Link Report for Mon. 4/14 - It's a Jimmy Nelson Night, Nice; FSL Honor for Jed Bradley

[Mass Haas]

The guys at Brevard have placed some VIDEO online, nice. Not the most advantageous camera angle, but it's more than we've ever seen from the 'Tees prior to this.

 

From Saturday's 3-1 win vs. Dunedin --

 

Tyrone Taylor launches a solo home run in the third inning to give the Manatees a 1-0 lead

 

With the game tied at one in the eighth inning, Cameron Garfield delivered with a two-run single. The 'Tees would hold on to win, 3-1

 

***

 

From Monday, back to AUDIO --

 

RHP Tanner Poppe joins Justin Rocke on the Manatees Pregame Show

 

Game highlights - The Yankees hold off a late Manatees charge to win, 2-1

[TheCrew07]

Bees quiet Rattlers in 5-1 win

Rattlers manage two hits to open road trip

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

BURLINGTON, IA - Chris McFarland gave the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers an early lead with a first inning home run at Community Field on Monday night. But, Wisconsin was held to just one more hit in a 5-1 loss to the Burlington Bees.

 

McFarland came to the plate with two out and none on in the top of the first. Wisconsin's second baseman hit a home run to right field for a 1-0 lead. It was McFarland's third home run of the season. McFarland hit three homers in 87 games with the Timber Rattlers in 2013.

 

Wisconsin (9-7) loaded the bases against Bees starter Elliot Morris after the home run by McFarland. Clint Coulter singled. Jose Pena walked and David Denson walked. But, Morris got a strikeout to end the first inning. Then, he retired the next 15 Timber Rattlers batters he faced in the game. Morris finished the game with five strikeouts.

 

On top of that, Coulter's single in the first inning was the last hit of the game for Wisconsin.

 

Rattlers starting pitcher Tyler Alexander hit the Burlington leadoff batter with his first pitch in the bottom of the first. The next batter singled. Alexander got the first out with a strikeout. Then, Angel Rosa doubled to right to drive in a pair of runs to give the Bees (10-6) a 2-1 lead. Rosa wound up on third base as the throw went to the plate. Wisconsin brought the infield in, but Anthony Bemboom lined the first pitch of his at bat through the right side of the infield to drive in Rosa for a 3-1 advantage.

 

Alexander settled in after the first inning and didn't allow another run. He went five innings and matched his single game high as a pro for strikeouts with six.

 

Reliever Taylor Williams came on in the bottom of the sixth and got a strikeout on the first batter he faced. But, a wild pitch on strike three let the batter reach. A walk and a loaded the bases for the Bees. Williams walked Kody Eaves on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. Williams hit Chad Hinshaw on a 1-2 pitch to force in another run for a 5-1 lead.

 

The Rattlers tried to rally in the top of the seventh against Bees reliever Harrison Cooney. Pena drew a walk to start the inning. Taylor Brennan walked with one out. Omar Garcia walked with two outs and the bases were loaded. Cooney escaped the inning with a grounder to second. He pitched around an error in the eighth and a walk in the ninth to work three scoreless innings for his first save of the season.

 

Game two of the series is set for Tuesday night. Tristan Archer (0-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Ryan Etsell (1-0, 2.45) is set to start for the Bees. Game time is 6:30pm. Tune in for the pregame show at 6:10pm on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio to catch all the action.

 

HOME RUN:

WIS:

Chris McFarland (3rd, 0 on in 1st inning off Elliot Morris, 2 out)

 

LP: Tyler Alexander (1-2)

WP: Elliot Morris (2-1)

 

TIME: 2:34

ATTN: 501

 

Wisconsin Boxscore

Not many positives out of this one beyond Tyler Alexander's 6 strike outs and Chris McFarland's HR both mentioned in the the game story. The Rattlers did walk 6 times as team so there's that...

 

Wisconsin Recap

 

Chris didn't mention it in the game story but Williams had Eaves down 0-2 before issuing the walk.

 

Burlington Bottom of the 6th

• Pitching Change: Taylor Williams replaces Tyler Alexander.
  Mark Shannon strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by pitcher Taylor Williams. Mark Shannon to 1st.
  Ryan Dalton walks. Mark Shannon to 2nd.
  Erick Salcedo singles on a ground ball to center fielder Johnny Davis. Mark Shannon to 3rd. Ryan Dalton to 2nd.
  Kody Eaves walks. Mark Shannon scores. Ryan Dalton to 3rd. Erick Salcedo to 2nd.
  Chad Hinshaw hit by pitch. Ryan Dalton scores. Erick Salcedo to 3rd. Kody Eaves to 2nd.
  Eric Aguilera lines into a double play, shortstop Angel Ortega to second baseman Christopher McFarland. Kody Eaves doubled off 2nd.
  Angel Rosa called out on strike

[Mass Haas]

Great news, see link for additional details and thoughts --

 

Huntsville's Buck Rogers to be named GM for Biloxi's new minor league baseball team

[Mass Haas]

Sounds' Nelson finds best form of season

By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com

 

Deliver, rinse, repeat. For Jimmy Nelson, it all clicked Monday night.

 

The top Brewers prospect found his best form of the season, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking one over seven innings as Triple-A Nashville trounced Omaha, 7-0.

 

"I felt pretty good from the first inning on," Nelson said. "I was able to keep my delivery more consistently than I have all year. I was able to get through the whole game and make the adjustment when I came off a pitch here and there. We had good defense behind me all day, and they put up seven runs for me, so that definitely helps."

 

Nelson didn't allow a Storm Chaser on the basepaths until the third and faced just one over the minimum through his first five frames. Omaha's biggest threat came when Nelson walked Brett Eibner and advanced him with consecutive two-out wild pitches in the sixth. The University of Alabama product buckled down to induce a flyout by No. 16 Royals prospect Christian Colon to end the frame.

 

"You're always fine-tuning things, no matter where you are in your career," Nelson said. "Whether you're 20 years old or 40, you're still working on stuff. For me, it's keeping my direction to the plate and not pulling off stuff and spinning toward first base. I felt something during the first inning when I was doing warmups. It helped me keep my direction toward the plate, and I was able to do that and repeat that consistently."

 

Consistency was the theme of the night for Nelson's offense too. The Sounds put up a four-spot in the third with three runs crossing on Robinzon Diaz's double. Nashville added three more in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Sean Halton.

 

"It's kind of a double-edged sword," Nelson noted of the run support. "It's relief and you feel comfortable, but at the same time, you can't get too comfortable. You still have to stay focused. You can't just give away at-bats or pitches. You almost have to pretend in your head that it's still a 0-0 game, so you go out there and execute your pitches."

 

Nelson finished strong in the seventh, retiring the side in order and striking out Brian Fletcher to cap his longest outing of the year.

 

"I felt something mechanically that I did a lot better job [with] today than I have the whole season," he said. "That translated to me being able to command my pitches a lot better than I have the whole year so far. I'm just going to keep repeating that now that I felt it, and now that I know what I was doing and just try to keep that consistent."

 

Omaha's John Lamb (0-4) allowed four runs -- two earned -- on six hits while striking out four and walking four over 4 1/3 innings.

 

Jimmy Nelson made four appearances for the Brewers and posted a 0.90 ERA last year. (Andrew Nelles/AP)

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/8/6/2/72935862/cuts/AP725599894939_uwpenp1u_u6mrbrqs.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Storm Chasers struggle, silenced by Sounds

By Tim Perera / Omaha World-Herald Correspondent

 

The Omaha Storm Chasers were stymied for the second time in three games by Nashville's starting pitching.

 

After a five-hit, 12-strikeout performance over eight innings by Mike Fiers on Saturday, Jimmy Nelson held the Chasers to two hits through seven shutout innings as the Sounds dealt Omaha a 7-0 loss Monday in front of 4,231 at Werner Park.

 

Nelson, who struck out nine, improved to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.80. Both of Nelson's victories this season have come against the Storm Chasers.

 

Nelson said he learned a little bit about the Omaha batters after watching Fiers on Saturday.

 

“I was behind the plate charting him, so I got to see how he pitched these guys,” Nelson said. “I just saw his sequences to certain hitters and how he kept everybody off balance.”

 

Omaha manager Brian Poldberg said there wasn't much his club was going to do offensively with the way Nelson was throwing.

 

“He kind of shut us down. Fastball. Slider. He was pretty good,” Poldberg said.

 

Omaha starter Jeff Lamb worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning after allowing a leadoff single to former Storm Chaser Irving Falu and issuing walks to Eugenio Velez and Sean Halton.

 

Lamb was able to get out of the frame unscathed when he forced Hunter Morris to pop out to second and Robinzon Diaz to ground to short.

 

Nashville loaded the bases again in the third inning with no outs, but this time Lamb wasn't able to escape.

 

Diaz grounded a 2-2 offering inside the third-base line to clear the bases and give the Sounds a 3-0 lead.

 

Diaz scored two batters later on a Hector Gomez grounder to make it 4-0.

 

Lamb threw 71 pitches through the first three innings and lasted just 4 1⁄3, surrendering four runs — two earned — on six hits with four walks.

 

Three Omaha errors didn't help the Storm Chasers' cause.

 

“Pitching was behind and in trouble, and when we had a chance to make a play, we didn't do it,” Poldberg said. “Poor defense and pitching struggling is not a good combination.”

 

The Sounds (9-9) added three more runs in the sixth off Chasers reliever Cory Wade to stretch the lead to 7-0.

 

Wade's night ended after 2 2/3 innings, having allowed three runs on four hits.

 

Donnie Joseph pitched the final two innings for Omaha and didn't allow a run. However, he issued four walks to bring the Chasers' total for the game to a season-high eight.

 

Omaha and Nashville are scheduled to complete their series at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday.

[Mass Haas]

Omaha and Nashville are scheduled to complete their series at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday.

 

Look for Tuesday's Link Report preview to come out by mid-morning, but plan on catching the Sounds' action in the office late this morning.

[Mass Haas]

This Jimmy Nelson run, coming off the second half of last year as well, feels so much more legitimate than Johnny Hellweg's 2013, which was always marred by poor peripherals.

 

Enjoy, Brewers fans. Keep rockin' it out, Jimmy.

[fondybrewfan]

I am really excited for the long term prospects of both Nelson and Thornburg in the starting rotation in Milwaukee. They both have the ability to be top of the line starters that Milwaukee needs.

 

Nelson probably doesn't see Milwaukee unless a starter gets hurt; but if he keeps this up then someone in the current rotation is going to be expendable this coming offseason.

[brewmann04]

I can't see how Nelson is not the top ranked pitcher in the System to me Hellweig has great potential but the guy is to wild still at this point to be a starting pitcher IMO