Link Report for Mon. 6/4 -- As usual, Stars and Rattlers Carry the Night

[TooLiveBrew]

Final: Bradenton 14, @Brevard County 7

 

Manatees thumped by Marauders, 14-7

Brevard gives up season-highs in both runs and hits

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. - The Brevard County Manatees allowed season-highs in both runs and hits as they had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Bradenton Marauders, 14-7 on Monday night at Space Coast Stadium.

 

Manatees starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (1-3, 6.35) struggled mightily as he allowed nine runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work. He gave up nine hits, while walking one and striking out one.

 

Brevard County's (24-32) bullpen didn't fare much better as five pitchers combined to allow five runs in 7 2/3 innings.

 

Eight of Bradenton's (25-32) 21 hits went for extra bases and their 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 12-for-17 with nine RBI.

 

Offensively for the Manatees, Mike Walker and Scott Krieger had two hits each. Nick Shaw and Joey Paciorek each drove in two runs, while Shea Vucinich hit his third homer of the season.

 

The loss prevented the 'Tees from their earned first four-game winning streak since April 7-11. Also with the defeat and coupled with Dunedin's victory over Charlotte on Monday night, Brevard County is now officially eliminated from the first half division title.

 

Brevard will hit the road for a four-game set with the Jupiter Hammerheads (27-30) at Roger Dean Stadium beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.

 

Southpaw Jed Bradley (4-4, 3.83) will get the start for the Manatees. The 2011 first round draft pick is looking for his first win since May 8 and is 1-1 with a 6.89 ERA in three road starts this season. Jupiter will counter with righty Robert Morey (2-0, 3.27).

 

 

BC Box

Williamson got rocked, and the first three RPs -- Eric Arnett, Philippe Valiquette, & Brian Garman -- pitched the Manatees into the 7th inning, but combined to allow the rest of Bradenton's runs. Greg Holle & Eric Marzec each tossed scoreless frames to close out the game for BC.

 

BC PBP

Optimistic version, only BC's two muti-run innings...

 

Brevard County Bottom of the 4th

-Mike Walker doubles (12) on a line drive to right fielder Dan Grovatt.

-Shea Vucinich pops out to third baseman Stefan Welch in foul territory.

-Cody Hawn walks.

-Scott Krieger singles on a line drive to right fielder Dan Grovatt. Mike Walker to 3rd. Cody Hawn to 2nd.

-Joey Paciorek singles on a fly ball to right fielder Dan Grovatt. Mike Walker scores. Cody Hawn to 3rd. Scott Krieger to 2nd.

-Franklin Romero Jr. strikes out swinging.

-Nick Shaw hits a ground-rule double (17) on a fly ball to right-center field. Cody Hawn scores. Scott Krieger scores. Joey Paciorek to 3rd.

-Reggie Keen strikes out swinging.

 

Stayin' hot, but then fizzling...

 

Brevard County Bottom of the 5th

-T. J. Mittelstaedt triples (7) on a fly ball to center fielder Evan Chambers.

-Mike Walker singles on a line drive to right fielder Dan Grovatt. T. J. Mittelstaedt scores.

-Shea Vucinich walks. Mike Walker to 2nd.

-Cody Hawn walks. Mike Walker to 3rd. Shea Vucinich to 2nd.

-Scott Krieger singles on a ground ball to first baseman Alex Dickerson. Mike Walker scores. Shea Vucinich to 3rd. Cody Hawn to 2nd.

-Joey Paciorek hit by pitch. Shea Vucinich scores. Cody Hawn to 3rd. Scott Krieger to 2nd.

Pitcher Change: Porfirio Lopez replaces Tyler Waldron.

-Franklin Romero Jr. strikes out swinging.

-Nick Shaw strikes out swinging.

-Reggie Keen flies out to center fielder Evan Chambers.

[Mass Haas]

17 games played in the DSL Monday, the Brewers game one of two not to post as of Tuesday AM. Probably later today...

[Mass Haas]

Thornburg, Morris lead Stars to Fourth Straight Win

 

HUNTSVILLE, AL- Fueled by seven runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings, the Huntsville Stars cruised to a 9-5 win over the Mississippi Braves on Monday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

To begin the game, it appeared that the Stars three-game winning streak was in severe jeopardy. After Stars starting pitcher Tyler Thornburg gave up a single to left fielder Alden Carrithers and a double to third baseman Joe Leonard, left fielder Todd Cunningham doubled home both of them to give Mississippi a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

 

In the third inning, the Stars began cutting into the Braves lead. Following a two-out double by Thornburg, center fielder Josh Prince singed home the pitcher to cut the lead to 2-1. Then, in the fourth inning, after a sacrifice fly by Braves second baseman Barrett Kleinknecht increased their lead to 3-1, a solo home run by Huntsville left fielder Khris Davis cut the Stars deficit back to one run.

 

For the Braves, they would increase their lead back to two on a sacrifice fly by Leonard in the fifth inning. That would be the last time they’d have the lead as Thornburg kept the Stars in striking distance. The Brewers fourth-ranked prospect would ultimately improve to 8-0 on the season after giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in six innings.

 

To allow Thornburg to earn the victory, Huntsville finished off their comeback in the sixth inning. After Prince walked to begin the frame, a bunt from second baseman Scooter Gennett put runners on the corners. First baseman Hunter Morris drove them both home with a three-run blast off of Braves RHP Brett Cammons that gave the Stars a 5-4 lead.

 

In addition to that, the Stars got all the insurance runs they needed in the seventh inning off of Mississippi LHP Chris Jones. Highlighted by a two-run single by shortstop Tommy Manzella, an RBI single from Prince and another RBI single by relief pitcher Jesus Sanchez, the Stars took a comfortable 9-4 lead.

 

For Mississippi, they scored their final run in the eighth inning on a solo home run by first basemen Ian Gac off of Sanchez.

 

On offense, the Stars got multi-hit games from both Morris and Prince. For Morris, the sixth-inning blast was his third home run in his last four games. He also added his SL-leading 21st double in the seventh inning.

 

For game five of a six-game series on Tuesday, the Stars will send RHP Kyle Heckathorn (2-4, 4.63 ERA) to face off against M-Braves LHP Sean Gilmartin (3-5, 3.39 ERA). First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

[Mass Haas]

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times reminds us that Tyler Thornburg has never lost in the first half of a professional season; he was 7-0 at Wisconsin in the first half in 2011.

 

Now 8-0, that's 15-0 in first half's.

 

(Tyler was 3-6 but with a solid 3.57 ERA and excellent .186 BAA with Brevard in the 2nd half of 2011.)

[Mass Haas]

Josh Prince's connection to last night's 1st round MLB draft

[Mass Haas]

Watch Khris Davis' HR among other Stars' highlights here.

[Mass Haas]

Khris Davis homer proves useful as Stars rally past Mississippi

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- For a player who confessed he had been feeling "useless," Khris Davis quickly became useful for the Huntsville Stars Monday night.

 

Davis had been on the disabled list with a strained calf since May 5, a nagging pothole in the road for the Brewers' Minor League Player of the Year in 2010 and a Florida State League All-Star in 2011.

 

In his first game back, Davis homered in what would become a come-from-behind 9-5 victory for the Stars over the Mississippi Braves. Noted manager Darnell Coles, "It's a big lift to have Khris back."

 

Hunter Morris, the Huntsville-born first baseman, socked a three-run homer in the sixth to give the Stars the lead for good. It was his third homer in four games.

 

Tyler Thornburg picked up the victory and continued an uncanny statistical roll: He has never lost a game in the first half of a pro season, to which he said, "Knock on wood." Now 8-0 here, he was 7-0 at Brevard County in the first half of 2011.

 

The Stars, who host Mississippi again tonight at 6:43, closed to within two games of first-place Jackson in the Southern League North with 12 games remaining in the first half. The Generals were no-hit through eight innings at Chattanooga before losing 6-4.

 

To have returned in the heat of this pennant race is especially rejuvenating to Davis. (Don't confuse Khris Davis, left fielder out of Glendale, Ariz., and Cal State Fullerton, with Kentrail Davis, right fielder out of Theodore and the University of Tennessee.)

 

"I love competing," Khris Davis said. "That's one of the best things about this team. We're going to go out there and play hard and compete."

 

Davis, 24, was a seventh-round pick of the Brewers in the 2009 draft and had a breakout year at Wisconsin in 2010 with 22 homers, 72 RBIs and a .280 average. He had 15 homers and 68 RBI, batting .309 in 90 games at Brevard last year before being promoted to Huntsville for the final six weeks.

 

Being on the disabled list, "mentally, it's been draining," he said. "You feel useless on the DL, really. It pretty much brought me down. It's frustrating when you've got your boys out there and you want to have a good time with them on the field. It feels good to come back."

 

He admitted that he was "out of shape, sitting on the couch for a month," and he was relieved after the sixth inning as a cautionary measure.

 

Thornburg had allowed a two-run first-inning double to Todd Cunningham, the former Jacksonville State star who had three of the Braves' 10 hits. He hadn't pitched with a 2-0 first-inning deficit all season. Said Thornburg, "It's not a good feeling, I'll tell you that."

 

He was trailing 4-2 when he whiffed Greg Paiml to end the sixth, the last batter he would face.

 

Morris put the Stars up 5-4 with his no-doubt-about-it homer to left, then Huntsville poured it on with four runs in the seventh. Josh Prince had an RBI single, Tommy Manzella a two-run hit and pitcher Jesus Sanchez added an RBI single.

 

"I've got out a couple of times and give up, two, three, four runs," Thornburg said. "We always find a way to score runs."

[Tedaldtada]

Just wanted to thank TLB, TC07 and MH for covering for me last night. My son came down with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and basically did not sleep a wink.

 

Tonight should be better and the virus should be gone within a few days.

 

******

 

Look for the Arizona Brewers to be drafted today! And prolly a few Helena guys too!

[Mass Haas]

Final: DSL Braves 2, DSL Cerveceritos 0

 

DSL Brewers Box Score

 

Venezuelan RHP Jorge Ortega, soon to be 19 years old, was your starting pitcher. In his 2nd year in the system (polished numbers in 2011 for such a young pitcher), Ortega picked up where he left off last year in terms of ground ball ratio (7-to-1 in this game). Behind Ortega for three scoreless innings was 4th year (!) DSL LHP Eliezer Montano, the 6'7" Venezuelan native, 20 years old.

 

Last year's DSL squad was surprisingly solid in mound poise stats and defense, and this was a clean game in that regard as well.

 

The only position player who debuted yesterday was 2nd year player Leudi Otano, listed as a catcher but who saw action in RF. Last year he played one game in RF, one at 2B, and nine behind the plate. Otano tripled in the 3rd, but it came with two outs and he was stranded. Otherwise, every other player in the lineup has played each of the two games thus far.

 

17-year-old LF Juan Ortiz, a LH bat, is off to a nice start (3-for-7), he doubled here. Another 17-year-old, SS Carlos Belonis, again hit in the 3-hole, but is now 0-for-8 with three K's. We can't call him "heralded" until he gets a base knock.

 

DSL Brewers Game Log

 

Best chances --

 

DSL Brewers Top of the 4th

Raphachel Colatosti singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ayendy Perez.

With Carlos Belonis batting, Raphachel Colatosti steals (1) 2nd base.

Carlos Belonis pops out to catcher Enyelber Vivas in foul territory.

Sthervin Matos flies out to right fielder Ranyelmy Alberto.

Elvis Rubio strikes out swinging.

 

DSL Brewers Top of the 5th

Yunior Santana grounds out, shortstop Erick Salcedo to first baseman Gabriel Villavicencio.

Juan Ortiz doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Luis Tovar.

With Carlos Pena batting, wild pitch by Angel Guerra, Juan Ortiz to 3rd.

Carlos Pena pops out to second baseman Angel Almao.

Leudi Otano walks.

Francisco Castillo grounds out, first baseman Gabriel Villavicencio to pitcher Angel Guerra.

 

Game's only runs --

 

DSL Angels Bottom of the 3rd

Erick Salcedo doubles (1) on a line drive to center fielder Francisco Castillo.

Ayendy Perez grounds out, second baseman Raphachel Colatosti to first baseman Elvis Rubio. Erick Salcedo to 3rd.

Angel Almao singles on a ground ball to left fielder Juan Ortiz. Erick Salcedo scores.

Ranyelmy Alberto singles on a ground ball to center fielder Francisco Castillo. Angel Almao to 2nd.

Gabriel Villavicencio flies out to right fielder Leudi Otano. Angel Almao to 3rd.

Gabriel Santana singles on a line drive to center fielder Francisco Castillo. Angel Almao scores. Ranyelmy Alberto to 2nd.

Luis Tovar strikes out swinging.