Link Report for Fri. 5/4 -- No-Hitter for Timber Rattlers Chad Thompson and Mark Williams!

[Mass Haas]

Just a ridiculously good job by Mike Woods here, reaching out to Wily and putting together this piece --

 

***

 

In the pipeline: Peralta first ex-Timber Rattler to play for Brewers

by Mike Woods, Post-Crescent staff writer

 

Wily Peralta wanted to act like a knuckleball for just a short while Wednesday.

 

You know, just dance a little.

 

“I didn’t know that,” said Peralta when informed he was the first Wisconsin Timber Rattlers player since the Rattlers became affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009 to make it to the big leagues.

 

“Now that I know that it feels great to know that I was the first one to do that,” Peralta said via phone from Nashville, where he is back with the Brewers’ AAA team after making his major league debut April 22 against the Rockies.

 

Technically, one could argue third baseman Taylor Green was the first as he was called up to the Brewers at the end of last season. But Green’s stay in Grand Chute was because he was on a rehab assignment and played just six games here in 2009.

 

The bottom line, though, is the hope that Timber Rattlers fans would have the opportunity to see future members of the Milwaukee Brewers is coming to fruition.

 

“It’s what we’ve been waiting for,” said Timber Rattlers president and general manager Rob Zerjav. “We knew Wily Peralta would be a Brewer at some point. We knew the circumstances and knew he was going to be sent back down but it was exciting to see him get into the game.

 

“It will be nicer when we have a former player stick with the team. But this is just a taste of it.”

 

Peralta wasn’t even a top-10 Brewers prospect when he played the entire 2009 season here. And he played in the shadows of the more renowned Brett Lawrie and Cutter Dykstra, both of whom have since been traded.

 

Peralta had a good, but certainly not great, year with the Rattlers, going 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA in 27 games, 15 of them starts.

 

But there is no doubt inside the Brewers’ organization that he will be back in Milwaukee soon enough, this time for good.

 

“He’ll be in the big leagues,” said Reid Nichols, a special assistant to the general manager and director of player development for the Brewers. “He’s a bulldog. Just talking to his teammates, he’s a guy they’d like to be in the foxhole with. When he has to bear down, he does. He’ll be in the big leagues, definitely.”

 

Peralta is ranked No. 1 among the Brewers’ Top 20 prospects. Of that top 20 group, 14 either are playing or have played with the Timber Rattlers, including seven of the top 10.

 

After Peralta, the next two former Timber Rattlers in the pipeline would appear to be pitcher Tyler Thornburg and infielder Scooter Gennett, ranked as the fourth and sixth top prospects, respectively.

 

“Both are professionals at their position,” said Nichols. “Scooter is going to hit but his defense has to improve. We told him he’s got to get it done on defense and he’s on track and has worked very hard at it.

 

“Thornburg is another unique talent. Has a nice curveball and changeup. He’s another bulldog who just keeps coming at you.”

 

Both players are currently at Double A Hunstville (Ala.). Through Wednesday, Gennett was batting .278 with just one error. Thornburg was 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA.

 

“From an organizational standpoint, we’re very excited about it,” said Zerjav. “It just re-enforces the tie we have with the Brewers and that our fans are going to see future Milwaukee Brewers play with the Timber Rattlers.”

 

While every player who puts on a Timber Rattlers uniform believes he will play in the big leagues some day, seeing and getting to know someone who essentially got their start in Grand Chute only helps sharpen their focus.

 

“One of the great things about our relationship with the Timber Rattlers and the Brewers, being 100 miles just north, we get every one of their broadcasts,” said Rattlers manager Matt Erickson. “It’s not uncommon for us to come off the field and catch the end of the Brewers game. It’s on in our clubhouse all the time and players are obviously interested in what’s going on there.

 

“And when they see a younger player get an opportunity and they just had lunch with them in spring training, they get excited, and we as player development get excited when we have a kid that comes through the system and helps at the big league level.”

 

What the Timber Rattlers have to look forward to is the possibility of producing a list of graduates similar to the Brewers former Class A affiliate in Beloit, which saw its share of players who made the Brewers into a playoff club in the early 1980s and again in the 2000s.

 

Some of the former Brewers who went through Beloit included Chris Bosio, B.J. Surhoff, Teddy Higuera, Cal Eldred, Greg Vaughn, Geoff Jenkins, Manny Parra, Yovani Gallardo, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks.

 

And while the affiliates have no say in who shows up on their clubs, there are those times when a player — almost always a pitcher — shows up and grabs the attention of everyone. In Beloit in 1983, that player was Juan Nieves, still the only Brewer to throw a no-hitter.

 

“All the teams in the league at that time, their general manager would always call and ask ‘When he comes up to Appleton, what day is he going to pitch?’ Or whatever city we were going to,” said George Spelius, the current Midwest League president who at that time was the president of the Beloit Brewers.

 

“Everyone wanted to see that guy. The turnstiles turned. It brought in a good amount of dollars and cents.”

 

No one knows if the Timber Rattlers will be that fortunate. But now that they have their first graduate reach the Brewers, its gives their entire organization a boost.

 

“It’s great for everybody involved,” said Erickson. “It’s great for our young players to see, players that have been here a couple of years ago get there and obviously as player development people, that’s how we win.

 

When we see our young talent improve on a daily basis and then get opportunities to help out the big league club, that’s why we’re here.”

 

And make no doubt; Peralta’s promotion is a big deal to the Rattlers who will note the accomplishment in what has become a time-honored tradition.

 

“There will be a Peralta bobblehead at some point,” Zerjav said.

 

Wily Peralta pitches during a spring training game with the Brewers. He made his big-league debut April 22 before being sent back to Nashville. / Submitted Photo

 

http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20120504&Category=APC020602&ArtNo=305040130&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&In-pipeline-Peralta-first-ex-Timber-Rattler-play-Brewers

[Tedaldtada]

Albuquerque Silences Sounds, 8-1, In Opener

05/04/2012 11:06 PM ET

Nashville Sounds

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Starting pitcher Stephen Fife threw seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball as the Nashville Sounds dropped an 8-1 defeat to the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday night in the opener of a four-game series at Isotopes Park.

 

Holding the Sounds to one hit through the first five innings and retiring a stretch of 11 straight at one point in the contest, Fife (3-2) set a season-high with seven strikeouts for the victory and extended his scoreless streak to 13 innings over his last two starts.

 

Albuquerque first baseman Jeff Baisley was a triple short of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles while scoring three and driving in two runs.

 

The seven-run defeat is Nashville's (8-19) largest of the season, and also drops the team into a tie with the 2008 Sounds with worst record in club history through 27 games of action.

 

Third baseman Taylor Green compiled his team-leading eighth multi-hit contest with a 2-for-4 effort while also extending his hitting streak to a season-high five games, the longest active on the club.

 

The Isotopes scored three unearned runs against Nashville starter Seth McClung in the bottom of the second after sending eight batters to the dish.

 

The rally began after a two-base throwing error from Green that allowed Scott Van Slyke to reach. Baisley then doubled down the right field line for the first run and later scored as former Sound Luis Cruz crushed an RBI two-bagger off the right field wall. In the ensuing at-bat, Albuquerque starting pitcher Stephen Fife singled up the middle for the third run.

 

The deficit climbed to 5-0 in the next frame as Nashville committed its second error of the contest that resulted in two more unearned runs. Josh Fields singled and moved to third from another double from Baisley, a broken-bat bloop to left field. Albuquerque catcher Tim Federowicz then lined an infield ball off of first baseman Jordan Brown that let both runners score.

 

Back-to-back jacks from Van Slyke and Baisley made it 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth and removed McClung from the contest. After a one-out walk to Josh Fields, Van Slyke unloaded his seventh homer of the season, a two-run line drive over the left field wall and into the Albuquerque bullpen. Baisley's fourth homer was a towering shot down the left field line.

 

The last back-to-back homers against the Sounds came from Memphis' Matt Carpenter and Andrew Brown on September 2, 2011 at AutoZone Park.

 

The Sounds busted up the shutout with their only run in the bottom of the eighth inning against reliever Scott Rice. Outfielder Logan Schafer led off the inning with a stand-up triple to deep center field and scored on the next pitch as second baseman Eric Farris hit a sacrifice fly to center.

 

McClung (0-3) gave up eight runs (three earned) on eight hits (both season highs) while fanning three in 4 1/3 innings.

 

The Nashville bullpen shutdown the Albuquerque offense, beginning with left-handed reliever Victor Garate's 1 2/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts. Righty Jim Henderson finished the game with two scoreless innings, which extended his scoreless streak to a season-high 14 innings to open the year.

 

The Sounds and Isotopes continue their series at 8:05 pm CT on Saturday evening at Isotopes Park. Nashville right-hander Mark Rogers (0-2, 4.76) takes the mound to face Albuquerque right John Ely (2-2, 5.06).

 

Box Score

 

So, did you guys see that WI box score summary yet?

 

My sarcasm is meant to suggest that there is not much meat on the bone regarding this game.

 

Logan Schafer (1-4 3B BB), Caleb Gindl (1-4 2B) and 3B Taylor Green (2-4 2B) had XBH's. Sean Halton had a pinch hit single.

 

On the pitching side, Jim Henderson has been on point all season. (See the game story)

 

Game Log

 

2-out almost rally.

 

Nashville Top of the 9th

 

Pitcher Change: Shane Lindsay replaces Scott Rice, batting 9th.

Corey Patterson flies out to left fielder Jerry Sands.

Martin Maldonado strikes out swinging, catcher Tim Federowicz to first baseman Jeff Baisley.

Edwin Maysonet walks.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Sean Halton replaces Jim Henderson.

Sean Halton singles on a line drive to left fielder Jerry Sands. Edwin Maysonet to 2nd.

Logan Schafer walks. Edwin Maysonet to 3rd. Sean Halton to 2nd.

Eric Farris grounds out, second baseman Joe Becker to first baseman Jeff Baisley.

 

Gameday

[TooLiveBrew]

Great piece by Woods. And you have to actively create reasons to dislike Rob Zerjav, that dude is really down to earth & cool.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Media Notes

 

***

 

Lookouts Pitching Silences Stars Bats

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- Following their six-game winning streak being snapped on Thursday, the Huntsville Stars (16-13) took another loss at the hands of the Chattanooga Lookouts (13-16) by a score of 8-2 on Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a RBI single by Hunter Morris, the Stars pitching gave up eight unanswered runs leading up to the ninth inning.

 

Huntsville starting pitcher Kyle Heckathorn gave up an RBI double off the bat of second baseman Luis Nunez in the second inning. After a Pedro Baez RBI single in the third inning gave the Lookouts the lead for good, Heckathorn gave up a sacrifice fly to shortstop Jake Lemmerman in the fourth and then an RBI single from Nunez in the fifth inning to end his night. In the end, the 24-year-old righty fell to 1-1 on the season after giving up four runs on nine hits through 4.1 innings.

 

With RHP Darren Byrd on the mound, Chattanooga put the game away in the sixth inning. After Lemmerman hit a ground-rule double and scored on a throwing error by catcher Jason Jaramillo, an RBI-single from Baez and then another two-run single by Nunez gave the Lookouts’ an 8-1 lead.

 

On offense, Huntsville was baffled by Chattanooga starting pitcher Ethan Martin. The former first round draft pick gave up just one run and five hits through seven innings while striking out nine to improve to 3-0 on the year. Huntsville was only able to manage one other run in the ninth inning as Lookouts’ RHP Luis Vasquez walked left fielder Khris Davis with the bases loaded.

 

For the Stars, both Morris and shortstop Jeff Bianchi had two hits apiece. Huntsville also committed a season-high four errors on defense.

 

With the teams splitting the first four games of this series, the rubber match is set for Saturday. The Stars will send RHP Josh Stinson (3-1, 4.15 ERA) out to the mound to square off against LHP Aaron Miller (1-2, 5.96 ERA). First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

[Mass Haas]

Jeff Hem continues to alliterate with the best of them --

 

Nashville Pre-Game Audio: Audio from Albuquerque — “Excerpts from Eric”

[Tedaldtada]

I know I am a few days late, but I am sad to see Kenny Allison go. He smoked a Wily Peralta pitch in the 2011 Rising Stars game. Good luck, Kenny!

[Mass Haas]

Despite Huntsville's loss, RH reliever Eric Marzec had a good night on the mound and was especially excited about his night at the plate.

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog -- Nine After Nine

 

One injury note amid all the no-hitter hoopla...

[Mass Haas]

OK Brewers, the schedules match up nicely, so honor these guys and make this happen!

[JohnBriggs12]

Is it time to start thinking Bianchi could have a future in Milwaukee? He must have decent tools as a 2nd rounder out of high school. His defensive stats suggest he can handle the position defensively and now he's hitting.

 

Speaking of SS, I'm also keeping an eye on Nick Shaw. He doesn't have big numbers (does anyone in that league?), but he's progressing.