Link Report for Tue. 8/17 -- Helena Drops an 11-10 Extra Inning Affair

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:
Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

Nashville: RHP Marty McLeary at home vs. Colorado Springs (Rockies), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime
Live Audio Link

Huntsville: Idle

Brevard County: RHP R.J. Seidel at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime
Live Audio Link (SpaceCoastBaseball.com)

Wisconsin: Idle

Helena: RHP Matt Miller at home vs. Casper (Rockies), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime
Live Audio Link

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the lil' Indians; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday'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)

 

Brevard County

 

Helena

 

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale)

 

DSL Brewers

[Mass Haas]

PCL American North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Iowa	70	52	.574	-	-	35-29	35-23	6-4	W1
	Omaha	68	55	.553	2.5	20	32-27	36-28	8-2	W2
	Memphis	67	56	.545	3.5	19	37-24	30-32	5-5	W1
	Nashville	63	59	.516	7.0	16	32-29	31-30	4-6	W1

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
*	Tennessee	33	18	.647	-	-	19-7	14-11	8-2	L1
	Huntsville	27	24	.529	6.0	14	17-11	10-13	3-7	W1
	West Tenn	24	27	.471	9.0	11	11-9	13-18	5-5	L1
	Carolina	23	28	.451	10.0	10	10-13	13-15	4-6	W1
	Chattanooga	22	28	.440	10.5	10	12-15	10-13	5-5	W1

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Tampa	32	17	.653	-	-	17-7	15-10	6-4	W3
	Daytona	31	20	.608	2.0	19	18-8	13-12	4-6	L4
	Brevard County	30	21	.588	3.0	18	16-10	14-11	6-4	W2
	Lakeland	24	25	.490	8.0	14	13-9	11-16	7-3	L1
	Clearwater	22	29	.431	11.0	10	15-11	7-18	5-5	W1
*	Dunedin	21	30	.412	12.0	9	11-13	10-17	3-7	L2

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Quad Cities	31	18	.633	-	-	10-13	21-5	7-3	W4
*	Cedar Rapids	28	21	.571	3.0	-	14-10	14-11	6-4	W1
	Clinton	27	22	.551	4.0	21	14-11	13-11	6-4	W2
	Kane County	27	22	.551	4.0	20	16-9	11-13	4-6	L5
	Beloit	24	23	.511	6.0	17	14-11	10-12	5-5	L2
	Peoria	23	24	.489	7.0	18	11-12	12-12	5-5	W3
	Wisconsin	24	26	.480	7.5	17	14-11	10-15	6-4	L1
	Burlington	16	32	.333	14.5	9	11-13	5-19	1-9	L4

PIO North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Helena	8	6	.571	-	-	4-2	4-4	6-4	W2
*	Great Falls	8	7	.533	0.5	24	5-3	3-4	5-5	L1
	Billings	7	7	.500	1.0	24	4-4	3-3	5-5	W1
	Missoula	7	8	.467	1.5	23	3-4	4-4	5-5	W1

AZL Central
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	AZL Brewers	29	16	.644	-	-	9-9	11-7	6-4	W2
	AZL Dodgers	25	20	.556	4.0	8	10-8	10-6	8-2	W1
	AZL Reds	24	22	.522	5.5	6	9-7	10-8	7-3	W2
	AZL Indians	19	27	.413	10.5	1	7-11	9-8	1-9	L9

DSL S.D. North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	DSL Mariners	40	26	.606	-	-	23-11	17-15	6-4	W2
	DSL Cardinals	36	30	.545	4.0	3	23-10	13-20	4-6	L2
	DSL Athletics	30	36	.455	10.0	E	16-17	14-19	6-4	W3
	DSL Brewers	26	40	.394	14.0	E	15-17	11-23	3-7	L4

[Mass Haas]

We just posted the link showing that the Brewers have extended their relationship with Helena through 2012.

 

Milwaukee has already committed to Brevard County and Wisconsin through 2012.

 

Contracts are up after this season with Nashville (Brewers apparently pushing hard for Oklahoma City) and Huntsville.

 

Baseball America last updated their master list on July 27th.

There have been updates since then at the AAA / AA level, namely Florida re-upping with Jacksonville at AA comes to mind.

 

There aren't as many openings as you might think at the AAA and AA level -- and some that are open, such as Pawtucket, seem destined to remain with their current affiliations.

 

The Rangers will be kicking the Astros out of Round Rock, as the Nolan Ryan group has an ownership interest in both clubs now. That leaves Oklahoma City and their nice ballpark, built in 1999, up for grabs. That geography (Central Time Zone) works for the Crew as well.

[Mass Haas]

PDF document:

 

Nashville Media Notes

[battlekow]

Final: @Nashville 7, Colorado Springs 5

Sounds take series opener from Sky Sox, 7-5

Nashville Sounds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds opened their four-game series against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox with a 7-5 victory on Tuesday evening at historic Greer Stadium.

 

Marty McLeary (6-7) picked up the win for Nashville after authoring the Sounds' first quality start in the club's past 11 games. The right-hander allowed three runs on nine hits in his six innings of work to improve to 6-0 in seven home starts for the Sounds.

Brendan Katin and Martin Maldonado each homered for Nashville in the contest.

 

Colorado Springs grabbed an early lead against McLeary, plating three first-inning runs after the first two batters of the frame were retired.

 

Cole Garner drilled a two-out double off the base of the batter's eye in center to start the rally. After Jay Payton walked, Chris Nelson plated the night's first run with a single to left. After Payton and Nelson executed a double steal, Sky Sox first sacker Mike Paulk drove home both baserunners with a line drive single to center that was just out of the reach of a diving Eric Farris.

 

The Sounds got two of the runs back in the home half of the frame when Joe Koshansky (3-for-5) lined a two-out, two-run double to center off Colorado Springs starter Chaz Roe to make it a 3-2 contest. A pair of walks came back to haunt the right-hander as Carlos Gomez and Katin each drew a free pass in the frame before scoring on Koshansky's two-bagger, as he upped his team-leading RBI total to 67 on the year.

 

Katin tied the game at 3-3 in the third with a one-out solo homer to left off Roe, his 17th roundtripper of the season.

 

Maldonado gave the Sounds their first lead of the night in the fourth when he led off the inning with his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to left-center off Roe that careened off the guitar-shaped scoreboard.

 

The Sounds extended their lead to 5-3 later in the fourth. McLeary followed Maldonado's blast with a single to right. Norris Hopper and Gomez legged out consecutive bunt singles to load the bases for Mat Gamel, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate the Sounds hurler.

 

With runners on first and second, the inning ended with a bizarre double play as both runners broke on a 1-2 pitch to Katin, who was called out on strikes. Hopper successfully stole third on the play, but, as Gomez was hung up in a rundown between first and second, was then caught stealing home in a close play at the plate to end the frame.

 

Nashville tacked on a run in the seventh against Sky Sox reliever Andrew Johnston when shortstop Luis Cruz drove a one-out RBI double to left-center to plate Katin, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame.

 

The Sounds added one more run off Johnston in the eighth. With a runner on third and two outs, Colorado Springs skipper Stu Cole elected to intentionally walk Gamel to get to Katin, who made the visitors pay by delivering an RBI single to right.

 

Colorado Springs made Sounds closer Chris Smith sweat in the top of the ninth, plating a pair of runs to draw back within 7-5 before the right-hander brought an end to the contest. The visitors loaded the bases with one out before plating a run on a Travis Metcalf groundout. Paul Phillips followed with an RBI single to left to draw the Sky Sox within a pair of scores before Smith struck out Brad Eldred to close out the game.

 

Roe (7-12) took the loss after surrendering five runs on eight hits in his six frames of action for the Sky Sox.

 

Gamel went 0-for-3 for the Sounds to snap his hitting streak at eight games.

 

The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. matchup on Wednesday. Left-hander Sam Narron (7-6, 4.08) will take the hill for the Sounds to face Colorado Springs southpaw Kurt Birkins (4-7, 5.84).

 

Nashville box score

Katin also singled, so he was on four out of five times. You can listen to Koshansky's two-run double here.

 

Nashville play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: Dunedin 7, @Brevard County 5

BC drops finale to Blue Jays

Frank Longobardo/Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. -The Brevard County Manatees battled out of an early 2-0 deficit, but ultimately lost its series finale with the Dunedin Blue Jays 7-5 on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium. The loss dropped the Manatees to 3 ½ games back of the division lead.

 

After the Blue Jays (63-59 overall, 22-30 second half) scored twice in the top of the first, the Manatees (57-64, 30-22) answered right back with four of their own in the bottom of the frame. Brevard County sent all nine hitters to the plate and recorded five consecutive hits to start the inning.

 

Dunedin answered again against Manatees starter R.J. Seidel as they tied the game up with two in the second on a Mark Sobolewski single.

 

Seidel was chased in the third as he went just 2 2/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, while walking three. It was the second straight start where Seidel didn't make it out of the third and the fourth consecutive start in which he has allowed three or more runs.

 

Down 4-3 in the sixth, the Manatees tied it up as Angel Salome drove in Matt Cline with a RBI single. Cline led off the inning with a double.

 

But a two-run single by Kenny Wilson in the eighth inning off of Ruben Flores proved to be the difference in the ballgame.

 

Brevard County had plenty of chances at the plate and had 13 hits, but went just 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The Manatees left at least one runner on base in eight of nine innings.

 

Cline had another solid night out of the lead-off spot going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Salome and Brock Kjeldgaard had two hits each, while Salome drove in two runs as well.

 

The Manatees will open up a three-game series with the Lakeland Flying Tigers starting on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. at Joker Marchant Stadium. Lakeland will host the first two games of the series and Brevard County will host the finale of the three-game set on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

 

Slated to take the hill for the Manatees in Wednesday's series opener is Darren Byrd (1-2, 3.96), while the Flying Tigers will counter with Mark Sorensen (8-11, 4.50).

 

Brevard County box score

Sean Halton doubled and walked, and Erik Komatsu and Shawn Zarraga each singled and walked. Komatsu stole his 23rd base but committed two errors, which is pretty amazing when you consider that he's an outfielder.

 

Brevard County play-by-play

Steve Braun replaced Sergio Miranda after Miranda grounded out in the 8th.

[battlekow]

Final: @DSL Brewers 13, DSL Athletics 4 (five innings)

DSL Brewers box score

This one was called after the top of the 5th, but as you can see, the outcome was not much in doubt at that point. The first four Brewers--Alejandro Mendoza, Ruben Sanchez, Raul Mondesi, and Ronny Puello--were never retired, reaching all 12 times. Puello in particular had a nice day, doubling and tripling and driving in five. Jorge de la Cruz also reached all three times. Jose Pena and Hitaniel Arias did not play. Starter Juan Santiago walked seven in 2.2 innings, which is a lot better than either of the A's pitchers fared.

 

DSL Brewers play-by-play

Four runs in each of the first three innings; check it out.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Casper (Rockies) 11, @Helena 10, 11 innings

 

Casper not so friendly, Brewers fall in extras

By Brett Billings/Helena Brewers

 

The Helena Brewers have fared well in late night thrillers thus far this season. Unfortunately, tonight was not one of those nights as the Casper Ghosts beat the Brewers 11-10 in extras.

 

The Brewers trailed 10-2 in the fourth inning. Matt Miller, who leads the league in wins, surrendered seven runs (six earned) and was taken out after two innings. The overall outlook of the rest of the game seemed bleak at the time, but the Brewers didn't want to go down without a fight.

 

They scored eight unanswered runs over the next seven frames to extend the game. Brandon Sizemore, who finished 2 for 5, tied the game at ten with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth.

 

The score stayed knotted at ten apiece until the 11th inning. With Chad Robinson on the mound, Casper's Ryan Casteel reached on a fielding error by Shea Vucinich. He was pinch run for by Jeffrey Squier, who later stole second.

 

Let there be drama. The next batter hit a bloop single into center field. Franklin Romero Jr.'s throw to the plate was a little offline and Squier scored. Robinson and Brewers' catcher Brent Dean immediately argued that Squier missed the plate. Robinson was ejected and Brewers' skipper Joe Ayrault quickly followed.

 

Helena was blanked in the bottom half of the 11th as they fell to 27-26 on the season. They still remain atop first place in the Pioneer League North after Great Falls lost as well tonight.

 

The Brewers look to bounce back tomorrow night with Austin Ross on the mound. Ricardo Ferrer is scheduled to start for Casper. First pitch is at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers' rally goes for naught as Casper wins in 11 innings

By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record

 

A game that began as few expected ended in an even stranger way—a controversial call at home plate.

 

Casper pinch runner Jeff Squier came home on Yafistel Roja’s RBI-single in the 11th inning to give the Ghosts the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run as Casper overcame blowing a 10-2 lead to win 11-10 in extra innings in a Pioneer League game at Kindrick Legion Field on Tuesday night.

 

Helena Brewers pitcher Chad Robinson argued that Squier didn’t touch home plate. Robinson was immediately ejected, as was Helena manager Joe Ayrault.

 

“It was a wild one,” Ayrault said when the game ended after 4 hours, 7 minutes. “The guys played their hearts out, gave it all they had, they put together some great at-bats. To lose on a call like that was pretty tough.”

 

Despite the loss, the Brewers (27-26, 8-7 second half) maintained a half-game lead over Great Falls in the Pioneer League’s North Division.

 

The Ghosts (25-29, 8-8), who blew a 2-0 lead the previous night, held on this time when center fielder Rafael Ortega made a running catch to spoil Cody Hawn’s chance to be a hero for the second straight night.

 

Helena fell behind 10-2 after 3 1/2 frames but scored eight unanswered runs, capped by Brandon Sizemore’s two-run homer in the eighth, to tie the game at 10.

 

The two teams combined for 30 hits and used a combined 14 pitchers in a sloppy affair that saw each squad record five errors.

 

It never was the pitcher’s duel that appeared likely on paper, with two of the Pioneer League’s top pitchers facing off. Helena’s Matt Miller went up against Casper’s Tyler Gagnon, who entered with the league's fourth and fifth best ERAs, respectively. Neither made it to the third inning, and Miller had his worst outing as a pro.

 

The Ghosts peppered Miller with six hits in a six-run second inning that gave the visitors plenty of cushion early. Reliever Seth Lintz gave up three more runs in the fourth, but Brewers relievers Eric Marzec, Alex Jones and Brian Garman pitched six shutout innings to keep Helena in the game.

 

Every player in the Casper lineup reached base, but nobody had more hits than Brewers shortstop Carlos George, who was 5 for 6 in the loss. It marked the fourth time a Helena player had a five-hit game this season.

 

Aside from Sizemore’s shot, Hawn had the only other extra-base hit for the Brewers, a two-run double in the fourth that cut the Casper lead to 10-5.

 

Casper closer Juan Perez (2-0) earned the win, while Robinson was tagged with the loss. Ghosts closer Taylor Reid picked up his first save. It was the first time Casper had won an extra-inning affair this season in five tries.

 

Ortega led the Ghosts at the plate, going 3 for 6 with two RBIs and his fifth home run of the season.

 

But it was a bad night for starting pitchers, both with the best records on their teams. It was the shortest outing of the season for Miller as well as Gagnon. The right-handed Miller gave up seven hits and seven runs—six of which were earned—while walking one in two innings of work. Gagnon lasted just 1 2/3, giving up two runs on one hit—none earned—while walking two and striking out two.

 

Austin Ross gets the start tonight for Helena, while fellow right-hander Ricardo Ferrer gets the nod for Casper.

 

All photos by Ben Coulter, Helena Independent Record

Helena Brewers' designated hitter Cody Hawn hits a two-run double to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday night at Kindrick Legion Field against the Casper Ghosts.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/3/fc/4b5/3fc4b500-aa83-11df-8b84-001cc4c002e0-revisions/4c6b652146e0e.image.jpg

Helena catcher Brent Dean (right) shows the baseball to the umpire after tagging Casper Ghosts right fielder Juan Crousset at home plate.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/5/70/7dd/5707dd96-aa83-11df-95eb-001cc4c002e0-revisions/4c6b65486a75f.image.jpg

Helena Box Score

Doug Melvin was on hand, he certainly saw quite a bit; what an odd box score -- the 4-5-6-7 hitters in the Brewer lineup (3B Greg Hopkins, 2B Shea Vucinich, C Brent Dean, and 1B Mike Walker) combined to go 0-for-17 but with six walks and a HBP; meanwhile, CF Franklin Romero, Jr., DH Cody Hawn, LF Brandon Sizemore, and SS Carlos George all had multiple hit games as noted above, but failed to draw a base on balls among them; George's five singles lifted his Helena average to .312, but his OBP is only .330 with just four walks in 170 AB's -- George had earlier posted a .250 OBP in 60 AB's with the Timber Rattlers; among the five relievers that followed Matt Miller and Seth Lintz, RHP Eric Marzec had the most impressive line -- three innings, no runs, three hits, no walks, five K's, two wild pitches...

 

Helena Game Log

Miller's first clunker in 11 starts fell on an inopportune night -- line drive to center a bit repetitive in a six-run Casper frame...

 

Casper Top 2nd

• Robert De La Cruz grounds out, shortstop Carlos George to first baseman Michael Walker.
  
• Ryan Casteel singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero.
  
• Yafistel Roja singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero. Ryan Casteel to 2nd.
  
• Jose Rivera singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero. Ryan Casteel scores. Yafistel Roja to 3rd. Fielding error by center fielder Franklin Romero.
  
• Rafael Ortega singles on a fly ball to center fielder Franklin Romero. Yafistel Roja scores. Jose Rivera to 2nd.
  
• Brett Tanos singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Romero. Jose Rivera scores. Rafael Ortega to 3rd.
  
• Corey Dickerson singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brandon Sizemore. Rafael Ortega scores. Brett Tanos to 3rd. Corey Dickerson to 2nd on the throw.
  
• Jordan Ballard reaches on fielding error by shortstop Carlos George. Brett Tanos scores. Corey Dickerson to 3rd.
  
• Juan Crousset grounds into a force out, first baseman Michael Walker to shortstop Carlos George. Corey Dickerson scores. Jordan Ballard out at 2nd. Juan Crousset to 1st.
  
• With Robert De La Cruz batting, Juan Crousset caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Brent Dean to shortstop Carlos George.

[Mass Haas]

Game suspended: @Arizona Brewers 1, Arizona Indians 1, two outs, top of the 5th

 

Partial Arizona Box Score (No Game Log)

Rain in Maryvale; will the game be completed? Unlikely, it seems -- the teams don't play again this season; 3B Kyle Dhanani singled in both his at-bats, and drove in C Tyler Roberts, who had doubled, with the game-tieing run in the 2nd; Elon University RHP Dan Britt made his first appearance in a month, allowing one run in his only inning; third straight positive three-run outing for 18-year-old high school pick R.J. Johnson, have to like what he's accomplishing given early coaching; home plate collisions are often unforgiving -- have to start thinking Max Walla may be sidelined for a while, although we have no updates...

[craigharmann]

The Rangers will be kicking the Astros out of Round Rock, as the Nolan Ryan group has an ownership interest in both clubs now. That leaves Oklahoma City and their nice ballpark, built in 1999, up for grabs. That geography (Central Time Zone) works for the Crew as well.

Works for me! Nashville only gets to Round Rock about once or twice a season, so I can't always get up there to watch a game. OKC, now that's a bit better when it comes to scheduling, because then I can maybe get up there a little easier.

[Mass Haas]

Chris Mehring looks at the Rattlers' playoff picture heading into Wednesday's action.