Link Report for Mon. 5/14 -- Hey, Let's Play Six! AAA and AA Twinbills

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP's Mike Fiers and Seth McClung in a doubleheader at home vs. Reno (Diamondbacks), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 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.

 

**********

 

Huntsville: RHP's Tyler Thornburg and Evan Anundsen in a doubleheader at home vs. Mississippi (Braves), 4:28 PM pre-game, 4:43 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.

 

**********

 

Brevard County: LHP Jed Bradley at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 5:35 PM gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Daytona 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.

 

***

 

Wisconsin: RHP Chad Thompson at Kane County (Royals), 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 Monday's action as it happens with box score / game log links:

 

Nashville Game One

 

Nashville Game Two

 

Huntsville Game One

 

Huntsville Game Two

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

STANDINGS:

 

AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division

 

AA - Southern League North Division

 

High-A - Florida State League North Division

 

A - 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]

Former Manatees pitcher Burgos elevates among the Stars

Thrilled at Huntsville move

by Michael Parsons, FLORIDA TODAY

 

The Brevard County Manatees lost their most successful pitcher on Saturday afternoon, and that was a good thing.

 

Starter Hiram Burgos got the call every player on the Manatees hopes to get one day. He was moving up to Double A.

 

“I was really excited,” Burgos said while getting ready for a doubleheader with the Huntsville Stars on Sunday. “I have been working hard and am excited for the chance. I am just going to do the same thing that I have been doing.”

 

If he does that, he may be in Triple A by the end of the summer. Burgos started six games with the Manatees, putting together a 2-1 record with an ERA of 0.87. In 41 1/3 innings, he allowed just four earned runs and struck out 41 while walking just six.

 

That was not always the case for the right-hander, who spent most of last season with the Manatees. As a starter and reliever, he posted a 4.89 ERA with a 6-8 record.

 

“The biggest thing was mental toughness,” Burgos said of his start to this season.

 

“I just concentrate on making good pitches and throwing my pitches in any count. Becoming a pitcher and not a thrower.”

 

The results show that he is now a pitcher. And while he is not sure what his role will be for Huntsville yet, he is ready.

 

“I just have to keep it the same. Now I just need to keep going up and up,” the former Bethune-Cookman University player said.

 

Huntsville will not be entirely new to him as most of his teammates from last season are in Huntsville this season.

 

And he will be dressing for a pretty good team. The Stars entered Sunday just ½-game out of first place in the Southern League.

 

“I am just coming here to help the team win more games,” Burgos said. “The team is playing good, (a) really exciting time to be called up.”

 

But Burgos is keeping his eye on the prize and realizes this is just the first stop of many he would like to take in his journey to, hopefully, Milwaukee.

 

But that starts now in Double A Huntsville and he seems ready for the challenge.

 

“Baseball is the same no matter where you go, the game is the same, Burgos said.

 

“You don’t want to change anything just because you move up. Just keep things the same and get hitters out.”

Just like he did in Brevard County this season.

 

Hiram Burgos, formerly of the Manatees, has been promoted to Double A. / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20120514&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=305140010&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Former-Manatees-pitcher-Burgos-elevates-among-Stars

[Tedaldtada]

And while he is not sure what his role will be for Huntsville yet, he is ready.

 

Hiram, you will be starting. I think you earned it.

[craigharmann]

And while he is not sure what his role will be for Huntsville yet, he is ready.

 

Hiram, you will be starting. I think you earned it.

 

Hopefully the role is temporary stud....I say temporary because if he keeps pitching well, I'd love to see him bumped to AAA in a month or two.

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Media Notes

[Mass Haas]

Ryan over at Disciples of Uecker with their weekly look at Prospect of the Week, "Three Up, Three Down", etc.

 

If you're on our Minor League forum regularly, you're doing yourself a dis-service if you're not following the Disciples Guys as well. Either bookmark their site or follow them via Twitter @DisciplesUecker.

[JohnBriggs12]

And while he is not sure what his role will be for Huntsville yet, he is ready.

 

Hiram, you will be starting. I think you earned it.

 

Hopefully the role is temporary stud....I say temporary because if he keeps pitching well, I'd love to see him bumped to AAA in a month or two.

 

 

They've got a couple placeholders, Brian Baker and Seth McClung, currently in the Nashville rotation that hopefully will be pushed out fairly soon by Thornburg and perhaps Burgos or another Huntsville starter.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Doubleheader Media Notes

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Press Release: Andy Moye is MWL Pitcher of the Week

[Mass Haas]

The season hasn't even started yet!

 

Weather concerns in Maryvale, just brutal, dry heat or not...

[Mass Haas]

Sounds get a makeover for infield

Brewers injuries suddenly bring players up to majors

by Greg Sullivan, The Tennessean

 

It’s only May, but because of some costly injuries in Milwaukee, the Sounds’ infield already has a new look.

 

Jeff Bianchi, Andy Gonzalez and Jordan Brown joined the Nashville roster this month after three Sounds infielders were called up to the major leagues to plug roster spots.

 

Nashville’s game with Reno was rained out Sunday. The teams will play a doubleheader starting at 5:05 p.m. today. The homestand finale is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. Tuesday

 

Brewers first baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alex Gonzalez suffered possibly season-ending ACL injuries and outfielder Carlos Gomez is on the 15-day disabled list. That resulted in third baseman Taylor Green, shortstop Edwin Maysonet and utility player Brooks Conrad being promoted from Nashville.

 

Bianchi was hitting .351 in Double-A Huntsville at the time of his call-up and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in his Triple-A debut last weekend at Albuquerque. He added another game-winning RBI last Wednesday against Colorado Springs and is hitting .350 in seven games.

 

“It definitely feels good to get off to a good start and that’s what I’ve done this year so far,” said Bianchi, 25, who is from Pennsylvania. “My role here is to come in and just fill that spot, go out and do the best I can every day.

 

“I wasn’t here the first month. I’ve heard we lost a lot of close games. But we’ve got a good group of guys; we’ve just got to put it all together.”

 

Brown is a former Triple-A International League batting champion who played with the Sounds part of last season. He was released by the Astros on the final day of this year’s spring training and had been playing in Mexico when the Brewers called him to return to his former team.

 

“When I came here last year (midseason) we weren’t hitting,” said Brown, who hit .317 with eight home runs in 353 at-bats with the Sounds last year as a first baseman and corner outfielder. “We were not exactly a solid offensive team, but then a few guys got it going and by the end of the year we had some really good numbers going for us. I’m hoping the same thing happens now.

 

“You don’t ever expect it to happen, move after move after move. But it doesn’t surprise you when it does. A lot of guys get hurt. That’s why you have depth.”

 

Brown has struggled so far, hitting .200 in nine games. Gonzalez is hitting .235 for the Sounds, who are 12-23.

 

Hainley Statia, Gonzalez and Erick Almonte have split time at third base, replacing Green.

 

“You never know what can happen,” said Statia, who is hitting .318. “Someday you might be here. Someday you’re in the big leagues. Some guys start spring training in Double-A, now they’re in Triple-A. You can’t predict anything, you know? You’ve got to take it day by day.”

 

Statia said he doesn’t expect the new-look infielders will take very long to develop a good chemistry.

 

“Some players want the ball to be thrown to them at the back of the bag or the front of the bag (on double-play balls). You just ask them,” Statia said. “Everybody’s got a different way of doing it so you just ask them and you work on it between batting practices. We’ve all practiced together in spring training, so we kind of know each other already. We’ll be OK.”

 

Maysonet has already made an impact for the Brewers, hitting a grand slam in Saturday’s win over the Cubs.

 

Green has been splitting time at first base with Travis Ishikawa and is hitting .267. Conrad has no hits in 11 at-bats with the Brewers.

 

Jordan Brown / Photo by MIKE STRASINGER

 

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[Mass Haas]

Mark this day down - articles from Florida Today and The Tennessean on the same day.

[TheCrew07]

Catching up on divisional prospect happenings since Friday, Miguel Sano is getting a ton of run now that Harper and Trout are up. Taveras was mentioned a couple of times though no questions specifically targeted his tools this week.

 

BA's Hot Sheet Chat:

 

Reds:

 

Ben (Miamisburg, OH): Was Reds AA CF Ryan Lamarre considered for the list this week? He raised his batting average over 75 points, walks a ton, and runs the bases well (even if he is no Billy Hamilton, but who is?). Could he be a potential lead off hitter for the Reds in a couple years?

 

 

Matthew Eddy: Double-A CF Ryan LaMarre had a fantastic week, going 9-for-22 with eight walks and five steals in six attempts. The only thing keeping him off Hot Sheet was a lack of thump (one double), and if that trend continues it may limit his upside to outfield backup in the big leagues. That goes double with Billy Hamilton facing a likely shift to center field if he plays his way off shortstop.

 

Scouting Report post 2011: In any other season, LaMarre's 55 stolen bases would have stood out among Reds farmhands. No one in the system had swiped that many since 1994, but he took a back seat to Billy Hamilton, who led the minors with 103. LaMarre might have been even more prolific if not for a series of minor hamstring injuries. An outstanding athlete, he was the leading tackler on consecutive state-championship football teams in high school and was also a hockey star. He has well above-average speed and shows a feel for getting leads and reading pitchers. LaMarre had a quick bat and shows solid raw power in batting practice, but it hasn't come through in games. Instead he uses a top-of-the-order approach with good selectivity and an all-fields mentality. He also has a knack for laying down bunts. In the field, LaMarre is average defensively in center field with an arm that's strong enough to let him handle right field as well. He got a taste of Double-A at the end of the season, and will head to Pensacola to begin 2012. His bat will determine whether he ends up as a regular or a useful fourth outfielder.

 

Cubs:

 

Dan (Israel): What should we know about Arismandy Alcantara who had a monster offensive week at SS in the FSL?

 

 

Matthew Eddy: Cubs 20-year-old Arismendy Alcantara (linking to MiLB since no scouting report exists) possesses some loud tools — he can field, throw and run — and the shortstop reminded us this week that he also has potential with the bat, going 12-for-29 with two doubles and three triples for High-A Daytona. He very nearly made the Hot Sheet in the Helium section. If the offensive gains are real, then he's a prospect. Even if they're not he might make a fine utility player or quality system depth.

[TheCrew07]

Top Pitching Performances Over The Weekend, May 11-13

 

No divisional mentions for hitting over the weekend but the Cubs and Reds get a mention in the pitching section.

 

Reds RHP Kyle Lotzkar:

Lotzkar has been around for so long that he was drafted with a supplemental firstround pick the Reds got for losing free agent Scott Schoeneweis. With the way that Lotzkar burst onto the scene in 2008, blowing away the low Class A hitters for 10 midseason starts as a teenager, he could have made his big league debut by now. Instead, he still hasn't gotten past the Midwest League because injuries have slowed his development. He developed a stress fracture in his elbow in 2008 and had Tommy John surgery the following season. His 67 innings last year were a career high, but he missed more time with a strained hamstring. Lotzkar's stuff didn't hold up as well with his increased workload. After showing a 90-94 mph fastball in 2010, he worked more at 89-91 last season. He also battled control problems, leading the MWL with 15 hit batters in 14 starts. Lotzkar still has a plus curveball, while his changeup remains below average. Though he has progressed much slower than hoped and he's not close to being big league-ready, Cincinnati still opted to protect him on its 40- man roster in November. His stuff likely would play up in the bullpen, and he might be able to stay healthy by working shorter stints. If he can stay on the mound, he'll finally reach high Class A in 2012.

 

Cubs RHP Jose Rosario:

Rosario has yet to make it to full-season ball after four years as a pro, including three in the United States, but he'll get there in 2012 after making impressive strides last season. After his fastball worked at 90-93 mph in 2010, it jumped to 93-97 and exploded on hitters last year. One scout saw him throw five consecutive 97-mph heaters in one game. Rosario has good life to go with his velocity, and he also has improved his ability to command his fastball. He has a chance to develop a plus slider, though his is presently more notable for its mid-80s velocity than its bite. It lacks consistency and gets slurvy at times. His changeup is even more rudimentary, and some scouts wonder if he'll develop a deep enough repertoire to remain a starter in the long run. His lack of size also may not be conducive to the durability needed to stay in the rotation, though he generates his velocity with arm speed and not effort. Rosario has the ceiling of a No. 3 starter or a set-up man, but it will take a few more years before the Cubs know exactly what they have in him

[TheCrew07]

Top Three College Pitchers From 2011 Draft Make Ace Turns

 

Pirates 1st Round selection and #1 overall Gerrit Cole is discussed in this post.

[TheCrew07]

PCL notes: Adams not feeling pressure

Cardinals' No. 8 prospect taking advantage of his Triple-A time

By Chris Jackson / Special to MLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/05/14/MFG3jOMU.jpg

Matt Adams has hit .322 with six home runs and 17 RBIs through 32 games. (Jamie Harms/MiLB.com)

 

The trend in baseball in recent years has been for many top prospects to skip Triple-A entirely, jumping straight from Double-A to the big leagues.

 

St. Louis Cardinals prospect Matt Adams, however, is content to be at Triple-A with the Memphis Redbirds, because he feels it will make him a better player in the long run.

 

"I'm definitely facing good pitching and they're definitely going to make it tough up here at the Triple-A level, facing a lot of the veteran guys," said Adams, the Cardinals' No. 8-ranked prospect.

 

The slugging first baseman put himself on the map last season when he hit .300 with 32 home runs and 101 RBIs at Double-A Springfield.

 

This season Adams has hit .322 with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 32 games.

 

"I think the pitchers here they think more, they use a lot more pitches," he said. "They'll show you a fastball here and there, but they don't give in during a hitter's count. Here as a hitter, you've got to prepare; you're not getting a lot of straight, four-seam fastballs."

 

Facing a lot of breaking balls and pitchers who live and die with offspeed pitches can only help, Adams said.

 

"I definitely think that," he said. "It's going to make me a better hitter for the future."

 

Hitting is only one part of the game, though, and Adams remains committed to improving his fielding as well.

 

"I feel good, I worked hard in the offseason," Adams said. "I've got a bit more range out there. I'm definitely happy with where I'm at, but I still plan to work hard and keep getting better."

 

Adams was a catcher at Slippery Rock University, a Division II school, when the Cardinals took him in the 23rd round of the 2009 Draft. He was moved to first base that summer at Rookie-level Johnson City and has moved quickly through the Minors ever since.

 

With the departure of Albert Pujols and the fact that current Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman is 36 years old, the door seems to be wide open for Adams to seize a job in St. Louis in the near future.

 

For now, however, Adams is focused on helping the Redbirds (13-23) turn around their season.

 

"We've got a lot of talent here," he said. "We've kind of gotten off to a slow start. We're losing a lot of one-run ballgames. We're just coming up short. I think in the future we're going to turn things around."

 

Memphis will continue its series with Colorado Springs through Tuesday before starting an eight-game road trip on Thursday.

 

In brief

 

Reborn on a bayou: New Orleans right-hander Tom Koehler has begun to reestablish himself as a top prospect. After getting shelled for seven runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings on April 18, Koehler has allowed just five earned runs in 23 innings over his last four starts, winning three. Koehler struck out eight over six shutout innings of a 2-0 win over Tucson on Thursday.

 

The Bell tolls: Third baseman Josh Bell, whom the D-backs acquired from the Orioles last month, has caught fire since joining the Reno Aces. Bell has hit .421 (32-for-76) with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 19 games since the trade. As a point of comparison, he was hitting .049 (3-for-32) in nine games with the Norfolk Tides prior to the swap.

 

Catching up: Las Vegas catcher Travis d'Arnaud saw his 14-game hitting streak come to an end May 5 when he was 0-for-3 against Salt Lake. Since then he's hit safely in four games, going 5-for-17 to further erase the memories of his slow start to the season.

 

The Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect, d'Arnaud has raised his average from .182 two weeks into the year to .274 through Saturday.

[TheCrew07]

Final: Kane County 9, Wisconsin 2

 

Cougars slam Rattlers

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GENEVA, IL - Kane County Cougars third baseman Michael Antonio was hitting .182 with no home runs heading into Monday afternoon's game against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Antonio collected three hits, including a grand slam home run in the third inning, to lead the Cougars to a 9-2 victory over the Rattlers.

 

Max Walla gave the Rattlers (23-15) a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Ben McMahan doubled with Nick Ramirez at first to put runners at second and third with one out. Walla's grounder to second got Ramirez home for the lead.

 

The Cougars (20-18) came back with a two-out, two-run home run by Murray Watts in the bottom of the second inning. Antonio had doubled with one out in the inning and scored ahead of Watts line a pitch just over the wall in right field for his seventh homer of the season.

 

Justin Trapp tripled with one out in the bottom of the third, but he was still at third with two outs. Then, Rattlers starter Chad Thompson walked the next two batters to load the bases. Thompson fell behind Antonio 3-1. The Cougars third baseman cracked a long homer to left on the next pitch for a grand slam and a 6-1 Kane County lead.

 

Kevin Shackelford got the final out of the third, but did not fare much better in the fourth. Kane County scored three runs in the frame to grab a 9-1 advantage. Danny Mateo had an RBI double. Jorge Bonifacio singled in another run. The final run came home on a fielder's choice by Lane Adams.

 

Yadiel Rivera got Wisconsin back on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning with a long home run to left. Rivera's third home run of the season made the score 9-2. But, Moen was solid the rest of the day. He allowed two runs on four hits without walking a batter and striking out four in six innings.

 

Rattlers reliever Mark Williams came on in the bottom of the fifth and had a nice outing. He worked four shutout innings, walked two, allowed one hit, and struck out five.

 

But, a pair of Kane County relievers combined to work three scoreless innings to secure Kane County's second straight win over Wisconsin.

 

The Timber Rattlers and Cougars wrap up their four game series Tuesday morning. David Goforth (3-2, 4.67) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Robinson Yambati (1-0, 3.60) is set to start for Kane County. Game time is 11:00am. Tune in for the Miller Lite Pregame Show on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting at 10:40am.

 

HOME RUN:

WIS:

Yadiel Rivera (3rd, 0 on in 6th inning off Kellen Moen, 0 out)

 

KC:

Murray Watts (7th, 1 on in 2nd inning off Chad Thompson, 2 out)

Michael Antonio (1st, 3 on in 3rd inning off Chad Thompson, 2 out)

 

WP: Kellen Moen (2-1)

LP: Chad Thompson (1-1)

 

TIME: 2:28

ATTN: 4,135

 

Wisconsin Box Score

In the 2 outings since his debut no hitter Chad Thompson hasn't fared so well but at least Mark Williams continued his fine start to the season.

 

Max Walla has dropped to 7th in the order and Yadiel Rivera to 9th and it worked today as both players produced runs, but it's a little disappointing from a development perspective. However it is understandable given how well the players in front of them have been hitting. Gregory Hopkins has cooled off a bit, Jason Rogers has been a pretty steady .280ish hitter, and Nick Ramirez (2-4 today) are all hitting in the upper .200s while Brandon Macias and Ben McMahan are hitting over .300 in their last 10 games. John Dishon batted lead off today as Chadwin Stang didn't play.

 

Wisconsin Play By Play

Not much to be excited about in here.

[TheCrew07]

Nine after 9 for May 14, 2012

[TheCrew07]

Final Game 1: Huntsville 5, Mississippi 4 (7 innings)

 

Game 1 Box Score

Interestingly as I followed the game and even after I started my post the box score had Tyler Thornburg charged with 3ER instead of the 1ER it's showing now, I thought it should have been 2ER all along. Regardless, Tyler wasn't sharp again walking 3 and allowing 5 hits in only 6IP, but he did strike out 4 batters. He threw 92 pitches but only 56 for strikes and posted a 4:5 GO:FO ratio. Jesus Sanchez came on pitched a clean 7th to nail down the victory, he hasn't been scored upon in at least 10 straight appearances.

 

Scooter Gennett and Juan Sanchez both went 2-3 with a double while Jason Jarmillo added a double of his own. Thornburg went 1-1 with a HBP (excessively hateful Mr. Lugo!) bumping his season AVE up to .222. The defense wasn't good as the Stars committed 3 defensive miscues, Gennett had a throwing error in the 5th and Jarmillo had a throwing error and passed ball in the 4th. Josh Prince stole his 7th base of the season.

 

Game 1 Play By Play

The Stars answered back in the first to take a 2 run lead.

Huntsville Bottom of the 1st

• Kentrail Davis grounds out, shortstop Andrelton Simmons to first baseman Ian Gac.
  Tommy Manzella strikes out swinging.
  Scooter Gennett doubles (6) on a fly ball to center fielder Todd Cunningham.
  Jay Gibbons walks.
  Jason Jaramillo doubles (7) on a ground ball to left fielder Adam Milligan. Scooter Gennett scores. Jay Gibbons to 3rd.
  Josh Prince singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Keenan Wiley. Jay Gibbons scores. Jason Jaramillo scores.
  With Domnit Bolivar batting, Josh Prince steals (7) 2nd base.
  Domnit Bolivar strikes out swinging.
  

 

Thornburg's clean innings were the 3rd and 6th, here are the rest.

Mississippi Top of the 1st

• Keenan Wiley singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Domnit Bolivar.
  Andrelton Simmons singles on a line drive to left fielder Juan Sanchez. Keenan Wiley to 2nd.
  Philip Gosselin out on a sacrifice bunt, third baseman Domnit Bolivar to first baseman Jay Gibbons. Keenan Wiley to 3rd. Andrelton Simmons to 2nd.
  Evan Gattis walks.
  Joe Leonard out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Josh Prince. Keenan Wiley scores. Andrelton Simmons to 3rd. Evan Gattis to 2nd.
  Ian Gac strikes out swinging.

 

Mississippi Top of the 2nd

• Todd Cunningham walks.
  Adam Milligan strikes out swinging.
  Jose Lugo bunt pops out to catcher Jason Jaramillo in foul territory.
  Keenan Wiley flies out to right fielder Kentrail Davis.

 

Mississippi Top of the 4th

• Joe Leonard singles on a line drive to left fielder Juan Sanchez.
  Ian Gac doubles (10) on a line drive to left fielder Juan Sanchez. Joe Leonard to 3rd.
  With Todd Cunningham batting, throwing error by Jason Jaramillo on the pickoff attempt, Joe Leonard scores. Ian Gac to 3rd.
  With Todd Cunningham batting, passed ball by Jason Jaramillo, Ian Gac scores.
  Todd Cunningham lines out to right fielder Kentrail Davis.
  Adam Milligan called out on strikes.
  Jose Lugo grounds out, third baseman Domnit Bolivar to first baseman Jay Gibbons.

 

Mississippi Top of the 5th

• Keenan Wiley singles on a ground ball to right fielder Kentrail Davis.
  Andrelton Simmons flies out to center fielder Josh Prince.
  Philip Gosselin walks. Keenan Wiley to 2nd.
  Evan Gattis grounds into a force out, third baseman Domnit Bolivar to second baseman Scooter Gennett. Keenan Wiley scores. Philip Gosselin out at 2nd. Evan Gattis advances to 2nd, on throwing error by second baseman Scooter Gennett.
  Joe Leonard pops out to first baseman Jay Gibbons in foul territory.

[DHonks]

Wow, another inning with no runs for Arnett. He even allowed no baserunners for once. He's almost got his ERA into the 2's. Anyone have any info on his stuff? I assumed that with the struggles, the shoulder injury, etc that he was still around 90. Has it gotten back to pre-draft levels?

[Tedaldtada]

Fiers Tosses Three-Hit Shutout In Twinbill Opener

05/14/2012 8:05 PM ET

Nashville Sounds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Right-hander Mike Fiers tossed a three-hit, seven-inning shutout to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 5-0 victory over the Reno Aces in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

Fiers (1-2) picked up his first victory of the season with the gem, which was his second career shutout. His first, a nine-inning three-hitter, came last August 31 for the Sounds at Iowa. The right-hander walked two batters, hit a pair of batters, and struck out five during his 96-pitch effort.

 

Logan Schafer and Eric Farris each recorded three hits and Martin Maldonado belted a homer to pace the Sounds' 13-hit attack. Nashville finished 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the contest.

 

The Sounds squandered a no-outs, bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the first inning against Reno starter Charles Brewer. Schafer, Farris, and Jeff Bianchi started the frame with three consecutive singles to fill the bags against the right-hander. Brewer induced a comebacker from Jordan Brown and forced Schafer at the plate for the first out. Erick Almonte followed with a line drive to right, which was gloved by ex-Sound Cole Gillespie who then fired to the plate to nail Farris for the final out as he attempted to score on the play.

 

Nashville took a 3-0 lead in the third against Brewer. Fiers led off with a double into the left field corner and later scored on a bloop RBI single off the bat of Eric Farris, which fell just in front of the glove of a diving Adam Eaton in center field. Later in the frame, Brown and Almonte (Audio) legged out back-to-back, two-out run-scoring doubles to increase the Sounds' advantage to three.

 

Maldonado upped the lead to 4-0 in the fourth when he belted his third homer of the season, a one-out solo shot to left-center that careened off the guitar-shaped scoreboard. The blast snapped a 20 at-bat hitless stretch for the backstop.

 

Farris concluded the Sounds' scoring in the sixth inning with a two-out RBI single that plated Schafer, who had singled with two outs, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch.

 

Brewer (1-3) took the loss after working all six innings for Reno, giving up five runs on 13 hits.

 

Box Score

 

On the day of a double header, Mike Fiers (96 pitches, 59 strikes) was a pitching coach's dream as he went the distance. 7 IP 3 H 0 R 2 BB 5 K 1 WP 2 HBP 9:3 GO:FO. Mike also hit a big 2B to help his own cause. Fiers is fully stretched out at this point and ready to compete for a rotation spot next year. I have said before that he could thrive in a Marco Estrada kind of role. Basically, Fiers is a good 6th starter with the ability to fill a rotation spot adequately. Former Brewers farmhand Cole Gillespie had two of the three hits for the Reno Aces.

 

The bats were relentless and should have been more potent. 13 hits including 6 between the top two hitters in the lineup and another 5 from the 3-5 hitters. Logan Schafer (3-3 BB SB PO) was magnificent. Eric Farris, who has 2 XBH's in well over 100 PA's (both doubles), also had 3 hits. Martin Maldonado dented a guitar. Caleb Gindl received Game 1 off.

 

Game Log

 

Whoops.

 

Nashville Bottom of the 1st

 

Logan Schafer singles on a ground ball to left fielder Ryan Wheeler.

Eric Farris singles on a line drive to left fielder Ryan Wheeler. Logan Schafer to 2nd.

Jeff Bianchi singles on a ground ball to left fielder Ryan Wheeler. Logan Schafer to 3rd. Eric Farris to 2nd.

Jordan Brown grounds into a force out, pitcher Charles Brewer to catcher Konrad Schmidt. Logan Schafer out at home. Eric Farris to 3rd. Jeff Bianchi to 2nd. Jordan Brown to 1st.

Erick Almonte lines into double play, right fielder Cole Gillespie to catcher Konrad Schmidt. Eric Farris out at home on the throw.

 

Game MVP lead off double.

 

Nashville Bottom of the 3rd

 

Michael Fiers doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Ryan Wheeler.

Logan Schafer singles on a line drive to right fielder Cole Gillespie. Michael Fiers to 3rd.

With Eric Farris batting, Charles Brewer picks off Logan Schafer at 1st on throw to Randy Ruiz.

Eric Farris singles on a fly ball to center fielder Adam Eaton. Michael Fiers scores.

Jeff Bianchi flies out to right fielder Cole Gillespie.

Jordan Brown doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Ryan Wheeler. Eric Farris scores.

Erick Almonte doubles (3) on a line drive to center fielder Adam Eaton. Jordan Brown scores.

Corey Patterson grounds out, first baseman Randy Ruiz to pitcher Charles Brewer.

 

Amazingly, this was his only clean inning.

Reno Top of the 7th

 

Rusty Ryal flies out to right fielder Jordan Brown.

Konrad Schmidt strikes out swinging, catcher Martin Maldonado to first baseman Erick Almonte.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Mike Jacobs replaces Charles Brewer.

Mike Jacobs strikes out swinging.

 

Gameday