lucroy as the Manatees crept closer to tying the game. That happened when Taylor Green smashed a single into right field to bring in the tying run from second base. Barney had a chance to end it with a ground ball hit toward him, but he booted it and gave the Manatees the chance for the win. With the bases loaded, Parker was able to strike out Stephen Chapman to send the game into extra innings.

 

The Cubs struck first in extras in the eleventh inning. Russ Canzler was on second base when Clevenger lined a base hit. Canzler came into score on the single and put the Cubs on top, 5-4.

 

The lights went out briefly at Space Coast Stadium, which delayed play for about 20 minutes. When the lights came back on, the Cubs turned them out again as they were able to get the final outs. Jeremy Papelbon earns the win in relief, Mike McClendon is charged with the loss.

 

The series concludes tomorrow at Space Coast Stadium. Game time is 1:00 PM (12:00 Central).

 

Brevard County Box Score

Lorenzo Cain is tearing it up, on base four times; Taylor Green nearly kept up, on base three times -- no word on the rumor each had Chief Wahoo taped over their Manatee hat emblem; heck, forget the big league Brewers, what does this Brevard lineup look like without those two? That's sarcasm, folks. It wasn't stellar, but getting through seven innings is something Josh Butler can hang his hat on, he last did it back on May 18th; Jonathan's brother the save for the Cubbies...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link Report Bonus:

 

Why can't Sally League teams win at home?

From Greenville to Greensboro, losing records point to astonishing trend

 

By the way, the Power are 20-22 at home, 23-20 on the road...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 5, Billings (Reds) 4

Held on for dear life, as the Mustangs strand 13, including three in their three-run 9th inning...

 

Helena Box Score

Encouraging three-inning start for RHP Wily Peralta; Brock Kjeldgaard three hits, all the details in the AM -- oh wait, it is the AM, heh...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

At least for a night, the Stars' lineup suffered without Chris Errecart and his .291 batting average, 13 homers and 33 RBIs. They had only one hit through the first 6 1/3 innings and then failed to muster any sort of a rally afterward.

"It's tough when you have two producers (Errecart and Michael Brantley) out of the lineup, but at the same time, we've got some guys who can come off the bench who have to produce," Stars left fielder Cole Gillespie said. "Right now, we've got to find a way to score runs."

Shortstop Alcides Escobar had a single off the third baseman's glove in the first, and Huntsville didn't get another hit off Dewon Day or Ryan O'Malley until the seventh. With one out, Mat Gamel ended the hitless streak with a single, and Angel Salome singled behind him to put runners on first and third with one out, but Matt LaPorta grounded into a rally-killing double play.

Then in the eighth, Gillespie legged out a stand-up triple, but J.R. Hopf popped out, Mike Bell, who narrowly missed a home run that was just foul earlier in the game, struck out looking and Martin Maldonado grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat.

"That's the way things are going," Money said. "Guys are getting the opportunities and not getting the runs in. The bottom of the order is not getting the job done when they're getting a chance."

The lack of offense wasted a strong effort from starter Mike Jones, who allowed just one run and three hits in five innings. Patrick Ryan and Omar Aguilar allowed two runs apiece in relief.

"We got no hits, no runs, no pitching, no defense, nothing," Money said. "Game over."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers hold off Mustangs

Helena Independent Record

 

With two outs and the bases loaded, Brewers closing pitcher Adam Arnold struck out Billings' Jordan Wideman to end the Mustangs' ninth-inning rally and give the Brewers a 5-4 win Saturday night.

 

It was the first win the Brewers (10-9) have collected at the newly constructed Dehler Park in Billings, and the Mustangs' (12-7) first loss, going down before 3,528 spectators.

 

The Brewers led from beginning to end when they split four runs over the second and third innings. They added their final run in the fifth, taking a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

 

That wouldn't slow down Billings, however, as they began a two-out, three-run rally. Brett Bartles and David Sappelt each singled and Alex Buchholz walked to load the bases. After Tony Brown's single to right field drew in two runs, Arnold replaced Brandon Ritchie on the mound.

 

Arnold allowed Buchholz to score on a single by Tyler Stovall, then walked Michael Konstanty to load the bases for a second time in the inning before Wideman stepped to the plate for the Mustangs' final at-bat.

 

Arnold collected his fourth save of the year.

 

Helena's Michael Vass hit an RBI double and scored a run on Jose Duran's single in the second inning. Corey Kemp singled in a run and Brock Kjeldgaard walked home in the third.

 

But it was Vass' sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth that scored Kjeldgaard once again for the winning run.

 

Kjeldgaard led the Brewers with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring three runs in the clean-up spot.

 

The Mustangs used up four pitchers, as did the Brewers, but it was starter Jamie Arneson (2-1) who finished with the loss. He gave up four earned runs on six hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked three.

 

Wily Peralta started for the Brewers and didn't give up a hit over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Mark Willinsky was given the win, however, allowing one earned run on four hits while walking four and striking out three.

 

The Brewers will play again today at Billings, beginning at 4:05 PM (5:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds are able to make contact but can't score

10 runners left on base in 14-hit night

By STEVE SILVER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

The Sounds out-hit the Round Rock Express on Saturday.

 

The problem was most of those hitters were left on base.

 

The Sounds got 14 hits compared to the Express' 12, but they stranded 10 runners in their 10-5 loss to lose their fourth straight.

 

The Sounds took a 2-1 lead in the fourth thanks to pitcher Richie Gardner's sacrifice grounder, and center fielder Tony Gwynn launched a three-run blast to right field to give the Sounds a commanding 5-1 lead. Gwynn's shot snapped his 573 at-bat home run drought that dated to Aug. 22, 2006.

 

"As soon as I hit it I just kept thinking I need to run because it's going to hit off the wall," said, Gwynn who went 3-for-5 in the loss.

 

"Then I heard the crowd and I knew it was over.

 

"It feels good at the time, but if you don't get the win, then it doesn't matter."

 

The Sounds (34-55) are now 17-24 at Greer Stadium and remain in last place in the PCL.

 

"We come out every day to win," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "We just haven't matched up the pitching with the hitting."

 

Yeah, you might say that.

 

The Sounds were just 2-of-12 with runners on base.

 

Round Rock's Mark Saccomanno crushed a three-run home run off reliever Randy Choate to put the Express on top 7-5 in the seventh inning.

 

In the eighth, pinch-hitter Ray Sadler added a two-run shot that sailed over the guitar scoreboard in left field to give the Express a 9-5 lead.

 

Former Sounds catcher J.R. House punctuated the night with a solo blast in the top of the ninth to seal Round Rock's victory.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Healthy Nix returns to lineup, gets 2 hits

By STEVE SILVER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Right fielder Laynce Nix returned to the starting lineup Saturday night for the first time since June 29, when he injured his right heel in a 7-2 loss at Round Rock.

 

Nix singled in the first and third innings Saturday and has hit safely in eight of his past nine games.

 

"(Nix) swung the bat well for being out for awhile," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "He gave us good at-bats considering his foot is still bothering him a little bit."

 

Nix, who went 2-for-5 on Saturday, is batting .286 with 42 RBIs and a team-high 15 home runs. He had a nine-game hitless streak from May 30-June 9.

 

Home run drought over: Tony Gwynn's three-run shot in the fourth inning snapped a season-high five-game homer-less streak for the Sounds.

 

"It's one of those things where I'm just trying to be aggressive and trust my eye so I can adjust to anything off speed," Gwynn said.

 

Despite Gwynn's home run, the Sounds are last in the Pacific Coast League with 70. Albuquerque leads the league with 124 homers.

 

Sneaky running: Hernan Iribarren notched his team-high 18th stolen base in the second inning. Iribarren is tied for second in the league behind Oklahoma's Joaquin Arias, who has 20. The Sounds lead the PCL with 103 stolen bases.

 

Seventh inning tells all: The Sounds are 1-51 when trailing after seven innings. On the flip side, Nashville is 31-1 when leading after seven.

 

Pinch-hitting pitcher: Sam Narron became the first Sounds pitcher to pinch-hit this season when he replaced pitcher Ben Howard in the bottom of the eighth inning. Narron struck out looking. He is 7-for-18 at the plate this season.

 

Ex-Sound signs: The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent pitcher Jeff Weaver to a minor league contract.

 

The right-handed Weaver will report to Triple-A Buffalo of the International League.

 

Weaver was 7-13 with a 6.20 ERA in 27 starts for the Mariners last year and pitched this season for the Sounds from May 1-June 11.

[Mass Haas]

Listen to the game-winning squeeze in Charleston

Click on the WUMP acrchive of July 5th, then browse to the 04:07:00 hour/minute mark...

 

It's a "bunt-buntedy-bunt"! No, Andy Barch didn't modify his "jack-jackety-jack" trademark call, but it would have been funny if he did.