Link Report for Fri. 5/17

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Tyler Thornburg at Salt Lake (Angels), 7:15 PM pre-game, 7:35 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.

 

**********

 

Huntsville: RHP Jimmy Nelson at home vs. Montgomery (Rays), 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 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: LHP Brent Suter at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:00 PM pre-game, 5:30 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the link based on listed schedule

 

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.

 

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Wisconsin: RHP Ryan Gibbard at Burlington (Angels), 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 four Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV.

 

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]

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

 

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]

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.

[Mass Haas]

Weather.com:

 

Salt Lake City

 

Huntsville

 

Dunedin

 

Burlington, IA

[Mass Haas]

Video highlight plays from Thursday's Nashville game:

 

Scooter Gennett lines an RBI triple in the third inning of the Sounds' 7-2 win over Salt Lake (creative video title)

 

Khris Davis hits a two-run homer in the fifth inning (POWER!)

[Mass Haas]

Jimmy Nelson and the Stars aiming for a 7:15 start (rain delay).

[Mass Haas]

Here's the video of Jason Rogers' moonshot two-run 9th inning HR Thursday that proved to be the gamewinner for the Stars -- a dejected Mississippi broadcast call...

[Mass Haas]

Just a tremendous (and enormous), meticulously captioned photo gallery from Brad --

 

May 16 Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros) @ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers)

[Mass Haas]

Stars rained out, doubleheader at 4:43 Saturday afternoon.

[Mass Haas]

Via Jeff Hem's blog --

 

Audio from Salt Lake — “Hear It from (Johnny) Hellweg”

 

Tonight’s interview is with Sounds right-hander Johnny Hellweg, who discusses his and the team’s victory last night, his continuing work in repeating his delivery after growing to 6’9″ after being drafted at 6’4″, how playing soccer in high school helped his baseball career and where he was last year when he found out he’d been traded from the Angels to the Brewers in the Zack Greinke deal.

[TheCrew07]

Long road trip starts with a win

Rattlers beat Bees 8-4 in first game of 13 game road trip

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers started their two-week odyssey through the Western Division of the Midwest League with an 8-4 win over the Burlington Bees at Community Field on Friday night. Clint Coulter and Alfredo Rodriguez each drove in two runs for Wisconsin.

 

The Rattlers (19-19) had a great opportunity to go in front in the first inning. Tyrone Taylor started the game with a double. The next two batters drew walks to load the bases with no outs. But, Bees starting pitcher Reid Scoggins struck out the next two batters and got a grounder to second to strand three runners in a scoreless top of the first.

 

Burlington (13-24) took the lead in the bottom of the first. Wendell Soto drew a walk, stole second, and stole third. A two-out single to right by Michael Bolaski drove in Soto for a 1-0 lead.

 

The Rattlers stormed back in the top of the third inning. Mitch Haniger doubled with one out. Then, Victor Roache drew a walk. Adam Giacalone tied the game with a single to center that drove in Haniger. Rodriguez put the Rattlers in front with a double to left-center that drove in Roache and Giacalone in for a 3-1 lead.

 

Wisconsin added to their lead with two runs in the top of the fifth. They loaded the bases with no outs and Roache scored on a throwing error to the plate on a force play after a Coulter grounder to third. Jose Sermo followed with a sacrifice fly and the Rattlers were up 5-2.

 

The Bees staged a rally against Rattlers starting pitcher Ryan Gibbard in the bottom of the sixth. Kyle Johnson drew a walk and stole second with one out. Wade Hinkle followed with an RBI double. A walk, a strikeout, and another walk loaded the bases with two outs.

 

Left-handed reliever Taylor Wall took over for Gibbard on the hill, struck out Andre Ray to stop the Bees rally, and kept the Rattlers up 5-2.

 

Gibbard went 5-2/3 innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked five, struck out five, and was in line for the win.

 

The Rattlers offense put up some insurance runs in the seventh inning. Coulter doubled sharply down the third base line to drive in two runs. He scored later in the frame on a wild pitch.

 

Jorge Lopez entered the game for the Rattlers to start the bottom of the sixth inning and he struck out six over the final three innings to earn his second save of the season. The only hiccup in the performance of Lopez was a two-out, two-run double by Soto in the bottom of the ninth inning.

 

Game two of the series is Saturday night at Community Field. Eric Semmelhack (1-0, 3.33) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Bees have named Aaron Newcomb (1-1, 4.29) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 6:30pm.

 

Tune in for the radio call of Saturday's game on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:10pm

 

WP: Ryan Gibbard (3-1)

LP: Reid Scoggins (0-1)

SAVE: Jorge Lopez (2)

 

TIME: 2:50

ATTN: 772

 

Wisconsin Boxscore

Taylor Wall came up huge, this could have been a totally different game without that key strike out to bail out Gibbard in the 6th, nice job my man! Clint Coulter's double was absolutely smoked, he's starting to hit the ball with authority again. Tyrone Taylor had 1 hit again... I know shocking, he's been steady all year, check out his last 10 games. If some of these 1 hit games become 2 hit games look out, I have a good feeling about him right now.

 

Michael Bolaski committed 3 errors at 3B tonight for the Bees, I believe that's the second time this year an opposing 3B has committed 3 errors in a single game.

 

Wisconsin Recap

 

As Chris discussed above, crooked numbers in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th!

 

Wisconsin Top of the 3rd

• Michael Reed strikes out swinging.
  Mitch Haniger doubles (11) on a fly ball to left fielder Jonathan Walsh.
  Victor Roache walks.
  Adam Giacalone singles on a ground ball to center fielder Chevy Clarke. Mitch Haniger scores. Victor Roache to 2nd.
  Alfredo Rodriguez doubles (2) on a fly ball to center fielder Chevy Clarke. Victor Roache scores. Adam Giacalone scores. Alfredo Rodriguez out at 3rd on the throw, center fielder Chevy Clarke to shortstop Wendell Soto to third baseman Michael Bolaski.
  Pitching Change: Kenny Hatcher replaces Reid Scoggins.
  Clint Coulter walks.
  Jose Sermo singles on a line drive to center fielder Chevy Clarke. Clint Coulter to 3rd.
  Orlando Arcia pops out to catcher Sandy Martinez in foul territory.

 

 

Wisconsin Top of the 5th

• Pitching Change: Jake Boyd replaces Kenny Hatcher.
  Victor Roache walks.
  Adam Giacalone reaches on a throwing error by third baseman Michael Bolaski. Victor Roache to 2nd.
  Alfredo Rodriguez singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Michael Bolaski. Victor Roache to 3rd. Adam Giacalone to 2nd.
  Clint Coulter reaches on a force attempt, throwing error by third baseman Michael Bolaski. Victor Roache scores. Adam Giacalone to 3rd. Alfredo Rodriguez to 2nd.
  Jose Sermo out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Chevy Clarke. Adam Giacalone scores.
  Orlando Arcia grounds into a double play, shortstop Wendell Soto to second baseman Pedro Toribio to first baseman Wade Hinkle. Clint Coulter out at 2nd.

 

Wisconsin Top of the 7th

• Victor Roache pops out to catcher Sandy Martinez in foul territory.
  Adam Giacalone singles on a line drive to right fielder Kyle Johnson.
  Alfredo Rodriguez hit by pitch. Adam Giacalone to 2nd.
  Clint Coulter doubles (4) on a ground ball to left fielder Jonathan Walsh. Adam Giacalone scores. Alfredo Rodriguez scores.
  With Jose Sermo batting, wild pitch by Jake Boyd, Clint Coulter to 3rd.
  Jose Sermo strikes out swinging.
  With Orlando Arcia batting, wild pitch by Jake Boyd, Clint Coulter scores.
  Orlando Arcia grounds out, first baseman Wade Hinkle to pitcher Jake Boyd.

 

Jorge Lopez is pitching better in relief, after a walk to start the 7th he was solid until the 9th.

 

Burlington Bottom of the 7th

• Pitching Change: Jorge Lopez replaces Taylor Wall.
  Sandy Martinez walks.
  Pedro Toribio lines out to center fielder Tyrone Taylor.
  Wendell Soto strikes out swinging. Passed ball by catcher Clint Coulter. Sandy Martinez to 2nd.
  Kyle Johnson strikes out swinging.

 

Burlington Bottom of the 8th

• Wade Hinkle called out on strikes.
  Michael Bolaski grounds out, pitcher Jorge Lopez to first baseman Adam Giacalone.
  Jonathan Walsh strikes out swinging.
  

 

Burlington Bottom of the 9th

• Chevy Clarke called out on strikes.
  Andrew Ray walks.
  Sandy Martinez singles on a line drive to right fielder Mitch Haniger. Andrew Ray to 2nd.
  Pedro Toribio grounds into a force out, shortstop Orlando Arcia to second baseman Alfredo Rodriguez. Andrew Ray to 3rd. Sandy Martinez out at 2nd. Pedro Toribio to 1st.
  Wendell Soto doubles (3) on a fly ball to center fielder Tyrone Taylor. Andrew Ray scores. Pedro Toribio scores.
  Kyle Johnson strikes out swinging.

[DHonks]

Sanchez with a hiccup...there go the impeccable numbers

[bkrause2]

Final: Brevard County 0, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 1

 

Suter fans 11, but 'Tees two-hit in Dunedin

By Andy Towne / Brevard County Manatees

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. - A career-high 11 strikeouts for starting pitcher Brent Suter wasn't enough as a mammoth homer by Andy Burns provided the lone run of the game in the Brevard County Manatees' 1-0 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays on Friday night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

 

Suter (2-2, 3.65) scattered five hits besides the fourth inning home run and walked only one batter, but he took the hard-luck loss as Brevard (21-19) recorded just two singles behind him.

 

Austin Bibens-Dirkx was brought down to Dunedin (23-15) from Double-A New Hampshire earlier in the day and made the start, and he dominated the Manatees to the tune of his own career high ten strikeouts.

 

The 28-year-old took a perfect game into the fourth, until he issued a leadoff walk to T.J. Mittelstaedt and then kept the no-hitter going until Mittelstaedt came up with a two-out single in the sixth.

 

Ajay Meyer surrendered one additional hit in the eighth inning to Yadiel Rivera before Blake McFarland shut the door in the ninth for his ninth save of the season.

 

Brevard County and Dunedin will square off for game two of their three-game series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

 

Southpaw Jed Bradley (3-1, 3.69) is set to start for the Manatees and righty Aaron Sanchez (2-2, 2.95) will go for the Blue Jays.

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

Brent Suter pitched a great game for the Manatees, they just couldn't get him any support. He had 11 K's and walked just one. He scattered six hits over seven innings, and allowed just one run on a fourth inning homer. Andre Lamontagne pitched a scoreless eighth. T.J. Mittelstaedt was on base twice for BC with a single and a walk. He stole a base but also got caught trying to steal once. Mittelstaedt also recorded an outfield assist. Yadiel Rivera had the only other hit for Brevard. Greg Hopkins had a rough night, taking the old golden sombrero with four strikeouts in four at bats. The Manatees whiffed 13 times as a team.

 

Brevard County Play-By-Play

 

BC's best chance to push across a run came in the fourth inning when they had a runner on second base with nobody out, but back-to-back strikeouts kept them off the board.

 

Brevard County Top of the 4th

T. J. Mittelstaedt walks.

With Gregory Hopkins batting, T. J. Mittelstaedt steals (1) 2nd base.

Gregory Hopkins strikes out swinging.

Nick Ramirez strikes out swinging.

Cameron Garfield lines out to center fielder Jonathan Jones.

 

Brevard County Audio Highlights

 

Pregame Interview with Jacob Barnes

[brewmann04]

Wow thornburgh has really struggled so far. Not very encouraging.

[TheCrew07]

Chris rocks the post game as usual, this one is definitely worth a read, he has a note I missed on Taylor Wall, good stuff. Maybe Chris will come to the dark side and start believing that the closer is nonsense and the best reliever should be used in the highest leverage situation? At any rate that was certainly the case tonight.

 

The odyssey begins – postgame post for May 17, 2013

[TooLiveBrew]

Mitch Stetter made an appearance for the Bees tonight (that's the extent of former Brewers on the Bees' roster)

[TooLiveBrew]

Sounds Doubled Up In Salt Lake, 12-6

Lalli Homers, Goes 3-for-5 In First Start Since Rejoining Nashville

Nashville Sounds

 

http://i.imgur.com/PIPsHda.jpg

Khris Davis, archive photo (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)

 

SALT LAKE CITY - The Salt Lake Bees scored 10 runs over the first three innings en route to a 12-6 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Friday evening at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

 

In his first start since rejoining the Sounds, catcher Blake Lalli went 3-for-5 with a home run to pace Nashville's 12-hit offensive attack. Josh Prince (2-for-4, two doubles) and Khris Davis (2-for-3, two RBI singles) also posted multi-hit efforts for the visitors.

 

The 12 runs match the most allowed by Sounds pitching in a single game this season (third occurrence). Nine of Salt Lake's runs came plateward with two outs in an inning.

 

Salt Lake jumped on the board first, plating four two-out runs against Tyler Thornburg in the bottom of the first inning.

 

After the right-hander retired the first two batters, he allowed a single to Brad Hawpe and issued a four-pitch walk to Efren Navarro before Luis Rodriguez slapped an RBI single to center. Thornburg then uncorked a wild pitch to allow Navarro to race home for a 2-0 Bees lead.

 

Former Sound Trent Oeltjen delivered the biggest hit of the opening frame, fouling off four consecutive pitches before crushing a 3-2 Thornburg offering to deep right for his fifth home run of the year. The two-run blast made it a 4-0 contest.

 

Lalli got the visitors on the board when he led off the second with his first roundtripper of the season, a solo shot to deep left off Salt Lake starter A.J. Schugel.

 

The Bees added to their lead to 6-1 in the home half of the second, plating two unearned runs against Thornburg after loading the bases with no outs.

 

Salt Lake filled the bags on a single and walk sandwiched around a fielding error by third baseman Stephen Parker before Andrew Romine followed with an RBI fielder's choice to make it a 5-1 contest. Hawpe followed with a sharply-hit one-hopper to first , which Sean Halton gloved and threw to the plate to retire Roberto Lopez for the second out following a rundown.

 

Navarro plated the second run of the frame when he ripped an opposite-field RBI double down the left field line. After another walk loaded the bases again, Thornburg escaped the jam without further damage by striking out Oeltjen.

 

The Sounds got back within striking distance by plating three runs in the top of the third against Schugel. After Scooter Gennett led off with a single, Josh Prince lined an RBI double into the left field corner and Khris Davis contributed a one-out run-scoring single to left to cut the deficit to 6-3. With two down in the frame, Davis stole second and scored the fourth Nashville run of the night when Halton lifted a flare to shallow center for an RBI single.

 

Thornburg again ran into trouble in the Salt Lake third, loading the bases with one out by issuing a pair of walks sandwiched around a Lopez double. Johnnie Lowe took over on the hill for the Sounds and was greeted by a bloop two-run single to shallow right off the bat of Romine that fell just out of the reach of a diving Gennett. Two batters later, Navarro turned a Lowe fastball into a two-run single to center to stretch the Bees' lead to 10-4.

 

Thornburg (0-4) drew the loss after working his shortest start of the season, lasting only 2 1/3 innings. He allowed nine runs (seven ER) on six hits while walking a season-high five batters. Only 43 of his 85 pitches went for strikes.

 

Nashville continued to fight back against Schugel, getting RBI singles off the bats of Khris Davis and Parker in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Salt Lake advantage to 10-6. Parker's knock extended the third sacker's on-base streak to 17 games.

 

Schugel (1-2) was the beneficiary of the Salt Lake offensive output, earning his first victory of the season after giving up six runs on 11 hits over five frames of action.

 

Salt Lake tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth against Jesus Sanchez. Oeltjen singled, stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Scott Cousins plated the other run with a two-out RBI single.

 

The teams continue the series with another 7:35 p.m. CT meeting on Saturday. Left-hander Zach Kroenke (0-6, 6.98) will toe the slab for the sounds and face Salt Lake right-hander Matt Shoemaker (3-5, 3.96).

 

 

Nashville Box

Gennett: 1-5

Prince: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI

Caleb Gindl: 1-5

Davis: 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, SB

Lalli: 3-5, HR, RBI

Halton: 1-5, RBI

Parker: 1-4, RBI, E (fielding)

Hainley Statia: 1-2, 2 BB, SB

 

[pre]Thornburg: 2.1 IP 6 H 9 R 7 ER 5 BB 3 K WP 85 TP (43 strikes) 4:1 GO:FO

Lowe: 3.2 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 1 K

Sanchez: 1.0 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER 1 BB 1 K Balk

Donovan Hand: 1.0 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 K[/pre]

 

Nashville PbP

Not much fun to look through the game log tonight. By the 7th, Sounds pitching coach Fred Dabney couldn't take it anymore...

 

Salt Lake Bottom of the 7th

-Pitching Change: Jesus Sanchez replaces Johnnie Lowe.

-Trent Oeltjen singles on a line drive to center fielder Josh Prince.

-With Bill Hall batting, Trent Oeltjen steals (6) 2nd base.

-Bill Hall strikes out swinging.

-With John Hester batting, Trent Oeltjen steals (7) 3rd base.

-John Hester walks.

-Nashville Sounds Pitching Coach Fred Dabney ejected by HP umpire Joel Hospodka.

-Roberto Lopez out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Josh Prince. Trent Oeltjen scores.

-With Scott Cousins batting, John Hester advances to 2nd on a balk.

-Scott Cousins singles on a ground ball to right fielder Khris Davis. John Hester scores. Scott Cousins to 2nd on the throw.

-Andrew Romine singles on a ground ball to shortstop Blake Davis. Scott Cousins to 3rd.

-Brad Hawpe flies out to left fielder Caleb Gindl.

 

 

Nashville Gameday

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' pitching staff way up in arms

Hurlers rank among best in FSL this season

by Michael Parsons, FLORIDA TODAY

 

The Brevard County Manatees have produced its share of major league pitchers.

 

Yovani Gallardo, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Dempster, Josh Beckett to name a few. Just in the past season, Hiram Burgos went from the Manatees’ rotation to the Brewers’ starting rotation this year.

 

And this season could see more names added if they continue to throw the way they have this season.

 

“All around, our pitching staff has been solid. Our guys have the ability to control the baseball, command the ball and mix their pitches,” Manatees manager Joe Ayrault said. “Stuff-wise, I would take them, challenge them against anybody in the league.”

 

And it is probably a winning proposition.

 

Brooks Hall is among the top 10 in ERA in the Florida State League and induced 10 groundball outs in a solid outing Thursday night.

 

Drew Gagnon already has tossed seven innings of perfect baseball this season and struck out 44 hitters in 38 innings. And first-round draft pick Jed Bradley is sporting a 3-1 record in seven starts.

 

Jacob Barnes also has had a few starts, but is in the bullpen since he had to sit out with an oblique injury.

 

But he came into Thursday’s game and was overpowering, tossing three innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out four and did not walk a batter, hitting 94 mph consistently on the gun.

 

“He was very sharp, threw the ball really well for us,” Ayrault said of Barnes. “He lost a little time with a strained oblique, but he looked good.”

 

And the addition will make a very good bullpen even stronger. The Manatees have given up just two earned runs in the past 19 2⁄3 innings heading into Friday night’s game with Dunedin.

 

The bullpen took a hit Friday when closer Seth Harvey went on the disabled list. Harvey leads the Florida State League in saves with 10 this season.

 

But the way this team has been pitching, they have some options.

 

Four players have saves this season besides Harvey.

[Mass Haas]

Bees’ bats break out against Sounds

Team gets off to hot start, scoring 10 runs in first three innings

By Kyle Goon, The Salt Lake Tribune

 

In the sixth inning, when the rain finally broke, the fans took shelter under coats and umbrellas. Many receded into the back rows, safely beneath the cover of the upper tier.

 

But most of the crowd stayed at Spring Mobile Ballpark on Friday night, treated to a blowout win for the hometown Bees. The rain was a temporary hindrance, but Salt Lake showered runs on the Nashville Sounds in a 12-6 victory.

 

In 42 games this year, the Bees have scored in double digits only one other time. On the heels of a disappointing defeat Thursday, manager Keith Johnson was relieved to see his team be more assertive in its at-bats.

 

“We got ourselves in some hitting counts and didn’t consistently swing at balls, which is something we’ve been doing,” he said. “We made him throw strikes, and then when we got deep into counts, we either got good at-bats or took the walks and let the guys behind us drive us in.”

 

The Bees pounded out runs as quickly as they could get them in the first three innings, gorging on Nashville starter Tyler Thornburg. He gave up six hits and five walks, and nine times the Bees circled the bags with him on the bump, gaining 10 runs before the third inning had ended.

 

It came in part because the Bees were so effective with runners in scoring position, going 7 for 13. Andrew Romine and Efren Navarro each had a team-high 3 RBIs, but outfielder Trent Oeltjen had the highlight of the night with a towering right-side homer, his fifth of the year.

 

“We battled, and I’d seen a lot of pitches,” Oeltjen said of his first-inning dinger. “The more you see, the better timing you get. I squared it up, and it felt nice. … But it’s awesome, because, one through nine, everyone contributed, and that’s one of the things to get a team going.”

 

It would’ve been a runaway game if not for a shaky start from A.J. Schugel. The Sounds seemed to have his number, slamming the young right-hander for 11 hits in his five innings of work.

 

But after Schugel spotted Nashville six runs in his appearance, the bullpen came in and zipped it up. The Bees didn’t allow another score with Rob Delaney, Mitch Stetter and Chad Cordero on the mound. Two runs in the bottom of the seventh all but assured a win.

 

In all, eight Bees had at least one hit, and six batted in at least one run.

 

“I’ve seen some crazy games in the PCL,” Romine said. “Nobody relaxed, and we all were getting after it even with a lead. All those guys who came in from the bullpen were getting after it.”

 

The Sounds didn’t relax either, but it didn’t do them much good. Nashville pitching coach Fred Dabney had Nashville’s most stirring moment of the late innings when he covered up home plate with dirt after being ejected for arguing over the strike zone.

[saget]

Are we just counting down the days till Thornburg gets moved to the pen at this point?