Link Report for Games of Monday, July 31st

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

First worst for pitcher

Gallardo sharp after rough start, but Stars still lose

By MARK McCARTER

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com

 

On Monday night, the stage belonged to one of Milwaukee's premier pitching prospects. Yovani Gallardo, the 20-year-old phenom, was like an actor who forgot his lines in the first scene, then put on an award-winning performance the rest of the way.

 

After Chattanooga hopped on Gallardo for five first-inning runs, the game fell upon a pair of ex's in the eighth. Ex-Huntsville outfielder Noochie Varner, now wearing Lookout threads, doubled against ex-Lookout Travis Phelps and scored the winning run on a Chris Dickerson double as Chattanooga knocked off the Stars 6-5.

 

That spoiled a terrific offensive performance by Huntsville third baseman Ryan Braun, who had a homer and two doubles, driving in four runs. The last three weeks, he is batting at a .406 clip.

 

"He's hitting the ball hard," said manager Don Money. "The ball just jumps off his bat."

 

Tonight, the stage will belong to Chattanooga's Homer Bailey, the top pitching prospect in the Reds organization. The young Texan has yet to allow a run in 21 innings of work in the Southern League, going 4-0 in his six starts. He'll face the Stars' Tim Dillard.

 

The cautionary tale to that: Gallardo had an 0.67 ERA before the first inning Monday. Microscopic - or non-existent - ERAs are not safe these days.

 

On the subject of other pitching prospects, Manny Parra, who spent last season with the Stars before undergoing shoulder surgery, joined the club Monday from Brevard County (1-3, 2.96 ERA in 14 starts) and will start Wednesday. He replaces Khalid Ballouli, on the disabled list with a shoulder strain.

 

Gallardo was stunningly off-target in the first inning, allowing a one-out Drew Anderson double, then enabling him to score on a wild pitch. He then walked three of the next four men he faced and gave up a grand slam to third baseman Luis Bolivar.

 

Gallardo was simply stunning after that. He didn't allow another hit until the sixth, during which he pitched to only one batter over the minimum.

 

"Two different pitchers tonight," said pitching coach Rich Sauveur, who noted that Gallardo's delivery was "too quick to the plate" in the first inning and thus left the ball too high in the strike zone.

 

"It was the worst situation he's been in all year, and the kid showed some serious poise," Sauveur said. "This is a good test for him. Down five nothing in the first inning, what are you going to do? Are you going to give up? Or are you going to tighten your belt?"

 

His counterpart, Tyler Pelland, also suffered a tough first inning, giving up three runs on a Ron Acuna single and two-run double by Braun.

 

Pelland continued to struggle with his control, but Huntsville couldn't cash in until an Acuna double and two-run Braun homer in the fifth to tie the game.

 

Varner, ninth in the league in hitting, third in RBIs but only an afterthought in Milwaukee's plans when he was here in '03, greeted Phelps with a leadoff double in the eighth. Dickerson followed with his RBI double.

[Mass Haas]

Hammerheads, Manatees suspended

 

Monday's Florida State League game between the Jupiter Hammerheads and Brevard County Manatees was suspended due to rain.

 

The Hammerheads were leading, 1-0, in the bottom of the second inning when thunderstorms rolled into Space Coast Stadium. The game will resume on Tuesday at 6:00 PM (5:00 Central), followed by the regularly scheduled contest.