Link Report for Games of Friday, August 15th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

 

All times Central except Arizona League; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link via WNSR, 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=t556

 

Huntsville: LHP David Welch at home vs. Chattanooga (Reds), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 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 at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 6:05 PM gametime

 

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

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=503&sid=t503

 

West Virginia: LHP Dan Merklinger at Greenville (Red Sox), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:00 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 Efrain Nieves at home vs. Orem (Angels), 7:55 PM pre-game, 8:05 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 grubby Cubbies' den in Mesa , 7:00 PM local Mountain Standard Time

 

Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday's action as it happens:
Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "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.

Nashville:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_orhaaa_nasaaa_1

Huntsville:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_cngaax_hunaax_1

Brevard County:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_breafa_pbcafa_1

West Virginia:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_wvaafx_capafx_1

Helena:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_orerok_helrok_1

Arizona:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_15_brrrok_cubrok_1

[Mass Haas]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime.

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 73 52 .584 - 45-22 28-30 W3 Memphis 66 59 .528 7.0 32-30 34-29 L1 Omaha 53 73 .421 20.5 24-38 29-35 L4 Nashville 51 75 .405 22.5 24-38 27-37 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 34 19 .642 - 18-7 16-12 W1 Tennessee 26 27 .491 8.0 12-16 14-11 L1 Huntsville 25 28 .472 9.0 13-15 12-13 L1 West Tenn 22 30 .423 11.5 10-17 12-13 L1 Chattanooga 22 31 .415 12.0 11-14 11-17 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 30 21 .588 - 15-11 15-10 W4 Daytona 28 21 .571 1.0 17-8 11-13 L1 St. Lucie 26 22 .542 2.5 12-11 14-11 W1 Palm Beach 27 25 .519 3.5 15-11 12-14 L1 Brevard County 24 27 .471 6.0 11-13 13-14 W1 Vero Beach 15 38 .283 16.0 6-21 9-17 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 35 18 .660 - 17-9 18-9 W3 West Virginia 35 18 .660 - 20-6 15-12 W1 Delmarva 28 24 .538 6.5 12-14 16-10 W1 Lake County 25 27 .481 9.5 12-14 13-13 W4 Greensboro 21 32 .396 14.0 10-16 11-16 L1 Hagerstown 21 32 .396 14.0 9-18 12-14 L2 Lexington 19 33 .365 15.5 9-18 10-15 W1 Hickory 16 37 .302 19.0 5-20 11-17 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 12 4 .750 - 9-3 3-1 L1 Great Falls 9 8 .529 3.5 6-4 3-4 L1 Helena 6 11 .353 6.5 1-5 5-6 L1 Missoula 3 14 .176 9.5 3-3 0-11 L9 

[Mass Haas]

Arizona League Standings

[Mass Haas]

RHP Josh Butler starts for the Manatees tonight.

[And That]

It's gonna be either Seth Lintz or Greg Miller starting tonight for the Baby Brewers.

[Minigoon]

Heck of a night for Dan Merklinger. 5 innings, 8 strikeouts, 3 hits 1 walk. 6 of the other 7 outs were ground outs!

[wvpowerblkwel]

Nice two innings for Braddock tonite with 4 k's 3 swinging! Works himself out of a little self made jam but comes out unharmed. Seems to be having trouble once he allows runners, but also working his way out of lots of those jams...good to see Zach still putting up the K's!!

[twobrewers]

So far good pitching across the board for the Brewers organization tonight.

 

Let's hope Manny Parra follows suit.

[LouisEly]

Steffan Wilson now tied with Gamel for most RBIs in the entire organization with 91. Clutch hitter right there.

 

If Taylor Green is the PTBNL, then Wilson might very well jump to AA and be the starting 3B, but if he isn't the PTBNL then Wilson could very well be the 1B in Huntsville next year, or Green could slide over to 2B next year with Wilson the 3B in Huntsville (prolly still have Green split time at 3B with Wilson splitting time between 3B and 1B).

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 5, Grennville (Red Sox) 1

Back in the division lead...

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

MERKLINGER AND MERCEDES FAN 14 IN POWER WIN

 

While the offense has gotten most of the attention in the second half of the season, the pitching staff paved the way for the Power on Friday night at Fluor Field as Dan Merklinger and Roque Mercedes struck out 14 batters in West Virginia's 5-1 victory over the Greenville Drive.

 

Caleb Gindl began the second inning with a double and scored the first run of the game on Anderson De La Rosa's two-out single. The Drive tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Carlos Fernandez began the inning with a base hit, then advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on Oscar Tejada's groundout.

 

The Power scored twice in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Eric Farris began the inning with a base hit and moved to second base when Eric Fryer reached on Zach Penprase's error. Steffan Wilson then ripped an RBI single to score Farris. The play at the plate was extremely close, causing Greenville manager Kevin Boles to argue the call, and he was ejected shortly thereafter. Zelous Wheeler then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to score Fryer. West Virginia scored their final two runs in the ninth inning on De La Rosa's fourth homer of the season.

 

Merklinger (7-8) allowed just a run on three hits and fanned eight over five innings of work in a winning effort. Mercedes tossed four scoreless innings of two-hit ball and struck out six to get his third save. Ryne Miller (1-3) allowed a pair of runs on four hits in three innings of relief and was tagged with the loss.

 

The Power improved to 68-55 on the year and 36-18 in the second half with the win. The Drive fell to 64-58 on the year and 24-29 in the second half with the loss. Fryer, Gindl and De La Rosa paced the Power with two hits apiece. Curt Rindal went 0-for-4, bringing his hitting streak to an end at 10 games and his on-base streak to an end at 18 games.

 

The Power will continue the four-game series against the Drive Saturday night. The Power will start right hander Evan Anundsen (10-6, 4.11) and the Drive will counter with left hander Felix Doubront (12-7, 3.75). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM (6:00 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score

 

West Virginia Game Log

Greenville Online:

It took a controversial, game-turning play in the Drive's 5-1 loss to West Virginia to get Greenville manager Kevin Boles tossed.

With the game tied at one in the sixth, umpire Seth Buckminster called the Power's Eric Farris safe at the plate, though most in the crowd of 6,039 and Boles thought Farris was out thanks to an outstanding throw by left-fielder Jered Stanley and a solid tag by catcher Matt Cooney.

Stanley's one-hop throw definitely surprised Farris, who neglected to slide, thinking he would score easily from second on Steffan Wilson's deep single.

"I thought I had him. Everybody in our dugout thought we had him, apparently," Cooney said. "The umpire said (Farris) beat the tag. I don't know if he was out of position, or what."

Though Farris wasn't called out, Boles made sure that he was with some heated comments directed at Buckminster in a confrontation behind the plate.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Organizational Hitting Coordinator Mike Lum

Click on the WUMP archive of August 15th, interview is right off the top; joined mid-way through, brief discussion of the evolution and value of fall instructionals...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 3, Chattanooga (Reds) 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Welch and Salome Lead Stars to Win

Early Offense Enough to Edge Looks

David Welch threw 6 2/3 solid innings and Angel Salome's first inning home run stood up in Huntsville's 3-1 win over Chattanooga Friday night in the fourth of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars have won three of four in the series to improve to 26-28 in the second half, while the Lookouts dipped to 22-32. Huntsville has won 12 of the 19 games between the teams this season.

 

Welch stranded Sean Henry at third base with one out in the first inning by getting Justin Turner to line out and Chris Valaika to ground out. Michael Brantley opened the bottom of the frame with a walk and moved to second on an infield hit by Alcides Escobar before Salome launched his 10th home run of the season to right-center field. He has knocked in 22 of his 79 runs this season against the Looks.

 

Tonys Gutierrez's home run with one out in the second inning was the only offense for the visitors. Welch did not allow another runner past first base and was lifted after a Mat Gamel fielding error allowed B.J. Szymanksi to reach. Szymanski stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Salome but was left there when Steve Bray got Chris Denove to line out. Welch earned his 11th win to match Todd Redmond for the league lead after allowing five hits and fanning five. He went through a start without issuing a walk for the first time since May 12.

 

Bray retired Valaika with runners at the corners to end the eighth inning and David Johnson got pinch-hitter Michael DeJesus to ground out to end the game with runners at the corners to earn his first save since May 24.

 

Viola lasted 5 1/3 innings and suffered the loss to drop to 2-7. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out three. Viola, Derrik Lutz, Joe Valentine, who tossed a scoreless seventh inning, and Sean Watson, who did the same in the eighth, did not allow a Huntsville runner to advance past second base after the second inning. Salome and Brantley each finished with three of the Stars' nine hits.

 

The series finishes Saturday evening with right-hander Alex Periard taking the mound against Lookouts' southpaw Camilo Vazquez. Coverage begins at 6:50 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

David Johnson has allowed just two earned runs since June 1st, covering 32.2 innings; Mat Gamel had two errors in the game; Angel Salome only with 53 K's on the season in 327 AB's, my he's so impressive with the bat; Michael Brantley three singles and a walk, wasn't retired, OBP .409, 97 of 118 hits singles, played LF again with Lorenzo Cain in center and Cole Gillespie in right...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas

"Fridays with Frank"...

 

Via the Nashville Site, some Baseball Superstition History

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Oklahoma (Rangers) 3

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Sounds Avoid Sweep, Beat RedHawks 5-3

 

NASHVILLE - Vinny Rottino's go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Nashville Sounds a 5-3 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks in the series finale on Friday night at Greer Stadium.

 

Sounds starter Chris Narveson (5-12) delivered his team-leading seventh quality start of the season for the Sounds to pick up his third win in his last eight starts after missing out on a win in his previous 11 outings. He pitched six innings and gave up three runs (two earned) while striking out five batters.

 

Nashville's offense finally broke through and matched its combined total of runs over the last four games with five runs scored. The narrow 5-3 victory marked the eighth straight game for the Sounds decided by two runs or less.

 

With the win, the Sounds avoided a series sweep to the RedHawks, who managed to take 14 out of 16 games against Nashville during the season series.

 

Oklahoma took an early lead off a solo home run by John Mayberry off Narveson in the second inning. The longball was Mayberry's 14th of the year and came on a 1-0 pitch. The RedHawks added a second solo shot in the top of the fourth inning when Chris Shelton led off with his ninth longball of the season to double the Oklahoma lead to two.

 

Nashville got into the scoring with a pair of runs off Oklahoma starter Steve Rowe in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jay Gibbons led off with his third home run of the year for the Sounds, a solo shot to center field. Adam Heether followed with a walk, and Brendan Katin doubled him in for the second run of the inning.

 

The RedHawks recaptured the lead on an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning when Sounds shortstop Heether bobbled a groundball that allowed Nick Trzesniak to reach first base. Trzesniak then scored on an RBI-double from Craig Gentry to right field off Narveson.

 

The Sounds evened things up in the bottom half of the inning when Hernan Iribarren hustled out a double to right field and scored on a two-out single from Brad Nelson. The run-scoring hit came after a walk by Joe Dillon to keep the inning alive.

 

Nashville took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Rottino belted a two-run home run to left-center field off Oklahoma reliever Kea Kometani. The longball was Rottino's seventh of the year and his fifth go-ahead homer of the year.

 

AUDIO: Rottino's Go-Ahead Home Run

 

Sounds relievers Richie Gardner and Joe Bateman combined to pitch three scoreless innings to hold Narveson's lead and close out the game for Nashville. Bateman picked up his fourth save of the season after striking out two batters and only giving up one hit in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

 

Oklahoma starter Steve Rowe pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs, while reliever Kea Kometani (4-5) picked up the loss after giving up the homer to Rottino.

 

The Sounds will hit the road tomorrow for a four-game series against the Express in Round Rock, Texas, starting Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Nic Ungs (1-2, 9.28) will start for Nashville against lefty Josh Muecke (7-11, 4.78) for Round Rock.

 

Following their four-game set in Texas, the Sounds and Express will return to Greer Stadium to open a five-game series and continue their string of nine straight meetings against each other. Nashville will also play a four-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes to close out their last homestand of the year before they head to New Orleans for their final four games of the 2008 season.

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows --

 

Home runs help prevent third sweep by Oklahoma

By GREG SULLIVAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

A pair of homers lifted the Sounds to a 5-3 win Friday night at Greer Stadium, helping the team avoid what would have been its third sweep of the year by the RedHawks.

 

"We had a hard time beating (Oklahoma) all year," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "Finally, we got 'em tonight."

 

The Sounds scored all their runs with two outs. Vinny Rottino's two-run home run in the sixth proved to be the difference, putting the Sounds up 5-3.

 

"We had trouble hitting the last couple days," Rottino said. "I got something I could drive, and I drove it."

 

Jay Gibbons hit a solo shot in the fourth. Brendan Katin had an RBI double and Brad Nelson added an RBI.

 

"We found some holes tonight," Kremblas said. "It seemed like lately we'd hit the ball hard and it'd go right at somebody."

 

Starter Chris Narveson picked up his fifth win of the season, going six innings and allowing two earned runs. Joe Bateman picked up the save.

 

The Sounds begin a four-game series at Round Rock tonight. They will be back home Wednesday to host Round Rock to begin a nine-game homestand, their last of the season.

 

Evening things up: With Friday's win, Nashville tied the all-time series record with Oklahoma at 88 in the last meeting between the clubs for the year. The Sounds struggled with Oklahoma this season, losing 14 of 16 games.

 

Power shortage: Despite two home runs Friday, the Sounds are last in the Pacific Coast League this season with 99 homers, seven fewer than Tucson, which had 106 coming into Friday.

 

Nashville Box Score

Tony Gwynn down to .265 (.633 OPS, .559 in July, .493 in August, ugh); reliever Joe Bateman continues to impress...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 10, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 1

Brevard County Box Score

Josh Butler with four scoreless innings as he looks to build toward a rebound 2009; Chuck Caufield three singles and two RBI; Andy Bouchie's struggled at the plate in the FSL, but did hit his 4th HR in this one -- he's managed to hit two at home...

 

Brevard County Game Log

Six-run 8th breaks it open, Cardinals scoreless until the 9th...

[Mass Haas]

Jim Powell & Laynce Nix, Brewers Outfielder, talk about Laynce's brother's injury at the Olympics

 

Column on the controversial cause of the injury

 

Have not seen video link of the incident at nbcolympics.com or elsewhere.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Orem (Angels) 8, Helena 6

Link while active, text follows:

 

Owlz rally to edge Brewers in cliffhanger

By CURT SYNNESS - Helena Indpendent Record

 

Luis Jiminez of the Orem Owlz drove in the go-ahead run Friday at Kindrick Legion Field, lifting the Owlz to a come-from-behind 8-6 win over the Helena Brewers.

 

The Pioneer League's RBI leader (with 50 RBIs) laced a ninth-inning double to bring home Darwin Perez, breaking a 6-6 tie and vaulting Orem to their 12th straight win. Jiminez finished the night at 3-for-5, with a pair of two baggers and three RBI.

 

The Brewers held a 5-1 advantage after three innings, scoring their first five runs after two outs. But they couldn't hold off the late rallies by the Southern Division leaders, despite the gritty relief performance by local hurler Cody Adams.

 

In the opening inning, with two down, Helena centerfielder Erik Komatsu singled. Then first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard golfed a low 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer. It was Kjeldaard's 12th circuit clout of the season. He went 2-for-5, and now ranks second in the league in homers and third in RBI with 47.

 

After there were two-out in the second frame, third baseman John Delaney stroked a double, and sped home on Cutter Dykstra's broken bat base knock up the middle. Then in the third stanza, Jose Duran ripped a two-out, two-run double to right center, plating Chris Dennis and Mike Roberts. This gave the home team a four-run lead.

 

After the visitors closed the gap to 5-3, powered by Donato Giavonatto's booming homer to straightaway center, Delaney put a charge into one of his own in the fourth. His solo blast into the left field netting put the Brewers up by three, 6-3.

 

Left hander Efrain Nieves started on the hill for Helena. He went four innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, while fanning four. His best inning was the second, when he struck out the side. After allowing a walk and single to open the fifth, Nieves was relieved by Adams. Next the Owlz tied it up 6-6, the big blow being an RBI double by Jiminez.

 

Adams was able to keep the game close, working out of a jam in the sixth. With runners on second and third and two out, he induced Roberto Lopez to ground out to third baseman Delaney to get out of the inning.

 

Adams went on to retire the next nine men in a row in the sixth, seventh and eighth stanzas before running into trouble in the fatal ninth.

 

The visitors outhit the Brewers, 13-10. Orem's Ivan Contreras was 3-for-4, while Perez rapped two hits and scored three times. Josh Keller was the winning pitcher. Andrew Taylor relieved in the scoreless ninth for the save.

 

Adams permitted six hits and three runs in five innings for the loss, whiffing three batsmen. Delaney, Kjeldgaard and Dennis each collected two hits apiece.

 

Defensively, manager Rene Gonzales' charges turned a nice double play in the first inning and did not commit an error. But one of the most dazzling moves of the game occurred in the third frame, when the field umpire hurdled a screaming line drive in foul territory to avoid injury.

 

The Owlz move to 39-17 overall and 14-4 in the second half. The Brewers are 26-30 and 6-12. The two teams meet again at Kindrick tonight at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

 

Photos by Lisa Kunkel IR staff photographer - Brewers' Efrain Nieves winds up the pitch during the second inning of Friday night's game against the Orem Owlz at Kindrick Legion Field. Nieves struck out three batters in the second inning.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/08/16/sports/local/100spn_080816_brewers.jpg

 

The Brewers' Brock Kjeldgaard smashes a home run during the first inning bringing in teammate Erik Komatsu, scoring two runs for the Brewers at Friday night's game in Kindrick Legion Field.

 

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/08/16/sports/local/100spn_080816_brewers-2.jpg

 

Kjeldgaard gets congratulated by his teammates after hitting the two-run homer.

 

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/08/16/sports/local/100spn_080816_brewers-3.jpg

 

Helena Box Score

John Delaney, normally a middle infielder pressed into third base action after Edgar Trejo's opening week season-ending knee injury, has shown some pop -- his home run and double here give him 20 extra-base hits among his 61 overall...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Cubs 12, Arizona Brewers 4

Darn you Cubbies..

 

Arizona Box Score

Only Blake Billings, who pitched around an error with two K's in a scoreless inning, had a decent pitching line; Brewers only had four hits...

 

Arizona Game Log

Looks like second baseman Carlos George was injured:

 

• - With TeWayne Willis batting, Tony Campana steals (10) 2nd base, Alvaro Sosa scores. Missed catch error by second baseman Carlos George. Tony Campana out at 3rd, center fielder Jose Rangel to third baseman Allixon Cequea.

George was replaced by Carlos Pena, normally a catcher, in the third inning.

 

[Mass Haas]

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview with RHP Mark Willinsky

Click on the KCAP archive of August 15th, then browse to the 04:00 minute mark; Willinsky the 2008 15th round pick out of Santa Clara...