Link Report for Sat. 5/15 -- Nashville Now Only Squad Over .500

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chuck Lofgren at home vs. Portland (Padres), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at home vs. Tennessee (Cubs), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Brevard County: RHP Michael Fiers at Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM gametime

Live Audio Link (Cubs' Feed)

 

Wisconsin: RHP Eric Arnett at home vs. Beloit (Twins), 12:50 PM pre-game; 1:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

[Mass Haas]

Follow Saturday'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 21 13 .618 - 7-7 14-6 L1 
Iowa 17 17 .500 4.0 7-10 10-7 W5 
Omaha 16 17 .485 4.5 6-12 10-5 W1 
Memphis 16 18 .471 5.0 9-7 7-11 L2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennessee 21 14 .600 - 9-11 12-3 L3 
West Tenn 18 16 .529 2.5 7-12 11-4 W3 
Huntsville 18 17 .514 3.0 6-9 12-8 W1 
Carolina 15 20 .429 6.0 6-9 9-11 W3 
Chattanooga 15 20 .429 6.0 10-10 5-10 L2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clearwater 23 11 .676 - 14-4 9-7 L1 
Dunedin 19 15 .559 4.0 7-9 12-6 W4 
Lakeland 18 16 .529 5.0 10-8 8-8 W4 
Tampa 17 18 .486 6.5 9-11 8-7 L1 
Daytona 14 21 .400 9.5 4-10 10-11 W1 
Brevard County 13 21 .382 10.0 7-12 6-9 L3

[Mass Haas]

MID Western (click column headers to sort)
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Beloit	21	14	.600	-	10-8	11-6	5-5	W2
	Quad Cities	21	14	.600	-	12-6	9-8	6-4	L1
	Peoria	21	15	.583	0.5	14-5	7-10	4-6	W2
	Cedar Rapids	20	15	.571	1.0	11-4	9-11	7-3	L1
	Kane County	18	17	.514	3.0	11-6	7-11	7-3	W1
	Clinton	17	19	.472	4.5	8-9	9-10	6-4	W1
	Burlington	12	23	.343	9.0	6-11	6-12	2-8	L4
	Wisconsin	11	24	.314	10.0	7-13	4-11	2-8	L2

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio:

 

May 15, 2010: Today's Lineup

 

Notes on Cutter from Chris --

 

The article mentions that Cutter has been taking grounders at third base.

 

It does not mention that he will be starting at first base today...Because that would have been impossible for Brett to know.

 

It also does not mention Cutter's

...No...seriously...that's it.

May 15, 2010: Today's Starting Pitcher

 

Mr. Arnett --

 

......2010 GAME-BY-GAME

DATE..OPP..W/L/S IP..H R ER BB SO ERA

4/12..CLN* Loss..4.1 6 5..4..0..3 8.31

4/17..@QC* Loss..3.1 6 8..5..0..5 10.57

4/22..CR*........4.0 5 6..6..2..1 11.57

4/29..@PEO.......4.1 6 5..5..3..4 11.25

5/3...QC*........3.0 1 0..0..0..3 9.47

5/8...CR*..Loss..5.0 5 4..4..4..2 9.0

 

May 15, 2010: Game Notes

[TheCrew07]

It would be nice if Fatse and Dennis got going again for the T-Rats, both have been slumping for a while now. Actually as I look at the T-Rat lineup, Dennis is getting a day off and Dykstra is starting at 1B.

[jjfanec]

Arnett with a nice start so far. 3 IP, 4 K's, and 0 ER. He does have 2 BB though which has been the problem for all our minor league pitchers it seems like. 4 of 5 outs have been on the ground as well.

[Mass Haas]

PDF document:

 

Nashville Media Notes

[TheCrew07]

The T-Rats drop another 1 run game. *sigh*

[battlekow]

Final: Beloit 4, Wisconsin 3

Snappers' two out lightning strikes Rattlers

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE,

WI – The Beloit Snappers scored four times with two outs on Saturday

afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field. They picked up a 4-3 win over the

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Danny Rams drove in the winning run with a

single in the top of the eighth inning.

 

 

 

 

 

Khris Davis

gave the Rattlers (11-24) a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the bottom of

the

first inning.

 

Beloit (22-14)

tied the game in the third inning. Wang Wei Lin reached on an error to

start the frame. Brian Dozier doubled with two outs in the frame to

score

Lin with the tying run.

 

 

 

 

 

The Snappers

struck again with two outs in the top of the fourth. Anderson Hidalgo

was

at third and Eric Arnett walked Yosmil Pinto on a 3-2 pitch. An infield

single

by Lin plated Hidalgo. Aaron Hicks singled on the next pitch to send

Pinto home for a 3-1 lead.

 

Arnett tossed

five innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with three

walks,

and five strikeouts.

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin had

opportunities against Beloit starting pitcher Edgar Ibarra after the

first

inning but did not cross the plate again until the Beloit bullpen took

over the

game. The Rattlers would even the game with a pair of runs in the sixth

and they didn’t have a hit in the inning.

 

Cutter

Dykstra walked against reliever Peter Kennelly and took second on a

passed ball

to start the inning. A grounder sent Dykstra to third base and Michael

Marseco walked. That was the end for Kennelly as Dakota Watts took

over.

 

 

 

 

 

Watts induced

a grounder to short out of Carlos George that forced Marseco at second.

But,

the speedy number eight hitter stayed out of the double play by beating

the relay

to first to allow Dykstra to score. Watts extended the inning by

hitting Erik

Miller. Then, Watts allowed the tying run to score when D’Vontrey

Richardson

sent a one-hopper back to the mound. The ball popped out of Watts’

glove and he rushed his throw to first. George scored as the ball

caromed

off the wall in foul territory. However, the Rattlers would leave the

bases loaded in the inning.

 

The game

stayed tied until late. Rattlers reliever Hiram Burgos, who took over

for

Arnett in the sixth, walked Steven Liddle to start the eighth. A

sacrifice bunt and a fly ball to right got Liddle around to third base.

Burgos

got ahead of Rams 0-2. But, the third pitch of the at bat was a two-out

single

to right-center to drive in Liddle with the run that made the score

4-3.

Rams has six RBI in 23 games this season. All six of his RBI are

against

Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

The Rattlers

had two hits in the eighth and one more in the ninth, but could not even

the

score. Wisconsin left 13 runners on base in the game and went 1-for-13

with runner in scoring position as they dropped to 2-8 against the

Snappers

this season. Saturday’s game was also moved Wisconsin’s

record in one-run games to 1-10 in 2010.

 

Wisconsin and

Beloit wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon. It is a Brewers Sunday

presented by 107.5 The Fan. Timber Rattlers players will be wearing

jerseys and

caps based on those of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. Fans may play catch

on

the field before the game and participate in a post-game autograph

session with

the players. Time Warner Cable subscribers may bring in their bill and

receive

up to four half priced reserve seat tickets.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle

Heckathorn (1-3, 5.12) is the scheduled starter for Wisconsin. Beloit

will send Michael Tonkin (0-1, 6.75) to the hill.

 

Game time is

1:05pm. If you can’t make it to the game, you can listen to the

game on AM 1280, WNAM. The broadcast starts at 12:45pm with the Miller

Lite Pregame Show.

Wisconsin box score

Arnett deserved better, as two iffy plays by George cost him. The first, an error in the 3rd, led to an unearned run. Then, in the 4th, George threw errantly to second for what have been the last out of the inning, allowing another run to score and keeping the inning alive for Aaron Hicks, who singled in another run on the next pitch. George wasn't charged with an error since he made a nice play just getting to the ball, but it sounded like a throw that should have been made. It would be one thing if George was an excellent defensive shortstop pushing Scooter Gennett to second base, but that doesn't appear to be the case. After walking two in the 1st, Arnett didn't walk another until the 4th, and that was after a lengthy battle that saw him battle back gamely from a 3-0 count. On offense, Richardson finished 1-4 with a triple and a walk and also made a nice diving catch to save a run in the 7th. Gennett was 2-4 with a walk (if Lawrie is Mr. 1-4, Gennett is Mr. 2-4). Davis and Dykstra were each 1-3, the former with two walks and the latter with one, while Cameron Garfield was 0-5.

Wisconsin play-by-play

[TheCrew07]

Nashville up 1-0.

 

Bowman got rocked and didn't last 3 IP, Huntsville down 6-0 in the 3rd.

 

BC up 3-1 in the 3rd.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Fiers with 11 K's thru 6!

[chowyo123]

Looks like Fiers has struck out every batter in the lineup at least once. That's impressive.

[jjfanec]

Nashville rocked Inman tonight. Coming into the game Inman was really struggling with walks but had not given up many hits. Tonight was the opposite. No walks but 11 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings.

[YoungGeezy]

Dykstra at first base today, interesting to see guess they just wanted to get him on the field. I have a hard time tryng to figure out where he could fit, second base is decently jammed, I don't see him playing short, the outfield didn't panned out and I don't see the power coming enought to play 3rd....I'm curious to see what happens, happy that he back on track and playing well again.

[TheCrew07]

I haven't been very impressed with Lofgren, he's still walking too many while striking out too few for me, in fact his K rate has gotten worse every year and currently sits below 6.0. I like all of my starting pitchers to be 7+... he has a good enough arm to be a pretty good pitcher but his trending doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy for him. He might be better off in a relief role.

[TheCrew07]

With Fiers' 11K today his K:BB ratio is nearly 4:1, I wonder who they bump from the rotation when Jeffress is ready? Merklinger got bumped for Cappy, he and Watten both have 4 starts thus far.

[twobrewers]

Kentrail Davis is in a bit of a slump. I believe he is 0 for his last 16.

 

He's been one of my bright spots thus far.

 

And yeah, Lofgren has been disappointing to me as well. I was a big advocate of trading for him - but I just keep telling myself "He is a better option than Mike Burns"

[battlekow]

Final: Brevard County 6, Daytona 2

Errors prove costly in 6-2 loss to Manatees

Daytona Cubs

 

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The Daytona Cubs (14-22) battled late, but the bats were silenced in a 6-2 defeat against the Brevard County Manatees. Michael Fiers (2-3) struck out eleven in six dominant innings for Brevard County to pick up the win.

The Manatees struck first with three runs in the top of the second inning. Second baseman Sergio Miranda started the inning off with a single and stole second base. He came home on a single off the bat of designated hitter Shawn Zarraga. Catcher Anderson De La Rosa followed with a walk and set the table for third baseman Matt Cline. Cline doubled to the wall in left to bring both runners in.

The Cubs took advantage of a wild pitch in the bottom of the second inning to score one. Right fielder Kyler Burke roped a double to the gap in right-center with one out to get things going. D.J. LeMahieu singled to put runners on the corners. Fiers struck out Mark Reed for the second out and also got Smailey Borges to chase one in the dirt for strike three. The strike-out pitch got away from De La Rosa and Borges safely got to first, while Burke came into score.

Brevard County touched up Cubs starter Brooks Raley (0-3) for another run in the fourth inning. Zarraga reached on a one-out walk and moved from first to third as Cubs third baseman Jake Opitz threw away a double-play opportunity into right field. Cline then came through again for the Manatees with a RBI-double down the right field line.

The Manatees took advantage of some more Cubs miscues in the top of the fifth inning. Center fielder Kentrail Davis reached on an error by Daytona second baseman David Macias. First baseman Sean Halton then singled to right field and it slipped underneath the glove of Kyler Burke. Davis came all the way around to score from first and gave the Manatees a 5-1 lead.

The Daytona Cubs tried to gain ground in the seventh inning when Kyler Burke singled and DJ LeMahieu promptly followed with an RBI double. The D-Cubs left LeMahieu in scoring position and wouldn't get another chance.

Brevard County box score

Wow, Mike Fiers. 11 strikeouts and no walks in six innings is one way to get noticed. Cline had an eyepopping performance as well on offense, going 4-5 with two doubles, buoying his season line to .349/.442/.422. He's 24, but that performance should be respected from a right-handed hitter at BC regardless. Davis was 0-4 with a walk, Erik Komatsu 1-4 with a sacrifice, Josh Prince 0-5, and Zarraga 1-2 with two walks.

 

Brevard County play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: Tennessee 8, Huntsville 2

Stars bats missing against Smokies

Jill Cacic/Huntsville Stars

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.- The Huntsville Stars only mustered three hits in a 8-2 final against the first-place Tennessee Smokies Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

The Smokies (22-14) got to Stars starting pitcher Michael Bowman (2-4) early on. Tony Campana hit a leadoff single and stole second and third with Marwin Gonzalez at the plate. Ty Wright doubled to second and Blake Lalli followed up with a two-run dinger to make it 4-0. Tennessee added two more runs in the top of the third before the Stars (18-18) even got a hit.

 

Third baseman Brett Lawrie drove in the Stars only two runs on the night, one in the sixth and another in the eighth. Catcher Sean McCraw was the only other Huntsville player to get a hit, going 1-for-2 with a run.

 

The Stars and Smokies play game two of the five-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. RHP Craig Muschko (1-0, 3.65) will take the mound for the Smokies against the Stars' own right hander Mark Rogers (2-2, 3.96).

 

Huntsville box score

Well, at least Lawrie had two hits, one of them a triple. Lorenzo Cain was 0-3 with a walk, and Caleb Gindl was 0-4. Bowman allowed six runs in 2.2 innings on six hits and three walks, striking out three.

 

Huntsville play-by-play

It looks like Lawrie could have made a baserunning error here, though admittedly the batted-ball classifications can be iffy:

 

Huntsville Bottom 6th

• Brent Brewer reaches
  on fielding error by third baseman Russ Canzler.
• Lorenzo Cain
  walks. Brent Brewer to 2nd.
• Brett Lawrie singles on a fly
  ball to right fielder Matthew Spencer. Brent Brewer scores.
  Lorenzo Cain to 2nd.
• Caleb
  Gindl pops into double play, shortstop Marwin Gonzalez to first baseman
  Blake Lalli. Brett Lawrie doubled off 1st.
• Zelous Wheeler
  called out on strikes.

[battlekow]

Final: Nashville 9, Portland 3

Heether powers Sounds past Beavers, 4-3

Nashville Sounds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Third baseman Adam Heether homered and drove in five

runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 9-3 victory over the visiting

Portland Beavers in front of 9,049 fans on Saturday evening at historic

Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

The Sounds (22-13) recorded their fourth win in the last six contests

and improved to 7-3 in series openers on the year.

 

Heether (2-for-5) matched Joe Koshansky (May 7 at Albuquerque) for the

highest single-game RBI total by a Nashville batter this season and was

one of six Sounds hitters with multiple-hit efforts on the night.

 

Nashville got started quickly against Beavers starter Will Inman, taking

a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Josh Anderson, Ray

Olmedo, and Trent Oeltjen opened the frame with consecutive singles, the

last of which plate Anderson for the game's first run.

 

 

Portland rallied to grab a 2-1 lead in the second against Sounds starter

Chuck Lofgren. The Beavers loaded the bases with one out on a Mike

Baxter double sandwiched around a pair of walks. Chris Stewart tied the

score with a sacrifice fly to center before Inman helped his own cause

with a go-ahead RBI single through the left side of the infield.

 

 

The Sounds made it a 2-2 game in the home half of the second when Olmedo

(3-for-5) blooped an opposite-field, two-out RBI single to left to

plate Luis Cruz from second.

 

 

Heether staked Nashville to a 4-2 lead in the third when he slugged a

two-run homer to left-center off Inman, his sixth roundtripper of the

year which extended the infielder's hitting streak to a season-best

seven games. Koshansky also scored on the blast after being hit by a

pitch to open the inning.

 

 

The Beavers pulled back within a run in the fourth as Lofgren issued a

two-out, bases-loaded walk to Luis Durango to force in Aaron Cunningham.

 

 

Nashville broke the game wide open in the sixth with five runs off

Portland reliever Matt Buschmann that increased the lead to 9-3.

 

 

Heether ripped a bases-loaded, three-run double to the wall in center

that increased the Sounds' lead to 7-3. All three runners who scored on

the two-bagger reached via walks earlier in the frame. Following yet

another walk drawn by a Sounds batter (Drew Anderson), Jonathan Lucroy

plated a pair of runs with a double to left-center to conclude the

inning's scoring.

 

 

Lofgren (5-2) picked up his team-leading fifth win of the year after

allowing three runs on three hits over five innings of work. He walked

six batters and struck out five in his outing.

 

 

Left-hander Chase Wright followed with four scoreless frames for

Nashville to pick up his first save of the year and third of his 10-year

career. It was the southpaw's first relief outing of the season and his

first overall appearance for the Sounds since May 3rd after being

replaced in the rotation by Chris Capuano.

 

 

Inman (2-1) took his first loss of the year for Portland after he

allowed four runs on 11 hits while fanning five batters in his five

frames of action.

 

 

The clubs continue their series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Sunday

afternoon. Right-hander Kameron Loe (4-1, 2.44) will take the hill for

the Sounds to face Portland right-hander Josh Geer (0-3, 4.79).

Nashville box score

I have to admit, I'm of mixed emotions seeing the Sounds batter around Inman. Lofgren only allowed three fewer baserunners than did Inman; he was lucky to escape with only three runs allowed. Nice to see Heether have a great game (you can listen to the audio from his homer here), and it's great to see Lucroy with two hits, including a double.

 

Nashville play-by-play

 

 

[Mass Haas]

In Huntsville, at least one bright performance, as Mike Jones saved Michael Bowman's line from further ugliness by stranding two runners, and then went on to toss three scoreless, fanning five.

 

Casey Baron with a balk, wild pitch, and two more runs allowed in his first outing in a week. Something's not right for the southpaw with a clear path and pedigree to be the "next Mitch Stetter".

[Mass Haas]

Hadn't realized this was the last season for the Portland Beavers, as Stu discusses here...

 

Also, the folks from Tacoma with their take on the status of the Nashvile and Memphis franchises -- still no word on whether the Brewers will renew their convenient 90-miles apart Nashville / Huntsville partnership again. Unlike the recent Brevard renewal, don't expect any news until the fall.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Timber Rattlers staying positive despite losses

By Cory Jennerjohn, Post-Crescent staff writer

 

GRAND CHUTE — May is supposed to be a month of hope and renewal.

 

Don't tell that to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, who are just 4-12 in this month of budding flowers.

 

"We've cut down our mistakes a lot, but they're still happening occasionally," third baseman Michael Marseco said after the Timber Rattlers lost to Beloit 4-3 in a Midwest League game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday.

 

The Timber Rattlers, who have lost three games in a row, left 13 runners on base and were one-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

 

Left fielder and clean-up hitter Pete Fatse had a chance to get Wisconsin off to a good start in the first inning when he came up with the bases loaded and nobody out, but he struck out looking. Fatse took extra swings off a tee by himself in the cage after the game to try to remedy his one-for-15 slump.

 

"It's not one guy. It's everybody," manager Jeff Isom said. "Everybody's got to come together and pick each other up."

 

The mistakes aren't just at the plate. In the fourth, Beloit catcher Danny Rams picked off Marseco at second base after spotting that his lead was too big.

 

"They made a great throw to get me, but I've got to be a smarter baserunner in that situation," Marseco said.

 

The problems were compounded in the field, where shortstop Carlos George misjudged a sharply hit groundball that skipped into left. George has a team-high 14 errors.

 

"We've had a lot of mental errors on the bases and on defense," designated hitter Khris Davis said. "But we're learning and we're getting better day-by-day. I mean, not too many guys are hanging their heads. We're just thinking about getting better as a team."

 

Davis was doubled up at first on Cutter Dykstra's soft liner to shortstop, but that wasn't a mental error because the run-and-hit was on.

 

Despite the recent streak of losses, the Rattlers players know they're professionals now and still have 103 games to get the kinks worked out.

 

"We all enjoy coming here. It's not like we're dreading to get to the field," Davis said. "As long as we realize we're getting paid to play baseball, to me that's the best job in the world."

 

Isom is confident the team will be able to turn things around.

 

"We're seeing improvement, even though the wins aren't there," Isom said. "We're seeing improvement with every player at this time. We're getting better pitching. We're getting better defense.

 

"At one point earlier in this month, we were second (in the Midwest League) in hitting. That's dropped down a bit. We're seeing good things come in different areas. I think they're realizing if I play good defense and we get good pitching, we're going to win ballgames."