Link Report for Tue. 7/17

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Brian Baker at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 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 Hiram Burgos and LHP Dan Meadows in a doubleheader at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 4:28 PM pre-game, 4:43 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

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.

 

**********

 

Brevard County: RHP Drew Gagnon and TBD (perhaps RHP Taylor Jungmann) in a doubleheader at St. Lucie (Mets), 4:00 PM gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the St. Lucie 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: Idle

 

**********

 

Helena: RHP's Ryan Gibbard and Eric Semmelhack in a doubleheader at Ogden (Dodgers), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

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.

 

**********

 

Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Diamondbacks' complex in Scottsdale; 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league

 

**********

 

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville Game One

 

Huntsville Game Two

 

Brevard County Game One

 

Brevard County Game Two

 

Helena Game One

 

Helena Game Two

 

Maryvale

 

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]

DVR ALERT!

 

As we like to do, here's some notice for you.

 

This Thursday the 19th, Time Warner Cable Sports 32 TV will broadcast the Rattlers game (7:05 PM).

 

The Brewers are off, so a nice TV bonus for locals.

[Mass Haas]

Sounds turn page after worst start in franchise's 35-year history

By Jerome Boettcher, Nashville City Paper

 

The losing streak perplexed everyone in the clubhouse.

 

From first-year manager Mike Guerrero to minor league veteran Jim Henderson to peppy infielder Eric Farris — it didn’t make sense.

 

Less than a month into the season, the Nashville Sounds were mired in a 10-game skid. The team’s longest losing streak since joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998 was unthinkable considering the immense optimism at the beginning of the season.

 

When they opened in April, the 25-man roster featured 16 returning players from 2011, three of the organization’s top 10 prospects — according to Baseball America — and nine members of the 40-man roster of their parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Beneath the surface that last number said more — and may have had an impact on the first month of the season.

 

The 40-man roster consists of players who signed a major league contract and can be called up to the majors at any time. Of the nine Sounds on the 40-man roster, seven played with the Brewers at some point in 2011. In fact, 18 of the Sounds’ opening 25 were at big league spring training in Phoenix.

 

All arrived there believing they deserved to open 2012 in Milwaukee. Instead, they ended up in Triple-A Nashville and contributed to a 4-17 record — the worst start in the franchise’s 35-year history.

 

“I think it was a bit of a hangover from spring training,” said Henderson, the team’s closer and lone All-Star. “Some guys hoping they made the [brewers] and then they are kind of disappointed, and they didn’t come out with the same intensity that maybe we should have.

 

“I think we’re all picking it up quite a bit, and guys are starting to make the pushes they need to.”

 

Last week the Sounds turned the page and began the second half of 2012 with newfound enthusiasm.

 

They went into the All-Star break having won nine of 12 for a 40-51 record and sole possession of second place in the American Northern Division. Prior to last Thursday, they remained 16 games behind the Omaha Stormchasers (Kansas City Royals). Thus, barring a miraculous second-half or nightmarish end for the Stormchasers, making the postseason for the first time since 2007 is highly unlikely (only the four divisional champions make the playoffs).

 

Still, 11 games below .500 is a vast improvement from when the club hit rock bottom on April 26.

 

“It took this team a little longer to come together and figure out our identity,” Farris said. “We’re feeding off each other now. There are more people hot. Before, we were a little inconsistent. We’ve been in ballgames all year. That’s never been the problem. We were just waiting for something to click.

 

“We’re not quite there yet, but we’re definitely about to turn that corner.”

 

Whether anyone in Nashville will take notice is unclear.

 

While the Sounds continue to wait on a new stadium, they attempt to sell seats at the aging Greer Stadium, the 34-year-old ballpark that sits in an awkward location south of downtown, outside I-40 and I-65, tucked behind Fort Negley Park.

 

After 37 home games, the Sounds ranked 12th out of 16 teams in attendance with an average of 5,133. The Round Rock (Texas) Express, the top affiliate of the Texas Rangers, tops the PCL with an 8,389 average.

 

The difference between a full house and one that is half-empty — or half-full — usually hinges on promotion. Usually, that is.

 

Evidently, dollar hot dogs weren’t enough to entice fans to come out April 16, when a season-low crowd of 1,699 witnessed the Sounds’ 11-5 loss to New Orleans, beginning the 10-game losing streak.

 

On May 9, busloads of local students ditched the classroom for some late-morning baseball as part of the Sounds’ Education Day promotion. That contributed to a then-season-high crowd of 9,180. Just three weeks later, on June 2, that number was exceeded, thanks to the triple whammy of postgame fireworks, free Sounds hats to the first 2,000 fans and Trevecca Nazarene Faith Night. A season high of 10,044 filled Greer, which has a capacity of 10,300, to watch the Sounds end a six-game losing streak.

 

This summer 10 Sounds have been called up to the Brewers, including right-hander Wily Peralta, who made his Major League debut on April 22 against the Colorado Rockies. The undrafted 23-year-old lasted just one game before returning to the Sounds. But Peralta has improved since a 3-8 start, winning his last two starts, and prior to last week, he hadn’t allowed an earned run in his last 18 2/3 innings.

 

The development of the Brewers’ top minor league prospect is just one instance of the reversal of fortune for the Sounds. Though they’re tied with Memphis for the worst batting average (.258) and the fewest home runs (70), the improvements at the plate are apparent. In April, they batted .235 and scored just 68 runs. May proved to be much better as they hit .270, and as the weather warmed up in June, so did the bats, hitting 31 home runs and scoring 124 runs.

 

Guerrero sees the headway as a promising sign. The 44-year-old from the Dominican Republic is in his 17th season as a minor league manager but his first with the Sounds. He spent the last two years at Double-A Huntsville, where he was 131-146.

 

Guerrero believes his nearly two decades as coach and instructor with the Brewers’ organization aids him in juggling the long seasons and enormous travel demands while he manages fragile egos of players on the cusp of the big leagues.

 

“There is so much I can do, but the players have to go out there and perform,” Guerrero said. “That is part of the game. You’ve got to learn from mistakes you make, mistakes the players’ make and make adjustments here and there. You learn from it, you let it define you, and you got to go on, because we’re playing tomorrow. It is a long season, and no matter what happened yesterday, we’ve got to play today.”

[Mass Haas]

A major-league scout takes us through his process at a New Orleans Zephyrs game

 

Insightful article. Hat tip to Kyle at BrewCrewBall.com for the link.

[Mass Haas]

Notified by individuals with access to the radar gun behind the plate in Greer Stadium --

 

Mark Rogers was consistently at 95-96 all night and touched 99 on a couple guns and 100 on one in the fifth.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes

[DHonks]

At this point I think Rogers' future is as a starter, but I'd love to see him get time next year to jump into the pen as a 1-3 inning reliever that learns to attack hitters. He can always be converted back to starting. Wainwright didn't have much command before going to the Cardinals' pen, and it worked for him

[X-TAI]

The Top 3 full-season Minor Leagues ERAs belong to Tony Cingrani, Hiram Burgos, and Danny Hultzen. All 3 have made at least 8 SL starts.

[Tedaldtada]

Kentrail Davis having the game of his life.

 

And Hunter Morris hits another.

[battlekow]

Carlos Belonis has been out for five days now.

 

Tyrone Taylor out again for Helena.

[TheCrew07]

Final: DSL Blue Jays 3, DSL Brewers 2

 

DSL Brewers Box Score

No it's not a replay of yesterday, only feels like it. You know I forgot about Milton Gomez when I was making my comments on the DSL pitching yesterday, shame on me. Young Milton got beat around a bit going 4.2 IP allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits, he didn't walk anyone, but only struck out 2. Victor Diaz managed to put 2.1 scoreless innings despite allowing 3 hits and 2 walks, but some interesting baserunning helped him out. Felix Paulino now has a scoreless appearance streak, it stands at 2.

 

Kevin Martinez who hadn't played since the 11th had the only multi-hit game and XBH as he went 2-4 with a double. Yunior Santana had both an error (fielding) and an outfield assist, Juan Ortiz added an OF assist of his own gunning a runner at home to save a run.

 

DSL Brewers Play By Play

 

The 3 run 5th was all the Blue Jays would need...

DSL Blue Jays Bottom of the 5th

• Andres Sotillo grounds out, third baseman Jose Dicent to first baseman Alejandro Mendoza.
  Juan Tejada singles on a line drive to center fielder Juan Ortiz.
  Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Juan Kelly replaces Juan Tejada.
  Rolando Segovia reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by second baseman Raphachel Colatosti. Juan Kelly to 2nd.
  Deiferson Barreto grounds out, shortstop Francisco Castillo to first baseman Alejandro Mendoza. Juan Kelly to 3rd. Rolando Segovia to 2nd.
  Edwin Fuentes doubles (3) on a fly ball to left fielder Elvis Rubio. Juan Kelly scores. Rolando Segovia scores.
  Angel Rojas singles on a ground ball to right fielder Yunior Santana. Edwin Fuentes scores.
  Pitcher Change: Victor Diaz replaces Milton Gomez.
  With Cesar Barazarte batting, Angel Rojas steals (6) 2nd base.
  Cesar Barazarte walks.
  Leudy Garcia called out on strikes.
  

 

Bases loaded and no out led to the only 2 runs for the good guys, should have had more though.

DSL Brewers Top of the 6th

• Defensive switch from first base to center field for Angel Rojas.
  Juan Kelly remains in the game as the first baseman.
  Pitcher Change: Jonathan Torres replaces Carlos Rodriguez.
  Alejandro Mendoza walks.
  Raphachel Colatosti walks. Alejandro Mendoza to 2nd.
  Francisco Castillo singles on a fly ball to left fielder Leudy Garcia. Alejandro Mendoza to 3rd. Raphachel Colatosti to 2nd.
  Pitcher Change: Manuel Lopez replaces Jonathan Torres.
  Kevin Martinez singles on a ground ball to left fielder Leudy Garcia. Alejandro Mendoza scores. Raphachel Colatosti scores. Francisco Castillo to 3rd. Fielding error by left fielder Leudy Garcia.
  Juan Ortiz called out on strikes.
  Elvis Rubio grounds out, pitcher Manuel Lopez to first baseman Juan Kelly.
  Jose Dicent strikes out swinging.

 

An odd double play that only happens a couple of times per season.

DSL Blue Jays Bottom of the 6th

• Ronniel Demorizi called out on strikes.
  Andres Sotillo singles on a ground ball to left fielder Elvis Rubio.
  With Juan Kelly batting, Andres Sotillo steals (4) 2nd base.
  Juan Kelly walks.
  Rolando Segovia flies into double play, right fielder Yunior Santana to first baseman Alejandro Mendoza. Juan Kelly doubled off 1st.

 

Had a chance to tie or take the lead here...

DSL Brewers Top of the 9th

• Juan Ortiz grounds out, second baseman Rolando Segovia to first baseman Juan Kelly.
  Elvis Rubio singles on a ground ball to center fielder Angel Rojas.
  Jose Dicent strikes out swinging.
  Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Juan De Leon replaces Yunior Santana.
  Juan De Leon walks. Elvis Rubio to 2nd.
  Carlos Pena walks. Elvis Rubio to 3rd. Juan De Leon to 2nd.
  Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Marcos Padilla replaces Carlos Pena.
  Pitcher Change: Simon Paulino replaces Manuel Lopez.
  Alejandro Mendoza strikes out swinging.

[TheCrew07]

Ask BA By Jim Callis July 16, 2012

 

With the signing date moved up to July and all of the first round picks but one signing, this is definitely an interesting read. Jim slots the draft picks into the top 50 and if they redid the top 50 today Thornburg wouldn't make the list. The mid season 50 with the draft picks slotted is in the middle of the post.

[And That]

AZL Brewers starter Maverick Lasker matches up against... wait for it... Takashi Saito!

 

Tyrone Taylor is back for the second game of the doubleheader. And on cue, doubles in his first plate appearance.

[Tedaldtada]

Odgen (Dodgers) 5 Helena 2

 

Box Score

 

This was a quick game (1:46). Helena scored 2 in the 1st inning and could do nothing after. Chris McFarland and Paul Eshleman each hit a 2B and went 1-3. Michael Reed had 2 hits in 3 AB's and Adam Giacalone had 1, knocking in both runs in the process. That is it with the bat.

 

Ryan Gibbard got the start and went 3 innings. Martin Viramontes completed the next 3. Combined, they went 6 IP with 7 H 5 R 5 ER 2 BB 10 K 1 WP 7:1 GO:FO. That line is really not to shabby.

 

Kevin Berard got the start at 3B but he committed 2 errors.

 

Game Log

 

Good start.

 

Helena Top of the 1st

 

Alfredo Rodriguez grounds out, shortstop Corey Seager to first baseman Jesus Valdez.

Michael Reed singles on a ground ball to third baseman Alex Santana.

Christopher McFarland doubles (3) on a fly ball to left fielder Devin Shines. Michael Reed to 3rd.

Adam Giacalone singles on a ground ball to center fielder Jeremy Rathjen. Michael Reed scores. Christopher McFarland scores.

Paul Eshleman grounds into double play, second baseman Justin Boudreaux to shortstop Corey Seager to first baseman Jesus Valdez. Adam Giacalone out at 2nd.

[Mass Haas]

DSL Player Notes:

 

Third-year 3B Juan De Leon had ACL surgery back in January, but he has made appearances twice this week, so the fact he is still listed on the DL on his linked MiLB.com player page is incorrect.

 

Poor Leudi Otano, the catcher who hasn't appeared in a box score since his one opening week appearance, but at least his strong game has him at a 2.167 OPS to this day.

 

This roster remains light on position players, but plenty of updates (or better said, non-updates) on pitchers --

 

18-year-old LHP Marcos Padilla has pinch-run twice this week, and snuck in some designated hitter time earlier this year, as you'll see via his Baseball Reference page linked on his name. He's only made one mound appearance this year, but it was recently, so he's helping out a short bench.

 

20-year-old 2nd year RHP Orlando Torrez, impressive numbers, has only two appearances this season, the last way back on June 11th.

 

Converted 21-year-old 6'6" OF Hitaniel Arias also has only made two relief appearances, the last back on June 15th.

 

LHP Brandol Perez, the 2010 Mariner statistical stud whose story we detailed here, has yet to make an appearance despite his placement on the active roster.

 

Poor LHP Jose Ramos, he can only look back to 2009, he's in the midst of what hopefully won't be a third consecutive sidelined season coming off 2010 Tommy John surgey.

 

The status of three pitchers yet to appear in a game this year has not changed from season's start -- RHP Elvis Mora (reserve list), RHP Osmel Perez (restricted list), and RHP Pedro Peguero (disabled list, elbow surgery last January).

 

Finally and perhaps most importantly, we await another appearance by uber-prospect RHP Gian Rizzo. While we were excited to see a two-inning start on July 10th after last appearing on June 20th, let's hope that return appearance wasn't cut short by an injury re-occurance.

 

***

 

Our continued thanks to TC07 for his daily DSL reports this year, outstanding. At the same time, I wonder if our missing old DSL maven, YoungGeezy, is silently tracking all this somewhere.

[Mass Haas]

Audio from Nashville — “(Mark) Roger(s) That”

 

Jeff Hem's note -- Tonight’s interview is with hard-throwing Sounds right-hander Mark Rogers, who has posted consecutive seven-inning quality starts (14IP, ER) and victories over his last two outings. He discusses the pair of performances, how he feels at this point in the season at the 90-inning mark with less than two months to go, if he wishes every stadium had a visible radar screen to see velocities in-game, the Sounds’ recent hot streak and the team chemistry, and what life was like growing up in Maine in a family of commercial lobster fishermen.

[Tedaldtada]

G1: Brevard County 6 Port St. Lucie (Mets) 5

 

G1: Box Score

 

Somehow BC scored 6 runs on only 3 hits and 2 BB. Errors, wild pitching and extra base hits certainly helped tonight. Mike Walker went 1-2 with a HR and a BB. Nick Shaw and Shea Vucinich each had 2B's to account for the rest of the BC hits.

 

Drew Gagnon started and was effective but a little fly ball prone. 5 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 3 K 3:7 GO:FO for my #13 Brewers prospect (pre-draft). Tommy Toledo earned the win with a scoreless inning following Gagnon. Toledo is certainly one of the better relief prospects in the system. Toledo was the benefactor of a 4-run top of the 7th. Casey Medlen battled for a rough save giving up 2 runs in the process.

 

G1: Game Log

 

Gagnon was a cruise missile otherwise.

 

St. Lucie Bottom of the 2nd

 

Aderlin Rodriguez walks.

Blake Forsythe flies out to center fielder Reggie Keen.

Richard Lucas singles on a line drive to center fielder Reggie Keen. Aderlin Rodriguez to 2nd.

Rafael Fernandez singles on a fly ball to right fielder John Dishon. Aderlin Rodriguez to 3rd. Richard Lucas to 2nd.

Daniel Muno singles on a ground ball to center fielder Reggie Keen. Aderlin Rodriguez scores. Richard Lucas scores. Rafael Fernandez to 3rd.

With Alonzo Harris batting, Daniel Muno steals (8) 2nd base.

Alonzo Harris singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Rafael Fernandez scores. Daniel Muno to 3rd.

T. J. Rivera grounds into double play, second baseman Nick Shaw to shortstop Hector Gomez to first baseman Jason Rogers. Alonzo Harris out at 2nd.

 

Love me a thick one. Especially a game winner.

 

Brevard County Top of the 7th

 

Jason Rogers strikes out swinging.

Mike Walker walks.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Franklin Romero Jr. replaces Mike Walker.

Brock Kjeldgaard walks. Franklin Romero Jr. to 2nd.

Pitcher Change: Jeffrey Walters replaces Jack Leathersich.

Hector Gomez hit by pitch. Franklin Romero Jr. to 3rd. Brock Kjeldgaard to 2nd.

Shea Vucinich doubles (17) on a line drive to left fielder Rafael Fernandez. Franklin Romero Jr. scores. Brock Kjeldgaard scores. Hector Gomez to 3rd.

Joey Paciorek strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Jeffrey Walters. Hector Gomez scores. Shea Vucinich to 3rd. Joey Paciorek to 1st.

St. Lucie Mets Pitching Coach Phil Regan ejected by HP umpire Garrett Patterson.

John Dishon grounds into a force out, pitcher Jeffrey Walters to shortstop T. Rivera. Shea Vucinich scores. Joey Paciorek out at 2nd. John Dishon to 1st.

With Nick Shaw batting, John Dishon steals (4) 2nd base.

Nick Shaw called out on strikes.

 

*****************

 

G2: Brevard County 1 Port St. Lucie (Mets) 0

 

G2: Boxscore

 

Hand it to spot starter Eric Marzec. 4 IP 2 H 0 R 2 BB 6 K for Eric. Seth Harvey and Greg Holle finished the final 3 innings in scoreless fashion, each recording more than 3 outs.

 

At the plate, Brent Dean got a hit even though he has not seen game action since June 19th. (Word has it that he got his hit, carried his bat with him to first, acknowledged the crowd with a triple bat flip spinning no-look catch and suddenly dissipated into thin air.) Dean did not appear on my pre-draft top-55 prospect list. Nick Shaw (2-3) and Mike Walker (2-3) each stayed hot for game 2. Jason Rogers went 1-3 but struck out 2 more times in this one. He is 6-36 in his last 10 with 6 K.

 

Only two players in the G2 BC box score made my top-55. Mike Walker (38) and Seth Harvey (55). Yikes. And yes, that means Jason Rogers was outside my top-55 pre-draft. I may need to reassess that a bit.

 

G2: Game Log

[TooLiveBrew]

@Huntsville 8, Birmingham 3 (Game 1, 7 innings)

 

Huntsville Box

Hiram Burgos didn't quite pitch up to the high standard he's set for himself this season, but he still turned in a QS: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 7:3 GO:AO, 96 TP. He also picked a runner off of 1B in the 2nd, which was his worst inning --two singles and a double resulted in a pair of Birmingham runs before the pickoff ended the frame. Mitch Stetter worked a scoreless 7th, pitching around a walk and a wild pitch with two strikeouts.

 

Typically in a Hiram Burgos start, the story has been Hiram Burgos. And even with another solid outing from Burgos, and a shutout final inning from Stetter, the story in tonight's first game was the Stars' offense.

 

Both Scooter Gennett (1-4, 2B, RBI, E [11, throwing]) and Josh Prince (1-2, HR, 2 BB, 2/2 SB [35, 36]) were back in the lineup & playing their regular positions. Of course, Gennett was the DH on Sunday, and Prince was removed from Sunday's game prior to the 9th inning. Good to see them both right back at it; Prince especially had a monster game. Did anyone have him starting on their MiLB fantasy team tonight?

 

Speaking of monster fantasy efforts, Kentrail Davis, anyone? 3-3, 2 3B, HR, RBI. For those keeping track at home, that'd be three plate appearances and a slash line of 1.000/1.000/3.333/4.333!! Davis has done nothing but hit so far in the month of June (.995 OPS) and second half (.881). He went the entire first half (207 AB) without a HR, and has now hit four longballs in the second half (91 AB so far), including three in July alone... and 13 first-half XBH to 10 second-half XBH already. Another reason to pay attention to Kentrail is that he hasn't shown much of a split whether facing LHP or RHP on the season -- his OPS v. LHP currently is two points higher than v. RHP.

- [Link reporter's note: the stats I'm citing are updated through both games played tonight]

 

Hunter Morris kept on rolling: 1-2, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB. If Davis's second half thus far qualifies for "encouraging" and "good progress", then Morris's second half has to get something like "ginormous", "collosso-tastic", or some other made-up adjective. Much like Davis, Morris has displayed significantly more power so far in the second half, hitting 8 HR in 97 AB after 7 in 253 first half ABs. After tonight's twinbill, his second half slash line is .392/.438/.753/1.191. If Morris doesn't cool off soon, he might simply force the Brewers to promote him to Nashville.

 

T.J. Mittelstaedt was 1-4 with a 2B & RBI. Khris Davis & Tommy Manzella each singled once; Manzella plated one RBI with his hit. Anderson De La Rosa finished 0-2 with a BB.b

 

 

Huntsville PbP

The Stars took a 1-0 lead after the 1st, but the Barons came right back & gave Burgos all kinds of trouble in the next half inning:

 

-Birmingham Top of the 2nd

-Andy Wilkins singles on a fly ball to left fielder T. J. Mittelstaedt.

-With Brady Shoemaker batting, passed ball by Anderson De La Rosa, Andy Wilkins to 2nd.

-Brady Shoemaker doubles (4) on a fly ball to right fielder Kentrail Davis. Andy Wilkins to 3rd.

- Luis Sierra singles on a line drive to center fielder Josh Prince. Andy Wilkins scores. Brady Shoemaker scores.

-Erik Morrison grounds into double play, third baseman Hainley Statia to second baseman Scooter Gennett to first baseman -Hunter Morris. Luis Sierra out at 2nd.

-Kenneth Williams reaches on throwing error by second baseman Scooter Gennett.

-With Daniel Wagner batting, Hiram Burgos picks off Kenneth Williams at 1st on throw to Hunter Morris.

 

Sierra was really a thorn in Burgos's side today; he also came up with a RBI single in the 4th. The 4th inning RBI extended Birmingham's lead to 3-1, but Huntsville's bats didn't let that stand for long, responding with a 5-run outburst:

 

-Huntsville Bottom of the 4th

-Kentrail Davis triples (5) on a fly ball to center fielder Jared Mitchell.

-Tommy Manzella singles on a fly ball to left fielder Brady Shoemaker. Kentrail Davis scores.

-Anderson De La Rosa strikes out on foul tip.

-Pitcher Change: Santos Rodriguez replaces Nick McCully.

-With T. J. Mittelstaedt batting, Tommy Manzella steals (3) 2nd base, . Tommy Manzella advances to 3rd, on throwing error by catcher Luis Sierra.

-T. J. Mittelstaedt out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Jared Mitchell. Tommy Manzella scores.

-Josh Prince walks.

-With Scooter Gennett batting, Josh Prince steals (36) 2nd base.

-Scooter Gennett doubles (22) on a line drive to left fielder Brady Shoemaker. Josh Prince scores.

-Hunter Morris homers (15) on a fly ball to right center field. Scooter Gennett scores.

-Khris Davis strikes out swinging.

 

The Stars never looked back, adding solo HRs in both the 5th (Davis) and 6th (Prince) innings.

 

 

Huntsville Gameday

[Mass Haas]

Tyrone Taylor won't be 19 until January 22nd.

 

This is fun.

 

Can we just call him "Trout" Taylor?

[Mass Haas]

Helena audio:

 

RHP Preston Gainey (Naval Academy)

 

Farm Director Reid Nichols

[TheCrew07]

Can we just call him "Trout" Taylor?

 

One can only hope...