Link Report for Sun. 6/23 - Rehabs cut short by rain (Burgos), ineffectiveness and injury (Estrada)

[Mass Haas]

From Saturday's Timber Rattlers TV broadcast -

 

Postgame interview with OF Michael Reed

[Mass Haas]

Marco Estrada's postgame video interview with reporters after his less-than-successful rehab start, hamstring is barking

[Eye Black]

FINAL: Brevard County 12, Dunedin 1

 

Manatees blow out Blue Jays, 12-1

Brevard benefits from four Dunedin errors in rout

By Andy Towne / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/4/0/51605140/cuts/Suter_6.23_1_4avwyo9l_jkxa2bfz.JPG

Manatees starting pitcher Brent Suter allowed just one run in six innings as Brevard County blasted the Dunedin Blue Jays, 12-1 on Sunday evening at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography))

 

AUDIO: Game Highlights

 

VIERA, Fla. - Two runs would have been enough for a win, but the Brevard County Manatees' offense put up an extra ten in a 12-1 win over Florida State League North Division first half champion Dunedin Blue Jays to open a three-game series on Sunday evening at Space Coast Stadium.

 

Brevard County (2-2 second half, 39-32 overall) southpaw Brent Suter (6-4, 3.15) stifled the Blue Jays (1-3, 38-32) to the tune of one run that came on a single swing of the bat. K.C. Hobson's second inning homer was the first run of the game and one of just three hits for Dunedin. Hobson finished with two of those three hits, with Suter allowing all three in his six innings of work with six strikeouts - three of which came in a twelve pitch sixth - and two walks.

 

Brevard County answered back with three runs in the bottom of the second, with a Ben McMahan RBI single scoring Nick Ramirez before Rafael Neda drove in both Greg Hopkins and McMahan. Neda went 3-for-4 with two RBI and had his first three-hit game since August 15, 2012 with Class-A Wisconsin.

 

Yadiel Rivera's second long ball of the season led off the third inning, giving the Manatees a 4-1 lead.

 

In the fifth, the Manatees took advantage of three errors committed by Dunedin to score four unearned runs and extend the lead to 8-1. After Ramirez drew a one-out walk, Hopkins hit a dead double play ball that snuck through the legs of third baseman Gustavo Pierre to put runners on first and second.

 

Cody Hawn followed with a grounder that the first baseman Hobson made a diving stop on, he then elected to shovel the ball to second with no coverage at first base. His toss escaped the glove of Peter Mooney, the shortstop covering the bag, dribbling into left field where he went back and picked it up as Ramirez scored. He threw over to third base, where Hopkins was attempting to advance to and threw the ball away from Pierre for the second error on the play. Hawn also advanced to second.

 

Without the errors on the play, the three-run homer that followed by McMahan likely would have been a grand slam, with all four runs being unearned either way. McMahan went 4-for-5 on the night with a career-high four RBI and two runs scored. It was the third four-hit game in McMahan's career and first since May 9, 2012 with Wisconsin.

 

Ramirez did notch a grand slam for the 'Tees in the sixth inning, the second salami of the year for the Manatees to make it a 12-1 rout. Hopkins notched the other one all the way back on April 10 at Lakeland.

 

Tyler Cravy and Andre Lamontagne combine to hold the Blue Jays hitless and scoreless through the final three frames.

 

Dunedin starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx was tagged with the loss, as he was charged with eight runs even though just four were earned in his five innings on the bump. He yielded nine hits and just one walk with three strikeouts.

 

Damien Magnifico, who was recently promoted to Brevard County from Wisconsin, will get his first start with the Manatees on Monday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. His counterpart from Dunedin will be Florida State League All-Star Scott Copeland (6-2, 2.49).

 

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

BC Hitters

T.J. Mittelstaedt: 1-5, R, 2B

Yadiel Rivera: 2-4, 2 R, HR, BB

Mitch Haniger: 2-5, R

Nick Ramirez: 2-4, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB

Gregory Hopkins: 1-5, 2 R

Ben McMahan: 4-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI

Rafael Neda: 3-4, 2 RBI

 

BC Pitchers

Brent Suter: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR

 

 

Brevard County Play-by-Play

 

A whole lot of good moments in today's game, but an especially good inning and a half beginning in the bottom half of the 5th:

 

Brevard County Bottom of the 5th

• -Mitch Haniger flies out to left fielder Marcus Knecht.
  -Nick Ramirez walks.
  -Gregory Hopkins reaches on a fielding error by third baseman Gustavo Pierre. Nick Ramirez to 2nd.
  -Cody Hawn reaches on a force attempt, throwing error by first baseman K. Hobson. Nick Ramirez scores. Gregory Hopkins to 3rd. Cody Hawn to 2nd. Throwing error by shortstop Peter Mooney.
  -Ben McMahan homers (2) on a fly ball to right center field. Gregory Hopkins scores. Cody Hawn scores.
  -Rafael Neda grounds out, shortstop Peter Mooney to first baseman K. C. Hobson.
  -Chadwin Stang lines out to center fielder Mike Crouse.

 

Dunedin Top of the 6th

• -Gustavo Pierre called out on strikes.
  -Gabe Jacobo strikes out swinging.
  -Mike Crouse strikes out swinging.

 

Brevard County Bottom of the 6th

• -Pitching Change: Ajay Meyer replaces Austin Bibens-Dirkx.
  -T. J. Mittelstaedt doubles (6) on a line drive to center fielder Mike Crouse.
  -Yadiel Rivera walks.
  -Mitch Haniger singles on a line drive to center fielder MIke Crouse. T. J. Mittelstaedt to 3rd. Yadiel Rivera to 2nd.
  -Nick Ramirez hits a grand slam (15) to right field. T. J. Mittelstaedt scores. Yadiel Rivera scores. Mitch Haniger scores.
  -Gregory Hopkins grounds out to first baseman K. C. Hobson.
  -Cody Hawn flies out to left fielder Marcus Knecht.
  -Ben McMahan singles on a line drive to center fielder Mike Crouse.
  -Rafael Neda singles on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Knecht. Ben McMahan to 2nd.
  -Chadwin Stang grounds out, third baseman Gustavo Pierre to first baseman K. Hobson.

[Mass Haas]

From Chris' Saturday postgame blog entry:

 

Weird play in the top of the second inning. There were two outs and the bases were loaded. Kepler hit a high fly ball that was slicing towards foul territory. Victor Roache made a long run to get to the ball. Then, he stopped at the foul line and reached to make the catch. It looked like he was trying to catch a pass and keep his feet in bounds. He made the catch, but it just looked…weird.

 

That play is among the game lowlights and highlights from the TV broadcast.

 

And yes, the calls make you appreciate Mr. Mehring...

[Mass Haas]

Stars fall as Suns win in rout

Matthew Raines/ Huntsville Stars

 

Jacksonville, FL. – The runs came early and often in The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville for Sunday’s game between the Huntsville Stars and the Jacksonville Suns. Unfortunately for the Stars, the runs were for the Suns. Using a six run third inning, Jacksonville cruised to an 11-2 win, dropping Huntsville further into a hole to start the second half.

 

The Suns scored first in the bottom of the second when Ryan Fisher singled, bringing in Aaron Dudley to make the score 1-0. The Suns then exploded in the third inning. Jacksonville plated six runs in the inning, capped by pitcher Henderson Alvarez’s three-run home run, bringing the score to 7-0 Suns. Jacksonville added two runs in the fourth and two in the seventh to make the score 11-0. The Stars made an effort in the top of the ninth, when pinch hitter Robinzon Diaz hit a two-run homer to left field, plating himself and Joey Paciorek, and making the score 11-2. Unfortunately, that was the last gasp for the Stars as Suns pitcher Jordan Conley finished the game by striking out Brock Kjeldgaard and Mike Walker back to back.

 

Huntsville pitcher Andy Moye (3-8) took the loss, tossing three innings, giving up eight hits and seven runs. He struck out four while walking two. Four Stars pitchers gave up 14 hits and 11 runs on the night, their worst performance since June 10th.

 

Alvarez (1-0) got the win for the Suns, going six and two thirds innings, giving up three hits and no runs. He struck out six and walked none. Alvarez also went two for three at the plate on the day including his home run .

 

Huntsville was led at the plate by Diaz, who drove in the only two Stars’ runs in his only at-bat of the game. Diaz’s home run was his third of the season. Stars batters combined for more strikeouts on the night, nine, than they did hits, four.

 

J.T. Realmuto led Jacksonville at the plate, going three for four with two runs scored. Fisher added two hits and three RBI’s as Chris Gutierrez had two hits, both doubles, two runs scored and two RBI’s.

 

With the loss, the Stars fall to 30-43 on the year, 1-4 in the second half. The Suns improve to 38-34, 4-1 in the second half. For the Stars, this second half start is exactly opposite of the first half when they started 4-1.

 

Huntsville will next travel to Birmingham, AL. where they will face the Birmingham Barons for a five game series starting on Monday. The Stars return home on Saturday, June 29th when they start a series against the Chattanooga Lookouts.

[Mass Haas]

A-Crew trails 4-2 in the bottom of the 6th, but it's been an eventful three half-innings --

 

***

 

AZL Reds Top of the 5th

 

Yonatan Suero strikes out swinging.

Dalton Carter grounds out, shortstop Tucker Neuhaus to first baseman David Denson.

J. R Reynolds hit by pitch.

With Cory Thompson batting, passed ball by Tanner Norton, J. R Reynolds to 2nd.

Defensive Substitution: Joe Andrade replaces catcher Tanner Norton, batting 4th, playing catcher.

Cory Thompson lines out to shortstop Tucker Neuhaus.

 

105 degrees, you almost always see catchers split game duties, but odd removal point there.

 

AZL Brewers Bottom of the 5th

 

Elvis Rubio homers (1) on a fly ball to left field.

David Denson homers (1) on a fly ball to left field.

Paul Eshleman strikes out swinging.

Eric Williams lines out to second baseman Ronald Bueno.

Luis Aviles pops out to first baseman Logan Uxa in foul territory.

 

NICE!

 

AZL Reds Top of the 6th

 

Ronald Bueno flies out to left fielder Eric Williams.

Kevin Garcia homers (2) on a fly ball to left field.

AZL Brewers Manager Nestor Corredor ejected by HP umpire Kale Rodrigues.

Aristides Aquino pops out to catcher Joe Andrade in foul territory.

Logan Uxa flies out to center fielder Brandon Diaz.

[TooLiveBrew]

Sounds Fall To New Orleans, 2-1

Josh Prince Homers For Nashville's Lone Run

Nashville Sounds

 

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

Josh Prince, archive photo (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)

 

• AUDIO: Josh Prince Go-Ahead HR

 

METAIRIE, La. - The Nashville Sounds suffered their league-leading 17th one-run defeat on Sunday afternoon at Zephyr Field, falling 2-1 to New Orleans.

 

Nashville managed only three hits on the afternoon and New Orleans hurlers combined to retire the final 15 Sounds batters in order to close out the contest.

 

Right-hander Hiram Burgos made a rehab start for the Sounds but it was an abbreviated one-inning outing due the onset of a lengthy rain delay. He allowed one hit and walked a batter during a scoreless 22-pitch frame.

 

The game was halted due to rain during the top of the second inning and delayed for two hours before resumption.

 

Zack Kroenke worked out of a jam in the fourth for the Sounds after New Orleans loaded the bases with one out. Joe Mahoney led off with a double and moved to third on a Jake Smolinski single. Kyle Skipworth filled the bags when he was hit with a one-out pitch. The left-hander worked out of the jam when his inside offering to pinch-hitter Gorkys Hernandez struck the bat and dribbled just in front of home plate. Anderson De La Rosa pick up the ball, stepped on the plate, and fired to first for an inning-ending double play to keep the scoreless game intact.

 

Josh Prince plated the first run of the day when he led off the fifth by swatting his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot to left-center that greeted Z's reliever Rob Waite. The roundtripper snapped an 0-for-16 stretch for Prince.

 

Mahoney evened the contest at 1-1 in the sixth when he slugged his first longball of the year, a leadoff solo shot to left-center off Kroenke.

 

New Orleans took a controversial 2-1 lead in the seventh when Kevin Mattison led off with a double against Kroenke (4-9) and later scored from third on Bryan Peterson's popup in foul territory down the left field line. On the play, Ozzie Chavez made the catch and fired a one-hop throw home that beat the runner to the plate, but Mattison was ruled to have evaded De La Rosa's tag to score the go-ahead run. Sounds skipper Mike Guerrero was subsequently ejected for arguing the call.

 

Jesus Sanchez kept the deficit at one run in the eighth by working into and out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam. Mahoney reached on a Blake Davis fielding error and Smolinski and Matt Downs each singled to fill the bags. After each of the next two hitters bounced into force outs that erased runners at the plate, Sanchez struck out Mattison to escape the frame with no damage.

 

Zephyrs closer Chris Hatcher took over on the hill in the ninth and retired the Sounds in order to nail down his minor league-leading 24th save.

 

The teams continue the series with a 7:00 p.m. matchup on Monday evening. Left-hander Chris Narveson (1-2, 7.00) will make the start for the Sounds and oppose New Orleans southpaw Duane Below (3-2, 2.36).

 

 

Nashville Box

Hainley Statia: 1-3, BB

De La Rosa: 1-3

Prince: 1-2, HR, RBI

 

 

Nashville PbP

 

 

Nashville Gameday

[Mass Haas]

Video interview: Manager Matt Erickson sits down to discuss the Timber Rattlers' season-to-date

[Mass Haas]

Mustangs edge Brewers 4-2 for short-series sweep

By Curt Synness, Helena Independent Record

 

The Helena Brewers were shaded by the Billings Mustangs 4-2 for their third loss of the young Pioneer League season, but the Brewers’ pitching and hitting improved as the game went on.

 

And at least the Brewers weren’t shut out in their home ballpark at Kindrick Legion Field Sunday, thanks to Jose Pena’s two-run, ninth-inning home run.

 

Catcher Daniel Paula was the hitting star for Billings, going 3 for 4 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored.

 

Teammates Evan Rachal, Phillip Ervan and Ty Washington (double, RBI) stroked two hits each. Nick Benedetto chipped in with an RBI.

 

Billings scored two runs in the second inning and one each in the next two stanzas.

 

Mustangs starter Jose Guzman earned the win, working five scoreless innings and allowing just three hits, while striking six Helena batsmen. The visitors used three relivers, with Abel De Los Santos nailing down the final two outs after Pena’s shot for the save.

 

“We did a better job pitching as the game progressed,” said first-year Helena manager Tony Diggs. “We were careless early and not spotting our pitches, but then our pitchers settled down, and we threw the ball well the last half of the game.”

 

Brandon Moore started on the mound for the hosts, and was tabbed with the loss. Moore gave up two runs and four hits, in two innings.

 

Eduard Reyes and Estevenson Encarnacion relieved the final seven innings and collaborated to shut the Magic Crew out over the last five frames.

 

Helena (1-3) went into the ninth with eight goose eggs on the scoreboard, but then Garrett Cooper stroked a one-out single to center, followed by Pena’s bomb over the center field fence.

 

BrewCrew shortstop Angel Ortega went 2 for 4 on the day, while catcher Dustin Houle laced a double.

 

Houle also showcased his strong throwing arm in the first inning, when he gunned down Billings’ Jon Matthews attempting to steal second.

 

“Another positive is that we came into the ninth inning today ready to play offensively,” Diggs said. “We made some adjustments at the plate, but we have to make those adjustments earlier.”

 

Brewers hitters drove about five or six long fly balls to the warning track, each time just getting under the baseball.

 

“The reason for the high flies was because our swings were too big,” the Helena skipper explained.

 

“If we stay within ourselves we’ll start hitting more line drives for hits.”

 

Billings now travels to Missoula, while Helena will remain at home for the start of a two-game series against Great Falls.

[Mass Haas]

Final: AZL Reds 4, @AZL Brewers 3

 

Arizona Brewers Box Score

 

5th round RHP Josh Uhen out of UW-Milwaukee and Oshkosh with his pro debut, three runs (one earned) in a three inning start. Also a pro debut for 20-year-old RHP Dylan Brock out of Glendale Community College, two scorless innings to keep it close in relief late - the 34th round pick must have had friends / family among the usual few in attendance. Nice work by RHP Joel Dicent (22 in August), a vet of the AZL and DSL, in the middle innings.

 

Second baseman Francisco Castillo finally had a tough game, 0-for-4 with two errors. You saw the two HR's in the prior post, 18-year-old CF Brandon Diaz tripled (and walked), so the A-Crew had three extra-base-hits along with three singles. Cruz also had an assist in this odd 8-5-6 play:

 

AZL Reds Top of the 8th

 

Pitching Change: Dylan Brock replaces Joel Dicent.

Ronald Bueno doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Eric Williams, deflected by third baseman Luis Aviles.

Kevin Garcia flies into a double play, center fielder Brandon Diaz to third baseman Luis Aviles to shortstop Tucker Neuhaus. Ronald Bueno out at 3rd.

Aristides Aquino grounds out, third baseman Luis Aviles to first baseman David Denson.

 

Arizona Brewers Game Log

 

Down 4-3 late, bases loaded, one out, not happening --

 

AZL Brewers Bottom of the 8th

 

Pitching Change: Wagner Gomez replaces Ibrahin Redan.

Francisco Castillo strikes out swinging.

Brandon Diaz walks.

Tucker Neuhaus singles on a line drive to center fielder Kevin Garcia. Brandon Diaz to 2nd.

Joe Andrade walks. Brandon Diaz to 3rd. Tucker Neuhaus to 2nd.

Pitching Change: Soid Marquez replaces Wagner Gomez.

Elvis Rubio pops out to third baseman Yonatan Suero.

David Denson flies out to left fielder Jonathan Martijn.

[Mass Haas]

Lonely Stars' video highlight -- Robinzon Diaz's 9th inning HR to avoid the shutout

[TheCrew07]

Cards' Carlos Martinez

 

Redbirds' Martinez produces best start

[TheCrew07]

Pirates' RHP Luis Heredia

 

Heredia puts up zeros in season debut

[TheCrew07]

SS Alen Hanson of the Pirates getting some love.

 

Prospect Notebook: Carlos Correa Stands Out For Astros