Link Report for Tuesday 7/28

[Mass Haas]

Final: AZL Brewers 5, AZL Padres 4

 

Maryvale Box Score

 

A-Crew moves to 3-0 in the first-half standings!

 

All four runs the Brewers allowed came off rehabbing LHP Jarret Martin (shoulder), who would have begun the year at AAA if healthy, it's been disheartening to see struggles in his rehab attempts.

 

Making the start in his professional debut was 21-year-old 17th round 6'7" RHP Michael Petersen, two scoreless, one eventful --

 

AZL Padres Top of the 1st

 

Tyler Moore flies out to center fielder Trent Clark.

Josh Magee flies out to right fielder Demi Orimoloye.

Yale Rosen strikes out swinging.

 

AZL Padres Top of the 2nd

 

Alan Garcia walks.

Aldemar Burgos grounds into a double play, shortstop Gilbert Lara to first baseman Juan Ortiz. Alan Garcia out at 2nd.

Brad Zunica singles on a line drive to center fielder Trent Clark.

Kyle Overstreet singles on a ground ball to center fielder Trent Clark. Brad Zunica to 2nd.

With Carlos Sosa batting, wild pitch by Michael Petersen, Brad Zunica to 3rd. Kyle Overstreet to 2nd.

Carlos Sosa pops out to shortstop Gilbert Lara.

 

Fantastic 6th outing of the season for 19-year-old 6th round Oregon HS pick Karsen Lindell as he retired all seven men he faced, stranding two of Martin's baserunners and fanning four.

 

22-year-old undrafted LHP Brad Kuntz tossed three scoreless and added to his eye-popping "how am I still in Maryvale" numbers.

 

Another rehabbing LHP, Trevor Lubking, tossed a perfect 9th for the save.

 

Maryvale Game Log

 

RF Demi Orimoloye had the lone multi-hit game, 2-for-4 with a double. Demi stole two bases, now with 13.

 

First baseman Juan Ortiz and second baseman Jorge Quiterio each drove in two, both young men 1-for-3 with a walk.

 

4th straight 0-for-4 for SS Gilbert Lara.

 

Go-ahead rally in the 8th was very Arizona Rookie league-like --

 

AZL Brewers Bottom of the 8th

 

Gilbert Lara reaches on a fielding error by shortstop Westhers Magdaleno.

Demi Orimoloye grounds out to pitcher Jacob Nix. Gilbert Lara to 2nd.

With Juan Ortiz batting, wild pitch by Jacob Nix, Gilbert Lara to 3rd.

Juan Ortiz reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by pitcher Jacob Nix. Gilbert Lara scores.

Max McDowell singles on a line drive to left fielder Ronaldo Contreras. Juan Ortiz to 2nd.

With Beau Wallace batting, wild pitch by Jacob Nix, Juan Ortiz to 3rd. Max McDowell to 2nd.

Beau Wallace flies out to right fielder Alan Garcia.

Yerald Martinez walks.

Jorge Quiterio walks. Juan Ortiz scores. Max McDowell to 3rd. Yerald Martinez to 2nd.

Pitching Change: Nathan Foriest replaces Jacob Nix.

Trent Clark strikes out swinging, catcher Kyle Overstreet to first baseman Yale Rosen.

[Mass Haas]

Final: New Orleans 5, Colorado Springs 2

 

The Sky Sox and Zephyrs were locked in a tight one-run contest through six before the Colorado Springs bullpen let the game get away in a 5-2 loss to the New Orleans Zephyrs before a crowd of 2,987 at Zephyr Field on Tuesday night.

 

It was a pitcher’s duel through six as starters Adam Conley (9-3, 2.52) and Tyler Cravy (7-6, 3.59) battled to a 2-1 ballgame favoring the Zephyrs. The Sox would strike first against the New Orleans left-hander as Luis Sardinas’ second-inning double plated Nevin Ashley to give the Sox their lone lead of the evening.

 

The Zephyrs offense responded in the home second thanks to a one-out Brandon Bantz RBI single, scoring Jordany Valdespin from second to knot the contest at one.

 

Conley finished his day after six frames, allowing one run on just three hits while striking out seven and walking none. Cravy would allow one more run in the home fourth before his night was through as a one-out Austin Nola single plated Juan Diaz with the go-ahead run. The Colorado Springs right-hander would depart after six solid innings of work with his team trailing 2-1 having given up two runs on nine hits while striking out five.

 

New Orleans would tack on three more runs in the seventh against Austin Ross, collecting three hits against the right-hander, including two big RBI doubles by Kila Ka’aihue and Marcell Ozuna. Jeremy Horst would made his Sky Sox debut with two outs in the frame, allowing one inherited runner to score on a Diaz base knock before inducing a Valdespin groundout to end the frame.

 

Jim Henderson gave the Sox a scoreless eighth, bringing Colorado Springs to the plate trailing 5-1 in what would ultimately be their final turn. Ashley and Yadiel Rivera gave the Sky Sox a fighting chance, each doubling to draw the visiting team within three with just one out in the ninth. Zephyrs righty Scott McGough would get the next two batters in order to secure New Orleans’ 5-2 series-opening victory. The win improves New Orleans to 48-55 on the season as the Sox fall to 41-60.

 

Colorado Springs will look to even the series on Wednesday night as they take on these same Zephyrs in game two of a four-game set. Left-hander Nick Additon (5-3, 5.71) takes the bump, leading the Sox against New Orleans right-hander Kendry Flores (3-2, 2.47) with first pitch set for 5:00 PM MDT (6:00 Central) at Zephyr Field.

 

Colorado Springs Box Score

 

Team RISP: 1-for-11.

Team LOB: 8.

 

Colorado Springs Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 7, Missoula 5

 

Brewers start second half with win

Helena Brewers

 

The Helena Brewers (1-0, 17-20) won 7-5 on Tuesday over the Missoula Osprey (0-1, 23-15) to secure a share of first place to begin the second half of the Pioneer League season.

 

It would be a night of firsts as lefty Jake Drossner (1-1) picked up his first pro win, Marcos Diplan his first pro save, and Alex Farina made his Pioneer League debut.

 

The Brewers were able to score in each of the first four innings, highlighted by a three-run third to take an early 6-0 lead.

 

Jose Cuas added doubles in the second and third innings in a 2-for-4 performance. Cuas now has four doubles in his last two games.

 

Dallas Newton (1-3) was roughed up by Helena, giving up five runs on eight hits in his four innings of work.

 

Drossner pitched well outside of a rough fourth in which he surrendered four runs on three hits. He made it through the minimum to qualify for a win, giving up nine hits and five runs while striking out four.

 

At one point the Helena lead was cut to 6-5, but the Osprey were unable to score after the fourth inning.

 

Walks became an issue for Helena's relievers as Farina and Diplan walked a combined six batters in the last four innings. Missoula would lead off the sixth through ninth with a walk, but were shut out in each frame. Diplan went so far as to walk two batters to lead off both the eighth and ninth, but never allowed a run to cross the plate.

 

The Brewers and Osprey face off tomorrow in the finale of their two-game series in Missoula. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).

 

***

 

Osprey start 2nd half with 7-5 loss to Helena

By A.J. Mazzolini, Missoulian

 

It can be tough for a first-place team to drop to last in the second half of a baseball season.

 

Unless you're talking Pioneer League ball.

 

The Missoula Osprey, winners of the North Division first-half title, swapped places with basement-dweller Helena on Tuesday with the start of the season's second half. A 7-5 loss to the Brewers knocked Missoula (0-1) to the bottom while Helena (1-0) triumphantly stands on top now.

 

Missoula was 23-14 through Sunday, the end of the first half, to clinch its spot in the Pioneer League postseason in September. Helena (14-20) got a good start in the hunt for the second-half crown and the North's other playoff bid.

 

"It's a fresh start and you want to look at it that way, but at the same time you want to continue with the improvements you've been making," Helena manager Tony Diggs said. "The good thing about the tough stretches is hopefully they learn from 'em; it's an educational process the whole way through."

 

The Brewers took advantage of walks in each the first and second inning at Ogren-Allegiance Park, turning free passes from Osprey starting pitcher Dallas Newton into a run apiece right out of the gate.

 

A sacrifice fly from Steven Karkenny, one of two for the Brewer on the night, scored run No. 1 while Jose Cuas doubled the second man home.

 

Cuas was in on the action again in a three-run third as the Brewers scored in their third of four consecutive innings. Karkenny singled, Jake Gatewood batted him home from first and George Iskenderian made it three hits in a row with a single. Then with two outs, Cuas roped a double to left.

 

It was Cuas' fourth consecutive at-bat with a double dating back to two days ago in Helena.

 

The Osprey got on the board just before that when Matt McPhearson's base knock cashed in a Francis Christy double a moment prior.

 

Down 6-1 by the middle of the fourth, Missoula cut the swell to one run without having to do much swinging. Christy brought in the first run on a single, but the Osprey's next three scores in the inning came because of Helena mistakes.

 

Marcus Wilson, Christy and Tyler Humphreys each touched home because of an inelegant sequence that included a wild pitch, passed ball and another wild pitch.

 

Christy was 2 for 2 for the game with another two walks. He's 5 for 6 over the last two games with three RBIs after batting a paltry .138 through his first 19 pro games this season.

 

"I've been locked in, just kind of figured it out," the O's catcher said. "It took a lot longer than I wanted it to. It's a great confidence booster and I'm happy I can finally help my team out."

 

Of course the O's weren't immune to third-base jitters. After Missoula's bullpen quashed the early excitement, retiring 11 in a row after Helena couldn't stop scoring, reliever Bryant Holtmann uncorked his own wild pitch.

 

Gatewood scored from third base after walking to first and gave Helena another breath of room, 7-5.

 

Holtmann did his job to keep it close, though, limiting Helena to one hit over his three innings of work. He struck out five.

 

Newton (1-3) wasn't as effective. He was tagged for the first six runs, five of them earned, on nine hits in just four innings. Matt Lees pitched a perfect fifth inning before giving way to Holtmann.

 

"We've had a handful of guys who've had really good seasons out of the pen," Osprey manager Joe Mather said. "Tonight those guys all came in and kept us in a game. If you keep our offense in a game, we have a shot."

 

Missoula showed why in the eighth inning, putting pressure on the Helena bullpen the way they know best: drawing walks.

 

The Osprey put the first two batters on with patience and Joey Armstrong sacrificed them into scoring position with Humphreys next to the plate. The O's third baseman got under a pitch from Helena's Marcos Diplan, lifting it to right field, but the fly wasn't deep enough.

 

Helena outfielder Carlos Belonis made the catch for out No. 2 and gunned down Wilson trying to score from third for a rally-killing double play.

 

"We're pretty aggressive and as a staff we like to let these guys play," Mather said. "We've taken advantage of a lot of those kind of opportunities and that's what propelled us to the first-half championship.

 

"But that guy (Belonis) made a hell of a play, the right fielder. He needed a perfect throw to get Marcus, one of our fastest guys, and I think if he's safe there we're in a very good opportunity."

 

A leadoff walk from McPhearson in the ninth also went nowhere when the base runner got caught stranded between first and second, picked off by a quick throw.

 

The O's drew seven walks in all, extending their Pioneer League leading number to 192 in 38 games.

 

Helena Box Score

 

Not a pretty mound night, but outside of two walks, RHP's Alex Farina's Helena debut was hitless and scoreless.

 

Second baseman George Iskenderian is 17-for-36 with two walks and four stolen bases during his nine-game hitting streak. LF Troy Stokes was 2-for-4, doubling his hit total from the prior nine games, in which he was 2-for-30. Stokes stole two bases, now 11-for-14 in that department.

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 1st rounder Trent Clark is focus of this feature on sudden financial riches for young athletes; a fine read

[Mass Haas]

From the July 22nd game --

 

Maryvale Game Log

 

AZL Dodgers Bottom of the 4th

 

Defensive Substitution: Juan Ortiz replaces first baseman Tyrone Perry, batting 4th, playing first base.

 

No apparent obvious reason there...

 

1B Tyrone Perry has been idle since that mention...