Link Report for Sat. 8/5 -- Stars and 'Tees Nearly No-Hit

[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 Fresno (Giants), 8:45 PM pre-game, 9:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Steve Hammond at Mobile (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Robert Hinton at home vs. Fort Myers (Twins), 6:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.sportsjuice.com/broad...4cwYBjA%3d

 

West Virginia: RHP Matt Kretzschmar at home vs. Columbus (Dodgers), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: RHP Chris Jean at Great Falls (White Sox), 7:45 PM pre-game; 8:00 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

 

Arizona: TBD at home in Maryvale to face the Cubs' kids, 8:00 PM Central time, never any web audio for the Arizona League

[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_freaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_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]

Standings through Friday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 61 53 .535 - 35-25 26-28 W2[/b] Iowa 57 56 .504 3.5 31-26 26-30 L2 Memphis 45 68 .398 15.5 26-33 19-35 W1 Omaha 44 70 .386 17.0 26-29 18-41 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 24 17 .585 - 14-7 10-10 W2 Chattanooga 22 18 .550 1.5 13-7 9-11 L2 West Tenn 21 20 .512 3.0 14-6 7-14 L2 [b]Huntsville 20 20 .500 3.5 12-12 8-8 W3[/b] Carolina 15 26 .366 9.0 9-7 6-19 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 23 17 .575 - 16-10 7-7 W1 St. Lucie 22 18 .550 1.0 13-9 9-9 L2 Palm Beach 20 22 .476 4.0 11-8 9-14 W1 [b]Brevard County 18 22 .450 5.0 9-7 9-15 L1[/b] Jupiter 16 24 .400 7.0 10-12 6-12 W2 Vero Beach 16 25 .390 7.5 10-13 6-12 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 27 13 .675 - 14-5 13-8 W1 Lake County 22 17 .564 4.5 12-9 10-8 W1 Hickory 21 20 .512 6.5 9-14 12-6 W1 [b]West Virginia 20 20 .500 7.0 10-6 10-14 W3[/b] Greensboro 19 20 .487 7.5 10-10 9-10 W2 Hagerstown 18 22 .450 9.0 10-15 8-7 L2 Delmarva 14 25 .359 12.5 8-12 6-13 L1 Lexington 14 27 .341 13.5 8-11 6-16 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 4 2 .667 - 2-0 2-2 W3 [b]Helena 4 2 .667 - 3-1 1-1 W1[/b] Missoula 3 3 .500 1.0 3-1 0-2 L2 Great Falls 1 5 .167 3.0 1-1 0-4 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Padres 5 1 .833 - 3-0 2-1 W2 AZL Royals 6 2 .750 - 3-2 3-0 L1 AZL Angels 5 2 .714 0.5 2-0 3-2 W3 AZL Giants 5 3 .625 1.0 2-2 3-1 L1 AZL Athletics 4 3 .571 1.5 3-1 1-2 L1 AZL Mariners 3 5 .375 3.0 3-2 0-3 W1 AZL Rangers 2 4 .333 3.0 2-1 0-3 W1 AZL Cubs 2 5 .286 3.5 1-2 1-3 L3 [b]AZL Brewers 0 7 .000 5.5 0-3 0-4 L7[/b]

[DHonks]

just wondering what has happened with Wahpepah. He started out throwing well and was an allstar, but now he's had a horrible couple of months.

[wibadgers23]

Pretty sorry night for the entire organization tonight. Absolutely no offense to be seen.

[DHonks]

a bright note is a no-run outing for Mercedes. Sure would be nice to see some results from him, Peralta, Periard, and Pascual

 

And, WOW Dennis Sarfate. Keep up the good work

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Alec Zumwalt:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%208-5.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Voice of the Sounds Chuck Valenches with his blog update:

 

nashvillesounds.blogspot.com/

[Mass Haas]

The only organizational success of the night --

 

Final: Nashville 6, Fresno (Giants) 5

Great job by the Sounds to start this road trip...

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Graham Koonce photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2095

 

Sounds Come Back Late To Down Grizzlies, 6-5

 

FRESNO, Calif. ? The Nashville Sounds plated four unanswered runs over the final three innings of play to score a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the host Fresno Grizzlies on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium in the finale of a four-game series.

 

With the triumph, Nashville (62-53) registered a 3-1 series win and picked up its fourth win in the club?s last five contests. The Sounds? lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division remains at 3 ½ games over Iowa.

 

The one-run game was the Sounds? 46th of the year, the most among all Triple-A clubs. Nashville is 19-27 in those contests.

 

Nashville, which trailed 5-2 in the seventh inning, took its first lead of the night in the top of the ninth. With one out, Zach Sorensen struck out on a ball in the dirt but reached safely when Fresno catcher Jed Hansen?s throw to first sailed high into right field. Chris Barnwell followed with an RBI single to right off Grizzlies reliever Jack Taschner to put the visitors on top by a 6-5 margin.

 

AUDIO: Chris Barnwell's Go-Ahead Single --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...08-5-1.mp3

 

Sounds closer Alec Zumwalt was summoned to work the bottom of the ninth and worked around a walk to register a scoreless frame. He picked up his team-leading 13th save of the year and second in as many nights.

 

The last-at win was the Sounds? second of the series and 11th of the season.

 

Fresno right fielder Abraham Nunez gave the home team a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer to dead center off Sounds starter in the bottom of the first inning. The blast was eighth of the season and plated Jason Ellison (walk) and Kevin Frandsen (single).

 

Nashville first baseman Graham Koonce ? who paced the Sounds with a 3-for-3 evening at the plate ? dwarfed Nunez?s shot with one of his own in the top of the second, leading off the frame with a massive solo shot to center off Fresno starter Brian Cooper that easily cleared the batter?s eye. The tater was Koonce?s 12th of the year.

 

The Grizzlies got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Jason Ellison ripped a two-out single to right-center that was mishandled by right fielder Andrew Beattie, allowing former Sound Tomas de la Rosa to score from first for a 4-1 lead. Inexplicably, no error was charged on the play, hanging an extra earned run on Jackson.

 

The Sounds cut the lead to 4-2 in the third. Jackson led off with his first hit of the season, a single to right, and moved to second on Barnwell?s one-out single. Koonce delivered his second RBI of the ballgame when he plated Jackson with a two-out single to center.

 

Fresno extended its advantage to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Ellison led off with a double and later scored on a Nunez RBI two-bagger.

 

Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in the sixth inning. Rottino has hit safely in 24 of his last 28 contests.

 

Jermaine Clark pulled Nashville within a pair at 5-3 in the seventh when he led off the frame with a solo homer to center off Cooper, his fourth roundtripper of the year. Sorensen followed suit two batters later, swatting his second homer of the campaign to right off Cooper to make it a 5-4 contest. The homer extended Sorensen?s season-best hit streak to six games.

 

The Sounds completed the comeback in the eighth when Koonce walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Kennard Bibbs. Abernathy followed with a double into the left field corner to put runners on second and third before Rottino plated Bibbs with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 5-5.

 

A pair of hitting streaks came to a close for Sounds batters. Laynce Nix went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, bringing his season-best 15-game hitting streak to a close. Chad Moeller grounded out in a pinch-hit appearance, ending his season-high streak at four.

 

Dennis Sarfate (8-6) earned the victory after working two solid innings of relief behind Jackson. He held the Grizzlies scoreless while allowing one hit and striking out four batters in his third relief outing.

 

Jackson, who was on the hook for his third straight loss before the Nashville comeback, took a no-decision for the Sounds after allowing five runs on six hits over six innings while walking three batters and striking out four. In his three outings since rejoining Nashville, the southpaw has logged an 8.66 ERA (17 er / 17.2 IP).

 

Taschner (6-7) took the loss for Fresno after giving up the go-ahead run, which was unearned, in his lone inning of work.

 

The Sounds continue their longest road trip of the season on Sunday in Sacramento, where they?ll take on the River Cats (AAA-A?s) in the 7:05 p.m. CT opener of a four-game series. Right-hander Carlos Villanueva (4-0, 1.93) will take the mound for Nashville to face Sacramento right-hander Brad Ziegler (0-1, 6.60).

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Zach Jackson still not very impressive at the AAA level...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_freaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Mobile (Padres) 5, Huntsville 2

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=951

 

Late Offense Not Enough As Stars Fall

 

Jack Cassel tossed seven no-hit innings and Stephen Smitherman cranked a first inning grand slam to power Mobile past Huntsville 5-2 Saturday night in the second game of a five-game set at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears held the Stars hitless for 7 2/3 innings in stopping a two-game slide and improving to 21-21 in the second half, while the Stars saw their three-game win streak snapped and dropped to 20-21 in the second half and four and a half games behind North Division leading Tennessee, which scored three times in the home ninth to beat Birmingham.

 

Cassel retired the first seven batters he faced before hitting Ozzie Chavez. He set down the next four before walking Brad Nelson and then retired the next seven batters. Drew Anderson and Nelson drew leadoff walks in the seventh inning before Ron Acuna grounded into a double play to move Anderson to third. Jeff Eure hit a ground ball to third base that Julius Matos fielded, juggled and threw to first base late to allow Anderson to score to slice the lead to 4-1. The play was ruled an error and Cassel was able to retire Lou Palmisano to end the inning and his night. He matched a season-high with eight strikeouts, walked three and has now allowed only three earned runs in 27 innings at home, where he is 3-0 in four starts.

 

Leo Rosales took over in the eighth and struck out the first two hitters he faced before Travis Ezi lined a single into center field to break up the no-hit bid. Anderson opened the ninth with a single off of Dale Thayer and scored to make it 5-2 after singles by Acuna and Eure, who knocked in his 50th run of the season. Palmisano popped up and Chavez grounded out to end the game and the Stars bid to climb above the .500 mark for the first time since May 14.

 

Juan Ciriaco started the home first inning with a single to right field, moved to second base on a Matos single and advanced to third when Vincent Sinisi walked on four pitches. Smitherman then blasted a 2-2 pitch over the wall and grassy berm area in left field for his second grand slam of the season and 16th home run. The Stars have given up a grand slam in the first inning in two of their last five games and it marked the second time in three turns that starting pitcher Steve Hammond had been taken deep in the first inning.

 

Hammond set down 11 in a row after a Jeremy Cleveland single in the first inning and left after surrendering four runs on six hits and a pair of walks in 5 1/3 innings. Gerrit Simpson took over with two runners on in the sixth and retired Cleveland and Drew Macias to end the frame. Ciriaco homered in the seventh off Simpson, who has given up a long ball in four of his last seven appearances.

 

The series continues Sunday evening with right-hander Yovani Gallardo taking the hill for Huntsville against Mobile southpaw Sean Thompson. 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.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Fort Myers (Twins) 10, Brevard County 4

 

Brevard County and Fort Myers Site Game Summaries:

 

Aselton, Miracle stop Manatees

 

Kyle Aselton tossed five no-hit innings as visiting Fort Myers rolled to a 10-4 victory over Brevard County on Saturday.

Aselton (6-3) struck out three and walked five before Ryan Callahan took the mound to start the sixth. After retiring the first five batters he faced, Callahan yielded a double to Freddy Parejo in the seventh to break up the no-hit bid.

 

David Winfree and Brandon Roberts combined for six RBIs for the Miracle (22-18), who totaled 18 hits. Winfree slammed his third homer in as many days, a three-run shot in the first, while two of Roberts' three singles plated runs.

 

Jeremy Pickrel went 3-for-3 with four runs scored and an RBI. Trevor Plouffe drove in two runs and Brock Peterson had an RBI for Fort Myers.

 

Alcides Escobar, who scored on a passed ball by Korey Feiner to put the Manatees (18-23) on the board in the eighth, delivered a two-run single off reliever J.P. Martinez in the ninth. Kyle Phillips followed with an RBI single to cap the scoring.

 

Brevard County third baseman Ryan Crew went 0-for-4 to snap a 14-game hitting streak.

 

Manatees starter Josh Wahpepah (5-7) surrendered four runs on four hits and three walks over two innings. -- Marissa Rega/MLB.com

 

***

The Fort Myers Miracle offense wondered what it would do for an encore, a night after setting a season high in hits with 17. They topped it with an 18 hit barrage in a 10-4 victory over the Brevard County Manatees at Space Coast Stadium on Saturday night.

 

Every Miracle collected a hit except for catcher Korey Feiner who walked three times. Jeremy Pickrel, Erold Andrus and Brandon Roberts each had three hit nights. It wss Roberts? second consecutive three hit night. For the second straight night the Miracle collected a hit in every single inning.

 

It all started in the first when Roberts was hit by a pitch, Trevor Plouffe doubled and the birthday boy, David Winfree, slugged a three-run homer over the left field wall, his seventh of the season and third in as many nights. It?s the second time this season Winfree has homered in three straight games.

 

With the score 4-0 in the third, Deacon Burns led off with a single to right-center, stole second and two batters later Pickrel laced a double to right which scored Burns.

 

With the Miracle up 6-0 in the seventh, they added three more runs. They loaded the bases on a walk to Feiner and singles by Pickrel and Andrus. Roberts followed with a two run single to center. Plouffe singled to load the bases again and two batters later Peterson?s fielders choice scored Andrus to make it 9-0.

 

On a night when the Miracle pounded out 18 hits the story was nearly the pitching. Starter Kyle Aselton went five innings of no hit baseball before coming out of the game because of a pitch out. He walked five and struck out three.

 

Ryan Callahan nearly gave up the first hit in the sixth when Charlie Fermaint hit a liner that Plouffe jumped in the air, at short, and robbed him of a base hit. Callahan worked a hitless sixth. The no hitter was broken up in the seventh when Freddy Parejo doubled with two outs.

 

The same two teams meet on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 PM (3:00 Central) in the finale of the four game series. The Miracle send RHP Anthony Swarzak (6-6, 3.70) to the hill against Manatees LHP Derek Miller (0-1, 6.00).

 

Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Columbus (Dodgers) 9, West Virginia 5

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

SIX RUN NINTH PREVENTS POWER SWEEP

 

Three outs away from being swept, the Columbus Catfish scored six times in the top of the ninth inning to erase a two run deficit and avoid being swept by the West Virginia Power with a 9-5 victory at Appalachian Power Park on Saturday night.

 

The Catfish started the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Tony Harper smacked an RBI double and Lucas May singled Harper home. The Power cut the 2-0 lead in half in the bottom of the first on Mat Gamel?s first of two RBI singles. West Virginia tied the game on Mike Bell?s solo home run in the bottom of the third and they took the lead later in the inning on Kenny Holmberg?s run-scoring single. The Power took a 5-2 lead after a two run fifth inning. Darren Ford scored the first run on Columbus catcher Tony Harper?s throwing error and Gamel knocked in the final run with a run-scoring single.

 

Travis Denker began the Columbus comeback in the seventh inning with an RBI groundout. In the ninth inning, nine batters came to the plate for the Catfish. Bridger Hunt?s RBI single brought Columbus within a run, and Juan Rivera scored the tying run on a passed ball. Travis Denker singled in the go ahead run, Lucas May knocked in a pair with a base hit and Jason Mooneyham finished the scoring in the six-run frame on an RBI single which was the sixth hit of the inning.

 

Four Power players had multi-hit games and every Power player hit safely in the contest. Gamel?s two RBI in the game gives him a total of 16 in his last six games.

 

Joey Norrito (2-1) got the win, Ramon Troncoso (13) earned the save and Dane Renkert (5-7) obtained the loss. The Power are 59-51 overall and 20-21 in the second half after the loss while the Catfish improved to 56-56 overall and 19-23 in the second half after the win.

 

The Power will begin a four game series against the Rome Braves at Appalachian Power Park on Sunday night. Right hander Jeff Lyman (5-3, 3.77) will make the start for Rome and the Power will counter with left hander Steve Garrison (5-4, 3.58). The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM (4:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score and Game Log Link:

Dane Renkert's 3.13 ERA a bit misleading -- he's allowed 15 unearned runs in 63.1 IP (22 earned), so he needs to pitch around his mate's errors more often...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[1e Corbeau]

It's great to see Omar Aguilar finally make an appearance. If he can get healthy and get back the "stuff" he had before surgery, he's got the chance to be the steal of the 2005 draft.

 

Hopefully he gets out of the media blackhole with a promotion somewhere with some coverage, so we can find out what he's throwing. I doubt it, though...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Cubs 12, Arizona Brewers 2

 

Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link:

As noted, RHP Omar Aguilar debuts; for such a short season in actual games, it's been a long, sorry season for most of the Maryvale kids...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Great Falls (White Sox) 3, Helena 0

 

Helena Independent Record:

 

White Sox win pitchers duel with Brew

 

After a day when the Helena Brewers and Great Falls White Sox combined for five home runs, Saturday was a pitcher?s paradise.

 

Brewers starter Chris Jean lasted seven innings, getting four strikeouts in the process, but the White Sox won the competition as their pitching team combined for 12 punch outs, guiding them to a 3-0 win.

 

Great Falls? starter Justin Cassel pitched for the win, throwing six strikeouts in five innings with only one walk.

 

Helena could muster four hits, but Great Falls was able to string together some big hits to score in the first, sixth and seventh innings.

 

In the first, Scott Madsen doubled then came home on a single to center by Lee Cruz. After the team?s five-inning hiatus, Michael Grace, who also doubled, came in on a Christian Marrero double, and in the seventh John Shelby scored on a sacrifice bunt by Archie Gilbert.

 

Of the White Sox?s nine hits, seven were doubles.

 

Great Falls gains a win but remains in the cellar of the Pioneer League?s North Division with a 2-5 record.

 

The Helena Brewers, who placed last in the first half of the season but have led the second half from the start are now 4-3, sharing the lead with Billings and Missoula.

 

The Brewers will head to Missoula today for a game with the Osprey. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 Pm (5:05 Central).

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Sorry, kids, there will be no Sunday pre-game Link Report kickoff -- catch up with results during the overnight, thanks.

[colbyjack]

I just wanted to point out that Yo! is going for Huntsville today, with the game scheduled for later in the afternoon, so you can listen to both the Stars and the Brewers.

 

Also, Carlos Villanueva is slated for the Sounds. While he would still be on tack to pick up a start later this week should Sheets go on the DL, it will be interesting to see if he is handled any differently.

 

Derek Miller goes for the Manatees & Steve Garrison starts for the Power. Four solid starters today for the minor leaguers.