Link Report for Sat. 4/20 -- Fiers back on AAA mound; Nelson, Stars check out Birmingham's new park

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Mike Fiers at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link

 

Jeff Hem is the 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). 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 Birmingham (White Sox), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime

 

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

 

Alex Cohen is the play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. It appears four Southern League teams air their home games on MiLB.TV, and we'll let you know when those dates pop up on the schedule.

 

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Brevard County: RHP Drew Gagnon at Clearwater (Phillies), 5:00 PM pre-game, 5:30 PM gametime

 

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

 

Manatees audio, hooray! Dave Walkovic is the first play-by-play voice of the 'Tees since 2007, he's joined by Andy Towne; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio. All home games and many road games are scheduled to be broadcast. When road games are only available via the opponents' audio feed, we'll let you know that.

 

NOTE: Dave indicates that he hopes to include a pre-game interview prior to each game; it's a 30-minute pre-game! We'll fill you in if Brevard masters archiving a la Nashville and/or Helena.

 

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Wisconsin: RHP Preston Gainey and LHP Michael Strong in a doubleheader at Clinton (Mariners), 3:40 PM pre-game, 4:00 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings

 

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.

 

So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from four Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games.

 

NOTE: 32 of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel has seventeen games scheduled and WACY-TV My NEW32 plans to show fifteen games. We'll let you know when, but won't be providing day-before DVR reminders, so regularly check for proper channel and time planning (scroll to the bottom of this link).

[Mass Haas]

Stadium envy, Huntsville - new Regions Field in Birmingham

 

 

Photo Gallery

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin Game One

 

Wisconsin Game Two

 

New MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, 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

[Mass Haas]

Nashville's 4-9 record is 16th in the 16-team Pacific Coast League.

 

Huntsville's 6-9 record is tied for the worst in the ten-team Southern League.

 

Brevard two games out of first, Wisconsin just needs to play.

[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.

 

New this season: Brevard County has media notes; as of now, it's a unique link each day, but look for it just prior to game time each day within the "Stats and Scores" banner here.

 

Once we're aware of the new online location for Huntsville's Media Notes this season, we'll let you know. (Coming soon, we're told!)

[Mass Haas]

Weather.com:

 

Nashville

 

Birmingham

 

Clearwater

 

Clinton

[TheCrew07]

I admit I hadn't followed Oliver's career though I knew he was a top 5 prospect in Detroit's system. Here's BA's stats page which gives you the organization rankings, MiLB's stats page linked in the story as usual.

 

Tribe's Oliver looks good in new home

 

BA's scouting report from this winter:

Oliver sued the NCAA in 2008 after it suspended him for having an adviser while negotiating with the Twins when they drafted him out of high school. Reinstated after winning the lawsuit, he received a $750,000 settlement and signed with the Tigers for $1,495,000 as a second-round pick in 2009. Oliver saw time in the big leagues in 2010 and 2011, but spent 2012 exclusively at the Triple-A level. He had the worst year of his pro career and led the International League with 88 walks, after which Detroit traded him to Pittsburgh for catcher Ramon Cabrera during the Winter Meetings. Oliver still has a quality fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and tops out at 96. After alternating between a curveball and a slider in the past, he’s focusing on a curve that still gets slurvy at times. He also throws an inconsistent changeup but mostly relies on his fastball and curve. Oliver has averaged 5.0 walks per nine innings in the minors, wildness that’s attributed to him having static hands in his delivery, which leads to an inconsistent release point. The Tigers worked with him to get more rhythm and flow into his mechanics. Oliver went on the disabled list in the middle of the season with shoulder fatigue and mostly pitched out of the bullpen in the second half. Some scouts still believe he could develop into a mid-rotation starter. If he can’t cut his walks down, his more likely destination is in the bullpen as a power-armed lefthanded reliever�though he hasn’t shown a significant platoon advantage in that regard.

[Mass Haas]

We'll update the Transactions thread when the moves are official, but 1B Adam Giacolone tweets he's on his way with Victor Roache to join the Rattlers.

[homer]

We'll update the Transactions thread when the moves are official, but 1B Adam Giacolone tweets he's on his way with Victor Roache to join the Rattlers.

 

 

Awesome! I feel like Roache has been with the organization for like three years already. Can't wait to see him play.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't wait, either, homer. Once better temperatures arrive, it's going to be awesome to go to T-Rats games.

[TheCrew07]

I can't wait, either, homer. Once better temperatures arrive, it's going to be awesome to go to T-Rats games.

 

Wuss!

[TooLiveBrew]

I yam what I yam.

[Mass Haas]

Good luck tonight, young man.

 

John Sickels - Prospect of the Day, Hiram Burgos

[TooLiveBrew]

Nashville lineup:

 

Scooter Gennett 2B

Jeff Bianchi SS

Hunter Morris 1B

Sean Halton DH

Stephen Parker 3B

Cole Garner RF

Caleb Gindl CF

Anderson De La Rosa C

Blake Davis LF

[TooLiveBrew]

We'll update the Transactions thread when the moves are official, but 1B Adam Giacolone tweets he's on his way with Victor Roache to join the Rattlers.

I should also add that the addition of these two guys means I got every player on my pre-season T-Rats wish-list granted. What a fun squad.

[WV Brew]

Haniger's too good for this level. With Roache coming up, when does he move to Brevard?

[Jenkins5]

We'll update the Transactions thread when the moves are official, but 1B Adam Giacolone tweets he's on his way with Victor Roache to join the Rattlers.

I should also add that the addition of these two guys means I got every player on my pre-season T-Rats wish-list granted. What a fun squad.

 

Except The Jose Pena snub, this completes mine as well. (I figured Haniger would be in BC so him not making BC roster i'm guessing just made to big of crowd in Wisconsin for Pena)

[Jenkins5]

Haniger's too good for this level. With Roache coming up, when does he move to Brevard?

 

Should, he shouldn't have been made come back here in first place so hopefully soon enough we will be in BC

[TheCrew07]

Clinton clips Wisconsin in game one

Rattlers held to two hits in 4-2 loss

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

CLINTON, IA - A pair of Clinton LumberKings pitchers held the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to two hits during a 4-2 win in game one of a doubleheader Saturday at Ashford University Field. Tyler Pike pitched five innings and struck out four for the win. Dario Pizzano's two run double put the LumberKings ahead to stay.

 

Mitch Haniger wasted no time in putting the Timber Rattlers (4-7) on the scoreboard after the three-day layoff. Wisconsin's right fielder cracked a two-out solo homer off the scoreboard in left-center. But, that was the only hit Wisconsin would get off Pike.

 

Clinton (6-8) would plate a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game.

 

Pizzano gave the LumberKings the lead in the bottom of the third. Pizzano's two-out double to right-center drove in a pair of runs and Clinton was up 3-1.

 

Pike turned the game over to Clinton reliever Blake Hauser in the top of the sixth. Hauser retired the Rattlers in order.

 

Clinton added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 4-1.

 

Clint Coulter was hit by a pitch to reach base against Hauser to start the top of the seventh. A one-out double by Mike Garza scored Coulter to cut Clinton's lead to two runs. Then, Orlando Arcia drew a walk to put the tying run on base. But, Hauser retired the next two batters to nail down the win for the LumberKings.

 

The loss was the third straight for Wisconsin.

 

HOME RUN:

WI:

Mitch Haniger (1st, 0 on in 1st inning off Tyler Pike, 2 out)

 

WP: Tyler Pike (1-2)

LP: Preston Gainey (0-2)

SAVE: Blake Hauser (1)

 

TIME: 2:00

 

Wisconsin Game 1 Boxscore

 

Wisconsin Game 1 Recap

[homer]

Mass,

Your link to the T-rats second game box score goes to the 1st game's box score. If you aren't around to change it, here is the right link for anyone else:

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2013_04_20_wisafx_cliafx_2&t=g_box&sid=t572

[homer]

Haniger's gone yard again.

[TheCrew07]

Rattlers get the split with game two win

Haniger homers again as Strong and Wagner shutdown LumberKings

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

CLINTON, IA - Mitch Haniger homered again and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers held on for a 2-1 win over the Clinton LumberKings is the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader at Ashford University Field.

 

Haniger put the Timber Rattlers (5-7) on the board in game two the same way he did in game one. The Wisconsin right fielder launched a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead.

 

Wisconsin added on to their lead in the second inning. Chris McFarland drove in Alfredo Rodriguez with an RBI grounder to make the score 2-0.

 

Clinton (6-9) took advantage of a pair of Wisconsin miscues in the bottom of the third to plate a run. A leadoff walk and a bunt single put two runners on to start the inning. Tim Lopes bunted back to the mound on a sacrifice attempt. But, Michael Strong's throw to center skipped into center to allow the runner from second to score and cut Wisconsin's lead to a single run.

 

The next batter reached on the third Wisconsin error of the game to load the bases with no outs. But, Strong escaped the third inning with the lead intact thanks to back-to-back strikeouts and a flyball to right.

 

Tyler Wagner took over for Strong to start the bottom of the fifth inning. He allowed a leadoff single in the fifth and a two out double in the sixth, but maintained the one run advantage.

 

However, the degree of difficulty jumped considerably in the bottom of the seventh and a leadoff single and an error put the tying run on second with no outs. A stolen base put that tying run at third with one out. Wagner responded with a strikeout and a tapper back to the mound to finish off the LumberKings.

 

The Timber Rattlers return home to begin a nine-game, ten-day homestand on Sunday. The Quad Cities River Bandits are at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium to kick off the series with a game that has a scheduled first pitch at 5:05pm. Leonard Lorenzo (0-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The River Bandits have not yet announced a starter for the first game of the series.

 

Sunday is a Brewers Sunday presented by 107.5, The Fan. Before the Timber Rattlers and River Bandits play the game fans can play catch on-field. After the game, Timber Rattlers players will be available for an autograph session. Time Warner Cable customers can receive up to four half-priced reserved bleacher tickets when showing their TWC bill at time of ticket purchase. Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing Brewers-themed jerseys during the game.

 

If you can't make it out to the game, tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 4:45pm. Sunday's game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.

 

HOME RUN:

 

WIS:

Mitch Haniger (2nd, 0 on in 1st inning off Matt Anderson, 2 out)

 

WP: Tyler Wagner (1-0)

LP: Matt Anderson (1-1)

 

TIME: 2:05

 

Wisconsin Game 2 Boxscore

One would think that with Victor Roache on his way to WI that Mitch Haniger's time in WI has come to an end, or quickly nearing such. There's no reason to have 4 legitimate prospects fighting time for in 1 OF, I'll be curious to the see the starting OF for tomorrow's game. Also with Adam Giacolone on the way there's really no reason for Parker Berberet to be in WI to hold down C, DH, and 1B duties anymore.

 

The Rattlers played some atrocious defense in this one but managed to hang on for the win and end the losing streak which is all that really matters.

 

Wisconsin Game 2 Recap

 

Nothing beyond the game story worth noting here.