Link Report for Games of Monday 4/25 -- Brewers system wears the collar on an ugly night

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Frankie De La Cruz at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

iPad/iPhone: Listen

 

Huntsville: RHP Jesus Sanchez at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:43 PM gametime

Live Audio Link

iPad/iPhone: Listen

Traditional broadcast via the Barons' feed: Listen

 

Brevard County: TBD (likely RHP Nick Bucci) at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM gametime

Sorry, no audio available for this contest...

 

Wisconsin: RHP Jimmy Nelson at home vs. Quad City (Cardinals), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime

Live Audio Link

[Mass Haas]

Follow Monday's action as it happens:

Nashville (Gameday also available)
Huntsville (Gameday also available)
Brevard County
Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

PCL American North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Omaha	11	7	.611	-	-	7-1	4-6	9-1	W7
	Iowa	9	8	.529	1.5	126	5-2	4-6	6-4	L2
	Nashville	8	10	.444	3.0	124	5-5	3-5	3-7	L2
	Memphis	6	11	.353	4.5	123	5-5	1-6	3-7	W2

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Huntsville	12	5	.706	-	-	7-0	5-5	7-3	W4
	Tennessee	12	5	.706	-	-	4-1	8-4	7-3	W3
	Chattanooga	10	7	.588	2.0	52	5-5	5-2	6-4	L1
	Jackson	8	9	.471	4.0	50	2-5	6-4	5-5	W1
	Carolina	4	13	.235	8.0	46	4-8	0-5	3-7	W1

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Daytona	13	5	.722	-	-	6-1	7-4	7-3	W6
	Clearwater	10	7	.588	2.5	51	4-4	6-3	5-5	W1
	Lakeland	9	8	.529	3.5	50	6-4	3-4	5-5	L4
	Brevard County	7	10	.412	5.5	48	2-6	5-4	5-5	W2
	Tampa	7	10	.412	5.5	48	2-7	5-3	4-6	L5
	Dunedin	6	12	.333	7.0	46	2-8	4-4	5-5	L2

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Burlington	12	3	.800	-	-	5-1	7-2	8-2	W4
	Cedar Rapids	10	6	.625	2.5	-	4-3	6-3	8-2	L1
	Beloit	8	6	.571	3.5	55	4-2	4-4	6-4	L1
	Peoria	8	8	.500	4.5	53	4-3	4-5	5-5	W1
	Quad Cities	7	9	.438	5.5	52	3-6	4-3	3-7	W1
	Kane County	7	10	.412	6.0	51	4-6	3-4	5-5	L1
	Wisconsin	5	8	.385	6.0	53	3-4	2-4	3-7	L3
	Clinton	5	12	.294	8.0	49	3-7	2-5	4-6	W1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes --

DOING IT FOR THE KIDS: Sounds pitchers Justin James and Chase Wright and catcher Patrick Arlis spent this morning at Greer Stadium hosting a baseball clinic for 35 deaf and hard-of-hearing children from the Nashville Sertoma Club. The players oversaw hitting, fielding, and pitching drills during the 60-minute session then enjoyed lunch with the participants.

 

Nice!

 

Of course, all your on-field related minutia is included at the link as well.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Media Notes

[Mass Haas]

Timber Rattlers Lineup and Game Notes April 25, 2011 -- also pitching rotation for duration of the series

[battlekow]

Final: Omaha 2, @Nashville 1

Ninth-Inning Run Leads Omaha Past Sounds, 2-1

Nashville Sounds

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Johnny Giovatella's two-out RBI single off Sounds reliever Justin James in the top of the ninth inning gave the visiting Omaha Storm Chasers a 2-1 victory over the Sounds on Monday evening at Greer Stadium.

The loss, the Sounds' third in a row to their division rivals, was the league-leading seventh one-run defeat suffered by Nashville (8-11) this season.

In the top of the ninth, Eric Hosmer (3-for-4) led off with a single to right. After a pair of flyouts, Hosmer stole second and then scored when Giovatella laced his game-winning single into the gap in right-center, resulting in the first run allowed by James all season. The right-hander opened the year with 8 2/3 scoreless frames of relief for Nashville.

Omaha reliever Luis Mendoza (1-0) retired the Sounds in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. The right-hander earned his first win of the year with three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief for the Storm Chasers.

James (0-1) drew the loss after permitting the game-deciding run in his two frames of work.

Both starting pitchers turned in quality starts for their respective clubs and were on cruise control early, as the teams played scoreless baseball through the first 5 ½ innings.

Nashville struck first, plating a two-out run against Omaha starter Everett Teaford in the home half of the fifth. Caleb Gindl (2-for-3) delivered an RBI single to left to bring home Taylor Green for a 1-0 Sounds lead.

The Storm Chasers evened the contest with an unearned run in the next half-inning against Sounds starter Frankie De La Cruz. David Lough reached on a one-out infield single and advanced to second on the play as De La Cruz overthrew first base. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Lough came plateward with the tying run on an Eric Hosmer single to left.

De La Cruz twirled his third quality start of the year for the Sounds, holding the Storm Chasers to one unearned run on five hits while fanning seven batters in his seven innings. With the solid effort, the right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.85 through 24 1/3 innings of work on the year.

Teaford also turned in a quality start for Omaha, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three batters in his six frames of action.

Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Corey Hart went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in the contest and is now hitting 2-for-15 through five games with the Sounds during his rehab assignment.

The teams wrap up the series on Tuesday morning with an 11:05 a.m. finale that will feature thousands of participants in the Nashville Sounds Reading Club in attendance as a reward for reaching their educational goals.

Left-hander Sam Narron (0-0, 6.14) will make the start for Nashville on Tuesday to face Omaha southpaw Danny Duffy (0-0, 1.29).

Nashville box score

Gindl makes the audio cut again; listen to his RBI single. Brendan Katin and Mike Rivera, each with a single, had the only Sounds hits apart from Gindl's two. No walks, no HBP, so those were your only baserunners on the night. De la Cruz has been phenomenal, posting a 27/7 K/BB in 24.1 innings to begin the year; he threw 96 pitches, 67 for strikes. As Toby pointed out, Gindl was in left tonight as opposed to center.

Nashville play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: Birmingham 6, @Huntsville 2

Barons Hand Stars First Home Loss

Jill Cacic/Huntsville Stars

Huntsville, AL- The Birmingham Barons' (10-8) solid offense ruined the Huntsville Stars (12-6) perfect record at home with a 6-2 loss Monday night. Right fielder Christian Marrero and second baseman Tyler Kuhn led the Barons offensive charge, both going 2-4 at the plate with two RBI. Kuhn's RBI came on a two-run home run in the second inning and Marrero's on a two-run triple in the sixth.

The Stars only managed two runs the entire game. Their first run came in the first inning, thanks to back-to-back doubles from Sean Halton and Brandon Jones. The Barons put up two in the second only for the Stars to tie it up in the bottom of the third. Steffan Wilson hit a single to score Halton after Birmingham's first baseman Seth Loman was ejected. Clutch hitter Chuckie Caufield followed up with a single of his own to score Jones, who was thrown out at the plate.

Huntsville starter Jesus Sanchez left the game in the bottom of the sixth, after giving up three runs that inning and taking the loss. The Stars would never recover from the three-run deficit. The nail on the coffin came with one final run for Birmingham in the top of the ninth off reliever Dan Meadows.

Justin Edwards took the win for the Barons, going five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out four. Gregori Infante recorded his fifth save of the season.

The Barons and Stars face off tomorrow night at 6:43 p.m. LHP Charlie Leesman will toe the rubber for Birmingham against Huntsville's RHP Cody Scarpetta. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the Halfway to Halloween celebration and the tribute to the boys basketball 4-A State Champion Butler Rebels!

Huntsville box score

Sanchez's final line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 7/1 GO/FO, 83 pitches, 53 strikes. Based on those peripherals, he deserved a bit better fate. The run off Meadows was, like Justin James above, the first he's allowed all year. Halton and Jones each had a single and a walk to go along with their doubles. Erik Komatsu hit leadoff and was 1-5; Lee Haydel did not play.

Huntsville play-by-play

Yeah, Sanchez lost it a bit in the 6th, mainly with his first two walks of the game and a wild pitch; a bunt single and a ground-ball triple are some bad luck.

Birmingham Top of the 6th

• Brandon Short singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Steffan Wilson.
• With Andrew Garcia batting, Brandon Short steals (3) 2nd base.
• Andrew Garcia walks.
• Christian Marrero triples (2) on a ground ball to right fielder Brandon Jones. Brandon Short scores. Andrew Garcia scores.
• With Josh Phegley batting, wild pitch by Jesus Sanchez, Christian Marrero scores.
• Josh Phegley strikes out swinging, catcher Martin Maldonado to first baseman Sean Halton.
• Kyle Shelton walks.
• Pitcher Change: Daniel Meadows replaces Jesus Sanchez.
• Christian Colonel pops out to second baseman Matt Cline.
• With Tyler Kuhn batting, Kyle Shelton steals (1) 2nd base.
• Tyler Kuhn flies out to center fielder Erik Komatsu.

[battlekow]

Final: @Lakeland 4, Brevard County 3

Brevard County box score

This was the system's best chance for a win tonight--and its only road game--but BC coughed up two runs in the bottom of the 9th to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Nick Bucci started and again pitched well: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 8/2 GO/FO. He gave up two in the 2nd inning but kept the Flying Tigers off the board from there on out. Corey Frerichs and Trey Watten were each responsible for one of the two 9th-inning runs, but Jon Pokorny ultimately let the winning run in. Rob Wooten pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout, working around a hit and a walk. Scooter Gennett had a really nice game, walking three times plus a single. Josh Prince had two hits and stole his 7th base (but was also caught stealing), Kentrail Davis and Khris Davis each drew a walk, Shawn Zarraga had a rare extra-base hit, a double, and D'Vontrey Richardson remained hitless since his debut, though he did take ball four once. Hunter Morris did not play; he's day-to-day with a finger injury.

Brevard County play-by-play

Zarraga's double was even on a fly ball! The end of the game:

Lakeland Bottom of the 9th

• Pitcher Change: Corey Frerichs replaces Robert Wooten.
• Julio Rodriguez called out on strikes.
• Ryan Soares singles on a ground ball to pitcher Corey Frerichs.
• Pitcher Change: Trey Watten replaces Corey Frerichs.
• Brent Wyatt singles on a fly ball to left fielder Scott Krieger. Ryan Soares to 2nd.
• With Daniel Fields batting, passed ball by Shawn Zarraga, Ryan Soares to 3rd. Brent Wyatt to 2nd.
• Daniel Fields singles on a fly ball to center fielder D' Vontrey Richardson. Ryan Soares scores. Brent Wyatt to 3rd.
• Pitcher Change: Jonathan Pokorny replaces Trey Watten.
• Tony Plagman grounds out, pitcher Jonathan Pokorny to first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard.
• With Wade Gaynor batting, wild pitch by Jonathan Pokorny, Brent Wyatt scores.

Brutal. Just when it looked like Pokorny had gotten out of it with a clutch comebacker...

[battlekow]

Final: Quad Cities 5, @Wisconsin 0

Siegrist shuts down Wisconsin

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Kevin Siegrist and a pair of Quad Cities River Bandits relievers held the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scoreless on four hits in a 5-0 victory at Time Warner Cable Field. Siegrist struck out eight over seven innings, allowed three hits, and sent the Rattlers to their fourth straight loss.

Quad Cities (8-9) loaded the bases on three straight singles to start their half of the third inning. An RBI fielder's choice by Greg Garcia got the first run home for the River Bandits. Then, Rattlers starter Jimmy Nelson uncorked a wild pitch that let the runner from third score and allowed Garcia to make it all the way around to third base. A sacrifice fly by Cody Stanley plated the final run of the inning.

Wisconsin (5-9) had a good chance to get on the scoreboard against Siegrist in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Shaw was at second and Cody Hawn smacked a sharp single to right. But, Michael Swinson fired a strike to the plate to cut down Shaw for the second out of the inning. Siegrist retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced and did not give up another hit.

Nelson worked six innings for the Rattlers and allowed five hits, but he was tagged with the loss as the Wisconsin offense was shut out.

The River Bandits tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning with the benefit of just one hit. Eric Marzec relieved Nelson to start the inning and walked three batters while recording two outs. Stosh Wawrzasek took over for Marzec and gave up a two-run single for the final runs of the game.

In the ninth, Wisconsin had runners at first and second with one out against reliever Boone Whiting. However, Hawn lined into a game ending double play and the Rattlers saw their scoreless streak run to 18-1/3 innings.

Game two of the series is Tuesday night at Time Warner Cable Field. Tyler Thornburg (0-0, 1.04) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Quad Cities will send Zach Russell (0-1, 3.86) to the mound. Game time is 6:35pm.

Wisconsin box score

The Rattlers have scored 54 runs in 14 games (3.9 runs/game); if you want to have fun with the postponements, they've scored just three runs since April 17th. Nelson had his sinker working, getting a remarkable 11 groundouts against just two flyouts; he threw 53 strikes in 81 pitches, a pretty good ratio, but still walked three. Wawrzasek also issued three free passes, so he and Marzec combined to walk six while getting just five outs. Suboptimal. Hey, Tyler Cravy finally had a scoreless outing, though it was just one batter long. Reggie Keen (two singles) was the only Rattler with multiple hits; Shaw walked twice. Country Roberts was 0-3 with two strikeouts, dropping his average to .152, and also committed his 5th passed ball, though he did throw out another attempted base thief.

Wisconsin play-by-play

[battlekow]

Chris Mehring's postgame thoughts indicate that Jimmy Nelson?had some bad luck with seeing-eye singles. He also notes that the Rattlers have received four straight quality starts--and lost all four games.

Highlights:

[battlekow]

Our friend David Weiser indicates that the Huntsville score could have been even worse, as Birmingham had a home run ruled a double by the umpire.

[Mass Haas]

Sounds waste good outing for pitcher

by Greg Sullivan, the Tennessean

The tough luck continued Monday night for Sounds starter Frankie De La Cruz (0-1) as he took a no-decision in the Sounds' 2-1 loss to Omaha.

 

"We've got a really good team, but I know my team's struggling," said De La Cruz, who allowed one unearned run in seven innings. "I know we'll be fine. Today, I think I did good, but I made a mistake."

 

Omaha's David Lough scored after reaching on a De La Cruz throwing error. Other than that, it was a solid outing for the right-hander, who gave up five hits and picked up third straight quality start to open the season.

 

"I've just got to go out and throw strikes," he said. "My slider was really good today and, to be honest with you, this is my first year throwing a slider."

 

Hart focused on return: Milwaukee Brewers slugger Corey Hart said he is looking forward to rejoining the big league team soon as he continued his rehab stint with the Sounds.

 

"I'm just trying to get comfortable enough to go back (to Milwaukee) and produce," said Hart, who was 0-for-3 with a strikeout. "They've been playing well, and I'm excited to get back and contribute as much as I can."

 

The Bowling Green, Ky. native, who played parts of two seasons with the Sounds in 2005 and 2006, said it was good to be near his hometown in the meantime.

 

"We've got a pretty close-knit town, so when anybody from there comes back it's always kind of nice to see people flock out."

 

Just like home: When former Sound Lorenzo Cain returned to Greer Stadium over the weekend as a member of the Omaha Storm Chasers, it was like he never left.

 

Even though he wears a different uniform, the Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How to Dougie" still blares over the loud speakers in Nashville when he steps up to the plate just like it did last year.

 

And then there are the familiar faces, including Sounds leadoff man Eric Farris, who took over his leadoff role.

 

"From day one we clicked," Cain said of his former teammate who had been in the Brewers system with him since Farris was drafted in 2007. "It was a blast for the both of us."

 

Cain went to the Royals in the offseason as part of the Zack Greinke deal. Cain's prospect stock soared when he batted .306 in 147 at-bats last season in a late callup by the Brewers.

 

Even though Cain and Farris are now in different organizations, they still have to perform well on the field or risk the other taking bragging rights over the phone.

 

"You better believe I know what he's doing all the time," Farris said. "If he's struggling a little bit, he's going to hear it from me."

[Mass Haas]

Timber Rattlers' offense looks weathered after loss to River Bandits

by Mike Woods, Post-Crescent staff writer

 

GRAND CHUTE — Oftentimes it's said a baseball team will take on the personality of its manager.

But thus far, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have taken on the personality of the local weather — cold, dreary and inconsistent.

The Rattlers dropped their fourth straight game Monday on Timer Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, shut out by the Quad Cities River Bandits 5-0 before a crowd of 546.

"It's been a difficult stretch,'' said first baseman Cody Hawn, the team's No. 3 batter, who is hitting .241 and whose rocket to short was snared snow cone-style that resulted in a double play to end the game.

"The routine has been messed up a little bit with the snow and the rain and things like that. It just seems things aren't going our way right now. We've run into a few good pitchers who've been on that night and we've been struggling to get on base," he said.

Monday was no different. River Bandits starter Kevin Siegrist entered the game with a 2-0 record and 0.82 ERA. Siegrist limited the Rattlers to just three hits over seven innings, struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 0.50.

"There've been some inconsistencies, just like the weather," said Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson. "That's what we just talked about. It's April 25 and I think we have some guys worried about what has happened the last 13 games.

"They're hitting a buck 25 and that stuff has got to be thrown out. You've got to move on to the next pitch, the next opportunity. Each at-bat has got to be a different opportunity and if you're thinking about what's happened in the past, you're going to get into longer stretches like we're in offensively."

The Rattlers have scored just three runs in their past four games, have been shut out twice and Monday saw their scoreless innings streak stretched to 18 ¹/₃ innings. Though no one in the locker room will say it, having seven games postponed due to weather isn't helping anyone in finding their routine.

Then again, Erickson doesn't want to hear it anyway.

"I told them we can use all the excuses in the world or else we can go out and compete our butts off and try to get out of this," said Erickson. "I think they will. I think the room is full of competitors. We'll have stretches where everything will fall and we'll get on a tear. But that's part of the game. You're going to go through times when you struggle and that's when your confidence shows, your true confidence. And I think we have some guys fighting that at the plate right now."

But he told the team that bad times also offer excellent opportunities.

"That's up to each individual to take it upon themselves to make something happen and be a spark," Erickson said. "Each bad stretch like this gives an opportunity to someone in there to help the team pull out of it. Whether it's a pitcher on the mound or a great defensive play or guys at the plate putting something together.''

Having experienced success last year in rookie ball in Arizona and Helena, a 5-9 start is not how these players envisioned this season would begin.

"You have to put all this behind us,'' said Hawn. "It hasn't been the way we wanted it to be out of the gate but we just have to find a way to turn it around. That's the beauty of the game. We get to play every day. It's going to get warm at some point and things will start going our way. Balls will start falling for us and I think it's just a matter of time before it will happen."

[Mass Haas]

[LouisEly]

# Ryan Soares singles on a ground ball to pitcher Corey Frerichs.

# Pitcher Change: Trey Watten replaces Corey Frerichs.

 

Was Frerichs injured on the play? Did he take a hard comebacker? Seems odd for him to come out after two batters in an inning after a "(single) on a ground ball to pitcher".

[hsvstarsfan]

The ball hit above the yellow line out in CF where for many years one of the speakers was planted. The ball bounced back, possibly after hitting an old mount. Oddly, Birmingham manager Bobby Magallanes, coaching at third, never protested, but Seth Loman, who connected on the hit, did, and the third base ump apparently had enough of him and threw him out during the next half-inning. BTW, the loss ended a 7-0 start AT HOME for the Stars -- the longest streak in their history from the start of a season. They won 6 straight at home at the start of the 2008 season.