Link Report for Wed. 9/3 -- Power Host Playoff Opener

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: Season complete

 

Huntsville: Season complete

 

Brevard County: Season complete

 

West Virginia: RHP R.J. Seidel at home vs. Lake County (Indians), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 PM gametime; Game One of a Best-of-Three and the only game scheduled for Charleston

 

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

 

Normally you can click on the link above and check out Andy Barch's "Bull on Baseball" show as early as 5:05 Central (home games).

Helena: LHP Brandon Ritchie at Billings (Reds), 7:55 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime; H-Crew playing out the string through Friday

 

Audio link via KCAP, be sure to select the proper date (games will also archive at this link):

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433

 

Arizona: Season complete

[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". 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.

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_09_03_lcoafx_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_09_03_helrok_bilrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Sunday's action (Arizona League standings represent entire season):

 

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 83 59 .585 - 48-24 35-35 L2 Memphis 75 67 .528 8.0 37-33 38-34 W1 Omaha 63 81 .438 21.0 30-42 33-39 W2 Nashville 59 81 .421 23.0 29-42 30-39 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 42 28 .600 - 23-12 19-16 W2 Tennessee 35 34 .507 6.5 15-19 20-15 L2 Huntsville 32 38 .457 10.0 17-18 15-20 L1 Chattanooga 30 39 .435 11.5 16-19 14-20 W1 West Tenn 29 39 .426 12.0 14-20 15-19 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 38 24 .613 - 24-9 14-15 L1 Jupiter 41 28 .594 0.5 21-16 20-12 W1 St. Lucie 34 31 .523 5.5 15-16 19-15 W2 Palm Beach 33 34 .493 7.5 18-15 15-19 W1 Brevard County 31 38 .449 10.5 14-19 17-19 L2 Vero Beach 20 46 .303 20.0 8-23 12-23 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 45 25 .643 - 23-12 22-13 W1 Lakewood 42 28 .600 3.0 20-15 22-13 L1 Delmarva 40 30 .571 5.0 19-16 21-14 W1 Lake County 34 36 .486 11.0 18-17 16-19 W1 Greensboro 28 40 .412 16.0 15-20 13-20 W2 Hagerstown 27 43 .386 18.0 14-21 13-22 L1 Lexington 24 45 .348 20.5 12-23 12-22 L2 Hickory 22 47 .319 22.5 9-25 13-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 18 15 .545 - 14-6 4-9 W1 Great Falls 18 17 .514 1.0 9-7 9-10 L1 Helena 13 22 .371 6.0 5-13 8-9 W1 Missoula 11 23 .324 7.5 8-7 3-16 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 39 17 .696 - 21-7 18-10 W7 AZL Giants 36 20 .643 3.0 19-9 17-11 W2 AZL Rangers 34 22 .607 5.0 18-10 16-12 W4 AZL Padres 33 23 .589 6.0 18-10 15-13 L2 AZL Cubs 31 24 .564 7.5 20-8 11-16 L5 AZL Royals 23 33 .411 16.0 13-15 10-18 W1 AZL Athletics 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 W1 AZL Mariners 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 L2 AZL Brewers 13 42 .236 25.5 9-18 4-24 L2 

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

The Power and the glory?

Rejuvenated West Virginia meets Lake County tonight at home in playoff opener

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Jeff Isom's first summer in West Virginia has combined a nice blend of rapidly improving baseball at Appalachian Power Park with some delightful fishing trips to Kanawha Falls.

 

From time to time this season, the Power manager would grab his gear and head out U.S. Route 60 to sample the fishing options and scenic splendors of Fayette County.

 

"Like the song says, almost heaven, West Virginia,'' said Isom, an Indiana native. "Boy, it's beautiful up there. I love the outdoors, and this is definitely a very nice area to do that.''

 

Isom probably needed an escape early in the season. The Power played sub-.500 baseball in the first half and, despite credentials as a strong offensive club, spent parts of April below the Mendoza Line.

 

But at midseason, the team emerged as an offensive force, posted a 45-25 second-half record and, as winner of the Northern Division's second-half title, will open the South Atlantic League playoffs against the Lake County Captains at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) at APP.

 

The best-of-three Northern Division series will move to Eastlake, Ohio, for the second and third game, if necessary, on Friday and Saturday. The winner will then face the Southern Division champion in a best-of-five league championship series.

 

For the second straight year, the Power enters the playoffs as the best hitting and highest-scoring club in the 16-team South Atlantic League.

 

The team ended the regular season Monday with a .276 team average - 11 points better than runner-up Charleston - and 747 runs - 42 more than the second-place RiverDogs.

 

Outfielder-catcher Eric Fryer led the league with a .335 average, and first baseman-third baseman Steffan Wilson finished second in RBIs with 100.

 

Such lofty numbers and a playoff berth seemed preposterous five months ago.

 

"We didn't know what was going on,'' recalled center fielder Lee Haydel. "We couldn't hit, couldn't pitch. It looked like the season was going to be over. But we got hot, turned it around and here we are.''

 

At the time, Isom was just hoping to reach .500.

 

"In May,'' he said, "when we were struggling a little bit and not getting wins - I think we lost seven in a row - the last thing on your mind is playoffs. We were just trying to find a way to possibly get to .500.

 

But that's the beauty of the minor leagues. You've got the halves. You're able to make adjustments, which our players did, and then come out with a clean slate in the second half. And when that clean slate hit, our guys just took off.''

 

The postseason is an obvious reward for the players but, more than anything, it's an important part of the development process, a chance for players to perform under the heightened pressures that will escalate for those who move up the professional baseball ladder.

 

"From a player development standpoint, we're teaching these guys to be winners,'' said Isom. "You get to see what guys are going to do in pressure situations. That's part of how we evaluate a player. We see what he does when the game is on the line. How's he going to react? This gives us a good read. There's no question.''

 

POWER POINTS: The Power won the first round of last year's playoffs, defeating Hickory in three games, but lost three straight to Columbus in the championship series. It was the Charleston's franchise's first appearance in the championship series since 1992.

 

The last Charleston team to win the league title was the 1990 club, which was managed by Winfield native Jim Lett, the team's current hitting coach. That team, known as the Charleston Wheelers, had six future big-leaguers - shortstop Trevor Hoffman, pitchers Tim Pugh, Bobby Ayala and Jerry Spradlin, catcher Dan Wilson and center fielder Scott Pose. Reds pitcher Danny Jackson made one rehab start for the Wheelers that year.

 

Fryer is the second straight Power player to win the league batting title. Last year, Andrew Lefave won it with a .345 mark. Including Fryer, the Power has five starters hitting .289 or better - Caleb Gindl .307, Haydel .295, Eric Farris .293 and Wilson .289. Zelous Wheeler is hitting .258 but is second on the team with 87 RBIs, which is tied for sixth in the league.

 

Tonight's Power starter will be right-hander R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51), and Friday's will be right-hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28). Power pitchers ranked ninth in the league with a 4.18 ERA.

 

Jason Parsons in 1997 had 102 RBIs, the most by a Charleston player since the team joined the South Atlantic League in 1987. Parsons played for what was then known as the Charleston Alley Cats.

[Mass Haas]

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview (from Tuesday) with Pitching Coach Aris Tirado

Click on the KCAP archive of September 2nd, then browse to the 06:30 minute mark; detailed conversation about Cody Adams, Trey Watten, Cody Scarpetta, Brandon Rapoza and Efrain Nieves...

[battlekow]

Mike Ramlow was 14th among all MiLB relievers in lowest BAA, at .178; Omar Aguilar was 13th at .177.

[battlekow]

Rough night for R.J. Seidel on his birthday.

[battlekow]

This has to feel sweet for the Albertosaurus after his brutal first game yesterday:

 

# John Delaney walks.

# Cutter Dykstra walks. John Delaney to 2nd.

# Erik Komatsu walks. John Delaney to 3rd. Cutter Dykstra to 2nd.

# Brock Kjeldgaard doubles (27) on a line drive to right fielder Byron Wiley. John Delaney scores. Cutter Dykstra scores. Erik Komatsu scores.

[battlekow]

Monster game for Cutter Dykstra thus far: 3-3 with a double and 2 walks.

[battlekow]

Helena finally wins in the 13th. Cutter Dykstra ended up getting on base 6 out of 7 times, while Chris Dennis and David Fonseca had brutal nights, each going 0-6 with 4 strikeouts (Dennis did walk once).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Lake County (Indians) 10, West Virginia 4

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

CAPTAINS CRUSH POWER

 

The Lake County Captains scored early and often in game one of the first round of the South Atlantic League playoffs at Appalachian Power Park on Wednesday night, and they came away with a 10-4 victory over the Power to take a 1-0 lead in the best of three series.

 

The Captains plated their first two runs in the top of the first. A wild pitch plated Mark Thompson and Dustin Realini's two-out RBI single scored the second run. An errant relay throw from Matt Cline on a potential double play ball in the second inning allowed Ron Rivas to score. The Captains delivered a crushing blow in the third when Juan Valdes hit a three-run homer. Valdes struck again with an RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Captains their largest lead of the night.

 

The Power offense plated four runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Steffan Wilson, Curt Rindal and Cline contributed with run-scoring singles and Zelous Wheeler delivered an RBI double. The Power had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but Jonathan Holt worked his way out of the jam.

 

Matt McBride added to the Captains' lead on a run-scoring double in the seventh inning. Karexon Sanchez pounded the final nail in the coffin on a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

 

Joey Mahalic (1-0) shut the Power down over five scoreless innings. He held the Power to just four base hits and struck out three batters in a winning victory. R.J. Seidel (0-1) was the first of seven pitchers used by West Virginia. He allowed three runs on five hits over an inning and a third and was tagged with the loss.

 

The Captains now have a 1-0 lead in the series, and are a victory away from their second appearance in the South Atlantic League Championship Series. Four Power players turned in multi-hit games, including Lee Haydel who paced the Power with a 3-for-4 performance. The 4-5-6 hitters, Wilson, Caleb Gindl and Wheeler combined to go 6-for-13. West Virginia left nine men on base, while the Captains stranded 11.

 

The Power will continue their best of three game series in the first round of the playoffs against the Lake County Captains at Classic Park on Friday night. The Power will start right hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) and the Captains will counter with right hander Chris Archer (4-8, 4.29). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score

Eric Fryer drew the Power's only walk; West Virginia pitchers walked eight in the first five and a third; seven Power pitchers saw action, and all four inherited runners were stranded, but obviously that wasn't enough; this team's going to have to mash its way to wins in Lake County, there's just no ace (or dual aces) to toss in the early games of a postseason matchup...

 

West Virginia Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

No time to go flat

Power falls, needs to win two at Lake County

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Other than a sixth-inning uprising that proved inadequate, West Virginia Power hitters did not deliver the big hits and gaudy totals that made them the South Atlantic League's best-hitting team.

 

But it was the opening night of the postseason, a time when numbers mean little and baseball is at its most fickle.

 

The Lake County Captains, a sub-.500 team in the second half and one not noted for offense, bludgeoned Power pitching in the early innings and continued the assault en route to a 10-4 victory over the Power Wednesday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

In attendance was a lively crowd of 1,783 that perhaps feared it would be the season's final home game and did not allow the Captains' dominance to dampen their spirits.

 

The victory gives Lake County a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Northern Division series. The second game and third, if necessary, are set for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) Friday and Saturday at Eastlake, Ohio. The winner advances to the best-of-five league championship series next week.

 

In the game's first three innings, the Captains built a 6-0 lead on eight hits, helped by four walks, an error and a passed ball. For the game, they totaled 14 hits, including two home runs, and Power pitchers contributed to the cause by walking nine.

 

"That's a lot of base-runners,'' said Power manager Jeff Isom.

 

The Power, meanwhile, struggled to produce base-runners, other than a four-run sixth inning in which it bunched six hits and threatened to make a game of it, cutting the Captains' lead to 7-4.

 

"I liked the way we battled back offensively,'' Isom added. "We had a chance to really cut into their lead. We got four runs; we could have done a little bit more.''

 

Indeed, after scoring the four runs, the Power still had the bases loaded with one out, but the rally died and no more threats were forthcoming.

 

The Captains, who qualified for the playoffs by winning the first-half division title, responded to the Power's four-run inning by adding a run in the top of the seventh and scoring two more in the ninth on Karexon Sanchez's home run to right-center.

 

In the third inning, Lake County's Juan Valdez, the No. 9 hitter who entered the game with a .241 average, stroked a three-run homer to give the Captains a 6-0 lead.

 

"We played excellent defense,'' said Isom. "We just have to get the pitching up to where it needs to be. I've said all season long, we're as good as our pitching.''

 

POWER POINTS: Right-hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) will try to extend the Power's season in Friday's game. ... The Captains, 34-46 in the second half and 75-65 in the regular season, ranked 12th in league batting with a .254 average and were seventh in runs with 647. The Power led the league with a .276 average and led in runs, outscoring the Captains during the season by exactly 100. ... Power starter R.J. Seidel, pitching on his 21st birthday, allowed five hits and three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings to take the defeat. The Power used seven pitchers. ... A group of Lake County fans, attired in Captains gear, attended the game. ... In the playoffs, the SAL goes with four umpires instead of its usual two.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 10, Billings (Reds) 8, 13 innings

 

Helena Independent Record:

 

Erik Komatsu hit a double in the top of the 13th inning to bring in the winning run as the Helena Brewers beat the Billings Mustangs 10-8 Wednesday night.

 

Komatsu's line drive to right field brought in Cutter Dykstra before Brock Kjeldgaard singled to center to score Komatsu for the final run.

 

Dykstra was the most efficient at the plate, going 3-for-4 and walking three times to score twice and pick up two RBI.

 

Kjeldgaard went 3-for-7 with four RBI for Helena (14-22), which is mathematically out of the 2008 playoff race.

 

Steven Braun had two hits and scored twice for the Brewers.

 

Billings got an early lead, scoring three in the first, but Helena answered with three of its own in the third. After the Mustangs scored in the fourth, Helena put up three in the fifth and one more in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half, Billings came back with four runs to go ahead, 8-7.

 

Braun led off the eighth with a double and was driven home by Dykstra to tie the game.

 

Tony Brown led the Mustangs with four hits, including two doubles, for two RBI and a run.

 

The Brewers finish their season in Billings with two more games, the first of which starts tonight at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) on the road.

 

Helena Box Score

Garrett Sherrill stranded two runners, then combined with Brandon Rapoza (check out those Helena numbers) and Adam Arnold to shut out Billings over the final 7+ innings...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power loses playoff opener

West Virginia must win two on road to stay alive in South Atlantic League postseason

by Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sports writer

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Evan Anundsen has had a successful season on the mound for the West Virginia Power.

 

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Colorado native leads all Power pitchers in wins (12), starts (28) and innings pitched (145.0).

 

With his 12 wins, Anundsen ties former Charleston Alley Cat and current Kansas City Royal pitcher Jimmy Gobble for the second most wins in a season, behind only current Atlanta Brave hurler Buddy Carlyle's 14 wins during the 1997 season.

 

After a disappointing 10-4 loss to the Lake County Captains in the opening game of the South Atlantic League Northern Division playoffs on Wednesday before 1,783 fans at Appalachian Power Park, another strong Anundsen outing is exactly what the Power needs as the best-of-three series moves to the Cleveland suburbs for games two and three, if necessary.

 

Anundsen (12-8, 4.28 ERA) will take the mound at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) Friday in game two against Lake County starter Chris Archer (4-8, 4.29 ERA).

 

For Anundsen, keeping the ball down in the strike zone and in the ballpark will be the key as the Power tries to battle back from playoff elimination.

 

"Every playoff game is meaningful and every pitch can alter the outcome of the game," said Anundsen, a fourth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2006 draft. "So really, when it comes down to a three-game series, it doesn't matter which game you pitch because they're all big.

 

"I'm just going to try to do what I've been doing all year. I'm a ground ball pitcher, so I'll try to use my sinker and my other pitches to keep the ball on the ground.

 

"As long as my fastball has a downward action on it and I can keep the ground balls within a couple feet of the infielders, we should be OK."

 

West Virginia's downfall on Wednesday was a sluggish start that put it in a 7-0 hole after just three innings.

 

Lake County chased Power starter R.J. Seidel (9-6) early with three runs, five hits and a pair of walks in just 1 1/3 innings.

 

Power Reliever Reed Dickert fared no better in allowing three runs on three hits and two free passes in just 1 2/3 innings of work.

 

The big blow off of Dickert was a three-run homer in the third off the bat of center fielder Juan Valdez.

 

The Captains plated single runs in the fifth and seventh, and plated a pair of runs in the ninth on a two-run homer by Karexon Sanchez to help secure the win.

 

In all, seven Power pitchers combined to allow 14 hits, 10 earned runs and nine walks on the evening.

 

"Tonight, I just didn't recognize our guys out there," said Power pitching coach John Curtis. "It's not the way they've pitched recently. They just didn't do what we hoped they would.

 

"We've got a young squad and it's very possible they were a little tight out there. It's a shame because the pitchers have done much better than that this year, but they just weren't able to show it tonight.

 

"We'll just have to regroup and get them on Friday."

 

Power Manager Jeff Isom did see one bright spot, in the fact that his team didn't quit despite the early deficit.

 

Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth, West Virginia rallied for four runs before leaving the bases loaded to end the inning.

 

Lee Haydel led the Power with three hits, while Steffan Wilson, Caleb Gindl and Zelous Wheeler finished with two hits apiece.

 

"It definitely wasn't the type of outing we've been seeing from our guys," said Isom. "We've seen it before where we get behind and it's a big hill to climb for us. I don't know if we're putting too much pressure on ourselves, but I did like the way we didn't quit.

 

"I like our chances going up to their place. We've got Anundsen on the mound and a bullpen full of arms that have had success here in the second half of the season.

 

"It's definitely not over. Once they tell us the season is over, we'll know that we're done. But this club is not going to quit. We'll keep battling until someone tells us we're done."

[dadofandrew]

Dykstra, considering his youth and injuries, is having an outstanding year...looking forward to seeing him in Appleton in '09.