Link Report for Games of Saturday, August 19th

[Mass Haas]

LHP Luis Ramirez is from Caracas, Venezuela -- nice to know the Brewers still have a presence in that country. Signed in January this year as a 17-year-old, I'm sure we're looking at our own Johan Santana http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

 

Keep in mind that the same audio link for the Cole Gillespie interview provides archived audio of Steve Wendt's game call. Listen in to perhaps learn more about the kid's repertoire. Steve speaking highly of Luis' changeup from what I've heard -- nice.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1

 

Torrid Stars heading into West Tenn's fire

By MARK McCARTER

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com

 

Here's the party: The Stars have never been hotter this season. They have hacked their way into a pennant race after being left for dead midway through the summer.

 

Here's the party pooper: The Stars now head to West Tenn to begin a five-game series against the Diamond Jaxx, a team that has won 16-of-20 meetings against Huntsville this year.

 

However, the Stars are packing a considerable amount of momentum as they head to Jackson, Tenn., completing a five-game sweep of the Carolina Mudcats Saturday night with a 7-1 victory in front of an announced crowd of 3,467.

 

The Stars have won six in a row and 20 of their last 25. They have moved to within a half-game of Tennessee in the Southern League North, with 16 games left, the Smokies having lost Friday to Mississippi.

 

Ryan Braun and Callix Crabbe both homered for the Stars. It was the third straight night in which Braun has homered, giving him 11 since his promotion from Single-A Brevard County on June 22.

 

That supported the superb pitching of starter Manny Parra (five innings, four hits, four strikeouts) and the splendid bullpen work of Travis Phelps and Luther Hackman.

 

"We've gotten on a roll, and now we've got to go out and try to beat our nemesis, the team that's given us problems all year," manager Don Money said.

 

Much as a brutal part of the schedule against the league's best teams sent the Stars to a 24-45 first-half mark, they have benefited this time around by catching Carolina and Mississippi, the two last-place teams, in this 10-game home stand.

 

Now comes a series against the team with the top ERA in the league (2.84) and with a dangerous lineup. "We've got to keep the top of the order off the bases, like (Christopher) Walker and (Eric) Patterson and not let them have big innings," said Money.

 

Conversely, much of the Stars' success has been innings triggered by Braun. "Braun hitting third is giving us some runs early and we've been going out getting a 1-0 lead a lot and that takes something away from (opponents)," Money said.

 

On this night, Braun's homer tied the game 1-all, after Carolina had enjoyed its first lead in the series for, oh, about five minutes. Rex Rundgren doubled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a Jason Hill sacrifice fly for a 1-0 edge in the top of the first inning.

 

The Stars took a 3-1 lead in the third when Steve Moss led off with a single and later scored on a Brad Nelson single, then Ron Acuna drove home Nelson. Crabbe singled in the fifth, stole his way around to third and scored the fourth run on a Nelson sacrifice fly, then Guilder Rodriguez reached on an infield hit in the sixth and later scored on a throwing error before Crabbe's two-run homer in the eighth added the exclamation point.

 

Even Parra jumped into the nine-hit Stars attack, doubling in the fourth. It's been a big offensive week for the starters. Corey Thurman and Steve Hammond each had key two-run doubles and Yovani Gallardo a two-run single in their starts earlier in the week and Steve Dillard had three hits on Friday night.

 

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Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Stars notebook

Covering the bases

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

Outfielder Brendan Katin, a power-hitter with big numbers at Single-A Brevard County, was promoted to the Stars Saturday. He replaces Drew Anderson, who was promoted to Triple-A Nashville.

 

Katin was batting .289 with 13 homers and 75 RBIs, and was leading the Florida State League with 34 doubles. He's a former University of Miami teammate of Stars third baseman Ryan Braun. Anderson had climbed to No. 6 in batting in the Southern League, at .291, with six homers and 43 RBIs. ...

 

Are the Stars superstitious? Yes, in fact. On July 20, at Carolina, manager Don Money told coach Sandy Guerrero, "My stuff isn't working. You take third (base coaching) tonight.'' The Stars won. The follow evening, Guerrero returned to the dugout so he could concentrate on videotaping some hitters. The Stars lost.

 

"My stuff really isn't working," Money told him again. Guerrero took over as third base coach on July 22 and, going into Saturday night's game, the Stars had won 19 of 24. ...

 

A pair of big-league games went 18 innings Monday, prompting discussion of long games in the Stars clubhouse. Outfielder Steve Moss recalled a game when he was at Beloit, when the Snappers were behind 14-3 and came back to win 24-14. "It wasn't extra innings, but it lasted forever," he said. Money recalled an 18- or 19-inning game he played in Triple-A. "Why do I remember it? Because I went 0-for-8." ... The league record is a 23-inning game, Aug. 6, 1988, when Huntsville lost at Greenville. ...

 

Has there been a better four-man starting rotation in Huntsville than the current quartet of Corey Thurman (sixth in the league in ERA), Steve Dillard (nine wins), Yovani Gallardo (1.44 ERA, 69 Ks in 62 innings in 10 starts) and Steve Hammond (2.31 in 10 starts)? Manny Parra, the fifth man in the rotation and Saturday's starter, was making only his fourth Huntsville start. A few more under his belt, it'd be a legit "best five." ... Dillard collected his 13th hit of the season Friday, breaking Travis Smith's club record for most hits by a pitcher.

 

Around the league

 

There is no perfect schedule, especially with the Southern League's screwy geography. It really comes to light in this late-season pennant race, to note that the Stars are chasing Tennessee for the SL North second-half title - but they've only played 10 times all year. They haven't met since May 16. ... On the other hand, Huntsville will play West Tenn 25 times, Chattanooga 15 times and Carolina 10 times. Those are the other North teams. ... The Stars will play Birmingham 25 times this year and it's in the opposite division. ...

 

Jacksonville manager John Shoemaker collected his 1,000th minor league victory on Wednesday when the Suns beat Birmingham. ... Jacksonville shortstop Chin-Lung Hu was a bat boy for Guerrero's team when the Stars coach was playing in Taiwan. ... Tennessee's players aren't making any friends with umpiring crews, one in particular. According to The Knoxville News-Sentinel, a crew that includes Jason Bradley, Justin Vogel and Jason Milsap (who worked the most recent series in Huntsville) has ejected 15 Smokies. "They've tried to stick it to us," said pitcher Bill White. ... Chattanooga is 12-1 in extra inning games after Friday's six-run 10th beat Montgomery.

 

Brewings

 

Triple-A Nashville Sounds (68-59 before Saturday's play, first place in Pacific Coast League American Division): P Dana Eveland (4-4) ends 14-start winless streak, including five at Milwaukee, nine at Nashville, with two-hit pitching in six innings Friday.

 

Single-A Brevard County Manatees (22-31, fourth in Florida State East Division this half): P Josh Alliston 3-2, 2.41, 8 saves

 

Single-A West Virginia Power (26-27, fifth in South Atlantic League Northern Division this half): C Angel Salome league-leading 84 RBIs, with 10 HRs, .287

 

Single-A Helena Brewers (11-9, third in Pioneer League North) 2B Taylor Green 4-for-5, five RBIs, four runs Wednesday to end .088 stretch over previous 10 games

 

On deck

 

The Stars travel to West Tenn for five games, beginning this afternoon. The Diamond Jaxx have won 16 of 20 meetings with Huntsville this year. The Stars are back home Friday, beginning the final regular-season homestand of the year, a five-game set with Mississippi.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds extend win streak to four

Quick Nashville start stymies Albuquerque

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

If Sir Elton John were a Sounds fan he might be called on to tweak his 1970s hit "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting."

 

Something along the lines of "Saturday Night's All Right For Winning Games" would have a nice ring to it for Nashville.

 

Saturday night's 6-2 win over Albuquerque (62-64) was the Sounds' 14th of the season on a Saturday. Nashville has won more games in 2006 on Saturdays than any other day of the week.

 

More importantly, this victory, which came before a Greer Stadium sellout crowd of 10,140, extended the Sounds' win streak to four games. It was Nashville's third sellout of the year and seventh crowd of at least 10,000.

 

The Sounds have won five of their last six games during a critical stretch as the PCL season winds down. Nashville (69-59) entered Saturday's contest with a five-game lead over second-place Iowa.

 

"We're swinging the bats better, which always helps,'' said Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas. "If we're going to do anything, put together any kind of nice little winning streak or have a few more wins than losses, we're going to have to swing the bats better. That's what we've been doing right now.''

 

It was another quick start for the Sounds, who loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs. Nashville's first run came when Albuquerque pitcher Chris George walked Andrew Beattie, which scored Tony Gwynn.

 

The Sounds picked up three more runs before the end of the first and led 4-0 before the Isotopes got their first hit of the game in the fourth. That was a single by shortstop Robert Andino, who went all the way to third on an error by Sounds first baseman Graham Koonce, who mishandled a throw from pitcher Justin Lehr.

 

Andino scored on a sacrifice fly by Edgar Gonzalez to trim Nashville's lead to 4-1.

 

Lehr (4-6) allowed just three hits through the first six innings before giving up a home run to Chris Aguila and a double to Matt Cepicky in the seventh.

 

Lehr, replaced in the eighth by Chris Demaria, finished with eight strikeouts, which matched his season-high, and five hits.

 

Nashville had taken a 6-1 lead in the fifth when Drew Anderson singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third and advanced home on a wild pitch. Dave Krynzel's single later in the inning scored Vinny Rottino, giving Nashville the five-run lead.

 

What they said: "I found out in the first in the inning (Friday in Huntsville) that I was coming to Nashville and I was pretty excited. I was just trying to stay in the groove up here.''

?Drew Anderson

 

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Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Anderson gets call up to AAA

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

As a result of outfielder Laynce Nix being called up to the Milwaukee Brewers after Friday's game, outfielder Drew Anderson was promoted from Class AA Huntsville to Nashville.

 

Nix reported to Milwaukee Saturday morning to replace pitcher Matt Wise, who was placed on the disabled list with a right elbow injury. Nix left Nashville with a Pacific Coast League-leading 54 total bases in August. He batted .412 (28-for-68) with 13 RBIs in his 18 games with the Sounds.

 

Anderson, 25, started in left field and made his AAA debut Saturday night batting third in the Sounds lineup. During his time with Huntsville, Anderson batted a season-high .362 (17-of-47) in August. For the season Anderson batted .291 with six home runs, 43 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 108 games.

 

In his first at-bat for the Sounds, Anderson reached on a bunt and loaded the bases. The Sounds picked up their first run later in the inning when Andrew Beattie was walked, scoring Tony Gwynn.

 

Anderson got his first hit as the leadoff batter in the fifth inning. He singled to right field.

 

Another thief: Anderson stole third after his single, making him the 14th different Sound to steal a base this season. Anderson scored from third on a wild pitch, giving Nashville a 5-1 lead.

 

Pickin' and grinnin': The Sounds Jermaine Clark was presented a Copley guitar for getting his 1,000th career minor league hit Monday in a game at Albuquerque. Since then Clark has added five hits. Sounds mascot Ozzie presented the guitar to Clark.

 

Slump over: Nashville infielder Vinny Rottino snapped a hitless steak over his previous 10 at-bats in the first inning with a shot just over Albuquerque pitcher Chris George's outstretched glove and into center field for a single. The hit scored Chris Barnwell to give Nashville a 2-0 lead. Rottino also singled on his second and third times at-bat. The three hits tied Rottino's season-high.

 

Multiple hits: Gwynn got hits on his first two at-bats, giving him 36 games in which he has had multiple-hit games. That leads the Sounds.

[SenatorShriv]

Manny Parra still really excites me.