Link Report Sun. 9/3: Joy at AAA, but Stars' Dillard Injured

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 5, Birmingham (White Sox) 3

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=999

 

Palmisano Pushes Stars to Comeback Victory

 

Lou Palmisano doubled home the game-winning run in the eighth inning and Huntsville?s bullpen retired the last six hitters to preserve a 5-3 win over Birmingham Sunday night at the Hoover Met. The Stars have taken four out of five in the series to improve to 42-26 in the second half, while the Barons suffered their eighth loss in nine games to drop to 28-41 in the second half and 59-80 overall. The Stars have won eight of the last nine over the Barons and lead the season series 16-8 heading into Monday?s regular season finale.

 

Dwayne Pollok opened the eighth inning on the hill for Birmingham and gave up a leadoff double to Brad Nelson that was followed by a Ron Acuna single. Palmisano then laced a 3-2 pitch into the alley in right-center field to score both runners to give Huntsville a 4-3 lead. Callix Crabbe led off the ninth inning against Ehren Wasserman with a walk, moved to third base on Ryan Braun?s second double of the night and scored an insurance run on a single by Nelson, who finished with three hits in a game for a seventh time this season.

 

Gerrit Simpson retired the side in order in the eighth inning and Joe Valentine set down the Barons in turn in the ninth to earn his 13th save of the season and his tenth in a row since August 5 at Mobile. Valentine was a member of the Barons? 2002 Southern League championship team and established a team record that season with 36 saves.

 

Tim Dillard retired the first eight hitters he faced and threw three scoreless innings before the home side scored in the fourth when Micah Schnurstein doubled home Chris Amador and came into score on a single by Donny Lucy, who knocked in his third run with the Barons. Ron Acuna singled in Brendan Katin and scored on a two-out infield hit by Ozzie Chavez in the sixth to knot the game at two.

 

Dillard retired the side in order in the fifth and was lifted with a right forearm injury after Michael Myers walked to open the sixth and moved to third base on a Corey Smith single. Travis Phelps took over and got Schnurstein to pop out and Lucy to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep the game tied at two. Amador?s sacrifice fly in the home seventh scored Stefan Gartrell to give the Barons a 3-2 lead.

 

The regular season comes to a close Monday afternoon with Stars? right-hander Mike Jones taking the hill against Barons? right-hander Jack Egbert. Coverage begins at 12:20 pm central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 4, Round Rock (Astros) 2

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2144

 

Sounds Clinch Division Title With 4-2 Win

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Chris Barnwell?s two-run third-inning single put Nashville in front for good as the defending champion Sounds made their reservation for the 2006 Pacific Coast League postseason with a 4-2 division-clinching victory over the Round Rock Express in front of 5,667 exuberant fans on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

The win gave the Sounds (76-67) the American Conference Northern Division title for the second straight season. The club advances to face American Southern Division-winning Express in the best-of-five PCL Conference Finals, beginning on Wednesday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

The division title, Nashville?s third in the last four seasons, gives the Sounds the 12th postseason berth in the franchise?s 29-year history.

 

Round Rock second baseman Brooks Conrad gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a two-out solo home run to right off Sounds starter Justin Lehr, his 24th roundtripper of the season.

 

Dave Krynzel tied it at 1-1 for the Sounds with a second-inning RBI single that brought home Andrew Beattie, who had opened the inning with a single and stole second.

 

Nashville pulled ahead 3-1 in the third against Express starter Philip Barzilla. Lehr and Tony Gwynn opened the frame with consecutive doubles to put runners on second and third for Barnwell, who plated both with a two-run single down the right field line. With the go-ahead hit, Barnwell extended his hitting streak to seven games.

 

The visitors got a run back in the top of the fifth when Round Rock loaded the bases against Lehr with two outs before the hurler was replaced on the hill by Steve Bray, who uncorked a wild pitch during his first batter faced to allow Joe McEwing to score from third before striking out Eric Munson to escape the jam with the Sounds holding a 3-2 lead.

 

The Sounds added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Round Rock centerfielder Mike Rodriguez dropped a two-out Zach Sorensen fly ball in right-center, allowing Brent Abernathy, who had doubled to open the frame, to score from third and extend the Nashville advantage to 4-2.

 

Graham Koonce and Abernathy each went 1-for-4 for Nashville to extend their season-best hit streaks to seven games each.

 

Allan Simpson (2-4) worked two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory for the Sounds, allowing only one hit.

 

Luther Hackman made his 2006 Sounds debut and threw two scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 ninth, to notch his first Triple-A save of the season. The right-hander previously pitched for Nashville in 2004 when the club was a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate.

 

Lehr did not pitch long enough to qualify for the win for Nashville. He allowed two runs on six hits while striking out four batters and walking four over his 4 2/3 frames of work.

 

Barzilla (8-5) took the loss after surrendering three runs on eight hits over his six innings of action.

 

The teams wrap up the 2006 regular season with a noon matinee on Monday afternoon. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (9-7, 3.13) will toe the rubber for Nashville to face Express right-hander Ezequiel Astacio (7-4, 5.13).

 

AUDIO: The Final Out Of The Game --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%209-3.mp3

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Two players with tenuous 40-man roster spots -- no options remaining -- Ben Hendrickson and Dave Krynzel, celebrate:

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/news/bendavechampagne.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Several Sounds photos here in this set from the clinching game (the Tennessean), including a big-time Gatorade dump shot on Frank Kremblas:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....amp;Ref=PH

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds crowned champs

Nashville tops Round Rock, repeats in North

By JESSICA HOPP

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

They say history repeats itself. Normally it's just not this soon.

 

Exactly 365 days after the Sounds defeated Round Rock to claim the 2005 American Conference North Division title, Nashville did it again.

 

By defeating Round Rock 4-2 in front of 5,667 at Greer Stadium on Sunday night, Nashville claimed its third division title in the last four years.

 

The win earned Nashville ? the defending Pacific Coast League Champions ? its 12th postseason berth.

 

"It's awesome to do it back-to-back," said Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell who was 2-of-3 with two RBIs and a walk on Sunday. "Hopefully we can keep it going like last year and win the whole thing."

 

The team celebrated by popping orange bottles of Paul Cheneau champagne near home plate and dousing Manager Frank Kremblas with orange Gatorade.

 

"One was our magic number, and we wanted to win it ourselves instead of relying on Iowa to lose," Kremblas said before his soaking. "Round Rock was tough. It was not an easy team to do it against."

 

With the game tied at 1-1 in the third, the Sounds put together back-to-back doubles by pitcher Justin Lehr and center fielder Tony Gwynn to put runners on second and third.

 

Barnwell then hit a single down the right field line to drive in Lehr and Gwynn for a 3-1 Sounds lead.

 

"I got it in the hole," Barnwell said. "It's nice that the ball found its way through."

 

The Sounds will close out the regular season at noon today against Round Rock ? the American Southern champions ? and will face the Express again on Wednesday at Greer in the opening game of the best-of-five playoffs.

 

What they said: "We should be ready by now.'' ? Kremblas on preparing his team for the playoffs.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds face Express in first playoff round

By JESSICA HOPP

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

The Sounds will close the regular season today with a noon game against Round Rock, but that won't be the last the Sounds see of the Express.

 

Having claimed the American Conference North Division title on Sunday, the Sounds advanced to the playoffs where their first series opponent will be Round Rock.

 

The Sounds are 10-5 against Round Rock. Twelve of those games have been decided by two or fewer runs.

 

"We just have to keep the intensity up," Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell said. "We know we have our hands full, but once the playoffs start it doesn't matter ? it's a new series."

 

Nashville will host the first two games of the best-of-five series on Wednesday and Thursday. The remaining games will be played in Round Rock Friday, Saturday and Sunday as needed.

 

Hackman on the mound: Right-handed pitcher Luther Hackman, who was called up from Double-A Huntsville on Friday, made his 2006 debut with the Sounds in the eighth inning.

 

He pitched two innings, allowing no hits and striking out one to get the save. Hackman, who was with the Sounds in 2004, posted a 3-0 record with a 0.66 ERA in eight relief outings in Huntsville. He signed with the Brewers on Aug. 11 out of the Independent League.

 

Lucky sevens: Three Sounds players extended their hitting streaks to seven games ? Barnwell, Graham Koonce and Brent Abernathy.

 

For Abernathy and Koonce the streak was a season best.

 

Barnwell had a 12 game-streak running from the end of April through early May.

 

Cool in camo: At Saturday night's game the Sounds auctioned off their camouflage jerseys. On Sunday they wore them one last time before giving them to their new owners.

 

The silent auction raised $1,445, which will be donated to an organization that helps families of deployed Tennessee National Guard soldiers.

 

Gwynn and Jermaine Clark had the top-selling jerseys at $150 each.

 

PCL playoffs: The American Conference North Division was the last race decided in the Pacific Coast League.

 

Round Rock took the American Southern crown last week, and Tucson, which holds the best record in the league at 91-52, followed suit earning its first ticket to the playoffs since 1995 with a Pacific South title.

 

Salt Lake claimed the Pacific North title on Monday.

 

In 2005 all but one of the division races came down to the final two days of the season.

[clancyphile]

Dillard injured?

 

Right arm??!!!!

 

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!