Link Report for Wed. 4/30 - Busiest Link Report of 2014 Thus Far

[Mass Haas]

Old friend RHP Jesus Sanchez (Marlins organization now) made a spot start in Game Two of the Nashville doubleheader. He was OK for three innings here, but had previously struggled in his relief role in April.

[Mass Haas]

Sounds' Fiers fans 11 in two-hit shutout

Brewers right-hander wins fifth straight start, lowers ERA to 0.80

By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com

 

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Mike Fiers leads the Pacific Coast League with five wins and 47 strikeouts. (Mike Strasinger/Nashville Sounds)

 

Mike Fiers is off to a such a hot start in the Pacific Coast League that something must be working especially well for him. What is it?

 

"Everything," he said.

 

Fiers pitched a seven-inning two-hitter and struck out 11 without issuing a walk Wednesday as Triple-A Nashville blanked New Orleans, 1-0, Game 1 of a doubleheader at Greer Stadium.

 

"I've been able to throw all four of my pitches for strikes, really locating with most of them every start," the 28-year-old right-hander said. "Usually, when I go into a game, I pick the best three to work with, but when all four are working this well, it makes it easy for me to to keep hitters off-balance [throughout the game]."

 

Fiers (5-0) has won every game he's started this season and leads the PCL in wins and strikeouts (47). He's second behind Memphis' Tsuyoshi Wada with a 0.80 ERA.

 

"I saw that. I try not to look at stats too much, but that's hard not to notice when you see something. It's another little confidence-booster," the 2009 22nd-round Draft pick said. "It's a reminder that I can pitch. I had a rough year last year, up and down [between Milwaukee and the Minors]. Just the confidence of it, 'Hey, I can pitch and get it done.'"

 

His dominant outing on Wednesday ended a six-game winning streak by the Zephyrs, who'd scored 45 runs during that stretch, including nine against the Sounds on Tuesday. Fiers didn't study their lineup with any more rigor or depth than usual.

 

"I don't really look too far into what any team does [in the games before]," he said. "I'm not going to look back at how long these guys have been doing well because I don't know what the pitchers before me threw, if they made bad pitches or what. I can't go off what they did. If I make my pitches, I expect to get guys out."

 

Both of New Orleans' hits were doubles. Fiers opened the game with back-to-back strikeouts before surrendering a two-bagger to Josh Rodriguez, then punched out the first two batters in the fifth inning before Juan Diaz doubled. In both cases, he retired the next hitter to get out of trouble.

 

"It didn't matter if they hit a home run or whatever it is, you have to pitch the same. That's a big thing that I've gotten better about my years in the pros," said Fiers, who went 9-10 for the Brewers in 2012. "Everyone says, 'Hey, don't worry about that' [after a big hit], but it really is a big factor, being able to put it away and focus on the next guy."

 

Fiers got into another jam in the sixth, when Matt Angle reached on a two-out error by first baseman Hunter Morris, Milwaukee's No. 10 prospect. Angle took third on an errant pickoff attempt, but Fiers struck out Rodriguez to end the inning.

 

"There were a couple [moments] with guys in scoring position, where I was having to bear down and make good pitches, even better pitches than I made before," he said. "But I like being in that situation. I like a 1-0 game where every pitch matters and one pitch could change the game."

 

Fiers has not allowed more than one run in any start and has limited foes to a .160 batting average. Wednesday's performance was his first complete game since April 28, 2013, but he struck out 12 over eight innings of one-run ball on April 19 at Omaha.

 

"Those doubleheaders are always fast. Seven innings seems a lot shorter than nine -- I don't know why, but those last two innings make the game a lot longer," he said. "I'd rather throw a nine-inning shutout, of course, but I'll take the seven-inning one."

 

Brian Flynn, the Marlins' No. 7 prospect, also went the distance for the Zephyrs. He fell to 2-2, despite allowing a run on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts over six innings.

 

"He's definitely got good stuff. He has good life on his fastball," Fiers said of Flynn. "I've been in that situation, too -- you throw well and deserve to have a win, but the other guy was better. It's a good start but also a bad [feeling]."

[Mass Haas]

Pitching keeps Sounds in contention

by Nick Cole, the Tennessean

 

With a combined 13-33 record over the past two Aprils, the Sounds found themselves falling out of PCL playoff contention before the flowers had even bloomed on the baseball season.

 

But under the direction of new manager Rick Sweet, the Sounds find themselves in a much more palatable position after the first month of play in 2014.

 

The Sounds are 14-12 heading into May, the club's best start since 2010.

 

Nashville, which has not qualified for the postseason since 2007, found itself tied with Round Rock atop the PCL's American Southern division after Wednesday.

 

The chief reason for the better April lies in a pitching staff that has the second-best earned run average in the PCL.

 

Starting pitchers Jimmy Nelson (3-1, 1.97 ERA) and Mike Fiers (5-0, 0.80) have been among the league's top performers in the early season.

 

The Sounds also can point to the addition of veteran major leaguers such as Eugenio Velez (.414 avg, 3 HR, 7 SB), Pete Orr (.350 avg, .550 slugging) and Jeremy Hermida (.830 OPS) to a lineup that was young by Triple-A standards a season ago as reason for improved offensive stability.

 

Surgery sidelines Hellweg: Sounds starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg has thrown his last pitch this season.

 

The 2013 PCL pitcher of the year underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday.

 

The procedure, which typically requires a recovery time of a full year, was performed by Dr. James Andrews.

 

Hellweg was 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in four starts for the Sounds.

 

Back in the saddle: Sounds pitcher Rob Wooten is back in the ninth-inning role for Nashville after spending nine days with the Brewers last month.

 

Wooten got off to a quick start to the season in Nashville, converting his first three save opportunities for the Sounds without allowing a baserunner.

 

The early efficiency earned Wooten a call-up from Milwaukee on April 13 to serve as a middle reliever. But after posting an 8.31 ERA and taking a loss in four big-league appearances, Wooten found himself ticketed back to Nashville on April 21.

 

The 28-year-old, who was the Sounds' lone Triple-A All-Star Game representative last season, has since found his groove again as the closer in Nashville. He still sports a 0.00 ERA through five appearances with the Sounds, and leads the club with four saves.

 

Roster shakeup: Recent trips to the disabled list for Hellweg, outfielder Kevin Mattison and catcher Matt Pagnozzi have brought some changes to the Sounds' roster.

 

In addition to the returns of Wooten and pitcher Alfredo Figaro from Milwaukee, the Sounds also added infielder Hainley Statia and reliever Jeremy Jeffress to the roster.

 

Statia returns to Nashville for a third consecutive season after beginning the season with Double-A Huntsville, where he was reaching base at a .417 clip for the Stars through 11 games. He had a .352 on-base percentage in 114 games while serving as a utility man for the Sounds last season.

 

Jeffress, a 2006 first-round pick by the Brewers, made his return to the organization on April 18 after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his Sounds debut on Tuesday with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

 

The Sounds' Hainley Statia (Photo: Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean)

 

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[Mass Haas]

Nashville, which has not qualified for the postseason since 2007...

 

***

 

When you read that stand-alone, it really rings strong how important it is for the Brewers to field a strong AAA team in 2014, in order to help Nashville's front office (and their new stadium) commit to the Brewers for another two seasons. 2007 is a long time ago.

 

No matter how professional and cooperative the Brewers organization may be, one can envision Nashville's staff simply saying, prove to us you can put together a strong 2014 for our fan base.

 

Of course, that's all speculation on my part...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Game One --

 

The Sounds scored the contest's only run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sean Halton doubled with one out against Zephyrs lefty Brian Flynn (2-2) and scored two batters later on catcher Robinzon Diaz's two-out RBI single to center (AUDIO).

 

***

 

Mike Fiers became the first Nashville hurler to post three consecutive double-digit strikeout totals since the club joined the PCL in 1998 (AUDIO - Fiers' 10th strikeout).

[Mass Haas]

Montgomery, AL - Huntsville Stars 1B Nick Ramirez homered for the fourth time in his last five games leading the Stars to an 8-4 win Wednesday morning over the Montgomery Biscuits at Riverwalk Stadium.

 

VIDEO: Two-run homer

[Mass Haas]

Ramirez rides shift, sparks Stars over Biscuits

by A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser

 

The alignment may seem peculiar, with the shortstop on the opposite side of second base and the second baseman playing short right field.

 

But it's becoming familiar to Huntsville Stars first baseman Nick Ramirez.

 

With the Biscuits deploying a defensive shift against him, Ramirez hit his league-leading sixth home run, had three RBIs and scored three times in Huntsville's 8-4 victory Wednesday at Riverwalk Stadium.

 

"The whole league has been shifting on him," Stars manager Carlos Subero said. "Everybody has been playing him like that."

 

Many of the Biscuits were already familiar with Ramirez from last year in the Florida State League. Ramirez finished among the league leaders with 19 homers and 81 RBIs.

 

"We have some numbers on him," said Biscuits manager Brady Williams, who was in the FSL last year, too. "He tries to get the head (of the bat) out, so playing a shift is nothing new.

 

"We were trying to play the percentages."

 

Teams' defensive shifts, Ramirez said, are helping him become a better hitter.

 

He now has four home runs in his last five games and 13 RBIs over the last two weeks.

 

"I think it makes me stay inside the ball more and go the other way," Ramirez said. "With the shift out there, I'm not trying to pull the ball as much."

 

Ramirez blooped a single between two outfielders in the first inning, had an RBI double in the third and added a two-run homer in the sixth.

 

"He's always been a powerhouse guy," said Biscuits pitcher Dylan Floro, a teammate of Ramirez's at Cal State Fullerton. Floro did not pitch Wednesday.

 

"I've never seen shifts like that against him, but it's something the Rays do, and he's a pull guy."

 

Ramirez came to bat in the eighth with a shot, albeit a long one, at a cycle. He needed a mere triple, which would have been fourth of his four-year career.

 

"I definitely knew about that," said the 24-year-old, who popped out to short. "I needed to hit a pitch in the gap, either left center or right center, and probably run through a stop sign, too."

 

Nick Ramirez takes a throw. (Photo: AMANDA SOWARDS/ADVERTISER)

 

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[Mass Haas]

More from A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser --

 

Splish, splash: Star takes a bath

 

Huntsville second baseman Greg Hopkins, with similar skill as Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, went after a sixth-inning groundball Wednesday.

 

A steady, game-long drizzle left Hopkins with a special landing.

 

While Montgomery's Cameron Seitzer picked up a single, Hopkins came away with a fully saturated uniform.

 

"That was like a Slip'N Slide," Hopkins said. "Before the game, we had an idea it might be like that. Once the ball is hit, your instincts take over."

 

Hopkins said he last hit a Slip'N Slide when he was "12, maybe 13."

 

"He got absolutely drenched," Biscuits second baseman Ryan Brett said. "That couldn't have felt good."

 

Shaffer will takewall-aided triple

 

Biscuits third baseman Richie Shaffer took advantage of some good placement for a first-inning RBI triple.

 

His ball settled underneath a pad at the wall and Huntsville left fielder Kentrail Davis held up his hands, signaling that he felt the ball was out of play.

 

When Shaffer kept running, Davis picked up the ball and umpires signaled that it was in play.

 

"It was a weird play, but weird stuff happens in baseball," Shaffer said. "I wish I could have gotten an inside-the-park home run out of it."

 

Motter expected homer discussion

 

Montgomery's Taylor Motter said he understood when Stars manager Carlos Subero argued Motter's eighth-inning home run.

 

The ball hit the back fence over left field and the walkway and bounced back onto the field.

 

"I figure you have to argue it if it comes back on the field," Motter said. "If I was a manager, I'd do the same thing."

[Mass Haas]

Here's your chance to name the Biloxi franchise!

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Highlights from the Threshers' 7-6 loss to Brevard County in 11 innings on Wednesday

 

This is the Clearwater broadcast team's version...

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog postgame entry --

 

As Chris states:

 

If you are reading this when I posted it….Sleep fast, Timber Rattlers fans!

 

If you are reading this after a good night’s sleep…GET UP! Game one starts at 12:05 PM!

 

Includes pre-game AUDIO with Pitching Coach Elvin Nina, Between Games Interview with Matt Erickson, and three postgame interviews.

 

Plus photos AND your two sets of doubleheader game highlights! Chock-full! Thanks, Chris!

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: From MyNew32 TV's broadcast, here's a more complete set of highlights (and lowlights) from the Timber Rattlers' 5-1 loss in Game Two.

[Mass Haas]

Busy, busy!

 

Look for Thursday's Link Report to arrive by mid-morning, in time for your day-long entertainment kicking off with the Wisconsin daytime doubleheader.

[JohnBriggs12]

Clint Coulter is leading the Midwest league in OPS. Feels good to write that.

 

Also feels good to write that Shawn Zarraga has an even higher OPS in the Southern League (1.117).

 

I don't know if these guys can catch, but they can hit and as the old saying goes "the bat plays". Zarraga is a switch hitter who plays almost exclusively vs. RHP who he is mauling to the tune of .512/.566/.581. Those are good numbers if he was facing high schoolers.

[brewmann04]

Quick question for the experts any one think Nick Ramirez will over take Hunter Morris as the top 1st Base Prospect?

[JohnBriggs12]

Quick question for the experts any one think Nick Ramirez will over take Hunter Morris as the top 1st Base Prospect?

 

I'm not an expert though I play one on here. Nothing that he's done so far would give Ramirez the edge, and they are separated by less than a year in age. If Morris shows he has clearly reached his ceiling, and Ramirez shows improvement, that would change. Odds are sometime this season Morris is going to make his major league debut. He's going to have to impress fairly quickly and put up solid AAA numbers just to hold his 40 man spot.

[fondybrewfan]

Morris is having a decent year this year with a 830 OPS. So far he has been quite a bit better than his very mediocre 2013. He still needs to walk more though. He has to be their first 1st base call up if needed.

[brewmann04]

Thank You for the replies