Link Report for Fri. 5/21 -- Arnett Can't Step Up, Crushed for 16 Baserunners and Seven Runs in 5.2 Innings

[homer]

As I recall, people were shocked he fell to the Brewers in the draft.

 

And Mass, you should thank TheCrew for saving you the misery of watching that first inning.

[marty22]

Yep, biedergb hit it on the head. People thought there was no way that he would fall to us at 26...maybe everyone else knew something we didn't.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I wouldnt be picking college pitchers from the big ten. I too was skeptical of the Arnett pick but this looks disastrous. Hopefully this year we pick a high school pitcher with a power arm or a high school bat with power like Josh Sale.

[Mass Haas]

You know we're almost 100% about accentuating the positive in the system here in Link Report-land, but the top round guys (we'll say rounds 1 and 2) have that bonus cash in their pockets and are a bit exempt from that, so thanks for letting me vent a bit this evening, both on them and the Brewers' selection process.

 

It's one thing to have these top selections toil in mediocrity for five years before fading away, but we can almost write off immediately Evan Frederickson, Cody Adams, Seth Lintz, and please not, but I fear, Arnett. That is just insane. Top two rounds!

 

OK, back in the AM. G'night, folks, you're in capable Link Report hands as usual...

[battlekow]

I wouldnt be picking college pitchers from the big ten. I too was skeptical of the Arnett pick but this looks disastrous.

Come on, where's your usual optimism?

[colbyjack]

It's one thing to have these top selections toil in mediocrity for five years before fading away, but we can almost write off immediately Evan Frederickson, Cody Adams, Seth Lintz, and please not, but I fear, Arnett. That is just insane. Top two rounds!

 

It was about this time last year that Eric Arnett pitched one of the best games of his college career as part of the Big Ten Championship in Columbus Ohio. The guy was filthy, throwing 94-96 with one of the better sliders I had seen all last year. Hitters had no chance against either pitch, and he commanded both pitches too.

 

There has to be something wrong with the guy, as he has really lost it since. I'm not going to get down on him for his performances last year, because I think he fared pretty well for almost completely laying off of his slider, but it's clear he's not himself.

 

Overall just a maddeningly frustrating season from top to bottom.

 

I will say that after Nick Bucci pitch his last two starts that I am incredibly excited about his future. I already knew that the team was really high on him, but he's better than I envisioned based on the reports we got last yer.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I wouldnt be picking college pitchers from the big ten. I too was skeptical of the Arnett pick but this looks disastrous.

Come on, where's your usual optimism?

Should I be optimistic about this organization right now. Not only has the big league team been awful but most of our top prospects have taken a step back so far this year.

 

 

[battlekow]

Final: Charlotte 12, Brevard County 9

Brevard County box score

You would think staking Wily Peralta to a five-run lead would be a comfortable position, but you'd be wrong in this case; the Manatees scored five in the 1st only to see Peralta immediately give three back and then five more in the 5th for an ugly final line: 4 IP, 5 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Mike Ramlow got into his first game of the year and allowed an unearned run in 2.1 innings on three hits, walking none and striking out four. Erik Komatsu led the offense with three hits, including a double; Mat Gamel was 1-4 with a double and a walk. Kentrail Davis led off again and was 1-5, while erstwhile leadoff man Josh Prince hit sixth and was also 1-5. As MH pointed out, Matt Cline was hit twice by pitches and left the game.

 

Brevard County play-by-play

Charlotte Bottom 5th

• Matt Spring doubles (2) on a fly
  ball to right fielder Erik Komatsu.
• With Kyeong Kang batting,
  wild pitch by Wily Peralta, Matt Spring to 3rd.
• Kyeong Kang
  walks.
• Matthew Hall singles on a ground ball to left fielder
  Brock Kjeldgaard. Matt Spring scores. Kyeong Kang to 2nd.
• Isaias
  Velasquez hits a sacrifice bunt. Throwing error by pitcher Wily
  Peralta. Kyeong Kang scores. Matthew Hall to 3rd. Isaias
  Velasquez to 2nd.
• Tim Beckham singles on a line drive to right
  fielder Erik Komatsu. Matthew Hall scores. Isaias Velasquez to
  3rd. Tim Beckham advances to 2nd, on throwing error by right fielder
  Erik Komatsu.
• Pitcher Change: Mike Ramlow replaces Wily
  Peralta.
• Matt Joyce out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder
  Brock Kjeldgaard. Isaias Velasquez scores. Tim Beckham to 3rd.
• Henry
  Wrigley singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard.
  Tim Beckham scores.
• Leslie Anderson singles on a line drive to
  center fielder Kentrail Davis. Henry Wrigley to 2nd.
• Reid
  Fronk strikes out swinging.
• Matt Spring strikes out swinging.
  

[jason21nl]

I went to the game tonight and sat directly behind the plate, and Arnett couldn't get anyone out...obviously. The radar shows that his fastball hits at 97, but it looks straight as an arrow. It seemed like whenever he threw an off speed/curve batters were fooled, but he always went back to the fastball and it got rocked.

[battlekow]

Final: Burlington 16, Wisconsin 4

Bees blast Rattlers
Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE,
WI – The Burlington Bees banged out 22 hits on their way to a 16-4 win
over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Friday night at Time Warner Cable
Field.
Wil Myers homered and drove in four runs and Rene Oriental had four hits
to pace
the Burlington attack. Five players in the Bees’ lineup had at
least three hits in the game. Burlington scored in every inning except
the sixth.

Burlington (15-25)
immediately jumped on Rattlers starting pitcher Eric Arnett. Deivy
Batista and Carlo Testa singled to start the game. Myers was next and
he launched
a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead three batters into the game.

Wisconsin
(13-28) chipped away with some small ball in the bottom of the first to
get a
run. D’Vontrey Richardson singled to start the inning. He
stole second and a grounder by Scooter Gennett sent Richardson to
third.
Khris Davis knocked in Richardson with another ground out.

The Bees
padded their lead with single runs off Arnett in the second, third,
fourth, and
fifth innings. In order the two-out RBI hits for the Bees in those
innings were: A Testa single; an Adam Frost double; a Myers double; and a
Ryan
Wood triple.

Arnett needed
to soak up the punishment due to the depletion of the Wisconsin bullpen
from
the 15 inning marathon on Thursday night. Arnett absorbed a lot. He
tossed 5-2/3 innings, allowed seven runs on 13 hits, walked three, and
struck
out four.

The Bees
pushed their advantage to 8-1 in the top of the seventh with a run off
Jon
Pokorny. Oriental tripled and scored on a wild pitch.

Wisconsin
took scored three times in their half of the seventh inning. Chris
Dennis
started the inning by reaching on a three-base error. Cameron Garfield
knocked him in with a sacrifice fly. Pete Fatse walked and would score
on
a Michael Marseco triple. Marseco came home on a sac fly by Kyle
Dhanani
to make the score 8-4.

But,
Burlington put the game away in the eighth inning as they scored five
runs on
five hits. Joey Lewis doubled in the first run. Juan Graterol
singled in the next. Oriental doubled in the third run. Wood drove
in the final two runs with a single for a 13-4 lead.

Wisconsin
moved Marseco from shortstop to the mound to pitch the top of the
ninth.
Marseco had pitched in a game at Peoria on July 26, 2009 and tossed a
scoreless
inning. But, Friday at home against the Bees was a different story.
Burlington added three more runs on three more hits to account for the
final
total.

The four-game
series continues on Saturday night. Kyle Heckathorn (1-3, 3.91) is the
scheduled starter for the Timber Rattlers. Bryan Paukovits (2-2, 2.45)
is
the scheduled starter for the Bees.

If you can’t
make it to the game at Time Warner Cable Field, you may tune in to catch
the
action on AM1280, WNAM. The Miller Lite Pregame Show starts the
broadcast
at 6:15pm. Game time is 6:35pm.

Wisconsin box score
Pass.

Wisconsin play-by-play

[jason21nl]

here is a picture from tonight's game

 

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/jason21nl/28380_1285853118764_1603230093_3069.jpg

[YoungGeezy]

It's one thing to have these top selections toil in mediocrity for five years before fading away, but we can almost write off immediately Evan Frederickson, Cody Adams, Seth Lintz, and please not, but I fear, Arnett. That is just insane. Top two rounds!

 

OK, back in the AM. G'night, folks, you're in capable Link Report hands as usual...

I agree with Adams and Fredrickson but I think there is still a little hope for Lintz... If you think about it he is like 20 and would be a junior in college. So for a 20 year old draft eligable college player starting out in Helena is pretty much the norm and not a bad thing. I think he is still young enough to get back on a good track, he just needs to learn how to get the ball over the plate. This season will be his sink or swim year I believe. If he can come out and have a really good season at Helena (I hope he is good enough to make the roster or all hope is gone if he is in Arizona for a 3rd straight year) then I think he could be back on track of being a prospect again, if not the like you said we can just write him off.

 

Stats over 2 years in Rookie ball

--- Has a 10.3 K/9 ratio (67k's in 58.2 IP), gaves up a few to many homers (8) but only gives up 8.7 H/9 (not to bad lower than what Odorizzi's was) It is the 8.3 BB/9 (54 balls in 58.2 IP) 18 wild pitches, and 10 hit batters that are killing him and his chance, he cuts those down he still could be a nice prospect.

 

As for Arnett it is nice to hear he was toping out at 97 mph sucks that he has no move ment on it. On a positive note Heckathorn has really got going

 

[brewmann04]

Maybe this is why Arnett did slipped to the Brewers, but someone should be looking at the Scouts and Scouting Director.

[TheCrew07]

Wisconsin box score

Pass.

Wuss!

[battlekow]

Final: Huntsville 4, Mississippi 2 (10 innings)

 

Stars 4, Braves 2

Huntsville Stars

 

JACKSON, MISS.- Chris Errecart doubled home Lorenzo Cain and Brett Lawrie in the top of the 10th as the Huntsville Stars (22-20) knocked off the Mississippi Braves (20-22) by a final score of 4-2 Friday night.

 

The Stars got on the board in the top of the second against Braves’ starter Mike Minor by playing some small ball. With nobody out, Zelous Wheeler doubled to left. After Errecart was hit by a pitch, Chuckie Caufield moved the runners over with a beautiful sacrifice bunt. With the infield back, Andy Machado hit a grounder to short to drive in Wheeler and give the Stars a 1-0 lead.

 

Stars starter Chris Cody would get an assist from his defense in the bottom of the third. With two down and a man on second, Mauro Gomez sent a single into left that Haydel fielded. Donell Linares attempted to score on the play and Haydel gunned him down at the plate.

 

Machado continued his solid day at the plate in the top of the fourth. The inning started with the old lead-off base-on-balls to Wheeler. Zelous would steal second and advance to third on a Caufield single. That’s when Machado drilled a double to right to plate Wheeler and put runners at 2nd and 3rd with only one down. Sean McCraw would strike-out and Cody grounded out to end the inning with the Stars up 2-0.

 

The Braves bats threatened the Stars' lead in the bottom of the fourth. They loaded the bases with nobody out and appeared to be on the cusp of getting a crooked number in the runs column. On a pay-off pitch to Alejandro Machado, the shortstop lined out to Andy Machado who coolly flipped the ball to Lawrie for a 6-4 double-play. Cody was able to get pitcher Mike Minor to hit a deep fly-ball to left-field where Haydel chased it down for the third out of the inning.

 

Mississippi would cut the Stars’ lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a solo homer off the bat of Eric Duncan.

 

Cody walked a tightrope through his five innings of work, as the Braves left nine stranded while he scattered eight hits, surrendering only the lone Duncan solo shot.

 

Donovan Hand relieved Cody and tossed two perfect innings of relief. He got into a bit of a pickle in the eighth when, with nobody out, Gomez doubled to center. Willie Cabrera followed that with a single to right, putting runners at the corners. That would be all for Hand as Mike Guerrero chose to bring in the lefty Casey Baron. Cabrera would steal second base to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Cody Johnson worked Baron to a full count and drew a walk. Once again the Braves had the bases full with no outs. Orlando Mercado delivered a sacrifice fly to left that scored Gomez to tie the game at two. Baron was able to escape the inning with no further damage as he picked off Cabrera and got Machado to ground out.

 

The Stars tried to respond immediately in the top of the ninth. New pitcher Brett Butts hit Errecart. That was followed by a bunt from Scott Krieger going the Stars way as Butts couldn’t handle the ball, allowing everyone to arrive safely at their respective bags. Machado would bunt both runners over, putting runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. But McCraw struck out, leaving it up to Juan Sanchez. Sanchez grounded out, allowing Butts to escape the jam.

 

Baron walked the lead-off man Juan Gonzalez in the bottom of the 9th inning. A sacrifice bunt moved Gonzalez to second base. The Stars decided to intentionally walk Linares. It paid off when Duncan lined into an unassisted double play as Errecart caught the ball and tagged out Linares to end the inning.

 

In the top of the 10th, Cain drew a lead-off walk. Brent Brewer bunted him over to second. After the Braves intentionally walked Lawrie, Wheeler drew a walk to load the bases. That’s when Errecart delivered his big double to bring home Cain and Lawrie and give the Stars a 4-2 lead.

 

Brandon Kintzler nailed down his eighth save of the year in the bottom of the tenth, which gives him a tie for the Southern League lead. Baron’s (1-0) two innings of work out of the bullpen were enough to get him his first win of the year. Meanwhile Butts (0-1) took the loss.

 

No one on the Stars tallied a multi-hit game. Errecart and Machado each drove in two of the four runs.

 

The victory brings the Stars to within three games of the division-leading Smokies, who lost to Jacksonville.

 

Huntsville sends Mark Rogers (2-3, 4.20 ERA) to the mound Saturday as they look to clinch the series.

Huntsville box score

Cody, despite allowing 11 baserunners in five innings, avoid the fate of Bush, Arnett, and Peralta. Cain and Wheeler each had a hit and two walks, and Lawrie had a single--Mr. 1-4.

 

Huntsville play-by-play

[jvrocksaz]

Make Arnett a closer?

[LouisEly]

It's one thing to have these top selections toil in mediocrity for five years before fading away, but we can almost write off immediately Evan Frederickson, Cody Adams, Seth Lintz, and please not, but I fear, Arnett. That is just insane. Top two rounds!

 

For what it's worth, St. Louis' stud (so far) rookie starting pitcher was drafted in the 22nd round. Here's hoping that Fiers is the next one in 2012 or 2013.

 

And as much as I hate to say this, here's to hoping that Arnett is hiding an injury and can be back on track in 2011.

[battlekow]

Final: Nashville 3, Fresno 1

Sounds even series, defeat Grizzlies 3-1

Nashville Sounds

 

FRESNO, Calif. - The Nashville Sounds snapped a two-game skid on Friday evening at Chukchansi Park, defeating the host Fresno Grizzlies by a 3-1 count.

The victory was the 10th in the Sounds' last 12 contests played in Fresno, dating back to 2005.

Nashville (24-16) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second innings against Grizzlies starter Matt Yourkin. Erick Almonte (3-for-3) led off the frame with his first of two doubles on the evening and scored later in the frame on Ben Johnson's sacrifice fly to center.

The Sounds missed an opportunity to add to their advantage in the fourth. After Nashville put runners on second and third with no outs, Yourkin recovered and fanned Trent Oeltjen, induced a shallow fly from Luis Cruz, and retired Johnson on an inning-ending groundout to squelch the threat.

An inning later, Nashville loaded the bases with no outs and plated a pair of runs to chase Yourkin from the contest as the lead grew to 3-0. With the sacks full, Ray Olmedo greeted new Fresno hurler Steve Edlefsen with an RBI single to right that extended the veteran's longest hit streak of the year to 11 games. Adam Heether followed by grounding into a double play, on which Sounds pitcher Chase Wright scored the second run of the frame.

Fresno got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Brock Bond led off with a double against Wright and later trotted home on a Buster Posey sacrifice fly, closing the deficit to 3-1.

Sounds reliever David Johnson worked into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning to keep the two-run lead intact before giving way to closer Chris Smith, who worked around a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the ninth to post a scoreless frame and notch his league-leading 14th save of the year.

Wright (3-1) picked up the win for Nashville after allowing one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of action. He walked five batters and didn't record a strikeout in the outing, however.

Yourkin (2-1) was saddled with his first loss of the year after giving up three runs on five hits in his four-plus frames.

Cruz went 0-for-4 on the evening for the Sounds to snap his season-best hitting streak at 11 games.

The teams play game three of the four-game set at 9:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. Right-hander Kameron Loe (4-2, 2.88) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Fresno right-hander and former big league Brewer Matt Kinney (2-2, 4.22).

Nashville box score

Not much to get excited about in the Nashville box scores when Zach Braddock doesn't pitch. Nice job by the Sounds bullpen to keep the Grizzlies off the board for the final 3.1 innings.

 

Nashville play-by-play

[Mass Haas]

Gotta love the duel of shortstops in the Huntsville series, both former big leaguers.

 

The Stars have Anderson Machado, while the Braves just signed Alejandro Machado (who is also a former Brewer farmhand).

[Mass Haas]

Grizzlies come up empty, have winning streak snapped at 5

By Marek Warszawski / The Fresno Bee

 

On fireworks night at Chukchansi Park, the home team turned in a rare dud.

 

Leaving 11 men on base, issuing seven walks and playing sluggish defense -- it added up to a 3-1 victory for the Nashville Sounds over the Fresno Grizzlies on Friday night.

 

Fresno had its five-game winning streak snapped and saw its lead in the Pacific Coast League Pacific South shrink to 8 1/2 games. It's the fourth time this season the Grizzlies (28-13) failed to stretch a streak to six games.

 

"It really comes down to not taking advantage of situations that presented themselves," Fresno manager Steve Decker said.

 

For a microcosm, look no further than the ninth inning. Eugenio Velez, who joined the club only a couple hours before the game, led off with a booming triple against Sounds closer Chris Smith. But Smith came back to strike out Brock Bond on a 3-2 changeup.

 

Tyler Graham worked a walk, then got picked off trying to steal. Decker argued that Smith had committed a balk, but the umps weren't buying it. Smith then ended the game by striking out Buster Posey on a low outside pitch.

 

Before that, the buzzard's luck belonged to Angel Berroa. After having a deep fly caught at the wall by right fielder John Raburn, Berroa was robbed by shortstop Luis Cruz in the eighth when Cruz made a diving stop of Berroa's hard grounder up the middle with the bases loaded.

 

If Berroa's ball gets past Cruz, it's probably a tie score. But it didn't. And that's kind of how the night went for Fresno.

 

Not so for Nashville, which took an early 1-0 lead and then loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth against Grizzlies starter Matt Yourkin (2-1) without hitting the ball out of the infield.

 

After Raburn drew a leadoff walk, pitcher Chase Wright pushed a bunt in front of the plate. Posey pounced on it quickly, but Raburn beat Posey's throw to second base. Norris Hopper followed with a bunt back to Yourkin, who glanced at third and second before throwing to first too late to get the speedy Hopper.

 

"[Yourkin] took way too much time, and that cost him," Decker said.

 

Yourkin exited, and Ray Olmedo greeted reliever Steve Edlefsen with an RBI single. Adam Heether made it 3-0 on a run-scoring double play.

 

Fresno got its only run when Bond led off the fifth with a double, advanced to third on Graham's fly ball and scored on a Posey sacrifice fly.

[WV Brew]

I wouldn't dismiss pitchers just because they come from the Big Ten. Cal Eldred and Lary Sorenson come immediately to mind. They were pretty good for the Brewers. True that Big Ten baseball is not great. There just may need to be more development time than prospects from warmer weather universities.

[Never Outhustled]

What a crappy thread title. Kick a young man when he's down. There's obviously something wrong with him, this isn't the guy they drafted. He hasn't done anything off the field to deserve this mis-treatment while he hasn't even been a pro for a year yet.

[Invader3K]

You have to wonder if Arnett is hurt or something right now.

[bklynbrewcrew]

If he was really clocked at 97 last night I highly doubt that he is injured.

[Invader3K]

Didn't realize he was throwing that hard. I suppose maybe there are other issues then. Hope he can work them out. It would be great to see him be an option for the Brewers in a couple years.