Link Report for Thurs. 5/3 -- Brevard Offense Awakens for a Day; Gagnon Strong Again

[TheCrew07]

Chris typed another game story in the 9 After 9 for 5/3/2012. Another extremely informative blog and apparently MiLB reached out for Gagnon tonight so we might have another feature on one of our pitchers coming.

 

I've been wanting to call Chris' coverage "superb" for so time now but

and keeps me from doing so. Consider it a LR bonus from one of the most underrated movies of all time.

[TheCrew07]

... and the story was there right as I was going to bed so here it is.

 

Gagnon beats heat, retires 14 straight

Wisconsin pitchers combine to sit down final 20 in a row in win

By Jonathan Raymond / Special to MLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/05/04/lv4cuMAX.jpg

Drew Gagnon is 3-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 28 strikeouts in six starts for Wisconsin this year. (Ann Mollica)

 

When the Clinton, Iowa evening cooled down Thursday, Class A Wisconsin starter Drew Gagnon was finally able to heat up.

 

With start-of-game conditions at 82 degrees and humid, Gagnon struggled to adapt. In the first inning, he allowed his first run since April 12. In the third, Clinton catcher Steven Baron brought home the second run with a sacrifice fly.

 

But after Baron's RBI, Gagnon and reliever Kevin Shackelford closed out the game by retiring the last 20 batters in order for the Timber Rattlers as the Brewers' Class A affiliate topped the LumberKings, 8-2.

 

"The first couple innings I had to adjust to the heat, I wasn't used to it at all," said Gagnon. "I was a little bit drained, kind of out of gas. After that, I settled in."

 

Gagnon (3-0) worked through the seventh, retiring 14 straight on his own. Shackelford picked up from there, sitting down the last six.

 

Gagnon said he was unprepared for the warm, humid weather in Clinton. But after hydrating a bit in between innings, he was able to return to the form that saw him post 19 1/3 consecutive innings over three starts without allowing a run from April 17-27.

 

"I started drinking a lot more water in the dugout, should have had Gatorade before the game," he joked. "I wasn't expecting it to be this bad. The humidity kind of did it for me. But as the night went on, it started to cool down. The sun went down, the moon came out, and I started to feel good."

 

Gagnon finished the night allowing the two runs on three hits without a walk and three strikeouts over seven innings. The outing actually raised his ERA, bringing it up to 1.02 in 35 1/3 innings. The California State Long Beach product also boasts 28 strikeouts and just six walks this year.

 

"Overall, I've wanted to pound the zone, pitch to contact. My first couple outings I was pitching to strike guys out, now I'm getting better results," said the 21-year-old. "I'm staying in the game longer, keeping my pitch counts low. I think I had 81 pitches tonight. Hopefully, by the middle of the season, if I'm at 81 pitches it means I went the whole game."

 

In his last two starts, Gagnon has been able to work at least seven innings. None of his previous four lasted longer than six. The 2011 third-round Draft pick said keeping his fastball down and mixing his pitches successfully will be the key to continue his streak of longer starts.

 

"I need to keep hitting the spots, keep it down in the zone and mix it up pretty well," he said. "Instead of throwing that harder breaking ball [out of the zone], getting them to swing, I just need to hit the glove."

 

First baseman Gregory Hopkins powered the Wisconsin offense with a 3-for-4 night that included a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Designated hitter Jason Rogers added another two RBIs.

[Mass Haas]

STARS WINNING STREAK SNAPPED AT SIX

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- The Huntsville Stars (16-12) season-high six game winning streak was snapped on Thursday night with a 10-5 loss against the Chattanooga Lookouts (12-16) at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

After the Lookouts’ took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo-home run by shortstop Jake Lemmerman, the Stars broke out for five straight runs. In the second inning, an RBI single by center fielder Josh Prince and a two-run single by pitcher Evan Anundsen put the Stars up 3-1. Then in the third inning, a two-run double from left fielder Jay Gibbons put Huntsville in a position to increase their winning streak to seven with a 5-1 lead.

 

From that point on though, it was all Chattanooga, as the Lookouts scored nine unanswered runs from the sixth inning on to capture the game. Lemmerman got the inning started off with a single and advanced to third on a single by J.T. Wise. Left fielder Kyle Russell hit a deep sac-fly to score Lemmerman. After 81 pitches from Anundsen, pitcher Bradley Blanks was called on in relief. A wild pitch from Blanks followed by a single from Pedro Baez scored Wise to close the gap 5-3. Another single and another wild pitch put runners on second and third. Center fielder Nick Buss singled to left field to plate another two runs and tie the game at five. Reliever Eric Marzec replaced Blanks to get the final out of the inning.

 

The Stars looked ready to answer back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single from first baseman Hunter Morris. The next two batters struck out before Prince doubled to put runners in scoring position. Pinch hitter Lee Haydel didn’t provide the drama the Stars were seeking and grounded out to end the inning.

 

With reliever Roque Mercedes on the mound for Huntsville, the Lookouts took the lead for good. A leadoff single followed by a stolen base put Rafael Ynoa in scoring position. An RBI-single off the bat of Russell gave Chattanooga their sixth run. They put the nail on the coffin in the eighth inning with a leadoff solo shot from Blake Smith. Catcher Griff Erickson followed up with a single and scored on a sacrifice bunt followed by a throwing error from Stars’ catcher Jason Jaramillo. The Lookouts tacked on two more runs with back-to-back RBI doubles from Lemmerman and Wise. Reliever R.J. Seidel was called in to replace Mercedes with just one out left. Mercedes (1-1) was tagged with the loss, going 1.2 innings and giving up five runs (two earned) on six hits. Seidel closed out the game, retiring the Chattanooga offense in order in the top of the ninth.

 

The loss spoiled another strong start from Anundsen, who earned a no-decision after pitching 5.1 innings while giving up three runs on just four hits. Chattanooga starter Allen Webster got a no-decision as well, throwing five innings and giving up all five Stars’ runs on eight hits.

 

On offense, the Stars got two hits from Gibbons (2-for-3), including that two-run double in the third inning. Huntsville also got two hits apiece from Prince (2-3), first baseman Morris (2-4) and right fielder Kentrail Davis (2-5). Morris also extended his reign as Southern League doubles leader by hitting double number 14.

 

On Friday, Huntsville will try to get back on the winning track by sending RHP Kyle Heckathorn (1-0, 3.18 ERA) to the mound to square off against Chattanooga RHP Ethan Martin (2-0, 3.58 ERA). First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

[Mass Haas]

Gord Ash in the Tennessean, but talking hockey