Link Report for Sat. 4/21 -- Rattlers Win Matinee In 12th; Maldonado's 'D' Impresses in Sounds' 13-inning loss

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Donovan Hand makes a spot start at Omaha (Royals), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link

 

Jeff Hem is the new play-by-play voice of the Sounds; follow him on Twitter @jeffhempbp; we'll link to his blog updates at On the Air…and Off

 

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Nashville games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $39.99 season-long package ($9.99 to pay for a single month). We imagine the audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link.

 

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Huntsville: RHP Tyler Thornburg at home vs. Jackson (Mariners), 6:28 PM pre-game, 6:43 gametime

 

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

 

I-Phone friendly audio link

 

Alex Cohen is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. It's fantastic that Huntsville is returning to what will be a traditional broadcast format this year. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast.

 

MiLB.TV subsciption note: A total of 24 Stars' games (in Jacksonville and Tennessee) will be broadcast.

 

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Brevard County: RHP Taylor Jungmann at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:30 PM gametime

 

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

 

Once again this season, Brevard does not have its own audio coverage. It appears two teams in the Manatees North Division (within which the majority of games are played) have audio, and all six teams in the South Division have audio (at least for their home games), so there will be opportunities to listen to approx. 70% or Brevard's games this season, just all from the opponent's perspective. There are no Florida State League games on MiLB.TV this year.

 

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Wisconsin: RHP Kevin Shackelford at West Michigan (Tigers), 11:40 AM pre-game, 12:00 PM gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM

 

Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio.

 

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of only two (Great Lakes) Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV; Chris' call provides the audio. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, all Timber Rattlers home games, and 24 Stars' road games (one Helena series this summer, too).

[Mass Haas]

Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links:

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

If the Stars can win tonight behind Tyler Thornburg, they'll be in a first-place tie and also tied for the best record in the Southern League.

 

STANDINGS:

 

AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division

 

AA - Southern League North Division

 

Florida State League North Division

 

Midwest League Western Division

[Mass Haas]

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

[Mass Haas]

FYI -- The Stars face stud Mariner LHP James Paxton tonight, nice challenge for the boys, and indirectly, Tyler Thornburg.

 

That is a pitching matchup that will have MiLB gurus salivating....

[TheCrew07]

I PM'd a couple of posters this week about covering me today (trying to include everyone from the LR thread) but none have responded. I'll get to the A and AA games, but it probably won't be until very late as I'm going to be out of town most of the day.

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Media Notes

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes

 

Josh Butler now set to throw in Tuesday's matinee, Brian Baker on Thursday after the off day...

[Mass Haas]

As noted yesterday:

 

Huntsville Bottom of the 2nd

Hunter Morris flies out to center fielder Denny Almonte.

Khris Davis grounds out, third baseman Francisco Martinez to first baseman Eric Campbell.

Andy Gonzalez strikes out swinging.

 

Jackson Top of the 3rd

Defensive Substitution: Lee Haydel replaces left fielder Khris Davis, batting 6th, playing left field.

 

***

 

Someone who listened to the webcast last night wrote in to note that the play-by-play man (Alex Cohen) indicated that Khris Davis was limping down the line when running out the groundball, and limped back to the dugout.

 

Hopefully Khris can avoid a 7-day DL stint. The Stars are already down one Davis (Kentrail, since 4/11) with a left hamstring strain.

 

If Alex is comfortable releasing more information when known, he'll reach out to us. Normally we've learned not to put pressure on the affiliate announcers on these issues -- occasionally it can place them in an awkward situation. It does seem however, the Brewers have been more forthcoming thus far in 2012 re: injury updates.

 

***

 

In a slightly related note, we have not heard back from the Dunedin PBP man re: Austin Ross' departure last night. It's OK to pressure opposing staff on these issues .

[DHonks]

Carlos George and Yadi Rivera appear to be able to hit, but they are showing an allergy to walking. Meanwhile Max Walla with an incredible .333 OBP despite no hits entering today.

[Mass Haas]

It's 2:30 Central and the Rattlers are just entering extra innings if you'd like to jump on board. It's 2-2, fantastic work by RHP's Kevin Shackelford, Tyler Cravy (four scoreless), and Tommy Toledo thus far.

 

Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM

[battlekow]

Final: Wisconsin 3, @West Michigan 2 (12 innings)

 

Rattlers take their fifth

Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – It took a little longer than the previous four, but the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 3-2 on Saturday afternoon for their fifth consecutive victory. John Dishon made sure outstanding performances by the Wisconsin bullpen did not go to waste by driving in the go ahead run in the top of the twelfth inning.

 

West Michigan (7-9) struck for two runs after two outs in the bottom of the third. Matt Perry, the number nine hitter in the Whitecaps lineup, singled with two out and none on to start the rally. Chad Wright followed with a single. Then, Eugenio Suarez blooped in a double just out of the reach of right fielder Max Walla. The hit drove in Perry and moved Wright to third. An infield single by Aaron Westlake plated Wright and the Caps were up 2-0.

 

Wisconsin (10-6) rallied for a run in the fourth. Jason Rogers started the inning with a double. One out later, Brandon Macias doubled to get Rogers home and cut the score to 2-1.

 

Walla broke an 0-for-13 string with a double to start the top of the sixth. The hit was the first for the outfielder since joining the Timber Rattlers on April 17. Parker Berberet knocked in Walla with a double to tie the game 2-2.

 

Rattlers relievers Tyler Cravy and Tommy Toledo combined to pitch seven scoreless innings and kept the game tied until the twelfth. The duo allowed two hits and struck out five without allowing a walk.

 

Wisconsin took advantage of a break in the twelfth to set up their winning rally. Rafael Neda was up with one out and sent a high pop foul into foul territory down the right field line. Suarez got there after a long run from his second base position, but the ball popped out of his glove. Neda was hit by the next pitch to put the go ahead run on base.

 

Chadwin Stang came on to pinch run for Neda and picked a spot to successfully steal second base. After the go ahead run was on second, Dishon delivered a sharp single to center to score Stang and the Rattlers led 3-2.

 

Seth Harvey relieved for the bottom of the twelfth and got the first two out, but gave up a fluky double to Danry Vasquez to allow the Whitecaps a chance to tie the game. But, Harvey fired strike three past Curt Casali to end the game.

 

The Timber Rattlers continue their road trip with the first game of a three game series at South Bend on Sunday afternoon. Drew Gagnon (1-0, 1.26) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Silver Hawks have Jeff Shields (0-2, 1.42) on the docket as their starting pitcher. Game time at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium is 1:05pm CDT. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 12:45pm.

 

Box score

Nice to Walla get off the schneid with two hits. Yadiel Rivera had a tough day, 0-6 with a golden sombrero.

 

Chris mentioned the fine relief work of Cravy, Toledo, and Harvey, and combined with starter Kevin Shackelford, the pitching staff posted a pretty 9/0 K/BB today.

 

With Cameron Garfield getting healthy, I wonder what's going to happen with the catching situation in the low minors. With Garfield, Tyler Roberts, and Rafael Neda all arguably deserving to play regularly, something's going to change, despite none of them really meriting a promotion.

 

Play-by-play

Chris mentioned the "fluky" double in the bottom of the 12th, and I'd sure like to see video of it. The PBP records it as "Danry Vasquez doubles (2) on a fly ball to right fielder Max Walla," but as Chris described it it was a weird knuckling grounder that got past Harvey on the mound and then somehow eluded Carlos George at second base as well. "The weirdest double you're ever going to see."

[Mass Haas]

Caleb Gindl (tweaked hamstring) not only in the Nashville starting lineup but in his usual right field spot

[battlekow]

The James Paxton-Tyler Thornburg showdown isn't exactly going as expected--it's 4-4 after 2.5 innings. Thornburg gave up a big three-run homer to Joe Dunigan in the top of the 3rd, but Brock Kjeldgaard picked him up with a two-run blast in the bottom half.

[And That]

Alan Williams is a horse.

[DHonks]

Shaw has been playing SS lately. I'm intrigued, since he's such an OBP machine

[DHonks]

Like I was hoping, Josh Prince has apparently remembered how to walk. Too bad he's not at SS anymore. I'm going to hold out hope that this is a temporary move...he's he's healthy, but coming back from arm weakness or something.

[Mass Haas]

Thanks to Craig Durham, the voice of the Dunedin Blue Jays:

 

"(Manatees' Friday starting pitcher Austin) Ross left the game after feeling discomfort in his throwing arm. It was a game time decision if he would even start, but he tried and just didn’t feel right."

 

***

 

Well, it could be minor, but it's not often you see Brewers' staff send a pitcher out if there's any question at all.

 

I'd imagine we'll see a 7-day DL announcement soon, hopefully that stint will be brief.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Logan Schafer

[Mass Haas]

Second such reminder within today's "Report" -- it's 10:25 Central, Sounds and StormChasers enter the 11th inning tied at 5-5 (thanks to Caleb Gindl's one-out two-run HR 9th inning heroics). Listen here if you're hanging out now.

[Mass Haas]

Chris' awesome potpourri of Rattler minutia - his "Nine after Nine".

[TooLiveBrew]

Chris' awesome potpourri of Rattler minutia - his "Nine after Nine".

4. Max Walla is no longer hitless! His double in the sixth was well struck to the opposite field and he scored the tying run on the Parker Berberet double later in the inning.

 

Nice to see. I need to get to the T-Rats' next home series.

 

... Then, the ball – still with some wicked spin on it – gets by George and rolls into the outfield in shallow center. Vasquez winds up at second base with a double. It either reminded me of the Bugs Bunny slowball that struck out three Gashouse Gorillas or the tether on the blernsball started moving that ball on it own. If baseballs have gained sentience, we are doomed, people…DOOMED

 

Nice, we now officially know Chris is a Futurama fan!

[TooLiveBrew]

I PM'd a couple of posters this week about covering me today (trying to include everyone from the LR thread) but none have responded. I'll get to the A and AA games, but it probably won't be until very late as I'm going to be out of town most of the day.

Got you covered tonight, man. You've been a machine thus far.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Media Notes