Link Report for Friday, April 30th -- Impressive List of Starters

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

 

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chuck Lofgren at home vs. Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Huntsville: RHP Amaury Rivas at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Brevard County: RHP Michael Fiers at Tampa (Yankees), 6:00 PM gametime

Sorry, no audio for this series...

 

Wisconsin: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at Beloit (Twins), 6:15 PM pre-game; 6:30 gametime; RHP Maverick Lasker will tandem

Live Audio Link

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday'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 15 6 .714 - 4-5 11-1 W6 
Iowa 9 11 .450 5.5 5-6 4-5 L1 
Omaha 9 11 .450 5.5 4-8 5-3 W1 
Memphis 9 12 .429 6.0 4-4 5-8 L1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennessee 15 6 .714 - 6-4 9-2 L3 
Chattanooga 11 10 .524 4.0 7-4 4-6 W3 
Huntsville 11 10 .524 4.0 5-5 6-5 L3 
West Tenn 11 10 .524 4.0 4-7 7-3 W4 
Carolina 6 15 .286 9.0 2-8 4-7 L11 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clearwater 12 8 .600 - 8-3 4-5 W1 
Dunedin 11 9 .550 1.0 5-4 6-5 L1 
Lakeland 11 9 .550 1.0 6-2 5-7 W2 
Tampa 11 10 .524 1.5 7-5 4-5 W1 
Brevard County 8 12 .400 4.0 4-6 4-6 L1 
Daytona 8 13 .381 4.5 3-8 5-5 L2

[Mass Haas]

MID Western (click column headers to sort)
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Quad Cities	14	7	.667	-	8-1	6-6	5-5	L3
	Peoria	13	8	.619	1.0	9-0	4-8	7-3	W3
	Beloit	12	8	.600	1.5	5-4	7-4	7-3	W1
	Kane County	11	10	.524	3.0	8-4	3-6	5-5	W4
	Clinton	10	11	.476	4.0	6-6	4-5	5-5	L1
	Cedar Rapids	9	12	.429	5.0	5-4	4-8	4-6	W1
	Wisconsin	7	13	.350	6.5	5-6	2-7	3-7	L5
	Burlington	7	14	.333	7.0	6-6	1-8	4-6	L1

[Mass Haas]

PDF document:

 

Huntsville Media Notes

[brewmann04]

Hopefully Kyle Heckathorn can do well as a starter since Arrnett has not excatly lit it up.

[Mass Haas]

PDF document:

 

Nashville Media Notes

 

Eric Farris' injury is simply described as "leg". That's his meal ticket, so hopefully nothing too serious.

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio:

 

April 30, 2010: Rattlers Lineup -- Night off for C Cameron Garfield

 

April 30, 2010: Tonight's Rattlers pitchers

 

April 30, 2010: Game Notes

[battlekow]

Rattlers in a rain delay to start.

[TheCrew07]

Rattlers in a rain delay to start.

now postponed.

[wibadgers23]

No hits for Lucroy, but he's thrown out two baserunners. Rivas pitching well again and that Huntsville offense is on a roll tonight.

[TheCrew07]

Rivas stinks, I'm jumping off his bandwagon.

[TheCrew07]

Rain washes out Rattlers @ Beloit on Friday
By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

BELOIT, WI - Friday's Midwest League game between the Wisconsin Timber
Rattlers and the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field has been postponed.

The teams will make up the game as part of a doubleheader on
Saturday. Game one is scheduled to start at 4:00pm. There will be a 30
minute break at the conclusion of game one. Then, game two will start.
Both games are scheduled for seven innings.

You may tune in to both games on AM 1280, WNAM beginning with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 3:40pm.

[TheCrew07]

Final: Brevard County 5, Tampa (Yankees) 3

 

 

Brevard Country Box Score

 

I'm filling in for MH and BK tonight. Josh Prince had his best night in his last ten games, and maybe this season going 2 for 4 with a 2B. He's back up to a .200 BA following today's action, it's been a tough start to the season for him, certainly not the fireworks he started off with in Helena last season. Zarraga and Cline both add 2 hits, Zarraga with a 2B as well, bumping their season lines to .417/.500/.962 and .309/.364/.764 respectively. Zarraga is tough to get a read on, he's only had 12 ABs on the season and they actually had him sacrifice in a crucial situation earlier in the week, but his bat has always carried some potential. Fiers continues his fine season thus far, though not as dominant in this one. Frerichs had 3BBs against 1K in his 2 IP but didn't allow a run.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_log&gid=2010_04_30_breafa_tbyafa_1

Brevard County Game Log

 

Fiers had an interesting bottom of the 2nd.

Tampa Bottom 2nd

• Neil Medchill homers (1) on a fly ball to left field.
• Jose Pirela grounds out, second baseman Sergio Miranda to first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard.
• Melky Mesa hit by pitch.
• With
  Mitch Abeita batting, Melky Mesa steals (6) 2nd base, . Melky Mesa
  advances to 3rd, on throwing error by catcher Anderson De La Rosa.
• Mitch Abeita walks.
• Trent Lockwood strikes out swinging.
• Jack Rye strikes out swinging

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Nice to see Lawrie get on track with 4 hits.

[TheCrew07]

Final: Huntsville 10, Birmingham (White Sox) 1

by Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars

 

Huntsville

snapped a three game losing streak thanks to the long ball Friday night

against the Barons, defeating Birmingham 10-1 to even the current

series at one game apiece.

Steffan

Wilson started the home run derby with a long blast to left field off

Barons starting pitcher Matt Long in the first inning. Chris Errecart scored on Wilson’s first home run of the year. After

sending his first inning double off the wall, Errecart had another look

at Long in the third inning and took full advantage with a shot that

cleared the left field wall and brought home Taylor Green.

Starting pitcher Amaury Rivas’ showed why he sits near the top of the Southern League in most statistical categories. Huntsville’s ace tossed seven innings and remained unbeaten, moving his record to 4-0. Rivas threw only 78 pitches and saw 24 Barons, he struck out four and walked one. Through five starts, the 24 year old Dominican native has allowed only three earned runs.

Zelous Wheeler stretched his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fifth inning. When

his streak began against Jacksonville, Wheeler’s average was just .125;

he has since been moved in to the middle of the lineup and following

Friday’s 2-4 night that included his third home run of the season the

Stars infielder is batting .344.

Game three between the Stars and Barons starts Saturday night at 6:30. Alex Periard (1-2 4.37) is scheduled to battle Jhonny Nunez (0-2 6.20) for the leg up in the series against in state rivals. Pre-game

coverage on the Huntsville Stars Radio Network begins at 6:15 CDT, play

by play coverage can also be heard online at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

It's no secret I'm an Amaury Rivas guy, and he continues his strong 2010 campaign going 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, and striking out 4. Donovan Hand follwed Amaury with 2 scoreless innings of his own, adding 3Ks and no BBs. This is Donovan's 3rd shot at AA and predictably he's gotten incrementally better with each go round, he's certainly earned a promotion to Nashville. Defensively a clean game from the Stars, errorless games have been tough to come by even though they've been among the league leaders in turning DPs this season. Offensively a huge night as you would guess from the score, but no one had a better night than young Brett Lawrie who went 4 for 5 with a 2B and a 3B. Haydel, Wheeler, Green, and Errecart all added 2 hits a piece. Haydel and Errecart added 2Bs, while Wheeler, Errecart, and Wilson all homered, not a solo shot among the 3 HRs.

 

Huntsville Game Log

Not a single monster inning, just solid hitting through out the entire game.

[TheCrew07]

Final: Nashville 7, Memphis (Cardinals) 4

 

Sounds Win 7th Straight Game, 7-4 Over Memphis

 

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds extended their winning streak to seven

games by defeating the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds, 7-4, in

front of a season-high 8,520 fans on Friday evening at historic Greer

Stadium.

 

Nashville (16-6) finished the month of April with the best record in the 16-team Pacific Coast League.

 

Sounds starter Chuck Lofgren (4-1) pulled into a tie for the

league lead by earning his fourth win in five starts. The southpaw

turned in his second quality start of the year, holding the Redbirds to

two runs on three hits over six innings of work.

 

The Sounds took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning

against Memphis starter Lance Lynn, plating three unearned runs as a

result of a pair of Redbirds errors. Jonathan Lucroy had a bases-loaded

fielder's choice groundout for Nashville, and Trent Oeltjen added a

two-out RBI single in the frame.

 

Joe Koshansky pushed the Sounds' lead to 4-0 in the fifth when his

bases-loaded sacrifice fly brought home Adam Stern (3-for-5), who

singled earlier in the frame.

 

Memphis halved the lead to 4-2 in the sixth when center fielder

Shane Robinson (2-for-3) belted his first home run of the season, a

two-out, two-run shot to left off Lofgren.

 

The Sounds got a run back in the bottom of the frame against

the Memphis bullpen. Trey Hearne hit Oeltjen with a pitch to open the

inning before Johnny Raburn singled to put runners on the corners.

Shortstop Luis Cruz upped the lead to 5-2 with an RBI single to center.

 

The visitors made a game of it in the eighth, pulling within a

run at 5-4 before leaving the bases loaded. With one out, Bryan

Anderson, Donovan Solano, and pinch-hitter Kevin Howard strung together

consecutive singles against Mitch Stetter, the third of which made it a

5-3 game. After John Axford took over on the Nashville hill, Robinson

singled to load the bases before Daniel Descalso drew a run-scoring

walk from the right-hander to pull Memphis within a run.

 

With the bases still loaded and only one out, Axford recovered

to strike out Allen Craig and induce an inning-ending pop-up from Mark

Hamilton to escape the jam without further damage and preserve the

one-run advantage.

 

For the second time in three innings, Nashville answered a

Memphis score in the top of an inning with runs of its own in the home

half as the Sounds got both runs back against Fernando Salas in the

bottom of the eighth.

 

Pinch-hitter Norris Hopper delivered an RBI single to plate

Oeltjen, who had opened the frame with a double. Stern added a

run-scoring knock later in the frame to extend the Sounds' lead to 7-4.

 

Closer Chris Smith retired the Redbirds in order in the top of

the ninth to notch his minor league-leading 10th save of the year.

 

 

Lynn (0-2) took the loss for Memphis after giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits over five innings of work.

 

Sounds second baseman Ray Olmedo singled in the fifth to extend

his hitting streak to seven games, matching Eric Farris for the longest

effort on the club this season.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6:35 p.m. matchup on

Saturday night. Right-hander Marco Estrada (1-0, 2.74) will take the

hill for the Sounds to face Memphis left-hander Rich Hill (1-2, 5.16).

Nashville Box Score

Lofgren with a nice start for the Sounds tonight, going 6 IP giving up 2 runs, only 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 3. Unfortunately he did allow a HR which is how both runs against him scored. Mitch Stetter was tagged for the other 2 runs, giving up 3 hits against a single strike out. Axford couldn't limit the damage for Stetter, allowing 1 of the inherited runners to score. Smith with a quick 1, 2, 3 inning with 2 strike outs to close out the game. Offensively Stern (3), Oeltjen (2), and Raburn (2) had multi hit games and Oeltjen also doubled for the only XBH of the game.

 

Nashville Game Log

Shoddy defense in the 1st allowed Nashville to jump out early.

Nashville Bottom 1st

• Adam Stern singles on a ground ball to left fielder Allen Craig.
• Ray Olmedo reaches on force attempt, fielding error by shortstop Donovan Solano. Adam Stern to 2nd.
• Adam Heether grounds out to first baseman Mark Hamilton. Adam Stern to 3rd. Ray Olmedo to 2nd.
• Joe Koshansky walks.
• Jonathan
  Lucroy grounds into a force out, shortstop Donovan Solano to second
  baseman Daniel Descalso. Adam Stern scores. Ray Olmedo scores. Joe
  Koshansky out at 2nd. Jonathan Lucroy advances to 2nd, on throwing
  error by second baseman Daniel Descalso.
• Trent Oeltjen
  singles on a line drive to right fielder Mark Shorey. Jonathan Lucroy
  scores. Trent Oeltjen to 2nd on the throw.
• John Raburn grounds out to first baseman Mark Hamilton.

[twobrewers]

I really liked Chris Smith during his time in Milwaukee. I hope he gets another chance someday.

 

Thanks for taking the reins with the updates TheCrew07

[battlekow]

Thanks for taking the reins with the updates TheCrew07

Seriously, thanks. Very much appreciated.

 

Random thoughts: Second straight start for Rivas with a ridiculous GB%, 13/3 GO/AO tonight. I wonder if it's just one of those things or if he's doing something different. This was Prince's first two-hit game since his season debut; he's not walking as much so far this year either, so the batting average is important. It's silly how happy a four-hit night from Lawrie makes me. Still no Kentrail Davis.

[Mass Haas]

More randomness --

 

Brevard:

 

How hot was Erik Komatsu earlier? Now 3-for-his-last-21 to cool things off, yet still with an .838 Florida State League OPS in 80 AB's, but perhpas most impressively, more walks (7) than K's (6), although that's only an average walk ratio (near one per every ten AB's).

 

In 133 games last year, Brock Kjeldgaard fanned 172 times. He's already at 32 K's in 21 games thus far in 2010.

 

Michael Fiers' WHIP is still under 1.00 (0.97) after five starts (29 innings).

 

As a team, the Manatees have drawn only 41 walks in 731 AB's, way below that 10% threshold. By far last in the league, a league where drawing walks is everything. Brevard pitchers have issued 81 walks, 2nd most in the league.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville:

You really need to peek at how ridiculously hot Zelous Wheeler has been, the hit streak is at 12, as noted above, so the "last ten games" stats don't even do him justice. Another guy with an impressive walks (11) to K's (8) ratio.

 

24-year-old Amaury Rivas is just messing with Southern League hitters, a .160 batting average against in five starts (15 hits and three earned runs allowed in 30 innings). Among starting pitchers already on the 40-man roster, Nashville's Marco Estrada would seemingly be the first choice for promotion if needed. But Rivas seems mature and polished enough that the Brewers could reach for him easily if let's say, bad weather forcing doubleheaders or such prompted the need on short notice.

 

***

 

Random thoughts are being brought to you today because of the painful lack of media coverage in some of these minor league outposts, home and road.

[Mass Haas]

Brett Christopherson with a valid point about the Timber Rattler defense.

[Mass Haas]

Welcome, Nashville pitching coach, Rich Gale. Sounds off to an amazing start -- only 164 hits allowed in 201 innings thus far (stat page).

[Mass Haas]

I'll be efforting out Saturday's Link Report later today. Your earliest action is the Rattlers' doubleheader at 4:00 PM Central.