Link Report for Thurs. 8/9 -- Clubs go 0-4, so focus on the "Man inside Fang" video

[Mass Haas]

ViewFinder: Man inside Fang loves his job

 

Nice story, wonderful video, enjoy...

[Mass Haas]

Sounds' Eric Farris awaits Brewers' call

by Nick Cole, The Tennessean

 

Second baseman Eric Farris has been called up by the Milwaukee Brewers twice in the past two seasons, but has only one major league at-bat to show for it.

 

Hitting .340 in the Nashville Sounds’ past 44 games and recording a base hit in 36 of those games has put Farris in position to be a call-up when the major-league active rosters expand to 40 players on Sept. 1.

 

“I try not to think too far ahead,” said Farris, who is hitting .281 for the season. “I just try to get my job done here and play as well as I can. Hopefully, when the time comes, the big team will give me an opportunity.”

 

Farris, a fourth-round selection of the Brewers in the 2007 draft, is fourth in the Pacific Coast League with 30 steals.

 

“That’s definitely a big part of my game,” Farris said. “I’m not going to hit for much power, so when I get on base I like to cause as much havoc as I can.”

 

Farris has stolen as many as 70 bases in a season, needing 124 games with Class A-Advanced Brevard County to accomplish the feat in 2009.

 

The infielder is also known for his defense, leading all PCL second basemen with a .988 fielding percentage.

 

In Baseball America’s 2011 “best tools survey,” he was voted as the best defensive second baseman in the PCL.

 

Back home: The Sounds have returned home to Nashville after going 4-4 on the West Coast.

 

With stops in Fresno and Sacramento, the trip served as a homecoming for several Sounds players who call California home.

 

First baseman Sean Halton, a Fresno native, returned to play at home for the first time in his professional career.

 

“It was a good road trip for me to play back in front of my hometown fans,” Halton said. “I got to see a bunch of people that haven’t got to see me play in a while, and even some people that haven’t got to see me play yet in pro ball.”

 

Farris was born in Sacramento and still lives there in the offseason.

 

“I spent some time with my grandmother, went to a couple of restaurants I enjoy,” Farris said of his time at home. “It was really nice. It had been years since I had been at home in Sacramento in the summer.”

 

Outfielder Logan Schafer, who lives in Los Gatos, Calif., was able to make his way home for one night despite more than a two-hour drive from the ballpark.

 

“Any time you can spend a night at home its nice. You get to recharge your batteries a little,” Schafer said. “But still, it’s only one night.”

 

After missing 10 games because of a knee injury, Schafer returned to the lineup Tuesday and scored the winning run in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over Sacramento.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers fall; scoreless streak now at 19 innings

by Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record

 

Jared Ray was greeted by a congratulatory mob when he exited the game in the seventh inning.

 

The high-fives and pats on the back from his teammates in the Missoula Osprey bullpen were well deserved, after the starting pitcher threw seven shutout innings of four-hit ball. Chris Thomas and Justin Thompson finished off the Helena Brewers from there, in a 3-0 Missoula victory Thursday at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

The Brewers brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth as they’ve done so many times this season, but failed to score for the 19th straight inning. After a pair of two-out singles by Adam Giacalone and Emmanuel Quiles, Thompson got Raul Mondesi Jr. to ground out and seal the series win for the Osprey.

 

Ray had a one-hitter through three frames and credited his catcher Michael Perez for helping him pick up his third win of the season.

 

“This is my fifth time to face Helena this year so I got with Perez. He’s real smart about recognizing hitters and stuff like that,” the right-hander said. “He called a good game. It’s easy when you’re able to get in a groove and you and your catcher are on the same page.”

 

Brewers starter Leonard Lorenzo was equally brilliant, showing good command of his fastball and breaking ball in striking out a dozen Osprey batters through six. He took the loss after giving up one run on five hits. The Helena pitching staff matched a season-high with 15 strikeouts, but failed to get any help from the offense for the second straight night. The Brewers finished with seven hits in the contest, but were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. They were 0 for 7 in that situation the previous contest.

 

“We had a game plan going into it,” Ray said. “…It’s a matter of knowing the guys that are hot and recognizing which guys you can be more careful with and that type of thing.”

 

Second baseman Daniel Pulfer was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a double to spearhead the Missoula offense. Giacalone and Quiles were the only Helena players with multiple hits, and Kevin Berard’s double was the only one that went for extra bases.

 

Lorenzo fanned 10 batters before the Osprey ever got on the board. After Pedro Ruiz singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Jake Lamb brought him home with a double to right field. Missoula added two more insurance runs in the late innings against reliever Taylor Mangum. It might have been 4-0, if not for a fine defensive play by center fielder Michael Reed. Reed gunned down Pulfer at home plate for the final out in the top of the ninth.

 

The Osprey remain just one game behind Billings in the Pioneer League North Division second-half standings, and take on the Mustangs tonight in Missoula. Helena opens a two-game set against first-half champion Great Falls, which has struggled to a 1-11 mark this half. The Voyagers were also shut out Thursday night.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Indians 7, Arizona Brewers 2

 

Box Score

 

RHP Francisco Rivero with his third scoreless rehab appearance, still only at one inning, however; 2012 9th round Florida high schooler Alex Lavendero has had a rough go of it in Maryvale -- here's how his 2nd inning went:

 

AZL Indians Top of the 2nd

Pitching Change: Alejandro Lavandero replaces Francisco Rivero.

Anthony Santander singles on a fly ball to center fielder Edgardo Rivera.

With Martin Cervenka batting, throwing error by Alejandro Lavandero on the pickoff attempt, Anthony Santander to 2nd.

With Martin Cervenka batting, Anthony Santander steals (5) 3rd base.

Martin Cervenka walks.

Nick Hamilton walks. Martin Cervenka to 2nd.

Juan Herrera walks. Anthony Santander scores. Martin Cervenka to 3rd. Nick Hamilton to 2nd.

Joshua McAdams singles on a line drive to left fielder Jose Garcia. Martin Cervenka scores. Nick Hamilton scores. Juan Herrera to 2nd.

D'vone McClure pops out to second baseman Jose Sermo.

Claudio Bautista singles on a ground ball to third baseman Taylor Smith-Brennan. Juan Herrera to 3rd. Joshua McAdams to 2nd.

Pitching Change: Juan Francisco replaces Alejandro Lavandero.

Dorssys Paulino grounds into a force out, third baseman Taylor Smith-Brennan to catcher Dustin Houle. Juan Herrera out at home. Joshua McAdams to 3rd. Claudio Bautista to 2nd. Dorssys Paulino to 1st.

Nelson Rodriguez strikes out swinging.

 

21-year-old two-year DSL'er Juan Francisco gutted out 4.2 just to save the bullpen somewhat, but it was undrafted free agent Ryan Fasano who finished up with three scoreless (no walks, four K's).

 

We referred to Dustin Houle's apparent injury departure earlier in the thread. Leadoff CF Edgardo Rivero stole his 6th base in seven tries. Rivero is sporting a .414 OBP. RF 2B Jose Sermo remains intriguing, but he should be doing well as a 22-year-old college pick, although a 35th rounder. Jose Pena (.220 over his last ten games, still hanging in above .300 at .304), but committed his 7th (!) error in RF, this one on a throw. Free Joe Andrade.

 

Game Log

[Tedaldtada]

Dang MH, you beat me to it...

 

Thanks though.

[Mass Haas]

Not sure why Dunedin RHP Sean Nolin (9-0 this year) departed after just three innings, but he was a former Brewer draft pick (50th round, 2008) who has had a nice career thus far and at 22, remains age-appropriate for the FSL.

[Mass Haas]

The Car Survivor story from Buck Rogers:

 

Steven 'Frog' Hudson outsat, outplayed and outlasted Gabrielle Guthrie and three other contestants to be crowned Car Survivor 3 winner late Thursday night.

 

The contest began at 7:03 pm on Wednesday, August 1st, and officially ended at 10:12 pm last night (eight days, three hours and nine minutes).

 

Although the weather was almost ideal, causing little inconvenience for this year's contestants, in the end it was a rules violation that was confirmed by a judge and a security camera that ended the contest.

 

Rules state that except for (security reasons) personal items such as wallets, purses, car keys, etc, no items can exit the car once inside and even those personal items items must be carried in and out on breaks by the individuals.

 

Last night Gabby absentmindedly reached into her purse and handed out cigarettes before a break. She was planning on showering using a garden hose on her next break, only minutes away and wanted to make certain that her personal items didn't get wet.

 

The violation was observed and confirmed by security cameras. The contestants were told that the contest was over and Frog was declared the winner.

 

The pair had just caught their second wind earlier in the day and it looked like that the contest would go another week. It was the first Car Survivor contest to end on a rules violation.

 

Both Frog and Gabby are residents of Decatur, AL.

 

To see snippets of this year's contest, go to www.carsurvivor.com.

 

Rock On!

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Media Notes

[JohnBriggs12]

Leonard Lorenzo with 12 k' through 5 innings...hmm...might start paying attention to him in Helena

 

Finished with 12 in 6 and just one walk.

[LouisEly]

Matt Miller is having a decent season, but if the Brewers would have picked Sean Nolin instead of Miller in the 5th round they would have had a very good draft despite not signing Dylan Covey. I say this because Nolin fits their mold - 6'5", 235. A draft of Jimmy Nelson, Tyler Thornburg, Hunter Morris, and Nolin would have been excellent.