Link Report for Fri. 8/13 -- T-Rats tally organization's only win

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF, 13th-style!

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

Nashville: LHP Sam Narron at home vs. Salt Lake City (Angels), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime
Live Audio Link

Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman and TBD (likely RHP Michael Fiers) at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 4:45 PM pre-game; 5:00 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings
Live Audio Link

Brevard County: LHP Dan Merklinger at home vs. Lakeland (Tigers), 6:05 gametime
Sorry, no audio for this series...

Wisconsin: RHP Damon Krestalude at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 6:40 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime
Live Audio Link

Helena: RHP Tyler Thornburg at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime
Live Audio Link

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Idle

DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM

[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 Game One (Gameday also available)

 

Huntsville Game Two (Gameday also available)

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

 

Helena

 

DSL Brewers

[Mass Haas]

PCL American North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Iowa	67	51	.568	-	-	35-29	32-22	6-4	L3
	Omaha	65	54	.546	2.5	24	32-27	33-27	9-1	W5
	Memphis	64	55	.538	3.5	23	34-23	30-32	4-6	L1
	Nashville	62	56	.525	5.0	22	31-26	31-30	5-5	W1

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
*	Tennessee	30	17	.638	-	-	19-7	11-10	8-2	L1
	Huntsville	24	22	.522	5.5	19	14-9	10-13	4-6	L5
	West Tenn	22	24	.478	7.5	17	0-0	0-0	0-0	W1
	Chattanooga	21	25	.457	8.5	16	11-12	10-13	4-6	W4
	Carolina	21	26	.447	9.0	15	10-13	11-13	3-7	L4

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Daytona	30	16	.652	-	-	17-7	13-9	4-6	W2
	Tampa	28	16	.636	1.0	25	13-7	15-9	6-4	L2
	Brevard County	27	19	.587	3.0	22	13-8	14-11	5-5	L2
	Lakeland	21	23	.477	8.0	18	13-9	8-14	7-3	W2
	Clearwater	20	26	.435	10.0	15	13-9	7-17	6-4	W1
*	Dunedin	19	27	.413	11.0	14	11-13	8-14	3-7	L1

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Quad Cities	27	17	.614	-	-	10-12	17-5	4-6	L1
	Kane County	27	18	.600	0.5	-	16-6	11-12	6-4	L1
*	Cedar Rapids	26	19	.578	1.5	25	13-10	13-9	6-4	W1
	Clinton	25	20	.556	2.5	24	14-10	11-10	8-2	W2
	Beloit	23	21	.523	4.0	21	13-9	10-12	7-3	W2
	Wisconsin	21	25	.457	7.0	19	12-10	9-15	5-5	W1
	Peoria	20	24	.455	7.0	20	11-12	9-12	3-7	L4
	Burlington	15	28	.349	11.5	14	11-9	4-19	1-9	L9

PIO North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
*	Great Falls	7	5	.583	-	-	5-3	2-2	5-5	L1
	Helena	6	5	.545	0.5	27	2-1	4-4	5-5	W2
	Billings	5	6	.455	1.5	26	3-3	2-3	5-5	W1
	Missoula	5	7	.417	2.0	25	2-4	3-3	5-5	L2

AZL Central
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	AZL Brewers	27	15	.643	-	-	9-8	9-7	5-5	W2
	AZL Dodgers	23	19	.548	4.0	11	9-7	9-6	8-2	W5
	AZL Reds	22	21	.512	5.5	9	8-7	9-7	7-3	L1
	AZL Indians	19	24	.442	8.5	6	7-9	9-7	3-7	L6

DSL S.D. North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	DSL Mariners	37	25	.597	-	-	20-10	17-15	6-4	W1
	DSL Cardinals	34	28	.548	3.0	8	22-8	12-20	4-6	L1
	DSL Athletics	27	34	.443	9.5	2	16-17	11-17	5-5	W1
	DSL Brewers	26	37	.413	11.5	E	15-16	11-21	5-5	L1

[Mass Haas]

Stars Playoff Push Must Start With Diamond Jaxx

Connor Shreve, Huntsville Stars

 

A midseason turnaround has the Huntsville Stars baseball team in the thick of the 2010 Southern League playoff race. The 2010 campaign started well enough but Huntsville could not keep pace with it’s solid April record, finishing the first half in fourth place at 33-37. Huntsville started the second half well also with a league best 15-11 July record but has avoided the drop off in performance that doomed the first half chase.

 

Before the Stars current five game losing streak began, the squad had not shown any signs of stumbling to the finish line. Huntsville now hopes that a sweep, the season’s first, on the road at the hands of the first placed Tennessee Smokies will be nothing more than a fluke with the most important five games of the season beginning Friday in Huntsville.

 

The Stars skid coming against the Cubs affiliate has almost certainly guaranteed that a playoff berth will have to come via the wild card competition. The wild card comes in to play if the divisions first half winner also takes the second half, which the Smokies with a six game lead in the Northern Division, seem poised to do. Barring a major Tennessee meltdown, the North’s other playoff team will be determined by the wild card race, meaning overall record. Heading in to Friday night play, the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx hold a 4.5 game lead over the Stars for overall record.

 

The Diamond Jaxx, for whatever reason, has been one of the Stars least favorite opponents this season. West Tennessee struggled early against Huntsville but seems to have gained the advantage, winning 9 of the last 11 games between the two teams en route to a nine games to five season advantage. The Stars are also hoping for a home turnaround having been at the losing end of seven of the nine games with West Tennessee at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

The struggle at home for Huntsville is a season long trend not strictly limited to play against The Diamond Jaxx. It is a trend, though, that may be in the rear view mirror. The Milwaukee Brewers AA squad only won 15 first half games at home but has taken eight of its last ten helping the team to a 14-9 second half home record. However the Stars last impressive home stretch, which included dominating series wins over Mississippi and Carolina, came immediately after West Tennessee pocketed four of five games in Huntsville while outscoring the Stars 35-21.

 

With only 24 games left, The Stars sit in a promising yet precarious position. A good set at “The Joe” will simply lead to an incredible race the rest of the way but a poor series, could force Huntsville to set its sights on 2011.

[battlekow]

Huntsville press release:

 

Doubleheader postponed due to weather

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Stars’ doubleheader against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx scheduled for 5 p.m. tonight has been postponed due to inclement weather. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow and Sunday. Tomorrow’s doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Sunday is TBD.

 

Yesterday’s series opener was postponed when both dugouts flooded with rain water following the storm, causing them to be deemed unsuitable for the game. A similar problem caused the postponement of tonight’s doubleheader. Water from the storms this afternoon filled the bullpens, dugouts and field from several cracks along the stadium walls. After the field and stadium situation was evaluated by both managers and the umpires, they postponed the games.

 

The Huntsville Stars staff is working overtime to make sure the stadium and field are ready for the games tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow is Costco Saturday, when fans can get half price tickets just by showing their Costco membership card at the ticket office. One ticket will be good for both games. Early arriving fans will receive a free, limited edition t-shirt courtesy of WAFF. Gates open at 4 p.m. A spectacular, post-game fireworks celebration will go off at the conclusion of tomorrow’s doubleheader.

 

Sunday will be a split doubleheader, with game times TBD. For more information, visit www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

PDF documents:

 

Nashville Media Notes

 

Huntsville Media Notes (Pre-Rainout)

The notes do tell us that LHP Chris Cody was to start the nightcap...

[Mass Haas]

Fooled again by MiLB.com, RHP Darren Byrd is starting for the Manatees, not LHP Dan Merklinger.

[Mass Haas]

Chris has some interesting photos along with his game notes on the Rattler Radio blog tonight.

[Tedaldtada]

Chris has been fantastic this year with his blog and everything. That guy is going somewhere.

[DHonks]

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Gomez shows that he can't hit AAA pitching or reach base. The guy needs a Roy Halladay-like wakeup call by going to A-ball

[battlekow]

Final: @DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Brewers 4

DSL Brewers box score

Ouch. This one hurts. Well, it would hurt, if anyone cared about the Cerveceritos, but you know what I mean. The Cardinals scored five times in the 9th inning to steal away the win. 18-year-old righty Jeffrey Saba had gone eight innings, allowing just two runs, but he came back out for the final frame and it didn't go well. Reliever Carlos Sosa was unfortunately no better. Offensively, Ruben Sanchez posted the Ruben Sanchez special, getting hit by a pitch twice, plus a single. Jose Pena singled and doubled, and Andres Martinez notched his first homer of the year. Raul Mondesi was 1-4 and probably conjured up the image of his father for the fans coaches by throwing a runner out at home.

 

DSL Brewers play-by-play

With a whimper:

 

DSL Cardinals Top 9th

• Luis Perez walks.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Victor Encanacion replaces Luis Perez.
• Victor Ferreira called out on strikes.
• With Jose Pena batting, wild pitch by Jeffrey Saba, Victor Encanacion to 2nd.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Jorge Lopez replaces Jose Pena.
• Jorge Lopez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ruben Sanchez. Victor Encanacion scores.
• Pitcher Change: Carlos Sosa replaces Jeffrey Saba.
• Amaury Capellan singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ruben Sanchez. Jorge Lopez to 2nd.
• Fernando Baez hit by pitch. Jorge Lopez to 3rd. Amaury Capellan to 2nd.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Andres Beras replaces Jose Agustin.
• Andres
  Beras singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ruben Sanchez.
  Jorge Lopez scores. Amaury Capellan to 3rd. Fernando Baez to 2nd.
  
• Domingo Diaz walks. Amaury Capellan scores. Fernando Baez to 3rd. Andres Beras to 2nd.
• Daniel
  Barbuena grounds out to first baseman Ronny Puello. Fernando Baez
  scores. Andres Beras to 3rd. Domingo Diaz to 2nd.
• With Robelys Reyes batting, throwing error by Deivi Mejia on the pickoff attempt, Andres Beras scores. Domingo Diaz to 3rd.
• Robelys Reyes grounds out, shortstop Andres Martinez to first baseman Ronny Puello.

[battlekow]

Final: @Lakeland 4, Brevard County 3

Brevard County box score

Darren Byrd tossed a quality start and left after six innings with the game knotted at three, but the run Dan Meadows let in in the 7th proved to be decisive. Don't be too hard on Meadows, though: that's the first earned run he's allowed since June. Sergio Miranda cracked a solo shot for BC, doubling his homer total of one from last year. Erik Komatsu singled and had a sac fly, and Pete Fatse and Sean Halton also doubled.

 

Brevard County play-by-play

This sounds a lot like last night:

 

Brevard County Bottom 8th

• Matt Cline strikes out swinging.
• Erik Komatsu doubles (25) on a fly ball to center fielder Daniel Fields.
• Pitcher Change: Jared Gayhart replaces Shawn Teufel.
• Angel
  Salome lines into double play, center fielder Daniel Fields to second
  baseman Christopher Sedon. Erik Komatsu doubled off 2nd.

Either the Manatees have fallen victim to some terrific--perhaps literally Flying--Tigers defense over the last couple games or there's a monster living in second base that's eating their common sense.

[battlekow]

Tigers top 'Tees

Frank Longobardo/Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. -After a 4-4 road trip, the Brevard County Manatees returned home to Space Coast Stadium on Friday night, but could only muster five hits in a 4-3 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers in front of 1,762 fans.

 

Manatees starter Darren Byrd went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, while tying his season-high in strikeouts with six. With the game tied 3-3 in the seventh, the ball was handed over to Daniel Meadows.

 

Meadows started the inning by allowing a single to John Murrian. After recording a strikeout, Francisco Martinez ripped a double to center field to put runners on second and third. Next up was Christopher Sedon who recorded a sacrifice fly to left to score Murrian and that was all the Tigers would end up needing to take the game.

 

Brevard County had a chance to even the game in the eighth when Erik Komatsu reached on a one-out double. Angel Salome then ripped a ball into the right center field gap, but Lakeland's center fielder Daniel Fields was able make a diving catch and double up Komatsu at second, who took off as soon as the ball was hit, thinking it dropped in for a hit.

 

The Manatees took an early 2-0 lead after two innings, thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Komatsu in the first and a RBI ground out by Sean McCraw.

 

Lakeland tied the game with two in the third and then took the lead with a solo homer from Jordan Lennerton in the fourth. The Manatees would counter with a solo shot of their own in the fourth off the bat of Sergio Miranda, his second of the season.

 

But after Miranda's homer, Brevard County would record just one more hit the rest of the game.

 

With the Flying Tigers taking the first two games in the series, the Manatees will look to salvage it by winning the series finale, Saturday beginning at 7:05 p.m. at Space Coast Stadium.

 

Brevard County will send Kyle Heckathorn (2-0, 2.70) to the hill to try and snap its three-game losing streak. Lakeland will counter with Adam Wilk (9-4, 2.99).

[dadofandrew]

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Gomez shows that he can't hit AAA pitching or reach base. The guy needs a Roy Halladay-like wakeup call by going to A-ball

Given his past results and inability to lay off the breaking ball, he seems like a good bet to dominate AAA, as most AAA pitchers simply can't throw strikes consistently with anything but heat.

[battlekow]

Final: Salt Lake 6, @Nashville 2

Sounds lose homestand opener, 6-2

Nashville Sounds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Salt Lake right-hander Matt Palmer hurled seven scoreless innings to lead the visiting Bees to a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Friday evening at historic Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Palmer (2-1) lowered his ERA to 0.72 on the year with an impressive start, earning the win after holding the Sounds to three hits while striking out four over his seven frames.

 

Salt Lake took a 2-0 lead against Nashville starter Sam Narron in the second inning. Mark Trumbo led off with a single before scoring on Paul McAnulty's RBI double to left. Nick Gorneault later plated the frame's second run with a sacrifice fly.

 

The Bees doubled their advantage to 4-0 in the fourth. Trumbo (2-for-4) and McAnulty (3-for-5) led off with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners for top Angels prospect Hank Conger (3-for-5), who ripped an RBI double off the top of the left field wall. Former Sound Luis Figueroa followed with a sacrifice fly to left.

 

Gorneault, who drove in half of the Bees' runs on the night, upped the Salt Lake lead to 6-0 in the eighth when he belted a two-run homer to left off Sounds reliever Carlos Villanueva, the outfielder's fifth longball of the season.

 

The Sounds finally got onto the board in the eighth against Bees reliever Jordan Walden, cutting the deficit to 6-2 with a pair of runs.

 

Eric Farris (2-for-4) greeted the right-hander with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and scored the first Nashville run of the night on rehabbing outfielder Carlos Gomez's bloop single to center. Following a walk to Norris Hopper, Mat Gamel ripped an RBI single up the middle off the glove of Salt Lake second baseman Nate Sutton.

 

The Sounds left the bags full in the frame, however, as new reliever Bobby Mosebach retired Joe Koshansky on a first-pitch groundout to escape without any further damage.

 

Mosebach added a scoreless ninth to nail down his third save of the year.

 

Narron (7-6) took the loss for the Sounds after allowing four runs on nine hits over six innings of work.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6:35 p.m. meeting on Saturday night. Left-hander Chuck Lofgren (7-6, 5.14) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Salt Lake right-hander Ryan Vogelsong (0-2, 4.66), who pitched in Nashville during the 2001 & 2003 seasons. A spectacular fireworks show will follow the on-field action.

 

Nashville box score

Gomez was 1-4 and Gamel was 1-3 with a walk. Koshansky's failure was highlighted above, but he was also 1-3 with a walk. Hopper added a double to his walk; way to boost that ISO, Norris. Luis Cruz grounded into two double plays, which makes 16 GIDP on the year for the presumably speedy shortstop. Villanueva allowed three hits and two walks while fanning two in 1.2 innings. He threw 42 pitches, 23 for strikes.

Nashville play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: Missoula 10, @Helena 4

Helena box score

As with the last two times through the rotation, Tyler Thornburg started but Tyler Cravy was the de facto starter, as Thornburg's inning capacity is severely limited at this point. Thornburg did pitch more than an inning for the first time since coming back from an intercostal strain that cost him a month, and he continued to show his "Lincecum Lite" stuff by recording all five of his outs via strikeout; however, three walks, two hits, a wild pitch, and a balk led to two runs and Cravy coming on in the 2nd inning. He got out of that frame fine, but later innings were a different story; Cravy ultimately allowed seven runs in 5.1 IP to put the game out of reach. Helena actually held a 1-0 lead initially, thanks to a leadoff homer from Robbie Garvey, who finished 2-5. Cody Hawn had three singles, and Shea Vucinich hopefully busted out of his slump by reaching four times with a single, two walks, and a HBP. Greg Hopkins followed up his 6-6 performance yesterday with two more hits tonight. Johnny Dishon doubled and was hit by a pitch after entering the game in the 6th inning when Franklin Romero was ejected.

 

Helena play-by-play

It's like Thornburg is playing in the DSL:

 

Missoula Top 1st

• Roberto Rodriguez flies out to left fielder Brandon Sizemore.
• Raul Navarro walks.
• Adam Eaton strikes out swinging.
• With Bobby Stone batting, Raul Navarro advances to 2nd on a balk.
• Bobby Stone strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Tyler Thornburg. Raul Navarro to 3rd. Bobby Stone to 1st.
• Eric Groff walks. Bobby Stone to 2nd.
• Matt Helm strikes out swinging.

Missoula Top 2nd

• Fidel Pena walks.
• With Jae Yun Kim batting, passed ball by Gerald Ogrinc, Fidel Pena to 2nd.
• Jae Yun Kim singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero. Fidel Pena to 3rd.
• Javan Williams strikes out swinging.
• Roberto Rodriguez strikes out swinging.
• Raul Navarro singles on a line drive to right fielder Robert Garvey. Fidel Pena scores. Jae Yun Kim to 3rd.
• Adam Eaton reaches on fielding error by second baseman Gregory Hopkins. Jae Yun Kim scores. Raul Navarro to 2nd.
• Pitcher Change: Tyler Cravy replaces Tyler Thornburg.
• Bobby Stone flies out to left fielder Brandon Sizemore.

[battlekow]

Final: Wisconsin 5, @Quad Cities 3

Wisconsin beats Bandits for a winning road trip

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

DAVENPORT, IA – D’Vontrey Richardson was all over the field to lead the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to a 5-3 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Richardson homered, drove in three runs, scored two runs, and made an excellent defensive play that save several runs. Jon Pokorny retired the last six batters of the game to pick up the save and allow the Rattlers to head home with a 4-3 record on a seven game road trip.

 

Cutter Dykstra tripled with two out in the top of the third inning. He scored on a wild pitch by Eric Fornataro and the Rattlers (47-68 overall, 22-25 second half) were up 1-0.

 

Richardson stepped to the plate one inning later with two Rattlers on and two out. The Rattlers center fielder lined an opposite field blast to right-center that cleared the wall. Richardson’s fifth home run of the season gave Wisconsin a 4-0 lead.

 

The River Bandits (67-47, 27-18) broke through against Rattlers starting pitcher Damon Krestalude in the bottom of the fourth. The first two batters reached on a double and a walk. Then, CJ Beatty singled into right to drive in a run. Krestalude got the next two outs, but another walk loaded the bases for Luis Mateo. That was when Richardson came into play again. Mateo drove a 2-1 pitch to deep center, but Richardson ran the ball down just shy of the wall to end the inning and rob Mateo of extra bases and multiple RBI.

 

Quad Cities drew closer in the bottom of the fifth and it was Beatty who did the deed. His two-out, two-run single off reliever Matt Costello cut Wisconsin’s lead to one run.

 

But, Costello worked a scoreless sixth and a scoreless seventh before turning the game over to Rattlers closer Pokorny. The left-handed Pokorny retired the side in order in the eighth by chalking up a pair of strikeouts and getting a grounder to third.

 

Richardson started a Rattlers rally in the top of the ninth. He singled with one out, took second on a wild pitch, and went to third on a throwing error. Michael Marseco doubled in Richardson and Wisconsin was up 5-3.

 

Pokorny converted the six-out save with a perfect ninth inning to close out the Bandits. Pokorny is 14-for-15 in save opportunities in 2010.

 

Wisconsin returns home on Saturday night to take on the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Hiram Burgos (4-5, 3.77) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Cedar Rapids sends Buddy Boshers (2-0, 5.40) to the hill.

 

There is a FOX 11 fireworks display scheduled for after the game and on the way out of Time Warner Cable Field, fans aged 13 and up will receive a free sample of Fruit Roll-Ups as part of Fruit Roll-Ups Fun Night.

 

If you can’t make it out to the game, you may tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. Game time is 6:35pm.

 

Wisconsin box score

I love hearing about Richardson's excellent defense. Even if he never really learns to hit, he could be have a career as a fifth outfielder, especially if he can learn the subtle art of baserunning. He did make a throwing error, but let's accentuate the positive. Khris Davis walked twice and Kentrail Davis doubled, while Scooter Gennett was 1-5.

 

Wisconsin play-by-play

[Mass Haas]

Brewers fall to Missoula 10-4

By Brett Billings/Helena Brewers

 

The Brewers returned home to face Missoula after winning Thursday night's game at Missoula 17-6. Unfortunately, that momentum never carried over and Helena fell to the Osprey 10-4 on Friday night at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

Things looked promising for the Brewers early on when Robbie Garvey led off the game with a solo shot over the right field fence. Garvey, who started the year in Rookie League Arizona, pushed his batting average over .300 with the 2 for 5 performance.

 

Cody Hawn drove in Helena's other three runs with RBI singles in the third, seventh, and ninth. Hawn, a 6th round pick out of the University of Tennessee, leads the Pioneer League in RBI with 45.

 

Tyler Thornburg, whose pitch count has been monitored closely, started on the mound. He tossed 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run. He struck out five and walked three.

 

Tyler Cravy finished the second inning and pitched the next five. He allowed seven runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one.

 

Rob Currie and Caleb Thielbar threw one inning apiece to finish the game.

 

The Brewers look to split the series tomorrow night. LHP Patrick Shuster (3-3, 3.60) is scheduled to start for Missoula. The Brewers will send RHP Stosh Wawrzasek (0-3, 6.23) to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 (8:05 Central).

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Turnabout is fair play as Osprey rout Brewers

By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record

 

Just 24 hours after being pummeled on their home field, the Missoula Osprey gave the Brewers a taste of their own medicine.

 

A four-run fourth inning helped Missoula to a 10-4 victory over the Brewers on Friday in Pioneer League play, marking the first time the Osprey won at Kindrick Legion Field this season. Helena swept the opening series, and has topped Missoula eight out of 11 times this season.

 

Osprey second baseman Eric Groff admitted his team may have been more fired up than usual for this one, after being roughed up for 20 hits in a 17-6 blowout Thursday.

 

“Last night was a rough game and everyone was pretty miserable after that,” said Groff, who was one of three Osprey to record three RBIs. “It was nice to show that we are capable of returning the favor.”

 

Missoula starter Robby Rowland pitched five strong innings, giving up just four hits and two runs, both by Robbie Garvey. Garvey began the game with a home run on Rowland’s second pitch of the evening, but it was the only time the Brewers led throughout the contest.

 

Mistakes on Helena’s part only helped the Osprey early on.

 

“Having those errors early and having to fight back probably hurt us,” said Helena manager Joe Ayrault, who was ejected at the end of the fifth inning.

 

After a called third strike on Franklin Romero Jr., Romero argued with home plate umpire Gavin Hanson that the ball was out of the zone. He then tossed his bat and helmet down for the ballboy and proceeded to head out to center field when Hanson ejected him.

 

Ayrault was livid, having a conversation loud enough for all to hear, and the 714 fans in attendance applauded the skipper when he was thrown out.

 

“I told (the umpire) I thought the ball was up and asked him where it was at,” Romero said.

 

“I got my player’s back,” Ayrault said. “The umpire said he dumped his gear...if a guy throws his equipment it’s one thing, but I said ‘what do you expect him to do, run back to the dugout?’ Romero should have still been playing in that ballgame.”

 

Cody Hawn led the Brewers at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance, including a trio of RBIs. Helena threatened in the seventh inning, loading the bases against Missoula reliever Teo Gutierrez, but stranded all three when Greg Hopkins grounded out to first.

 

“Our pitchers did a great job, our bats were alive and we played good defense,” Groff said, adding that Helena’s early season comebacks against Missoula were not in the back of his mind. “Our pitchers are pitching very well, they’re a lot different than what they were at the beginning of the year.

 

“You can’t let stuff get to you. You take it one game at a time and forget the night before.”

 

All photos by Dylan Brown Independent Record

Helena's Robbie Garvey steals second under Missoula's Eric Groff Friday night at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

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Garvey slides into first safe after Missoula attempted a pick-off in the fourth inning.

 

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Garvey celebrates with his team mates after hitting a home run in the first inning

 

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Helena's Tyler Thornburg throws the first pitch of the game.

 

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[Mass Haas]

Just a shout out to another of the Massachusetts guys in the system, but Rattlers' LHP Matt Costello (stats) has now pitched four times in the last five days, and went 2.2 innings on Friday night. Lefty bats are hitting .211 with a high ground ball ratio against him in the small 33 AB sample. This is his age 23 season, so he should be doing well in the Midwest League, and he is, but it's clear he has Jeff Isom's trust, since middle relief has been a real bugaboo otherwise all season for Wisconsin. Just an opportunity to praise one of the more anonymous players in the system YTD.

[Mass Haas]

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Richardson, Rattlers get it done vs. Bandits

Steve Batterson, Quad City Times

 

The wait wasn't worth it Friday night for the Quad-Cities River Bandits.

 

Wisconsin's D'Vontrey Richardson used his bat and glove to make certain that was the case, frustrating the River Bandits in the Timber Rattlers' rain-delayed 5-3 Midwest League win at Modern Woodmen Park.

 

Richardson helped decide the game in the top and bottom of the fourth inning.

 

In the top half, he made Quad-Cities pay for an inning-opening error by shortstop Ted Obregon.

 

After a two-out walk, Richardson belted a three-run homer to right that extended the Wisconsin lead to 4-0.

 

The River Bandits attempted to rally in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases after C.J. Beatty singled home Quad-Cities' first run of the game.

 

With two outs, Luis Mateo drove a ball deep to center field, but the cat-quick Richardson, playing at mid-depth, made a basket catch on the run to leave the bags full of Bandits.

 

"That is the way it has been going for us at home," Quad-Cities manager Johnny Rodriguez said after watching his team lose a series at Modern Woodmen Park for the fourth time in five tries.

 

"Richardson made a great play in center that changed the game, and his homer, he shouldn't have even been at the plate in that inning. He got it done. We didn't."

 

Rodriguez said his team doesn't seem to be coming up with the clutch hit or pitch it needs at home. The Bandits are 17-5 on the road in the second half.

 

"We've got to find a routine that works, and right now we haven't found that," Rodriguez said.

 

Beatty pulled Quad-Cities within 4-3 with a two-run single in the fifth, but the Rattlers' Matt Costello and Jon Pokorny combined to limit the Bandits to three hits over the final 4 2/3 innings.

[Mass Haas]

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Washed out again as dugouts flood

Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The best description came from Jill Cacic, the Huntsville Stars' public relations director, who noted that "the field is playable but the stadium isn't."

 

For the second straight evening, the Stars were forced to postpone games because of dugouts left flooded and other problems caused by late-afternoon rain.

 

At scheduled game time Friday, water still cascaded from the playing surface down the dugout steps. Though the infield was covered by a tarp, the outfield hadn't drained sufficiently to permit play, either.

 

The Joe Davis Stadium infrastructure was such on Thursday, in fact, that water flowed from electrical conduits, making things not only unplayable but unsafe, according to general manager Buck Rogers.

 

The Stars will try again with a 5:00 PM doubleheader Saturday against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. They'll also play twice Sunday in a day-night doubleheader with separate admissions for a pair of nine inning games. Game times will be announced Saturday.

 

For the Stars, who have lost five in a row and fallen 4 1/2 games behind West Tenn in the chase for a wild-card postseason spot, "Honestly this is good. A few days off may rejuvenate us," said coach Al LeBoeuf.

 

Pitching coach John Curtis would disagree somewhat because "two doubleheaders in two days messes things up" in the pitching rotation. It will put a premium on efficiency, with a necessity that pitchers go deeper into games and not burn up the bullpens.

 

For the Stars as an organization, "It kills us. Thursday and Friday are big nights and we're already struggling to fill the ballpark," Rogers said.

 

The rain washed out the popular Thirsty-Aid Thursday promotion, though Friday's promotions -- free T-shirts to the first 500 fans -- will carry over to tonight. Fans with Costco cards are admitted for 50 percent off. There will be postgame fireworks tonight as well.

 

Tennessee went into Friday's play with a 5 1/2 game lead over Huntsville in the Southern League North, with 25 games remaining in the season.

 

If Tennessee, the first-half champ, wins the second half as well, the other playoff spot goes to the team with the best overall record. West Tenn is 61-54, Huntsville 57-59 on the season.