Link Report for Wed. 7/4 -- Happy Birthday, America! Now Play Ball! (Thornburg makes AAA debut)

[Tedaldtada]

This is one Helena is lucky to win. Robert Maddux hit 3 homers for the bad guys, but the Manatees kept gnawing away at leads and eventually found themselves on the right end of a few plays.

 

If they find a manatee in Helena, we have a real scoop. Too many link reports?

 

Oye

[Mass Haas]

Mustangs catcher Wagner Gomez looks to tag Alfredo Rodriguez of Helena at home plate during play on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at Dehler Park. Rodriguez was called safe and Mustangs manager Pat Kelly was ejected from the game after arguing the call.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/6b/86b705da-079e-54e5-a1f0-7de3a33d9493/4ff51d6e8793a.preview-620.jpg

 

You really have to check out the final three photos in this Billings Gazette photo gallery by Paul Ruhter and view the final three photos of Kelly mocking the umpire, pretty hilarious.

 

***

 

 

3 NOT QUITE ENOUGH

Helena edges Mustangs 8-7 despite Maddox's 3 homers

by Greg Rachac, Billings Gazette

 

Mustangs manager Pat Kelly says Robert Maddox is trying to show the Cincinnati Reds that they’re making a mistake by confining him to Rookie-level Billings.

 

Maddox made a colossal statement to that effect Wednesday, belting three home runs in an 8-7 loss to Helena during a Fourth of July matinee at Dehler Park.

 

It was a supreme power performance by Maddox, who in June was shipped back to Billings for the third straight season by parent club Cincinnati in the hopes he’d find a more all-around, disciplined swing.

 

All Maddox has done in return is dominate Pioneer League pitching. And after Wednesday’s 3-for-4, five-RBI effort, Maddox is hitting .340 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 13 games. He’s slugging .740 and has an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.122.

 

“He’s made the progress that we’ve asked,” Kelly said. “He’s tried to hit the ball the other way, and by doing that, when he gets those pitches on the inner half (of the plate) he can turn on them. He’s shown a much better approach.

 

“And he’s got a mindset. He wants to prove the organization wrong. He believes he should be at (Single-A) Dayton, and he’s going to prove it by swinging the bat.”

 

Maddox’s third home run came against Helena reliever Taylor Wall in the seventh inning. It was a towering three-run shot to right-center field that momentarily gave the Mustangs the lead.

 

Billings’ bullpen eventually gave those runs back in the top half of the eighth to squander the game. It ended with Maddox, a middle-round draft pick in 2010 out of Ohio University, standing on-deck with the team trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth.

 

“You always want that shot to either win the game or tie it up,” Maddox said. “I was anxious. I wanted to get up there. But that’s how the game is.

 

“This was one of those freak games you can have. I saw the ball well today. It was one of those days where the power was there. Hopefully I can build off this and continue the rest of the season.”

 

From start to finish, the game was the personification of minor league baseball.

 

Aside from Maddox’s tape-measure home runs, there were plenty of hits, errors, walks, stolen bases and, yes, controversies to go around. It was 3 hours and 24 minutes of unadulterated fun for the 3,927 fans in the ballpark.

 

The game had so many wild twists that the Mustangs even left the field in the top of the eighth thinking they’d gotten the required three outs to end the inning. Once they were informed only two outs had been recorded, all nine position players returned to the field from the dugout — the ultimate walk of shame.

 

Kelly was ejected in the eighth for arguing a play at the plate in which Helena’s Alfredo Rodriguez was ruled safe on a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Chris McFarland. The throw from Dan Pigott clearly beat Rodriguez to the plate, but Rodriguez still appeared to sneak under the tag of Mustangs catcher Wagner Gomez.

 

An irate Kelly stormed out of the dugout to argue the call with umpire Farris Pierson. Kelly was ejected when he spiked his helmet off the turf behind the plate.

 

In three innings of work, Mustangs starter Robert Stephenson, a first-round draft choice by Cincinnati in the 2011 draft, wasn’t quite the same pitcher fans had seen previously. The right-hander quickly reached his pitch count due largely to four walks, which doubled his combined total from three earlier starts.

 

In all, Billings’ pitching staff walked 12 and gave up seven hits.

 

Kelly said Stephenson “was missing a little bit more than normal, and I thought at times he hurt himself with some pitch selection. He’s had some success throwing breaking balls late in some counts, but I thought today it hurt him. It led to some walks.

 

“He burned up a lot of pitches in three innings, which was a shame because we had to go to the bullpen early.”

 

Inside the series

 

Neither Billings nor Helena took their usual pre-game drills after arriving to town from the road early Wednesday morning. But they’ll return to their normal batting practice schedules before Thursday’s game. … The teams will play the second game of their three-game series Thursday at Dehler Park. The Mustangs will send starter Ismael Guillon (0-1, 5.40 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is set for 7:00 PM (8:00 Central).

[Mass Haas]

STARS SNAP FOUR-GAME SKID

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – To open up a six-game home stand at Joe Davis Stadium, the Huntsville Stars snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory against the Chattanooga Lookouts on Wednesday night.

 

Beginning the Independence Day affair, the Lookouts scored their only run of the game in the top half of the first inning. Following a lead-off triple by second baseman Rafael Ynoa off of Stars starting pitcher Hiram Burgos, a sacrifice fly by center fielder Nick Buss put Chattanooga on top early 1-0.

 

Fortunately for the Stars, that would be the only scoring on the night for the Lookouts offense. Burgos shutdown the Chattanooga bats, improving to 4-1 on the season after giving up just one run and six hits in six innings of work while striking out seven. Stars relievers Darren Byrd, Mitch Stetter and Brandon Kintzler each pitched an inning of scoreless relief.

 

In the bottom half of the second inning, the Stars took the lead for good. After third baseman Hainley Statia was hit by a pitch by Chattanooga starter Ethan Martin to begin the inning, a RBI double by Kentrail Davis scored Statia to tie up the game. The next at-bat, catcher Anderson De La Rosa singled home Davis to give the Stars a 2-1 lead.

 

For insurance, Huntsville tacked on three runs in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded, Lookouts reliever Luis Vazquez hit both De La Rosa and right fielder Juan Sanchez with pitches to bring home runs. Center fielder Josh Prince also came through with a sacrifice fly.

 

The win for the Stars snapped a four-game losing streak overall.

 

The Stars will play game two of a three-game series against the Lookouts on Thursday at Joe Davis Stadium. First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

[JohnBriggs12]

Yes I think we should see Setter and Henderson up soon.

 

Exactly what I've been thinking. DFA Parra and Dillard, and lets see Henderson and Stetter. Another thought is could Burgos pitch out of the Brewer pen?

[Mass Haas]

Thornburg victorious in Triple-A debut

After big league start, Brewers prospect pitches five innings

By Danny Wild / MLB.com

 

Tyler Thornburg learned a few weeks ago that he was finally getting the promotion to Triple-A for which he'd been waiting. Then, unexpectedly, he took a brief detour -- to Milwaukee.

 

Now he's sleeping on couches in Nashville.

 

Thornburg finally made his Triple-A debut Wednesday, 15 days after getting a spot start in his Major League debut on June 19. The Brewers' No. 4 prospect was quickly optioned back to the Minors after a no-decision against Toronto and he saw his first action with Nashville on Wednesday, going five innings for the win.

 

While it was a path most pitchers don't take, it was an opportunity Thornburg won't forget.

 

"It's been a pretty hectic couple weeks or so, my car is still packed, I haven't unpacked my bags even," said Thornburg, who'd been on the Triple-A disabled list since June 25. "I haven't found a place to stay in Nashville yet, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

 

Against Memphis, the Cardinals' top affiliate, Thornburg (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits, throwing 49 of 66 pitches for strikes. He fanned six and did not walk a batter in his first outing since serving up four homers in 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays at Miller Park.

 

So after crashing on teammates' couches and sampling Nashville-area motels, Thornburg finally felt at home.

 

"It was good. I've been on the DL for a couple weeks, so this was good," he said. "I wish I could have gone deeper into the game, but I had a lowered pitch count."

 

Thornburg's two mistakes Wednesday came, oddly enough, against Memphis starter Brandon Dickson. The Redbirds right-hander hit an RBI single in the third and a run-scoring double in the fifth.

 

"I definitely felt good, didn't miss a beat," Thornburg said. "I was kind of wondering what to expect after such a layoff, but I felt good."

 

Thornburg, a 2010 third-round pick, struck out four over the first two frames before Pete Kozma singled, stole second and scored in the third. He worked a 1-2-3 fourth, striking out Cardinals top third base prospect Zack Cox to end the inning. But Mark Hamilton's leadoff double in the fifth led to Dickson's second RBI of the night.

 

"The pitcher got both RBIs," Thornburg said with a laugh. "That the first time I've given up a hit to a pitcher, and they both went for runs."

 

Thornburg, who hit a double in his big league debut, went 8-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 13 starts at Double-A Huntsville. The plan was for him to attend the Southern League All-Star Game on June 19, then drive to Nashville.

 

But when Shaun Marcum experienced tightness in his pitching elbow, the Brewers called on Thornburg to face Toronto. He cruised through five innings before allowing consecutive homers to Colby Rasmus, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. After the game, Milwaukee recalled right-hander Mike McClendon and sent Thornburg to Nashville.

 

"I'm just hotel-hopping at the moment," the Houston native said. "A couple guys let me sleep on their couch, so I've been doing that."

 

Such is the glamorous life of a Major Leaguer-turned-Triple-A ace. And Thornburg is soaking it up.

 

"The Major League experience was awesome," he said. "I learned what you can and can't do, and that helped me mature a lot as far as knowing how to pitch at that level. It helped me a lot at the Triple-A level -- pitching here, it's a very similar way of pitching.

 

"It's a little different in Triple-A, you have your young prospects and some older guys, former Major Leaguers that have been around a while, so it's a lot of different mixes."

 

Thornburg is his own category in that regard, a 23-year-old at the top of Milwaukee's list of prospects when the need arises. He's not sure what the plan is moving forward.

 

"I think they're just taking it start by start, the same way they would have before [going up]," he said. "I'm very fortunate with the situation, to get called up. I think they'll treat it like it never happened."

 

It did happen, and Thornburg will be ready for the next time.

[Mudville9]

Good luck Mass! You deserve the extra green in your pocket. I'm not sure whether to tell you to pick the Brewers to win or lose though. I say pick against them, that way you win either way.

[LouisEly]

Mitch Stetter needs to become a part of the Brewers bullpen NOW.