Link Report for Games of Saturday, August 26th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Zach Jackson at Memphis (Cardinals), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:10 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Steve Hammond at home vs. Mississippi (Braves), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Mike Jones and TBD in a doubleheader at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's) -- the Palm Beach audio connection has been iffy this year...

www.palmbeachcardinals.com/

 

West Virginia: LHP Brandon Parillo at home vs. Lexington (Astros), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

 

Helena: RHP Chris Jean at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

 

Arizona: Idle

[Mass Haas]

Follow Saturday'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_mrbaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County Game One:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Two:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_2

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated an hour or two prior to gametime:

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice:

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Friday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 73 61 .545 - 41-27 32-34 L1[/b] Iowa 69 65 .515 4.0 41-28 28-37 L1 Memphis 53 81 .396 20.0 32-39 21-42 W1 Omaha 51 83 .381 22.0 31-37 20-46 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Huntsville 35 25 .583 - 18-12 17-13 W4[/b] Tennessee 34 27 .557 1.5 18-12 16-15 L1 Chattanooga 33 28 .541 2.5 18-13 15-15 W4 West Tenn 29 32 .475 6.5 19-11 10-21 L4 Carolina 25 36 .410 10.5 19-11 6-25 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 34 26 .567 - 17-12 17-14 L1 Daytona 34 27 .557 0.5 23-13 11-14 W1 Palm Beach 31 26 .544 1.5 18-11 13-15 L1 [b]Brevard County 25 33 .431 8.0 13-13 12-20 W2[/b] Vero Beach 21 35 .375 11.0 13-16 8-19 L2 Jupiter 21 38 .356 12.5 11-18 10-20 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 42 18 .700 - 24-7 18-11 W5 Lake County 31 27 .534 10.0 16-15 15-12 L2 [b]West Virginia 31 29 .517 11.0 18-11 13-18 W1[/b] Greensboro 30 29 .508 11.5 15-17 15-12 L1 Hickory 30 31 .492 12.5 14-18 16-13 L2 Lexington 26 35 .426 16.5 17-14 9-21 W2 Delmarva 23 36 .390 18.5 13-14 10-22 L1 Hagerstown 23 37 .383 19.0 11-18 12-19 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 18 8 .692 - 12-2 6-6 L2 Missoula 16 10 .615 2.0 9-3 7-7 W1 [b]Helena 13 13 .500 5.0 6-6 7-7 L4[/b] Great Falls 7 19 .269 11.0 6-8 1-11 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 16 7 .696 - 5-2 11-5 L1 AZL Royals 16 8 .667 0.5 8-5 8-3 L2 AZL Giants 15 8 .652 1.0 7-5 8-3 L1 AZL Padres 15 8 .652 1.0 9-4 6-4 W3 AZL Athletics 11 12 .478 5.0 9-3 2-9 L1 AZL Cubs 10 13 .435 6.0 4-7 6-6 W1 AZL Mariners 10 13 .435 6.0 8-4 2-9 L3 AZL Rangers 8 16 .333 8.5 6-7 2-9 W2 [b]AZL Brewers 4 20 .167 12.5 3-9 1-11 L1[/b]

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Nashville Pregame Audio:

 

Inside The Players' Ballpark With Jermaine Clark

Sounds play-by-play man Chuck Valenches having some fun with a tounge-in-cheek bit while interviewing Sounds infielder and minor league vet Jermaine Clark, who recently got his 1,000th minor league hit. I give Chuck credit, but unfortunately, most of the interview falls flat, as Clark was giving straight answers instead of playing along. Maybe with a different foil, the concept would have worked better. Regardless, I did laugh out loud when Chuck ended the interview with:

 

"This is an honor that will rank above...my own birth."

 

If that's from a movie, it was still well-borrowed. And if it's original, priceless, Chuck.

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-25.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with pitching coach Mark Littell (Select date for August 25th, skip to the 13:00 minute mark) --

This is a detailed discussion of the changeup, including an interesting analysis of the change-up of 18-year-old LHP Luis Ramirez...

 

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

[Mass Haas]

In the Southern League, Tennessee loses at Jacksonville Saturday afternoon. The Stars lead Tennessee by two games and Chattanooga by two and a half. They're up in the loss column over each team by three games. There are ten games left in the Huntsville regular season.

 

Nashville and Huntsville, each in first place, are the organization's lone postseason hopefuls this year.

[Mass Haas]

Buck Rogers, Brevard County GM:

 

With the field underwater for the third time in four days, the umpires have just scrubbed tonight's doubleheader games off the schedule. Severe thunderstorms are currently moving thru the area dumping a massive amount of rain on the Space Coast. Even NASA scrubbed tomorrow's scheduled shuttle launch until Monday at 4:04 pm EST.

 

Tonight's game are lost from the schedule and will not be made up.

 

Sunday is an off day for the Manatees and Palm Beach Cardinals and thoughts were entertained to make up two of these games tomorrow. The Cardinals, however, have DHs on Monday and Tuesday and Minor League Baseball prohibits three DHs in a row and allows only three in a seven day window.

 

The Manatees have an off day tomorrow and then hit the road for Jupiter on Monday for a three game series, then on to Daytona Beach to face the Cubs on Thursday and Friday. The 'Tees return to Space Coast Stadium for the final two games of the 2006 season next Saturday, September 2nd. Gates are scheduled to open at 6:00 am (that's six in the morning, not a typo) for a 6:00 pm DH against the Daytona Cubs. Early arriving fans will be invited onto the field to participate in a World Record First Pitch Event sponsored by Imperial's Hotel and Conference Center, the official team hotel of the Brevard County Manatees. If you have ever wanted to throw out a game's honorary first pitch next Saturday you'll get your chance.

 

Immediately following Saturday night's game we'll have fireworks sponsored by Wachovia.

 

The final game of the season is Sunday, September 3rd at 12:00 pm.

 

Rock On!

[plowjockey]

Nice night by Zack Jack(7 innings/ 1 ER). Vinnie with a clutch hit in the top of the 9th. Chad Moeller throws out a base stealer in the bottom of the 9th to thwart a rally. Extra innings for Nash.

[plowjockey]

Brad Nelson raised from the dead? 2 jacks tonight and average over .250. Keep it going big boy!

[pogokat]

Final: Memphis (Cards) 2, Nashville 1

 

Sarfate with the loss. I would really like to see Dennis have success with the Brewers, but if it doesn't work out, I hope he goes on to success elsewhere...

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._mrbaaa_1

[pogokat]

Final: Huntsville 7, Mississippi (Braves) 6

 

Brad Nelson wants to play in the majors someday. To do that, Brad has to somehow find his power stroke. Only 23, Brad still has a chance to make it, even though those of us here at Brewerfan were pretty sure that chance was gone...

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._hunaax_1

[plowjockey]

Man, I even suggested Nelson fall off of the Power 50. I really hope to be proven wrong. I saw him play in Huntsville a couple of times and really like his game.

[pogokat]

Nashville Site game Summary

link (including pic of Zach Jack), then text

www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2127

 

Sounds Drop Another One-Run Game In Memphis

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds suffered their second consecutive one-run loss at the hands of the Memphis Redbirds on Saturday evening, falling 2-1 in 10 innings at AutoZone Park.

 

With the loss, Nashville (73-62) had its lead cut to three games over Iowa in the American Conference Northern Division. The Sounds? magic number to clinch a playoff berth remains at six with nine games remaining in the season.

 

The one-run loss was the Sounds? 29th of the year, the most among all Triple-A clubs.

 

Bo Hart singled with two outs in bottom of the tenth and scored all the way from first on a double by Shawn Garrett as Sounds right fielder Kennard Bibbs? throw came in just a few moments late to provide the Redbirds their second one-run victory over Nashville in as many days.

 

Memphis starter John Webb and Nashville?s Zach Jackson were locked in a pitcher?s duel over the first seven innings. Webb held the Sounds scoreless over seven frames, allowing only four baserunners while striking out seven. Jackson surrendered just two hits over seven innings, including a solo homer to shortstop John Nelson in the fourth inning that gave Memphis a 1-0 advantage.

 

Redbirds reliever Josh Kinney hit Chris Barnwell with a pitch to lead off the ninth inning. Vinny Rottino, who continued his red-hot hitting with a team-best 3-for-4 effort on the evening, and Andrew Beattie laced back-to-back two-out singles to tie the game for the Sounds and send the contest to extra innings.

 

Kinney worked out of a bases loaded jam in the tenth to set the stage for Garrett?s heroics.

 

Kinney (2-2) picked up the victory in relief for Memphis, while Dennis Sarfate (9-7) suffered the loss for the Sounds after allowing the game-winning run in his two-thirds of an inning of work.

 

Nashville outfielder Dave Krynzel left the game in the fifth after making a sliding catch in foul territory in the bottom of the third. Bibbs replaced him and went 2-for-3.

 

The teams wrap up their five-game series and 16-game season series with a 2:10 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Carlos Villanueva (7-0, 2.75) takes his undefeated record to the hill for the Sounds to face Memphis right-hander Anthony Reyes (5-1, 2.81).[/i]

[pogokat]

Huntsville Site Game Review

link, then text

www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=984

 

Power Surge Carries Stars to Victory

 

Brad Nelson hit two home runs and knocked in four to power Huntsville past Mississippi 7-6 Saturday night in the second game of the final home series of the season at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars won their fifth straight game to improve to 36-25 in the second half and lengthened their lead to two and a half games in the North Division over Tennessee, which lost a second consecutive one-run decision, 6-5, to Jacksonville. Huntsville has won nine straight games at home and improved to 19-5 in August.

 

Eddie Perez, in just his second start since early May, belted a two-out, two-run home run in the first inning to stake the visitors to the early lead. Steve Moss hit Braves? starter Eric Schmitt?s first pitch of the night for a home run and Nelson?s solo shot leading off in the second tied the game at two.

 

Schmitt walked Moss, Callix Crabbe and Ryan Braun to open the third before Brendan Katin grounded out to score Moss and advance the other runners. Nelson followed with a monstrous three-run home to right field to give the Stars a 6-2 and become the first Huntsville hitter to belt two long balls in a game this season. It also was the first time the Stars hit three home runs in a game in 2006.

 

Stars? starter Steve Hammond was taken out with 7-3 lead and the bases loaded and nobody out in the fifth. Gerrit Simpson came on and induced Josh Burrus to ground into a double play that scored a run and struck out Michael Rosamond to end the frame. Simpson worked scoreless relief in the sixth and seventh innings before giving up a two-run long ball to Rosamond that trimmed the Stars? advantage to 7-6. Chris Mabeus, in his first appearance in nine days, replaced Simpson and retired the next three hitters.

 

Joe Thatcher took over for the Stars in the ninth inning and fanned Mike Rozeman on three pitches and Matt Young on four in his first double-A outing. Joe Valentine was then called on to face Perez and struck him out to end the game and earn his ninth save in 12 chances. Huntsville hurlers struck out 14 one night after fanning 15.

 

The series continues Sunday evening with right-hander Yovani Gallardo taking the hill for Huntsville against Braves? southpaw Chris Waters. Coverage of the game begins at 5:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[DKM4Boston]

Here's the correct link to the Power game box. Great job by Parillo, Welch, and Ryan. Welch's ERA is down to 2.45 now. Only run scored by Lexington was on Gamel's 5th inning error, but Mat did hit his 17th HR earlier in the game.

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x&did=milb

[pogokat]

Final: WV 3, Lexington (Astros) 1

 

WV Box Score and Game Log

Close game, Mike Bell on fire---David Welch with another strong outing

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...box&did=milb

[Team Canada]

I never expected to say this, but is Huntsville ever going to lose?

[And That]

Some thoughts:

 

Joe Thatcher with a very productive AA debut. At this rate, he could be in Milwaukee by next year. Would be very nice to have a home-grown LOOGY.

 

Brad Nelson, power surge or not, could/should be leading off for the Stars. His OBP is almost at .400.

 

Brandon Parillo is a groundball machine. Between this year and last, he has like a 2.50 GB/FB ratio - that's crazy. He's a pretty small guy, too, so he must have some real good sink on his fastball and a nice slider or something of that ilk.

[Mass Haas]

This forum has been lax in giving Vinny Rottino his just due for his July and August.

 

Sounds media notes, adjusted for last night's 3-for-4 effort:

 

ROTTINO ROLLIN?: Utilityman Vinny Rottino is batting .389 (56-for-144) over his last 41 contests, hitting safely in 33 of them. His .310 average sits at its highest point of the season and he is batting a team-best .422 in August (27-for-64).

 

More thoughts, a la Toby:

 

Middle reliever Gerrit Simpson has been a rock in the Huntsville bullpen all season, even in the worst of times for the team early on. Dude had better get a chance at AAA next year at age 27, even if just as a reward for his work since his acquisition from the Rockies last season.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 8, Idaho Falls (Royals) 1

 

Helena Independent Record:

 

The Helena Brewers pounded out five extra base hits as they cruised past the Idaho Falls Chukar?s 8-1 in a Pioneer League contest Saturday.

 

Chris Errecart hit his 11th home run of the season in the first inning to post the Brewers to a 2-0 lead. Cole Gillespie knocked another round tripper in the eighth inning.

 

Taylor Green, Andy Bouchie and Fredy De la Cruz each had a double in the contest.

 

Green was 3-for-3 on the night.

 

Errecart, Bouchie and Carlos De La Cruz each had two hits in the contest.

 

Christopher Jean picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching 6 2/3 and giving up one earned run.

 

Mike McClendon finished the game without allowing an earned run.

 

The Brewers start a four-game set with Casper today. First pitch is at 4:05 PM (5:05 Central).

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

FORD STEALS RECORD, POWER WIN

 

In the seventh inning of Saturday night?s game at Appalachian Power Park, Darren Ford drove in a big insurance run for the Power and later in the seventh he stole his 62nd base of the season, breaking former Charleston Alley Cat Mike Curry?s franchise record for stolen bases in a season set back in 1999 as the Power went on to beat the Lexington Legends 3-1.

 

Mat Gamel hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to put the Power ahead 1-0. The home run was the 17th of the season for Gamel, only three shy of Jason Parson?s record of 20 set back in 1997. Lexington scored their only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning when Mitch Einertson scored on Gamel?s error. Mike Bell ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Power the lead for good and Ford scored Kenny Holmberg on a fielder?s choice RBI in the seventh.

 

Power lefty Brandon Parillo had a no-hitter going through four and two thirds, but it was broken up by Einertson?s two out single. Dave Welch has now thrown eleven consecutive scoreless innings for the Power.

 

Welch (7-6) pitched three scoreless innings of three-hit ball and got the victory, Patrick Ryan (2) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save and Brian Bogusevic (1-5) suffered the loss. The Power are 71-59 on the year and 32-29 in the second half after the win while the Legends fell to 70-61 overall and 26-36 in the second half after the loss.

 

The Power will finish the two-game series against the Legends Sunday evening. Right hander Sean Walker (6-9, 4.65) will make the start for Lexington and the Power will counter with left hander Steve Garrison (6-6, 3.70). The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM (4:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2006082666

 

Ford sets steals mark in Power win

By Doug Smock

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

Darren Ford dashed into the Charleston baseball record books Saturday night, stealing his 62nd base as the West Virginia Power beat the Lexington Legends 3-1.

 

Before a crowd of 4,498 at Appalachian Power Park, Ford stole second base in the sixth and seventh innings to break the franchise record of 61, set in 1999 by Mike Curry of the Charleston Alley Cats. It was the second major offensive franchise record to fall in a productive season, with Lorenzo Cain owning the hits record with 153.

 

A second-year pro from Vineland, N.J., via Chipola (Fla.) Junior College, Ford is the top base stealer in the Milwaukee Brewers? organization, third in the South Atlantic League and No. 4 in all of minor league baseball.

 

?He?s probably the fastest player I?ve ever seen,? said Power manager Mike Guererro. ?I?ve seen a lot of fast players, but he?s the fastest, right from the get-go.?

 

The Power (32-29 second half, 71-59 overall) is the Sally League?s top-hitting team at .277, but it needed to scratch out this win with the benefit of just five hits. It was a game designed for Ford to win, and he pretty much did.

 

With the game tied at 1, Ford walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth. He stole second, then went to third on a Brian Bogusevic (1-5) wild pitch, then waltzed home on a Mike Bell single. That was his 89th run of the season, good for second in the league.

 

Ford tacked on the insurance run in the seventh with a broken-bat grounder to deep short with one out and the bases loaded. He then stole second to set the franchise record. He was awarded the base as a memento.

 

In center field, Ford made the game?s final out in somewhat dramatic fashion, getting turned around on a fly ball before reaching out to snag it.

 

?It was a ball hit to my right, but as soon as I turned, it went to my left,? he said. ?I just turned around to try to catch it, and I caught it.?

 

The two steals helped him atone for oversliding the base on a not-that-close steal in the third.

 

?I went through the bag, and I kept going,? Ford said. ?I couldn?t put my foot on the bag and kept going past it. I just thought of it as it wasn?t meant to be. If I was going to get [the record], I was going to get it, and God let me get it today.?

 

Mat Gamel scored the Power?s first run with a first-inning home run, a power-alley blast that bounded into Morris Street. It was his 17th of the season and could have stood up as the game-winner but the Legends (26-36 second half, 70-61 overall) tied the game in the fifth on an unearned run. Gamel figured in that, misplaying a short-hop grounder.

 

It cost starter Brandon Parillo a victory. With 80 pitches, he left after the fifth inning with the game tied, leaving reliever David Welch (7-6) to get the win.

 

Parillo?s earned-run average fell from 5.79 to 4.56, but he stayed at 3-0. He has pitched much better since being demoted to the Brewers? rookie club in Helena, Mont., and brought back up.

 

?A lot of the guys, especially late in the year, they?re starting to wear out,? Guerrero said. ?We want them to finish in a positive way, and also you?ve got to watch for them not to get hurt. He did an excellent job; we just made a couple of miscues back there.?

 

BRIEFLY: Lexington cleanup hitter J.R. Towles struck out swinging in the first inning ? as the curve ball struck him on the knee. If you swing, it?s a strike. Then to make his day worse, he was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes. ... Welch helped himself by picking off a runner at first, Eli Iorg, in the sixth inning. ... South Atlantic League president John Henry Moss was in attendance. ... The Power?s attendance rose to 232,101 over 61 home dates, a 3,805 average. ... Cain was third in the league in batting, but fell to .305 with an 0-for-3 night. ... Gamel knocked in his 86th run, passing Angel Salome for the team lead. ... The Power just missed its 10th shutout of the year.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Latest Star gives team a lift

Thatcher's in three hours after arrival, helps get 7-6 win

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

At approximately 6:30 Saturday afternoon, Joe Thatcher got off a plane at the airport and headed directly to Joe Davis Stadium.

 

An eyelash over three hours later, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound relief pitcher was thrust left arm-first into the Southern League pennant race.

 

With the Stars clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth and two lefties due up for Mississippi, manager Don Money called on his spanking new 25-year-old with the herky-jerky delivery. Seven pitches later, Thatcher had struck out Mike Rozema and Matt Young before yielding to closer Joe Valentine, who struck out Eddie Perez to secure a 7-6 win.

 

It was one of the most exciting holds you'll ever see, and coupled with Tennessee's 6-5 loss to Jacksonville, it helped first-place Huntsville to a 2 1/2-game lead.

 

"Every time you come to a new team, the first outing is pretty nerve-racking," said Thatcher, who had allowed just one earned run in 30 2/3 innings at Single-A Brevard County (Fla.). "I definitely had the ol' adrenaline going."

 

Money said he'd predetermined that Thatcher would face the lefties before Valentine was brought in for Perez, a major league veteran who'd already blasted a two-run homer that gave the Braves an early 2-0 lead.

 

Thatcher knew this, but the competitor in him wanted to keep the momentum from his two strikeouts going.

 

"Yeah, you always want to finish an inning," he said, "but I just want to do whatever it takes to help us get to the playoffs."

 

He did plenty in his debut. But why not? Seemingly everybody the Stars have called up this second half has helped a team that once lost 14 consecutive games before the break hold a commanding lead in the playoff chase.

 

More than anything now, Huntsville expects to win. That much was evident against Mississippi.

 

After Perez's shot off Steve Hammond gave the Braves a two-run lead, Steve Moss cranked the first pitch he saw from Eric Schmitt in the bottom of the first over the left-field wall to cut the lead to 2-1.

 

Brad Nelson tied it in the second with another leadoff home run and provided the biggest blow of the night an inning later.

 

After three walks and an RBI fielder's choice by Brendan Katin gave Huntsville a 3-2 lead, Nelson turned on a Schmitt pitch and hit a towering three-run home run over the right-field wall.

 

Even he admired it.

 

"That was a fun one," Nelson said. "One of those you don't feel.

 

"Moss came out and started things off real well, especially after Eddie hit the home run. One of those things now is how we're going to react to things like that."

 

At this stage, a win is the best reaction possible.

 

Gerrit Simpson worked three innings in relief of Hammond to pick up the win. His only mistake came in the eighth when Michael Rosamond's two-run home run cut the lead to 7-6.

 

Thatcher - who woke up Saturday in Florida to a ringing phone and a 10:30 call-up - and Valentine made certain it got no closer.

 

Not only did Valentine give Thatcher an assist on the field with his ninth save, he added one in the locker room. As Thatcher was breezing through a postgame interview, Valentine sneaked up behind him with a shaving cream-filled paper plate.

 

A second later it was all over Thatcher's face.

 

"He's part of the team now," somebody yelled through the laughter.

 

The Stars were glad of that Saturday night.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Roving Hitting Instructor Jim Skaalen:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-26.mp3