Link Report for Monday 4/13 -- Gamel Audio Interview

[uwisfan]

Gamel with error #3 to go with his HR.. Braun-esque tonight

[jjfanec]

Gamel (.556) and Gindl (.429) are just raking to start off the season, although Gamel did have his 3rd error. Escobar (.333) has not been too bad himself.

 

That Timber Rattlers pitching staff is sick. Nieves, Scarpetta, Peralta (who pitched very well tonight), and Fredrickson have looked good so far. It will be interesting to see if the young bats can keep up with the pitching.

[brewmann04]

Nice to see Jones go 5 tonight D honks. Gamel Bat will get him up to majors before mid season especially if hall is Struggling.

[colbyjack]

Nice to see Gamel with a bomb against such a promising arm, and a lefty to boot.

 

In a similar light, Peralta faced a lineup heavy with some pretty polished and potent college-drafted bats. I don't think anyone can mention enough how fun the T-Rats should be to follow this summer.

[Mass Haas]

Here is the correct url for the Timber Rattlers box score, for those wishing to check in. The one at the top of the thread doesn't seem to work.

 

Thanks. That's really weird the original didn't work (I just updated it). It was the exact format it's supposed to have been in, and that has worked forever.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 6, Brevard County 5, ten innings

Walkoff loss...

Daytona Site Game Summary (obviously from the Cub perspective):

 

DAYTONA BEACH - Yet another back and forth battle between the Daytona Cubs (3-1) and the Brevard County Manatees (1-3) went the way of the Cubs, who pulled out a 6-5 win in ten innings to earn a sweep of the three-game series. Shortstop Starlin Castro's bloop single into shallow right field fell just out of the reach of a diving Caleb Gindl to score catcher Mark Reed for the game-winning, walk-off run.

 

The Cubs had several chances to win the game in the ninth, as hitters came up twice with the bases loaded. Two groudouts later and the game was headed into extras. Relief pitcher David Cales (2-0) allowed just two hits over the final two innings putting Daytona in position to come out victorious.

 

Reed bunted his way on to lead off the bottom of the tenth, then advanced to third when infielder Zelous Wheeler committed his second error of the game and threw the ball into the visitors bullpen. Two hitters later, Manatees Manager Mike Guerrero would replace left fielder Lee Haydel with an extra infielder, Eric Farris, leaving just two players to man the outfield. Castro would take advantage with the pop fly to shallow right for the winning run.

 

The Manatees put up the game's first run after just three batters, but the Cubs would answer quickly. A lead-off double by second baseman Nathan Samson, followed by a Marwin Gonzalez single tied it up at one apiece. Three hitters later, right fielder Dylan Johnston rode a fastball from Manatees starter Mike Jones over the center field wall for his, and the teams, first home run of the season and a 3-1 lead.

 

Brevard County would regain the lead with a run in the fifth with a run and extend the lead to two with another in the sixth, but the resilient, young Cubs responded in the bottom of the sixth. Three hits and two walks gave the Cubs opportunities to score with the bases loaded and two away. Manatees reliever John Axford walked Reed to bring in one run, then surrendered an RBI hit to centerfielder Jonathan Wyatt. For Wyatt, it marked his first hit and RBI of the 2009 season.

 

The two teams would combine for 26 hits in the contest as all but one position player to start the game would record a hit. Johnston and Jonathan Wyatt led Daytona with two apiece, while Gindl and Cole Gillespie both notched three hits for Brevard County.

 

Brevard County Box Score

Cole Gillespie on base four times; Caleb Gindl added a sacrifice fly to his three hits; Logan Schafer hit the 'Tees only home run thus far this season; the middle infield turned three double plays; infielder Sergio Miranda and catcher Anderson Delarosa saw their first action of the season; three stolen bases, but some adventures (two picked off) as well; of the three Brevard pitchers who bypassed Wisconsin (Mark Willinsky, Rigo Almonte, Brandon Rapoza), Rapoza had the best evening...

 

Brevard County Game Log

Review the box score -- double plays played a huge part, and start to finish all three hours, 22 minutes, look incredibly entertaining...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Third Baseman Mat Gamel

Discusses both his offensive and defensive game in detail - nice interview, Chuck Valenches (and Mat)...

 

Final: Nashville 4, Oklahoma City (Rangers) 3

 

Nashville Site Game Summary

Link for latest Mat Gamel photo, text follows --

 

Gamel Homers Again In Sounds' 4-3 Win

NASHVILLE - Mat Gamel belted his second home run of the season as the Nashville Sounds edged the Oklahoma City RedHawks, 4-3, on Monday night at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Gamel, who leads the Sounds with 10 RBIs on the year, extended his season-opening hit streak to five games and is batting .556 (10-for-18) on the year.

 

The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Sounds starter Tim Dillard. Julio Borbon led off with his first double of the season and scored the contest's first run two batters later on Brandon Boggs' RBI single to center.

 

Gamel powered the Sounds to a 2-1 lead in the home half of the frame when he mashed a mammoth two-run homer to right that landed on Chestnut Street well beyond the outfield wall. The blast, which came against Oklahoma starter Derek Holland and plated Alcides Escobar (double), was Gamel's second of the year.

 

AUDIO: Mat Gamel Homers Onto Chestnut Street

 

Hernan Iribarren increased the Sounds' lead to 4-1 in the fourth with a two-run double to left-center that brought in Brendan Katin and Erick Almonte, who had opened the frame with consecutive singles off Holland.

 

Oklahoma City got a run back in the top of the fifth on Boggs' second RBI knock of the evening, a one-out single off Dillard that plated Casey Benjamin.

 

Following a 27-minute rain delay in the top of the seventh inning, the RedHawks cut the lead to one at 4-3 after loading the bases with no outs against Sounds reliever Chris Smith. Ben Harrison's one-out RBI infield single brought home Benjamin. Smith escaped further damage by striking out Scott Thorman and inducing an inning-ending flyout from Royce Huffman, leaving the bags full.

 

Chris Narveson worked the final two innings in hitless fashion to preserve the victory and notch the Sounds' first save of the season.

 

Dillard (1-0) became the first Nashville starting pitcher to earn a win on the year after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in his five innings of action. Holland (0-1) took the loss for the RedHawks in his season debut. He gave up four runs on five hits over four frames.

 

Gamel and Escobar each extended their season-opening hit streaks to five games in the contest, the lone Nashville batters to hit safely in all of the club's games.

 

The teams continue their series with another 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday evening. Left-hander Sam Narron (0-0, 5.40) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Oklahoma City right-hander Luis Mendoza, who makes his first appearance of the year.

 

Nashville Box Score

No Redhawk attempted to run on Angel Salome in this one; Sounds drew six walks; Scott Thorman landed a job with Oklahoma...

 

Nashville Game Log

No idea why Hernan Iribarren ended the 4th attempting a steal of third base, although Alcides Escobar was successful doing so in the 5th, it doesn't make it right; 1-2-3 9th for Chris Narveson, striking out the side -- surely appears to be closer by situation...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Fort Wayne (Padres) 2, Wisconsin 1, ten innings

 

MiLB.com: TinCaps rally to end Rattler win streak

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GRAND CHUTE, WI -- A pair of 3-0 teams took to Time Warner Cable Field on Monday night. It was the Fort Wayne TinCaps who kept their record perfect to start the 2009 season. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers grabbed an early lead, but Fort Wayne scored single runs in the ninth and tenth innings for a 2-1 victory.

Brett Lawrie was a one-man rally in the first inning for the Timber Rattlers (3-1). He tripled to right with two outs. The Rattler second baseman broke for the plate on a pitch in the dirt to Brock Kjeldgaard. Fort Wayne catcher Adam Zornes made a good throw to pitcher Rob Musgrave, who was covering the plate. But, Musgrave dropped the ball allowing Lawrie to score for a 1-0 Timber Rattler lead.

Rattler starting pitcher Wily Peralta made that lead stand up through his six innings of work. He help Fort Wayne to two hits and one walk as he struck out four.

Unfortunately, for Wisconsin they managed just one hit after Lawrie's first inning triple and the Rattlers could not extend their lead.

Wisconsin reliever Cody Adams worked a scoreless seventh and a scoreless eighth. However, he would run into trouble in the ninth. Daniel Robertson drew a leadoff walk. Then, Blake Tekotte lined a double to rightcenter. Robertson scored easily to tie the game. The TinCaps got Tekotte to third with one out, but Adams got out of the game with the scored still tied.

The Rattlers had a two-out rally brewing in the bottom of the ninth inning after TinCap reliever Zach Herr walked Lawrie and Kjeldgaard with two outs. But, Herr escaped to send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, Fort Wayne took advantage of a pair of walks by Rattler reliever Pedro Lambertus. Matt Clark and Allan Dykstra drew back-to-back free passes to start the frame. A James Darnell sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base. Lambertus got a strikeout for the second out, but an infield single by Jeudy Valdez allowed Clark to score from third with the go ahead run.

Brad Brach worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the tenth by striking out the side and picked up his second save of the season.

Game two of the series is Tuesday night. Michael Bowman makes his Timber Rattler debut as the starting pitcher on Tuesday. The TinCaps will counter with Stiven Osuna on the mound. Game time is 6:35 PM.

 

Wisconsin Box Score

Small sample fun -- Brett Lawrie with a .970 OPS despite a .182 average, two walks in addition to his triple; OF Erik Komatsu idle since Opening Night -- anyone with an injury update? Wisconsin catchers Sean McCraw (0-for-12, five K's) and Shawn Zarraga (0-for-3) yet to reach base this season; pitching coach Chris Hook must be loving this staff right now; Wily Peralta is going to be the first real studly Latin pitcher fully developed by the Brewers since, well, an awfully long time -- enjoy...

 

Wisconsin Game Log

Pedro Lambertus nearly escaped his own mess in the 10th...

 

WLUK-TV Photo of Wily Peralta

 

http://media2.fox11online.com//photo/2009/04/13/Rattlers_Peralta_20090413221944_640_480.JPG

[Mass Haas]

TinCaps 2, Rattlers 1 -- Plenty of extra "stuff" in the Post-Crescent blog summary of the game

[DHonks]

not long ago many of us were ready to give up on Peralta and Mercedes because they'd seemingly done nothing in their years in the system. Now they're both exciting prospects. I'd love to have our big signee take the hill and not walk people, but we'll see if that happens.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars' bats start cold

Huntsville in 1-4 hole as Bay Bears dominate

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

The buzzwords Monday afternoon bounced from one end of the clubhouse to the other.

 

"We just can't get discouraged," Huntsville Stars manager Bob Miscik said.

 

"You can't panic," added Stars second baseman Shane Justis.

 

But when teams say they can't get discouraged and can't panic, that often means there's reason to get discouraged and reason to panic. And the reason is the Stars aren't hitting.

 

Wrapping up their fourth loss in the five-game season-opening series against Mobile, the Stars were romped 13-2, trailing 10-0 in the third inning.

 

"We haven't started out too hot," Justis said. "A couple of guys swinging it, a couple of guys not. There's no rhythm in the lineup right now.

 

"But it's coming. It's early. No reason to panic. Everybody can hit. It's just a matter of time. Mobile threw some good pitchers out there."

 

Through five games, the Stars are hitting a paltry .201 and averaging 2.8 runs per game.

 

The Stars had one hit in Sunday's 3-0 loss and scored both runs Monday on one swing of third baseman Kevin Melillo's bat - a two-run double in the third inning.

 

But it's not as if the lineup is a collection of batting slumps. Justis leads the Stars with four extra-base hits and six runs scored. Leadoff hitter Adam Stern has been steady, hitting .316.

 

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy is hitting .308 with a team-high four RBIs.

 

Beyond those three, however, the hits have been sparse.

 

"Our offense is not going to be about one guy," Miscik said. "We have to click as a group. We're not going to be a one-man team. It's going to take all eight guys in the lineup doing their thing. They're going to have to do it as a unit.

 

"We're going to have to grind out games. We're going to have to wear down pitchers and make it hard. We're not going to score a lot by one guy carrying us. That ain't going to happen."

 

No chance of grinding out Monday's game. Starting pitcher David Welch got lit up for 11 hits and eight runs in 1 2/3 innings, and the Stars batters never had a chance to make a difference.

 

"You want to stay focused like it's a tight game," said Justis, who was 2-for-4 with a run scored. "But in all honesty, your focus lapses and you have a little more distractions."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds struggle with slow start to season

Starting pitching, defense falters

By Maurice Patton • THE TENNESSEAN

 

Five runs should be enough to win most baseball games, according to first-year Nashville Sounds Manager Don Money.

 

"I'd take my chances," he said.

 

But five runs wouldn't have won any of his team's first four games during the season-opening series against visiting New Orleans.

 

Coming off a 2008 season in which the Sounds scored 655 runs (4.7 per game) en route to a franchise-worst 59-81 record, Nashville totaled 22 runs (5.5 per game) against New Orleans - but won just once, a 10-6 decision on Friday.

 

Four games into a 144-game schedule, no one is hitting the panic button yet.

 

"It's early," Money said.

 

But the Sounds are eager to avoid a repeat of last season, when the team lost nine of its first 10 games and 15 of the first 18.

 

This year, the slow start has a lot to do with the 6.50 earned run average posted by the team's starting pitchers before Monday.

 

"We don't have many hard throwers," Money said. "We've got some control pitchers. If we're going to strike (the opposition) out, we've got to get them to swing at our pitches.

 

"We're going to give up some hits."

 

Nashville allowed 44 hits in the opening series, though the staff as a whole - including relievers - put together a respectable 4.38 ERA, ninth in the 16-team Pacific Coast League.

 

"Once these pitchers get their pitch counts up, we'll get deeper into games and take a little pressure off the bullpen," said Nashville left-hander starter Chase Wright, who allowed one earned run on seven hits over four innings and got a no-decision in Saturday's 6-2 loss.

 

Defense was also an issue in the opening series when six errors led to 12 unearned runs. Monday night, however, Nashville played error-free in grabbing a 4-3 win over Oklahoma City in the first of four games against the RedHawks.

 

"You want to limit the mistakes that (take) you out of the game," said Nashville third baseman Mat Gamel, who was charged with an error for mishandling a line-drive Sunday, resulting in a six-run 10th inning.

 

"You've got to score to win, but you've also got to keep the opposition from scoring more than you. Defense wins ballgames," said Gamel, who hit .563 (9-for-16) with the only homer and eight RBIs through the opening series.

 

He's among several Sounds seeing their first extensive Class AAA action.

 

"It's part of the game," Gamel said. "You're not going to win every game. The first series, you want to win. But it didn't work out that way."

 

Along with their .294 batting average - fifth in the PCL - only four PCL teams scored more runs through four games than the Sounds.

 

"For a lot of these guys, it's their first time up," veteran outfielder Tony Gwynn said. "When we get those nerves out of the way, get to playing baseball, we'll be fine. We're a great defensive team, we've got great pitching and our hitting's going to be there."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Timber Rattlers still confident their offense will get going

By Brett Christopherson • Post-Crescent staff writer

GRAND CHUTE - Erik Miller insists the bats will warm soon.

 

But for now, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers right fielder admitted the frustration is creeping following Monday's 2-1 Midwest League loss to Fort Wayne in 10 innings at Fox Cities Stadium.

 

Once again, Rattlers pitching looked sharp, with three hurlers combining to scatter five hits and strike out eight.

 

But again, the offense scuffled to the tune of a two-hit outing, which led to this take from Miller, whose sixth-inning single was Wisconsin's second and final hit of the game.

 

"Those guys pitched their butts off," he said in looking back at the Rattlers' first setback of the season after opening the year with a three-game sweep of Quad Cities.

 

"It kind of hurts a little bit when we can't score any runs for them. They've just got to keep pitching, and we'll come around eventually."

 

Throughout the first four games, the Rattlers are hitting just .206 with 16 runs scored. And that's including Friday's 10-1 victory over Quad Cities, a game in which they amassed 14 hits.

 

Six TinCaps pitchers came together to whiff 13 hitters and exited without being charged with an earned run.

 

Their only blemish came in the first after second baseman Brett Lawrie tripled and later scored after advancing on a pitch in the dirt. Fort Wayne starter Rob Musgrave was charged with an error on the play because he couldn't hold onto the ball as Lawrie slid across the plate.

 

Other than that, it was a quiet night for a Wisconsin offense looking to give its pitching staff - it will be taking a 1.22 team earned run average into today's game against Fort Wayne - a boost.

 

"We've got to do a better job of making adjustments at the plate," Wisconsin manager Jeff Isom said. "Realistically, we haven't been hitting the ball extremely well. We've been putting it into play a little bit and scratching runs here and there and taking advantage of mistakes. … But when you go out there and walk the leadoff guy in the ninth and the leadoff guy in the 10th, that's where the game was lost right there."

 

Both of those walks, issued by relievers Cody Adams in the ninth and Pedro Lambertus in the 10th - eventually came around to score, erasing a 1-0 Rattlers lead heading into the final inning.

 

Still, the pitching has been sturdy enough in leading Wisconsin to a pair of low-scoring, one-run victories against Quad Cities and seemed in line to do so again before Fort Wayne rallied.

 

"It'll come. It'll come," catcher Sean McCraw said of the Rattlers bats. "This is my first year in I don't know how many years to play in this kind of weather, where it was this cold. I think for a lot of these guys, it's their first time playing in these extreme conditions.

 

"As long as our pitching stays where it's at right now, we're going to win a lot of ballgames. Our hitting will come around."

 

Monday's game time temperature was 43 degrees and dipped to 39 degrees by the end with gusty winds producing a wind chill of 30 degrees.

Not terrible, but not exactly ideal, either.

 

"It's a little bit different than spring training right now," Isom said with a grin. "But guys are fine. It seems like every year, my guys start off slow offensively, and it's just a matter of adjustments - catching up to the league and seeing pitchers in front of fans.

 

"But as long as you can get pitching and defense, you're going to give yourself a chance to win. And for the most part, that's what we had tonight."

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser had an update after Monday's ball game at starsboxscore.com

Never trust the weatherman. 90% chance of rain they said.... Well, technically, they were right. It came pouring down at around 3 am with all the wind and fury behind it, blowing an envelope containing my state tax payment from my mailbox into my neighbor's yard. I hope my federal stayed in the mailbox.

The top four hitters in Mobile's order this day scored 12 of the team's 13 runs in this sunny slugfest...... David Welch was getting 'em over the plate -- 7 first pitch strikes in the 1st inning. Unfortunately, the Bay Bears were lining them all over the place -- On his 4th pitch, Chris Rahl homered off the front wall in left. On the 6th, James Skelton singled. Gerardo Parra lined a single to left on pitch #8. Ricardo Sosa's infield single off the glove of Yohannis Perez came on pitch #12....... So it took 12 pitches from Welch for the Bay Bears to homer and load the bases...... Skelton came home on a long fly ball to dead center and Parra and Sosa scored with two out on Orlando Mercado's double...... 30 pitches by Welch in the 1st, 19 for strikes....... Parra's 2-run triple in the 2nd inning highlighted another 4-run inning for Mobile in the 2nd, as 10 men came to the plate...... By the time Welch was removed, the first six men in the Bay Bears' order had come to the plate in each of the first three innings...... David Welch, an 11-game winner last year whose shortest start was four innings (twice), finished the day with one of the worst lines I've seen by any starter for Huntsville: 1 2/3 - 11 - 8 - 7 - 0 -2. Alexandre Periard gave up 8 runs on 8 hits in an 1 1/3 last August 16 vs. Chattanooga, but to find anyone to give up double figures in hits in the quickest time, you'd have to go back to Tim Dillard on April 12, 3 years ago. Dillard gave up 6 runs on 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

There were as many balls in play in the first four innings (36) as there were in all nine innings of Sunday's game.

Kevin Melillo became the 20th player in Stars history to hit 3 doubles in a game. The first was lined to right-center with two out in the 1st, the second, grounded just inside the first base line in the 34d, drove in the Stars' only runs, and his third and final double came in the 8th with one out, sending left fielder Cyle Hankerd to the track in left. I don't know why Shane Justis was held up on that one. But it didn't matter. It was an 11-run loss for the Stars who start out their silver anniversary season, 1-4...... The 2005 Stars started out 1-7, by the way, as did the 1987 Stars, who made it to the post-season....... Adam Stern (.316) continued his hit streak, picking up an infield single in the 3rd. Justis and Melillo and also hitting over .300, but disregard these three hitters, and the rest of the team is hitting .133 (14-for-105)..... The Stars reached double figures in hits for the first time, Monday, raising their team average to .201.

The Stars open a five-game series with the Southern League champions, the Mississippi Braves, starting Tuesday. I'll get my first look at Jeremy Jeffress, the Brewers' top pitching prospect. This is when you need the speed gun on the scoreboard to be working, but the fact is, nothing on the scoreboard at Joe Davis Stadium works except for the line score. I think Buck needs to just tear the thing down. I'd be happy with a manual scoreboard like Wrigley Field or Fenway Park or some of the former stadiums that utilized them. It would create a few jobs, at least.

Mat Gamel is raking the ball at a .556 clip for the Sounds so far, but has three errors at 3rd base, as well....... At Brevard, Caleb Gindl is hitting .429....... Former Greenville Brave Scott Thorman, who was released by the Brewers as the teams broke camp, landed a job with the Rangers' organization and actually went hitless tonight as the Sounds played host to Oklahoma City, Monday night.

Former Southern Leaguer Tom Glavine (11-6 for Greenville in 1986), who has more recognition for winning 305 games in the majors, is on a rehab assignment with Mississippi.