Link Report for Mon. 8/17 -- All Overnight Updates Now In

[Mass Haas]

More from me "from the office" later this AM...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 8, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 3

Game Summary from the Blue Jays Site

 

Jays continue to stumble in 8-3 loss

By Tim Livingston / Dunedin Blue Jays

 

For three hours, the Brevard County Manatees put on a clinic of pro baseball at Dunedin Stadium on Monday night and it just so happened that the Dunedin Blue Jays were available to partake in the lessons that were given by the FSL North Division champs.

Whether it was pitching (13 strikeouts), hitting (14 hits) or base running (five steals), the Manatees were on top of their game, as Eric Farris and his 5-for-5 night led Brevard County to an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays.

 

Vince Bongiovanni (6-8) gave up as many runs on Monday night as he did the previous Wednesday against the Manatees as his seven earned runs given up in four-plus innings jumped his ERA up to 4.99 on the season, where it was sitting below 4.00 before he saw the Manatees last week.

 

Monday's game saw the right-hander out of sync early, as Logan Schafer led off the game with a triple to deep center field. That was followed by a single from Farris to make it 1-0. Farris would steal second base and come around on a Steffan Wilson double to make it 2-0.

 

The Manatees scored two more in the third inning when Caleb Gindl, fresh off a DL stint, took a 2-2 pitch from Bongiovanni on a frozen rope just over the fence in straightaway right field for a two-run shot, his 14th of the season, to put Brevard County up 4-0.

 

Dunedin would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Sean Shoffit came in on a double play ball off the bat of Moises Sierra, followed by a Matt Liuzza RBI single to score Bradley McElroy, making it 4-2.

 

But Dunedin would get no closer as Bongiovanni gave up a double to Schafer to lead off the fifth that was followed up by as perfect a bunt by Farris as you'd ever see, tickling the third base line before stopping just shy of Schafer standing on third, turning an attempted sacrifice into the second baseman's third hit of the night.

 

Then, Gindl bounced a routine ball to Jesus Gonzalez at first. Schafer was going home on contact, but Gonzalez hesitated coming home with his throw, and Schafer ended up beating the tag on a play where he might have been out by 15 feet had Gonzalez thrown it without hesitating.

 

This chased Bongiovanni with Brevard County up 5-2, and when Trystan Magnuson came in, he didn't fare much better, giving up a Chris Errecart RBI single and a sacrifice fly to Lee Haydel to make the score 7-2, with all the runs charged to Bongiovanni.

 

The Manatees added an eighth run on an RBI double by Brent Brewer to finish off their offensive onslaught that saw them slap 14 hits off six different Blue Jays pitchers.

 

Farris had the best night of all with five safeties, including a double, and also stole two bases to up his league-leading total to 59 on the year. Brevard County upped their league-leading team total to 179, which is far ahead of Daytona's 134 in second place.

 

Dunedin got a 2-for-3 night from Liuzza, who drove in two of the Blue Jays' three runs on the night, but the team struck out 13 times, including three each from McElroy and Gonzalez. Kevin Ahrens and Adam Loewen each had two, as well.

 

The win went to Dan Merklinger (3-1), who pitched four innings and gave up one run on two hits while striking out five.

 

Dunedin has lost four of five games and are 4-12 on the year against the Manatees. They have scored only six runs in their last four games. They will try again on Tuesday night against Brevard County in game two of their series at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central), when they send lefty Chuck Huggins to the hill in search of a win.

 

Brevard County Box Score

That's as complimentary an opponent's view of things as we've seen all season; RHP Omar Aguilar strikes out the side after a leadoff walk in the 9th -- when does he take the confidence gained back in the FSL elsewhere? Almost every game this team brings something majorly positive to Link Report readers -- great job all season, guys...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 4, West Tenn (Mariners) 3

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary

 

Stars Come Back to Stun DJaxx

Timely Hitting Topples First Place Team

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

 

Freddy Parejo's two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning drove in the tying and winning runs in Huntsville's 4-3 comeback win over West Tenn Monday night in the opener of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars won their second straight to improve to 18-31 in the second half, while the Jaxx lost a four-game win streak and dipped to 27-24 in the second half. West Tenn's lead in the North Division was trimmed to a game over both Tennessee and Chattanooga with 19 games left in the season. The Stars have won 14 of the 20 games between the two teams.

 

Former Stars' southpaw Luis Villarreal retired the first two hitters in the eighth before Jonathan Lucroy doubled to push his hitting streak to 17 games and establish a Huntsville record with a two-base hit in his sixth straight game. Taylor Green walked and Villarreal was replaced by Phillippe Aumont, who gave up a base hit to Chuck Caufield that plated Lucroy to cut the lead to 3-2 and sent Green to third. Parejo, with two hits in 25 at-bats since his return from triple-A, sliced a shallow fly ball just inside the right-field line to chase home both runners to give the Stars their first lead of the night. Aumont took the loss to fall to 1-3, while Zach Braddock grabbed the win in his first appearance since July 7 after a perfect eighth inning.

 

Rob Wooten struck out the side in order in the ninth to earn his ninth save in as many chances and finish off a run of 14 consecutive West Tenn batters retired to end the game. Starter Brandon Kintzler fanned the last two he faced and was followed by Juan Sandoval, who set down the side in turn in the sixth and seventh innings.

 

West Tenn loaded the bases in the first inning with nobody out on a single, a hit batter and a walk and pushed across the first run of the night on a Guillermo Quiroz fielder's choice grounder. Johan Limonta followed with a run-scoring hit before Matt Mangini bounced into a double play to chase in the third run against Kintzler. The right-hander lasted five frames, allowing four hits, walking three and fanning six in his third start.

 

Drew Anderson singled with two outs in the sixth inning, stole second base, stayed there when Lucroy walked and scored to cut the Jaxx lead to 3-1 on a single by Green that chased Jaxx' starter Robert Rohrbaugh from the game. The southpaw allowed a run on six hits, walked one and fanned four and was followed by Anthony Varvaro, who tossed a scoreless inning and a third.

 

The series continues Tuesday night with right-hander Nick Green taking the hill for the Stars against West Tenn right-hander Luis Munoz. 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

Welcome back, Zach Braddock; Rob Wooten just gets it done, doesn't he? Taylor Green two singles and a walk -- he needed that; pretty sure that the incredible David Weiser crunched the numbers in such a way that Brett knew about the consecutive-games-with-a-double-streak -- I mean, how do you track that?

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Never Outhustled]

I concur with Colbyjack, Dan Merklinger is an intriguing guy. Above average velocity for a lefty, and big K totals. He was pitching injured last season, and dealt with injury again this year, but is finally well and is making his move. I'm guessing he'll be part of the most interesting Huntesville rotation in a long time next year.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com

 

Hey Mickey!

Jonathan Lucroy ties Lopez record... goes after another

With the kids back in school, the Stars attracted a dismal gathering of 613 on one of the nicest nights weather-wise of the season. Despite mostly cloudy skies and an occasional late-inning mist, a very welcome breeze blew in from center most of the night. For the loyalists, it was double pleasure. And I speak not just of the weather. The game was by far the best of the second half.

 

Jonathan Lucroy, needing a hit in his last at-bat to extend his hitting streak to a season-high 17 games, also needed a double to tie a club record of six consecutive games with a double, set by Mickey Lopez in 2000 during his record 22-game hit streak....... With two out in the 8th, and the Stars behind, 3-1, Lucroy swung at a belt-high 3-1 pitch from former Huntsville pitcher Luis Villareal over the heart of the plate. It was hard hit and carrying, but watching it sink, would centerfielder Ezequiel Carrera catch up to it? NO! It sailed over his head and dropped in front of the warning track slightly left of dead-center for a double!

 

I was relieved, but I'm happy I didn't become the only one aware of Lucroy's feat. I shared what I knew with members of the Stars staff and the press Sunday. So it was pleasing to hear the PR announcement that Lucroy's hit tied the club record. (I wonder if Lucroy, himself, knew. I suppose I'll find out tomorrow when Brad Shepard, who intended on talking to the streaking catcher, writes his story.)......

 

The record-tying double also extended Lucroy's hit streak to 17 games, the longest on the club since Lopez's 22-game streak of August 2000. (See a list of longest hit streaks from 2000-present on the standings link)..... But with two out, the Stars backs were still against the wall. Lucroy was in scoring position, but Taylor Green (5-for-45 entering the game) was in a deep slump...... Green fouled off a 2-2 pitch, then took two pitches from Villareal, both outside, for a walk.

 

Phil Plantier went to his bullpen, for right-hander Phillippe Aumont, a 1st round pick in 2007 and #8 prospect in the Midwest League a year ago...... Chuckie Caufield, all season long one of the best hitters on the team with runners in scoring position (.299 coming in), lined a 3-2 pitch to left-center, easily scoring Lucroy, who was off on the pitch...... Down 3-2, the Stars now had Green 90 feet away and a good runner in Caufield on first. Freddy Parejo, who had struck out in the 3rd, and meekly fouled out to 1st baseman Rich Poythress twice, was the hitter. Parejo was 2-for-25 since coming back from Nashville.

 

It looked like the inning would end here. Parejo popped the ball up to the right side, the ball floating towards shallow right, but would it be caught fair or foul?...... The ball parachuted in front of right fielder Greg Halman right on the chalk line! Umpire Craig Barron demonstrably signaled fair, and seizing Halman's surprise at the call, and stupor, Caufield wasted no time circling the bases....... Green scored to tie the game, and Caufield's hook slide beat Halman's throw to the plate for the go-ahead run.

 

This was a team victory, though...... Michael Garciaparra turned a slow, 0-out grounder into a 5-3-6 double play in the 2nd inning, by throwing out former Star Callix Crabbe who tried to go from 1st to 3rd...... Starter Brandon Kintzler, who faced seven hitters and threw 27 pitches in the 1st, settled down after that DP, and gave up just two hits in his final four innings of work...... Finally, Juan Sandoval, Zack Braddock (in his first game since July 7), and Rob Wooten held the 1st place Diamond Jaxx hitless for four innings. So props to the pitching staff, especially the relief corps for one of the finest games of the year. And I have to add that Wooten, in picking up his 9th save, struck out the side in the 9th on 13 pitches, 10 for strikes, making Guillermo Quiroz (.316 leading off an inning), Johan Limonta (.302 vs. Huntsville), and Matt Mangini look silly!

 

Tuesday night, Nick Green (0-3, 4.26) takes the hill for the Stars against Diamond Jaxx right-hander Luis Munoz (6-6, 4.53), who has a tendency this year to get rattled with runners on base (8.41 ERA, 10.41 w/RISP). The Stars have not won three in a row since late June.

 

Sandoval pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the first time since July 9, a 3-0 shutout over Chattanooga...... Mike Jones was promoted to Nashville earlier in the day. Jones leaves with a 3-5 record and 4.59 ERA. He gave up seven runs on 11 hits in 10 2/3 innings over his last two starts, both of which he lost. Braddock and Josh Butler both came off the disabled list. Butler (1-1, 2.25) is slated to start Wednesday's game. Butler last pitched on July 2 in relief against the Smokies.

 

Right behind Jonathan Lucroy in the streak department is Drew Anderson, who extended his hitting streak tonight to 12 games. Anderson is 19-for-45 (.422) since the start of streak on August 4. Since then, his average has climbed from .302 to .319 -- 3rd best in the league...... The league's leading hitter? Diamond Jaxx leadoff hitter Ezequiel Carrera (.340)....... Lorenzo Cain has hit safely in nine of his last ten games and is hitting .286 in August with eight RBIs....... Shane Justis is 2-for-his-last-28. After hitting .365 in May, .301 in June, and .311 in July, he's batting .190 this month. He flied out to left, center, and right tonight and struck out swinging in the 3rd....... Kevin Melillo is also slumping, going 3-for-28 in his last eight games.......

Adam Stern, who hit just .203 in July for the Stars, is 7-for-19 since his call-up to the Nashville Sounds...... Johnny Raburn, who left the Stars with a .233 average on July 5, is hitting .310 there...... Vinny Rottino is hitting .385 for the Chattanooga Lookouts since his trade to the Dodgers, July 31. He left a .249 average behind at Huntsville. Vinny managed, however, to edge into the Top 20 in career hits for Huntsville -- 19th with 224....... Drew Anderson, with two hits tonight, now has 240, three behind 13th place Alcides Escobar...... Rottino finished his Stars career with 10 HRs and 100 RBIs....... Adam Heether hit three doubles in a game in an 8-5 loss to Fresno Sunday....... Brewerfan.com reports that Derrick Ellison has caught on with the Mets organization after a short stay in independent baseball with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League. Ellison was assigned to Class AA-Binghamton (Eastern) and has made two scoreless appearances for them since. He finished with a 2-2 record and 4.45 ERA for the Stars.

 

Former Chattanooga Lookouts manager, scout, and former Twins manager Cal Ermer, died Sunday, August 9. He was 85. Ermer was a frequent visitor to Joe Davis Stadium while he was scouting.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Fresno (Giants) 6, Nashville 2

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Mat Gamel photo, text follows --

 

Sounds Split Series With Grizzlies

 

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds lost to the Fresno Grizzlies, 6-2, on Monday night at historic Greer Stadium. With the loss, Nashville (65-58) splits the four-game series with Fresno and moves into a tie for first place in the American Northern Division.

 

Fresno starting pitcher Matt Kinney (8-11) earned the win, surrendering just one run on two hits while striking out six in six innings.

 

Kinney helped his own cause in the top of the second inning, doubling to deep right field and scoring catcher Nestor Rojas for a Grizzlies 1-0 lead. Jesus Guzman added another RBI single in the next inning that extended the lead to 2-0.

 

Grizzlies left fielder John Bowker belted a three-run shot to right field in the next frame off Wright, his 21st of the year and third in the series.

 

Shortstop J.J. Hardy doubled to deep center with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning to start the rally for the Sounds. Hardy advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an Erick Almonte infield grounder, trimming the Fresno lead to 5-1.

 

After Brendan Katin reached base on a base hit to start the bottom of the eighth inning, the Sounds got another run on an RBI double by catcher Carlos Corporan, scoring Katin and bringing Nashville within three runs at 5-2.

 

AUDIO: Carlos Corporan RBI Double

 

Clay Timpner added a solo shot to right field in the top of the ninth, his sixth homer of the season, putting the Grizzlies ahead by four at 6-2.

 

Sounds starter Chase Wright (7-7) took the loss, after allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts and two walks in four innings of work. Sam Narron added four scoreless innings in relief.

 

Mat Gamel extended his hitting streak to seven games on the evening, one few of his season-high.

 

Nashville went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the evening.

 

Hosting the squad with the best record in the PCL at 75-46, the Sounds welcome the 2008 PCL Champion Sacramento River Cats to Music City tomorrow at 6:00 PM CT for a four-game set, their only series this season. Left-hander Chris Cody (6-6, 4.34) takes the mound for Nashville.

 

Nashville Box Score

RH reliever Ryan Houston is really struggling, allowing runs in seven of his last ten appearances...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Thanks for your patience, everyone -- we really strive to have all Link Report updates up by 6:00 AM Central, kind of like your morning newspaper delivered to your front porch.

 

With all the misery on the big league level these days, we know a lot of folks are following the kids more closely than ever, looking to 2010 and beyond.

[sheethead]

Thank you for all your time and good work. I like the report very much.