Link Report for Tue 8/22 - Huntsville Jumps Into First Place

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Carlos Villanueva at home vs. Albuquerque (Marlins), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Yovani Gallardo at West Tenn (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Vero Beach (Dodgers), 6:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's); audio will be archived as well:

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

 

West Virginia: LHP Steve Garrison at home vs. Hagerstown (Mets), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: RHP Brock Kjeldgaard at Idaho Falls (Royals), 8:00 PM pre-game; 8:15 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

 

Arizona: TBD at the A's complex to face the Oakland kids, 9:00 PM Central time, never any web audio for the Arizona League

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday'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_wtdaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_idarok_1

 

Arizona Rookie:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_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]

Rather than make a late addition to Monday's Link Report, we'll add it here --

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006082242/

 

Power's Cain sets franchise hits record

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

Baseball is undoubtedly a team sport.

 

But on Monday evening at Appalachian Power Park, there still was ample room for individual accolades in America's grand old game.

 

West Virginia Power right fielder Lorenzo Cain entered the evening just three hits shy of the Charleston Class A franchise record of 150 hits in a season, established by then Charleston Wheeler Bobby Perna during the 1992 season.

 

Four hits later, Cain became the most accomplished single season hitter in franchise history before 2,626 grateful fans and a locker room full of excited teammates.

 

Play was briefly paused after Cain's record-setting hit, as the ball was removed from play and public address announcer Don Cook announced the feat to those in attendance.

 

"It's very exciting to have the fans cheer me on and to have my teammates congratulate me," Cain said following the Power's 7-1 and 4-0 double-header sweep of the Hagerstown Suns.

 

"I'm very happy about it."

 

In the Power locker room, teammates celebrated along with Cain, as he was presented a gold bat to commemorate the feat.

 

"It's great to see him (Cain) accomplish that," Power hitting coach Mike Lum said. "He's worked hard. He's gaining confidence and more experience and you just never know where he's going to go.

 

"I think he's going to be a good one."

 

But Cain's feat wasn't the only good thing about the Power's first double-header sweep of the season.

 

Power pitchers also were impressive, as four hurlers combined to limit the Suns to only seven combined hits in the two games.

 

In the first game, Brandon Parillo (3-0) allowed four hits and just one run in five innings on the mound.

 

Rafael Lluberes finished the game with two scoreless innings.

 

In the nightcap, David Welch (6-6) was superb in the start, allowing a pair of singles over five innings, before giving way to reliever Matt Kretzschmar.

 

Kretzschmar finished the evening with two hitless, scoreless innings.

 

"We're looking to finish the season very respectably," Power pitching coach John Curtis said. "As far as the pitching goes, you can't ask for much better than we saw tonight.

 

"We were very stingy out there tonight and it was great to see."

 

While Power pitchers stymied Hagerstown hitters, West Virginia batters pounded out 20 hits in the two games.

 

Darren Ford, Mat Gamel and Michael Brantley each had two hits in the opener, with Gamel providing the biggest blow with a three-run, fifth- inning homer down the right field line.

 

In the second game, Michael Bell and Tony Festa led the way with two hits apiece.

 

Bell paced the Power with two RBI in the nightcap, while Gamel drove in four runs in the opener.

[pogokat]

sadly, i'm not at tonights game...so no garrison, but ill be there thrusday and friday

[Mass Haas]

Ryan Braun in the team photo and a very cool (not in a good way) August for the Hurricane is noted in this week's Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...62251.html

[Mass Haas]

Through five scoreless innings in Viera, the Manatees' lefty starter Derek Miller has allowed only one hit and struck out nine.

 

On the season through tonight thus far, he has struck out 138 and walked 52 in 133.1 innings. He should be fun to watch in a full season at AA in 2007.

 

Miller, with Tommy John now three years behind him, will be 25 in November, but he's still on track to be a contributor down the road.

[pogokat]

and i just realized the game was in hagerstown tonight instead of gboro...very glad i didnt drive over there to an empty stadium tonight

[molitor fan]

Nice to see Brent Brewer back tonight, albeit a game in which he made an error that led to three unearned runs.

[molitor fan]

With his Home Run and single (not to mention his 13th stolen base), Cole Gillespie climbs atop the league OPS list.

 

When the Power 50 returns, I would hope to see Gillespie somewhere between 10-14.

 

And Joe Thatcher is sick....with his 3 perfect innings tonight he lowers his Brevard ERA to 0.29

[pogokat]

yo with uncharacteristically bad control tonight...but brendan katin with his first AA Hr

[bullox]

Yo showing potential at the plate as well, 6 for his first 18 (.333) with 4 rbis and just 2 strikeouts.

[PrimeTime955]

why only 4 for yo?

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations to your first place Huntsville Stars!

Unbelievable, did anybody believe you'd read that this year? To be honest, we did pump up this team well ahead of the curve based on their starting rotation, but this has indeed been fun.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/images/clubheaderlogos/t559_logo_lg.gif

[jvrocksaz]

I am sure Yo got pulled due to a high pitch count.. Alot of walks plus a tough 1st inning...

[And That]

Unbelievable, did anybody believe you'd read that this year? To be honest, we did pump up this team well ahead of the curve based on their starting rotation, but this has indeed been fun.

 

Indeed, and pardon my french, but this has been a hell of a run for this H'ville team. I'm proud of the guys that have been there all year for not giving up and proud of the newer faces for pushing them in the second half. I hope they are able to keep on this streak for just another few weeks games, so they get themselves in the playoffs. Would be nice to get the AAA/AA teams both in postseason play.

[pogokat]

Final: Huntsville 5, West Tenn 2 (Scrubs)

 

Huntsville site Game Review

link, then text

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=978

 

Stars Surge Into First Place

 

Brendan Katin blasted the game-winning home run and Luther Hackman tossed four sparkling innings in relief to carry Huntsville to a 5-2 comeback win over West Tenn and into first place in the North Division, a half game ahead of Tennessee, which was blanked at Carolina and fell to the Mudcats for a third straight night. The Stars stopped a six-game losing streak to the home team, won for just the fifth time in 23 meetings with the Diamond Jaxx and moved into first place five weeks after a 10-17 start to the second half.

 

Aron Weston singled with one out in the home first, moved to second base when Scott Moore walked and scored the game?s first run on a double off the left field wall by Brandon Sing, who collected his first hit of the series. Jon-Mark Sprowl walked to load the bases and Richard Lewis grounded out to plate Moore to make it 2-0. Huntsville starter Yovani Gallardo worked scoreless baseball over the next three frames and left after four innings, his shortest start since joining the Stars.

 

Brad Nelson walked to open the second inning and moved to second base one out later when starter Isaac Pavlik and Sing collided and dropped a pop up off the bat of Katin, who reached safely on the error. Lou Palmisano followed by ripping a double into the alley in left-center field to chase home both runners to tie the game. The two-run double gave Palmisano multiple RBIs in a game for the first time since June 8 at Jacksonville.

 

Ron Acuna singled with one out in the fourth before Katin smashed a two-run home run, his first at the double-A level, on a 3-1 offering from Pavlik to give the Stars the lead for the first time in the game. Callix Crabbe led off the fifth inning with a single, moved to second base on a single by Ryan Braun and scored on a base hit by Nelson to push the lead to 5-2.

 

Hackman retired the first seven hitters he faced, gave up a base hit to Jake Fox and induced Chris Walker to ground into a double play to end the seventh. The veteran right-hander set down the side in order in the eighth to record his second win in four outings with Huntsville. He struck out four and faced the minimum 12 hitters in his longest outing since joining the team. Gallardo allowed two runs on three hits, while walking four and fanning five in his second start against West Tenn.

 

The series continues Wednesday night with right-hander Tim Dillard taking the hill for Huntsville against West Tenn right-hander Hugo Castellanos. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log

May as well keep Yo's pitch count as low as possible considering the amount of innings he's thrown this year

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._wtdaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Even when this team was miserable through early July (and boy, were they miserable), we'd read news notes about how the clubhouse was still together, what a great group of guys this was, etc. Of course, Braun, Hammond, and Gallardo brought it all together as new additions, but there's something to be said for intangibles in this case. Nice job by the coaching staff, too -- Mike Maddux was plucked from AA; wouldn't surprise me to see Rich Sauveur a big league pitching coach some day.

[pogokat]

Final: Nashville 6, Albuequerque (Marlins) 2

 

Nashville site Game Review

link, (featuring pic of TGJ)then text

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2123

 

Sounds Close Homestand With 6-2 Victory

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? With another solid outing from starting pitcher Carlos Villanueva, the Nashville Sounds closed out their homestand by defeating the Albuquerque Isotopes, 6-2, in the finale of the four-game series on Tuesday night in front of 5,317 fans at Greer Stadium.

 

With the win, the Sounds (71-60) maintain their four-game lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division over the Iowa Cubs, who defeated Oklahoma earlier in the afternoon.

 

Nashville won three of four from Albuquerque and wrapped up the homestand with a 6-2 record.

 

Villanueva (7-0) hurled his way to his seventh win of the season by working six innings of one-run, two-hit baseball. With the victory, Villanueva becomes the first Sound to open a season 7-0 since Brian Meadows during the 2003 season. The right-hander?s seventh consecutive winning decision as the most by a Nashville hurler since Meadows in 2003.

 

The Nashville offense continued to wield hot bats as every position player, with the exception of Drew Anderson (0-for-4), recorded a hit in the nine-hit effort.

 

The Isotopes took the early lead by plating a run in the first inning. With two outs, Edgar Gonzalez hit a solo home run over the left field fence, his second roundtripper of the year.

 

The Sounds answered right back with a longball of their own. Tony Gwynn started the team off with a leadoff home run to right field. He became just the third Sound this year to open the game with a home run. Dave Krynzel and Kennard Bibbs both started games off with roundtrippers earlier this season.

 

With the game tied up at ones, Chris Barnwell followed Gwynn?s blast with a double off the left field wall. Barnwell moved ninety feet closer to home on an infield groundout and then scored on a Graham Koonce RBI single that rolled just under the glove of first baseman Tom Wilson. Barnwell?s run gave the Sounds a 2-1 lead, one it would not relinquish.

 

Gwynn?s home run was his fourth of the year and his second in as many contest versus the ?Topes.

 

The Sounds gave their pitching staff some breathing room by etching a run in the home half of the fourth inning. With one out, Vinny Rottino blasted a double to the wall in center field then crossed home two batters latter on a two-out Krynzel two-bagger to center field. Rottino?s double was his team-leading 21st of the season.

 

The Nashville offense kept rolling by plating three more runs in the seventh. Albuquerque reliever J.B. Miadich opened the inning with back-to-back walks to Gwynn and Barnwell. Both runners advanced ninety feet on a Miadich wild pitch. With runners on second and third, Anderson hit a ground ball to second baseman Robert Andino, who attempted to throw Gwynn out at home. The throw was just short of home allowing Gwynn to slide safely into home missing the tag, increasing the Sounds lead to 4-1. Koonce then extended the lead to five runs on a bases-clearing two-run double to center field.

 

Albuquerque attempted to climb back into the game in the top of the ninth against Sounds reliever Dennis Sarfate. The Isotopes led off the inning with two walks and then a single from catcher Nick Trzesniak loaded the bases. Trzesniaks?s single chased Sarfate from the game and brought closer Alec Zumwalt to the mound.

 

With the bases loaded, Zumwalt struck out the first batter he faced before giving up a single to Eric Reed to bring the score to its final 6-2. The right-hander struck out the finale two batters to earn his team-leading 15th save of the year. His 15 saves this year tie him for fourth most saves in the PCL.

 

Petit (4-6) received his sixth loss of the season after hurling six innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.

 

The Sounds open a nine-game road trip on Wednesday when they begin a five-game series with the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park in Memphis. Southpaw Dana Eveland (4-4, 2.32) will get the starting nod for the Sounds in the 7:10 p.m. CT series opener. The Redbirds will counter with right-hander Dennis Tankersley (4-13, 4.25).

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log

Sarfate with a not so good outing tonight...but still better than Turnbow

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._nasaaa_1

[And That]

I heart Joe Thatcher. Kid's gonna pitch in the bigs some day.

[Mass Haas]

Technically, Joe Thatcher was signed out of the independent Frontier League, but because he made his affiliated pro debut with the Brewers organization, we can characterize him as an undrafted free agent, I guess.

 

It just goes to show that you can't shrug off any of the transaction blurbs regarding signings of that nature. You might be reading the first about a Mike Adams, Vinny Rottino, or Joe Thatcher when you see that first post. Thatcher's been lights out since day one in Helena last year.

[pogokat]

Final: Brevard 2, Vero Beach (Dodgers) 0

 

Derek Miller with an outstanding game. He seems to have settled down quite a bit in his last few starts...good for him. Early this year, i got to talk to him for a few minutes when he was watching a WV game with Will Inman. At the time, he seemed dissapointed that he was not in the Baseball America Prospect handbook. i think he's done good work towards having himself included this year..

 

Joe Thatcher is apparently the greatest pitcher who ever lived

 

Brevard County Box Score and Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._breafa_1

[And That]

And Mark James (Baby Brewer) with the best night of his pro career. Obviously, we have no idea if something was tweaked or worked on since his last appearance, but frankly young Mark has never had a night close to this. I hope it is a stepping stone to bigger things... he's gonna have to make the Helena squad next year to continue to have a good chance. Mark has a great pitching body, but like many Canadiens, hasn't had to the chance to exploit his natural potential.

 

On a similar note, the phenom Alex Periard has had a number of good appearances in a row. Almost wouldn't surprise me to see him in West Virginia next spring. Alex has a very, very good arm and has more pro pitching experience than 99.9% of other pro pitchers.

 

Edit: Mike James' first name is Mark.

[Mass Haas]

Vero Beach Site:

 

Manatees 1-Hit Dodgers

 

Derek Miller and Joe Thatcher combined to hold the Vero Beach Dodgers to one hit en route to a 2-0 victory. Russ Mitchell tallied the only hit for the Dodgers with a first-inning, line-drive double to right field. The series concludes Wednesday night at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central) at Space Coast Stadium.

 

Brevard County squeaked out their first run in the second inning. Mike Megrew (2-2) walked the first two batters and a one-out single loaded the bases. Ned Yost then hit a slow grounder to second that bought him enough time to avoid a double play and score the game's first run.

 

The Manatees' second run scored in an unusual fashion in the third. Alcides Escobar singled with one out and Kyle Phillips walked. Then Megrew struck out Adam Heether as both baserunners took off an a double steal. With Escobar nearing third, the throw went to second and Phillips got caught in a rundown. As that play developed, Escobar rounded third and avoided a tag at home plate give Brevard the 2-0 lead.

 

Vero's offense was held in check by Miller (1-3). The left-hander pitched six innings and struck out 10. He allowed the one hit with one walk and a hit batter to pick up his first Florida State League win. Thatcher, who entered with a 0.33 ERA, then retired the last nine batters for his second save.