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

[Mass Haas]

Chris Mehring's audio / video highlights and thoughts following another Rattler loss -- chin up, Chris!

[Mass Haas]

Final: @Helena 5, Great Falls 4

 

Brewers Slam Way to Series Split

By Nicholas Allen, Helena Brewers

It was another nail-biter at Kindrick Legion Field as the Helena Brewers defeated the Great Falls Voyagers 5-4 Tuesday. Yadiel Rivera provided the big blow in the bottom of the fifth inning, a grand slam off Voyagers pitcher Sam Phippen (0-1) that stretched the Brewers' lead to 5-0. The Voyagers would add runs in the sixth and ninth, but it was too little too late as the Brewers held on for the victory.

 

Great Falls threatened early, working the leadoff hitter aboard in each of the first two innings. Four Voyagers earned hits in the first two frames despite batting practice being cancelled due to a late afternoon storm cell that forced the tarp onto the surface before the game. Brewers starter Andy Moye (1-0) was able to work himself out of the early jams, going on to pitch five scoreless innings and earn his first professional victory. The 2011 draft pick out of Georgia Southern would retire the final 12 batters he faced, striking out six.

 

The Brewers got on the board in the third when John Dishon drove a ball to the right field wall. As he played the ricochet, Great Falls right fielder Randall Thorpe crumpled in pain with an apparent leg injury. Despite his best efforts to get the relay into the infield, Dishon sprinted home for an inside-the-park home run. Thorpe would be forced to leave the game.

 

The Voyagers would not go quietly after Rivera's grand slam, scoring two unearned runs off Helena's David Goforth, who pitched three innings in his professional debut. Alan Williams pitched the ninth, allowing two runs, for his Pioneer League leading third save of the season. The Brewers will start a six game road trip Wednesday night in Billings. After a three game set against the Mustangs, Helena will travel for a weekend series against the Voyagers in Great Falls. In 2011, the Brewers are 1-1 in road games having split a two-game set in Missoula.

 

***

 

Rivera’s slam helps Brewers to victory

by Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record

Helena’s hot hitting shortstop Yadiel Rivera was a late scratch from Monday’s lineup due to illness.

A day later, he found himself in the dentist’s chair receiving a root canal just hours before the Brewers game against Great Falls.

No big deal. Rivera belted his first career grand slam in the fifth inning Tuesday, keeping his home hitting streak alive at six games and helping Helena to a 5-4 victory.

The win was the Brewers’ sixth of the season, all of them coming by one run. It also snapped the team’s recent two-game skid.

“It was very important,” Rivera said through pitching coach Elvin Nina, who served as a translator for the Puerto Rican. “It motivates the team to get ourselves back in a winning streak.”

Andy Moye dazzled, fanning six and giving up just four hits through five innings of work. The starting right-hander earned the win, while closer Alan Williams worked out of a jam in the ninth for his Pioneer League-leading third save.

Williams issued a leadoff walk to Mark Haddow, before giving up a single to Martin Medina. He then pelted Voyagers catcher Brent Tanner to load the bases with no outs.

After recovering by striking out Jerry Puentes, the southpaw was hit hard by Andrew Douglas, whose RBI single — his first as a pro — put Great Falls within two runs. Medina then came home on a wild pitch to make it 5-4 and keep the Voyagers’ hopes alive.

But as has been the case all year, Great Falls failed to complete the comeback. Williams responded with a second strikeout, then David Herbek flied out to right, where Max Walla was camped under it to make the final out.

“I’ve been in that situation plenty of times, so I knew how to work out of it,” said the cool, confident Williams, an independent league signee. “I trust my stuff. Tonight there was a little wildness with my fastball, but I can always depend on my curveball.”

Voyagers starter Sam Phippen suffered his first loss of the season, giving up his first earned runs. The 6-foot-9 product out of UC Santa Barbara — the only athlete in the country to play Division I baseball and basketball a year ago — faced 20 Brewers in 4 1/3 innings. He was tagged with his first earned runs of the year, all via the long ball, while walking two and striking out three.

John Dishon was the first batter to really get to Phippen. The centerfielder led off the third inning with the Brewers’ first hit of the game. What appeared to be a double off the bat quickly turned into an inside-the-park home run, Dishon’s second of the year, as right fielder Randall Thorpe went down with an injury. As Dishon rounded the bases to put the Brewers on the board 1-0, Thorpe writhed in pain for several minutes before finally exiting the game with what appeared to be a serious injury to his right leg.

Dishon, who entered the game batting just .105, reached again two innings later on a bunt single. That came sandwiched between of pair of base hits, loading the bags to set up Rivera for his bomb. The .300 hitter took a fastball over the right-centerfield wall, chasing Phippen and putting the hosts up 5-0.

The Voyagers (4-5) tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth off reliever David Goforth, also seeing his first action as a pro. Goforth retired six straight to get through his next two innings scoreless, before the visitors’ attempt at a rally against Williams.

Brewers manager Joe Ayrault was happy with how his team bounced back, responding to adversity after back-to-back losses by six and seven runs, respectively.

“Not even thinking about (the skid), I was just happy with how we came out, with our energy level,” he said. Tuesday’s batting practice was cut short due to an afternoon thunderstorm. “Moye set the tone early in the game ... Dishon, getting his second inside-the-park homer, he’s just a fast runner who kept rolling. Then Yadi came up big for us.”

Ayrault was also pleased with how his squad held off Great Falls in the final frame.

“That’s what a closer has to do,” he said of Williams. “It’s always going to be a pressure situation. Some guys tuck their tail, but he never did.”

Transactions: RHP Drew Gagnon and 1B Nick Ramirez, Milwaukee’s third- and fourth-round picks, were added to Helena’s roster Tuesday.

 

Helena Box Score

Would you undergo a root canal if it got you your first pro grand slam? Congratulations, Yadiel Rivera.

 

Helena Play-by-Play

Andy Moye surrendered three singles in the first without a run, and then take a look at his 2nd inning -- sweet!

Great Falls Top of the 1st

• Qualon Millender singles on a line drive to left fielder Kenneth Allison.
  
• David Herbek grounds into double play, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to second baseman Adrian Williams to first baseman Michael Nemeth. Qualon Millender out at 2nd.
  
• Joe De Pinto singles on a ground ball to third baseman Kyle Dhanani.
  
• Michael Earley singles on a line drive to left fielder Kenneth Allison. Joe De Pinto to 2nd.
  
• Randall Thorpe strikes out swinging.

Great Falls Top of the 2nd

• Martin Medina doubles (2) on a ground ball to left fielder Kenneth Allison.
  
• With Brent Tanner batting, wild pitch by Andrew Moye, Martin Medina to 3rd.
  
• Brent Tanner strikes out swinging.
  
• Jerry Puentes strikes out swinging.
  
• Andrew Douglas strikes out swinging.

Photo by Eliza Wiley, Helena Independent Record - Helena Brewers David Goforth fires one in as Great Falls Mark Haddow thinks about making a run for second during the 5th inning Tuesday night

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/97/897f44ae-a216-11e0-9d27-001cc4c002e0/4e0ac1ea19957.image.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Final: AZL Reds 7, @AZL Brewers 4

Arizona Box Score

Down to 109 degrees Tuesday night; as discussed above, the one-inning starts, including this one by 6'6" 2010 13th round pick RHP Michael White, are getting disconcerting without more details from the Brewers; undrafted free agent RHP Greg Davis had the sharpest line among the three relief arms (3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB) but fanned none; the A-Crew drew only one walk (Ronny Puello), and 23-year-old C/ DH Steve Felix, an undrafted free agent signee last year, had the only multi-hit game -- Felix is 9-for-19 with three extra-base hits in the early going; as in past years, it's tough to find much in terms of highly regarded name recognition on the Maryvale squad -- it's up to the players there to set themselves apart, although it's tough to do so on a Hernan Iribarren-Lorenzo Cain scale. The list of players who became prominent prospects who first excelled at Maryvale (vs. starting off at Helena) is short. Hopefully DSL imports like Ruben Ozuna add to the list.

 

Arizona Play-by-Play

Brewers led, 4-1, heading to the 7th -- then the Red-Leggettes showed some thump:

 

AZL Reds Top of the 7th

• Jon Matthews singles on a line drive to right fielder Ronny Puello.
  
• Phillip Bauer walks. Jon Matthews to 2nd.
  
• Robert Ramirez flies out to right fielder Ronny Puello.
  
• Wagner Gomez homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. Jon Matthews scores. Phillip Bauer scores.
  
• Brandon Dailey pops out to second baseman Kevin Berard.
  
• Humberto Valor grounds out, third baseman Andres Martinez to first baseman Steve Felix.

AZL Reds Top of the 8th

• Pitcher Change: Elliott Glynn replaces Jeffrey Saba.
  
• Josef Terry strikes out swinging.
  
• Carlos Sanchez doubles (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Matthew Franco.
  
• Spencer Dickinson triples (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Ruben Ozuna. Carlos Sanchez scores.
  
• Jon Matthews doubles (1) on a fly ball to left fielder Matthew Franco. Spencer Dickinson scores.
  
• Phillip Bauer grounds out, third baseman Andres Martinez to first baseman Steve Felix.
  
• Robert Ramirez strikes out swinging.