Link Report for Monday April 12th -- Sounds and Stars victorious; Arnett "in studio" Tuesday at noon

[TheCrew07]

Apparently there is no Huntsville feed today? The Tom Sullivan show is on WTKI and I just thought now to check MiLB.com and it appears to be the Lookouts audio feed even though I clicked the Huntsville link.

 

edit. Apparently it is Chad for the Stars, I wasn't prepared for color commentary, my mistake.

[CheezWizHed]

Why does Brett Lawrie's picture on Gameday remind me of Al Bundy?

[twobrewers]

I know everyone scoffed at his mediocre performance last year, but Arnett didn't really show any flashes last year either. If he wasn't going to be allowed to throw all of his pitches, then what was the point of him pitching at all?

 

I was worried to see Salome out of the box score again. Thanks for the heads up Maas.

 

Nice to see Taylor Green chip in with some extra base hits. If I remember correctly, I believe he only had one in all of AFL. Looks like he has made significant progress on that wrist injury.

 

Good to hear Gamel is starting his road back.

[TheCrew07]

Tonight on the Huntsville broadcast they mentioned multiple times that Cain has had numerous diving web gems over the past couple of games. I sincerely hope his offensive game picks up and gives us a young option other than Gomez by the end of the season going into 2011.

[battlekow]

Final: Nashville 5, Omaha 3

 

Sounds Rally Late Against Royals, Improve to 5-0

NashvilleSounds.com

 

OMAHA, Neb. - The Nashville Sounds plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to register a thrilling, come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Omaha Royals on Monday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth with their perfect start to the year on the line, Nashville (5-0) sent eight batters to the plate against the Omaha bullpen to register its second last at-bat win of the young season. The Sounds remain the Pacific Coast League's lone unbeaten team.

In the top of the ninth, Trent Oeltjen drew a leadoff walk from Anthony Lerew, who also walked Sounds cleanup hitter Brendan Katin, who had fanned in his first three trips to the plate, to push the potential tying run to scoring position with no outs. First baseman Joe Koshansky followed with a single to shallow right that narrowly eluded the outstretched glove of Royals second baseman Marc Maddox and loaded the bases.

Carlos Rosa was summoned from the bullpen to face Sounds designate hitter Erick Almonte and struck out the veteran swinging on a ball outside the zone for the first out. Third baseman Adam Heether followed by drawing a game-tying walk after fouling off a pair of two-strike offerings to force home Oeltjen to make it a 3-3 game.

The scoring continued as Nashville catcher Ben Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Katin from third with the go-ahead run, and shortstop Luis Cruz provided some breathing room by ripping a two-out RBI single to center off Rosa to extend the visitors' advantage to 5-3.

Mike McClendon (1-0), who followed starter Chase Wright with two scoreless innings of relief, was the beneficiary of the late Nashville rally and recorded his first career Triple-A victory.

Omaha attempted to rally in the bottom of the ninth against John Axford. Designated hitter Scott Thorman drew a one-out walk before a Coats single to left to put a pair of ducks on the pond for pinch-hitter Irving Falu, who grounded the first offering he saw from Axford into a game-ending double play. Axford notched his second save of the year with the scoreless frame.

The Sounds grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Omaha starter Bryan Bullington. Norris Hopper (2-for-5) led off with a single to right to extend Nashville's longest hit streak of the season to five games. After moving to second on a passed ball and advancing to third on Eric Farris' bunt single, Hopper came plateward in unearned fashion on an Oeltjen sacrifice fly to left.

Omaha knotted the score at 1-1 in the third when Buck Coats led off with a double then later scored on a Wright wild pitch.

The Royals jumped ahead, 3-1, in the fifth on a pair of solo homers off Wright. Catcher Cody Clark belted a one-out solo shot to left before veteran third baseman Wilson Betemit slugged a two-out shot to right-center. The roundtrippers were each player's first of the young season.

Nashville pulled back within a run in the top of the sixth when Hopper singled and later scored on Oeltjen's one-out RBI knock to right off Bullington.

Lerew (0-1), who was charged with the loss, took over for Bullington in the eighth and retired the Sounds in order in his first frame of action before running into trouble in the ninth as Nashville did not go down without a fight.

The late Nashville rally deprived Bullington of a victory following an outstanding effort. The first overall selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2002 draft allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven Sounds batters over seven innings of work but received only a no-decision on the night. The right-hander retired 16 Sounds in a row at one point, including five consecutive strikeouts.

Omaha went just 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the losing effort.

Wright, who turned in a quality start in his first outing of the year for the Sounds, departed in line for the loss but was taken off the hook by the late Sounds rally. The southpaw allowed three runs on five hits, including a pair of homers, over six innings of work.

The teams continue their series with another 6:35 p.m. matchup on Tuesday. Right-hander Kameron Loe (1-0, 1.50) will take the hill for the Sounds to face Omaha right-hander Gaby Hernandez (0-0, 5.40).

Nashville box score

As mentioned, Katin and Heether each drew a walk to end their 0-3 nights on positive notes. Eric Farris was 1-3 with a HBP.

Nashville play-by-playhttp://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t556&gid=2010_04_12_nasaaa_omaaaa_1&cid=556&t=g_box

 

[battlekow]

It's funny sometimes reading basically the same recap but from the other point of view--especially after your team won.

 

Ninth Inning Rally By Nashville Gives Royals 4th Straight Loss

Kevin McNabb/ORoyals.com

OMAHA, NE - Omaha pitchers did not walk a single Nashville batter

over the first eight innings Monday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.

However, back-to-back walks to the first two Sounds batters in the top

of the ninth set the stage for a three-run rally as Nashville extended

its season-opening winning streak to five games with a 5-3 win.

 

Anthony Lerew (0-1), who had pitched a perfect eighth inning, issued

the free passes to Trent Oeltjen and Brendan Katin to begin the ninth.

Lerew, predominantly used as a starter throughout his professional

career, then surrendered a single to Joe Koshansky to load the bases

with nobody out.

 

Carlos Rosa, who led Omaha in 2009 with seven saves and also picked

up his first big league save with Kansas City last September, relieved

Lerew. Rosa got Erick Almonte to chase a 2-2 slider for the first out.

But, he went to a full count on Adam Heether before yielding the third

walk of the inning to tie the game at 3-3. Ben Johnson followed with a

sacrifice fly to left and Luis Cruz singled to center to drive in

Nashville's final run.

 

Sounds right-hander John Axford walked Scott Thorman with one out in

the bottom of the ninth and then allowed a single to Buck Coats to put

the tying run on base. But, Axford induced pinch-hitter Irving Falu to

hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and notch his second save.

 

 

Mike McClendon (1-0) got the win, after pitching two scoreless

innings despite issuing a walk to begin the bottom of the seventh and

giving up an infield hit to Mike Aviles in the eighth. Aviles, playing

in his first game with Omaha since 2008 after being optioned yesterday

by Kansas City, was caught rounding third base too far on David Lough's

infield tapper and was retired on the back end of an unusual 1-3-2

double play to end the inning.

 

Omaha starter Bryan Bullington was terrific in his 2010 debut. The

first overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Pirates went seven innings,

allowing two runs - only one earned - on five hits. He did not walk a

batter and fanned seven, racking up five consecutive strikeouts in the

first and second innings and retiring 16 straight Nashville batters

until former Royals farmhand Norris Hopper singled with one out in the

sixth.

 

The Royals took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on solo homers by Cody Clark

and Wilson Betemit, the first round-tripper of this season for both.

 

Omaha (1-4) will try to snap a four-game losing skid against

division-leading Nashville (5-0) on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Sounds righty

Kameron Loe (1-0, 1.50) goes against Royals right-hander Gaby Hernandez

(0-0, 5.40).

[battlekow]

Final: Huntsville 7, Chattanooga 4

 

Huntsville box score

Chris Cody continues to show he can get it done at AA, allowing a run in five innings with five strikeouts against only one walk and four hits. Robert Hinton struggled, allowing three baserunners without retiring anyone in the 8th to almost let the Lookouts steal the victory, but Brandon Kintzler swooped in and got the last four outs for the save, earning himself an at-bat in the process, in which he went down swinging (that's what we like to see, Brandon). Taylor Green also swung but to much greater effect, going 2-3 with a double and a triple and two walks--that's four "troubles" in five games. Jonathan Lucroy also had two hits and pitched in with a sac bunt, while Lorenzo Cain, Brett Lawrie, and Caleb Gindl each got on base once, Cain via a single and the other two with bases on balls. Lee Haydel also had two hits.

Huntsville play-by-play

Chattanooga's almost-rally:

 

Chattanooga Bottom 8th

• Pitcher Change: Casey Baron
  replaces Donovan Hand, batting 9th.
• Andrew Lambo doubles (1)
  on a line drive to center fielder Lorenzo Cain.
• Lucas May
  called out on strikes.
• Eduardo Perez lines out to center
  fielder Lorenzo Cain.
• Pitcher Change: Robert Hinton replaces
  Casey Baron, batting 9th.
• Scott
  Van Slyke singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Caleb Gindl.
  Andrew Lambo scores.
• Corey Smith walks. Scott Van Slyke to
  2nd.
• Coaching visit to mound.
• Dee Gordon doubles
  (4) on a soft line drive to right fielder Caleb Gindl. Scott Van
  Slyke scores. Corey Smith to 3rd.
• Pitcher Change: Brandon
  Kintzler replaces Robert Hinton, batting 9th.
• Elian Herrera
  bunt pops out to pitcher Brandon Kintzler.

[battlekow]

Final: Lakeland 2, Brevard County 0

 

Manatees blanked by Lakeland in series opener

Frank Longobardo/ManateesBaseball.com

The Brevard County Manatees were shut-out 2-0

by the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Monday night at Space Coast Stadium in

the first game of a three-game series.

 

In his first outing of 2010, Manatees starter Trey Watten went four

innings and allowed just two hits, but walked three, and gave up one

run.

 

Kentrail Davis had the only multi-hit game of the night for Brevard

County (2-3) as he went 2-for-4, with a triple. Davis raised his average

to a team leading .368 on the young season.

 

Ruben Flores threw three innings of scoreless relief for the Manatees

as he struck out three.

 

For the Flying Tigers (3-2), starter Charles Furbush struck out seven

in 5 2/3 innings, while Kody Kaiser had two hits.

 

The Manatees and Flying Tigers are back in action on Tuesday night at

7:05 p.m. at Space Coast Stadium.

 

http://brevardcounty.manatees.milb.com/images/2010/04/12/opMG7yR7.jpg

Brock Kjeldgaard went 1-for-4 on Monday night and has the second

highest average on the season for the Manatees at .333.

(Dennis

Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

Brevard County box score

The Manatees actually outhit the Flying Tigers 6-4, but handed out five free passes and hit two batters while receiving only one walk in return. If Watten can tighten up the control, he's got some potential as a ground ball specialist, evidenced by his eight ground outs against only one fly out. In addition to being the only Manatee with more than one hit, Davis was also the only 'Tee to get an extra-base knock, a triple.

 

Brevard County play-by-play

Davis's triple was the only time BC got a runner to third. Lakeland's defense helped him out after his single in the 4th, putting him on second with nobody out. It was probably the Manatees' best chance to score all night, but they couldn't cash in:

 

Brevard County Bottom 4th

• Kentrail Davis singles on a
  line drive to center fielder Ben Guez.
• With Brock Kjeldgaard
  batting, Kentrail Davis picked off and caught stealing 2nd base,
  Kentrail Davis to 2nd. missed catch error by Gustavo Nunez, assist to
  Charles Furbush.
• Brock Kjeldgaard grounds out, shortstop
  Gustavo Nunez to first baseman Billy Nowlin.
• Erik Miller
  grounds out, shortstop Gustavo Nunez to first baseman Billy Nowlin.
  Kentrail Davis to 3rd.
• Sergio Miranda grounds out, shortstop
  Gustavo Nunez to first baseman Billy Nowlin.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Game Story from the Lookouts' Site:

Baseball being baseball, Taylor Green's triple is less impressive in the game story, but a triple nonetheless...

Stars Take Rubber Match, 7-4

Monday night's match-up between the Huntsville Stars and Chattanooga began as a pitchers' duel; however, it would evolve into an offensive cat-and-mouse contest, resulting in a 7-4 Huntsville win at AT&T Field.

Lookouts starting pitcher Jesus Castillo and his counterpart, Chris Cody, dominated earlier on for their respective teams. In the fourth frame, however, Castillo encountered some issues due to some defensive difficulties from his teammates.

After one out, second baseman Jaime Pedroza booted a routine grounder to put Caleb Gindl at first. After a Jonathan Lucroy fly out, Taylor Green hit a seemingly routine sky fly to right-center field. With dusk upon the evening sky, the elusive ball descended to a grassy fall between the two befuddled outfielders, resulting in an RBI triple for Green.

Huntsville extended their lead in the fifth to 2-0, but the Lookouts entered the scoreboard in the bottom portion of the inning.

Corey Smith led off with a double and advanced to third on a bunt single by the speedy Dee Gordon. Elian Herrera followed with a sacrifice fly to center to put the score at 2-1.

The Stars continued their swinging ways by plating another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Green hit a two-RBI double to highlight the seventh-inning rally for Huntsville.

Despite a 5-2 deficit entering the bottom portion of the eighth, the Lookouts did not go down without a fight. Andrew Lambo began the rally with a double. Two quick outs dampened hopes, but Scott Van Slyke singled to bring home Lambo. Corey Smith followed with a walk, and Gordon collected his fourth hit and third double of the evening in a timely spot to register the score at 5-4. With two men in scoring position, Huntsville turned to their closer, Brandon Kintzler, to face Herrera. Kintzler did not disappoint, as he induced a bunt pop up from Herrera to effectively end the rally.

The Lookouts' efforts, however, proved to be nothing more than a Sisyphean effort, as Huntsville scored two more runs in the ninth on a Lee Haydel two-RBI single. Kintzler would pitch a perfect ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Lookouts errors help Stars win

by David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free-Press

The Chattanooga Lookouts had an unannounced giveaway night Monday at AT&T Field.

No hats. No bats. No bobble-heads. Just giveaway after giveaway.

Chattanooga committed four fielding errors in a 7-4 Huntsville victory that enabled the Stars to snatch the opening series after dropping the first two games. Lookouts second baseman Jaime Pedroza made three of the errors, with the other charged to shortstop Dee Gordon.

"Sometimes you go out there and things just don't go your way," Pedroza said. "You've got to look at it that way and keep playing the game."

The Lookouts (2-3) are off today before beginning a five-game set Wednesday at Tennessee.

Lookouts starting pitcher Jesus Castillo whizzed through Monday's first three innings, as the only Stars baserunner was the result of Pedroza's first error. Pedroza's second gaffe occurred in the fourth, and that proved costly when Taylor Green hit a two-out fly ball to right-center field that neither Trayvon Robinson in center nor Scott Van Slyke could locate.

The ball fell in between, which enabled Green to reach third and score Caleb Gindl for the game's first run.

"At that point in the day, it's really hard to see the ball when it gets over the lights, and that's what happened," Van Slyke said. "I don't think anybody on the field knew where it was, which was unfortunate, because if we catch that ball, then it's 4-4 in the eighth and we've got the winning run on third."

Chattanooga committed its third error in the fifth inning when Gordon allowed a sharp grounder by Lorenzo Cain to get between his legs, which allowed Lee Haydel to score from second to make it 2-0. The Lookouts got within 2-1 later that inning when Corey Smith led with a double off the wall in left and scored on Elian Herrera's sacrifice fly to center.

Robinson, who made a sensational catch at the track to rob Huntsville of two runs in the fifth, never made it to the sixth after being ejected by plate umpire Chris Segal for arguing a called third strike.

A third error by Pedroza in the sixth let Huntsville take a 3-1 lead, and the Stars made it 5-1 in the seventh on Green's two-out double to center that scored Cain and Jonathan Lucroy. The Lookouts scored their second run in the seventh when Smith singled to right-center, advanced to third on a Gordon double to left-center and came home on a Herrera ground out.

Chattanooga pulled within 5-4 in the eighth on Van Slyke's two-out single to right-center that scored Andrew Lambo and Gordon's double to right that scored Van Slyke. Gordon, who got his first two hits of the season Sunday, followed that up with a 4-for-4 showing with three doubles.

"I just needed to settle down and pick it up for my teammates, because they've been playing really hard," Gordon said. "I've just got to keep it up."

Said Van Slyke: "We came back and gave it a game tonight and could have easily won, but we've got 130-something more games to go."

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com

 

Oh, the irony

Errors rain on Chattanooga as Stars take series

 

Errors. They cost the Stars the first two games of this series, and it's still a glaring liability on the statistical balance sheet. But, tonight, in all its ironic splendor, it cost Chattanooga the rubber game of this series....... Second baseman Jaime Pedroza, alone, made three and to add insult, struck out twice for the Lookouts and left two runners in scoring position in the 7th......... Let's zoom in and see the Pedroza effect....... He went back for Taylor Green's soft fly ball with two out in the 4th inning, along with outfielders Scott Van Slyke and Treyvon Robinson, losing it in the lights for a triple that scored Caleb Gindl, who just so happened, reached base on Pedroza's earlier fielding error........ In the 6th, with runners on the corners and one out and the Stars leading 2-1, Zelous Wheeler hits a routine grounder to Pedroza. It caroms off his chest and Jonathan Lucroy scores from third......... It was just a bad day for Pedroza all around. In the top of that inning, with a runner on first, Pedroza hit into a force play, and was then picked off first and tagged trying to take 2nd....... Just to show Pedroza couldn't do it alone, shortstop Dee Gordon, who had four hits, including three doubles, let a sharply hit ball by Lorenzo Cain get through his legs in the 5th with runners on 1st and 2nd. That scored Lee Haydel giving the Stars a 2-0 lead.

 

The Stars made a couple of errors themselves, giving them 10 in this series -- the most for a five-game start since 2004 -- but all four runs the Stars allowed were earned......... Three of them came at the expense of the bullpen, but let's give them some credit for a 3-2 start. It's the 2nd best five-game start (1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 IP) since they beame a Milwaukee affiliate, dwarfed by the 2007 staff that logged a 1.14 ERA and struck out 33 in 23 2/3 innings, thanks in part to a wicked Arctic cold front that week that deadened the ball.......... It took some help from Brandon Kintzler to nail this one down, preserving a thin 5-4 lead, and Haydel, whose two-run line drive single with two out in the 9th took the steam out of Chattanooga's choo choo.

 

Chris Cody, in his first start for the Stars since May 31 of last year, went five innings and threw 72 pitches, 46 for strikes (63.9%)....... He sailed through the first three innings and worked his way out of the 4th after Gordon hit the first of his three doubles and was moved to third on a sacrifice, but Pedroza lined out and with runners on the corners, he retired Andrew Lambo on a grounder to Brett Lawrie.

 

The Lookouts battled back, scoring in the 7th off Donovan Hand, ending a scoreless string by the bullpen of 18 1/3 innings, and two more in the 8th to make it a one-run game........... Robert Hinton, making his 114th appearance in a Stars uniform, could not finish the job for reliever Casey Baron, who gave up a leadoff double to Lambo.......... With two out, Scott Van Slyke lined Hinton's first pitch fat over the plate for a single to right-center, scoring Lambo. That made it 5-3, Stars........ Hinton, who had real trouble spotting his pitches, walked Corey Smith on a 3-1 count. After a visit to the mound, he was victimized by Gordon's 3rd double of the night, a soft liner to right, sending Smith to 3rd........ Manager Mike Guerrero probably didn't want to bring in Kintzler at this point. He pitched Thursday and Sunday and got the save for Mike Bowman, but Guerrero didn't have any choice. The call was made, and Kintzler came in and retired versatile utilityman Elian Herrera on a popped up bunt in front of the mound.

 

In the top of the 9th, Chattanooga brought in Javy Guerra, a 94-96 mph fastballer who gave the Stars fits the first two games of this series, both of which he saved........ Guerra, who threw 19 of his 27 pitches for strikes in those two games, walked Lawrie, who fouled off four pitches, and Gindl on four straight. After a coaching visit, Lucroy moved them into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt to the right side of the mound........ Green was then intentionally walked to pitch to struggling Steffan Wilson, who struck out on three pitches for the second out.......... Wilson, who beat Tennessee last year in the playoffs with a game-winning three-run HR in his Stars debut, hit .105 in the series, struck out 10 times in 19 at-bats, and left 16 runners on base.......... But Haydel stepped up to provide the insurance, lining a single to the right-center field gap on an inside belt-high 2-2 pitch. That scored Lawrie and Gindl to make it a final 7-4........... With Green on third, Haydel stole his 3rd base of the season. Wheeler was walked with Kintzler on deck, to fill the bases.......... The strategy, as expected, worked. It's rare your closer gets a chance to bat, and Kintzler struck out on three pitches......... It was the right move for Guerrero, of course. Kintzler was kept in to pick up the save, and that he did, retiring the order in the 9th to end the game.

 

Carolina and Tennessee, both off to a hot 4-0 start, finally lost, so the Stars are now just a game in back of both those teams, along with West Tennessee......... After an off-day, the Stars open their home season, Wednesday, against Jacksonville (2-3). Fans will get their first look at Amaury Rivas (0-0) who will probably face Eli Villanueva, who struck out seven in 4 2/3 IP in the Suns' season opener against West Tennessee......... If you want to comment to our new play-by-play man Chad Anderson during a Stars broadcast, the e-mail address is starsonair@gmail.com.

 

Zelous Wheeler made an error in each of the four games he played, and if you count last year's playoff series, that's five straight games. But officially, it's the first time since September 2-5, 2005, that any Stars fielder had made an error in four straight games. That dubious accomplishment belonged to Adam Heether........ The 50 hits the Stars had in this series is the most for a five-game start since 1999, when the Stars, in their first year with Milwaukee, had 56 and hit .286. They got off to a 4-1 start that year......... Chris Errecart left 11 on base in 11 at-bats in this series. He appeared in four games, had a triple, but did not drive in any runs. He could get more playing time in the Jacksonville series with Wilson struggling at the plate.......... I talked about the Stars bullpen a lot, but the rotation is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA. The pitching staff is #1 in the Southern League with a 1.88 ERA and the .270 batting average also leads the league (30 points over the league average). Unfortunately, we're last in fielding pct.

[Mass Haas]

So just when you think you're read a couple of game story insight articles on the Stars and you're all caught up, David comes along and crams us with new and interesting knowledge. And that's for a road game, looking forward to home game insights when he can...

 

Zelous Wheeler is getting exposed defensively as an everyday shortstop, unfortunately.

[Mass Haas]

A few Rattler game notes and tidbits from Brett's blog at the Post-Crescent

[Mass Haas]

More from Brett:

 

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitcher Eric Arnett -- the Milwaukee Brewers top draft pick in 2009 -- will be the guest on Tuesday's weekly "Sports for Lunch" show. That' this Tuesday (April 13), folks.

 

The program can be seen two ways:

 

*Live inside the Clubhouse Sports Pub & Grill at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in downtown Appleton. To entice, there is a $5 all-you-can eat pizza buffet deal.

 

*Log on to www.postcrescent.com. A link to access the show will be provided at the top of the home page.

 

As usual, the show begins at noon.

 

It's quirky. It's fun.

 

It's an Internet Sensation. Hope you can check us out.

[Mass Haas]

Our friend Brad with a first-hand Timber Rattlers account and 76 (yes, 76) nice photos from Monday at the ball park. You can view the photos as a slideshow, individually, search on names, etc. -- sweet.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Arnett gets off to slow start in Timber Rattlers loss to LumberKings

By Brett Christopherson, Post-Crescent staff writer

 

GRAND CHUTE — The wounded baseball had barely found its new home in a landing spot behind Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium when cyberspace began to shudder.

 

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitcher Eric Arnett — the Milwaukee Brewers top pick from the 2009 draft and one of the club's top minor league prospects — was not faring well in his inaugural appearance on Monday. And Internet chatters following the action online were showing concern.

 

"It's tough, especially in the first inning when you go up and give up four runs," Arnett shrugged following a 7-4 Midwest League setback to the Clinton LumberKings. "It's tough to fight back from that or even get into a positive rhythm, but we were able to do it. … If you can get out of that first inning, cut that down and we probably win the ballgame."

 

Arnett then added with a chuckle: "I'll get 'em next time."

 

In other words, chill out.

 

No, the 6-foot-5 right-hander didn't enjoy the best of starts in making his anticipated season debut, yielding six hits and four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings before exiting after reaching his maximum pitch count of 40 pitches.

 

And yes, the ugliest of those hits was a three-run, first-inning homer by LumberKings left fielder Kalian Sams — a former Rattler who spanked a 3-1 fastball that soared over the 385-foot sign in left-center and cleared the new visiting bullpen to cap a surprising four-run outburst.

 

The pitch was intended to be thrown inside but missed its spot and wound up catching too much of the plate.

 

"He took it," Arnett laughed again. "And he hit it pretty well."

 

But other than that rough 32-pitch opening frame, the 22-year-old settled into a groove and pitched well, allowing just two hits the rest of the way, striking out three, walking none, showing good pace with his delivery and mixing his fastball and off-speed stuff.

 

Pitching coach Chris Hook gave the young hurler a passing grade and was impressed by Arnett's ability to take the bad with the good — a must-have mindset if consistent success is to be achieved, particularly at that position.

 

"The first inning, I went out to him and I said, 'Hey, listen. You got your first (homer) out of the way," said Hook, who pitched in two big league seasons (1995-96) with San Francisco. "He didn't seem bothered by it. And I was more impressed the second inning when we had (two errors) behind him.

 

"He still didn't seem fazed at all."

 

Clinton opened the second by filling the bags on a pair of fielding errors — Wisconsin's shoddy defensive effort included six miscues overall — and a bunt single.

 

But Arnett, drafted out of Indiana University with the 26th overall pick and rated by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the Brewers' system, induced the next batter on a groundout to second and ultimately worked out of the jam behind a 4-6-3 double play.

 

The damage? Clinton scored one unearned run as Arnett didn't surrender another hit until the fifth and went on to retire eight batters via the groundball.

 

"I was pretty impressed," Hook said. "Just showing some mound presence and coming right back at them. He didn't have any give into him. So I was very pleased with that. I know he's a competitor.

 

"Today, I thought he might bubble over, but he didn't. ... I'm going to say in (my scouting report to the Brewers) probably had first-inning jitters and pitched a helluva game."

 

Hook and catcher Cameron Garfield said Arnett did a good job of commanding his fastball down in the zone, another promising sign considering he hadn't pitched in a live game since the end of spring training.

 

"As far as his stuff goes, I thought it was great," said Garfield, who had one of Wisconsin's eight hits. "We did the reports on the Clinton hitters and he made his pitches. Some things didn't go our way until he started settling down in the third inning and started making his pitches."

 

Arnett's fastball touched as high as 90 mph on the stadium gun and he consistently threw that pitch in the high 80s — down a bit from the 91 to 94 mph he reportedly threw last spring with the Hoosiers.

 

Garfield, however, said the season is far too young to be worried about anything like that.

 

"He has movement on the ball and it's still early," he said. "He's not trying to go all out. But he can definitely pump it up there."

 

And Arnett, still seeking his first professional victory after going winless in four decisions last season at rookie ball, is confident he'll definitely bounce back.

 

"It's 140 games, and you start every five days. You're going to have outings like these," he said. "I'm sure I'm going to have another outing like this. You've just got to keep your head up and try to cut those down to as few as possible.

 

"Just keeping the ball down and throwing strikes is what I'm going to take out of it. And the next time, hopefully, I don't make the big mistake that will cost you."

[Mass Haas]

The wounded baseball had barely found its new home in a landing spot behind Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium when cyberspace began to shudder.

 

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitcher Eric Arnett — the Milwaukee Brewers top pick from the 2009 draft and one of the club's top minor league prospects — was not faring well in his inaugural appearance on Monday. And Internet chatters following the action online were showing concern.

 

Wonder who is being referred to here? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

21 more photos of game action from the Post-Crescent -- we can't say we've been cut short on photos this year, and Nashville hasn't even been home yet...

 

[Mass Haas]

This Huntsville article (kind of a primer for the locals in Alabama) is more for Wednesday's home opener, but we'll post it here as the Times will likely have more tomorrow --

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Supplying the future

By Mark McCarter

Huntsville Times Sports Staff

 

The steady stream of major league prospects flowing through Huntsville shows no signs of letting up.

 

The Huntsville Stars have 10 of Milwaukee's top 30 prospects, as determined by Baseball America. The list is headed by second baseman Brett Lawrie, the Brewers' No. 2 ranked prospect and No. 59 in baseball.

 

Those prospects make their home debut Wednesday against Jacksonville. Game time is at 7 p.m. at Joe Davis Stadium. The Suns are the Double-A farm club of the Florida Marlins.

 

Joining Lawrie as something of the Terrific 10 are:

No. 5: Catcher Jonathan Lucroy

No. 8: Outfielder Lorenzo Cain

No. 11: Pitcher Mark Rogers

No. 2: Outfielder Logan Schafer (currently on disabled list)

No. 16: Pitcher Amaury Rivas

No. 17: Outfielder Caleb Gindl

No. 20: Third baseman Taylor Green

No. 25: Pitcher Alex Periard

No. 26: Pitcher Evan Anundsen (currently on disabled list)

 

(With top-ranked Alcides Escobar, the Stars' 2008 shortstop, having earned a spot in the majors this spring, Lawrie could be more accurately considered No. 1 on the ladder now and everyone else moved up a notch.)

 

Lawrie is considered the best hitter in the organization, Rivas has the best control and best changeup, Lucroy has the best strike-zone discipline, outfielder Lee Haydel is the fastest baserunner and the best fastball belongs to Jeremy Jeffress, who is expected to join the Stars sometime in May after his 100-game suspension for drug use ends.

 

The odds are slim. Only one in every 15 or so players at the Class AA level reaches the major leagues. But it seems the Stars have defied history somewhat through the years.

 

Huntsville has been affiliated with Milwaukee since 1999 and most of the Brewers' current starting lineup (1B Prince Fielder, 2B Rickie Weeks, Escobar, LF Ryan Braun, RF Corey Hart) played for the Stars.

 

The Stars have had a remarkable history of graduating players to the majors, including three league MVPs (Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada) and a former home-run record-holder (Mark McGwire). That each of the four has been linked to steroid use may or may not be coincidental.

 

Nearly 30 ex-Stars are on big-league rosters and more than 260 players who have worn a Stars uniform have played in the majors.

[Mass Haas]

Photo by Dave Dieter/Huntsville Times

Brett Lawrie, foreground, gets the royal treatment from batting coach Al LeBoeuf

 

(Does that look like Lawrie, though?)

http://media.al.com/mccarter/photo/starsjpg-6ed76a27cb4db4e7_large.jpg

 

[JohnBriggs12]

Am I overstating things when I say assuming as expected Villanueva joins them that Nashville will have a major league quality bullpen virtually from top to bottom?

[bretsky07]

Minor note from the Huntsville game: Chattanooga was 0-2 in stolen bases against Lucroy.

[battlekow]

(Does that look like Lawrie, though?)

I'm gonna guess Taylor Green.

[Mass Haas]

This minor league blogger / photographer with a couple of photos, including a painful one for Juan Sanchez (actually from Sunday's game, but more folks will see it here on the current "Report").

[kintzlerfan]

It is Brandon Kintzler in the picture!