Link Report for Tue. 6/18 - Brevard's Playoff Push Continues

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: RHP Jimmy Nelson at Iowa (Cubs), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 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: Idle

 

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Brevard County: RHP Hiram Burgos in a rehab start at home vs. Lakeland (Tigers), 5:05 PM pre-game, 5:35 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: Midwest League All-Star Game from Dayton, 6:00 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link via the Dayton broadcast team

 

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DSL Brewers: at the DSL Braves, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until later in the day

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville

 

Brevard County

 

Midwest League All-Star Game

 

DSL Brewers

 

New MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

[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 media notes at the link just prior to game time.

 

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:

 

Des Moines, IA

 

Viera, FL (Melbourne)

 

Dayton, OH

 

Santo Domingo, DR

[Mass Haas]

About two days left on the Timber Rattlers Star Wars Jersey Auction...

[Mass Haas]

STANDINGS:

 

AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division

 

AA - Southern League North Division - FINAL 1ST HALF

 

High-A - Florida State League North Division

 

A - Midwest League Western Division - FINAL 1ST HALF

 

DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris

[Mass Haas]

Here's a link to the Tampa - Dunedin box score.

 

Root for Daytona to bump off Clearwater (box), just to be safe in case both Brevard County and Dunedin stumble in these final two games of the first half schedule.

 

But more importantly, go Tampa Yankees! That series with Dunedin shifts to the Tampa complex tonight, so at least there's that.

 

Here's an interesting note. When Tampa visits Dunedin Wednesday, it's an early matinee. The Manatees don't play until evening, so everyone will know what the stakes are (or aren't) heading into Wednesday night's game.

 

Of course, it'd really be big if Hiram Burgos and Brevard take tonight's game...

[Mass Haas]

Post-Crescent: Rattlers well represented at All-Star Game

 

By the way, the Post-Crescent has cut way, way back on its original Timber Rattlers coverage in 2013, at least online.

[Mass Haas]

Nice write-up on the Rattlers via "Ron Roenicke Stole My Baseball", from Kane County.

[Mass Haas]

My apologies if I missed it, but has there been a reason given for Hellweg skipping a start? He last pitched on June 11th. Nelson, Narveson and Thornburg are listed as the probables for the next three games. Just wondering if I missed something (injury, call up, personal matter, etc)

 

The Sounds are playing six games in four days in Iowa starting tonight, and Hellweg isn't scheduled to start any of them (Jimmy Nelson tonight):

 

Wednesday, June 19 at Iowa 5:00 PM LHP Chris Narveson (0-2, 8.31) vs LHP Brooks Raley (5-4, 5.22)

at Iowa Game 2 RHP Tyler Thornburg (0-8, 6.29) vs RHP Barrett Loux (4-2, 5.66)

Thursday, June 20 at Iowa 7:05 PM RHP Frankie De La Cruz (1-6, 7.77)vs RHP Yoanner Negrin (1-2, 3.67)

Friday, June 21 at Iowa 5:00 PM RHP R.J. Seidel (1-3, 5.45) vs RHP Guillermo Moscoso (2-5, 4.88)

at Iowa Game 2 RHP Johnnie Lowe (0-1, 3.72) vs TBA

 

***

 

But Hellweg's not on the DL, and in the minors, it's only a 7-day DL. Very odd.

[TheCrew07]

Sad story for the fatality who was going the wrong direction but it could have been much worse.

 

E-Twins involved in fatal bus crash

[Mass Haas]

Struggling Huntsville Stars seeking fresh start in Southern League's second half

by Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

It's just as if he had an Etch-a-Sketch. Darnell Coles entered his office late Monday night and could shake away the ugly facts of the first half and an uninspiring evening.

 

"We're oh-and-oh, starting over," said Coles, the Huntsville Stars' manager, tucking things away in a locker cubicle.

 

Such is the luxury of baseball at this level, where seasons are divided in half and the official arrival of summer provides the promise of a fresh spring.

 

The Stars, who open the second half Wednesday night in Jacksonville, limped home 29-39 in the first half, 14 games behind Birmingham, only a few percentage points higher than Pensacola, with the worst record in the league.

 

The Stars could hide behind the "we're young, we're inexperienced in Double-A" excuse for the first months.

 

"We can't say that any more," Coles said. "We've been here now."

 

Because of the inexperience and the simple lack of the sheer talent some clubs possess, the margin for error has been needle-thin for Huntsville. Coles bemoaned some defensive lapses "that give other teams four or five outs an inning and you can't do that" and mental mistakes.

 

That's what must change in the second half, for the Stars as a team and as individuals.

 

"It's an extremely talented league," Coles said. "Everybody sends their best prospects here. This is the league that shows the promise of future stars. A lot of guys went to the (prospect-heavy Arizona) Fall League. At least three or four have ended up in the big leagues, including guys from our team last year.

 

"It's about player development. When they leave here, they have to have the distinct advantage of how to play from Triple-A and on."

 

The first half had some notable performers with gaudy stats:

 

-- Jimmy Nelson, now at Class AAA Nashville, was 5-4 but had a 2.74 ERA, 13th best among starters.

 

-- Taylor Jungmann won seven games in a span of eight starts.

 

-- Ariel Pena has a 2.26 ERA.

 

-- Kentrail Davis batted .286, sixth-best in a league that had only two regulars finish the half above .300.

 

-- Brock Kjeldgaard has 12 homers, second best in the league, though leads the league with 80 strikeouts.

 

-- Jason Rogers leads the league with 48 RBIs.

 

While some individual numbers have been sparkling, the team numbers are bleak. The Stars are batting .217 as a team in June, in which they've gone 5-10. They are batting .228 with runners on base, .215 with runners in scoring position, .184 with runners in scoring position with two outs. They are hitting 30 points lower on the road than at home.

 

"You've got to execute pitches in certain situations, you've got to catch balls and you've got to move guys over," Coles said, drumming a finger on his desk in emphasis.

 

"There are some good things that have gone on. We've got some guys that are in the top five in a number of categories," he continued. "It's just a matter of putting it all together. It's not from lack of effort. Sometimes it's execution-type things. You keep preaching on it and you work on it. Then you preach on it again and work on it some more."

 

***

 

Huntsville Stars manager Darnell Coles looks for better second half

 

http://imgick.al.com/home/bama-media/width620/img/sports_impact/photo/12009322-mmmain.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Hellweg's fine -- Tom Haudricourt asked Gord Ash per our request and here's what he learned

[Mass Haas]

Chris Mehring wrote this feature for MiLB.com on Matt Erickson at the All-Star Game. Excellent work as always...

 

***

 

Erickson ready to lead the West in 2013 All-Star Game

Approach stays the same for Timber Rattlers manager no matter the game

 

Matt Erickson is ready to manage the West Division in the 2013 All-Star Game. Consider this a job that was fifteen years in the making.

 

The last time the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager had a chance to be in the Midwest League All-Star Game was 1998. He was in his first full season as the third baseman for the Kane County Cougars. Erickson, who would finish third in the league in hitting that season and be named to the MWL Post-Season All-Star team, was left off the West Division squad for the league's Mid-summer classic.

 

"I was snubbed!" Erickson kiddingly exclaimed. "I didn't have a very good first month of the season offensively and then things clicked in that second month and I got on a nice little streak and I think I was leading the league in hitting at the All-Star Break. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go be a part of it. But, I was able to get away from the game for a little bit and came back rejuvenated and came back ready to go for the second half."

 

Erickson is the manager of the Western Division for the 2013 All-Star Game because he guided the Timber Rattlers to the 2012 Championship. It sounds like his philosophy for this game isn't much different from his first two-and-a-half years as the manager of the Timber Rattlers.

 

"I just got done telling our guys in the clubhouse, 'Hey, priority number one is to stay healthy. But, they're playing here in a great atmosphere and it's the best talent in the Midwest League. So, I know that I'm excited."

 

"Priority number two is to have fun," he continued. "Make sure you're smiling and don't take things to seriously. The third thing that I'd like to see with this talented group is once the game starts to have their competitiveness take over because what makes these guys great [is that] not only do they have some ability, they also love to compete and hopefully that shines through with their effort tonight."

 

The starting lineup that Erickson has for this game is impressive. The fact that Dario Pizzano, an outfielder for the Clinton LumberKings who has tormented Timber Rattlers this season, is batting ninth is a testament to the depth of the batting order.

 

"Especially the [guys from the] Cedar Rapids ballclub," Erickson noted. "They have four players in our starting lineup today and I think all four of the guys are in the top five in RBI in the league. Obviously we have some offensive production from the whole Western Division when you look at the numbers they put up. Hopefully we can do that in this game."

 

Lance McCullers (3-4, 2.08 ERA) of the Quad Cities River Bandits was a bit of a surprise as the starting pitcher for the West in this game. Raul Alcantara of Beloit went 7-1 with

 

"He's a guy that's got electric stuff (NOTE: 68 strikeouts in 60-1/3 innings pitched) and he's limited to twenty pitches today, explained Erickson. "I know he's got a unique pregame routine and we decided to go with him and get that out of the way and his teammates will back him up in the first inning if needed."

 

As for how he plans to use the three Timber Rattlers pitchers in this game, Erickson noted that he would probably only use Damien Magnifico. Austin Blaski is a scratch and Ryan Gibbard may only be used in an emergency.

 

"Magnifico is going to come out and pitch the fifth inning," said Erickson. "Blaski was going to back him up in the fifth. Unfortunately, we just got some news that Blaski's is scratched. There's some tenderness in his shoulder and we're going to get that checked out. Obviously we don't want to hurt him in this game. So we're going to keep him out."

 

"Gibbard will be a late inning guy just depending on how the game flows," noted Erickson. "He could use some time off, too. If we blow up a little bit on the backside with the pitching you'll see Gibbard. If not, hopefully we can give him this time off."

 

Erickson is the fourth Timber Rattlers manager to be at the head of a squad at the Midwest League All-Star Game. Mike Goff (1996), Gary Varsho (1997), and Scott Steinman (2005) were the others and all were on the losing side. Erickson will try to turn that piece of history around tonight as he gets on the field for a Midwest League All-Star Game after that disappointment of not making the 1998 team.

 

When asked if he remembers who beat him out for the starting nod for the Western Division in the 1998 All-Star Game at Clinton, Erickson responded, "I have no idea."

 

Matt Erickson pitches batting practice to the West Division All-Stars before Tuesday's All-Star Game in Dayton, Ohio.

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/4/7/8/51015478/cuts/June_18_2013_MattErickson_c5w8sqzj_uw5s30e8.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Hellweg's fine -- Tom Haudricourt asked Gord Ash per our request and here's what he learned

 

Jeff Hem, Voice of the Sounds, with more --

 

Footnote to Haudricourt article today: Hellweg scheduled to start Sat. in New Orleans. Nelson goes tonight at Iowa then being skipped a turn.

[Mass Haas]

Nice All-Star Photo Keepsake

[TheCrew07]

Yesterday I looked at the team statistics for the MWL, today I'll do the individual hitting and pitching.

 

Midwest League Batting Leaders

Looking at T-Rats in the top 20.

 

AVE

1. Devin Travis (Tigers) - .350

2. Byron Buxton (Twins) - .344

...

10. Michael Reed - .302

...

13. Tyrone Taylor - .297

14. Mitch Haniger - .297

 

OBP

1. Byron Buxton (Twins) - .431

2. Devin Travis (Tigers) - .423

...

8. Mitch Haniger - .399

...

16. Michael Reed - .383

 

SLG

1. Brandon Drury (D-Backs) - .564

2. Byron Buxton (Twins) - .561

...

4. Mitch Haniger - .510

 

OPS

1. Byron Buxton (Twins) - .992

2. Jabari Henry (Mariners) - .927

...

5. Mitch Haniger - .909

...

22. Michael Reed - .802

 

Midwest League Pitching Leaders

Looking at T-Rats in the top 20.

 

ERA

1. Justin Hancock (Padres) - 1.73

2. Austin Blaski - 2.01

...

22. Tyler Wagner - 3.32

 

SO

1. Robert Stephenson (Reds) - 85

2. Pierce Johnson (Cubs) - 74

...

10. Tyler Wagner - 59

 

WHIP

1. Dylan Unsworth (Mariners) - .90

2. Jeff Ames (Rays) - .91

...

10. Austin Blaski - 1.12

...

15. Tyler Wagner - 1.18

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Local TV with video highlights from Monday's victory, including a nice sliding catch by Sean Halton in right field

 

***

 

More video from that game: Anderson De La Rosa's three-run HR

[Mass Haas]

Big news on the draft front tonight - follow the links to the 515 foot HR

[TheCrew07]

More love for the Pirates organization.

 

All-Star Game has Bucs on right track

[TheCrew07]

The West (T-Rats) loses the MWL All-Star Game in the bottom of the 9th after scoring 3 in the top to tie it, and Reds' prospect Jesse Winkler wins the HR derby. Damien Magnifico acquitted himself well pitching a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. More tidbits on top prospects in the story

 

Winker pumps homers, bumps Foster

[Eye Black]

FINAL: Brevard County 8, Lakeland 3

 

Brevard scores early and often in 8-3 win

'Tees top Lakeland, remain alive in playoff race with one day left

By Andy Towne / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/2/0/51065120/cuts/Mittelstaedt_6.18_2_sanfg9gu_62kyd5ev.JPG

Manatees left fielder T.J. Mittelstaedt connects on a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning as Brevard County defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 8-3 on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium. Mittelstaedt was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

 

AUDIO: Game Highlights

AUDIO: Brandon Macias Pre-Game Interview

 

VIERA, Fla. - A three-run first inning was just the beginning of a strong offensive performance for the Brevard County Manatees in an 8-3 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium.

 

The Manatees' (36-30) offense backed up pitchers Hiram Burgos and Brent Suter, who combine for a strong performance on the mound. Burgos, who was making the second start of his Major League rehab assignment, faced the minimum through the first three innings before giving up a pair of runs on four hits in his fourth and final inning. He struck out a total of four batters, including three in that final frame.

 

Suter (5-4, 3.33) took it the rest of the way with five innings of five-hit ball, surrendering only an unearned run to the Flying Tigers (30-37) in the ninth inning with six strikeouts. The duo of did not walk a batter, marking the fifth time this season that Brevard's pitching staff has not surrendered a walk in a game.

 

T.J. Mittelstaedt led off the bottom of the first with a home run off of Jeff Ferrell that would spark the offense for the Manatees. Mittelstaedt's homer was followed by a Greg Hopkins single, a Mitch Haniger double to plate Hopkins and then a single from Nick Ramirez to bring in Haniger that made it 3-0.

 

Brevard County scored an unearned run in the third after Hopkins reached on an error, stole second base and then came home three batters later on a single from Cameron Garfield.

 

Garfield drove in two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, knocking in both Haniger and Ramirez after Chadwin Stang had scored on a sacrifice fly from Mittelstaedt. Mittelstaedt also put up his third RBI of the night in the eighth inning, with a two-out single that drove in Brandon Macias.

 

With the Dunedin Blue Jays' extra-innings win over the Tampa Yankees on Tuesday night, the Manatees remain one-half game back of first place with one game to go in the first half. Brevard County will know its fate before they take the field on Wednesday night as Dunedin and Tampa will face-off at 11:00 a.m.

 

If the Blue Jays defeat the Yankees, Dunedin will clinch the first half title for the Florida State League North Division. Should Dunedin lose to Tampa, the Manatees would be able to claim the playoff berth with a win over Lakeland on Wednesday night, beginning at 6:35 p.m.

 

Brevard County will send All-Star David Goforth to the hill, while the Flying Tigers will counter with Hudson Randall (1-5, 4.58).

 

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

 

Brevard County Play-by-Play

[TooLiveBrew]

Sounds Blanked In Series Opener In Iowa, 7-0

Nelson Hurls Quality Start For Nashville But Takes Hard-Luck Loss

Nashville Sounds

 

http://i.imgur.com/N7RBwhj.jpg

Jimmy Nelson, archive photo (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)

 

DES MOINES, Iowa - Three Iowa Cubs hurlers combined on a four-hit, 7-0 shutout of the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday evening at Principal Park in the opener of a six-game series.

 

The shutout was the fifth suffered this season by the Sounds (24-46), who left eight runners on base in the contest. Iowa has won nine of its last 12 contests, while Nashville has dropped four of its last five.

 

Iowa right-hander Nick Struck (4-4) squared his record on the year by earning the win with 6 2/3 frames of scoreless, three-hit ball. Casey Coleman worked 1 1/3 innings of relief before Eduardo Sanchez closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth for the I-Cubs.

 

Right-hander Jimmy Nelson (0-2) worked a quality start for the Sounds but took a hard-luck loss for the second time in his three Triple-A outings. The young right-hander allowed two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, walking four batters and striking out three.

 

Iowa grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-out RBI double off the bat of Donnie Murphy. The two-bagger, which came on a 3-0 pitch from Nelson, plated Dave Sappelt, who led off the frame with a single.

 

After managing only one hit through the first six innings against Struck, Nashville threatened in the seventh but missed an opportunity to get onto the scoreboard.

 

Red-hot Sean Halton, who has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 contests, reached on a one-out bloop single to right and moved to third on Hunter Morris' double off the right field wall. Struck popped up Josh Prince for the second out before Coleman took over on the hill for the Cubs. The right-hander walked Stephen Parker to load the bases before retiring Blake Davis on an inning-ending fielder's choice.

 

Iowa stretched its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the seventh by batting around and plating four runs against a trio of Sounds hurlers.

 

After an inning-opening single by Brent Lillibridge and a sacrifice bunt, Nelson was lifted in favor of left-hander Travis Webb, who failed to retire any of his three batters faced. The southpaw issued a walk and hit a batter to load the bags before Lillibridge raced home on a passed ball charged to Blake Lalli. Iowa catcher Steve Clevenger followed with an RBI single to right that chased Webb and made it a 3-0 contest. Tim Dilard was summoned from the Nashville bullpen and the sidewinder was greeted by a two-run double off the bat of Sappelt.

 

The Sounds put two runners on with two outs in the eighth against Coleman but the veteran hurler caught Halton looking at strike three to end the frame with the shutout intact.

 

Iowa added a pair of unearned insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth against Dillard to extend the lead to 7-0. Brian Bogusevic and Sappelt contributed RBI singles in the frame. The runs scored following a fielding error at first base by Morris.

 

The teams continue the series with a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday evening that will consist of a pair of seven-inning contests. Left-hander Chris Narveson (0-2, 8.31) will make his fifth rehab start for Nashville when he mans the bump in the opener to face Iowa southpaw Brooks Raley (5-4, 4.22). The nightcap will feature a matchup of Sounds right-hander Tyler Thornburg (0-8, 6.29) and I-Cubs right-hander Barrett Loux (4-2, 5.66).

 

 

Nashville Box

Hainley Statia: 2-4

Lalli: 0-2, 2 BB, PB, 0/3 CS

Halton: 1-4

Morris: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB, E (fielding)

Parker: 0-2, 2 BB

 

 

Nashville PbP

 

 

Nashville Gameday