Link Report for Fri. 9/2

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

Nashville: LHP Sam Narron at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

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

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers

 

Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at home vs. Mobile (Diamondbacks), 6:43 PM gametime

Live Audio Link

iPad/iPhone: Listen

Traditional broadcast -- Mobile feed

Brevard County: RHP Austin Ross at Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM gametime

Live Audio Link -- Daytona feed

Wisconsin: RHP Jimmy Nelson at Burlington (Athletics), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime

Live Audio Link

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers

 

Helena: RHP Kevin Shackelford at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime

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

 

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Season complete; 17-39 record, worst in the 13-team league

 

DSL Brewers: Season complete; 44-27 regular season, first-round playoff series loss

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday's action as it happens:

 

Nashville (Gameday also available)

Huntsville (Gameday also available)

Brevard County

Wisconsin

Helena

[Mass Haas]

Pacific Coast League American Northern
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Omaha	78	61	.561	-	-	40-32	38-29	6-4	L1
	Memphis	74	65	.532	4.0	1	42-25	32-40	6-4	W1
	Nashville	70	70	.500	8.5	E	40-32	30-38	4-6	L1
	Iowa	64	76	.457	14.5	E	38-30	26-46	4-6	W1

SOU North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Chattanooga	39	27	.591	-	-	18-13	21-14	5-5	W2
*	Tennessee	38	28	.576	1.0	4	22-13	16-15	6-4	L1
	Carolina	29	36	.446	9.5	E	15-16	14-20	4-6	L1
	Jackson	28	38	.424	11.0	E	15-20	13-18	5-5	L3
	Huntsville	27	38	.415	11.5	E	11-19	16-19	5-5	W3

FSL North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Dunedin	37	29	.561	-	-	17-14	20-15	5-5	W1
	Clearwater	35	30	.538	1.5	3	23-12	12-18	7-3	L1
	Tampa	34	31	.523	2.5	2	16-19	18-12	4-6	L1
	Brevard County	32	33	.492	4.5	E	12-17	20-16	7-3	W2
*	Daytona	29	35	.453	7.0	E	14-16	15-19	4-6	L2
	Lakeland	27	37	.422	9.0	E	13-18	14-19	4-6	W1

MID Western
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Quad Cities	39	26	.600	-	-	21-12	18-14	8-2	W2
@	Clinton	37	28	.569	2.0	-	19-15	18-13	7-3	L3
@	Kane County	35	31	.530	4.5	3	14-18	21-13	3-7	L1
	Beloit	30	35	.462	9.0	E	15-16	15-19	4-6	W3
*	Burlington	29	36	.446	10.0	E	16-15	13-21	7-3	W3
	Cedar Rapids	28	38	.424	11.5	E	16-18	12-20	4-6	W1
	Wisconsin	28	38	.424	11.5	E	15-20	13-18	5-5	L4
	Peoria	25	41	.379	14.5	E	12-20	13-21	3-7	L2

PIO North
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
	Billings	20	11	.645	-	-	10-4	10-7	8-2	W2
	Great Falls	20	11	.645	-	-	9-5	11-6	8-2	W4
*	Missoula	14	17	.452	6.0	2	9-8	5-9	2-8	L5
	Helena	9	22	.290	11.0	E	5-12	4-10	2-8	L2

[Mass Haas]

Look for the Nashville and Wisconsin media notes here and here later on, respectively.

 

If Huntsville posts theirs (last did so on Tuesday 8/30), it will be found by placing your cursor over the "roster" banner at the Stars' home page.

[Mass Haas]

To all our Minor League Forum readers --

As you begin to digest another Daily Link Report, I'd like to direct everyone to this thread, on our Issues Forum.

 

Whether you are a family member or friend of a Brewer farmhand, or just a big Brewer fan who likes to follow the players throughout the system regardless of how fabulous a year it's been thus far on the big league level, please consider helping Brian defray the costs of the site by contributing, which will also keep all our forums, including the Minor League Forum, advertisement-free.

 

If you've come to appreciate the efforts here of Eric (Sessile), Conor (TooLiveBrew), Toby (And That), and our contributors (OK, and myself too I guess, eleven years running now), and love your Link Reports, transaction updates, and other feature topic threads here, we would be so thankful. As Brian notes, this is the first fundraiser in 15 months -- let's see if we can raise enough to take us through Milwaukee's 2013 three-peat, which would be partly fueled by the current minor leaguers.

 

Thanks again!

 

-- Jim

[battlekow]

Final: @Memphis 7, Nashville 5

Sounds Drop Series Opener In Memphis, 7-5

Nashville Sounds

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds lost the opener of the final series of the 2011 season on Friday evening at AutoZone Park, falling 7-5 to the division-rival Memphis Redbirds.

Left fielder Jordan Brown (2-for-5) gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning when he belted his seventh home run of the season, a two-out solo shot to right off Memphis starter Michael Blazek.

After Memphis pulled ahead, 3-1, with three second-inning runs against Sounds starter Sam Narron, Nashville rallied to tie the contest with single runs in the third and fifth frames.

Brown recorded his second run-scoring hit of the night in the third when his two-out single to center brought home Edwin Maysonet. Eric Farris evened the game at 3-3 in the fifth with a one-out single to center off Blazek which plated Maysonet for his second run scored on the night.

The Redbirds pulled back in front by a 7-3 count in the home half of the fifth, using back-to-back, two-out homers off Narron to do the damage. After a pair of runners drew walks from the left-hander in the frame, Matt Carpenter slugged a go-ahead, three-run homer to right and Andrew Brown followed with a solo shot to left. The roundtrippers were the players' 12th and 20th of the season, respectively.

Nashville closed the deficit to two runs at 7-5 by getting back single runs in the sixth and eighth frames. Both scores came courtesy of Maysonet sacrifice flies.

Blazek (2-0) picked up the win for Memphis and allowing four runs on four hits while walking five batters over six innings of action.

Rich Rundles worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the Redbirds to notch his first save of the year.

Narron (6-7) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs (five earned) on six hits over five frames of work.

The teams continue the series with a 6:05 p.m. contest on Saturday. Right-hander Amaury Rivas (7-12, 4.88) makes his final start of the year for the Sounds. Memphis will counter with right-hander Adam Ottavino (6-8, 5.04).

Nashville box score

Caleb Gindl was 0-4 with a walk. Mat Gamel was 0-4 and committed a fielding error at first base.

Nashville play-by-play

[battlekow]

Final: Mobile 2, @Huntsville 0

Huntsville box score

Michael Bowman allowed two runs in 5.2 innings--not too bad--but with a 4/5 K/BB. Lucas Luetge and Rob Wooten were both good in relief, but obviously they couldn't allow negative two runs. Hainley Statia was 2-4, the the only Star to reach base more than once. Khris Davis was 0-3 with a walk.

Huntsville play-by-play

Chances:

Huntsville Bottom of the 4th

• Lee Haydel singles on a fly ball to left fielder Marc Krauss.
• With Hainley Statia batting, Lee Haydel steals (17) 2nd base.
• Hainley Statia grounds out, shortstop Taylor Harbin to first baseman Daryle Ward. Lee Haydel to 3rd.
• Sean Halton hit by pitch.
• Zelous Wheeler pops out to second baseman Jacob Elmore.
• Brock Kjeldgaard pops out to second baseman Jacob Elmore.

Huntsville Bottom of the 7th

• Zelous Wheeler singles on a ground ball to center fielder A. J. Pollock.
• Brock Kjeldgaard singles on a soft line drive to center fielder A. J. Pollock. Zelous Wheeler to 2nd.
• Khris Davis grounds into double play, pitcher Evan Marshall to shortstop Taylor Harbin to first baseman Daryle Ward. Zelous Wheeler to 3rd. Brock Kjeldgaard out at 2nd.
• Matt Cline grounds out, third baseman Ryan Wheeler to first baseman Daryle Ward.

[battlekow]

Final: Brevard County 15, @Daytona 4

Brevard County play-by-play

11 runs in the 4th inning. Wow.

Brevard County Top of the 4th

• Kentrail Davis reaches on fielding error by second baseman Matthew Cerda.
• With Chuck Caufield batting, Kentrail Davis steals (33) 2nd base.
• Chuck Caufield doubles (9) on a fly ball to center fielder Logan Watkins. Kentrail Davis scores.
• Scott Krieger singles on a line drive to right fielder Michael Burgess. Chuck Caufield to 3rd.
• Shawn Zarraga singles on a line drive to left fielder Abner Abreu. Chuck Caufield scores. Scott Krieger to 2nd.
• Josh Prince out on a sacrifice bunt, third baseman Jake Opitz to first baseman Greg Rohan. Scott Krieger to 3rd. Shawn Zarraga to 2nd.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Brent Dean replaces Michael Roberts.
• Brent Dean called out on strikes.
• Scooter Gennett walks.
• Shea Vucinich hits a grand slam (9) to left field. Scott Krieger scores. Shawn Zarraga scores. Scooter Gennett scores.
• Hunter Morris hit by pitch.
• Kentrail Davis singles on a line drive to right fielder Michael Burgess. Hunter Morris to 2nd.
• Pitcher Change: Brent Ebinger replaces Casey Harman.
• Chuck Caufield singles on a line drive to left fielder Abner Abreu. Hunter Morris to 3rd. Kentrail Davis to 2nd.
• Scott Krieger singles on a ground ball to pitcher Brent Ebinger. Hunter Morris scores. Kentrail Davis to 3rd. Chuck Caufield to 2nd.
• Shawn Zarraga doubles (9) on a fly ball to center fielder Logan Watkins. Kentrail Davis scores. Chuck Caufield scores. Scott Krieger scores.
• Josh Prince doubles (11) on a ground ball to left fielder Abner Abreu. Shawn Zarraga scores.
• Brent Dean pops out to first baseman Greg Rohan.

Seven unearned runs in there thanks to the leadoff error.

Brevard County box score

That homer was actually Vucinich's second of the day; he also had a solo shot in the first. He had three hits, as did Chuckie Caufield and Scott Krieger. Josh Prince doubled and homered, and Kentrail Davis and Shawn Zarraga also had two hits, each including a double. Prince stole his 23rd base. Scooter Gennett committed his 22rd error. By the way, Austin Ross started: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. It's been a long second half for Ross, but that's a decent start.

[battlekow]

Final: @Burlington 7, Wisconsin 2

Burlington sweeps Rattlers

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

BURLINGTON, IA - The Burlington Bees completed a three-game sweep of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 7-2 win Friday night at Community Field. Wade Kirkland drove in three runs for the Bees and helped to erase an early Rattlers advantage.

The Rattlers (66-71 overall, 28-39 second half) threatened to score first. In the second inning, Nick Ramirez singled and Brandon Macias was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. But, both runners were stranded at the end of the inning.

Burlington (75-61, 30-36) broke the ice in the bottom of the second inning. Douglas Landaeta doubled to right and went to third on a grounder to the right side of the infield. Kirkland's flyball to center was dropped and Landaeta scored for a 1-0 lead.

TJ Mittelstaedt tied the game with a solo homer to center in the top of the third inning. The homer was the twelfth of the season for Mittelstaedt.

Wisconsin grabbed the lead in the top of the fourth inning with a two out rally. Rafael Neda singled with two outs and took second on a wild pitch. Neda reached third when Greg Hopkins had his grounder to short booted for an error. Neda score the go ahead run after Blake Hassebrock threw wildly to first on a pickoff attempt.

Rattlers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson kept the Bees handcuffed through the first 5-2/3 innings. But, he ran into trouble with two outs and none on in the sixth. AJ Kirby-Jones singled to center. A blooper off the bat of Landaeta dropped in just fair down the line in right to put runners at the corners.

Ryan Pineda worked the count full and laced a doubled to left-center to score two runs and give Burlington a 3-2 lead. Then, Kirkland doubled to left to send Pineda home for a 4-2 lead.

Nelson left the game after the double by Pineda. He worked 5-2/3 innings, allowed four runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out five.

The Rattlers offense could not do much after they took the lead. They managed one hit over the final five innings against Hassebrock and three Burlington relievers.

Burlington put the game away in the bottom of the eighth inning as they put three more runs across the plate. Kirkland drove in his third run of the game with a double. Later in the frame, John Nester plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Yordy Cabrera drove in the final run of the inning with a single.

The loss was the fifth straight for Wisconsin.

The Rattlers begin their final series of the season on Saturday night at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wisconsin against the Beloit Snappers. Game time is 7:00pm.

Eric Arnett (0-3, 4.70) is scheduled to start for Wisconsin. Beloit sends Michael Tonkin (3-3, 4.41) to the bump.

Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280 WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:40pm.

Wisconsin box score

Casey Medlen preserved his ridiculous K/BB with four strikeouts and one walk in 1.2 innings, but allowed three runs. Cody Hawn doubled and walked.

Wisconsin play-by-play

[TooLiveBrew]

Final: Missoula 4, @Helena 0

 

Brewers Blanked By Missoula

Helena Brewers

 

Dexter Price and DJ Johnson combined to shutout the Brewers 4-0 at

Kindrick Legion Field Friday, with Price (3-2) earning the victory after

tossing 7.1 scoreless innings in which he allowed just three hits and

one walk. The right-hander struck out six Brewers before giving way to

Johnson, who recorded his ninth save of the season for the Osprey. The

6'4", 235-pound closer struck out both batters he faced in a bases

loaded eighth inning jam and then set down the Brewers in order in the

ninth to seal the victory. Eric Groff homered twice for Missoula and

drove in three runs in the contest.

 

Kevin Shackelford (2-5) took the loss for Helena. Shackelford allowed

four earned runs on five hits including three Osprey home runs.

Relievers Brandon Williamson and David Goforth kept Missoula off the

board over the final three innings as Williamson pitched two spotless

frames with two strikeouts.

 

 

Offensively, the Brewers struggled to get anything going against Price,

who allowed only four Helena hitters to reach base. Mike Nemeth

collected two of the Brewers three singles on the night and Adrian

Williams added his tenth stolen base of the season.

 

Saturday, the Brewers wrap up the 2011 home schedule against the Missoula Osprey on Fan Appreciation Night.

 

 

Helena Box Score .. (Warning: Box Score is empty)

Helena was completely overmatched tonight by Mustangs starter Dexter Price, who diehard Brewers MiLB fans may remember -- the Brewers drafted him in the 43rd round out of high school in 2008. Price opted to attend Auburn instead, and transferred to South Carolina-Beaufort to get playing time. The D-Backs drafted him in the 30th round this season, which brings us back to Helena, MT.

 

The Brewers only managed seven baserunners in Price's 7.1 innings. He allowed just four through the first six innings, but with one out in the 8th, he hit a batter, allowed a single, and walked his only man of the night. He was replaced after the walk, but finished with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed.

 

Helena Play-by-Play

Helena's offense couldn't produce with the bases loaded in the 8th, their best & only real shot to this point in the game:

Helena Bottom of the 8th

• Kyle Dhanani flies out to right fielder Jeremia Gomez.
• Steve Felix hit by pitch.
• Michael Nemeth singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jeremia Gomez. Steve Felix to 3rd.
• Adrian Williams walks. Michael Nemeth to 2nd.
• Pitcher Change: D. J. Johnson replaces Dexter Price.
• Robert Garvey strikes out swinging.
• Yadiel Rivera strikes out swinging.

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Post-Game Thoughts

 

Includes a bit of injury news on catcher Rafael Neda...

[Mass Haas]

Osprey toss 3-hit shutout at Brewersby Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record

 

Missoula pitchers Dexter Price and D.J. Johnson threw a combined three-hit shutout, second baseman Eric Groff blasted a pair of home runs and the Osprey snapped a five-game skid in style.

The Osprey topped Helena 4-0 Friday at Kindrick Legion Field, the third time the Brewers (9-23) have been held scoreless this season. Despite just three hits in the contest — two of them from Mike Nemeth — Helena loaded the bases in the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate with the help of a hit batter and a walk to Adrian Williams. But after Price dazzled through 7 1/3 innings, the longest outing by an Osprey pitcher in 2011, Johnson came in and worked out of a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts to earn his ninth save of the season.

“He’s done great all year and tonight he showed what he does best, just coming in there and throwing fuzz,” said Price, Missoula’s big 6-foot-6, 218-pound righty. “He was really able to locate and throws a nice cutter as well.”

Price was as efficient as he was phenomenal. He carried a no-hitter into the third inning, had thrown just 55 pitches through six frames and struck out six Brewers. The count went full just three times.

“The coaches told me to go out there and work with my fastball, locate down in the zone,” said Price, who also threw curveballs early in a couple of counts and came back with changeups to keep hitters off balance. “I was able to do that and I had a great defense behind me, some guys made great plays.”

Like his shortstop Stephen Cardullo, who fielded a well-struck ball by Yadiel Rivera deep in the hole — way back on the grass — in the fourth frame.

“We hit some balls hard and their defense made a couple nice plays,” said Brewers manager Joe Ayrault. “That’s what they’ve done all year long is play solid defense.”

Helena had a few nice stops of its own. Right fielder Max Walla fielded a pair of deep balls at the wall, and Rivera turned a 1-6-3 out off the glove of David Goforth in Missoula’s final at-bat.

“Rivera’s played solid defense for us all year long and he deserved the all-star vote,” Ayrault said of his shortstop, the youngest player on the squad and the only Brewer named to the Pioneer League All-Star team.

All of Missoula’s runs came via the long ball. Chris Ellison led off the game with an opposite-field shot, and reached in the third when Kevin Shackelford hit him in the back. With two outs in the inning, Groff went deep with a two-run jack over the wall in left-center for his first home run against Helena.

Entering the game, Groff had struggled against the Brewers, hitting just .232 with just three RBIs. In three different contests, Helena hurlers had held the infielder hitless. But that all changed Friday night. Groff went yard again in the sixth inning, giving him three RBIs in the 2-for-4 performance.

The combination shutout by Price and Johnson was the third of the season by the Missoula staff, the second Price had a role in and the first since 2008 that just two Osprey pitchers were needed in the shutout. Price said the victory was necessary to shift momentum, after the first-half division champs had dropped their previous five contests.

“We were in a little bit of a drought there, so we just kind of got together and said ‘let’s step it up here before the playoffs,’ ” he said.

The Brewers close out the season series with Missoula (15-17) tonight, Helena’s final home game of the season.

First pitch is slated for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central), with Tyler Cravy heading to the mound for the hosts.

NOTES: Missoula’s 2011 club has been one of the best in team history. The Osprey have hit 35 triples this season for a franchise record, and also own the most home runs in team history with 89 ... The Arizona Diamondbacks top picks were promoted from the Arizona League to the Osprey, with 2011 first-rounder Archie Bradley, supplemental first-round pick Andrew Chafin and second-rounder Anthony Meo joining the team. All are pitchers, and Meo is expected to make a bullpen appearance tonight behind starter Jesse Darrah.