Link Report for Sat. 4/30 -- In which Mat Gamel turns into a monster

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Frankie De La Cruz at home vs. Albuquerque (Dodgers), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime

Live Audio Link

iPad/iPhone: Listen

 

Huntsville: LHP Dan Merklinger at Mississippi (Braves), 6:05 PM gametime

Live Audio Link - Braves' feed

Brevard County: RHP Nick Bucci at home vs. Lakeland (Tigers), 6:05 PM gametime

Sorry, no audio available for this game...

 

Wisconsin: RHP Jimmy Nelson at home vs. Clinton (Mariners), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

[Mass Haas]

Follow Saturday'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	13	8	.619	-	-	8-2	5-6	9-1	L1
	Iowa	11	10	.524	2.0	122	5-2	6-8	5-5	W1
	Memphis	8	13	.381	5.0	119	7-7	1-6	4-6	L1
	Nashville	8	13	.381	5.0	119	5-8	3-5	2-8	L5

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Tennessee	15	7	.682	-	-	6-1	9-6	7-3	W2
	Huntsville	14	7	.667	0.5	49	8-1	6-6	6-4	L1
	Chattanooga	12	10	.545	3.0	46	5-7	7-3	4-6	L2
	Jackson	10	10	.500	4.0	46	2-6	8-4	6-4	W2
	Carolina	5	17	.227	10.0	39	5-10	0-7	3-7	L4

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Daytona	15	6	.714	-	-	8-2	7-4	8-2	W2
	Clearwater	13	9	.591	2.5	47	6-4	7-5	5-5	L1
	Lakeland	11	11	.500	4.5	45	8-5	3-6	3-7	W1
	Brevard County	9	13	.409	6.5	43	3-8	6-5	6-4	L1
	Tampa	9	13	.409	6.5	43	3-8	6-5	2-8	L2
	Dunedin	8	13	.381	7.0	43	2-8	6-5	6-4	W1

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Burlington	15	5	.750	-	-	7-1	8-4	7-3	W2
	Cedar Rapids	14	7	.667	1.5	-	7-3	7-4	8-2	W1
	Beloit	12	7	.632	2.5	50	8-3	4-4	7-3	W4
	Peoria	11	10	.524	4.5	47	4-3	7-7	7-3	L2
	Quad Cities	10	11	.476	5.5	46	4-7	6-4	4-6	L1
	Wisconsin	7	11	.389	7.0	46	5-7	2-4	3-7	L1
	Kane County	7	15	.318	9.0	42	4-6	3-9	2-8	L6
	Clinton	6	16	.273	10.0	41	3-10	3-6	2-8	W1

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog:

 

Lineup & Game Notes: April 30, 2011

[Mass Haas]

Another sobering note from Buck Rogers about the situation in greater Huntsville -- deserved props to their efforts!

Stars fans, it's been three days without power but everybody is hanging in there.

 

Our concessionaire, Sodexo, is serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for a minimal cost. Stop by the stadium if you're hungry. First responders, emergency workers, power crews will eat free.

 

Make a note of these businesses and groups because they not only brought food to the stadium, but staffing as well: Brix, Cafe Berlin, Baumhowers Wings, Panera Bread, Grace Lutheran Church, Whitesburg Baptist Church and random individuals.

 

We are now out of ice. Except for what's cooling down the food and drink, we are tapped. Please understand the little we have left is cooling down the supplies to feed residents and we cannot part with any of it.

 

Like you, we have thrown out loads of food from our refrigerators and freezers. We understand the gravity of it.

 

The latest word is power may be on Monday afternoon. I'll remain optimistic and start planning for the return of baseball next week sometime. We will firm up that information later today.

 

We will not be moving our series against Jacksonville to Jacksonville; this series will be played in Huntsville if we have to play day time games.

 

Hang in there, North Alabama. Be safe. Help your neighbors and do what you can to make life easier for everybody. If you're reading this on your phone you know we're OK and, God willing, that in a few more days things will return to normal.

 

Rock On!

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes

[battlekow]

Final: Clinton 5, @Wisconsin 2

Rattlers miss opportunities in loss

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers outhit the Clinton LumberKings 12-7 on Saturday afternoon. But, the Rattlers stranded 13 runners – including eight in scoring position – and fell 5-2 to Clinton. Four LumberKings pitchers limited the damage of those 12 Wisconsin hits to beat Wisconsin and take two out of three games in the series.

Rattlers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson kept the LumberKings (7-16) from getting their first hit until the fourth inning. But, that first hit was a home run by Stefen Romero that followed a one out walk to Tim Morris. Romero’s second homer in as many games put Clinton up 2-0.

The Rattlers (7-12) answered in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI infield single by Franklin Romero. The Rattlers’ Romero had three hits in the game, including a double to pace Wisconsin’s offense.

The score remained 2-1 in favor of the LumberKings until the seventh inning. Shaver Hansen singled with one out against Nelson. Julio Morban tripled into the right field corner to drive in Hansen and knock Nelson out of the game.

Thomas Keeling entered the game and the Rattlers infield played in to try to get Morban at the plate. Keeling got what he wanted, a grounder right at an infielder. The ball was hit sharply to Cody Hawn at first base. Hawn threw to the plate, but there was confusion on the play. On the video replay, catcher Tyler Roberts appeared look for the ball in the air and was not expecting the throw to the plate. The ball skipped to the backstop and Morban scored for a 4-1 lead.

Roberts got partial redemption in the bottom of the seventh as he drove in a run with a two-out single to make the score 4-2.

But, Clinton scored a run off Brian Garman in the top of the ninth inning for a 5-2 lead. Tyler Burgoon closed out the Rattlers with a scoreless ninth for his third save.

George Mieses was the starting pitcher and the winner for the LumberKings. He allowed a run on eight hits over five innings. He also walked three and struck out three in the game.

The Timber Rattlers will send Dan Britt (2-0, 0.00) to the mound for his first start this season. Quad Cities has Kevin Siegrist (3-0, 0.50) as their scheduled starter. Game time at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa is 5:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 4:40pm.

Wisconsin box score

The process seems to be okay for Nelson--he posted a sterling 13/1 GO/FO and threw plenty of strikes (60 in 89 pitches)--but the results weren't there, as he allowed four runs on six hits, three walks, and a hit batter. He punched out five LumberKings. Keeling hasn't allowed a run since his first outing, but he issued his eighth free pass in just 6.1 innings and hit a batter. Garman is off to a really rough start--allowing the one run on a hit and two walks actually lowered his ERA to 15.88. Stosh Wawrzasek turned in a clean outing, tossing a perfect inning with two whiffs. Nice game from @Romerofjr. Greg Hopkins was also on three times, with two hits and a walk. Roberts and Carlos George also had two hits. Nick Shaw was 0-5, dropping his average to .120, but the 16 walks he's draw are keeping his OBP afloat at .333. Reggie Keen doubled but was caught stealing third, already the 4th time he's been cut down this year.

Wisconsin play-by-play

Nelson's line could have been much worse had he not gotten out of this jam:

Clinton Top of the 5th

• Steven Baron walks.
• Shaver Hansen grounds into a force out, first baseman Cody Hawn to shortstop Carlos George. Steven Baron out at 2nd. Shaver Hansen to 1st.
• Julio Morban strikes out swinging.
• Tim Morris singles on a fly ball to center fielder Reggie Keen. Shaver Hansen to 2nd.
• Stefen Romero strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Jimmy Nelson. Shaver Hansen to 3rd. Tim Morris to 2nd. Stefen Romero to 1st.
• Mickey Wiswall grounds out to first baseman Cody Hawn.

[sfl2hnq17]

If Brevard County's first 4 hitters start hitting like they are tonight, the 'Tees should be a fun team to follow. Plus you have Bucci, Heckathorn and Lasker pitching for them.

[battlekow]

Final: @Mississippi 7, Huntsville 2

Huntsville box score

Dan Merklinger had a blah start: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 86 pitches, 45 strikes. Dan Meadows had kind of a weird line, fanning four and walking none in two innings, but allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits. I guess that means he was around the zone a lot, and indeed, 45 pitches and 32 strikes. Roque Mercedes allowed two runs for the third time in five outings. Not much going on on offense. Anderson de la Rosa was 2-3 with a walk. Erik Komatsu was on three times with a single, a walk, and a HBP. Lee Haydel drew another walk and stole his 5th base. Komatsu is back to hitting 6th for some reason.

Huntsville play-by-play

[YoungGeezy]

Safe to say Mat Gamel had an alright game....5-5 3 2b and a HR believe 5RBI. Not to bad at all

[battlekow]

Final: @Brevard County 6, Lakeland 1

Brevard County box score

A mere sixteen hits for the 'Tees tonight. Scooter Gennett led the way with three, including a double, and also walked; he's hitting .318/.380/.386 on the year. Obviously the power is down, but this is the FSL & Space Coast Stadium, after all. All in all, a fine April for the mighty mite. Kentrail Davis also had a great night with a triple, single, and walk, plus an outfield assist. Hunter Morris, Khris Davis, Brock Kjeldgaard, and Josh Prince also had two hits. Hey, even D'Vontrey Richardson had a hit! In fact, all nine Manatees in the lineup did. Nick Bucci got the start for BC and courted disaster early on: he allowed eight baserunners (four hits, four walks) through four innings while striking out just one, but somehow managed to avoid letting in a run. He settled down in the final two frames, continuing to keep the Flying Tigers off the board while adding two punch-outs and surrendering just one additional hit. He continued to keep the ball on the ground well with a 10/3 GO/FO. Jon Pokorny capped a tough April by allowing another run; his ERA stands at 8.22. Santo Manzanillo struck out two and walked two in a scoreless inning, giving him a 15/4 K/BB in 11.2 April innings.

Brevard County play-by-play

Bucci must have known he was charmed after the 1st:

Lakeland Top of the 1st

• Gustavo Nunez triples (3) on a line drive to right fielder Kentrail Davis.
• Brent Wyatt grounds out, pitcher Nicholas Bucci to first baseman Hunter Morris.
• Tony Plagman grounds out, second baseman Ryan Gennett to first baseman Hunter Morris.
• Wade Gaynor walks.
• Jordan Lennerton pops out to third baseman Shea Vucinich in foul territory.

His only 1-2-3 inning was his last, the 6th.

[homer]

The top of the order for BC is a pretty intriguing bunch. 1 - 4 is pretty solid.

[battlekow]

Final: @Nashville 7, Albuquerque 6

Gamel Powers Sounds To Come-From-Behind Win

Nashville Sounds

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - First baseman Mat Gamel put an exclamation point on his 5-for-5, five-RBI evening with a go-ahead double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Nashville Sounds to a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium.

Gamel accounted for all seven Nashville runs by scoring twice and driving in the other five to help Nashville (9-13) snap a five-game losing streak with the victory. He matched career highs for hits and RBIs in a game, finishing a triple short of the cycle.

Trailing 6-5 entering the home half of the eighth, the Sounds rallied for two runs to grab their first lead of the evening. Pinch-hitter Brendan Katin led off the frame with a solo home run to left on a 1-1 pitch from Albuquerque reliever Jon Link. Brett Carroll followed with a walk and, after Taylor Green popped out on a sacrifice bunt attempt, came around to score the go-ahead run on Gamel's double off the bottom of the wall in left-center. The game-winning two-bagger was Gamel's third double of the night, one shy of the Nashville single-game record.

Mark DiFelice took the hill for the Sounds in the ninth and worked around a one-out Corey Smith single to post a scoreless frame and nail down his first save of the year.

Nashville reliever Zack Segovia (1-1) worked two scoreless innings and was the beneficiary of the late Sounds rally, securing his first win of the year.

Link (1-1) was saddled with the loss after suffering a blown save, allowing two runs in his lone frame of action.

Sounds starter Frankie De La Cruz, who entered the contest with the PCL's 2nd-best WHIP (0.86), was uncharacteristically ineffective in the game. The right-hander didn't make it out of the second inning, allowing two runs on two hits while walking five batters and fanning two. De La Cruz threw 59 pitches but only 29 for strikes.

After putting a pair of runners on base in a scoreless first, Albuquerque broke through with a pair of runs against De La Cruz in the second. The visitors loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks sandwiched around a Damaso Espino single. Isotopes starting pitcher Francisco Felix lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right to plate ex-Sound Trent Oeltjen with the night's first run. Dee Gordon (3-for-4) followed with an RBI single to left that made it a 2-0 contest.

Albuquerque extended its lead to 3-0 in the third with an unearned run against reliever Tim Dillard. After leading off with a walk, Jamie Hoffmann stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by Sounds catcher George Kottaras. Espino followed with an RBI single to right.

Gamel pulled the home team back within a run with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third, belting a two-run homer to deep right off Felix. The blast, which also plated Green (walk), was Gamel's first roundtripper of the season and made it a 3-2 game.

Espino (3-for-4) continued his solid night in the fifth when he slugged a two-run homer off to left off Dillard, his first home run of the year.

The teams exchanged single runs over the next two half-innings as the score increased to 6-3. After Luis Figueroa delivered a two-out RBI double for the Sounds in the bottom of the fifth, ex-Sound Jay Gibbons got that run right back for the visitors with a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth.

Nashville rallied to pull within a run once again at 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth off Isotopes reliever Ramon Troncoso, courtesy of a Gamel two-run double.

Left-hander Manny Parra made his sixth rehab appearance for the Sounds and allowed one run on three hits in his lone inning of work. Outfielder Nyjer Morgan made his second rehab appearance for Nashville and went 2-for-3 with a run scored as he played seven innings in right field.

The teams wrap up the series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Josh Butler (1-1, 4.85) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Albuquerque right-hander John Ely (1-1, 3.79).

Nashville box score

Wow! Just your average 11-total-base performance from Mat the Batt. He'd been slumping lately in the power department, but tonight cleared that right up, and his line now sits at a fine .321/.400/.476. Green walked three times; he's hitting just .222 for the Sounds but has been a secondary-skills fiend with 11 walks, three doubles, and three homers in 68 plate appearances, giving him an OBP/SLG of .343/.444. Caleb Gindl was hitless but also drew a walk; his numbers are poor, but it's important to remember that he's only played in eight games because of his oblique strain. Perhaps curiously, Gindl played center field and Morgan right. Katin's slugging percentage is an obscene .692 after clobbering his 6th homer. Eric Farris wasn't in the lineup but lined out for Parra in the 6th. George Kottaras took an 0-5 collar and committed two errors, which gives him three already in his brief time at Nashville; given that he lost out on the backup catcher job because of his defensive deficiencies, that doesn't bode well for a return engagement in Milwaukee any time soon.

Nashville play-by-play

[TooLiveBrew]

Safe to say Mat Gamel had an alright game....5-5 3 2b and a HR believe 5RBI. Not to bad at all

Nice nightt Mat! How anyone can doubtt whetther or nott he'll hitt att tthe big-league level is justt beyond me.

 

 

Mat the Batt

 

This is such an awesome nickname

[Mass Haas]

Mark Rogers must be working on the side (season stats).

 

Last pitched on the 23rd, and is not scheduled to start a game through at least this Wednesday the 4th. LHP Chase Wright makes his first start of the season near his hometown of Oklahoma City on Monday.

[Mass Haas]

Greg Sullivan of the Tennessean: (link also includes a story on Jay Gibbons and his thank you to Gord Ash) --

 

Mat Gamel had his best game of the season Saturday night for the Sounds, hitting the game-winning double in the eighth and, earlier, his first home run of the season.

 

"It's been a while since I've had one like that," Gamel said of his first five-hit game since 2008.

 

He went 5-for-5, drove in five runs and hit three doubles in the Sounds' 7-6 win over Albuquerque, including the game-winner that drove in Brett Carroll.

 

"I'm not too concerned about the home runs," Gamel said. "If you start trying to force it to happen you start messing your swing up."

 

Getting the game-winning hit meant a lot, he said, especially with the way the team had been struggling riding a five-game losing streak.

 

"It's better than a cycle," Gamel said. "It's not like we've been playing terrible baseball, we just haven't been capitalizing with guys on base and we've been getting hits when nobody's been on base.

 

"It was good for us to put a complete game together as far as pitching and hitting."

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog:

 

Several post-game thoughts and your video highlights