Link Report for Games of Thursday, August 21st

[brewmann04]

I think the main Point is that any Pitching Prospect not Named JJ are in the low Minors at least 2-4 years away from Milwaukee. So the Brewers can't count on any starting Pitching help for the near future

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power falls again; tries to stay calm with half-game lead

West Virginia team experienced at baseball playoff pressure after last season at Helena

by Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sports writer

 

The West Virginia Power roster is full of first- and second-season professional players.

 

But thanks to a rookie Pioneer League playoff run at Helena (Mont.) in the Milwaukee Brewers' system last season, the roster is also stocked with plenty of postseason experience.

 

Most importantly, Charleston's Class A baseball team has experienced the excitement and pressure that comes with playing for a spot in the playoffs.

 

That experience may come in handy as the playoff pressure increased in a 12-8 loss to Asheville at Appalachian Power Park on Thursday night.

 

A crowd of 4,596 looked on as the Power (39-21) dropped its third straight to the Tourists (34-26).

 

West Virginia's loss, coupled with a win by second place Lakewood, dropped the Power's lead in the South Atlantic League Northern Division standings to one-half game, with just 10 games to play.

 

"Last year we had a group of guys just coming out of college," said Power infielder Zelous Wheeler, who played in Helena last season. "We didn't know each other but we combined together to form a good team. Last year was our first playoff run together.

 

"We had some guys that had been to the College World Series and some guys that had no experience with a playoff atmosphere.

 

"This year we know the race is coming down to the end. We try not to pay attention to the standings. Instead we just try to go out and get our wins. If we just keep winning and keep winning, everything will play out."

 

As it turned out, nothing played out well for the Power on Thursday, especially early in the game.

 

Asheville scored seven runs on four hits and four errors in a bizarre first inning off Power starter Evan Anundsen (11-7). The inning also featured a catcher's interference, a walk and a hit batsman.

 

Asheville extended the lead to 9-0 with a pair of runs, on three doubles in the fourth inning.

 

West Virginia finally answered with five runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a long grand slam to center by Caleb Gindl, who also had a solo homer on Wednesday.

 

The Power plated three more runs in the sixth behind RBI's by Eric Fryer and Wheeler, but Asheville answered with three runs in the seventh to close out the scoring.

 

Still there's no panic from the Power, who have seen a three-game lead dwindle in dropping the first three games of the four-game series.

 

"The guys have been through this before," said Power Manager Jeff Isom, who guided the Helena club into the playoffs last season. "The experience that we had last year with the playoff run in the first half, and then playing in the playoffs, will definitely help them out.

 

"The guys have done a good job and they're pretty relaxed right now. But we need to get some good pitching and score some runs early. That's kind of how we've been trying to get things done."

 

As the regular season winds down, Power players try not to be concerned as much with scoreboard watching, as they are with how their own game is going.

 

"Everyone is on the same page as to what we're trying to do," said Power first baseman Steffan Wilson, whose 95 RBI this season are just seven short of the franchise single-season record of 102 (Jason Parsons, 1997 Alley Cats). "All we can worry about is what we're doing. That's what we go out to do everyday.

 

"With a lead, technically it shouldn't matter. We should try to win every game, and that's the end of it.

 

"Our coaches do a pretty good job of keeping us focused on playing our game and not worrying about what the other team does. We have to assume that they're going to win every game, so that we can come out ready to play and ready to win every game."

 

Isom concurred.

 

"It 's in our court," said Isom. "We've got a lead with 10 to go. What more could you ask for?

 

"I think our attitude all season long has been to try and win every ballgame that we possibly can. If we come up short, we come up short. However, if we make it to the playoffs, it's a good thing."