Link Report for Fri. 7/27 -- Jeffress An Interesting Evening

[Kevbo74]

I'll never ever ever ever talk about jeffress before the 6th.

 

tell him I'm sorry if you see him

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif

[pogokat]

hey, 10 k's in four innings probably meant jeremy was out of pitches to throw...man what a dominant night, even with the homer...

 

he's got more potential than anyone we've had down on the farm since neugie...i'm beginning to think he's our new #1...

[agent39]

another good night for my guys!

[pogokat]

Final: Nashville 8, Fresno (Giants) 1

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

Longballs Lead Sounds To 8-1 Victory

Date Posted: 7/27/2007

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds belted a season-high five home runs during their 8-1 victory in the finale of a four-game series with the Fresno Grizzlies in front of a Faith Night crowd of 9,053 on Friday night at Greer Stadium.

 

With the win, Nashville (65-41) improved upon the best record in Triple-A baseball and notched its third consecutive victory to earn a series win over the Grizzlies.

 

Sounds starter Elmer Dessens combined with a pair of relievers to hold Fresno to just two hits on the evening.

 

Nashville second baseman Callix Crabbe went 3-for-5 with two homers on the evening, giving him the first multi-homer game of his professional career. Outfielder Laynce Nix went 2-for-4, including a two-run shot over the center field wall to end his 29 at-bat hitless streak.

 

Crabbe led off the bottom of the first by sending a 1-0 pitch from Fresno starter Patrick Misch (2-4) over the wall in left-center field for his sixth home run of the year. It was Crabbe's second leadoff shot of the year and his first to be hit from the right side of the plate. Nashville's offense continued in the inning when Joe Dillon reached on a walk. He moved to second on his sixth stolen base of the season before scoring on a Justin Leone throwing error after an infield single by Vinny Rottino.

 

In the bottom of the second, Crabbe repeated his earlier performance by launching a 1-2 pitch off the Copley guitar-shaped scoreboard for his second roundtripper of the game.

 

Fresno (55-52) registered its lone run in the top of the third when Justin Knoedler led off with a triple to deep center field. He was plated two batters later on a Clay Timpner groundout to second base, making the score 3-1 in favor of Nashville.

 

The Sounds added three to their lead in the bottom of the fifth after Charles Thomas led off the inning with a double to left field. Dillon followed with his second walk of the game before Rottino moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt. An Andy Abad chopper allowed Charles Thomas to score before Nix's two-run shot made it a 6-1 game.

 

Nashville would score its final two runs in the seventh inning beginning with a Dillon solo homer, his team-leading 20th longball of the year. Abad followed two batters later with his seventh roundtripper of the year.

 

Dessens (1-0) earned his first Triple-A win in his 2007 Greer Stadium debut, throwing five innings, giving up one run, and tying a season high with four strikeouts. He threw 63 pitches (38 strikes) in his third rehab outing.

 

Nashville reliever and 2007 PCL All-Star Steve Bray had an impressive outing, throwing three hitless innings and striking out one. Mitch Stetter finished the game for Nashville, making his first appearance for the Sounds since late April. He threw a perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts.

 

The Sounds continue their homestand on Saturday when they begin a four-game series with the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-Athletics) at 6 p.m. Nashville native R.A. Dickey (8-5, 4.06) is scheduled to take the hill for the Sounds against right-hander Brad Knox (6-5, 4.42).

 

Milb Game Wrap:

 

Crabbe powers Sounds

July 28, 2007

 

Callix Crabbe homered twice and three pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Nashville beat visiting Fresno, 8-1, on Friday.

Crabbe went 3-for-5 with solo shots in each of the first two innings and has six homers for the Sounds (65-41), who have won three straight.

 

Laynce Nix, Joe Dillon and Andy Abad also homered for Nashville.

 

Elmer Dessens (1-0) made his third rehab start and allowed a run on two hits with four strikeouts in five innings. The 36-year-old right-hander went 1-1 with a 6.60 ERA in 12 relief appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers before injuring his right shoulder.

 

Steve Bray followed by walking one in three hitless frames and Mitch Stetter fanned two in a perfect ninth.

 

Grizzlies starter Patrick Misch (2-4) surrendered three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in four innings, striking out five and walking two.

 

Justin Knoedler hit a leadoff triple in the third and scored on Clay Timpner's groundout for Fresno (55-52), which has dropped three in a row. --Marc Jimenez/MLB.com

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

Callix Crabbe has been amazing this year...enough to make me wwant to apologize for dropping him out of the Power 50 a few months ago. Crabbe deserves accolades for progressing through the system and seemingly becoming a better player as he reaches its apex. Hopefully Callix will get a long look as the Tony Graffanino replacement in 2008.

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._freaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._freaaa_nasaaa_1

[pogokat]

Final(in ten innings): Jacksonville (Dodgers) 2, Huntsville 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

J'ville Turns Into Heartbreak City for Stars

 

Cory Dunlap?s bases loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the tenth drove in the game-winning run in Jacksonville?s dramatic 2-1 win over the Stars Friday night in the final of a five-game set at the Baseball Grounds in a game delayed 35 minutes at the outset by rain. The Suns won for a fourth time in the series, and third by one run, to improve to 25-10 in the second half and push their lead in the South Division to four games over Montgomery, while the Stars slipped to 20-15 in the second half and saw Chattanooga pull into a first place tie in the North Division after a wild, 11-10 win over Mississippi earlier in the evening. The Suns won seven of the ten games between the teams this season and have taken 17 out of 20 over the last two seasons.

 

Luis Pena took over on the hill for Huntsville in the home tenth and hit pinch-hitter Alberto Concepcion with his first pitch. James Tomlin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to push Concepcion to second base and a Blake DeWitt grounder moved him to third. The Stars intentionally walked Kevin Howard to face the righty-swinging AJ Ellis but the strategy backfired when Pena walked him on four pitches. Dunlap then drove a 3-1 offering into the alley in left-center field for the decisive blow and his first run batted in of the series.

 

Ryan Crew led off the top of the tenth with a pinch-hit single and moved to second base on a Mel Stocker sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by Dunlap, allowing Stocker to reach. Hernan Iribarren doubled over the head of the center fielder Tomlin but Crew, who had to hold to make sure the ball would not be caught, was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay throw from shortstop Juan Gonzalez for the first out. Alcides Escobar was passed intentionally to load the bases but Lou Palmisano fouled out and Adam Heether grounded out, as the Stars left the sacks full for a seventh time in the series. Steve Moss had an apparent two-run home run taken away with two outs in the ninth when Anthony Raglani made a leaping catch at the wall in left field.

 

Howard singled with two outs, stole second base and scored on a two-out hit by Ellis to give the Suns a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning, marking the first time the home had scored first in the series. Stars? starter Sam Narron has been scored on in the first inning in seven of his 11 starts on the road and in 11 of his 20 turns overall.

 

Iribarren led off the fourth with a double, moved to third on an Escobar sacrifice bunt but remained stationary when Palmisano grounded out and Heether lined out on a diving grab by the third baseman DeWitt to end the threat. Steve Sollmann and Michael Brantley opened the fifth inning with singles but could not advance when Moss flied out and Brendan Katin grounded into a double play.

 

The visitors finally broke through in the sixth when Narron, Iribarren and Escobar singled to load the bases but the rally fizzled when Palmisano grounded into a double play to push across Narron and Heether was called out on strikes. Raglani and Gonzalez singled with two outs in the seventh to chase Narron from the game but EJ Shanks, in his double-A debut, worked out of trouble by retiring Jimmy Rohan on a ground ball to end the inning. Narron was charged with a single run on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings and has gone at least six frames in each of his last four starts. He struck out five and has now gone 26 2/3 innings over those four turns without issuing a walk.

 

The Stars return home Saturday to open up a five-game set against Chattanooga with right-hander Corey Thurman taking the hill against Lookouts? right-hander James Avery. Coverage begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com

 

Milb Game Wrap:

 

Suns squeak by Stars in 10

July 28, 2007

 

Cory Dunlap lined an RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Jacksonville past visiting Huntsville, 2-1, on Friday.

Alberto Concepcion Jr. was hit by a pitch and advanced on a sacrifice before scoring on Dunlap's single to left.

 

A.J. Ellis singled home the other run for the Suns (25-10) in the first.

 

Jacksonville reliever Ramon Troncoso (6-1) yielded three hits and a walk over two scoreless innings for the win. Starter Zachary Hammes gave up one run on seven hits and struck out three without walking a batter in six frames.

 

Reliever Luis Pena (0-4) took the loss after surrendering one run on a hit and two walks in the 10th. Starter Sam Narron allowed one run on seven hits and fanned five without walking a batter over 6 2/3 innings.

 

Narron scored on a double play in the sixth for the Stars (20-15). --Danny Wild/MLB.com

 

Huntsville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hunaax_jaxaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hunaax_jaxaax_1

[pogokat]

Final(Completion of suspended game): West Virginia 7, Hagerstown (Nats) 1

 

This game was begun yesterday...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

 

Andy Lefave on base 4 times, including one homer

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hagafx_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hagafx_wvaafx_1

[pogokat]

Final: Hagerstown 9, West Virginia 0

 

What started out as a brilliant night by Jeremy Jeffresss completely ruined...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

 

10 k's? Yes! 5 Runs? No!

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hagafx_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game log:

 

Now the homer and the first three walks as well as the single were not good from Jeffress...but Lidyard came in and allowed all he runners to score, putting this well out of range.

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hagafx_wvaafx_1

[pogokat]

Final: Helena 4, Great Falls (White Sox) 3

 

A close game nearly lost in the last inning takes Helena to the playoffs...

 

Helena Box Score:

 

Caleb Gindl still batting over .500 against righties...a truly remarkable feat considering he's got more than 60 ab's against them...Roque Mercedes is good in rookie ball...but he should be...he needs to get back to WV soon and prove that he's fixed whatever his problem was...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._helrok_grfrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._helrok_grfrok_1

 

Edit: adjust score

[And That]

i'm beginning to think he's our new #1...

 

Oi vey, we're back to 6 years ago.

[pogokat]

i think trading the farm for relief help would put us back more like 8-10 years ago, toby...

[Mass Haas]

Edit: Helena wins! Playoffs for everyone not based in Maryvale!

 

Actually, the H-Crew needs to win one of the next two -- Great Falls owns the tiebreaker...

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com:

 

Brewers slip by White Sox

 

Roque Mercedes tossed six strong innings as Helena edged host Great Falls, 4-3, on Friday.

 

Mercedes (4-1) yielded two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two to lower his ERA to 2.98. The 20-year-old was 0-4 with a 7.26 ERA with Class A West Virginia.

 

Rob Bryson recorded his Pioneer League-leading sixth save, despite allowing one run on two hits in the ninth.

 

Caleb Gindl belted a run-scoring double in the sixth, while Kurt Crowell and Matt Cline smacked RBI singles and Steffan Wilson drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh for the Brewers (26-11).

 

White Sox starter Juan Moreno (3-3) allowed four runs on six hits with four strikeouts over six frames.

 

Christian Marrero, Jim Gallagher and Greg Paiml had the RBIs for Great Falls (23-14). -- Denis Gorman/MLB.com

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...807_03.txt

 

Brewers one game closer to first-half title

By JEFF WINDEMUELLER, Helena Independent Record Sports Writer

 

GREAT FALLS ? One more win.

 

After taking down the Great Falls White Sox 4-3 on the road Friday, the Helena Brewers need just one more win to capture the Pioneer League North Division?s first-half title and an automatic berth in the playoffs. They have two more games to do it.

 

The No. 1 Brewers (25-11) will face off with the No. 2 White Sox (23-13) twice more on the road. Helena will need the win to overcome their losses earlier in the season. Great Falls owns the tiebreaker, having won four of the seven games between the two teams.

 

In a game that faced off the best team on the road (Helena, 14-4) versus the best at home (Great Falls, 14-4), Friday came down to what many people expected ? the very last batter.

 

Robert Bryson, who was expected to start Saturday, moved up the pitching order to come in and close the bottom of the ninth, but the Brewers pitcher quickly found himself in trouble.

 

Great Falls? Joe Persichina would lead off the inning and ground to center before making his way to second on a wild pitch.

 

Bryson then got the next two batters out, striking out one and forcing a fly out by the other, but Greg Paiml cracked an 0-2 pitch down the left-field line to score Persichina and set himself up for the tying run.

 

With C. J. Retherford at the plate, Bryson found himself down 3-0 and needed to make up some distance.

 

Retherford watched one go by safely, 3-1. Bryson burned him, 3-2. And, on the final pitch of the game, Bryson?s breaking ball caught Retherford off guard and the White Sox?s last hope went down swinging.

 

Bryson was awarded the save, his sixth of the year. The Brewers, meanwhile, got some sharp play from starting pitcher Roque Mercedes and the Brewers defense backed him up strong in the early innings.

 

Mercedes gave up six hits over six innings, but they would amount to only two runs, one earned.

 

In a scoreless game, the White Sox twice had runners in scoring position, but both times were denied by Mercedes and his mates.

 

In the second, Mercedes struck out Lyndon Estill with Jim Gallagher watching from third. The very next inning, Retherford chopped into a double play and Christian Marrero struck out with Dale Mollenhauer staring down home.

 

After five scoreless innings, it looked like the White Sox were ready to break out, but it was the Brewers who scored first.

 

With just one hit in the game heading into the top of the sixth, the Brewers? Matt Cline beat out a throw after a diving stop from Mollenhauer at second base. He then advanced on a sacrifice bunt, Steffan Wilson was hit by a pitch and Caleb Gindl, who leads the league with a .447 average, delivered.

 

Gindl doubled to score Cline, but a bullet from Salvador Sanchez in right field caught up to Wilson rounding third and he was tagged out in a rundown.

 

The White Sox answered quickly in the bottom of the inning. Paiml hit a lead-off triple and would score on a sacrifice fly by Marrero, and later Gallagher hit an RBI double to score Sanchez, who reached on an error, to give them the 2-1 lead.

 

Helena didn?t wait to turn things around. Jonathan Lucroy doubled to lead off the seventh and the Brewers? small ball worked out well. Zelous Wheeler laid down a bunt single toward third that Retherford chased, but couldn?t beat him out on the throw.

 

Then Kurt Crowell hit a grounder through the right-side gap and Lucroy came home to tie it up. The White Sox brought in Wander Perez for starting pitcher Juan Moreno, who seemed to drop off quickly after getting four strike outs to blank the Brewers for five innings.

 

The White Sox might have done better to keep Moreno in a litte longer. Mike Goetz laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Perez made the mistake of trying to get out Wheeler at third. Wheeler beat the throw, and Goetz made it on a fielder?s choice to load the bases. Cline followed up with a flair to right field to score Wheeler for the lead, and with the bases loaded and two outs, Perez walked Wilson for the winning run. Gindl would end the inning on a check-swing strike out.

 

Cline led the Brewers from the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Lead-off batter Lee Haydel was 2-4 with a double.

 

Paiml was notorious against the Helena pitchers. He went 3-3 with a triple, collecting on RBI and a run.

 

Corey Frerichs and Dan Merklinger both came in for Helena as short relief. Frerichs struck out three and walked one in his 1 1/3 innings while Merklinger allowed one hit before getting an out to end the eighth.

 

Helena?s Evan Anundsen is expected to start today and Anthony Carter is expected to be on the mound for Great Falls. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM (8:00 Central).

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Doubleheader Summary:

 

POWER AND SUNS SPLIT DOUBLE DIP

 

West Virginia and Hagerstown sat through another rain delay and didn?t begin their double header at Appalachian Power Park until 8:25 and finished at 1:15 in the morning with the Power taking game one 7-1 and the Suns took game two 9-0.

 

Steve Chapman homered in the fifth inning to give the Power a 1-0 edge and Andrew Lefave hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to put the Power ahead 2-0. Brent Brewer?s throwing error allowed Joe Napoli to score in the seventh. The Power scored in the home half of the seventh when Jimmy Mojica?s base hit scored Chapman. In the eighth the Power pulled away when Andy Bouchie tripled in three runs and scored on Charlie Fermaint?s sacrifice fly.

 

In game two, Jeremy Jeffress struck out nine batters in a row before Leonard Davis hit a solo home run to kick off a six-run fifth inning. Johnathan Castro, Robby Jacobsen and Marcos Cabral all smacked run-scoring singles while Lindon Bond walked with the bases loaded to plate a run and fomer Milwaukee farmhand Francisco Plascencia drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Cabral struck again in the sixth inning with a three-run triple.

 

In game one Shawn Ferguson (2-1) pitched four and a third scoreless innings of relief to get the win, Omar Aguilar (8) got the save and Josh Wilkie (3-5) was tagged with the loss Jeff Mandel (2-3) pitched six scoreless innings and got the win in game two while Jeffress (6-4) got the loss despite striking out ten.

 

After the split, the Power are 65-39 overall and 17-19 in the second half, and the Suns are 39-63 overall and 10-25 in the second half with the loss.

 

The Power will finish the four game series against the Hagerstown Suns Saturday night. The Power will start right hander Donovan Hand (0-0, 0.00) and the Suns will counter with left hander and Barboursville native Zach Baldwin (3-0, 2.12). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200707281

 

Power wins suspended game 7-1

Tommy R. Atkinson, Charleston Gazette

 

It was worth the wait for the West Virginia Power and its fans Friday night.

 

It took two days, but the Power notched its second straight win with a 7-1 victory over the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns in the completion of a suspended South Atlantic League game that started Thursday at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Power and Suns played three scoreless innings Thursday before thunderstorms forced the suspension in the top of the fourth.

 

That meant the teams were to play a doubleheader Friday night, finishing the nine-inning contest from Thursday, then playing a second seven-inning game as the regularly scheduled contest.

 

The start of the suspended game was pushed back 2 hours, 21 minutes Friday evening because more thunderstorms rolled through the area.

 

The suspended game didn?t start until 8:26 p.m. and finished at 10:29 p.m. After a 42-minute break, the Power and Suns began the seven-inning contest at 11:11 p.m. Because of deadlines, a game report of the second game was unavailable.

 

The Power players, who just put an end to a seven-game losing streak Wednesday night, used the down time during Friday?s rain delay to relax and played that way.

 

? just sat in a chair, laughed, played games, told stories and jokes,?? said Power left fielder Stephen Chapman, who continued his hitting tear through Sally League pitching with his 18th home run.

 

?Just staying relaxed. Talking about baseball and having some fun. I don?t know if that helped us come out and play, but it kept everyone loose. I?m glad to get another victory.??

 

Chapman staked the Power to a 1-0 lead, one it would never relinquish, sending the second pitch he saw over the left-field wall for a leadoff solo home run in bottom of the fifth.

 

Chapman?s two blasts Wednesday helped the Power end its seven-game slide.

 

?All my home runs have been line drives,?? Chapman said. ?They?ve been barely getting out, but at least they?ve been line drives. I?m hitting the ball hard.??

 

Power first baseman Andrew Lefave added a leadoff solo shot, his 11th of the season, on the ninth pitch of his at-bat in the sixth for a 2-0 edge. Hagerstown closed to 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on an errant throw.

 

Power second baseman Jimmy Mojica?s one-out, run-scoring single that he fisted into shallow right field put his team ahead 3-1 in the seventh.

 

In the eighth, catcher Andy Bouchie, who was hitless in his first two at-bats, tripled in three runs for a 6-1 edge and then the Power could really relax.

 

Power leadoff hitter Charlie Fermaint added a sacrifice fly to bring Bouchie home to complete the scoring. Lefave finished 3-for-3 and was the only Power player with multiple hits.

 

Power reliever Shawn Ferguson (2-1) earned the win, allowing one run, which wasn?t earned, and a single in 4 1/3 innings.

 

He didn?t allow a hit until the seventh and struck out four and walked one.

 

Chris Toneguzzi started the game Thursday and worked three scoreless innings, surrendering only two hits.

 

Omar Aguilar picked up his eighth save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

 

The Power will play host to Hagerstown at 7:05 Saturday night (6:05 Central) in the finale of the four-game series.

 

Left-hander Zach Baldwin, a former Cabell Midland High School and West Virginia State standout, is scheduled to start for Hagerst

 

***

Here's Jeremy Jeffress' incredible stretch:

 

Hagerstown Top 2nd

 

- Leonard Davis strikes out swinging.

- Joe Napoli called out on strikes.

- Jhonatan Solano strikes out swinging.

 

Hagerstown Top 3rd

 

- John Poppert strikes out swinging.

- Jonathan Castro called out on strikes.

- Lindon Bond strikes out swinging.

 

Hagerstown Top 4th

 

- Francisco Plasencia strikes out swinging.

- Robert Jacobsen strikes out swinging.

- Marcos Cabral strikes out swinging.

[berniebrewer4life]

Quote:

---

Oi vey, we're back to 6 years ago.

---

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. Hopefully it's not the same result though.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds blast past Grizzlies

Crabbe hits two of five Nashville home runs

By TYLER BLANK

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Sounds second baseman Callix Crabbe has plans to learn the guitar.

 

With good reason.

 

Crabbe recorded his first career multiple home run game, including one off the guitar-shaped scoreboard, in Nashville's 8-1 victory over Fresno on Friday at Greer Stadium.

 

"I've never played before," Crabbe said of his reward from Guitar-maker Copley. "I'll take a couple of classes from some of the guys."

 

The Sounds recorded five home runs in the win. Andy Abad, Joe Dillon and Laynce Nix each homered in addition to Crabbe's two.

 

The five homers are the most the Sounds have hit in a game since September 2005. Six is the team's all-time record.

 

Crabbe started the scoring with a game-opening shot to left field. He followed that with a home run off the scoreboard on his next at-bat in the second inning.

 

"He got a good piece of them," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "The ball carried to left field a little today because of the wind."

 

The switch-hitting Crabbe hit both home runs from the right side of the plate. Crabbe has six on the year, and the previous four were as a left-hander.

 

"I got some pitches where I was able to put a good swing on," Crabbe said.

 

He was not the only Sound to do so.

 

Nix hit a monster two-run home run to dead center that hit the waving American flag. The shot was still traveling out, not down, when it was caught in the flag.

 

"I've never seen a ball go out of centerfield here. That's pretty impressive," Kremblas said.

 

AUDIO: Laynce Nix Homers Off The Flag

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-27.mp3

 

Dillon hit his 20th home run of the year to left field in the seventh inning.

 

Not to be outdone, Abad blasted a shot to right just one batter later to cap the scoring at eight runs.

 

What they said: "They said their guy throws strikes, so I was ready to hit," ? Crabbe on Grizzlies starter Patrick Misch.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Pitcher looks strong in rehab start

By TYLER BLANK

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Sounds starter Elmer Dessens went five innings in his third rehabilitation start in Nashville's 8-1 win over the Fresno Grizzlies on Friday.

 

Dessens struck out four and gave up only two hits on 63 pitches. He did not issue a walk.

 

"He threw the ball well," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "He kept the ball down."

 

The right-hander has been on Milwaukee's 15-day disabled list since May 19 with a right shoulder strain. He joined the Sounds on July 17 and went four innings in a rehab assignment Sunday at Iowa.

 

On Friday, Dessens overcame a line drive to his right thigh in the first inning to get his first win as a Sound this year.

 

Transactions: Milwaukee activated right-hander Scott Linebrink and designated former Sound Grant Balfour for assignment. Balfour then was traded to Tampa Bay for right-hander Seth McClung. Balfour was called up to Milwaukee from Nashville on July 17. McClung was 1-5 with a 1.99 ERA and five saves in 40 games for Triple-A Durham.

 

Strumming along: Callix Crabbe's guitar for homering off the scoreboard is the eighth guitar Copley has given the Sounds this season. Vinny Rottino, Mike Rivera and Ryan Braun have two each while Joe Dillon has one.

 

Drought over: Laynce Nix's third-inning single broke an 0-for-29 hitless drought. The mark was a season-high for Nix. Nix also crushed a home run to dead center in the fifth inning, which hit the waving American flag. It was his thirteenth home run of the year.

 

Strike kings: Nashville leads the PCL with 841 strikeouts this season. Sounds pitchers are on pace to record 1,144 strikeouts this season. That would better the current single-season mark of 1,117.

[igor67]

It sure looks like Jeffress got zero bullpen help. I would advocate for someone else for the top spot or two until he's made it a little farther along personally. LaPorta and Gamel have that huge offensive upside that could justify putting them ahead of Jeremy's awesome tools.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.greatfallstribune.com.../707280322

 

White Sox come up short

By SCOTT MANSCH

Great Falls Tribune Asst. Sports Editor

 

On a perfect night for baseball and before a perfectly primed hometown crowd craving a pennant race, that only thing that didn't turn out right was the final score.

 

The Helena Brewers edged the Great Falls White Sox 4-3 before 4,316 fans at jam-packed Centene Stadium Friday night, taking the all-important first game in a best-of-three series that will decide the first-half winner in the Pioneer League's Northern Division.

 

The Brewers managed but eight hits in the game, but got four of them in a seventh inning that provided a three-run rally.

 

"It was a great first game and setting up the remainder of the series, I expect the same," said Helena manager Jeff Isom.

 

Trailing 2-1 after six, the Brewers got a leadoff double from Jonathan Lucroy in the seventh. It was just the fourth hit off Great Falls starter Juan Moreno. Zelous Wheeler followed with a bunt single, and Curt Crowell's run-scoring single to center tied the score. Matt Cline then delivered an RBI hit, and Steffan Wilson tacked on another run later on with a bases-loaded walk.

 

"In that seventh inning we strung together a few hits," said Isom. "And against the pitchers we saw tonight that was tough to do. It was pretty much the difference in the ballgame."

 

Wheeler's bunt single shocked many folks at Centene, including some Brewers.

 

"That surprised me," said Isom of the 5-10, 220-pound Wheeler. "We had him swinging in that situation. Maybe he knows a little bit more than I do. He's not the kind of guy that you think might lay a bunt down for a hit, but he did."

 

With two games left in the Pioneer's 38-game first half, Helena leads Great Falls by two full games. The White Sox could still earn the first-half flag by beating the Brewers tonight and Sunday, which would give Great Falls a tiebreaking edge in head-to-head matchups.

 

Both teams played well defensively and received outstanding pitching. The Brewers broke a scoreless tie in the sixth on David Fonseca's run-scoring double.

 

But back came Great Falls in the home half of the frame to electrify a huge partisan crowd.

 

"You couldn't beat that," said Great Falls manager Chris Cron of the playoff atmosphere at Centene. "It's exactly what we're here to do, play in front of that kind of environment with two good ballclubs going at it. They just did a few more things than we did tonight."

 

Greg Paiml's leadoff triple and an RBI double by Jimmy Gallagher sparked the White Sox to a pair of runs in the sixth.

 

"These are the type of games you expect in situations like this, with championships on the line," said Gallagher, who finished 3-for-4. "It was a tough one to lose."

 

Gallagher was asked if he still felt good about winning the first-half title.

 

"Absolutely," he said. "Our team is plenty good enough to go out and take two from Helena."

 

It was just the fourth loss in 18 home games for the Sox this summer. And the home team didn't go down without a fight. In the ninth, Joe Persichina lead off with a single and two outs later came home on Paiml's single to make it 4-3.

 

Helena reliever Rob Bryson then went to 3-0 on C.J. Retherford before coming back with a pair of fastball strikes that the plucky White Sox hitter took. Bryson then threw a full-count slider down and Retherford couldn't hold up for the final out of the game.

 

"It was a big, big pitch in that situation," Cron said.

 

As the huge crowd filed out of Centene, the Brewers celebrated. But not too heartily, for they realize the job is not quite over.

 

"We knew we had to win two in this series," Cron said. "It will have to be the last two."

 

The Great Falls skipper is trying to lead the White Sox to the Pioneer playoffs for just the second time since the Chicago organization came to town five years ago. And Cron, the former major-leaguer and veteran minor-league skipper, took solace in the big-league flavor that pervaded on a perfect night at Centene

 

Even if the score didn't turn out right.

 

"Those are the type of games you want to play in and be a part of. We just came up short tonight," Cron said.

[SoCalBrewfan]

If you're talking about impact major leaguers, Jeffress and LaPorta are the two top candidates. Jeffress of course carries major risk, but he's got upside like nobody else in the system, and he's got some performance behind him, for all that it's in low A ball. There are several other guys who probably have a better odds of at least reaching the majors, but are not likely to ever be a regular.

 

The system might be mid-teens in MLB by now, but I'm not going to complain, becuase they've gotten there the right way, by graduating impact talents.