Link Report for Tue. 6/28 -- Heckathorn, 'Tees shut out Yankees in matinee; Arcia continues to lay waste to DSL

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Josh Butler at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

iPad/iPhone: Listen

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers

Huntsville: Idle

 

Brevard County: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 11:00 AM gametime

Sorry, no audio available for this series...

 

Wisconsin: RHP Maverick Lasker at home vs. Peoria (Cubs), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

Live Audio Link

 

Helena: RHP Andy Moye at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime

Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the runty Reds; 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league

 

DSL Brewers: at the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens:

 

Nashville (Gameday also available)

 

Brevard County

Wisconsin

 

Helena

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale)

DSL Brewers

[Mass Haas]

PCL American North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Omaha	42	37	.532	-	-	22-17	20-20	4-6	L1
	Memphis	41	37	.526	0.5	66	23-16	18-21	5-5	W1
	Iowa	37	42	.468	5.0	61	20-19	17-23	7-3	W6
	Nashville	36	42	.462	5.5	61	24-18	12-24	6-4	W4

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Chattanooga	4	1	.800	-	-	4-1	0-0	4-1	W4
	Carolina	3	2	.600	1.0	65	3-2	0-0	3-2	W1
	Huntsville	2	3	.400	2.0	64	0-0	2-3	2-3	L1
	Jackson	2	3	.400	2.0	64	0-0	2-3	2-3	L2
*	Tennessee	2	3	.400	2.0	64	0-0	2-3	2-3	W1

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Brevard County	2	1	.667	-	-	2-1	0-0	2-1	L1
*	Daytona	3	2	.600	-	-	1-1	2-1	3-2	W1
	Tampa	3	2	.600	-	-	2-1	1-1	3-2	W1
	Clearwater	2	3	.400	1.0	65	1-2	1-1	2-3	W1
	Dunedin	2	3	.400	1.0	65	0-0	2-3	2-3	L1
	Lakeland	1	2	.333	1.0	66	1-1	0-1	1-2	L1

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Beloit	4	0	1.000	-	-	3-0	1-0	4-0	W6
	Kane County	4	0	1.000	-	-	0-0	4-0	4-0	W4
	Quad Cities	3	1	.750	1.0	66	1-0	2-1	3-1	W3
	Clinton	2	2	.500	2.0	65	2-2	0-0	2-2	L1
*	Burlington	1	3	.250	3.0	64	0-1	1-2	1-3	L2
	Peoria	1	3	.250	3.0	64	0-3	1-0	1-3	W1
	Wisconsin	1	3	.250	3.0	64	1-3	0-0	1-3	L3
	Cedar Rapids	0	4	.000	4.0	63	0-0	0-4	0-4	L5

PIO North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Helena	5	3	.625	-	-	4-2	1-1	5-3	L2
	Billings	4	4	.500	1.0	30	2-2	2-2	4-4	W2
	Great Falls	4	4	.500	1.0	30	1-2	3-2	4-4	W2
	Missoula	3	5	.375	2.0	29	1-2	2-3	3-5	L2

AZL Central
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	AZL Dodgers	4	2	.667	-	-	2-1	2-1	4-2	W1
	AZL Indians	3	3	.500	1.0	50	2-1	1-2	3-3	W1
	AZL Brewers	2	4	.333	2.0	49	0-2	2-2	2-4	L3
	AZL Reds	2	4	.333	2.0	49	2-1	0-3	2-4	L2

DSL S.D. North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	DSL Mariners	18	6	.750	-	-	9-4	9-2	9-1	L1
	DSL Brewers	18	7	.720	0.5	48	8-4	10-3	8-2	W3
	DSL Athletics	7	18	.280	11.5	37	3-7	4-11	2-8	L7
	DSL Cardinals	7	18	.280	11.5	37	5-9	2-9	3-7	W1

[Never Outhustled]

Great to see Heckathorn dominant today. Now he just needs to be consistant with it, and staying healthy might be part of that.

 

Hunter Morris stays hot too. Todays game should boost his OPS over 1.000 over his last 10.

[JohnBriggs12]

Great to see Heckathorn dominant today. Now he just needs to be consistant with it, and staying healthy might be part of that.

 

Hunter Morris stays hot too. Todays game should boost his OPS over 1.000 over his last 10.

That's 3 scoreless outings for Heckathorn in his last 5 starts with a short DL stint in there. Have to think another couple like that will have him in Huntsville if he can avoid the shaky one in between.

[brewmann04]

Music to my ear John Briggs12

[Mass Haas]

Eric will have the full update later on from Brevard, but 3-for-10 in SB attempts thus far, D'Vontrey Richardson? Really? D'Vo was 17-for-32 in 2010, so those natural raw athletic talents are taking time to transfer not just to the plate, and to the outfield, but to the basepaths.

That's a triple wait for all of us fans.

[battlekow]

Final: @Brevard County 3, Tampa 0

BC blanks Yanks in Tuesday matinee

Frank Longobardo/Brevard County Manatees

VIERA, Fla. -- Kyle Heckathorn threw six shutout innings and three 'Tees homered as Brevard County took the series finale against the Tampa Yankees 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Space Coast Stadium.

Hunter Morris got the 'Tees on the board first with a one-out solo homer in the third.

With two outs in the fifth, Kentrail Davis made it a 2-0 game with his six homer of the season.

Brevard County would get another two-out solo homer in the sixth, this time off of the bat of Shea Vucinich, his sixth of the year.

Heckathorn retired 18 of the 22 batters he faced and allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out four.

Bradley Blanks relieved Heckathorn and went two scoreless and then Santo Manzanillo shut the door in the ninth for his 10th save of the season.

Morris was 3-for-4 with a double and his third inning homer.

The win gave the Manatees a 2-1 series win over the Yankees and improved Brevard County's record to 3-1 in the second half.

The 'Tees will now hit the road for a five-game road trip and will open a three-game series with the Clearwater Threshers on Wednesday at noon.

Nick Bucci (4-5, 4.21) is slated the take the mound for the Manatees.

Brevard County will return home on July 4 to begin an eight-game homestand.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2011/06/28/yD3BFea7.jpg

Heckathorn/Morris (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

Brevard County box score

Hopefully a sign of things to come as the Sea Cows take a series from the T-Yanks. Great start from Hecakthorn with just four baserunners allowed (he also hit a batter). He's still apparently on a bit of a short leash: he threw just 70 pitches (48 strikes). Manzanillo allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one; Jim Breen reports that he's been hitting 98 on the stadium gun. Half of Kentrail Davis's six homers have come in the last seven games; he's hitting .366/.381/.634 over his last ten. Scooter Gennett, Khris Davis, and D'Vontrey Richardson were each 1-4.

Brevard County play-by-play

Heckathorn was a little shaky initially:

Tampa Top of the 1st

• Abraham Almonte bunt grounds out, pitcher Kyle Heckathorn to first baseman Hunter Morris.
• Walter Ibarra singles on a line drive to right fielder Kentrail Davis.
• Melky Mesa hit by pitch. Walter Ibarra to 2nd.
• Kyle Roller lines into double play, second baseman Scooter Gennett to first baseman Hunter Morris. Melky Mesa doubled off 1st.

...but then didn't allow another baserunner until a one-out single in the 5th.

[battlekow]

Music to my ear John Briggs12

Mankind? Is that you?

[TooLiveBrew]

With two outs in the fifth, Kentrail Davis made it a 2-0 game with his six homer of the season.

Kentrail has really heated up of late. 1.015 OPS in his last 10 games, & the season OPS up over .700. The extra-base power is showing much more this season than it did last year at BC, and just for fun he's also 16/19 in stolen base attempts. He's also actually been a bit more effective as a hitter so far against LHP, for whatever that's worth. By the time the season is over, Ke. Davis just might calm some of the worries about his developmental pace.

[Never Outhustled]

Manzanillo allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one; Jim Breen reports that he's been hitting 98 on the stadium gun.

That's great to read. He seems very promising, and shows that we might be able to develop a pitcher, as he was a pretty big project.

 

Hard to believe he is the only international signing that appears to be an up and coming prospect at BC, and we don't have any international signings on prospect challenged team at Wisconsin and Helena. I've blasted the Brewers international efforts in the past, so the Brewers resurrgence in the DSL this year is a huge relief to me.

[Mass Haas]

It's another "Eric Farris at SS, Taylor Green at 2B" night.

 

This is partially precipitated by Zelous Wheeler's presence -- of course, if Wheeler had not been hurt earlier, Green might still be at Huntsville.

[battlekow]

Final: DSL Brewers 6, @DSL Cardinals 5

DSL Brewers box score

The Cerveceritos scored four runs in the 7th to beat the Cardenalitos for the sixth time in six tries this year (#CardenalitosEatBebés). Unsurprisingly, Orlando "No G" Arcia led the way offensively with two doubles in four trips, pushing his line to .329/.438/.506; he also stole his fifth bag. The kid has walked 13 times while only striking out five---that's in almost 100 plate appearances. I know we spend a fair amount time wishcasting on these anonymous kids, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, but I think the Brewers really have something here from the youngest player in the entire system. Plus, look at what his brother's done so far in his career; clearly the kid has good genes.

Okay, moving on. Eliezer Montano wasn't much as the starter, allowing four runs in 3.2 innings, but newcomer Orlando Torrez was great in relief, posting a 5/0 K/BB over the next 2.1 innings while allowing just a hit and a HBP. Angel "Ace" Ventura followed Torrez with two more scoreless innings. Carlos Sosa almost blew the save in the 9th, allowing a run on three hits to narrow the lead to one, but eventually pulled it out.

DSL Brewers play-by-play

DSL Brewers Top of the 7th

• Alejandro Mendoza strikes out swinging.
• Jorge De La Cruz walks.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Raphachel Colatosti replaces Jorge De La Cruz.
• Yonki Hernandez walks. Raphachel Colatosti to 2nd.
• Joan Abreu reaches on throwing error by second baseman Daniel Barbuena. Raphachel Colatosti scores. Yonki Hernandez to 3rd.
• Orlando Arcia doubles (5) on a fly ball to left fielder George Araujo. Yonki Hernandez scores. Joan Abreu to 3rd.
• Deivi Mejia singles on a line drive to left fielder George Araujo. Joan Abreu scores. Orlando Arcia scores. Throwing error by center fielder Amaury Capellan.
• Raul Mondesi grounds into a force out, third baseman Rafael Medina to second baseman Daniel Barbuena. Deivi Mejia out at 2nd. Raul Mondesi to 1st.
• With Dionis Hinojosa batting, Raul Mondesi picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Anderson Gerdel to first baseman Domingo Diaz.

[TheCrew07]

If Arcia plays his way out of R ball in one season, he could realistically spend a year at every level and still be in AAA by 21, that's crazy.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes

Wisconsin Media Notes

[battlekow]

If Arcia plays his way out of R ball in one season, he could realistically spend a year at every level and still be in AAA by 21, that's crazy.

Even if he spends a year each at Arizona and Helena, he'd be in AAA at 22, same as Alcides Escobar, who famously was assigned to Helena at 17.

[battlekow]

Michael White pulled after one inning at Maryvale. He went 5.2 in his first start, so probably not a good sign.

[Tedaldtada]

Okay, Yaddy is starting to get me excited. 3rd bomb already for Helena. Goforth is making his debut. Maybe MTBrew can find a radar reading for us? Always love the first hand accounts.

Edit: Excitement unwarranted? 0 BB's 14 K's through 7 G.

Edit 2: Get some Ruben Ozuna! When is paul going to start a thread calling for promotions for Ozuna and Arcia? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[And That]

Michael White pulled after one inning at Maryvale. He went 5.2 in his first start, so probably not a good sign.

This is at least the third time a Brewers low minor league pitcher has been pulled after one inning in the past week-ish (Milton Gomez and Francisco Rivero being the others, though I think there are more). I wonder if it's not a coincidence and there's some sort of weird new Gord Ash/Reid Nichols one inning protocol thing going on.

 

Or maybe there's just being super careful if a pitcher feels off about anything.

[TheCrew07]

Okay, Yaddy is starting to get me excited. 3rd bomb already for Helena. Goforth is making his debut. Maybe MTBrew can find a radar reading for us? Always love the first hand accounts.

Edit: Excitement unwarranted? 0 BB's 14 K's through 7 G.

Edit 2: Get some Ruben Ozuna! When is paul going to start a thread calling for promotions for Ozuna and Arcia? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

as the saying goes Latin players don't walk off the island... I'd hope the walks will go up as matures and progresses up the system.

 

 

[Tedaldtada]

I think they might be stretching Goforth out. 3 innings tonight. 0 ER but 0 K's. That would be interesting.

Edit: Kenny Allison with his 5th walk already. He got a hit too. I see him having a nice season.

[battlekow]

Final: Peoria 4, @Wisconsin 1

Rattlers drop fourth straight

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

GRAND CHUTE, WI – Richard Jones hit a pair of home runs and Brent Ebinger pitched 4-2/3 innings of shutout relief to lead the Peoria Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Tuesday night at Time Warner Cable Field. The loss was the fourth in a row for the Timber Rattlers.

The Chiefs (35-40 overall, 2-3 second half) scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Matt Szczur started the game by bunting. The ball was fielded by pitcher Maverick Lasker, but his throw went down the right field line to allow Szczur to take second. A single by Pierre LaPage sent Szczur to third. Greg Rohan knocked Szczur in with a grounder to first for a 1-0 lead.

Jones struck for the first time in the game with one out in the top of the fourth inning. His home run to left made the score 2-0.

The Rattlers (39-36, 1-4) threatened in the bottom of the fourth. The Rattlers had two walks and three hits, but only scored one run. Nick Shaw started the inning with a walk, but was out 1-3-6 on a caught stealing. Cody Hawn, who was a the plate when Shaw was caught trying to steal, drew a walk. Greg Hopkins and Mike Walker followed with singles to load the bases.

Chris Dennis drove a single to right to score Hawn and keep the bases loaded. But, that single knocked starter Graham Hicks out of the game. Ebinger relieved Hicks and retired the next two Rattlers to keep the score at 2-1.

Jones padded the lead to 4-1 with a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the sixth.

That was enough for Ebinger. The lefty tossed 4-2/3 innings of shutout relief and allowed one hit while striking out three.

PJ Francescon, the Chicago Cubs 40th round pick in the 2011 draft, gave up a hit in the ninth, but struck out a pair to pick up his first professional save.

The series shifts to Miller Park on Wednesday night as the Rattlers and Chiefs play the final game of the three game set at the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Wisconsin has Brooks Hall (3-1, 3.38) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Peoria has Austin Kirk (4-4, 2.69) scheduled to start for them. Game time is 7:05pm.

Tickets for the game are $10 general admission and may be purchased at the Miller Park ticket office.

If you can’t make it out to the game, tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or on timberrattlers.com. The Miller Lite Pregame Show kicks everything off at 6:45pm.

Wisconsin box score

Lasker had mixed results in his first post-demotion start. Going seven innings is good, and he threw more strikes (64 in 93 pitches) while not walking anyone, but he wasn't exactly overpowering; then again, he never has been. Stosh Wawrzasek finished the game with two scoreless innings; he allowed two hits, no walks, and a HBP with one strikeout. Walker and Dennis each had two hits; the rest of the team had one total. Hawn's slugging percentage this year is .368. Chad Stang has been on base six times in eight games since being activated.

Wisconsin play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: @Nashville 3, New Orleans 2

Sounds Sweep Zephyrs With 3-2 Win

Nashville Sounds

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds swept the New Orleans Zephyrs with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the finale of a four-game set. The win was Nashville's fifth straight, which matches the club's longest of the season from June 2-6.

The sweep was Nashville's first of the season and last since the Sounds swept New Orleans from April 24-27, 2010 at Zephyr Field.

The victory gave the Sounds a 12-4 season series win over the Zephyrs, which is also the best mark against an opponent since Nashville went 12-4 against the Round Rock Express (AAA-Astros) in 2007.

Nashville has now played a PCL-high 37 one-run games this season, going 16-21 in those contests.

Tossing a season-high 6 2/3 innings for his second consecutive start, Sounds starter Josh Butler surrendered two runs (one earned) on five hits while fanning seven. The quality start was Butler's third of the season and Nashville's fifth straight.

The Sounds scored their first run in the bottom of the second inning. First baseman Erick Almonte led off with a ground rule double in over the wall in right-center. Almonte moved to third on a groundout and scored as Taylor Green singled to right field.

New Orleans tied the contest at 1-1 in the next frame. Former Sound Vinny Rottino reached on an infield single and moved to second on a Zelous Wheeler fielding error. After moving to third on a groundout, Rottino scored on a softly hit fly ball to left field.

The Zephyrs briefly moved ahead, 2-1, in the top of the seventh inning. After a Brad Davis walk, Rottino hit a two-out RBI double off the wall in right-center, removing Butler from the contest.

Nashville came right back and scored their final two runs to go back ahead at 3-2. Reliever Victor Garate came into the contest recorded the first two outs before giving up a single to pinch hitter Brett Carroll. Garate then walked Brandon Boggs and hit Jordan Brown to juice the bases. Next batter Eric Farris then hit a perfectly-placed fly ball just inches inside the foul line between the first baseman, second baseman, and right fielder that allowed the hustling Boggs and Carroll to score.

Justin James (2-2) tossed 1/3 of an inning while stranding his only inherited runner for the victory. In a rehab appearance for the Brewers, Takashi Saito worked around a single in a scoreless frame. Saito struck out two and allowed a pop out on 15 pitches, 11 for strikes [audio of one of the strikeouts]. Sean Green converted his sixth save in six chances with a perfect ninth.

Chris Sampson matched with a quality start, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in six innings. Garate took the loss after giving up two runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Following's a league-wide off day tomorrow, the Sounds begin a short four-game road trip at the Round Rock Express (AAA-Rangers) beginning at 7:05 pm CT on Thursday evening at the Dell Diamond. Left-hander Chase Wright (5-4, 5.22) takes the mound against righty Scott Feldman.

Nashville box score

Unexpectedly good start from Butler, who walked just two. Green and Farris each had two hits, one of Green's being a double. Caleb Gindl was 0-4 with two strikeouts.

Nashville play-by-play

[Mass Haas]

Struggling Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lose again to Peoria Chiefs

by Jim Oskola, Appleton Post-Crescent

GRAND CHUTE — After finishing the first half of the Midwest League season by winning five of their last seven games and winning their first game after the Midwest League all-star break, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have hit a rough patch.

Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Peoria at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium extended the losing streak to four games and dropped Wisconsin four games out of first less than a week into the second half of the season.

"Everyone has just got to relax," Rattlers left fielder Chris Dennis said. "We came off a high trying to get into the playoffs in the first half. I don't know whether we're being complacent to start the second half, but we showed some good things. Obviously, we don't want to get too many games behind, but I think everybody will realize that, relax and play ball as we can."

The Rattlers, who have scored only 16 runs in their last five games, chased Chiefs starting pitcher Graham Hicks after he walked two batters and gave up three consecutive singles to start the fourth inning. Brent Ebinger relieved Hicks and needed three pitches to get the final two outs of the inning.

Rattlers manager Matt Erickson addressed how he wants his batters to approach such a situation.

"It depends on the situation and who they're bringing in and if we've faced him before," Erickson said. "It can be any one of a number of approaches. If it's a guy who comes right at you with fastballs and throws a lot of strikes, we want to be aggressive, be ready first pitch.

"If he's a guy who struggles in the zone, obviously, we may, if he's a breaking ball guy, see the ball up. Make him establish something in the zone before we go at it. There's really no one specific approach."

Erickson said there were bright spots.

"We did hit some balls well tonight, more than the hits indicated," he said. "They made some plays. Their shortstop made some plays. Their second baseman made a great play with runners on second and third in shallow center field and then a one-hop line drive he stabbed and another line drive he caught. It's one of those days where I thought we swung the bats better than what the score indicated."

The Rattlers play at Miller Park against the Chiefs tonight.

"That's a big game at Miller Park," Dennis said. "You don't need any help to get up for that game. If you do, you don't belong on a baseball field. I think a lot of guys will see it, enjoy the experience, come away with a win and build from there."