Link Report for Thurs. 6/18 -- Stars' Loss Puts The Pressure On This Weekend

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com

 

Slip-sliding away?

4-3 lead gone in 9th after Melillo error... Lead now ½ game

 

It happened last year and it's coming so close to happening again....... The Stars, with a double-header coming up Friday, and two weekend games ahead, have just a half-game lead to defend before a first-half champion in the Northern Division can be declared.

 

Last year, the Stars had a five-game lead after a 3-2 win over the Tennessee Smokies on May 14. They came home to play Carolina and proceeded to lose 11 of their next 16 games. Their five-game lead turned to a game-lead in less than a week. Ten days after they came home to play the Mudcats, they lost their lead, and although they would get it back, their lead up to the final series of the first half was never more than a game. They lost three of five to Jacksonville, forcing a one-game playoff against the Diamond Jaxx, which was a lethargic 5-1 loss.

 

Fast forward to the present. A three-and-½ game lead has melted away and the Stars, in the middle of an important six-game series with the 45-20 Western Champs, the Birmingham Barons, may be a day away from losing first place, a spot they've held since May 21, at the wrong time....... Friday, David Welch and Josh Wahpepah will try and hold that lead while Carolina, 11-5 so far this month, sends Dallas Buck (2-1, 3.56) against Tennessee's Hung Wen-Chen (3-5, 6.19). Chen has not had a great month. He's given up 16 runs on 26 hits in 12 1/3 innings. So it seems incumbent on our pair to sweep, if they possibly can, a very tough team....... Welch is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in two June starts. Wahpepah (1-0, 2.94) will be making his second start. He blanked Tennessee over five innings in his one start on May 29, although he did not get the decision.

 

The Stars were behind for most of this game, 3-0. Donovan Hand, who had given up just two home runs in his previous 49 innings, gave up that many in his 5 2/3 inning start. Christian Marrero hit the very first Double-A pitch he saw in the 2nd inning to give the Barons a 2-0 lead. Then Tyler Flowers, the Braves' #12 minor league prospect a year ago, hit his 10th home run of the season in the 3rd...... Lucas Harrell, who has been tough against the Stars, blanked the Stars on two singles through six innings. Shane Justis led off the 4th with a single, stole second and moved to third on a one-out single by Drew Anderson, but Vinny Rottino hit into a double play to finish the threat....... But the Stars who have won a couple of games this year after being behind after seven innings, rallied in the 7th.

 

Jonathan Lucroy, hitting .356 in his last 13 games, led off with a single off the glove of right fielder Stefan Gartrell. Anderson bounced a grounder to 3rd baseman Viciedo, but his throw hit a sliding Lucroy in the back. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out, Rottino's fly ball moved Lucroy to third. Taylor Green then blasted a game-tying home run on the first pitch he saw from Harrell. It wasn't over........ Kevin Melillo followed with a double. A single by Freddie Parejo moved him to third and knocked Harrell from the game. Johnny Raburn's sacrifice fly off Jhonny Perez, drove in the go-ahead run.

 

John Axford did a creditable job in silencing Birmingham for 2 1/3 innings, leaving the save opportunity to Robert Hinton, who has not allowed an earned run this month in 8 2/3 innings over six appearances. But with one out in the bottom of the 9th, Robert Hudson reached first on a fielding error by Melillo. Then he stole second and third base....... Hinton struck out John Shelby for the 2nd out, but Shelby scored as C.J. Retherford laced Hinton's first pitch for a double into the left field corner, scoring Hudson with the tying run. Hinton intentionally walked Flowers to get to Dayan Viciedo, a .308 hitter against Stars pitching. Viciedo lined a 1-1 pitch to left field in front of Drew Anderson, who tried in vain to make a diving catch.

 

The Stars have now lost five of their last seven games...... Hinton made his 98th pitching appearance as a Huntsville Star. By pitching 2/3 of an inning, he moved into 7th on Huntsville's all-time list of relief innings leaders.

 

Sadly, I've discovered through some browsing the death of a former Stars outfielder (Oakland organization)...... Roy Johnson, who hit .344 in 52 games in 1986, died of cancer, January 26 of this year in Campeche, Mexico. Johnson came out of Tennessee State University, was signed in the 5th round by the Montreal Expos in the 1980 draft and made his major league debut with the Expos in 1982. He made additional appearances for the Expos in 1984 and 1985, but hit just .171 in 36 games over his three seasons. He was a Southern Leaguer for the Jacksonville Expos in 1985, hitting .252 in 78 games, then was released by Montreal as spring training broke in 1986. The A's signed him April 23, 1986 and three days later, he made his debut for the Stars, ironically against Jacksonville, picking up a double and an RBI in two at-bats....... He was promoted to Tacoma on June 22, leaving a .344 average, an unofficial all-time high (he had only 183 at-bats) until Angel Salome hit .360 last year.

 

The Brewers' top draft pick this year, 6'5" right-hander Eric Arnett from Indiana University, signed with the Brewers last Sunday for a $1.2 million signing bonus. Arnett will be assigned to Helena when the Pioneer League season begins in a little more than a week from now.

 

http://www.cbs58.com/bin/ImgShow.php?aid=7928

 

Arnett was the first pitcher from Indiana to be named Big 10 Pitcher-of-the-Year and win All-American honors. He was 12-2 with a 2.50 ERA for the Hoosiers. Funny, but Arnett's agent is Joe Speed.

 

Juan Sandoval has been taken off the disabled list. To make room, pitcher Josh Butler was assigned to Helena, for the time being at least.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Wisconsin 6, Kane County (Athletics) 1

 

Wisconsin Site Game Summary

 

Watten gets a 'W'

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GENEVA, IL -- Timber Rattler starting pitcher Trey Watten had made three starts in June before Thursday's win against the Kane County Cougars at Elfstrom Stadium. Despite allowing just one run in those three previous starts, Watten had only three no decisions to show for his effort. Steve Braun and Juan Sanchez came through with big hits and Watten continued his stellar month in a 6-1 win over the Cougars.

 

The Rattlers (33-34) scored three times in the top of the fourth inning off Kenny Smalley, who was the Midwest League leader in ERA coming into the game. Smalley walked two of the first three batters he faced in the inning. Then, Braun doubled into the right field corner for an RBI and a 1-0 lead. Sanchez followed with an RBI single. Michael Marseco drove in the final run of the inning with a fielder's choice.

 

Wisconsin added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Brock Kjeldgaard doubled to drive in the first run of the inning. Later in the frame, Braun singled in another run for a 5-0 lead.

 

Watten gave up an RBI double to Petey Paramore in the bottom of the sixth inning, but he finished off the inning with the Rattlers still up 5-1. Watten was done after the sixth inning. He had scattered seven hits and three walks over six innings to put himself in position for his third win of the season.

 

Thursday's start was Watten's fourth in the month of June. He is 1-0 and in 23 innings this month Watten has allowed two runs for an ERA of 0.78.

 

The Rattlers got the five run cushion back in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI single by Sanchez.

 

Nick Tyson took over for Watten in the bottom of the seventh inning and pitched three scoreless innings for his second save of the year. Tyson has not allowed a run in 13 innings with the Timber Rattlers this season. He finished the game by getting the Cougars to hit into their fourth double play of the night.

 

The Cougars fell into a first place tie with the Cedar Rapids Kernels with their loss and a Cedar Rapids win over Clinton on Thursday. Both the Cougars and Kernels are 39-28 with three games left to play. Clinton is still in the hunt for a playoff spot as they are 38-29, one game behind both Kane County and Cedar Rapids.

 

Game two of the series is set for Friday night. Evan Frederickson (3-3, 5.16) will get the start for the Rattlers. Matt Fitts (2-5, 4.86) is set to start for the Cougars. Game time is 6:30 PM.

 

Wisconsin Box Score

Rattler middle infield of Steve Braun and Michael Marseco turned four double plays, impressive; big Brock Kjeldgaard rumbled for his 7th stolen base in 12 attempts; five doubles among the nine Wisconsin hits; Rattlers stranded 13; wow, has Trey Watten turned the corner; opponents hitting .152 with only one walk (WHIP 0.62!) in Nick Tyson's 13 scoreless innings...

 

Wisconsin Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: DSL Dodgers 13, DSL Brewers / Orioles 0

 

DSL Brewers / Orioles Box Score

Will it ever happen for 20-year-old RHP Rolando Pascual, the Brewers' most expensive Latin signing ever? Doesn't seem so; 17-year-old RHP Eliezer Montano then struggled late; SS Andres Martinez and DH Luis Chirinos each 1-for-4; catcher Jhonatan Javier (two passed balls, six on the young season) played half the game; LF Ronny Puello (.345) 0-for-3...

 

DSL Brewers / Orioles Game Log

[Never Outhustled]

Will it ever happen for 20-year-old RHP Rolando Pascual, the Brewers' most expensive Latin signing ever?

Hopefully we add a more expensive Dominican when the international signing period opens July 2nd, so we can forget about this guy.

 

The $700, 000 we spent on Pascual is chump change compared to how some teams spend there.