Link Report for Tue. 5/28

[TooLiveBrew]

The Sounds have been absolutely shut down tonight. Not fun.

[brewmann04]

The sounds are just not Good Period.

[Mass Haas]

Audio from Nashville – Trainer Aaron “Red” Hoback

 

Tonight’s interview is with Sounds athletic trainer Aaron “Red” Hoback, who discusses his first year as a trainer at Triple-A after several at Double-A for the Brewers, how baseball has changed the past few years in dealing with concussions (or possible concussions), why he enjoys working in baseball compared to other sports, and the influence on baseball from renowned orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum, who passed away Tuesday morning.

 

http://jeffhempbp.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/aaron_hoback_trainer.jpg?w=225&h=300

[Minigoon]

Final: Jackson 5 Huntsville 4

 

The Stars opened their series with the Generals Tuesday night with a 5-4 walk-off loss. Starter Jimmy Nelson was excellent again working a season high 8 innings for Huntsville. Nelson scattered 9 hits over those 8 innings, giving up 4 runs, only 2 earned, walked none and struck out a season high 10. Nelson (5-3) picked up a no decision while lowering his ERA to 2.89. Jimmy threw 104 pitches, 76 for strikes and posted a 10-2 ground out to fly out ratio. As pointed out in tonight's link report, Nelson did pitch 10 games last season in Huntsville and now has 10 starts in this season. Would not be surprised to see him get a bump up to AAA soon.

 

After Huntsville tied the game in the top of the 9th, Greg Holle was brought in to pitch the bottom. Holle (2-2, 4.38) only was able to record 1 out before the Generals plated the winning run. Holle's line was 1/3, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 HBP.

 

Huntsville Box Score

 

Huntsville fought back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game in the top of the 9th tonight. They were held to 7 hits, but 6 went for extra bases. Offensively, the Stars were led by third baseman Mike Walker. Walker was 1-3 with a walk, scored twice and drove in 2. His hit was a 1 out solo home run in the 9th to tie up the game. Kentrail Davis doubled twice and Robinzon Diaz continued his hot hitting by going 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Catcher Adam Weisenburger doubled and had an RBI. Centerfielder Rene Tosoni went 1-4 with a triple. Brock Kjeldgaard walked twice and Nick Shaw was intentionally walked tonight.

 

Huntsville Play By Play

 

The highs...

 

Huntsville Top of the 9th

 

Pitching Change: Tyler Burgoon replaces Stephen Kohlscheen.

Brock Kjeldgaard flies out to right fielder James Jones.

Mike Walker homers (3) on a fly ball to left field.

Robinzon Diaz singles on a ground ball to center fielder Denny Almonte.

Adam Weisenburger grounds out, second baseman Leury Bonilla to first baseman Steven Proscia. Robinzon Diaz to 2nd.

Tyler Burgoon intentionally walks Nick Shaw.

Hector Gomez strikes out swinging.

 

...and lows of the 9th inning.

 

Jackson Bottom of the 9th

 

Pitching Change: Greg Holle replaces Jimmy Nelson.

Michael Dowd grounds out, shortstop Hector Gomez to first baseman Jason Rogers.

Gabriel Noriega singles on a ground ball to center fielder Rene Tosoni.

Leury Bonilla singles on a line drive to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Gabriel Noriega to 3rd.

Denny Almonte hit by pitch. Leury Bonilla to 2nd.

James Jones singles on a ground ball to center fielder Rene Tosoni. Gabriel Noriega scores. Leury Bonilla to 3rd. Denny Almonte to 2nd.

 

Huntsville and Jackson will play game 2 tomorrow evening in Jackson, Tennessee. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 Central. Right hander Ariel Pena will look to close out May on a high note as he take the mound for the Stars. Stars play by play man Alex Cohen will be back for tomorrows game and will start thing off at 6:45 with the pregame show. This game will also be available for viewing via MiLB TV for those with a subscription.

[TheCrew07]

Snappers take Timber Rattlers in rain-shortened game

Beloit gets a home run just before play stops for a 6-5 win

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

BELOIT, WI - John Wooten hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Beloit Snappers up 6-5 over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Tuesday night at Pohlman Field. The tarp went on the field moments later. Then, the skies opened up and loosed a severe downpour. The game was not resumed and the Snappers picked up a rain-shortened win over the Timber Rattlers.

 

Beloit (30-21) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning on an odd play. They had Brett Vertigan at second and Daniel Robertson at first with one out. Renato Nunez lined a hard shot down the third base line that Mike Garza made a great diving stop to keep the ball from going into the left field corner for an extra base hit. Garza got up and looked to second, but had no play. Then, he threw to first, but he hit base umpire Nick Garvey, who was stationed in the center of the diamond as part of the two-umpire rotation in the Midwest League, with the throw. The ball trickled away from Garvey and by the time it was retrieved, a run had scored for a 1-0 lead.

 

Matt Olson drove in a more conventional run with a single for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

 

Wisconsin (22-25) rallied to take a 3-2 lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. Orlando Arcia doubled with two outs to knock in Adam Giacalone and send Clint Coulter to third. Tyrone Taylor hit a hard grounder to short and Daniel Robertson missed it for an error that scored two runs to put the Rattlers in front.

 

The Timber Rattlers added to their lead in the fourth inning. Coulter doubled to start the inning. Then, Garza tripled to right to drive in Coulter. Arcia singled through the drawn-in infield to send Garza home for a 5-2 advantage.

 

Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Gibbard struggled in the bottom of the fourth. He allowed a one out double to Sam Roberts and hit the next two batters to load the bases. Vertigan grounded into a force play at second to drive in Roberts and make the score 5-3. Then, Vertigan stole second with Daniel Robertson at the plate to get into scoring position.

 

Robertson sent a grounder to second, but the play was booted for an error and two runs scored to tie the game.

 

The Rattlers had a chance to go back in front in the top of the fifth inning. Parker Berberet was hit by a pitch with one out. Pinch-hitter Jose Sermo's fly ball dropped in for a double when the left fielder for the Snappers never saw the ball off Sermo's bat. That put runners on second and third with one out. Seth Streich, Beloit's starting pitcher, got out of the inning with a strikeout and a popup.

 

Jorge Lopez took over for Gibbard on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning. His first pitch to Wooten was hit for a towering home run that cleared the left field wall for a 6-5 lead. The next batter singled on a 1-1 pitch.

 

At that point, the head grounds keeper came out to talk about the imminent storm. The umpires called for the tarp and lightning flashed in the sky above the stadium as the grounds crew raced the weather to get the cover on the field in time.

 

They just beat the rain and a heavy downpour began within five minutes of the game's delay. There were another thirty minutes of heavy rain before the game was called and the Snappers picked up the win.

 

Streich recorded five strikeouts and picked up his fifth win of the season. Lopez was the tough-luck loser and fell to 1-4.

 

The loss was the third straight for the Timber Rattlers.

 

Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday morning at Pohlman Field. Eric Semmelhack (1-1, 3.25) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Vince Voiro (2-1, 3.55) is scheduled to start for the Snappers. Game time is 11:00am. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 10:40am.

 

HOME RUN:

BEL:

John Wooten (8th, 0 on in 5th inning off Jorge Lopez, 0 out)

 

WP: Seth Streich (5-2)

LP: Jorge Lopez (1-4)

 

TIME: 1:43 (:35 delay)

 

Wisconsin Boxscore

I don't mind saying I don't like the home cooking by Beloit/umpiring crew to give the Snappers a cheap win. If the danger was that imminent, and from Chris' call it was as lightening was coming down near the stadium when they came back from the break, why even send the players back out for 4 pitches? That doesn't excuse Jorge Lopez grooving one on his first pitch but I guess that's the breaks in MiLB.

 

Hopefully Chris covers why Clint Coulter was removed from the game in the blog, hopefully it's nothing serious as he was just starting to hit the ball well. i will say that for all of Clint's defensive adventures, and he had another in today's game not scored an error, he sure is head's up picking off runners who stray too far. He seems to have good instincts for the game, if not for catching.

 

Wisconsin Recap

[TooLiveBrew]

Sounds Drop Series Opener To I-Cubs, 6-2

Nashville Sounds

 

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

Stephen Parker (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Iowa left-hander Chris Rusin held the Nashville offense in check and the Cubs belted a pair of homers in a 6-2 victory over the Sounds on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Rusin (4-4), who retired 13 consecutive batters at one point, allowed one run on six hits over a season-high eight innings to pick up the victory. The southpaw struck out eight batters and threw 72 of his 97 pitches for strike on the night.

 

Third baseman Stephen Parker (2-for-4, two doubles) staked the Sounds to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with an opposite-field, two-out RBI two-bagger to left-center off Rusin that plated Scooter Gennett, who had opened the frame with an infield single.

 

Iowa responded in the second with a pair of unearned runs against Zach Kroenke that resulted from a throwing error by shortstop Blake Davis. Both runs in the frame scored on sacrifice flies, off the bats of Edwin Maysonet and Luis Flores, as the visitors grabbed a 2-1 advantage.

 

Red-hot Nashville first baseman Hunter Morris (2-for-4) extended a couple of streaks with a leadoff single in the bottom of the second. He has hit safely in a season-best eight straight games (11-for-29, .379) and has reached base safely in his last 19 tilts.

 

Iowa extended the lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Rusin helped his own cause with an RBI single up the middle that brought home Flores.

 

Maysonet, the former Sound, swatted his fifth home run of the year in the top of the sixth, a two-run shot to left-center that chased Kroenke. The blast stretched the Iowa lead to 5-1.

 

Kroenke (2-7) took the loss for Nashville after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings of work.

 

Iowa first baseman Brent Lillibridge added another Cubs roundtripper in the seventh when he led off with a solo shot to left-center that struck the guitar-shaped scoreboard. The I-Cubs have homered in 11 straight games.

 

Morris closed out the scoring in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out RBI single to right off Eduardo Sanchez that plated Parker, who had doubled earlier in the frame.

 

The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. meeting on Wednesday night. Right-hander Johnnie Lowe (0-0, 4.71) will make his first start of the year for the Sounds and face Iowa right-hander Nick Struck (3-3, 5.93).

 

 

Nashville Box

Gennett: 1-4

Davis: 1-4, E (throw)

Parker: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI

Morris: 2-4, RBI

Blake Lalli: 2-4

 

Mike Olmsted didn't register any strikeouts, but worked a perfect inning to extend his scoreless appearances streak to four games. Kyle Heckathorn gave up just one hit over 2.1 innings, but it was a solo HR; he didn't walk anyone & struck out three batters.

 

 

Nashville PbP

 

 

Nashville Gameday

[Mass Haas]

Stars fall despite Nelson’s strong outing

Matthew Raines, Huntsville Stars

 

On Tuesday, the Huntsville Stars opened up a series with the Jackson Generals at The Ballpark at Jackson, looking to gain ground in the Northern Division. Despite starter Jimmy Nelson’s ten strikeout performance and a ninth inning rally, the Stars fell to the Generals by a score of 5-4.

 

Huntsville trailed almost the whole night until third baseman Mike Walker lifted a home run to left field with one out in the ninth off Generals closer Tyler Burgoon to tie the score at four. Unfortunately, the Generals managed to load the bases against reliever Greg Holle (L, 2-2, 4.38 ERA) and Generals right fielder James Jones succeeded in singling up the middle to score shortstop Gabriel Noriega to win the game in walk off fashion.

 

The scoring started early in the game when the Generals pushed a run across in the bottom of the first inning as center fielder Denny Almonte got on base and, after moving over to second on a steal and third on a hit by Jones, came around to score on a fielder’s choice to put the Generals on top 1-0.

 

The Stars answered back quickly, getting a second inning leadoff triple from center fielder Rene Tosoni. Tosoni was brought home when Walker grounded out, tying the score at one going into the bottom of the second. Huntsville would fall behind again though in the bottom half of the second. Jackson second baseman Jack Marder came around to score the second Jackson run after leading off the inning with a hit by pitch. He came home thanks in part to an error by Stars right fielder Kentrail Davis after a single by Noriega, which also put Noriega on second. Noriega was then brought home two batters later when Almonte singled, ballooning the Generals lead to 3-1.

 

The scoring stopped until the fourth inning when the Stars benefited from a Jackson mistake. Walker, after getting on with a walk, managed to score from first after designated hitter Robinzon Diaz hit a deep drive to left that was misplayed by Generals left fielder Leon Landry. The error resulted in a run and Diaz standing at second, cutting the lead to 3-2. The Generals didn’t take long to answer back. After getting on with a single and advancing to second on a groundout, catcher Michael Dowd scored after pinch hitter Leury Bonilla looped a hit over the infield, bringing the score to 4-2 Generals.

 

The scoring slowed down again until Huntsville got their offense going again in the top of the seventh. Diaz led off the inning with a double and was brought home on a double by catcher Adam Weisenburger, leaving the Stars with a man on second with no outs. Unfortunately for Huntsville, Weisenburger got picked off of second and the score stood at 4-3 going into the seventh inning stretch.

 

Nelson threw eight innings, giving up four runs, two of them earned, on nine hits while striking out ten and walking none. His record stays at 5-3 and his ERA sits at 2.89. The ten strikeouts in the game is Nelson’s season high.

 

Burgoon picked up the win despite blowing a save opportunity in the ninth. He improves to 3-1 on the year. Generals starter Erasmo Ramirez went five innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

 

On offense, the Stars were led by right fielder Kentrail Davis, who had two doubles in his first two at bats. Diaz contributed two hits and Walker scored twice in addition to his home run. The Generals got a balanced attack with five hitters getting two hits, led by Noriega who went 2-4 with two runs scored and Almonte who went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI as well as two stolen bases.

 

With the loss, the Stars fall to 22-29 on the season and sit ten games back of the division leading Birmingham Barons. Jackson improves to 23-26, eight games behind Birmingham.

 

The Stars will continue their series with the Generals on Wednesday. Huntsville will send RHP Ariel Pena (4-3, 2.77 ERA) to the bump to square off against Jackson LHP Anthony Fernandez (2-0, 6.66 ERA). First pitch is at 7:05 CT.

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog --

 

Writing it out – Postgame post for May 28, 2013

[Mass Haas]

Check it out -- Homer the Polecat made his way to Jackson, TN to root on the Stars

 

VIDEO

 

How the announcer called "Pepe Le Peu" Italian and not French is pretty bad....

[LouisEly]

Old friend:

 

Manatees face Carlos Zambrano tonight in Clearwater

 

Yes, that Carlos Zambrano.

 

The guy is a first-class jerk, but... would the Brewers have anything to lose at this point by taking a flyer on him? He's only 32, and if somehow he can show something maybe he can get flipped for a prospect in July. If he's still a jerk they release him, but the Brewers need all the arms who can go multiple innings they can get right now. I don't think he's on PHI's 40-man roster, so could they offer him a major league contract and sign him away?

 

Hey, he's likely a better hitter than Gonzalez and Yuni...