Link Report for Sat. 8/25

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Claudio Vargas at 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.

 

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Huntsville: RHP Ariel Pena at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:28 PM pre-game, 6:43 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 Brandon Williamson at home vs. Clearwater (Phillies), 5:35 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio available for this series...

 

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 Jacob Barnes at Peoria (Cubs), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 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 Stars' road games from four Southern League locales.

 

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Helena: RHP Ryan Gibbard at home vs. Orem (Angels), 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

 

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DSL Brewers: Season complete; final stats and analysis here

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

 

Helena

[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 (FINAL)

 

***

 

NOTE: AAA Nashville, Rookie Maryvale and the DSL do not play a split schedule. When you click on a standings link for Huntsville, Brevard County, Wisconsin, and/or Helena, 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]

Look for Nashville and Wisconsin media notes at the links just prior to their game times.

 

Huntsville is posting theirs more consistently. Rest your pointer under the "Roster" banner on the Stars' home page to see the link.

[TooLiveBrew]

Soo... Ariel Pena in the Angels organization this season takes a big step forward in command & has his best season as a pro. Pena then joins the Brewers organization and completely comes undone. Is this a coincidence? Or is Pena struggling to adjust after leaving the only org. he knew since he was signed as a 16-yo? Or is there an incredibly serious lack of ability to develop pitching in the Brewers' minor league system?

[Tedaldtada]

Soo... Ariel Pena in the Angels organization this season takes a big step forward in command & has his best season as a pro. Pena then joins the Brewers organization and completely comes undone. Is this a coincidence? Or is Pena struggling to adjust after leaving the only org. he knew since he was signed as a 16-yo? Or is there an incredibly serious lack of ability to develop pitching in the Brewers' minor league system?

 

I get what you are saying, but this has to be on Pena. I highly, highly doubt the Brewers made any significant changes with him.

 

I see it as just a rough patch for now.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm not suggesting they made any changes... more wondering if there's a shortcoming in ability to identify & correct mechanical issues.

[Tedaldtada]

I'm not suggesting they made any changes... more wondering if there's a shortcoming in ability to identify & correct mechanical issues.

 

That is a valid concern. One of those 'we will never truly know' conundrums.

[TheCrew07]

I'm not sure the pitching coaches are the highest quality, but there's no way the Brewers messed him up prior to his first start.

 

It's probably just as simple as he's was trying to do much after the trade and went into a funk or the hold on his control was tenuous at best and he's just regressed.

 

What are the odds that we got 3 MLB regulars for Greinke? I'd guess the odds are pretty low, Pena and Hellweg are nice mid tier pitching prospects with upside, but there just aren't many pitchers who iron out their control to the point they can be successful MLB pitchers. Which is why I'm always so concerned about BB rates and while there are certainly pitchers who do ascend and reach their ceilings, there are many more that just never throw enough strikes to make it.

 

Unfortunately every single one of our big arms has the exact same problem with control and the guys who work 90-92 all have questions about their secondary stuff.

 

Tunnell has done a nice job with a bunch of our pitchers, but until the organization proves it can straighten out a starting pitcher with control problems I'll be concerned about every pitcher who fits that template, and it's part of the reason I was very slow to the Peralta bandwagon and I'm not on the Scarpetta bandwagon at all.

[Tedaldtada]

Do you ever just sit there and pray to the baseball gods that Yaddy Rivera learns to work a count so that he can attack the pitches he can drive?

 

He is basically putting up the same line he did in Helena last season.

[Tedaldtada]

Brevard County 2 Clearwater (Phillies) 1

 

Box Score

 

Another big win for the feisty flippered cows. Nick Shaw's 2-run bomb, just his 3rd, was all that Brandon Williamson and crew needed.

 

Williamson was absolutely a beast in the biggest game of the season thus far for him. 6 IP 6 H 0 R 3 BB 7 K 2 WP and a HBP for Williamson. The ratio sat at 5:3 GO:FO. Eric Arnett was responsible for the only Clearwater run as he was a bit wild. Casey Medlen notched number 21 with a super clean 9th.

 

Reggie Keen went down looking as the 1st batter of the game. He did not agree. After chirping through the rest of the 1st inning, he got the heave-ho on his way onto the field for the 2nd. Naturally, his replacement, Franklin Romero Jr. went 2-3 and was on base for Shaw's shot.

 

John Dishon gunned down another runner at 2B.

 

Game story posted ASAP.

 

Game Log

[TooLiveBrew]

Tunnell has done a nice job with a bunch of our pitchers

Honestly asking this (& a bit ashamed I have to ask), but who aside from Axford is Tunnell credited with turning around or helping along significantly?

[Tedaldtada]

Brevard tops Clearwater, 2-1

08/25/2012 10:23 PM ET

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/25/na4zDmsP.jpg

Manatees starting pitcher Brandon Williamson struck out a season-high seven batters in six innings of work as Brevard County defeated Clearwater 2-1 on Saturday night at Space Coast Stadium. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

VIERA, Fla. - Nick Shaw celebrated his 24th birthday in style as his two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth was ultimately the difference as the Brevard County Manatees defeated the Clearwater Threshers, 2-1 on Saturday night at Space Coast Stadium. For the 'Tees, it was their league-leading 28th win in one-run games.

 

Brevard starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (4-9, 5.73), who was roughed up for eight runs in two innings in his last start against Clearwater, hurled six scoreless frames. He allowed six hits and three walks, while striking out a season-high seven batters.

 

The Manatees (31-30 second half, 60-69 overall) were held in check offensively as they were held hitless by Clearwater (32-28, 68-58) starter Austin Wright for 4.2 innings. Brevard was able to plate the first runs of the game in the sixth and it started with a lead-off single up the middle from Franklin Romero Jr. Romero Jr. came in for Reggie Keen in the second inning, after Keen was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

 

Shaw then worked a full count and then deposited Wright's 3-2 offering over the right field wall for his third homer of the season to give the 'Tees a 2-0 lead.

 

Eric Arnett relieved Williamson in the seventh and allowed the first Threshers run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field. With Arnett on the mound in the eighth, Clearwater threatened with two on and one out but he was able to get out of the jam as it remained a 2-1 game.

 

Casey Medlen came on in the ninth looking for his second save in as many days. Carlos Alonso led off the inning with a single to put the tying run on and then moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Alonso then went to third on a ground out, but would be stranded there as Medlen fanned Edgar Duran to end the game and earn his 21st save.

 

Brevard County will look for the sweep of Clearwater in the 'Tees regular season home finale on Sunday at 5:05 p.m.

 

Tommy Toledo (2-1, 5.71) will take the mound for the Manatees as he will be making his first starting since August 19, 2011 with Helena. In his last outing on Thursday, Toledo threw three scoreless innings of relief against Lakeland.

 

Toledo starting is a somewhat big development. He arrived at FLA as a starter but because of injuries and youth, he could never crack their always strong rotation. With the velocity to get MLB hitters out and at least on workable 2nd pitch, it will be very interesting to see where this leads.

[bkrause2]

Final: Wisconsin 2, Peoria 3

 

Chiefs get two homers and hold on to beat Rattlers

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

PEORIA, IL - Back-to-back fourth inning homers proved to be enough for the Peoria Chiefs to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3-2 Saturday night at Peoria Chiefs Stadium. Chadd Krist and Tim Saunders hit the dingers for the Chiefs and a pair of Peoria relievers kept the Rattlers off the scoreboard late.

 

Peoria (60-70 overall, 25-36 second half) took a 3-0 lead on a pair of home runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jorge Soler reached on an error to start the inning. Krist followed with a two-run homer down the left field line. Saunders was next and his homer just cleared the wall in left-center for consecutive home runs.

 

Wisconsin (74-56, 30-31) got a run in the top of the fifth inning. Brandon Macias drove in Carlos George from second base with a two out single to cut the Peoria lead to 3-1.

 

Lance Roenicke welcomed Peoria reliever Sheldon McDonald to the game by cracking a homer to the berm in left-center on the first pitch from the Chiefs lefty. Roenicke's second homer of the season shaved Peoria's advantage to one run. George was next and he singled for his third hit of the night and the tying run was at first base with no outs. McDonald would pick George off first base for the first out and retire the next two batters to end the inning.

 

Ben McMahan reached on an error to start the top of the eighth inning. But, McDonald struck out the next three Rattlers to preserve the 3-2 advantage.

 

Max Walla doubled to lead off the top of the ninth inning against Larry Suarez. But, an attempted sacrifice bunt went awry and Walla was out at third base. Suarez struck out the next two batters and closed out the 3-2 Peoria victory.

 

Game two of the series is Sunday afternoon. Mark Williams (7-9, 3.72) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Chiefs have Jeff Antigua (1-2, 1.91) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 2:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 1:40pm.

 

HOME RUNS:

WIS:

Lance Roenicke (2nd, 0 on in 7th inning off Sheldon McDonald, 0 out)

 

PEO:

Chadd Krist (4th, 1 on in 4th inning off Jacob Barnes, 0 out)

Tim Saunders (2nd, 0 on in 4th inning off Jacob Barnes, 0 out)

 

WP: Joe Zeller (3-4)

LP: Jacob Barnes (4-6)

SAVE: Larry Suarez (5)

 

TIME: 2:42

ATTN: 5,178

 

Wisconsin Box Score

 

Wisconsin Play By Play

 

All of Peoria's offense came in the 4th inning

Peoria Bottom of the 4th

Jorge Soler reaches on a fielding error by shortstop Yadiel Rivera.

Chadd Krist homers (4) on a fly ball to left field. Jorge Soler scores.

Timothy Saunders homers (2) on a fly ball to left field.

Sergio Burruel grounds out, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to first baseman Nick Ramirez.

Oliver Zapata walks.

Bijan Rademacher strikes out swinging.

Zeke DeVoss flies out to left fielder Ben McMahan.

[TooLiveBrew]

Birmingham 5, @Huntsville 4

 

Huntsville Box

After Ariel "Stalled-wagon" Pena surrendered two runs in both the 2nd & 3rd innings, the Stars answered back to tie this one up with a four-run home half of the 3rd -- thanks largely in part to a crucial fielding error from the Barons' CF.

 

Pena bounced back nicely in the 4th: after a leadoff BB, he got a backwards K, a weakly-hit groundout, and a swinging K. Naturally, he was replaced to start the 5th, because he'd reached 85 pitches. 'You're welcome' for me not typing out all the frustrated and/or angry thoughts I have flowing through my brain right now about the Brewers' MiLB pitching development. I sincerely doubt anyone wants to see how pessimistic I am at this moment.

 

A pair of singles in the 6th got Birmingham the go-ahead run, and they kept Huntsville off the scoreboard the rest of the way for the win. The Stars had run-scoring chances in the 2nd & 7th, but really didn't mount any other serious threats.

 

Lee Haydel: 0-5

Josh Prince: 0-5, OF assist

Scooter Gennett: 3-5

Hunter Morris: 0-4, BB

Brock Kjeldgaard: 0-1, 3 BB, SB

T.J. Mittelstaedt: 0-4

Hainley Statia: 0-3, BB

Kentrail Davis: 2-3, 3B, RBI, BB, PO/CS

Adam Weisenburger: 1-3, BB, PB, 0/2 throwing out basestealers

 

Pena: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R/ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 2:1 GO:AO, 85 TP (50 strikes)

Dan Meadows: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K

R.J. Seidel: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Brian Garman: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Darren Byrd: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

 

 

Huntsville PbP

The biggest missed opportunity for the Stars' offense was definitely in the 2nd:

 

Huntsville Bottom of the 2nd

-Brock Kjeldgaard walks.

-T. J. Mittelstaedt strikes out swinging.

-Hainley Statia pops out to shortstop Tyler Saladino in foul territory.

-With Kentrail Davis batting, Brock Kjeldgaard steals (1) 2nd base.

-Kentrail Davis walks.

-Adam Weisenburger walks. Brock Kjeldgaard to 3rd. Kentrail Davis to 2nd.

-Lee Haydel grounds out, second baseman Greg Paiml to first baseman Andy Wilkins.

 

Pena escaped the 3rd without further damage thanks to a nice throw from Prince:

 

Birmingham Top of the 3rd

-Brandon Short flies out to center fielder Josh Prince.

-Trayce Thompson homers (3) on a fly ball to left field.

-Andy Wilkins grounds out to first baseman Hunter Morris.

-Jose Martinez singles on a line drive to center fielder Josh Prince.

-With Seth Loman batting, Jose Martinez steals (6) 2nd base.

-Seth Loman walks.

-Erik Morrison singles on a ground ball to center fielder Josh Prince. Jose Martinez scores. Seth Loman out at 3rd on the throw, center fielder Josh Prince to third baseman T. Mittelstaedt.

 

Then came the Stars' rally, unfortunately their only scoring on the game:

 

Huntsville Bottom of the 3rd

-Pitching Change: Matt Wickswat replaces Simon Castro.

-Josh Prince grounds out, third baseman Erik Morrison to first baseman Andy Wilkins.

-Scooter Gennett singles on a ground ball to shortstop Tyler Saladino.

-Hunter Morris walks. Scooter Gennett to 2nd.

-Brock Kjeldgaard walks. Scooter Gennett to 3rd. Hunter Morris to 2nd.

-T. J. Mittelstaedt strikes out swinging.

-Hainley Statia reaches on a fielding error by center fielder Trayce Thompson. Scooter Gennett scores. Hunter Morris scores. Brock Kjeldgaard scores. Hainley Statia to 2nd.

-Kentrail Davis triples (7) on a line drive to right fielder Jose Martinez. Hainley Statia scores.

-Adam Weisenburger strikes out swinging.

 

 

Huntsville Gameday

[Tedaldtada]

Orem (Angels) 8 Helena 7

 

Box Score

 

Helena fought back once in this game, but could not quite do it twice.

 

Two Helena hitters led the way; Chris McFarland and Raul Mondesi Jr. McFarland started the game slow, but ended up 3-5 with a 2B. Mondesi Jr. finished 3-4 with a 2B. Unfortunately, both made outs on the base paths. Whoops.

 

On the mound, three Helena pitchers made appearances. Ryan Gibbard started and was just alright. Damien Magnifico was next and his big FB could not lead him through this one. He gave up 5 runs while recording just 7 outs. Awesomely, 6 of those outs were K's. Michael Francisco finished the game in fine fashion with 5 scoreless outs.

 

McFarland also made his 17th error on the season. That is not acceptable from a 2B and may have contributed to Chris not receiving an All-Star berth.

 

Game Log

 

I am sure there is some interesting stuff from this one. Check it out!

[TheCrew07]

Tunnell has done a nice job with a bunch of our pitchers

Honestly asking this (& a bit ashamed I have to ask), but who aside from Axford is Tunnell credited with turning around or helping along significantly?

 

Well just about any starting pitcher who's had a feature has mentioned his tutelage over the past 3 seasons, after 5 or 6 guys mentioned him I figured my gut feeling from listening to his interviews was pretty much spot on. He impressed me right from the start, I still remember the first interview I listened to that he did with Wendt in Helena. However, it would take a ton of digging and time to go back and search all those articles for specific quotes. This year he spent that week in Nashville helping out Peralta prior to Wily's turn around, that shouldn't be dismissed. The organization hasn't said anything but the MLB bullpen is definitely the "most help needed" area of that team and I'd guess that's what Tunnell's assignment there is all about, though I'm not sure how far he can get with those guys without shutting them down and just working with them out of the pen for a while. It seems like his talents are being wasted, I'd much rather have him working with the AA staff, those guys actually have ceilings we need to be concerned with.

 

I want to like Hook, but I can't think of anyone who blossomed under his watch, but he keeps moving up the chain. I don't know enough about the other pitching coaches to offer an informed opinion on them, Hook is the only one I've specifically followed. I'll say this though, every time I read an article about a pitcher watching video and figuring out something that's wrong with his delivery on his own I cringe, shouldn't that be exactly what the pitching coaches are there for? Or like Marcum this off season talking about how he noticed he really wasn't using his legs or his core for his delivery by looking at a picture... umm really? How many people on this forum broke down the problems with his mechanics but yet the MLB pitching coach is playing "if it's not broke don't fix it?". I realize I'm attached to video because of my background as a football coach but cripes they go through all the trouble to record every pitch of every game from behind home plate, what does that video actually get used for?

 

Aren't they looking at a pitcher's best pitches of each type and comparing them to his worst and saying, "see what you did there and the fantastic result, that's what we're looking to replicate, here's the difference between that pitch and this bad one..." I really don't know what's being done? I just kind of assumed that because they took the video they were actively working it every night and getting cut-ups ready to review with the pitcher the next day? Again that's a football approach to video, but I'm not sure what else they'd do with it? I had the ability to do side by side frame by frame video, professional baseball teams should certainly have that same functionality right? I honestly don't know...

 

The couple of high school pitchers I've worked with (I make an effort not intrude because coaching baseball wouldn't work with my work schedule and the baseball coaches were also on the football staff) I've done that sort of comparison on velocity and location just playing catch and teaching them long toss. It's the same I've always done with my QBs at each level... you'll be more efficient if you do this... can you feel the difference? look at the better result... blah, blah, blah. That's the primary reason I'm so keen on getting all the pitchers, starter and reliever, side bullpen sessions during the week, so they can get individualized coaching of that nature. I had just assumed that's the coaching the pitchers were getting because that's how every good QB coach I've come across has worked on teaching mechanics, but maybe it's not actually the baseball way?

 

I'd love to be a fly on the wall just to see what's going on.

[TheCrew07]

Round Rock Scores Late To Win 6-5 Over Nashville

Halton Homers And Drives In Three

 

ROUND ROCK, Tex. - Ryan Spilborghs slid under the tag of catcher Humberto Quintero in the 8th inning to give the Round Rock Express a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Saturday night at The Dell Diamond.

 

Spilborghs led off the eighth with single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a Koyie Hill single, and came home on Julio Borbon's infield groundout.

 

Nashville (62-73) has lost three of the first four in the series and 18 of their last 23 games at The Dell Diamond since the beginning of the 2010 season.

 

First baseman Sean Halton went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs on the night. Nashville was the only PCL club without a player with at least 50 RBIs this season until Halton's three runs batted in.

 

Third baseman Taylor Green and second baseman Eric Farris each added two hits.

 

The Sounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Round Rock starter Martin Perez, beginning with a leadoff single from second baseman Eric Farris. After a walk to Khris Davis, Halton lined an RBI single to center. Two batters later, shortstop Andy Gonzalez hit a two-run single.

 

The Express got two runs back in the next frame against starter Claudio Vargas. Borbon led off with a double and scored on a Leonys Martin single to center. Former Sound Brand Nelson later walked and scored on a Joey Butler RBI base hit.

 

Two doubles form Martin and former Vanderbilt star Matt Kata evened the score at 3-3 in the second inning.

 

Nashville went back ahead at 5-3 in the fifth. After outfielder Khris Davis hit a two-out base hit to center, Halton blasted his team-leading 15th homer of the season over the left field wall.

 

Butler brought the contest back to a 5-5 tie in the home half of the sixth with his 18th homer of the season off Vargas. After Kata was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, Butler hammered the long ball off the grounds shed in center.

 

Both teams' starting pitchers factored into no-decision. Vargas scattered nine hits for five runs while striking out six in six innings in a no-decision. Perez allowed five runs on eight hits in seven frames.

 

Jesus Sanchez (4-1) suffered his first Triple-A loss with a run give up in two innings of work.

 

Fabio Castillo (2-0) threw a scoreless inning for the win while Joe Ortiz worked around a leadoff double from Caleb Gindl to notch his second save.

 

The Sounds and Express conclude their season series at 6:05 pm CT on Sunday night at the Dell Diamond. Right-hander Wily Peralta (7-10, 4.58) makes the start in the finale for Nashville against former Sound Zach Jackson (7-12, 4.53).

 

Nashville Box Score

I was pretty exited when the Sounds jumped all over Martin Perez early, but the end of the game was just blech... strike out, fly out to CF, strike out after Gindl's double. Speaking of Perez he's only 21 years old, some day he might harness his filthy stuff but we have an avalanche of pitchers that have put up better K/9s than he has the last 2 years in AAA, especially the 4.9 this season. I hadn't looked that closely at his numbers this year, but yikes that's a putrid K/9.

 

Peralta and the boys match up against Zach friggen Jackson tomorrow... please oh please pummel him. I have no rational explanation for why I dislike Jackson as much as I do, it's just 100 little things that would take me way too long to explain...

 

Nashville Play By Play

[Mass Haas]

Brewers fall in shootout

Helena Brewers

 

Despite a strong effort from a several Brewers hitters, Orem's offense proved to be too much for Helena on Saturday night. When the dust eventually settled, the Owlz escaped with an 8-7 victory.

 

Chris McFarland and Raul Mondesi Jr. combined to go 5-for-9 on Saturday night while knocking in three runs. Unfortunately, the rest of the Brewers lineup combined for just two hits.

 

On the other side of the coin, the Owlz received hits from eight of the 12 hitters that they sent to the plate. This offensive performance was particularly concentrated near the top of the lineup where Joel Capote, Wendell Soto and Wade Hinkle went 7-for-14 while driving in six of the Owlz seven runs.

 

The Brewers pitching staff did nothing to help their cause as they issued seven walks on the evening. Damien Magnifico, despite retiring six of his seven outs via the strikeout was tabbed with the loss, his third of the season.

 

For the Owlz, Christopher O'Grady earned his third win of the season lowering his ERA to 5.40. Following O'Grady, Michael Morin pitched a perfect 1.2 innings to earn his fourth save of the season.

 

The Brewers return to action tomorrow afternoon in game two of a three game series against the Orem Owlz. First pitch is slated for 1:05 (2:05 Central).

 

Alfredo Rodriguez started a key double play on Saturday night. (Sleeping Giant Photography)

 

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/26/nsLYcFiB.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Barons Even Series With Stars

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Huntsville Stars dropped a nailbiter to the Birmingham Barons on Saturday night, falling by a score of 5-4 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

After getting pummeled 10-2 on Friday night, the Barons offense broke out in a big way early against Stars starting pitcher Ariel Pena.

 

Following a leadoff walk by Barons right fielder Jose Martinez in the second inning, an RBI double by catcher Luis Sierra put Birmingham on the board. The next at-bat, a single by second baseman Greg Paiml, made the score 2-0.

 

One inning later, the Barons doubled their lead. After a solo home run by right fielder Trayce Thompson gave Birmingham a three-run lead, an RBI single from third baseman Eric Morrison put the Barons up 4-0 by the end of the inning.

 

However, that lead was short-lived. In the bottom half of the third, the Stars were able to make it a whole new ballgame. With lefty Matt Wickswat in the ballgame to relieve starter Simon Castro, the Stars offense greeted him by loading the bases. Then, with shortstop Hainley Statia up to bat, an error by Thompson in centerfield on a sinking liner cleared the bases to cut the Stars deficit to one. Later in the inning, an RBI triple from right fielder Kentrail Davis plated Statia to tie the game up at 4-4.

 

The score stayed that way until the top half of the sixth inning. With Stars reliever Dan Meadows in for his second inning of work, the Barons began the frame with back-to-back singles by designated hitter Seth Loman and third baseman Eric Morrison. With runners on first and third and nobody out, a groundout by Luis Sierra scored Loman to give the Barons the final run of the ballgame.

 

With the score 5-4, the Barons bullpen shut the Stars out for the final four innings of the ballgame to clinch the victory. With the win, Wickswat improved to 2-7 on the season after giving up four runs (none earned) on two hits in 3.1 innings of work. Aside from Wickswat, RHP Dan Remenowski pitched 1.2 innings without giving up a run and closer Ryan Kussmaul notched his 13 th save of the year with a final scoreless two frames.

 

On the pitching side for the Stars, Meadows fell to 1-5 on the year with the loss. Relievers R.J Seidel, Brian Garman and Darren Byrd combined to throw three scoreless innings for Huntsville.

 

From an offensive perspective, second baseman Scooter Gennett led the way for the Stars with a 3-for-5 night at the plate.

 

Game three of a five-game series will take place on Sunday as the Stars will send RHP Josh Stinson (11-7, 3.06 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is at 4:03 PM.

[Mass Haas]

Video from the Stars' game

[X-TAI]

Sounds...Hope this link works. Ooops..

 

http://www.twitvid.com/FJOAL

[TooLiveBrew]

I'd love to be a fly on the wall just to see what's going on.

Thanks for the detailed response. I admit to feeling pretty cynical about the Brewers' approach to pitching development. I've started to wonder if perhaps Tunnell was only getting credit for successes & not getting criticized for the overall lack of success in developing young arms.

 

As you highlighted in the sentence I quoted, obviously we just can't know the whole truth here. But it does sound like Tunnell has a strong ability to do just what you outline & help a pitcher break everything down. I, too, hope his assignment to the MLB bullpen is only temporary & just a big-time reaction to the disastrous results this season. I certainly hope the Brewers will retain him in his current position, even if it has to come with a sizeable pay increase.