Link Report for Mon. 6/25 -- Wacky Finish in Helena

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Seth McClung at Albuquerque (Dodgers), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 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 Jimmy Nelson at Jackson (Mariners), 11:50 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM gametime

 

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

 

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: Huntsville road games in four locales (Mississippi, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Pensacola) will be broadcast.

 

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Brevard County: RHP Taylor Jungmann and TBD (likely LHP Jed Bradley) in a doubleheader at home vs. Charlotte (Rays), 4:05 PM gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Charlotte 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 Mark Williams at home vs. Quad Cities (Cardinals), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 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).

 

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Helena: RHP Eric Semmelhack at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime

 

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

 

We're lucky to have Steve Wendt back on board for another H-Crew season.

 

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Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Idle (a chance to regroup and/or lick their wounds)

 

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DSL Brewers: at the DSL Blue Jays, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County Game One

 

Brevard County Game Two

 

Wisconsin

 

Helena

 

DSL Brewers

[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

 

Rookie Advanced - Pioneer League North Division

 

Rookie - Arizona Summer League

 

DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris Division

 

***

 

NOTE: AAA Nashville does not play a split schedule. The other leagues, including the rookie leagues, do. When you click on a standings link for Huntsville, Brevard County or Wisconsin, you'll then be able to choose 1st half and/or overall standings in addition to the current 2nd half standings.

[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]

As we told you all weekend, the Rattlers game is a Time Warner cable Sports 32 broadcast tonight.

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog --

 

VIDEO: First Half Champs

[Mass Haas]

It's Drew Gagnon's 22nd birthday Tuesday, that's a sweet gift with the promotion to Brevard, as mentioned in the transaction thread.

 

And suddenly, the rejuvenated Manatees are quite the interesting affiliate to follow.

 

Let's see if Matt Erickson can get creative once again for the Rattlers, that first half success may be hard to duplicate.

[Mass Haas]

Mitch Stetter is on a Twitter roll, this time at Jimmy Nelson's expense...

[Mass Haas]

Plenty of good stuff in the Huntsville Media Notes today.

[Mass Haas]

More Logan Schafer respect.

[TooLiveBrew]

After the Stars fell behind 3-0 in the 1st, they rallied for five runs in the top half of the 3rd, keyed by the first five batters reaching... including a Scooter Gennett two-run double & a Hunter Morris 3-run jack.

 

And Josh Prince (as kind of expected) did not move to SS in Tommy Manzella's absence (injured in last night's game); Juan Sanchez is manning the position today. Prince is playing his usual CF.

 

Jimmy "Evan Anundsen" Nelson has struggled mightily so far, with 4 ER allowed on 2 H & 5 BB through 3.1 IP.

[Mass Haas]

Box score is messed up, it's Jimmy Nelson on the mound....

[Tedaldtada]

Box score is messed up, it's Jimmy Nelson on the mound....

 

Bummer. Worst start of the year for Nelson by far.

[TooLiveBrew]

Whoops -- sorry folks!

[wibadgers23]

7 walks for Nelson? That's just pitiful.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes

 

McClung, Vargas, Peralta, Rogers, Thornburg -- the 25th thru the 29th

 

Got to think it's a chance to limit Tyler's year-long innings, AAA debut now set for Friday.

[TooLiveBrew]

Let's try to keep in mind this is just one start for Nelson, & he gets to move on & try again real soon

 

 

EDIT: Whoa, didn't realize that his only other AA start pretty eerily mirrors this one -- 5 BB/2 K in 5 IP last time out. Here's hoping Jimmy can reign in the downhill thunder & at least keep it on the course.

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Media Notes

[Mass Haas]

Casey Medlen tells us the Manatees doubleheader is washed out.

 

Don't lose that undefeated momentum!

 

The games will be made up as part of two single-admission doubleheaders on Tuesday, June 26 beginning at 4:05 PM Central and Wednesday, June 27 at 11:00 AM Central. Brevard County and Charlotte will play two seven-inning games both days.

 

So we're down to Nashville, Wisconsin, Helena, and the DSL tonight.

[Mass Haas]

Florida State League teams recovering from Tropical Storm Debby

 

Dramatic photo (not Space Coast Stadium, thankfully, although they're plenty wet...)

[Mass Haas]

Walks Plague Stars in Rubber Match

 

JACKSON, Tenn. – Giving up a season-high 11 walks, the Huntsville Stars fell to the Jackson Generals by a score of 6-5 in the rubber match of a five-game series at Pringles Park on Monday afternoon.

 

Breaking a streak of four consecutive games that the Stars scored the first run, the Generals knocked around Huntsville starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson in the first inning. Following a leadoff walk by third baseman Leury Bonilla, second baseman Stefan Romero knocked a RBI double to put Jackson up 1-0. Left fielder Kalian Sams walked to set it up for right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang to hit a two-run double and give the Generals a 3-0 lead.

 

The lead would stay that way until the third inning when the Stars offense returned the favor and knocked around Generals RHP Tijuan Walker. The Mariners prospect walked shortstop Juan Sanchez, gave up a single to left fielder Lee Haydel, and walked center fielder Josh Prince to load the bases with nobody out. Then, a two-run double by second baseman Scooter Gennett scored Sanchez and Haydel to cut the Jackson lead to one. With Prince and Gennett on base, first baseman Hunter Morris crushed a three-run home run over the right field wall during the following at-bat to give the Stars a 5-3 lead.

 

Unfortunately for Huntsville, they would not score a run the rest of the ballgame. In the bottom half of the third, three more walks by Nelson led to a sacrifice fly by Chiang to cut the Huntsville lead to one. Then, with Nelson already out of the game in the fifth inning, Stars reliever Dan Merklinger gave up a solo home run to first baseman Eric Campbell to tie up the game. Later in the inning, Merklinger walked Bonilla with the bases loaded to score catcher Ralph Henriquez, giving Jackson the lead for good.

 

With four innings of scoreless relief, Jackson pitcher Taylor Stanton earned the victory to improve to 2-2 on the season. Generals closer Carter Capps recorded the last four outs of the game for his 11 th save of the season.

 

For the Stars, Merklinger fell to 1-7 on the season with the loss in 1.2 innings of relief. Nelson got a no-decision in his second Double-A start, giving up four runs on two hits in 3.1 innings while walking seven batters. As a team, the 11 walks were the most issued by the Stars pitching staff in a single game all season.

 

The Stars return home to begin a five-game series at Joe Davis Stadium against the Mobile BayBears on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

[TooLiveBrew]

@Jackson 6, Huntsville 5

 

Huntsville Box

As was discussed already in today's L.R., starter Jimmy Nelson had a day to forget: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R/ER, 7 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 5:2 GO:AO... and one throwing error on a pickoff attempt. So between the BBs, WP, & E, I think it's pretty safe to say Nelson was struggling with locating thrown baseballs today. Hang in there, Jimmy, & chin up -- hit the 'delete' button on these first two AA starts, & just get back to trusting your stuff.

 

Dan Merklinger came on in relief of Nelson, and was able to get a huge double play to walk the tightrope out of the 4th inning. However, Jackson jumped all over Merklinger in the very next frame, with two singles, a HR, an error behind Merklinger, and then a bases-loaded BB. Dan Meadows was up next, and pitched a scoreless 6th, although he did allow one single & one BB. Brandon Kintzler turned in his first good appearance in his last five games, tossing two scoreless innings. Kintzler blew through the 7th (GO, GO, K), but gave up a leadoff single in the 8th and then a one-out walk... but fortunately induced an inning-ending double play. Good to see some positive production from Brandon.

 

The Stars only were able to score in the five-run 3rd inning I referenced in my post above. That outburst was enough to end Generals SP Taijuan Walker's day (he did finish the inning), but the Generals bullpen then went into lockdown mode. The Stars only mustered seven hits (all singles) and one BB the rest of the way, and weren't able to string enough of those hits together to impact the R column.

 

2B Scooter Gennett finished 2-5 with a double and two RBI. DH Scott Krieger went 2-3 with a walk... he's been red-hot lately. 1B Hunter Morris was 1-4 with a BB, and his only hit was the three-run HR to cap the Stars' scoring in the 3rd. Morris's walk pushed his season tally to 19 -- not great, but already one better than he was able to draw in all of 2011. So there's some progress on that front, which is huge, because Hunter has just been an XBH machine. I predict some Lyle Overbay comps in the very near future for Morris... starting with the one I just made right there!

 

CF Josh Prince had a single and a BB, as did SS Juan Sanchez. RF Kentrail Davis and C Adam Weisenburger each added one single. 3B Hainley Statia went 0-3 with a BB.

 

 

Huntsville PbP

Well, here's the only scoring from the Stars. You really had to think they'd score at least another run or two after this display:

 

Huntsville Top of the 3rd

-Juan Sanchez walks.

-Lee Haydel singles on a line drive to right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang. Juan Sanchez to 3rd.

-Josh Prince walks. Lee Haydel to 2nd.

-Scooter Gennett doubles (21) on a line drive to left fielder Kalian Sams. Juan Sanchez scores. Lee Haydel scores. Josh Prince to 3rd.

-Hunter Morris homers (8) on a fly ball to right field. Josh Prince scores. Scooter Gennett scores.

-Hainley Statia flies out to right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang.

-Scott Krieger called out on strikes.

-Kentrail Davis singles on a ground ball to right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang.

-Adam Weisenburger strikes out swinging.

 

Those were just huge back-to-back XBH from Gennett & Morris. Had to be an exciting inning in the Stars dugout.

 

 

Huntsville Gameday

[TheCrew07]

Let's try to keep in mind this is just one start for Nelson, & he gets to move on & try again real soon

 

 

EDIT: Whoa, didn't realize that his only other AA start pretty eerily mirrors this one -- 5 BB/2 K in 5 IP last time out. Here's hoping Jimmy can reign in the downhill thunder & at least keep it on the course.

 

Not quoting TLB for any reason other than to frame my post.

 

I've harped on the jump to AA a ton for pitchers, maybe too much, because I want our pitchers to be able to succeed when they get there and most of the time good pitchers can dominate A ball without really being ready for AA. I'm not specifically talking about Nelson, I just mean in general. When I look at our group of pitching prospects, I see quite a few players I'm excited about, but every single one has significant work to do. I look at our system and I don't see anyone as I'm as confident in as I was with Gallardo... with him it wasn't a matter of "if" it was a matter of "when".

 

Certainly everyone has prospects that will struggle, there is a mind boggling number of legitimate pitching prospects struggling in AAA right now and even a youngster whom I covet in Taijuan Walker was beat around by the Stars today and has pitched pretty poorly all of June. James Tallion had a rough stretch, I could go on and on.

 

The point is that success in A+ is great, but our home park is maybe the best pitcher's park in the minor leagues as Space Coast Stadium completely suppresses RH power so we should expect most of our guys to have an adjustment period to AA and treat their A+ stats with a little bit of a wary eye. The hitters in AA are basically an A ball all-star team every time out, most are coming into their own from an approach standpoint, and the umpiring and strike zones are going to get much tighter. Every line-up will have a weak bat or 2 with some sort of roster filler but generally speaking hitters are going to be much more disciplined and chase less pitches so our young men better be able to truly command the strike zone before they get there. It doesn't matter what level of baseball if you are constantly pitching behind in the count you aren't going to have success.

 

As far as Nelson goes he'll be interesting to follow, the jump from A to A+ didn't seem to effect him at all but it's looking like he'll have to make some adjustments to ascend over the second half again like he did last season.

[TheCrew07]

Reds Billy Hamilton Ups His Already Frenetic Stolen Base Pace

 

 

 

Even for baseball's best basestealer, it's been a pretty amazing week.

 

High Class A Bakersfield shortstop Billy Hamilton (Reds) stole three bases in Sunday afternoon's game against Rancho Cucamonga. The three steals gives him 90 this season, 39 more than anyone else in pro baseball. The three stolen bases came on the heels of a four-steal Saturday and one stolen base on Friday, giving him eight steals this weekend.

 

If you include his first game back from the Carolina-California League all-star game and the last game of the first half (where he stole five bases). Hamilton is having the most productive basestealing stretch of his career with 15 steals in five games. The best previous stretch of his career was a five-game segment where he stole 12 bases in late April this year. Hamilton had never stolen more than 10 bases in a five-game stretch before this season.

 

Hamilton's 33 steals this month are the most steals he's ever had in a month, topping the 29 he stole this April. Hamilton's three most productive basestealing months of his career have all occurred this year—he stole 28 bases in May. Before this year, he had never stolen more than 24 bases in a month (Rookie-level Billings, Aug. 2010).

 

Thanks to his recent burst, Hamilton has upped his stolen bases-per-game pace to 1.2. Even with the Futures Game meaning that he will miss a couple of scheduled games, the speedster is currently on pace to steal 166 bases. The pro record is 145 steals, set by Vince Coleman in 1983 in low Class A Macon.