Link Report for Tue. 7/8

[HiAndTight]

I've found it very hard to get excited about Taylor Jungmann at all since I was so vocal against the draft pick from the start. Now that he's one of us I keep hoping he'll turn a significant corner like Nelson has, I guess we'll have to see how it turns out. He was alright tonight giving up 5 hits but not walking a batter, the 2 runs he allowed in 5 IP actually lowered his ERA.

 

You make it sound as though his ERA for today's start was 9.00 or something. It was 3.60. In the PCL, that would actually lower a lot of pitchers ERA's.

 

He also had 13 ground balls tonight to 0 fly ball outs. I don't expect him to turn the corner like Nelson as Nelson has the stuff to be an ace and Jungman just doesn't. But I would consider 13 GB outs, a 1.00 Whip and a 3.60 ERA a solid outing where your phrase that this outing "actually," lowered his ERA has a pretty negative connotation.

[Eye Black]

Final: Orem 12, Helena 5

 

Owlz piled up hits, win 12-5

By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers

 

The Orem Owlz (15-7) turned early runs into a victory on Tuesday with a 12-5 whooping of the Helena Brewers (9-13).

 

Helena took the first lead of the ballgame when Mitch Meyer hit his fourth homerun of the season; a two-run bomb to score Elvis Rubio off Kenya Middleton.

 

Middleton pitched well through his first three innings, but the wheels came off for the young righty in the fourth. With two outs Middleton lost all confidence and was unable to find the strikezone. He walked in a run with the bases loaded and threw a wild pitch to let in a second Helena runner. He walked four straight batters to end his outing and was pulled with two outs in the inning.

 

Despite the pitching mistakes, Orem had padded their lead with 10 runs crossing the plate between the second and fourth innings.

 

Javi Salas (0-1) made the start for Helena, pitching two and two thirds, giving up seven runs on eight hits.

 

Elvis Rubio was the offensive catalyst for the Brewers, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.

 

The Brewers and Owlz will face off in game two of their four-game series from Orem on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

 

Helena Box Score

 

Since late-July Elvis Rubio has been heating up with bat. As noted above he was 4-for-5 with 2 doubles raising his season batting average to .277.

 

Mitch Meyer only has 10 hits on the season, but 6 of the 10 are extra base hits and 4 of those are homeruns.

 

Catcher Greg McCall was 2-for-5 with a double.

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Owlz drive Helena batty with big inning

Neil K. Warner, Provo (UT) Daily Herald

 

The Helena Brewers got their first look at the Orem Owlz this season, and it didn’t take the Brewers long to figure out what the rest of the Pioneer League already knows -– keeping the Owlz off base is not a one-man job. It takes an entire bullpen, and even then you better have command off your stuff or it will be a long night.

 

Exhibit A: Orem used a five-run third inning to take control of the game and improve on the best record in the Pioneer League with a 12-5 win on Tuesday night.

 

“It seems like we’ve been having a big inning for the last few games, driving in some runs and taking extra bases, so it was nice to see us do that again. At Grand Junction we put a few of those together and it carried over today,” said Orem manager Dave Stapleton. “As a manager, I hope we never cool off, but with baseball we know that things can come. Ryan Barba and Buck Coats (hitting coaches) have done a tremendous job working with these guys in the cages and working on their approach.”

 

The Owlz came into the game with the top team batting average (.305) in the league and their average of 7.6 runs per game was also best in the league.

 

The suspense didn’t last long. Helena took a brief 2-0 led in the second after Mitch Meyer went deep to right field for a two-run homer, but the Owlz answered quickly. They tied the game with two runs in the bottom half of the inning after Wade Wass and Caleb Adams each drove in a run.

 

Orem then erupted for five runs in the third inning to take charge of the game.

 

Ryan Seiz gets the credit for starting the rally. He singled with one out to get the Owlz going. Zach Houchins followed with a single and Quinten Davis singled home a run.

 

Nathanael Delgado added a sacrifice fly. The inning continued with a pair of singles from Adams and Wendell Soto that put the Owlz up 7-2.

 

The Brewers got two of those runs back in the fourth. Gregory Munoz drew a bases loaded walk and scored another run off a wild pitch. After Orem starter Keynan Middleton walked Brandon Diaz to reload the bases, the Owlz called on reliever Zach Varela to put out the fire. He responded by retiring Tucker Neuhaus on a ground ball to get out of the inning and minimize the damage.

 

Orem wasn’t satisfied just yet. The Owlz tacked on two more runs in bottom of the fourth, compliments of an RBI double from Seiz which was followed by a triple from Delgado.

 

Houchins had three of Orem’s 14 hits. Delgado, Davis and Wendell Soto all had two hits for the Owlz. Elvis Rubio had a big night for the Brewers. He had four of Helena’s eight Hits.

 

The win improved Orem’s record to 15-7 on the year while Helena fell to 9-13. The two teams will continue their four-game series tonight at 7:05 (8:05 Central) in Orem.

[Mass Haas]

Outfielder Elian Herrera became the team's first baserunner of the night by reaching on a two-base fielding error by Memphis third baseman Jermaine Curtis. Hector Gomez followed Herrera by lifting a home run over the left-field wall to tie it up, 2-2, and extend his season-best hit streak to eight games. The dinger is Gomez's 10th of the season, one shy of matching the team lead.

 

AUDIO: Gomez's Game-Tying HR

 

The Sounds took the 3-2 lead on newcomer Matt Clark's RBI double to left field, which scored Jason Rogers, who singled, but left Sean Halton to be tagged out at home plate.

 

AUDIO: Matt Clark's RBI Double

 

***

 

MiLB.com story features a brief video glimpse of newcomer Matt Clark, but the focus is on the work of the Redbirds' John gast.

[Mass Haas]

Clint Coulter's .889 OPS is still pretty, but my goodness, what a funk he's in...

[Noche]

I've found it very hard to get excited about Taylor Jungmann at all since I was so vocal against the draft pick from the start. Now that he's one of us I keep hoping he'll turn a significant corner like Nelson has, I guess we'll have to see how it turns out. He was alright tonight giving up 5 hits but not walking a batter, the 2 runs he allowed in 5 IP actually lowered his ERA.

 

You make it sound as though his ERA for today's start was 9.00 or something. It was 3.60. In the PCL, that would actually lower a lot of pitchers ERA's.

 

He also had 13 ground balls tonight to 0 fly ball outs. I don't expect him to turn the corner like Nelson as Nelson has the stuff to be an ace and Jungman just doesn't. But I would consider 13 GB outs, a 1.00 Whip and a 3.60 ERA a solid outing where your phrase that this outing "actually," lowered his ERA has a pretty negative connotation.

 

1. Jimmy Nelson did not turn a corner. He consistently progressed as he advanced. Kudos to the player development team there.

 

2. Thank you HiandTight for diving a little deeper into Jungmann's start. I imagine Taylor will finish pretty unevenly in AAA this year. Then next year, back at AAA, he will settle in and we will see him up in mid-2015. That is kind of his M.O.

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County --

 

AUDIO: RHP Austin Ross joins Justin Rocke on the Manatees Pregame Show

 

Last night's theatrics open the discussion...

 

AUDIO, Game Highlights: Lakeland defeats Brevard County, 9-2, as Victor Roache homers twice

[Mass Haas]

Final: Jackson 7, @Huntsville 4, (rain-shortened in bottom of the 6th)

 

Stars Lose Rain Shortened Game

Steve Jarnicki, Huntsville Stars

 

Huntsville, AL - The Jackson Generals defeated the Huntsville Stars 7-4 Tuesday night in a rain shortened game at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.

 

The game was officially called with the Stars batting in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out. After waiting for nearly an hour to resume play, the rain continued to fall as the umpires decided to call the game.

 

The Generals won the rubber match against the Stars taking three out of five. Huntsville has now lost back-to-back series for only the second time this season.

 

Jackson took a 1-0 lead on a two-out solo home run by D.J Peterson in the top of the first inning against Andy Moye.

 

The Stars tied the game in the bottom of the first against Jackson starter Cam Hobson. Nick Ramirez delivered a two-out RBI single tying the game at 1-1.

 

Jackson retook the lead in the top of the second. Mike Dowd doubled down the right field line and Ketel Marte singled to left field making it 3-1 Generals.

 

Shea Vucinich brought the Stars within a run in the bottom of the second when he grounded out to second baseman Jack Marder scoring D'Vontrey Richardson.

 

Jackson took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Marder homered to left for his fifth homerun of the season.

 

Vucinich tied the game for the Stars in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer of his own to left field. It was Vucinich's second homer of the season.

 

Jackson broke the 4-4 tie in the fifth with two runs. Patrick Kivlehan tripled down the right field line against Moye scoring Marte making it 5-4. Dan Paolini came up next with an RBI single extending the lead to 6-4.

 

Moye, who took the loss and fell to 4-2 on the season, exited the game after the fifth inning. He pitched five innings allowing six runs on nine hits.

 

Jackson added a run in the top of the sixth against Stars reliever Kevin Shackelford. Marte added his second rbi of the night on a single scoring Leon Landry.

 

With Jackson leading 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ramirez was at the plate for the Stars when heavy rains came down and the umpires pulled the teams off the field.

 

Hobson earned the win for the Generals improving to 5-7 on the season. Hobson went five innings giving up six hits on four runs.

 

David Colvin picked up his third save of the season after he retired the only batter he faced in the sixth.

 

The Stars (9-11, 55-35) will have Wednesday off before traveling to Chattanooga, Tennessee to begin a five game series with the Chattanooga Lookouts (8-12, 34-56) the Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday night. The Stars will have RHP Drew Gagnon (5-4, 3.26) will start for Huntsville. Chattanooga will feature RHP Nick Struck (1-5, 7.38) on the mound. The game can be heard starting at 6:15 pm CDT on 92.9 FM, 1450 AM and wtkiradio.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

 

With a double and triple, would have been nice for D'Vo to get two more AB's...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Huntsville local TV sports report on the loss (Yadi was safe!)

[Mass Haas]

Final: @AZL Brewers 5, AZL Giants 3

 

Maryvale Box Score

 

First of all, each team has a reliever named Caleb Smith (San Fran's is a lefty), and they both pitched here. Toss in the Brewers' Kaleb Earls, and it was a true Caleb/Kaleb-fest.

 

Nice win, Troy Stokes continues to get on base atop the lineup, Monte Harrison stole his 11th base in 12 tries, and Jake Gatewood, dropped to 7th in the lineup, singled and drove in two.

 

Maryvale Game Log

 

Jim Henderson's frame --

 

AZL Giants Top of the 5th

 

Pitching Change: Jim Henderson replaces Angel Ventura.

Defensive switch from catcher to third base for Connor Narron.

Defensive switch from third base to catcher for Leudi Otano.

Evan Potter strikes out swinging.

Richard Amion singles on a line drive to left fielder Yunior Santana.

Kevin Rivera singles on a line drive to center fielder Troy Stokes. Richard Amion to 2nd.

With John Riley batting, wild pitch by Jim Henderson, Richard Amion to 3rd. Kevin Rivera to 2nd.

John Riley strikes out swinging.

Rodney Price flies out to center fielder Troy Stokes.

 

Notice that they wanted Henderson to throw to a more experienced catcher, so backstop newbie Connor Narron was flipped back and forth --

 

AZL Giants Top of the 6th

Pitching Change: Caleb Smith replaces Jim Henderson.

Defensive switch from third base to catcher for Connor Narron.

Defensive switch from catcher to third base for Leudi Otano.

 

***

 

By the way, technically, MiLB lists Connor Narron as a Timber Rattler on rehab with Maryvale.

[Mass Haas]

Trivia via Steve in Huntsville:

 

Three former Stars have been named to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. Can you name them? See how quickly you can (in your head only please, because we're not posting the answer until morning).

 

First of all, if you had to look at the All-Star rosters and then try to cross-reference in your head, you cheated.

 

So purely from memory alone, did anyone get all three?

 

***

 

FORMER STARS, NOW MLB ALL STARS: Three former Stars have been named to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

 

(Stats through Monday)

 

Current Baltimore Oriole Nelson Cruz will be starting for the American League in the lineup as the DH. Cruz spent time in Huntsville in 2005 as a then-member of the Brewers’ organization. The 34-year old is in his first season in Baltimore after spending 2006-2013 with the Rangers. He is batting .286 with a league leading 27 home runs and 70 RBI.

 

Cleveland Indians’ OF Michael Brantley is a reserve for the AL team. Brantley played for the Stars in 2006 until being traded to the Indians organization. Brantley is batting .319 wih 56 RBI in 82 games and is the only Indian to make the All-Star game.

 

For the National League, former Star and current Brewer Jonathan Lucroy will be a reserve catcher. Lucroy had several stints in Huntsville between 2009-2011, before sticking in Milwaukee in 2013. Lucroy is batting .333 with 9 home runs, 30 doubles, and 44 rbi’s.