Link Report for Games of Sunday, July 29th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Zach Jackson at home vs. Sacramento (A's), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Chattanooga (Reds), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: Idle

 

West Virginia: Idle

 

Helena: RHP Jose Garcia at Great Falls (White Sox), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Arizona: TBD at home in Maryvale vs. the not-so-Giants, 7:00 PM local time in Arizona, 9:00 Central; never any audio for Arizona Rookie League games

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Helena:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

These links will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally they are updated an hour or two prior to gametime, with Nashville's usually earlier:

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Saturday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 65 42 .607 - 35-16 30-26 L1 Iowa 59 49 .546 6.5 34-22 25-27 L3 Omaha 52 56 .481 13.5 33-18 19-38 L2 Memphis 44 64 .407 21.5 24-33 20-31 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 21 15 .583 - 11-9 10-6 W6 Huntsville 20 16 .556 1.0 10-6 10-10 L4 Tennessee 18 18 .500 3.0 14-6 4-12 W4 Carolina 17 19 .472 4.0 9-7 8-12 W1 West Tenn 15 21 .417 6.0 8-13 7-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 20 15 .571 - 10-7 10-8 L1 Jupiter 17 16 .515 2.0 9-5 8-11 L1 Palm Beach 16 19 .457 4.0 8-12 8-7 W1 Daytona 15 20 .429 5.0 8-11 7-9 W1 St. Lucie 14 22 .389 6.5 5-12 9-10 L1 Vero Beach 9 25 .265 10.5 4-13 5-12 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hickory 23 14 .622 - 15-9 8-5 L2 Lake County 19 16 .543 3.0 8-8 11-8 W2 Lakewood 19 16 .543 3.0 10-5 9-11 W1 Lexington 18 19 .486 5.0 12-10 6-9 L1 West Virginia 18 19 .486 5.0 10-9 8-10 W1 Delmarva 17 19 .472 5.5 5-11 12-8 W1 Greensboro 17 20 .459 6.0 12-7 5-13 L1 Hagerstown 10 26 .278 12.5 5-11 5-15 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Helena 26 11 .703 - 11-7 15-4 W3 Great Falls 23 14 .622 3.0 14-5 9-9 L3 Billings 19 17 .528 6.5 12-6 7-11 W2 Missoula 14 23 .378 12.0 6-13 8-10 L7

Arizona League Standings:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...;period=h2

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Mitch Stetter:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-29.mp3

 

Sounds' announcer Chuck Valenches with an entertaining blog entry on his broadcast roots:

 

nashvillesounds.blogspot....ville.html

[Mass Haas]

Final: Great Falls (White Sox) 19, Helena 9

Last night's win sure looks big now; H-Crew actually led, 8-2, going to the Great Falls 5th; Matt Cline, Jordan Swaydan, and Anthony Wycklendt homered as a few of the regulars got the night off -- that's a long, long night for Swaydan behind the plate...

 

Helena Box Score:

RHP Wes Etheridge with the roughest of the pitching efforts in this one -- no one shined, obviously; 19-year-old starter Jose Garcia is capable of so much more, as he's shown...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 1, Chattanooga (Reds) 0

Details from the Stars' site soon; Voice of the Stars Brett Pollock noted that closer Luis Pena was consistently hitting 97 MPH -- Pena's interesting in that he won't be 25 years old until January, he's already had one brief stint on the Brewer 40-man, and he's overcome arm trouble. But he already has eight years in the system, having signed at age 16. So if he plays his cards right, he'll be a coveted minor league free agent at season's end. The Brewers kept him from walking by re-signing him this past spring, but Pena will have more options this time around -- unless, of course, the Brewers re-add him to their 40-man...

 

Huntsville Box Score:

LHP Derek Miller the real star -- he'll get his props in the Huntsville site game summary...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Never Outhustled]

Quote:

---

Pena's interesting in that he won't be 25 years old until January, he's already had one brief stint on the Brewer 40-man, and he's overcome arm trouble. But he already has eight years in the system, having signed at age 16. So if he plays his cards right, he'll be a coveted minor league free agent at season's end.

---

 

When Melvin mentioned a number of pitching prospects we have that he thought were as good of prospects as Inman, Pena was a name he mentioned.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Stars Move Back Into Share of Top Spot

 

Derek Miller, Bo Hall and Luis Pena combined on a four-hit shutout, as Huntsville made a first inning run stand up in a 1-0 blanking of Chattanooga in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars snapped a season-high four game slide to improve to 21-16 in the second half and move back into a first place tie in the North Division with the Lookouts, who lost a six-game win streak and fell to 21-16.

 

Miller allowed four hits, walked one and struck out seven to earn his third win in five starts since joining the Stars. He got Mike Griffin to fly out to end the fourth inning with Enrique Cruz at third base, the only runner to advance that far against the Stars? southpaw. Hall stranded Adam Rosales at third base by retiring Caonobe Cosme on a come-backer to end the eighth and Pena worked a perfect ninth to record his fifth save. The Stars tossed their sixth shutout of the year and won for an eighth time in their last nine games at home.

 

Hernan Iribarren led off the home first with a triple and scored on an infield single by Michael Brantley to produce the only run of the game. The Stars left Mel Stocker at third in the fourth and had Brendan Katin thrown out at the plate by center fielder Marland Williams on a shallow fly ball to complete an inning-ending double play in the seventh.

 

Chattanooga?s Carlos Fisher allowed the lone run of the night on six hits over seven frames and suffered the loss to fall to 4-6. He walked two and struck out three before Carlos Guevara tossed a scoreless eighth.

 

The series continues Monday evening with left-hander Lindsay Gulin taking the hill against Lookouts? right-hander Sam LeCure. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Bottom 2nd

 

- Brendan Katin grounds out, pitcher Carlos Fisher to first baseman Adam Rosales.

- Mel Stocker lines out to first baseman Adam Rosales.

- Alcides Escobar grounds out, pitcher Carlos Fisher to first baseman Adam Rosales.

 

Chattanooga Top 3rd

 

- Defensive Substitution: Guilder Rodriguez replaces shortstop Alcides Escobar, batting 8th, playing shortstop.

 

***

Gotta love the game logs -- while it may be injury-related, I'm guessing that's Don Money's way of saying run hard to first base, Alcides. Hopefully David Wesier can fill us in during the overnight.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Sacramento (A's) 6, Nashville 5

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Laynce Nix photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2478

 

River Cats Edge Sounds, 6-5

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds dropped their second straight game to the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday evening, falling 6-5 in front of a crowd of 4,469 at Greer Stadium.

 

Despite the loss, Nashville (65-43) maintains a 5 1/2 game division lead over the Iowa Cubs, who won earlier in the day.

 

Laynce Nix homered for the second time in three games and Andy Abad contributed another clutch, two-out RBI in the losing effort after knocking in five with two away last night.

 

The Sounds took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Gabe Gross drew a one-out walk before Nix sent a 1-1 pitch from River Cats starter Mike Madsen over the right-center wall, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage.

 

AUDIO: Laynce Nix Two-Run HR --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-29.mp3

 

Sacramento (64-45) got on the board in the top of third after three back-to-back singles loaded the bases before Nick Blasi's sacrifice fly to deep center scored Lou Merloni. Sounds starter Zach Jackson got out of the jam by getting 2007 PCL All-Star Daric Barton to ground into an inning-ending double play, leaving the score at 2-1 in favor of Nashville.

 

Nashville added one to its lead in the bottom of the third when Chris Barnwell led off with a double to left field. Charles Thomas followed with a grounder to first base but reached second thanks to heads-up base running by Barnwell, who was tagged out after a brief rundown. Thomas would later come in to score on a Madsen wild pitch after moving to third on a fielder's choice, making the score 3-1.

 

The River Cats had a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning that began with a leadoff walk to Blasi. He would advance to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Jorge Piedra two-out single up the middle. Jason Perry followed with another single to put men at first and second before Jeremy Brown knocked them all home with his eighth home run of the season, a towering shot over the right field wall off Jackson.

 

The Sounds lowered the deficit in the bottom of the frame thanks to a leadoff double by first baseman Joe Dillon. Dillon would move to third on an Abad groundout before Brad Nelson sent him home with a sacrifice fly, his 52nd RBI of the year.

 

Sacramento scored the eventual deciding run in the top of the eighth when Jason Perry went deep off reliever R.A. Dickey for his 16th longball of the season and his second in two games.

 

Dillon doubled again in the bottom half of the eighth and came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Abad, bringing the score to 6-5 in favor of Sacramento.

 

Nashville had the potential tying run 90 feet from home in the bottom of the ninth inning but outfielder Charles Thomas, who opened the year with Sacramento, struck out to end the game.

 

Jackson (9-7) took the loss for the Sounds after throwing six innings, giving up five runs, and striking out three. It was the fourth straight loss for Jackson, who was tied for second in wins in the PCL with nine victories on the season before the game.

 

Madsen (4-0) improved his flawless PCL record in his sixth start of the season. He threw seven innings, giving up four runs, striking out four, and walking three. River Cats closer and former Brewer farmhand Ruddy Lugo got the save, his eighth of the year.

 

Nashville continues its series against Sacramento on Monday night with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Greer Stadium. Sounds southpaw Adam Pettyjohn (7-2, 3.84) will take the mound against River Cats right-hander Shane Komine (3-10, 5.49).

 

Nashville Box Score:

R.A. Dickey "saves" the bullpen after yesterday's shellacking -- Dickey is still set to start on Thursday...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with Saturday's star, RHP Evan Anundsen:

Be sure you're on the July 29th archive, go to the 13:30 minute mark:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

We put a man on the moon, but we're still working on the clarity of Helena pre-game audio http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif . The content is interesting, including discussion of the environment that is the Arizona Rookie League.

[Mass Haas]

Speaking of Arizona, LHP Efrain Nieves, the 17-year-old 7th round pick out of Puerto Rico, gets the nod tonight in the 97 degree Arizona evening heat. Four K's in two scoreless innings thus far -- no score either side.

[Mass Haas]

Well, it's been a Big-League-free Link Report thus far, but it's amazing how big league disappointment (as opposed to big league frustration in past years when expectations weren't nearly as high), can suck the life right out of even the minor league enjoyment, even for a day.

 

My "work" here only allows me to pick-and-choose Major League threads occasionally, but let's all take a collective deep breath. Feel better? Me neither. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Until next time, it's still first place, even if the loss column says otherwise.

 

Before anyone asks, the most topsy-turvy Power 50 update of recent memory, and perhaps ever, will be out by the end of the weekend of August 4th-5th. Yovani Gallardo will likely get the 3 2/3 IP in he needs to graduate before then, so you can imagine the shake-up that Scott Linebrink has wrought. colbyjack looks forward to his "comments" debut.

[gregmag]

Thanks to Derek Miller, Luis Pena, and Mike Brantley for the only bright spot of one of the most cringe-inducing, train wreck moments in the history of Brewer fandom.

 

Miller, right now, looks on target to start next year in Nashville . . . he has given up way too many jacks, but everything else looks solid, and his strong left hand will keep getting him chances.

 

Mike Brantley, if I'm counting right, now has exactly 150 PAs at AA, so it's a fair time for an initial evaluation. I think he has justified the promotion; he's done everything well except hit for power: .278/.387/.325, 14/2 SB/CS, 23/18 BB/K, and the portion of his OBP attributable to BA has risen steadily. He needs to add power and/or play some CF to get to the next level, but time is very much on his side, at least where the power is concerned.

 

Greg.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Giants 5, Arizona Brewers 3

 

Arizona Box Score:

Some pitching lines are showing signs of improvement, so that's a plus; OF Chris Dennis hit by a pitch in his one AB - subsequently left the game prior to his next AB...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

 

Arizona Game Log:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...007_01.txt

 

White Sox blow Brewers away

By Helena Independent Record Staff

 

GREAT FALLS ? The game seemed off to a good start.

 

After winning 12 of their last 13 games, including two against Great Falls, their rivals for first place, it seemed the Helena Brewers could do no wrong. Then second baseman Matt Cline literally drove the point home by leading off the game with a homer to left field.

 

But it was not to be for the Brewers, who lost the game 19-9 to wrap up their series with Great Falls.

 

Fortunately, they clinched the Pioneer League?s North Division first-half title on Saturday night, so the blow was softened.

 

Though they started off the game slow, the White Sox, who finished the first half with a record of 24-12, got their revenge. Going into the bottom of the fifth losing 7-3, Great Falls tied it up. Andrew Mead, who went 5-for-6 on the day, hit a double on a fly ball to center field, driving in Joe Persichina and Dale Mollenhauer. Lyndon Estill?s only hit of the day was a triple, driving in John Curtis for the tying run.

 

In the sixth, Anthony Wycklendt, who went 3-5, hit another homer, driving in Curtis Rindal to put the Brewers back on top, 9-7.

 

Just after Persichina scored one, Matt Inouye surpassed Wycklendt?s homer with a grand slam to left field. Mollenhauer, Mead and Josh Morgan made it home on the hit, and the White Sox just kept going for the next two innings.

 

The Brewers didn?t score another run in the remaining 2 1/2 innings.

 

The White Sox had another strong inning in the seventh, scoring four runs to bring the tally to 16-9. Mollenhauer tripled on a fly ball to center field, scoring Greg Paiml, Steve Turner and Persichina. He then scored on a ground single by Mead.

 

In the eighth, Great Falls managed another three runs, while holding the Brewers scoreless, to reach the final score of 19-9.

 

Jordan Swaydan homered for the Brewers.

 

Mead also hit a home run for the White Sox.

 

The Brewers come home to start the season?s second half against the Missoula Osprey tonight at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) at Kindrick Legion Field.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1

 

One run enough for Stars

Three Huntsville pitchers shut out Chattanooga

By SKIP VAUGHN

For The Huntsville Times, skip.vaughn@htimes.com

 

Sunday night's game between the Huntsville Stars and Chattanooga Lookouts matched the top two teams in the Southern League North.

 

But that didn't add significance, according to Stars manager Don Money.

 

"Just another game," he said. "Of course we want to win every game."

 

On "The Simpsons" Night, honoring the release of the cartoon movie, the Stars beat the Lookouts 1-0 before an announced crowd of 1,367 at Joe Davis Stadium. Simpson-style caricatures of the Stars players appeared on the scoreboard as their names were announced.

 

It could have been called Miller Night.

 

Stars left-hander Derek Miller (3-0) pitched seven shutout innings and allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.

 

The Stars gave him and two relievers the only run they'd need in the first inning. Hernan Iribarren hit a leadoff triple and scored after a hit by Michael Brantley off Chattanooga starter Carlos Fisher (4-6).

 

Miller threw 111 pitches and 71 were for strikes.

 

"The biggest thing was getting ahead (of the batters)," Miller said. "You get ahead of the hitters, it allows you a little more leeway. You get the other team to start swinging at your pitch. We played defense tonight, got enough runs and Lou (Palmisano, the catcher) called a great game behind the plate."

 

"He threw very well," Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur said. "He battled, was aggressive with hitters, stayed with the game plan, did a great job."

 

Miller threw mostly his fastball, which ranges from 88 to 91 mph, followed by his curveball. He also threw his changeup. "I felt like I was in control that whole game," he said.

 

Luis Pena pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save as the Stars tied Chattanooga for first place at 21-16 in the second half of the season.

 

"Good game in all areas," Money said. "Pitching was great, hitting was just enough, defense was solid."

 

Iribarren and Brantley both went 2-for-4.

 

"I was trying to get on base," Iribarren said of his triple to right-center in the first. "Hit the ball well, it went to the gap and I got a triple."

 

Huntsville outhit the Lookouts 6-4. And Chattanooga committed two errors.

 

The teams play again tonight at 7:05 at Joe Davis Stadium. Probable starters are Chattanooga right-hander Sam LeCure (6-2, 3.95) and Stars left-hander Lindsay Gulin (9-3, 3.36).

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

MILLER TIME

STARS-LOOKOUTS BACK IN 1st PLACE TIE

Mixing his pitches like a hustler playing suckers in a game a three-card monte, Derek Miller traveled along seven innings on the back of an infield single in the 1st that drove in the Stars only run, snapping the Stars' longest losing streak of the year, and putting them back in a tie for 1st place....... The Stars used just two hitters to produce the only run Miller, Bo Hall, and Luis Pena needed...... Leadoff hitter Hernan Iribarren connected on the 2nd pitch of the game, lining the ball to right field over the head of Michael Griffin. With his speed, Iribarren slid into third with his 5th triple of the year........ Speed at the top of the order is one of the Stars' most useful weapons, and Michael Brantley pulled the trigger on a 1-2 pitch, beating out a slow grounder up the middle to drive in the Stars' only run....... Caonabo Cosme ranged over quickly to field the ball in front of the bag at 2nd base, but had no play on him.

 

Miller never labored, despite throwing 111 pitches, 75 for strikes (67.8%), and despite some minor tightness in the back of his leg after hitting the dirt in the 3rd inning while fielding a bunt where the grass and dirt meet on the 1st base side, almost a quarter of the way up the line........ There was immediate concern as Miller was slow to get up. He walked it off, however, and after a few warmup pitches, had no further trouble.

 

The Lookouts had scoring chances off Miller in the 3rd, 4th, and 7th innings....... They left runners on 1st and 2nd after a bunt single by Carlos Fisher with one out, but Adam Rosales flied deep to right and Drew Anderson, hitting just .204 this month, popped the ball to left...... In the 4th, a broken bat grounder on the infield grass by Craig Tatum with one out put Enrique Cruz on third, but Michael Griffin flied out deep to left-center in front of the warning track to end the inning....... Griffin hit a two-out double in the 7th on a hop against the wall in left, but Miller got his final out of the game when he struck out Marland Williams on a 75 mph curve........ Miller's command of his pitches was never more evident than in the 5th inning when he struck out the side -- Williams on a 78 mph slider, Fisher on a 90 mph fastball, and Rosales on a 74 mph curve.

 

Bo Hall had a challenging 8th inning in relief of Miller, throwing eight of his 17 pitches for strikes. After Rosales stole 2nd on a 1-0 pitch to Cruz, a wild pitch on 2-and-0 sent him to third. Hall walked Cruz, but his first pitch to Cosme was a comebacker to end the 8th....... Luis Pena, who on Friday hit Jacksonville's leadoff hitter, Alberto Concepcion, with a pitch, eventually scoring the winning run in the 10th inning, retired the side in the 9th for his 5th save...... Pena got Luis Bolivar on a quick comebacker with his first pitch, retired Craig Tatum on a 2-2 grounder to short, then set Michael Griffin up with a changeup, before striking him out swinging on a 98 mph fastball........ I haven't seen anyone since Nick Neugebauer throw a fastball the way Pena can, and with more control.

 

Fans got the third in a series of baseball card strips at the gate, then had the opportunity to get Corey Thurman, Steve Sollmann, Jeff Housman, Steve Hammond, and Brendan Katin to sign the cards at a table on the inner concourse in front of the souvenir stand before the game, but it's Sunday, and there are more church fans in the holy backwaters of North Alabama and noiseless neighborhoods of Huntsville, than there are baseball fans, so they also missed out on the antics of Bird Zerk, Zerk Jr., and Ball Zerk between innings....... Yeah, I've seen these routines time after time. They never change. But I get a big laugh out of them every time.......

 

Also, this was the night to be a Simpson........ In connection with the No. 1 box office hit this week, anyone named Simpson (and there was a Homer Simpson who got in), got in the gate free. Brief clips of "The Simpsons" were shown between innings, but the biggest treat was seeing caricatures of each hitter in the Stars' lineup, and their names and uniform number, drawn in Matt Groening's cartoon style as they came to the plate...... Super kudos to Brian Massey of the Stars' office for the graphics. Photos of the players, including manager Don Money (who most thought was the best caricature of all), were sent to "The Simpsons" web site, where they were transformed, then Photoshoped by Massey into his computer and transferred into the graphics that were used in the game........ Can't say enough about Brian's hard work and dedication........ Brett, I'm sure, would just shake his head.

 

Monday, Lindsay Gulin will try to win his 10th game against Chattanooga pitcher Sam Lecure. Lecure is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts against the Stars this year...... Gulin is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA this month, but his last start was a no-decision against Chattanooga...... The Stars' rotation is having their best month ever: 11-3 with a 3.12 ERA. Luis Pena's save gave the Stars nine for this month, their most for any single month this year.

 

Mobile manager Brett Butler suffered a minor stroke sometime late Thursday night after his team's game in Montgomery. He's resting comfortably at a Mobile hospital. There is no timetable for his return.

 

The Reds, on Saturday, traded former Chattanooga pitchers Calvin Medlock and Brian Shackleford to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for 2nd baseman Jorge Cantu (a former Southern Leaguer with the Orlando Rays) and outfielder Shaun Cumberland....... On Friday, Grant Balfour, who started the season with the Stars, was traded by the Brewers to the Devil Rays for pitcher Seth McClung, another former Orlando Ray and Montgomery Biscuit righthander..... McClung was assigned to Nashville....... Derrick Turnbow blew a 5-4 lead for Yovani Gallardo Sunday, as the Cardinals scored five in the 8th to beat the Brewers, 9-5. Ryan Braun lifted his average to .350 with a pair of hits........ Last year, Braun hit 15 HRs in 231 at-bats for the Stars. He's hit 18 for the Brewers in 229 at-bats this year.........

 

The Brewers purchased southpaw Rusty Tucker from the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Can-Am League Sunday. He's been assigned to Brevard County, according to brewerfan.net. If the name sounds familiar, Tucker was a Southern League All-Star for Mobile in 2003 and 2005, saving 28 games for the Bay Bears in '03. But he started to get hit in July, felt a pop in his elbow when he threw a pitch in early August, and subsequently wound up having Tommy John surgery. He was slow to come back, going 1-2 with an 8.77 ERA for the Birmingham Barons in 2006 (The Stars pounded him for nine runs on six hits and eight walks in 2/3 of an inning in 11-3 and 12-4 victories, June 2 and June 4), but he was 2nd in the Can-Am league in saves with 14 when the Brewers purchased his contract...... Tucker is the 7th Can-Am player to be signed by a major league team this season...... Another independent league pitcher, Josh Habel, who was 3-7, 5.65 for the Stars in 2005, is 3rd among Northern League ERA leaders with a 3.35 ERA and 5th in strikeouts. He is 9-5 for the Gary Railcats and a teammate of another former Star, Jason Shelley........ The Newark Bears of the Atlantic League sold the contract of former Diamond Jaxx pitcher Bobby Brownlie to the Cleveland Indians last Tuesday. Brownlie was 12-20 over two seasons for the D'Jaxx (2004, 06).

[Mass Haas]

Sounds drop second straight

Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper

 

The Nashville Sounds are doing their best to not emulate the path their big league affiliate the Milwaukee Brewers have been on this month.

 

Milwaukee has been in first place for 100 games this season, but their lead in the National League Central division is down to half a game over the Chicago Cubs.

 

The first-place Sounds still have a healthy lead in the Pacific Coast League American North ? five and a half games ? but they lost their second straight to Sacramento Sunday at Greer.

 

The River Cats got to starter Zach Jackson and downed the Sounds 6-5 in a game between the PCL?s best two teams.

 

The plus for Nashville was that its wornout bullpen was spared.

 

?After we had the bullpen day [saturday], our whole goal was to get the bullpen back to where they were and we did that,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said, commenting on the previous game where Nashville had to use five of its relievers. ?And we did that. We battled and had a chance to tie the game.?

 

On the strength of Laynce Nix?s two-run homer in the first, Nashville (65-43) built a 3-1 lead. But Sacramento slammed back in the sixth with four runs off Jackson. The River Cats? breakout inning was keyed by a two-out, three-run homer by Jeremy Brown.

 

Nashville trimmed the lead to one, but didn?t get any closer than that.

 

GWYNN RETURNS: Outfielder Tony Gwynn will officially join the Sounds for tonight?s game against the River Cats. After being optioned to Nashville last week, he was on leave to be in Cooperstown with his family for his father Tony Gwynn Sr.?s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

 

Sounds pitcher and Nashvillian R.A. Dickey was nearly promoted to Milwaukee on Saturday. Dickey was in St. Louis with the Brewers, who were playing a doubleheader. Had Milwaukee needed an extra pitcher for the nightcap, Dickey would have been added to the roster. In turns out the Brewers didn?t need Dickey?s services and he returned to the Sounds on Sunday.

 

?Of course you want to get called up,? Dickey said. ?At least you know you?re on their radar and you?re somebody they?re looking at.?

[Mass Haas]

Link for Chris Barnwell photo, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

River Cats continue to dominate Sounds

Nashville has won only six of last 36 games in series

By CHRIS GRAHAM

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

It looked like the Sounds would finally break through against the River Cats.

 

Until the sixth inning.

 

After taking a two-run lead through three innings, Nashville lost 6-5 in front of 4,649 fans at Greer Stadium on Sunday to Sacramento.

 

The River Cats have dominated the series with the Sounds since the teams first met in 2000. Sacramento leads the series 32-9, and has won 30 of the last 36 games against Nashville, including a sweep in the 2003 PCL Championship Series.

 

Nashville has now lost five of its last eight games overall, but still leads the division by 5½ games over Iowa.

 

"The A's organization always put together a good team," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

With the Sounds leading 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning, the River Cats put two runners on base. Jeremy Brown then crushed an pitch from Zach Jackson over the right field fence, giving Sacramento a 5-3 lead.

 

Brad Nelson drove in Joe Dillon on a sacrifice fly to close the gap in the bottom of the inning.

 

However, Sacramento's Jason Perry hit his 18th home run of the season, to center field, in the eighth for the River Cats.

 

Designated hitter Andy Abad drove in a run in the eighth inning and the Sounds got the tying run to third base in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't take score.

 

"We had our chances and threw them away," Nix said, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

 

After Saturday's game in which the Sounds used four pitchers and an infielder out of the bullpen, Jackson tried to hold off the Cats offense. Despite R.A. Dickey warming up in the bullpen, Kremblas decided to leave his starter in the game in the sixth inning.

 

"He hadn't thrown that many pitches," Kremblas said. "If he wants to play higher up he's going to have to have battle through that."

 

Fanning the flame: The Sounds pitching staff leads the PCL with 856 strikeouts this season. The current pace for the Nashville pitchers is 1,147 strikeouts, which would break the single-season franchise record of 1,117 that was set in 2005.

 

Sacramento swap: The Nashville roster has many ties to the Sacramento team. Sounds pitcher Adam Pettyjohn had two stints with Sacramento (2004, '06), catcher Mike Rivera was a part of the River Cats squad that won the PCL championship in 2004, and Andy Abad was the Sacramento MVP in 2001. Sacramento Manager Tony DeFrancesco was a member of the Sounds for three seasons (1988, '90-91).

 

What they said: "We lost today. I don't worry about yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow. They just played better than us today." ? Kremblas

[Mass Haas]

UW-Milwaukee's Mike Goetz in the photo at this link of the Great Falls account of Helena's game last night:

 

www.greatfallstribune.com...00315/1006