Link Report for Tue. 7/25 - Ace Reliever Hinton Gets A Start

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Arizona: RHP Rolando Pascual at home vs. the the rookie Kansas City kids, 12:30 PM Central time, 10:30 AM local, never any web audio for the Arizona League

 

Arizona Rookie:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress: Arizona Brewers 4, Arizona Royals 2, after six innings

Rolando Pascual's best moment on the mound to date -- five solid innings...

[Mass Haas]

The rest of today's action is under the lights, links and starting pitchers later this afternoon...

[Mass Haas]

The rest of Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at home vs. Colorado Springs (Rockies), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

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

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Robert Hinton at Clearwater (Phillies), 6:05 gametime; sorry, no audio for this series

 

West Virginia: LHP Steve Garrison at Charleston (Yankees), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: RHP Chris Jean at Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

[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_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_crdafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_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]

Final: Arizona Brewers 7, Arizona Royals 2

Look forward to the day when "Yo" and "Ro" are in the Milwaukee rotation...

 

Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link:

Seven economical runs on offense...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

OK, here we go with the night for the minor league boys -- now, remember kids, play as well as you can so that you can someday be called up and underachieve like the Brewers of today...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 8, Clearwater (Phillies) 2

 

Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link:

Kudos to the guys on the forum who were touting Robert Hinton again earlier this week -- as if the higher-ups were reading; Charlie Fermaint dropped to the 7-hole and he reaches four times; Carlos Corporan 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBI; Steve Sollman three hits; the Hurricane with a three-run jack, his 2nd of the season...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_clrafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Charleston (Yankees) 5, West Virginia 3

Three-spot in the 9th for the Power made it close...

 

West Virginia Site Box Score and Game Log Link:

More to worry about -- why is Steve Garrison exiting after three effective innings? Power pitchers walk 12; horrible relief stint for Matt Kretzschmar, who to be honest, has been subpar all season -- you do wonder if unheralded guys like that are hurting sometimes, or simply, ineffective; Wil Laureano equally wild, and Patrick Ryan still a middle relief stud; Mike Bell error # 37, Angel Salome passed ball # 11...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_crdafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 4, Birmingham (White Sox) 2

Full details from Stars' site later...

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Steve Hammond outstanding (again) -- three hits and nine K's in seven innings; Hernan Iribarren and Travis Ezi homer on the same night -- who had that at the sports book? This rotation now includes Hammond, Yo Gallardo, Tim Dillard, and Corey Thurman -- pretty sweet...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Site Game Summary:

 

Corporan crushes Threshers

 

Carlos Corporan homered and drove in a season-high five runs and Robert Hinton tossed five scoreless innings as visiting Brevard County beat Clearwater, 8-2, on Tuesday.

 

Corporan belted a run-scoring single in the second inning, laced a two-run double in the third and crushed a two-run homer in the fifth. It was the sixth time this season the 22-year-old catcher has had at least three hits in a game.

 

Hernan Iribarren added a three-run homer in the third for the Manatees (12-18), who snapped a two-game skid.

 

Hinton (4-3) gave up two hits and walk while striking out six. The 21-year-old right-hander extended his scoreless streak to 16 2/3 frames as his ERA dropped to 3.05.

 

Threshers starter Andrew Baldwin (7-7) was blasted for six runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Michael Costanzo launched a solo shot in the ninth for Clearwater (18-12), which settled for a split of the four-game set. -- Ryan McConnell/MLB.com

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

RIVERDOGS WALK PAST POWER

 

The West Virginia Power walked the Charleston Riverdogs 12 times on Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, and issued three walks with the bases loaded which accounted for three of Charleston?s five runs, as the Riverdogs went on to beat the Power 5-3.

 

The Riverdogs jumped on top early on an RBI single from Reegie Corona. In the fourth inning Mario Holmann and Austin Jackson drew bases loaded walks in consecutive at bats to give the Riverdogs a 3-0 lead. Holmann walked with the bases loaded again in the fifth inning, and Corona scored on a wild pitch to put the Riverdogs up 5-0.

 

The Power offense caught fire in the ninth inning. Mike Bell ripped a two-run double to score Mat Gamel and Lorenzo Cain. Bell scored later in the inning on a two-out base hit from Michael Brantley. With the tying run on first base, the attempt at a comeback came to an end for the Power when Nate Yoho popped out to right field and ended the game.

 

The 12 walks established a new single game season high for the Power.

 

Erick Abreu (4-1) pitched six scoreless innings to earn the victory, Cory Stuart (8) earned the save and Steve Garrison (4-4) got the loss. The Power are 53-47 overall and 14-17 in the second half after the loss while the Riverdogs improved to 52-50 overall and 14-18 in the second half after the win.

 

The Power will continue the four game series against the Riverdogs Wednesday night. Left hander Garrett Patterson (0-3, 4.85) will make the start for Charleston and the Power will counter with left hander Rafael Lluberes (4-6, 3.86). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=938

 

Stars Sweat Out Win in Ninth

 

Travis Ezi hit what turned out to be the game-winning home run and Joe Valentine worked out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the ninth inning to preserve Huntsville?s 4-2 win over Birmingham Tuesday night in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars won their third straight game to improve to 14-18 in the second half, while the Barons slipped to 15-17 in the second half. Huntsville wound up escaping a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the opponent?s final at-bat for a second time in three games.

 

Valentine walked leadoff man Corey Smith, gave up a bloop single to Mark Quinn and walked Thomas Collaro to fill the bases. The veteran right-hander got out of trouble by retiring pinch-hitter Cory Aldridge on a shallow fly ball to left field, Micah Schnurstein on a shallow fly ball to right field and striking out Michael Myers to end the game and earn his first save with the Stars. Valentine tied a Southern League record with 36 saves pitching for the Barons in 2002.

 

Travis Ezi hit a two-run home run with one out in the fourth inning to snap a tie and give the home team a 3-1 lead. It was Ezi?s first long ball with the Stars this season, his third overall this season and the 20th of his career. Lance Broadway, who blanked the Stars over eight innings on July 6, suffered the loss after allowing three runs on eight hits.

 

Pedro Lopez?s infield single off of Valentine?s glove with two outs in the eighth inning scored Myers to cut the Stars? lead to 3-2. Callix Crabbe led off the home eighth with a double and scored on a two-out infield dribbler by Ron Acuna, who has knocked in 15 of his 38 runs this year against Birmingham pitching.

 

Steve Hammond earned his third win with Huntsville after allowing one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out nine and retired 11 of the last 12 he faced after a one-out double by Corey Smith in the fourth inning, the last hit he allowed. Hammond has been scored on in only five of the 39 innings he has started with the Stars.

 

The series continues Wednesday night with right-hander Yovani Gallardo starting for Huntsville against Barons? right-hander Lucas Harrell. 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.

 

Travis Ezi Photo from Stars' site:

 

http://www.huntsvillestars.com/images/news/Ezi,%20Travis%2015t.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with RHP Steve Palazzolo (Select date for July 24th, skip to the 13:45 minute mark) --

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Final: Billings (Reds) 7, Helena 1

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...606_04.txt

 

Mustangs double up Brewers

By the Helena Independent Record

 

BILLINGS ? The Billings Mustangs turned a Pioneer League record five double plays as they handed Helena its fifth straight loss Tuesday night 7-1.

 

The trio of Chris Valaika, Billy Rojo and Ryan Brown had a hand in three double plays.

 

Helena was unable to get any offense going in the game as they scored a lone run in the fifth when Zach Clem scored on a groundout by David Parker.

 

Billings had built a 4-0 lead before that run and responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to put the game away.

 

Billings starter Travis Webb upped his record to 4-0 in the contest. He didn?t give up an earned run and struck out three in five innings of work. He lowered his ERA to 3.26 this season.

 

Mustangs reliever Jeremy Burchett pitched four spotless innings and picked up his first save of the season.

 

Billings rapped seven extra-base hits in the game, including two doubles by Rojo and home runs by Daniel Dorn and Logan Parker.

 

The big inning came in the third when Billings pushed across three runs.

 

Valaika smacked a two-RBI double in the frame and Turner drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

 

Helena?s Jordan Swaydan was the only player with more than one hit. He was 2-for-3 at the plate in the game.

 

Christopher Jean pitched five innings for Helena and he took the loss. His record this season is 2-2.

 

The two teams will wrap up the three-game set with Billings today before taking on Great Falls for one game in the Electric City.

 

Helena will return home Friday to play the White Sox.

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Colorado Springs (Rockies) 4, ten innings

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Graham Koonce photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2076

 

Koonce Blasts Sounds To 10th-Inning Win

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Graham Koonce led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a solo homer off Nate Field to give the Nashville Sounds a dramatic, come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Koonce?s blast, his ninth of the year, capped a 3-for-4 evening for the first baseman and gave Nashville (57-47) its ninth last at-bat victory of the season The game-ending homer was the Sounds? third of the campaign, following shots by Nelson Cruz on April 17 against Oklahoma and Corey Hart on May 3 versus Iowa.

 

AUDIO: Koonce's Game-Ending HR --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-25.mp3

 

The Sounds scored runs in each of their final three frames to come back from a 4-2 deficit.

 

Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the ninth and facing their fourth consecutive defeat, the Sounds rallied for a run against Field, the Sky Sox closer, to send the game to extra frames. Pinch-hitter Kennard Bibbs led off with a single and moved to second on a Zach Sorensen sacrifice. After Brent Abernathy fouled out, Dave Krynzel ripped the first pitch he saw into right field to bring home Bibbs with the tying run. The blown save was Field?s fifth of the season.

 

Colorado Springs leadoff hitter Jeff Salazar gave the visitors a 1-0 lead when he opened the contest by driving Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate?s second pitch over the wall in right for his third home run of the season.

 

The Sounds grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame by scoring two unearned runs that resulted from a fielding error by Sky Sox second baseman Jayson Nix. With one out, Abernathy doubled to snap out of an 0-for-14 slump and scored one batter later when Nix failed to handle a Krynzel grounder. Krynzel later scored the go-ahead run on Koonce?s two-out RBI double to left-center off Colorado Springs starter Sun-Woo Kim.

 

Sarfate was on cruise control following Salazar?s early homer, allowing only two more hits through the fifth inning, before running into trouble in the sixth. The right-hander loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks sandwiched around a Josh Wilson single before being removed from the game.

 

Dana Eveland, who was added to the active roster prior to the game, took the mound in relief and was greeted by an RBI infield single off the bat of former Sound Carlos Rivera (2-for-3). After Eveland fanned Danny Ardoin for the first out of the inning, Matthew Miller laced a two-run knock through the left side of the infield to put Colorado Springs back in front, 4-2.

 

Nix reloaded the bags with a bunt single but Eveland recovered to strike out Tommy Whiteman and retire Kim on a groundout to leave the sacks full and escape further damage.

 

Nashville threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with one out against Kim, but failed to capitalize as Jermaine Clark grounded back to the pitcher for a forceout at the plate and pinch-hitter Ozzie Chavez grounded out to short.

 

The Sounds pulled within a run in the bottom of the eighth when Vinny Rottino scored on Chad Moeller?s two-out RBI double off Scott Dohmann to make it a 4-3 contest.

 

Clark snapped out of an 0-for-23 funk with an infield single in the bottom of the fourth inning.

 

Steve Bray (1-0) earned his first career Triple-A victory with a scoreless inning of relief work for Nashville. The right-hander has yet to surrender a run with the Sounds this season, working 7.0 scoreless frames in his eight outings.

 

Field (2-3) took the loss after giving up the tying and winning runs on three hits in his lone inning of work.

 

Kim took a no-decision for the Sky Sox, losing the victory as a result of the blown save. He held Nashville to two runs (one earned) on six hits over six innings.

 

Sarfate took a no-decision for Nashville in his final start before moving to the bullpen. He allowed four runs on four hits in five frames of work, walking two batters and striking out four.

 

The teams continue the series on Wednesday night with another 7 p.m. matchup. Right-hander Carlos Villanueva (2-0, 0.64), who threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter in his last Greer Stadium appearance on July 15 against Memphis, will man the bump for the Sounds and face Sky Sox right-hander Jose Acevedo (5-6, 4.64).

 

CHAVEZ RELEASED TO CLEAR SPOT FOR EVELAND: Right-hander Wilton Chavez was released by the Milwaukee Brewers just prior to Tuesday?s game to make room on the roster for left-hander Dana Eveland, who was optioned back to Nashville yesterday when the Brewers activated Ben Sheets. Chavez, whose final appearance for the Sounds was a spot start in Monday?s series finale in Oklahoma, went 3-1 with a 3.64 ERA (22 ER / 54.1IP) in 27 games (three starts) for Nashville this season.

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=51188

 

Koonce carries first-place Sounds

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

The Pacific Coast League American Northern Division pennant race is in full swing and the Nashville Sounds did their part on Tuesday night to stay on the winning end. Graham Koonce hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the tenth inning to give Nashville a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Hawks at Greer Stadium.

 

?I was just looking to get on to lead off the inning, any way I could either with a walk or a base hit,? said Koonce, whose homer barely cleared both the wall and the foul pole in right field. ?I managed to get ahead in the count and got a good pitch to hit. I wasn?t sure [it cleared]. It had a little hook on it. Fortunately it was enough to get out.?

 

The win keeps Nashville (57-47) two games ahead of second-place Iowa, which had a late game at Tucson. The Sounds and Cubs will not meet again this season.

 

?Iowa is playing great baseball right now,? Koonce said. ?We thought the way we?ve been playing the last two weeks we?d be able to put some distance between us, but they?ve been sticking right with us. That?s what makes the chase interesting.?

 

A subplot to the game was the immediate future of Dennis Sarfate. The Sounds have more quality starting pitchers on their roster ? seven ? than their five-man rotation can accommodate. Sarfate knew he would be making his last start before being moved to the bullpen. Against the Sky Sox, he went five innings and allowed four earned runs.

 

Nashville is overloaded with starters because Milwaukee had two of its best pitchers, Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka, return from the disabled list in the past week.

 

Their return sent Dana Eveland and Zach Jackson back down to Music City. They joined Sarfate, Ben Hendrickson, Jared Fernandez, Carlos Villanueva and Justin Lehr in a seven-man tussle for starting spots.

 

Sarfate is the first pitcher relegated to the bullpen, but the organization has not decided who else will be left out. All seven have pitched fairly well for the Sounds this season.

 

Sarfate?s problem has been his spotty control as he?s tied for the Pacific Coast League with 69 walks, including two against Colorado Springs.

 

?I think they see him in the future as a reliever,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said. ?And he knew this was coming.?

 

Kremblas said the organization hadn?t decided yet how to organize the rotation.

 

More Brew moves: The Brewers traded pitcher Jorge De La Rosa to Kansas City on Tuesday for utility infielder Tony Graffanino. After the trade, Milwaukee optioned shortstop Chris Barnwell back to Nashville. The Brewers will have to create a roster spot in Nashville to make room for Barnwell.

[Mass Haas]

The win keeps Nashville (57-47) two games ahead of second-place Iowa, which had a late game at Tucson. The Sounds and Cubs will not meet again this season.

 

Iowa lost, so the lead is 2 1/2 games.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Closer to the heart

Valentine loves feeling he gets after saves, the latest after Stars' 4-2 win

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

Nobody out, a two-run lead and runners on every base.

 

It had to feel as claustrophobic as the middle seat in coach class on a cross-country flight. It had to be nerve-wracking, right?

 

"I love it," said Joe Valentine, the Stars' newest reliever and the claustrophobic centerpiece. "It's the only thing I want to do is be a closer, be a late-inning guy. Here, and back in the big leagues. There is no greater feeling for me."

 

Thirty-six times Valentine saved a game for the Birmingham Barons in 2002, a league record. On Tuesday, escaping a jam of his own creation, Valentine saved his first as a Huntsville Star, preserving a 4-2 victory over the '06 edition of the Barons.

 

"This one was tough," said Valentine, who spent much of the past three years with the Cincinnati Reds. "A couple of things didn't go my way. But two-inning saves don't come around too often. Good, bad or ugly."

 

Which was this?

 

"This was somewhere in between. It was good. I got the job done. But I made that last inning a little longer than I wanted to."

 

Valentine sandwiched a pair of walks around a single to load the bases, but got a pair of shallow popups and a strikeout of Mike Myers to end the game.

 

As Huntsville won its third straight, contributions came from unusual sources.

 

Travis Ezi, the 175-pound-dripping-wet outfielder, launched a two-run homer. It was the first homer of the season for Ezi, who came in batting .220, and only the 20th of his pro career. And Guilder Rodriguez doubled his season RBI total when he singled home a run in the second.

 

Once again, Huntsville totalled 10 hits - its average in the past 12 games against Birmingham. Said manager Don Money, "We hit these guys pretty good for some reason. But they've got good pitching.''

 

So does Huntsville.

 

Steve Hammond, in his sixth Huntsville start, ran his record to 3-2, allowing only three hits in seven innings, striking out nine.

 

It was the fourth start in which the lefty allowed one run or fewer; this run was a two-out homer in the first by Ricardo Nanita.

 

Singles by Jeff Eure and Ezi in the second led to G-Rod's RBI single, then Ezi homered with Carlos Lee aboard in the fourth. A passed ball and a Pedro Lopez laser right back at Valentine in the eighth conspired to put the Barons within one, at 3-2, before Callix Crabbe doubled and scored on a two-out swinging bunt by Ron Acuna in the ninth.

 

Then Valentine - 1-0, one save, eight innings, one earned run, eight strikeouts in four Stars appearances - got out of trouble in the ninth.

 

"It hasn't gone as planned," he said of his career that seemed on the fast-track after dominating the Southern League in 2002. "I'm here in Double-A for a reason, and I know that now.

 

"I think I pressed too hard the last couple of years trying to pitch in the big leagues."

 

"He's trying to get back," Money said, noting it's a matter of "getting down here and get your rhythm going."

[homer]

That's a heckuva line for Hammond. He's had a great year thusfar. Combining his BC and H-Ville numbers he's at 2.12 ERA, 1.02 WhiP, and 2.94 K:BB and around 7 K's per 9IP.

 

At 24 years old, is it likely he sees time in Nashville this year? If so, is he someone that might have a spot in the Milwaukee pen as early as next year?