Link Report for Mon. 6/22 -- Huntsville's Celebratory Audio The Only Choice Tonight

[Mass Haas]

Final: DSL Brewers / Orioles 2, DSL Royals 1

DSL Brewers / Orioles Box Score

Tall and solid (6'5", 228), just-turned 20-year-old LHP Jose Ramos has been very busy, and tonight he strands two inherited runners in the 6th, and then works an additional three scoreless innings for a well-earned save, using six well-timed strikeouts to his advantage; 21-year-old catcher Jhonatan Javier with three more hits, including a double -- check out the makings of his .932 OPS here; 17-year-old SS Andres Martinez (.262, OBP .311) walked and singled; still just 16, Venezuelan OF Luis Chirinos went 0-for-4 with three K's here as the DH, and has cooled a bit (3-for-14) after a hot start; RF Ronny Puello (0-for-3, .313 in 32 AB's) and 17-year-old OF Juan Barrini (4-for-31 on the season) have had it tougher fighting for playing time than the others...

 

DSL Brewers / Orioles Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Angels 7, Arizona Brewers 2

Arizona Box Score

Tied at 2-2 after four innings, Angels scored two in the 5th vs. 19-year-old RHP Blake Billings, and three in the 8th vs. 23-year-old undrafted free agent RHP Kris Dabrowiecki, who had struggled earlier in Wisconsin; rehabbing RHP Nick Green and Billings combined for ten groundball outs and six K's over the first six innings; 2008 2nd rounder Seth Lintz tossed a perfect 7th; RF Max Walla 2-for-3 plus a sacrifice fly; five other Brewers reached twice, with 18-year-old catcher Tyler Roberts drawing walks in each of his first two pro plate appearances; prized 18-year-old LF Jose Garcia was 2-for-4 with the team's only extra-base hit, a double in the 9th - unfortunately, he was picked off second base immediately after; we'll remind folks we're going to wait until later in the week to determine who we haven't seen yet, who may be delayed by injury, etc...

 

Arizona Game Log

Perfectly manufactured Brewer run in the 1st, two productive outs; two wild pitches and a throwing error for Nick Green in the 2nd; brutal day on the basepaths for Jose Garcia -- ended the 6th inning, out at third base, trying to advance two bases on a wild pitch; more outs on the bases in the 8th, Franklin Romero caught stealing for the first out, and Mike Brownstein out at home on a throw from right field to end it -- score was 4-2 at the time...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Dunedin (Blue Jays) 6, Brevard County 3, 11 innings

Recaps! We need home game summary recaps http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Brevard County Box Score

This is the Brevard press' effort for game coverage; four singles and two walks against LHP Rafael Lluberes in the 11th, mixed in with a Zelous Wheeler error, spelled doom on the night; leadoff Brent Brewer single in the bottom of the 11th led to nothing; the storylines continue to revolve around Jeremy Jeffress and Zach Braddock, as you folks so nicely noted above; Steffan Wilson just a home run shy of the cycle -- Wilson is 5th in the league in batting at .308 (13th in OPS); Eric Farris now 32-of-34 in SB attempts; Carlos Corporan controlling the opponents' running game, as expected; former Oriole pitching prospect Adam Loewen three hits including a home run, but batting only .221...

 

Brevard County Game Log

Game was lost in the bottom of the 7th --

 

Brevard County Bottom 7th

• Pitcher Change: Dumas Garcia replaces Ryan Page.
• Lee Haydel singles on a line drive to left fielder Adam Loewen.
• Eric Farris singles on a line drive to right fielder Moises Sierra. Lee Haydel to 3rd.
• With Logan Schafer batting, Eric Farris steals (31) 2nd base.
• Logan Schafer strikes out swinging.
• Steffan Wilson strikes out swinging.
• Zelous Wheeler strikes out swinging.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 2, Chattanooga (Dodgers) 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary

 

Timely Hitting Carries Huntsville to Victory

Strong Start for Butler and Stars To Open Second Half

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

 

Josh Butler twirled seven strong innings to lead Huntsville past Chattanooga 2-1 Monday night in the opening game of the second half at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars improved to 39-31 overall, while the Lookouts dropped to 30-40 overall. Huntsville won for a fourth time in 10 games against the Lookouts and improved to 14-8 in one-run games.

 

The visitors' lone run came in the second inning on a two-out solo home run by Tommy Giles, his third with Chattanooga. Butler worked out of a jam in the sixth inning by striking out Justin Sellers and then getting Eddy Perez to ground into a double play with runners at first and second base to end the inning. Josh Bell led off the seventh with a double but stayed planted after Butler fanned the next two hitters before walking Giles and then retiring Gabriel Gutierrez on a line out to end the threat. The right-hander allowed seven hits, walked one and fanned four to grab his first double-A win.

 

Casey Baron worked a scoreless eighth inning and was lifted after an Andrew Lambo single with one out in the ninth inning. Robert Hinton was brought on to face righty-swinging Russ Mitchell, who hit a ground ball to third base that Vinny Rottino misplayed to put runners at first and second base. However, pinch-hitter Victor Mercedes grounded into a game-ending double play, the third turned by Huntsville. Hinton earned his ninth save in 12 chances.

 

Travis Chick blanked the Stars through four frames before they broke through for their only two runs of the game in the fifth. Adam Stern was hit by a pitch leading off, stole second base and scored on a two-out single by Rottino that tied the game. Rottino stole second and scored when Chuck Caufield followed with a base hit. Chick suffered the loss to fall to 5-3 after allowing seven hits, walking one and fanning six. Francisco Felix got Caufield to ground into an inning-ending double play with two runners on the seventh and stranded two more runners in the eighth.

 

The series continues Tuesday night with right-hander Donovan Hand taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander Josh Lindblom . Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Jonathan Lucroy two more walks (39 walks, 34 K's in 21 AB's)...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

More from Huntsville later this AM, plus a Manny-mania preview for AAA, Midwest League All-Star preview, Pioneer League kick-off, and more -- busy day ahead...

[JohnBriggs12]

I believe Braddock could jump 2 levels easily and set himself up to make a run next spring at the majors. I can understand in the days of free agency, arbitration etc, that it might be wise to hold back position players somewhat, but pitching is so scarce that I think you need to get talent up to the majors regardless of age or experience because pitchers in general have a much shorter shelf life. Braddock's the same age as Vida Blue was when Blue won 24 games for Oakland in 1971. I'm not saying Braddock is Vida Blue, but Blue is an example that a guy at 21 just might be as good as he's ever going to get.

 

As for Butler, I'd like to see him get a September call up if the Brewers are out of it. He needs to be in the rotation discussion for 2010. He's originally a 2nd round pick so I assume he's got stuff that projects to the majors.

[brewmann04]

what type of Prospect do you all see Steffan Wilson could he play 3rd or 1st or is viewed more as a super Utility Guy.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com:

 

Off on the right foot

Rottino drives in tying run, steals 2nd, scores go-ahead run

 

On a steamy, suffocating 94° night, only 871 -- actually less when you count the absent season-ticket holders -- showed up at Joe Davis Stadium after the Huntsville Stars clinched what will be their 13th playoff appearance. This team really deserves better. The fan support is negligible (last in attendance), the media coverage is negligent (dwarfed by off-season football in the paper -- and no radio), the electrically-operated sign off the Parkway doesn't work anymore (so much for another advertising source), and there's no scoreboard information anymore, so the fan's association and knowledge of the players and their progress every time they come to the plate, is now a thing of the past.

 

The only thing successful about this team is the team itself...... Since 1985 when the franchise started, they've never gone more than two years without a playoff appearance, and after 25 years, they've kept that intact....... And they've gotten off on the right foot.

 

Josh Butler, a 2nd round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006, won his first game for the Stars thanks to Vinny Rottino, who singled with two out in the 5th, stole second, then scored the go-ahead run when Chuckie Caufield singled to center....... Sunday, the Stars scored five of their eight runs with two out. Call it Miscik Magic, call it clutch baseball at its finest (the Stars are 14-8 in one-run games), but call it a 1-0 start to the second half.

 

The Lookouts, who are 6-4 vs. the Stars this season, got their only run on a homer in the 2nd by right fielder Tommy Giles, now 10-for-23 (.435) in his last 10 games....... Travis Chick, who has pitched in this league in one uniform or another since 2005, made his 17th appearance vs. the Stars, threw 60 of his 102 pitches for strikes, and lost to Huntsville for the 6th time (he's won six). His ERA vs. Huntsville drops to 5.29.

 

Butler got a pair of timely double plays for support, and retired the side in the 3rd and 4th innings....... He worked his way out of a slight jam when Chick and James Tomlin came up with a pair of leadoff singles in the 6th, but after a coaching visit, he fanned Justin Sellers on a 2-2 pitch, then got his 2nd double play, 5-4-3....... Robert Hinton benefited from the Stars' 3rd DP in the 9th, when he came on in relief of Casey Baron....... Hinton made his 99th pitching appearance for the Stars (6th all-time) and picked up his 9th save, giving him 14 in his three seasons with Huntsville, tying him with Doug Scherer for 18th on the all-time list...... The Stars only error also came during Hinton's watch, when Rottino misplayed a force play on Russell Mitchell at second. It put runners on 1st and 2nd , but Victor Mercedes hit into the game-ending double play, Johnny Raburn-to-J.R. Hopf....... The Stars have made an error in eight straight games, and have a total of 18 in that span.

 

Rottino was the offensive star of the game, but he left five on base. Chick struck him out swinging on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded to end the 3rd and he was called out on strikes in the 7th with two on. Rottino has left 11 runners on base in 10 official at-bats in his last three games...... Adam Stern stole his first base in four attempts since June 6. He has only two for the month after stealing 10 in April and 12 in May. he was hit by a pair of Travis Chick pitches, doubling his total for the year...... Chuck Caufield, who drove in the go-ahead run with two out, raised his average to .272 -- his highest mark since April 20. Caufield is hitting .333 with runners on base, .421 with runners in scoring position, but only .217 with the bases empty.

 

The Tennessee Smokies, who handed us Carolina on a platter, also won Monday -- the only other team in the Northern Division to start the second half 1-0....... Tuesday, Donovan Hand (5-1, 2.47) will take the hill against right-hander Josh Lindblom (3-4, 4.30). Lindblom, a 2nd round pick in 2008 by the Dodgers, is 0-1, 4.65 in his last three starts....... Hand is 3-0, 3.32 as a starter. He'll be making his 5th.

[TheCrew07]

I believe Braddock could jump 2 levels easily and set himself up to make a run next spring at the majors. I can understand in the days of free agency, arbitration etc, that it might be wise to hold back position players somewhat, but pitching is so scarce that I think you need to get talent up to the majors regardless of age or experience because pitchers in general have a much shorter shelf life.

Braddock would have to pitch out of the bullpen, he's never pitched more than 72 innings in a season, he's years away from the bigs as a starter. I would like to think that the days of teams burning out young starting pitching like they did in the 70s is past us, sans the Cubs.