Link Report for Mon. 5/19 - It's Another Manatee Morning Matinee (And it's Magnifico!)

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: LHP Brad Mills at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 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 $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 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: RHP Jacob Barnes at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link

 

Steve Jarnicki is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars - welcome aboard! Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveJarnicki. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast.

 

MiLB.TV - It appears seven of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games (not the Stars).

 

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Brevard County: RHP Damien Magnifico at Jupiter (Marlins), 9:05 AM pre-game, 9:35 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the proper link based on listed schedule

 

Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; 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 (or not at all), we'll let you know that.

 

No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV.

 

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Wisconsin: RHP Barrett Astin at home vs. Kane County (Cubs), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM

 

Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio.

 

For the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from seven Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games.

 

NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (30) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule so you can coordinate your DVR activity.

[Mass Haas]

DVR ALERT: As we've been reminding you all weekend, Monday's Timber Rattlers game is on MyNew32 TV, 6:00 PM pre-game.

 

After tonight, the next game is this Wednesday the 21st, same channel and time info.

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

 

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 these just prior to the respective game times --

 

Nashville Media Notes - it's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Roster" banner on the Sounds' site.

 

Brevard County Media Notes - again, it's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Multimedia" banner on the Manatees' site.

 

Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog

[Mass Haas]

STANDINGS:

 

AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division

 

AA - Southern League North Division

 

High-A - Florida State League North Division

 

A - Midwest League Western Division

[Mass Haas]

Sortable individual stat pages:

 

Nashville

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

Weather.com:

 

Nashville, TN

 

Huntsville, AL

 

Jupiter, FL

 

Grand Chute, WI (Appleton)

[Mass Haas]

Jimmy Nelson was Baseball America's Pitcher of the Day for Sunday --

 

"With his performance this year, it seems Mr. Nelson has a taste for Bratwurst that Nashville just can't cure. He was excellent again on Sunday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with five punchouts against one walk."

[Mass Haas]

Another award for a Brewer farmhand -- Stars' RHP Drew Gagnon Southern League Pitcher of the Week

[WV Brew]

Magnifico having an incredible game. 2 hits through 8.

[fondybrewfan]

He finished off the complete game 2 hitter. Up and down the system there have been a ton of good pitching performance. Now offense throughout the entire organization has been spotty at best but it has been great to see so many good pitching outings both in MIL and throughout the minors. I don't know much about Magnifico but he is another guy having a really strong year

[brewmann04]

I agree now hopefully they will remain as starters on their way to Milwaukee even though some Bil League calling will be out of the pen.

[TheCrew07]

Manatees' Magnifico magnificent on mound

Brewers right-hander records first career complete game, shutout

 

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Damien Magnifico had not pitched more than six innings in a start this season before Monday. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)

 

If you looked at the first few columns of Damien Magnifico's pitching line from May 13 for Class A Advanced Brevard County against Fort Myers, you'd think it was a decent start. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Then, you'd get to the walks. There were six of them, and that's where even Magnifico's analysis of his own outing went south. "Sometimes you just suck..." he tweeted afterwards.

 

"Last time out, I got too ahead of myself," he said. "I was struggling to get anything into the zone, so I tried to slow it down a bit and focus on what's ahead of me a little more."

 

The difference seemed to work wonders in his next outing on Monday.

 

The 22-year-old right-hander scattered two hits and only walked one while pitching all nine innings in Brevard County's 1-0 win over Jupiter. It was the first shutout as well as the first complete game of his three-season Minor League career, which had spanned 38 appearances entering Monday's matinee.

 

Thanks to his improved focus and control, Magnifico didn't allow more than one Hammerhead to reach base in any of his nine innings. A Viosergy Rosa single in the second, a Blake Barber walk in the third and an Austin Barnes single in the seventh were his only personal blemishes in the gem. (Barber also reached on an error by Manatees shortstop Yadiel Rivera in the sixth).

 

"I was working with a fastball, slider and changeup," he said. "All three were pretty solid, but the changeup was pretty tough at first. It probably didn't really come around until the third. The slider was really good, though, from the beginning."

 

With that three-pitch mix, Magnifico was able to keep Jupiter on the ground for most of the gem, recording 15 groundouts compared to four flyouts, five strikeouts, two pop outs and a lineout.

 

"That came from the slider some, but we were focusing a lot on getting fastballs in," he said. "They just got on top of a lot of them, and that's what caused so many to get on the ground."

 

Following the gem, the Brewers' 2012 fifth-round pick is 3-3 with a 2.37 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and .215 batting average against through nine starts (49 1/3 innings). He has yet to give up a homer in that span.

 

Those numbers resemble a different story than the one told by his first trip to the Florida State League late last season.

 

After going 5-1 with a 3.83 ERA at Class A Wisconsin, Magnifico moved to Brevard County in late June but could never get his bearings at the new level. He gave up a combined 10 earned runs in his first three starts (12 2/3 innings), and a blister on his finger kept him from lasting longer than three innings in any start the rest of the way. He finished 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in 10 FSL starts (26 2/3 innings).

 

Now healthy, the right-hander hopes the longest outing of his career is a sign that last season -- and his previous start -- are both behind him for good.

 

"Last year, I came here and felt like I had to prove something and forced it a little bit," he said. "After a couple of starts, the coaches came to me and told me to just trust my stuff more. Then, I had the blister, but that was something I carried into instructs and this season.

 

"Now, it's just about keeping that focus, letting my arm travel more instead of forcing it. Those are things that seem to be working well."

 

Reigning FSL Pitcher of the Week Scott Lyman (3-3) suffered the loss for Jupiter despite giving up only one unearned run on eight hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings.

 

Left fielder Victor Roache, who finished 2-for-4, plated Tyrone Taylor with a single off Lyman in the sixth inning to give the Manatees the only run of the game.

[HiAndTight]

He finished off the complete game 2 hitter. Up and down the system there have been a ton of good pitching performance. Now offense throughout the entire organization has been spotty at best but it has been great to see so many good pitching outings both in MIL and throughout the minors. I don't know much about Magnifico but he is another guy having a really strong year

 

 

I don't know much about him myself other than he had arguably the biggest arm in his draft class and routinely hit triple digits.

 

I'm not sure why his peripherals aren't more impressive for a guy with such a low ERA and such a big time fastball, but it's definitely encouraging.

[Mass Haas]

Via Steve in Huntsville --

 

30 WIN CLUB: The 2014 Stars are only the 6th Stars team in franchise history to hit the 30-win mark in May (and this club did so by May 18th). Their 30-14 record is the 2nd best start in their history. The 2008 Stars featuring Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar Angel Salome, and 11 game winner LHP David Welch, started out 30-13 (followed up by a 11-16 stretch). The 2008 team didn’t make the playoffs. Despite a 41-29 record in the 1st half, they tied West Tennessee (now the Jackson Generals) for 1st place. They were beaten 5-1 getting only four hits in the tie-breaking game.

[TheCrew07]

T-Rats postponed, no story yet.

[bkrause2]

Final: Brevard County 1, Jupiter 0

 

Magnificent Magnifico dominant in 'Tees 1-0 win

By Justin Rocke / Brevard County Manatees

 

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Brevard County Manatees did not need much offensive help on Monday morning as starting pitcher Damien Magnifico put together the best start of his professional career, in a complete game, two-hit shutout in the Manatees, 1-0 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium.

 

Magnifico (3-3, 2.37 ERA), whose previous career-high was six innings on three separate occasions, allowed only four batters to reach base on two singles, a walk, and a fielding error.

 

The right-hander was even better in the few occasions Jupiter put a runner on. Magnifico induced a double play ball after a single in the second and an inning-ending fielder's choice after a walk in the third. The Mesquite, Texas native also did not allow any of his four baserunners to get past first base.

 

The former Oklahoma Sooner thrived as the game moved along, as well. Magnifico retired 11 of the final 12 Hammerheads' (20-24) hitters, with the only exception being a single by Austin Barnes in the seventh.

 

Magnifico's amazing performance was the first complete game shutout by a Manatee since Drew Gagnon did it on August 28, 2012 in Lakeland. It was also the first nine-inning complete game shutout since April 28, 2009 when Evan Anundsen no-hit the Daytona Cubs at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

 

Despite squandering some early inning scoring opportunities, including loading the bases with one out in the second, the Manatees (23-19) got the only run they needed in the top of the sixth.

 

Tyrone Taylor led off the frame with a line drive single to center. With Cameron Garfield at the plate, it seemed like Taylor had run himself into a disaster. Taylor took an extended lead towards second when he saw a breaking ball from Jupiter starter Scott Lyman (3-3, 1.61) tail into the dirt.

 

The catcher, Barnes, noticed and made a snap throw towards first to pick off Taylor. As Viosergy Rosa chased him towards second, the first baseman's throw went high and wide of the shortstop Terrence Dayleg, who was covering the bag. The throwing error allowed Taylor to advance to second with nobody out.

 

After Garfield struck out, Nicky Delmonico walked, bringing Victor Roache to the plate. After a three-hit performance on Sunday, Roache came through with the game's biggest base-hit. The left fielder snuck a ground ball through a hole on the right-side of the infield to score Taylor and give Brevard County the lead, 1-0.

 

That one run was all the 'Tees were to push across as Lyman, who was named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week during the game, took his third loss of the year. The right-hander allowed the one unearned run on eight hits, walked one and struck out six over six innings.

 

The Manatees will remain at Roger Dean Stadium for another four games as they take on the ballpark's other occupant, the Palm Beach Cardinals (18-25), at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday.

 

Brevard County will look to two-time FSL Pitcher of the Week, Jed Bradley (4-2, 3.20) to keep them on the winning track. The Cardinals will counter with right-hander Thomas Lee (4-2, 3.55).

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

This has to go down as Damien Magnifico's best start of his pro career. As mentioned in the game story, he hadn't gone more than six innings in any outing through the past three seasons. They mentioned on the radio broadcast that Magnifico was still hitting 95 in the eighth inning as well. The Manatees offense managed eight hits, but all were singles. Victor Roache went 2-for-4 and knocked in the only run. Tyrone Taylor had the only other multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 and scored the lone run. Nicky Delmonico walked and singled.

 

Brevard County Play-By-Play

 

Not much offense in this one, just the lone BC run, but check out the full play-by-play to see the dominance of Magnifico.

 

Brevard County Top of the 6th

Tyrone Taylor singles on a line drive to center fielder Cameron Flynn.

With Cameron Garfield batting, Tyrone Taylor picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, Tyrone Taylor to 2nd. throwing error by Viosergy Rosa.

Cameron Garfield strikes out swinging.

Nick Delmonico walks.

Victor Roache singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jesus Solorzano. Tyrone Taylor scores. Nick Delmonico to 2nd.

Brandon Macias grounds into a double play, shortstop Terrence Dayleg to second baseman Anthony Gomez to first baseman Viosergy Rosa. Victor Roache out at 2nd.

[TheCrew07]

Wisconsin and Kane County rained out on Monday

Rattlers host division leading Cougars in 12:05pm doubleheader on Tuesday

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Monday's game between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Kane County Cougars at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium has been postponed by rain. This was the sixth postponement of the season for the Timber Rattlers. All six have been at home.

 

The teams have rescheduled Monday's rainout to a doubleheader on Tuesday. Game one of the twinbill is scheduled to start at 12:05pm. A minor league doubleheader is two seven-inning games with a thirty minute break between the end of game one and the start of game two. Fans with tickets for Tuesday will be admitted to both games.

 

The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a poster of Timber Rattlers outfielder Johnny Davis. This is poster number four in a series of ten that are being given away this season by Dunkin Donuts.

 

Show your business card when you purchase a ticket and for $13.50 you will receive a box seat ticket, a beverage and your choice of brat or hot dog. The offer is also available to senior citizens (55 & older) courtesy of Baker Tilly, WVBO, and AM1280 WNAM. May is ALS Awareness Month and the Rattlers will host an MDA/ALS Awareness Day at the ballpark, too.

 

Tickets for Monday may be exchanged for the same price ticket to any future regular season Timber Rattlers home game in 2014. Tickets must be exchanged at the Timber Rattlers ticket office. Tickets cannot be replaced if lost, stolen, or destroyed and there are no cash refunds.

 

The Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Box Office is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00pm. Individual game tickets for the 2014 Timber Rattlers season are on sale now. Fans may purchase their tickets in person, by calling (800) WI-TIMBER or (920) 733-4152 or online through timberrattlers.com.

[TheCrew07]

Mattison Belts Game-Ending HR As Sounds Walk Off Against Omaha

Green Drives In Three Runs For First-Place Nashville In 5-4 Win

Nashville Sounds

 

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(Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Kevin Mattison belted a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to power the Nashville Sounds to a walkoff 5-4 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Monday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Mattison's game-ending blast, his third big fly of the year, came against Ramon Troncoso and gave the first-place Sounds (24-20) their second last at-bat win of the year.

 

By opening the game with a pair of scoreless frames, Brad Mills extended his scoreless streak to 18 1/3 innings, surpassing Brian Meadows (18.0 IP in 2003) for the longest such streak during the Sounds' PCL era (1998-present).

 

Omaha put an end to that streak in the third, however, by plating three runs to grab a 3-0 lead.

 

Left fielder Melky Mesa (2-for-3) led off the inning with a line drive solo homer to left, his third of the year, to put the visitors on the board. Brett Eibner followed by drawing a walk from Mills, was sacrificed to second, and scored to double the Omaha lead to 2-0 on newly-crowned PCL Batter of the Week Jimmy Paredes' RBI single to center. Later in the frame, Paulo Orlando singled to center with two outs to bring home Paredes.

 

The Sounds jumped onto the board in the bottom of the fourth against P.J. Walters. Hunter Morris singled with one out, moved to second on a Jeremy Hermida walk, and scored on Taylor Green's two-out single to center.

 

Nashville pulled into the lead with a three-run outburst in the sixth. Caleb Gindl drew a leadoff walk and hustled to third on Morris' single to right before scoring on a Walters wild pitch to make it a 3-2 contest. After Justin Marks took over on the Omaha hill, Matt Pagnozzi bunted the runners into scoring position before Green (2-for-4) delivered again for the Sounds, slapping an opposite-field, two-run double to left to give the home team a 4-3 advantage.

 

Omaha quickly tied it at 4-4 in the next half-inning as Mesa belted his second homer of the night, a two-out roundtripper to right that chased Mills from the contest.

 

Jeremy Jeffress (1-1), who followed Mills with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, picked up his first win of the year as the beneficiary of Mattison's heroics.

 

The teams continue the series with an 11:05 a.m. matinee on Tuesday morning. Right-hander Ariel Pena (2-3, 4.67) will make the start for the Sounds and face Omaha southpaw John Lamb (1-5, 4.97).

 

Nashville Boxscore

Part of me wishes this veteraness thing wasn't working out so well in both AAA and AA, but any walk off win is fun.

 

Brad Mills came back down to earth a little bit but Jeremy Jeffress continued his recent nice stretch going scoreless for the 3rd successive outing. Jeremy's peripherals are not awe inspiring but he's been effective and only allowed 2 baserunners tonight.

 

Hunter Morris (2-4), Taylor Green (2-4,2B), and Hector Gomez (2-4) had the multi-hit games for the sounds. Morris still only has 8 walks on the season against 36 strike outs in 147 (I think) ABs so far. Until Hunter learns to be more selective and force pitchers to consistently throw him strikes he's just not going to see pitches to hit in MLB even though he's adjusted enough to carry a decent AAA line.

 

Nashville Recap

 

Nashville Gameday

 

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[HiAndTight]

Any chance that Jeffress gets the call at any point this year? It seems to me they're trying to extend him a bit, perhaps so he could come in and pitch multiple innings if need be? He's obviously been a starter. He can still throw the ball with outstanding velocity. His command doesn't appear to be great, but he's most certainly got the stuff.

 

If they choose to leave Fiers and Nelson in the rotation, maybe Jeffress gets the call when Wang has a "sore shoulder," or if Wooten/Kintzler struggle or deal with more shoulder soreness?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Birmingham 18, @Huntsville 9

 

Stars Four Game Winning Streak Ends

 

Huntsville, AL - The Birmingham Barons scored a season high eighteen runs as they hit five home runs leading them to an 18-9 win Monday night over the Huntsville Stars at Joe Davis Stadium. The win ended the Barons five game losing streak, while the loss ended the Stars four game winning streak.

 

Birmingham scored four runs against Stars starter Jacob Barnes in the second inning. Kevan Smith scored on a wild pitch and Jaime Pedroza hit a three-run homer to right field for a 4-0 Barons lead.

 

The Stars scored in the bottom of the second against Mike Recchia who was making his Double-A debut. Kentrail Davis grounded a ball towards the pitcher's mound which went off Recchia's glove. Shawn Zarraga was able to score making it 4-1.

 

The Barons hit their second home run of the game in the fourth against Barnes. Michael Early hit a two-run shot making it 6-1.

 

Barnes, who fell to 0-2 on the year, lasted 3.2 innings giving up six runs on four hits. He also walked four.

 

With the Stars trailing 10-1 going into the sixth inning, they started to make a comeback. Mitch Haniger and Greg Hopkins each provided RBI singles. Then Shea Vucinich hit a grand slam over the left field wall. It was his first home run of the year, and the third grand slam by a Stars player this year. It brought the Stars within 10-7.

 

That would be as close as the Stars would get, because Birmingham came back with five runs in their seventh highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Jeremy Farrell.

 

With the Stars trailing 15-7, they scored their final runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Zarraga had an RBI single in the seventh and Josh Prince scored in the eighth when Zarraga reached on a throwing error by the shortstop Pedroza.

 

The Barons hit their fifth and final home run of the game in the ninth against David Goforth. Christian Marrero hit a three-run homer.

 

Recchia (1-0) won his Barons debut with five innings on five hits.

 

Birmingham is now 17-27 while the Stars are 30-15. Huntsville still took four out of five from the Barons.

 

The Stars will have Tuesday off before traveling to Montgomery, Alabama Wednesday to start a five-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits, the Double-A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Stars will feature RHP Tyler Cravy (7-1, 1.87). Montgomery will have RHP Jared Mortenson(4-1, 4.82) on the hill. Wednesday's game can be heard with Steve Jarnicki starting at 6:50 pm CDT on 92.9 FM, 1450 AM, and wtkiradio.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

 

Every Baron and every Star had at least one hit, not sure we've ever seen that. Every Baron reached at least twice, six of them at least three times.

 

Huntsville Game Log

 

Yay, Tim Dillard! Stranded all three inherited runners, and then tossed a scoreless inning. Ouch otherwise...

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog --

 

"Tonight’s interview is our weekly installment of “Mondays with the Manager” with Sounds manager Rick Sweet, who discusses the team’s series against Oklahoma City, the current stretch of the schedule (25 of the next 33 games are at home), roster moves involving Alfredo Figaro, Eric Marzec and the progression for Taylor Green."

 

***

 

What we learn - the catcher disabled list roulette has nothing to do with injury (as we figured); Figaro with a sore hamstring, doesn't sound serious at all, and the Michael Blazek-as-a-starter situation is nothing more than an emergency fill-in, not even really stretching him out.

[Mass Haas]

No media from Nashville's exciting Monday win yet, but...

 

Sunday --

 

The Sounds offense was held hitless through the first four innings, but picked up three base knocks in the fifth inning to break out of a scoreless tie with a pair of runs.

 

Outfielder Jeremy Hermida cracked a broken bat infield single to start the action for Nashville and came around to score on Taylor Green's double to the right-field corner. Green advanced to third on the throw to home plate and was driven home on Kevin Mattison's single into shallow right field.

 

AUDIO: Taylor Green RBI Double

 

AUDIO: Kevin Mattison RBI Single

 

The two videos for those audio clips are now up.

 

Green

 

Mattison