Link Report for Wed. 8/27 -- Hey Huntsville, Let's Play Three!

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

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

 

Nashville: LHP Troy Cate at home vs. Albuquerque (Marlins), 11:45 AM pre-game; 12:00 PM 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: First, it's the completion of Tuesday's suspended game (Stars lead, 4-1, bottom of the 4th), then it's LHP David Welch at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 4:45 PM pre-game; 5:00 gametime; each contest seven innings

 

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: RHP Josh Butler at home vs. Jupiter (Marlins), 6:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

 

West Virginia: Idle

 

Helena: RHP Rico Salmon at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 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 vs. the Giants' tykes in Maryvale, 7:00 PM 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". 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_27_albaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville Completion of Suspended Game:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_26_cmcaax_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Regularly Scheduled Game:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_27_cmcaax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_27_jupafa_breafa_1

 

Helena:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_27_grfrok_helrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_27_giarok_brrrok_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 80 56 .588 - 46-22 34-34 L1 Memphis 72 64 .529 8.0 34-30 38-34 W1 Omaha 60 78 .435 21.0 29-41 31-37 L1 Nashville 58 79 .423 22.5 28-41 30-38 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 38 24 .613 - 20-10 18-14 W1 Tennessee 33 30 .524 5.5 15-18 18-12 W2 Huntsville 28 34 .452 10.0 15-17 13-17 L1 West Tenn 27 36 .429 11.5 13-20 14-16 L2 Chattanooga 26 37 .413 12.5 13-17 13-20 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 33 22 .600 - 21-9 12-13 W4 Jupiter 37 26 .587 - 19-14 18-12 W1 St. Lucie 30 28 .517 4.5 13-14 17-14 L4 Palm Beach 31 30 .508 5.0 17-13 14-17 W1 Brevard County 29 34 .460 8.0 14-17 15-17 L1 Vero Beach 18 42 .300 17.5 6-22 12-20 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 43 22 .662 - 21-9 22-13 W2 Lakewood 39 25 .609 3.5 19-13 20-12 W1 Delmarva 35 28 .556 7.0 16-14 19-14 L1 Lake County 32 31 .508 10.0 17-16 15-15 W5 Greensboro 25 38 .397 17.0 12-18 13-20 L3 Hagerstown 24 40 .375 18.5 12-20 12-20 L2 Lexington 22 42 .344 20.5 12-23 10-19 L2 Hickory 20 43 .317 22.0 7-24 13-19 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 15 11 .577 - 12-5 3-6 W2 Great Falls 13 15 .464 3.0 7-7 6-8 L3 Helena 11 17 .393 5.0 3-10 8-7 W4 Missoula 7 20 .259 8.5 5-6 2-14 L2 

[Mass Haas]

Arizona League Standings

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site:

Hardball Mysteries Greatest Mystery of All -- the Butt-Slap

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Current PCL Pitcher Of The Week Lindsay Gulin

[yoshii8]

Nice to see Gamel hit his first AAA bomb.

[battlekow]

Wow, Tony Gwynn of all people hits a walk-off homer. Nashville hit four homers in all.

[battlekow]

I'm surprised that the Giants sent Buster Posey to the Arizona League rather than to Salem-Keizer. Nice to see Rolando Pascual get him out twice though.

[battlekow]

More good work from Luis Guerrero. Anyone got a scouting report on what he throws?

 

EDIT: I answered my own question. Apparently he tops out around 91-92 and has a pretty good curveball, as well as a changeup, natch.

[wvpowerblkwel]

With Lakewood losing to Delmarva last nite, the Power magic # is down to 2 with 5 games remaining! Seems a lock that they will be in the playoffs vs. Lake County, which is where Rob Bryson ended up after the Sabathia deal. Rob has been throwing off the mound, and is slated to throw in a game sometime before the season ends so good news for him on the injury front!

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game One: Huntsville 7, Carolina (Marlins) 1, completion of Tuesday's suspended game

Final, Game Two: Carolina 5, Huntsville 3

Final, Game Three: Huntsville 3, Carolina 0

 

Huntsville Site Tripleheader Summary:

History Made at the Joe Two Ways Tonight

Stars Stall Mudcats Drive to Division Title

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

Alex Periard tossed six scoreless innings to lead Huntsville to a 3-0 win over Carolina in game three of an unprecedented triple-header at Joe Davis Stadium Wednesday night. The Stars took two of three in the trifecta and three of five in the series to finish the home portion of their schedule 39-31. Carolina left town 39-26 in the second half with a magic number of two to clinch the North Division title and could do it before the start of their last series, pending the outcome of the Tennessee-Chattanooga doubleheader.

 

Periard allowed only two singles and retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced to grab his second double-A win. He struck out five did not walk a batter and was followed to the hill by Juan Sandoval, who worked a scoreless seventh inning to notch his 19th save. Michael Garciaparra's run-scoring hit and a two-out, two-run double by Martin Maldonado in the fourth inning against Nick McCurdy provided all the offense. McCurdy allowed seven hits and struck out three in his four innings of work and suffered the loss.

 

Huntsville Game Three Box Score

Mudcats with only two hits as Alex Periard shines in a second consecutive outing, using the groundball to his advantage as per usual; newcomer Brent Krause makes his affiliated debut, singling in his only at-bat; Alcides Escobar now 34-of-42 in steal attempts...

 

Huntsville Game Three Game Log

Brad Davis belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and propel the Mudcats to a 5-3 win in the middle game. Ryan Tucker threw 1 2/3 shutout innings in relief of starter Brett Sinkbeil to grab the win before Chris Mobley worked a perfect seventh inning to nail down his 26th save and seventh against the Stars. David Welch started for Huntsville and suffered the loss to drop to 11-4 after allowing all the runs on seven hits, while walking three and fanning four.

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score

Angel Salome homers, singles, throws out the only attempted base stealer; odd seven-inning game, as Stars bang out ten hits, score three runs, but strand only three; eleven baserunners allowed by David Welch in 4.1 innings...

 

Huntsville Game Two Game Log

David Johnson tossed three scoreless innings in relief after the resumption of Tuesday's suspended game to earn the win in the Stars 7-1 victory in the opener. Jacob Marceaux took the hill for Carolina when play started and allowed three runs in the home fourth to push the Stars lead to six. Angel Salome's two-run home run and run-scoring hits by Mike Bell and Freddy Parejo had staked Brae Wright to a 4-1 lead after three. Graham Taylor took the loss after yielding six hits, walking two and fanning two in three innings.

 

Huntsville Game One Box Score (Completion of Suspended Game)

Angel Salome homered here as well; reliever David Johnson brilliant since the beginning of June...

 

Huntsville Game One Game Log

 

Alcides Escobar collected two hits in the last game to become the Stars' single-season hits leader with 177, which also currently leads the Southern League.

 

The Stars open their final series of the regular season at Chattanooga Thursday night with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander James Avery. Coverage 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.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows --

 

Stars' home finale a 3-game affair

Huntsville completes three ballgames in a day

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times, sports@htimes.com

 

On the last baseball night of the year at Joe Davis Stadium, the Huntsville Stars endured a bizarre first in their franchise history.

 

After rain washed out the last two nights' games, the Stars and Carolina Mudcats finished three games on Wednesday for the first time in known league history.

 

Actually, two seven-inning games were played, and Huntsville also finished off the Mudcats 7-1 in the remainder of a suspended game that began Tuesday night.

 

The Tennessee Smokies started the day 5 1/2 games back of Carolina. With the Smokies' final five games being against the Mudcats, Tennessee officials suggested the teams finish the games and informed the Southern League office that Rule 4:13 in the Official Baseball Handbook states that "only two championship games shall be played on one date. Completion of a suspended game shall not violate this rule."

 

So, Mincher decided that the Stars and Mudcats needed to complete the series. "Once it was pointed out to me, I said if we're going to follow our rules, we've got to play the game," Mincher said. "I think it'd be doing a disservice for league presidents and league teams not to do our very best to play every game to its conclusion. "There are certain instances such as this one that makes it hard."

 

Despite the tight schedule, the two teams played 17 innings. After the Stars took the first game easily, Carolina won the second game, 5-3. After the nightcap - which Huntsville won 3-0 - the Mudcats hopped a bus to take a 10-hour trip back to Zebulon, N.C., to take on the Smokies.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Jupiter (Marlins) 6, Brevard County 1

 

Florida Today:

 

In Brevard County, the Brevard County Manatees couldn't get much offense going against the Jupiter Hammerheads, losing 6-1 on Wednesday night.

Lou Palmisano led the five-hit attack (attack?) with two singles. Teammate Brent Brewer scored the lone run and stole his 15th base of the season.

Josh Butler took the loss, giving up three runs in three innings.

 

Brevard County Box Score

We should inquire as to why Josh Butler has been guided back to limited innings since his return from a few weeks off; it has just been painful watching the bottom half of this order struggle with Florida State League pitching and ballparks all season...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 4, Arizona Giants 1

 

Arizona Box Score

With three games left in the season, the A-Crew has a chance for its first three-game winning streak next time out; three singles for Allixon Cequea; the four pitchers used here likely with their final official outing of the season, all going out on relatively high notes -- some will see instructional action this fall...

 

Arizona Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Albuquerque (Marlins) 4

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for photo of home plate celebration, text follows --

 

9th-Inning Gwynn Blast Provides 5-4 Win

 

NASHVILLE - Tony Gwynn led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo home run to center to propel the Nashville Sounds to an exciting 5-4 victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes on Wednesday afternoon at Greer Stadium.

 

Gwynn's game-ending blast, which came on a 2-2 pitch from Isotopes reliever Carlos Martinez, was his second of the season and the Sounds' fourth of the afternoon. All five Nashville runs in the contest came via the longball as the Sounds (59-79) notched their 11th last at-bat victory of the year.

 

AUDIO: Tony Gwynn's Game-Ending HR

 

Erasmo Ramirez (3-4) was the beneficiary of Gwynn's heroics and picked up the victory as part of yet another solid day by the Nashville bullpen. He worked a scoreless top of the ninth, following Randy Choate (1.0 scoreless IP) and Mark DiFelice (2.0 scoreless IP) to the hill behind starter Troy Cate.

 

The Sounds' relief corps have combined to allow only two runs in their last 26 2/3 innings of action.

 

Martinez (1-2) took the loss for Albuquerque after surrendering the game-winning shot in his one-third of an inning of action.

 

Nashville third baseman Mat Gamel put the Sounds on the board in the bottom of the second inning when he belted his first career Triple-A home run, an opposite-field shot to left-center off Bobby Keppel that caromed off the guitar-shaped scoreboard.

 

Albuquerque grabbed the lead with a pair of longballs of its own in the fourth. Tagg Bozied led off the frame with a line drive solo shot over the left field foul pole off Nashville starter Troy Cate. The blast, which came on a 3-2 offering, was his 26th of the year. Two batters later, Mike Ryan staked the visitors to a 2-1 lead with a massive solo shot to right-center that landed on Chestnut Street. It was his seventh longball of the year and second in two days against Sounds pitching.

 

The Isotopes tacked another pair of runs in the fifth after opening the inning with a pair of back-to-back doubles. Third baseman Lee Mitchell ripped a two-bagger off the wall in right-center before Keppel helped his own cause by bouncing an RBI double over the head of Gamel at third base. Bozied plated the second run with a sacrifice fly to center later in the frame.

 

The home run derby continued in the sixth as the Sounds rallied to tie the contest at 4-4 with a pair of longballs. Jay Gibbons led off the inning with a solo shot to center off Keppel, his fifth blast of the year, which extended his longest hit streak of the year to six games.

 

Later in the frame, Brendan Katin belted Nashville's second pinch-hit home run of the season, a two-out, two-run, game-tying shot off the clubhouse building in center field. The roundtripper, which scored Vinny Rottino, was his 17th of the season and second in as many days.

 

Both Nashville pinch-hit homers this season have come against the Isotopes. Adam Heether hit the first one on May 28th at Isotopes Park.

 

The Sounds missed a chance to pull ahead when they left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Gibbons singled, Rottino was hit by a pitch, and pinch-hitter Chris Woodward drew a walk to fill the bags before Isotopes reliever Carlos Martinez induced an inning-ending fielder's choice grounder from Hernan Iribarren to escape the jam unscathed.

 

The Sounds wrap up their 2008 home schedule with Thursday's 7 p.m. series finale against the Isotopes. Left-hander Lindsay Gulin (7-7, 3.63), the current Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week, will man the bump for Nashville on Thursday evening to face Albuquerque right-hander Tim Corcoran (0-0, 4.50).

 

It will be the final Thirsty Thursday of the summer at the ballpark. All draft beverages will be $1 until the end of the 5th inning or 8:30 p.m., whichever occurs first.

 

Nashville Box Score

Vinny Rottino on base three times, but season-long OBP only .310...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link[/url] while active, text follows:

 

Gwynn's walk-off lifts Sounds

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Tony Gwynn admits walk-off home runs aren't his strong point.

 

The Nashville Sounds centerfielder hit the first of his career Wednesday, leading off the ninth inning with a solo shot to give the hosts a 5-4 victory over Albuquerque.

 

"I'd probably be second-to-last," Gwynn said in comparing his game-ending potential to his teammates.

 

All five Nashville runs were scored on homers.

 

"I was just trying to get on base," Gwynn said. "After the first two pitches were balls, you're not necessarily trying to hit a home run in that situation but you are looking to drive the ball. (Albuquerque reliever Carlos Martinez) came back with a backdoor slider and I was able to put a good swing on it."

 

After taking a 1-0 lead on Mat Gamel's leadoff homer in the second inning, Nashville tied the game with a three-run sixth inning as Jay Gibbons hit a leadoff homer and Brendan Katin added a two-run pinch-hit shot.

 

Nashville's bullpen worked four shutout innings after starter Troy Cate allowed four runs in five innings.

 

"Our pitching did a good job," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "(Albuquerque) made the most of their hits, but we were able to come back."

 

Guitar Hero: Gamel's first Triple-A home run caromed off the guitar-shaped scoreboard beyond the left-field wall, making him the second Nashville Sounds player to homer off the guitar this season. Chris Woodward did it on Aug. 21. Sounds players who accomplish the feat are presented a guitar by Copley Guitars.

 

Tight lipped: Sounds owner Al Gordon was in attendance at Wednesday's game. Gordon would not discuss the stadium situation - the lease between the franchise and Metro government expires at the end of the season.

 

Pinch him: Katin's homer off the bench was the second by a Nashville pinch-hitter this season. Adam Heether hit one in a May 28 win at Albuquerque. It was Katin's second homer in as many days and his 17th of the season.

 

Cutting it close: Wednesday's win improved the Sounds' record in one-run games to 13-23 this season. The fewest one-run wins in franchise history for a season is 16, posted by the 1986 team.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Great Falls (White Sox) 7, Helena 2

 

Link while active, text follows --

 

Voyagers stop Brewers' streak

By CURT SYNNESS - Helena Independent Record

 

The Great Falls Voyagers halted the Helena Brewers four-game winning streak Wednesday, dropping the Brewers by a 7-2 score at a chilly Kindrick Legion Field.

 

Voyagers' starting pitcher Daniel Hudson was throwing aspirin pills, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Hudson allowed just two base runners through the first six frames, both of those being Corey Kemp. Kemp walked in the second frame, and then reached on an error in the fifth, but was erased from the base paths when he was thrown out at second trying to advance on a botched pickoff play.

 

Hudson's no-hitter was spoiled in the seventh after a walk to Erik Komatsu. Erik Miller hit a squibber between the pitcher's mound and first base which snaked it's way out to second for an infield hit. But if there were any misgivings on a guy losing a no-no like that, Kemp settled the issue in the very next at bat with a screaming double down the right field line, driving in two runs. It would be the local group's only two hits of the game.

 

Hudson (4-4) was relieved by Ronald Morales, who went the rest of the way for the Electric City. Hudson, whose fastball was clocked at 93 miles per hour, wound up with 12 strikeouts in just 6 2/3 innings. He set down the side on strikes in the sixth stanza, and had two whiffs in each of the first four frames.

 

Rico Salmon (2-3) took the loss, going four innings and giving up six runs, two of them unearned.

 

The Voyagers scored one run each in the first three innings to go up 3-0. The visitors registered their second run on a freaky occurance. Jordan Cheatham was attempting to steal second, when the catcher's throw went out into center field. As the Great Falls baserunner got up and sped towards third, the throw in from Cutter Dykstra struck Helena's Miguel Vasquez in the back of the shoulder and ricocheted into shallow left field, allowing Cheatham to score.

 

The host's defense - which has been rock solid during the win streak - committed four errors in the first three innings.

 

The Voyagers banged out 12 hits, including four doubles, led by the performances of Kent Gerst, Tyler Kuhn, Johny Celis and Cheatham. They all posted two hits apiece.

 

The Brewers are now 11-18 for the second half, and 31-36 overall. They slipped to two games behind the Voyagers in the race to earn a berth in post season play. Helena next travels to the Garden City for a two-game series versus the Missoula Osprey, before returning home to play Great Falls on Saturday.

 

Helena Box Score

Chris Dennis ejected after getting called out on strikes in the 2nd; Nick Tyson a decent outing in relief...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Photos by Eliza Wiley, Helena IR photo editor - Helena Brewers' Miguel Vasquez bobbles the ball at second causing him to miss the out as Great Falls' Kent Gerst gets on base.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/08/28/sports/top/50spl_080828_brewers.jpg

 

Rico Salmon throws one in during the Brewers game against Great Falls Wednesday night.

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/08/28/sports/top/50spl_080828_brewers-2.jpg