Link Report for Thurs. 7/2 -- Plenty to Review, and Corporan with a Sour Final Update

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Garciaparra burns Smokies

Huntsville rallies in seventh, 4-3

By Nick Gates, Knoxville News

 

SEVIERVILLE - A year ago Michael Garciaparra said he played minor league baseball for seven years because he was having fun.

 

Nothing has changed for the Seattle Mariners' first-round draft pick in 2000.

 

Garciaparra was 3-for-5, including a game-winning two-run double off Tennessee reliever Alex Maestri in the seventh inning, and the Huntsville Stars came from behind to beat the Smokies 4-3 on Thursday night at Smokies Park.

 

"I'm still here," the younger brother of major league star Nomar Garciaparra said. "If I wasn't having fun I wouldn't be here."

 

Garciaparra, who signed a baseball scholarship with the University of Tennessee before signing with Seattle, started the season with the Class AAA Nashville Sounds. But he was returned to Huntsville by the Milwaukee Brewers on June 27.

 

"They needed a player and I came down," the shortstop said.

 

Maestri replaced Todd Blackford (1-3) with two on and two out. Garciaparra sliced a line drive to right-center.

 

"It felt a little better," said Garciaparra, who came into the game hitting .167. "I tried to work the ball up the middle and I got some pitches to work with. I didn't want to over-swing."

 

The Stars (7-4) moved two games up on the Smokies (5-6) in the second half and their latest addition could be be just what the Southern League North Division first-half champions need to win the second half.

 

"I'm just trying to help the team," Garciaparra said.

 

He redeemed himself for a throwing error that allowed Tennessee to go up 3-2 in the sixth. The error was farthest things from his mind when he dug in against Maestri.

 

"If you're thinking about that error while you're at the plate and how you can make up for it - which I've done in the past - you're going to overswing," he said.

 

Garciaparra doesn't feel his window of opportunity to reach the major leagues is closing.

 

"As long as they give me a jersey, I'll keep playing," he said. "I'm only 26 years old. You'd be surprised at how many rookies over 30 years old (are in the big leagues). It's happening more and more. They still had the dream and the desire, and so do I."

 

The pitching duel between Tennessee's Jay Jackson and Josh Butler came to an unexpected end after the Huntsville right-hander threw a first-pitch ball to Mark Reed in the third. The 6-foot-5 right-hander, who the Brewers obtained in a trade last year for former Smokies outfielder Gabe Gross (2001-02), appeared to tweak his back or pull a muscle.

 

Huntsville manager Bob Miscik wasn't taking any chances with the second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006. Butler came out after 25 pitches.

 

Marquez Smith, Doug Deeds and Reed had two hits each for Tennessee. Smith doubled in a run.

 

Tennessee had nine hits and is second in the league in hitting with a .263 average. But Only Mississippi has scored fewer runs.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Round Rock (Astros) 7, Nashville 5

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Joe Koshansky photo, text follows --

 

Last At-Bat Express Homer Sinks Sounds, 7-5

 

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock first baseman Mark Saccomanno belted a two-run, game-ending home run off Nashville reliever Wes Littleton in the bottom of the ninth inning to power the Express to a 7-5 victory over the Sounds on Thursday evening at The Dell Diamond.

 

The loss marked the fifth time that Nashville (45-36) has suffered a last at-bat loss this season.

 

Tommy Manzella opened the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk from Littleton. Following a strikeout of Jason Smith, Saccomanno delivered his game-winning blast on a 1-1 offering from the right-hander, his ninth roundtripper of the season.

 

The Express grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first against left-hander Sam Narron, who made a spot start for the Sounds in place of scheduled starter Chase Wright, a gametime scratch. PCL veteran John Gall drove in both runs with a double to left.

 

After Nashville plated a run in the second on a Martin Maldonado groundout, Round Rock extended the lead to 4-1 in the third on RBI singles from Saccomanno and Chris Johnson.

 

Narron allowed four runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings of work in his spot start for the Sounds, taking a no-decision.

 

The Sounds rallied to tie the contest at 4-4 in the middle innings with a single run in the fourth courtesy of a Joe Koshansky solo homer, his 15th blast of the year, and back-to-back RBI doubles from Jason Bourgeois and Alcides Escobar in the top of the fifth.

 

Nashville reliever John Axford walked the bases loaded in the sixth and the Express took advantage by grabbing a 5-4 lead when Lou Santangelo scored on a Gall groundout. The Sounds answered in the next half-inning, knotting the contest at fives in the top of the seventh on Hernan Iribarren's RBI single to right off Round Rock reliever Samuel Gervacio.

 

Ex-Sound Chad Paronto (2-1) was the beneficiary of Saccomanno's late heroics and picked up the win for Round Rock after working a scoreless top of the ninth. Littleton (0-4) took the loss for Nashville after surrendering the game-ending blast to conclude his 2 1/3 innings of action.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a 7:05 PM finale on Friday night. Sounds left-hander Manny Parra (0-2, 4.08) takes the hill for the Sounds at The Dell Diamond for the first time since twirling a perfect game against the Express on June 25, 2007. Round Rock will counter with southpaw Mark McLemore (2-3, 4.31).

 

Nashville Box Score

Chase Wright intrigue -- knicked up, or rotation juggling to position starters for major league moves? Only Alcides Escobar's 6th error as a shortstop -- he quickly committed five others during the second base experiment; 22-year-old Martin Maldonado has started three of four games as we again ponder the day-to-day status of Angel Salome; Maldonado follows Carlos Corporan in that Puerto Rican catcher pipeline throughout baseball; Escobar tripled, doubled, walked, and sacrificed -- all due respect to Mat Gamel, but I personally bumped Alcides back to # 1 in my Power 50 rankings again after a one-time vote for Mat -- is there really any doubt?

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Outfielder Cole Gillespie

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game Two: Charlotte (Rangers) 2, Brevard County 1

Walk-off loss...

Doubleheader Summary from the Charlotte Site

 

Stone Crabs, Manatees Split Twin Bill

By Jonathan Gantt

PORT CHARLOTTE - Fla. -- The Charlotte Stone Crabs split a twin bill with the Brevard County Manatees on Thursday night at Charlotte Sports Park with a 9-4 loss in the opener and a 2-1 walkoff victory in the nightcap.

 

Game 1 saw 13 runs scored on 24 hits between the two teams in a seven-inning contest that lasted two hours and 36 minutes. Charlotte starter Jesse Darcy (2-7) had an outing he'd like to forget after giving up eight runs in just four innings of work for his seventh loss of the season.

 

Henry Wrigley went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and John Matulia went a perfect 3-for-3 to pace the Stone Crabs offense, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.

 

Game 2 was quite the opposite as Austin Hinkle (Charlotte) and Evan Anundsen (Brevard County) only gave up one run on three hits each, but neither starter earned a decision for their respective teams. The only difference between the two pitchers was Hinkle took just 65 pitches to get through five innings while Anundsen needed 109 to get through six.

 

The teams battled to a 1-1 tie until Emeel Salem knocked an infield single that scored Christian Lopez from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walkoff victory for the Stone Crabs. Salem barely managed to leg out the groundball that went to second baseman Eric Farris but was called safe and subsequently mobbed by his teammates at first base. Matt Gorgen (4-0) picked up the win after pitching a pair of scoreless innings in relief of Hinkle.

 

Brevard County Game Two Box Score

As noted above, incredible groundball ratio for sinkerballer Evan Anundsen (13-to-1 here); Brandon Rapoza allowed four base hits in the fateful final inning, all but one of the "cheap" variety; the Zelous Wheeler at short / Brent Brewer at third base look is definitely something to watch going forward...

 

Brevard County Game Two Game Log

 

Charlotte's John Matulia steals second base during the first inning of the first game of the doubleheader against Brevard County at Charlotte Sports Park. Manatees second baseman Eric Farris takes the throw.

HeraldTribune.com Photo by Dennis Maffezzoli

 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20090702&Category=ARTICLE&ArtNo=907029900&Ref=AR&Profile=2050

[Mass Haas]

Look for a Carlos Corporan suspension soon at a store near you --

 

Manatees catcher Carlos Corporan was ejected in the bottom of the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes. He tossed a ball that hit home plate umpire Joe Hannigan before departing the field.

 

The kind of news only a "Link Report" will bring you http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

[Mass Haas]

Thanks to TheCrew07 for his audio work -- awesome addition.

[battlekow]

Pedro Lambertus gets the save in his first post-suspension appearance

He actually pitched on 6/25, too.

[Postseason2006]

What is a sour final update?

[Mass Haas]

What is a sour final update?

Corporan hitting the umpire with a ball in anger.

[Postseason2006]

Well, with how some of these guys are, I will say I am not suprised.