Link Report for Sunday, April 18th -- Matinees Throughout

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu:

 

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Kameron Loe at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Huntsville: LHP Chris Cody at home vs. Jacksonville (Marlins), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Brevard County: RHP Michael Fiers at Lakeland (Tigers), 12:00 PM gametime

Sorry, no audio for this series...

 

Wisconsin: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime; expect RHP Maverick Lasker to tandem

Live Audio Link

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Tab or New Window". Choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville (Gameday also available)

 

Huntsville (Gameday also available)

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nashville 8 2 .800 - 1-1 7-1 W1 
Iowa 4 6 .400 4.0 3-5 1-1 L1 
Memphis 4 6 .400 4.0 0-2 4-4 L4 
Omaha 4 6 .400 4.0 2-6 2-0 W2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennessee 7 2 .778 - 3-1 4-1 W1 
Carolina 5 4 .556 2.0 1-3 4-1 L1 
Huntsville 5 4 .556 2.0 2-2 3-2 W1 
West Tenn 4 5 .444 3.0 1-3 3-2 L1 
Chattanooga 3 6 .333 4.0 2-3 1-3 L1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clearwater 7 3 .700 - 6-1 1-2 W2 
Dunedin 5 5 .500 2.0 1-1 4-4 W1 
Lakeland 5 5 .500 2.0 2-1 3-4 L2 
Tampa 5 5 .500 2.0 3-2 2-3 L1 
Brevard County 4 6 .400 3.0 3-5 1-1 L1 
Daytona 4 6 .400 3.0 1-4 3-2 W1

[Mass Haas]

MID Western (click column headers to sort)
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Quad Cities	8	2	.800	-	4-0	4-2	8-2	W1
	Beloit	5	5	.500	3.0	2-2	3-3	5-5	W2
	Cedar Rapids	5	5	.500	3.0	4-2	1-3	5-5	W1
	Clinton	5	5	.500	3.0	3-3	2-2	5-5	L1
	Kane County	5	5	.500	3.0	4-3	1-2	5-5	L2
	Peoria	5	5	.500	3.0	1-0	4-5	5-5	W2
	Wisconsin	4	6	.400	4.0	3-3	1-3	4-6	L1
	Burlington	3	7	.300	5.0	3-3	0-4	3-7	L2

[Mass Haas]

PDF documents:

 

Nashville Media Notes (Available an hour or so before game time)

 

Huntsville Media Notes (If to be posted today, it'd be at this link)

 

Rattler Radio Blog (You'll find all the morning updates and game notes and such here shortly before game time)

 

***

 

Enjoy your baseball day -- it's too bad there's not any affiliate evening audio with the Brewers' own Sunday game as the Crew fights to get back on track. Between battlekow and myself, we'll have your updates by this evening -- Sunday schedules will almost always take into account our own comings and goings as we close out and enjoy our weekends. Thanks for your patience.

[sfl2hnq17]

it appears that lasker is making the start today and not heckathorn.

[Tedaldtada]

Possible rain delay in BC, but who really knows...?

[TheCrew07]

Chris just announced that Krestalude is now a stand alone starter and will be starting on Tuesday, Odorizzi will go on Wednesday with Nieves backing him up, Arnett on Thursday, and Lasker will likely start again on Friday with Heckathorn in relief. Chris didn't say that anything was wrong with Heckathorn, it appears they are just trying to maximize the amount of quality innings being pitched.

[TheCrew07]

It appears that Huntsville might be delayed, the audio is a good 5 minutes late already.

 

edit. If there is a delay I missed them say it, the audio was just late coming up again, the 3rd time this year. Also, Lo Cain has the quietest 9 game hitting streak I've ever followed, he's only sporting a .759 OPS coming into today's action.

[starsradionetwork]

We apologize for being a few minutes late today guys. Our engineer had some technical issues with connecting the proper way, so our pregame was cut short. We have it figured out and should be good for the rest of the year. Again, thanks for listening and being patient while we were a little behind. Notes will continue to be available daily at chadandersonweb.com.

[tyguy20204]

Lawrie is a triple machine.

 

Someone noted yesterday that Lucroy only has one K this season. Gindl has that very same amount.

[Tedaldtada]

Dennis went yard for WI. Gennett with a throwing error.

 

Cain now 2-2 with a steal. Gindl swipes one too.

[Tedaldtada]

Salome not starting tonight, Farris is, but lower in the lineup.

 

All the Fantastic Five at Hunstville have done damage early in that game. Cody seems steady as ever.

[battlekow]

Final: Lakeland 3, Brevard County 2

 

Brevard County box score

Mike Fiers wasn't as sharp as he'd been in his first two starts, allowing three runs in six innings on six hits, two walks, and a hit batter while only striking out two. Still, he gave the Manatees a chance to win, and as usual it was their lack of offense that doomed them. Unusually, they actually managed three whole extra-base hits today, doubles by Erik Komatsu, Brock Kjeldgaard, and Steve Braun, in Braun's case his first hit of the year; Komatsu added a single and a stolen base and Kjeldgaard a walk. Komatsu's average is creeping back towards respectability, up to .256 now. Josh Prince singled and was caught stealing. I initially read the subtitle of today's Link Report as "Manatees Throughout", and Erik Miller lived up to that, or at least a homophone of that, by throwing a runner out at home for the second time in three games.

Brevard County play-by-play

After back-to-back doubles from Komatsu and Kjeldgaard brought put the tying run on second base with no outs in the 9th, the next three batters struck out to end the game.

[battlekow]

Final: Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 3

 

Quad Cities edges Wisconsin

Chris Mehring/TimberRattlers.com

DAVENPORT, IA – The Quad Cities River Bandits took a 4-1 lead and held on for a 4-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. Scott Schneider allowed one run over five innings for the win. Chris Dennis and Cameron Garfield provided the Rattlers with a homer each, but Wisconsin could not make up the three run deficit.

Dennis gave the Timber Rattlers (4-7) a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Rattlers first baseman drove the first pitch of the inning over the wall in right for a homer. The dinger was the third of the season for Dennis.

Quad Cities (9-2) got on the scoreboard and took the lead in the bottom of the third. D’Marcus Ingram stepped up with runners at second and third with one out and tied the game with a sacrifice fly. An error on a grounder off the bat of Jason Stidham allowed the second run of the inning to score.

The River Bandits added to their run total with a third inning run. Matt Adams doubled with one out. Ryde Rodriguez drove in Adams with a single to center and Quad Cities was up 3-1. Ryan Jackson made the score 4-1 with an RBI single in the fifth.

That was more than enough for the tandem of Schneider and Deryk #+$$%$. Schneider allowed one run on three hits over five innings and racked up six strikeouts. #+$$%$ tossed three scoreless frames and struck out three.

Maverick Lasker was the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers and he allowed all four River Bandits runs over five innings on the hill. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Kyle Heckathorn, a supplemental first round pick of the Brewers in the 2009 draft, pitched three scoreless innings in relief and struck out four while allowing one hit.

Garfield made it interesting in the top of the ninth inning against River Bandit closer Aaron Terry. The Timber Rattlers catcher connected with a pitch and drove the ball over the left field wall for a two-run homer with one out to get Wisconsin to within a run. But, Terry got the final two outs to nail down the save, his third of the season.

The final game of the series is Monday morning at Modern Woodmen Park. Nick Bucci (0-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Eric Fornataro (0-0, 0.00) is set to start for the River Bandits.

 

Wisconsin box score

Man, both BC and Wisconsin came up just short. Really great to see Heckathorn bounce back with a very good outing. Garfield's homer was his first of the year. Dennis added a single to go along with his homer. D'Vontrey Richardson and Khris Davis were each 1-4, while Scooter Gennett failed to reach base for the first time all year and committed his 4th error.

 

Wisconsin play-by-play

[battlekow]

Deryk #+$$%$

Ha. That's "one who hooks".

[battlekow]

Final: Huntsville 6, Jacksonville 5

 

Huntsville box score

Lorenzo Cain continues to get on base, 2-4 with a walk today; he's still without an extra-base hit on the season, but he's making up for it somewhat with baserunning, stealing two more today to put him at six for the year. Brett Lawrie tripled for the second day in a row and drew a walk, already his 9th of the year, but also committed his third error. Taylor Green and Jonathan Lucroy were each 1-3 with a walk, with Green's hit being a double. Caleb Gindl was 1-5 with his first stolen base. Starter Chris "Commander" Cody struggled to live up to his nickname, walking four in 5.1 innings en route to allowing three runs, two earned. Mike Jones struck out two and walked none in 1.2 innings but allowed three hits and an unearned run.

Huntsville play-by-play

Seems like the Stars are doing most of their damage out of the gates this year; they got five of their six runs in the first two innings.

 

The 6th was a big inning for the Suns, as they narrowed the margin from 5-1 to 5-4, but it could have been even bigger had Jones not retired uberprospect Mike Stanton to end the threat:

 

Jacksonville Top 6th

• Lee Mitchell doubles (1) on a fly
  ball to right fielder Caleb Gindl.
• Jason Delaney grounds out,
  shortstop Zelous Wheeler to first baseman Chris Errecart.
• Coaching
  visit to mound.
• Ryan Curry walks.
• Pitcher Change:
  Mike Jones replaces Chris Cody, batting 8th.
• Defensive
  Substitution: Chuck Caufield replaces pitcher Chris Cody, batting 9th,
  playing left field.
• Chris Hatcher singles on a ground ball to
  center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Lee Mitchell scores. Ryan Curry to
  2nd.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Brandon Tripp
  replaces Brad Stone.
• Brandon Tripp reaches on force attempt,
  fielding error by second baseman Brett Lawrie. Ryan Curry scores.
  Chris Hatcher to 3rd.
• Lorenzo Scott grounds into a force out,
  second baseman Brett Lawrie to shortstop Zelous Wheeler. Chris
  Hatcher scores. Brandon Tripp out at 2nd. Lorenzo Scott to 1st.
• Osvaldo
  Martinez singles on a fly ball to left fielder Chuck Caufield.
  Lorenzo Scott to 2nd.
• Mike Stanton grounds out, shortstop
  Zelous Wheeler to first baseman Chris Errecart.

[CheeseheadInIllinois]

Watching the game today, the Rattlers' defense was better than it sounds like it was yesterday. George made a really nice play turning what looked like a bad bounce into a double play in the second, and he and Gennett looked very smooth turning two a couple of times despite swapping positions. Even Gennett's E-6 was an error-bait play, charging a slowly hit grounder and rushing a throw across his body. The biggest defensive problem was the failure to make any of three possible plays at the plate, all of which looked as though they'd be close (twice Richardson's throws curled too far up the third baseline and once Dennis, I believe, cut off a throw home on the pitcher's mound that might have beaten the runner if he had either let it go or relayed in quickly to Garfield).

 

Lasker did a good job getting in front of hitters until the fifth, although the Bandits did make a fair amount of solid contact against him. The one single was the only time anyone seemed to get a good piece of one of Heckathorn's pitches. He was on and was doing a good job taking advantage of what might have been a somewhat loose strike zone (no walks by either team, I believe).

 

On the offensive end, Dennis had a good day and Garfield's home run was absolutely crushed, but not much else to praise. The Rattlers did a good job of getting ahead in the count against the Bandits starter, but just couldn't capitalize. A lot of 3-1 and 2-0 counts seemed to turn into strikeouts.

[Southern Leaguer]

A few shots from today's game. Also had a brief conversation with Caleb Gindl's dad while in line for ice cream. Several family and friends of Caleb at the game today.

[battlekow]

Final: Iowa 11, Nashville 6

 

Sounds Commit Five Errors In 11-6 Loss

NashvilleSounds.com

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The division-rival Iowa Cubs dropped the Nashville

Sounds, 11-6, in the third game of a four-game series at historic Greer

Stadium on a wild Sunday afternoon.

 

Nashville (8-3) made a season-high five errors, the most since the

Sounds committed the same number on June 15, 2008 in Iowa.

 

Iowa second baseman Bobby Scales went 3-for-5 with three doubles with

two RBIs and two runs scored. Catcher Welington Castillo also added a

home run and a triple with four RBIs.

 

Iowa quickly got on the board in the top of the second inning after

Castillo hit his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to left

field for a Cubs' 2-0 lead.

 

 

Nashville loaded the bases in the next frame with no outs on three

consecutive hits from Erick Almonte, Adam Heether, and Ben Johnson.

Second baseman Eric Farris then hit a weak grounder to the pitcher to

reach base and drive in the Sounds first run for his first Triple-A RBI.

The next batter, shortstop Luis Cruz, then belted a bases-clearing

three run double to put Nashville ahead at 4-2.

 

 

The Cubs were able to knot the contest at 4-4 in the top of the fourth

inning with doubles from Scales and third baseman Marquez Smith that

sandwiched a Castillo walk.

 

 

Iowa outfielder Jim Adduci led on the next inning with a single to

center field, then preceded to steal second base. After a Micah

Hoffpauir walk, Scales doubled again to bring home Adduci. The Cubs

tacked on another run on an A.J.

Murray fielding error that scored Hoffpauir from third base.

 

 

The game was again tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Almonte jacked a triple to center field, his first since 2008 as a

member of the Toledo Mudhens. Heether followed with a two-run long ball

to left-center, his third homer of the season that broke a 41 inning

homerless drought by the Sounds.

 

 

The Cubs regained the lead in the next frame after Iowa loaded the bases

again off two singles and another infield error by the Sounds. Scales'

sacrifice fly gave Iowa its first run, followed by a two-run triple by

Castillo for a 9-6 Iowa advantage.

 

 

Iowa added two more runs for an 11-6 lead in the ninth inning as Scales

and Brad Snyder doubled, followed a Smith sacrifice fly.

 

 

In his home debut, Sounds starter Kameron Loe allowed six runs (five

earned) on seven hits with four walks and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings

pitched for a no-decision.

Reliever A.J. Murray (0-1) took the loss, surrendering three runs (two

earned) on three hits in two innings pitched. Left-hander Zach Braddock

pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

 

 

Iowa starter J.R. Mathes (1-2) came away with the win, allowing six runs

on eight hits in six innings pitched. Scott Maine and Brian Schlitter

added a combined three shutout innings in relief.

 

 

The Sounds and Cubs wrap of their four-game series with tomorrow's 7:05

pm CT Monday evening finale at historic Greer Stadium. Sounds southpaw

Chuck Lofgren (2-0, 2.84) takes the mound against Iowa right-hander Jay

Jackson (1-1. 3.60).

 

 

Nashville box score

Braddock: awesome. Heether also had a double, and Farris had a single and a double, his first extra-base hit of the year. As noted, Angel Salome didn't play. With Brendan Katin going on the DL, Johnny Raburn was transferred to Nashville and went 1-2 with a double in his season debut.

 

Nashville play-by-play

[battlekow]

Flying Tigers Dodge Rain And Hold Off Manatees, 3-2

David Yates/Lakeland Ledger

 

LAKELAND | The Flying Tigers returned to their winning ways Sunday,

dodging the rain and a ninth-inning Manatees' rally to defeat Brevard

County, 3-2, in Florida State League baseball at soggy Joker Marchant

Stadium.

 

University of North Carolina right-hander Luke Putkonen (1-1) stymied

the Manatees for 6 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and

striking out six.

The Flying Tigers (6-5) took a 1-0 lead in the

second when Rawley Bishop singled to left, raced to third on Brent

Wyatt's single to right, and scooted home when Billy Nowlin bounced into

a double play.

Alden Carrithers expanded Lakeland's lead to 3-0

in the fifth, driving in Daniel Fields and Andy Bouchie with a double

over the head of center fielder Juan Sanchez. The Manatees, a Milwaukee

Brewers' franchise, scored their first run in the sixth when Steve Braun

doubled and scored on Sergio Miranda's sacrifice fly. The visitors

scored their other run in the ninth on back-to-back doubles by Erik

Komatsu and Brock Kjeldgaard. Those hits came off Lakeland closer Lester

Oliveiros, but the hard-throwing Venezuelan right-hander struck out the

next three Manatees to preserve the win and earn his fourth save.

Lakeland

and Brevard will meet again at Marchant tonight at 7 in the second game

of the three-game series.

[TheCrew07]

It's early in the year but my goodness the teams are piling up the errors in single games, and in sometimes single innings. Huntsville can't have but 1 or 2 clean games, WI has been a comedy of errors, the Sounds were horrendous today. I haven't been following the defense in BC, that team just isn't tripping my trigger, I only check on the box scores for certain batting lines and pitching lines, the team certainly isn't getting my best effort...

[Mass Haas]

Chris' gut check

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Bandits get right to work

Steve Batterson, Quad Cities (IA) Times

 

Time was of the essence Sunday at Modern Woodmen Park, where the Quad-Cities River Bandits struck quickly out of necessity.

 

Knowing that Wisconsin would send 2009 first-round draft pick Kyle Heckathorn to the mound as the back end of a tandem pitching rotation, Quad-Cities tagged Timber Rattlers starter Maverick Laster for four runs and seven hits before the 6-foot-6 Heckathorn ever stepped on the mound.

 

The effort was just enough to give the River Bandits an efficient 4-3 Midwest League victory.

 

Heckathorn limited Quad-Cities to one hit over the final three innings of a game completed in just 1 hour, 54 minutes, an outcome expedited by two pitching staffs that did not walk a single batter.

 

"We knew we were going to face two good arms, but looking at the numbers, I felt like we needed to get off to a good start in this game," Quad-Cities manager Johnny Rodriguez said. "We needed to put some pressure on them early."

 

The River Bandits did just that in the bottom of the third inning.

 

Back-to-back one-out hits by Frederick Parejo and Ryan Jackson allowed a sacrifice fly by D'Marcus Ingram to tie the game at 1-1. An error on a rushed throw by Timber Rattlers shortstop Scooter Gennett scored Jackson and allowed Quad-Cities to move ahead to stay.

 

Ryde Rodriguez and Jackson followed with run-scoring singles in the fourth and fifth innings as the River Bandits built a 4-1 advantage.

 

"Guys are putting good at-bats together," said Jackson, who has followed an 0-for-7 start to the season by hitting .448 during an ongoing eight-game hitting streak. "We've become tough outs at the plate, and we're backing that up with good defense and pitching."

 

Working at a brisk pace and backed by an error-free defense, Scott Schneider, Deryk *%@$%$ and Aaron Terry combined to strike out ten in the seven-hit win.

 

"We're doing what we can to keep the pitchers ready to go,'' said Matt Adams, who joined Jackson and Parejo with two hits apiece.

 

"Offensively, we're trying to jump out quick and put the pressure on the opponent."

 

HOT START: Quad-Cities is 9-2 for the first time since the 1992 season. The hot start has Quad-Cities enjoying an early three-game lead in the Midwest League's Western Division.

 

LONG BALL: The Timber Rattlers used the long ball to account for all three of their runs Sunday. Chris Dennis led off the top of the second with a homer to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead and Cameron Garfield deposited a pitch from Bandits reliever Aaron Terry over the fence in left with one out and one on in the ninth, cutting the Quad-Cities' lead to a single run.

 

QUOTEBOOK: "After Terry gave up that home run ball in the ninth, I went out and told him, ‘I trust you in this situation. Now, go out and get us two outs,' and he did. He's a competitor. I saw that in him last year at Johnson City.'' - River Bandits manager Johnny Rodriguez

 

BEAT THE CLOCK: It took just 1 hour, 54 minutes to play Sunday's game, the shortest time for a nine-inning game for Quad-Cities since it took 1:48 for the same two teams - Quad-Cities and Wisconsin - to play nine innings on June 17, 2006.

 

SERIES WIN: Sunday's win assures Quad-Cities of its fourth series win in as many tries this season.