Link Report for Games of Friday, July 14th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

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

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Yovani Gallardo at home vs. Mississippi (Braves), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Luis Pena at St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 gametime; sorry, no audio for this series

 

West Virginia: LHP Steve Garrison at Lakewood (Phillies), 5:55 AM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: RHP Brock Kjeldgaard at Orem (Angels), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

 

Arizona: Rehabbing RHP Ben Sheets at the Padres' complex to face the rookie friars, 12:30 PM Central time, 10:30 AM local, never any web audio for the Arizona League

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". 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_sluafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lwdafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_orerok_1

 

Arizona Rookie:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_pdrrok_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 Thursday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 48 42 .533 - 29-19 19-23 W1[/b] Iowa 45 45 .500 3.0 25-20 20-25 W5 Memphis 38 52 .422 10.0 20-27 18-25 L1 Omaha 34 56 .378 14.0 19-20 15-36 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 13 9 .591 - 8-4 5-5 W2 Tennessee 13 9 .591 - 8-4 5-5 L1 West Tenn 12 10 .545 1.0 7-3 5-7 L2 [b]Huntsville 10 12 .455 3.0 5-7 5-5 W3[/b] Carolina 9 13 .409 4.0 5-5 4-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 14 4 .778 - 8-4 6-0 W3 St. Lucie 11 8 .579 3.5 6-4 5-4 W1 Palm Beach 10 10 .500 5.0 5-3 5-7 L1 [b]Brevard County 8 11 .421 6.5 4-3 4-8 L1[/b] Jupiter 8 12 .400 7.0 4-8 4-4 L2 Vero Beach 7 13 .350 8.0 2-7 5-6 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 16 5 .762 - 9-1 7-4 W6 Lake County 12 9 .571 4.0 6-4 6-5 L1 Greensboro 10 11 .476 6.0 5-5 5-6 W1 Hickory 9 12 .429 7.0 4-8 5-4 W4 Lexington 9 12 .429 7.0 6-4 3-8 W2 [b]West Virginia 8 12 .400 7.5 4-3 4-9 L3[/b] Hagerstown 7 13 .350 8.5 5-11 2-2 L6 Delmarva 6 14 .300 9.5 4-7 2-7 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 14 7 .667 - 8-3 6-4 L1 Great Falls 10 13 .435 5.0 3-9 7-4 L5 [b]Helena 10 13 .435 5.0 4-7 6-6 L1[/b] Missoula 9 13 .409 5.5 4-6 5-7 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 13 4 .765 - 5-3 8-1 W5 AZL Padres 12 5 .706 1.0 4-3 8-2 W7 AZL Royals 12 5 .706 1.0 5-3 7-2 W2 AZL Angels 9 9 .500 4.5 7-7 2-2 W2 AZL Mariners 9 9 .500 4.5 5-4 4-5 L4 AZL Athletics 7 11 .389 6.5 3-5 4-6 W1 [b]AZL Brewers 6 11 .353 7.0 2-7 4-4 L4[/b] AZL Rangers 6 12 .333 7.5 3-5 3-7 L4 AZL Cubs 5 13 .278 8.5 2-6 3-7 L2

[Mass Haas]

Helena's Stephen Chapman the Pioneer League Player of the Week:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp

[bork]

Looks like the Sheets of old. Has trouble making it out of the first inning with 2 hits, a walk, a wild pitch, and 2 runs. Then he strikes out the side in the second.

[mpepy05]

They should keep sheets down there in that 105 degree heat for a couple games. Get his butt back in shape.

[homer]

I wonder if those wild pitches were curve balls that the catcher just didn't block. He throws a lot of those in the dirt.

[brewmann04]

sheets line

 

 

Sheets 4.1 5 5 5 2 8 0 10.38

[Mass Haas]

Not a bad second professional game ever for newcomer Andrew Lefave -- five singles...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 13, Arizona Padres 5

Symbolic passing of the torch with first rounder Jeremy Jeffress taking over for first rounder Ben Sheets -- Jeffress entered in the fifth with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out -- the runs came across on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch; Dewon Brazelton was the Padres' starter; odd time for an attempted double steal in the Brewer 2nd with none out -- it failed at the plate; just call him "seeing eye" -- all five of Andrew Lefave's singles were ground balls, all "smoked" in the box score, of course; although there were two passed balls, the most impressive part of the box score is "Brewer errors, zero"...

 

Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_pdrrok_1

[PrimetimeHater]

Yo's ERA has skyrocketed to .76.

[dadofandrew]

Yo's ERA has skyrocketed to .76

 

Overrated.

[1e Corbeau]

Yo!'s gb:fb ration was high tonight (2:10). Thanks to Jeff Sackman, I see he was pretty much 2:1 at A+. Any guesses for the change (for this one start, at least)? In general, does it mean a pitcher is just high in the zone with the fastball? Hanging his off speed? Or, is it more advanced hitters anticipating when the fastball is coming? I know he walked a lot in his last AA outing. Maybe an Alabaman could help us out on a report. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Is there a general theory for a progression of gb:fb towards more flyballs as pitchers move up the latter.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Yo! and he continues to be uncannily phenomenal. I'm just curious about this.

 

I'm also a big Michael Brantley fan, but I have to admit that I only noticed yesterday his average was up over .280--now it's at .291. Good to see he's likely made some adjustments over the season.

 

Also, Bad Chad not so bad in Music City... Dare I say Rivera-esque?

[bork]

I'm also a big Michael Brantley fan, but I have to admit that I only noticed yesterday his average was up over .280--now it's at .291. Good to see he's likely made some adjustments over the season.

 

I believe he was recovering from an injury to start the season and it affected his swing. That's why he got off to a slow start.

[rotoherb]

From today's notes on milwaukeebrewers.com

 

Melvin and Yost got their first look Friday at Jeremy Jeffress, the team's first-round draft pick. He pitched in an Arizona Rookie League game started by rehabbing Brewers ace Ben Sheets. "Jeffress' first four pitches today, when he came in for Benny, were 100 [mph], 99, 101, 101," Yost said. "I was standing right there watching the radar gun. The lowest he threw was 97 mph, but most of his pitches were right there at 99."

[plowjockey]

Quote:

---

Yo!'s gb:fb ration was high tonight (2:10).

---

That's a good illustration why we shouldn't get into minutia when looking at minor league stats. I listened to the game tonite and the announcer said Gallardo was working with the Huntsville staff on commanding his fastball better. He was throwing it a lot tonite, hitting 94 - 95 on the (scoreboard) gun much of the night. It seemed that he was just going after hitters with fastballs, all of his strikeouts seemed like they were high heat. His breaking stuff wasn't used that much. If he's amped up and bringing gas all night, the ratio should be right about where it was. Don't forget, the kids are all a work in progress, and (minor league) game situations are the best time to try things out. There are going to be games when his breaking stuff does not show up.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Broadcaster Chuck Valenches with a blog entry update:

 

nashvillesounds.blogspot.com/

[Mass Haas]

Nashville and West Virginia your victors tonight, kudos to Dennis Sarfate and Steve Garrison -- details in the AM...

[LouisEly]

Symbolic passing of the torch with first rounder Jeremy Jeffress taking over for first rounder Ben Sheets; Dewon Brazelton was the Padres' starter

 

Anyone else find it odd that Jeffress, Sheets, and first rounder and #3 overall pick Brazelton all pitched in the same Arizona rookie league game?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 8, Memphis (Cardinals) 3

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2054

 

Vols Defeat Egyptians On Retro Night, 8-3

Nelson Cruz in photo...

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/news/turnbacktheclock2006.jpg

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The historic Vols came back to Music City for one more game in the form of the Nashville Sounds and scored an 8-3 victory over the cross-state rival Memphis Egyptians (played by the Redbirds) on Friday night in front of 9,482 fans at Greer Stadium.

 

Nashville starter Dennis Sarfate (7-5) put together his best start in his last five trips to the hill, logging five innings of six-hit, two-run baseball en route to his seventh win of the year, which ties him with Ben Hendrickson (7-3) for the most wins on the team.

 

Sounds batters gave Sarfate a cushion to work with as the club etched eight runs for the second night in a row on 13 hits, their most knocks in the last 44 games. Every position player in the starting lineup tallied a hit except Brent Abernathy (0-for-4), who drove in a run.

 

Tony Gwynn, Dave Krynzel, Chad Moeller, and Jermaine Clark all recorded multiple hits on the Sounds? 13-hit night. The last time the Sounds had 13 or more hits in a game was May 25 against Portland at Greer Stadium.

 

Gwynn?s 2-for-5 performance gives him a team-best 34 multi-hit games and Clark finished a home run sort of the cycle during his 3-for-4 night. Krynzel?s 2-for-4 night extended his current hitting streak to a season-best seven games.

 

The Redbirds jumped out to an early lead, etching a run in the visiting half of the second. Rico Washington scored from second on a Skip Schumaker RBI single to center field. Washington?s run gave Memphis a one-run lead but the celebration was short-lived.

 

The Sounds banged out two runs on four hits in the second inning off Memphis starter Brad Thompson to take the lead. The Sounds started the inning off with back-to-back singles off the bats of Nelson Cruz and Graham Koonce. With ducks on the pond, Moeller smoked a ball down the left field line to score Cruz from second. Koonce scored on the following at-bat on a Clark RBI double into the left field corner.

 

Koonce?s single brought his current hitting streak to a season-high four games, which he has accomplished two other times.

 

The Redbirds were able to tie the game up in the fourth with the help of back-to-back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Sarfate buckled down and started whiffing the Memphis batters. En route to striking out the last three batters, Sarfate allowed a pitch to go just wide of Moeller behind the plate to allow John Gall to cross home, knotting the game up at two runs apiece.

 

Thompson was taken out of the game following the conclusion of the third inning due to a pitch count. This was Thompson?s first start since joining Memphis on July 4th.

 

The Sounds greeted the new hurler, Alan Benes, in dramatic fashion as the home team plated two runs on a Tony Gwynn bases-clearing double. Vinny Rottino, who walked, and Moeller, who reached base on a fielding error by second baseman Derek Wathan on a potential double-play ball, both scored to give the Sounds a two-run lead.

 

Benes (3-2) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of relief work for the Redbirds.

 

Nashville continued to run around the basepaths in the sixth, adding three more runs to their lead. With Rottino on third and Moeller on first, Clark tripled off the wall in center field to score the two baserunners. Clark scored later in the inning on a RBI single off the bat of Gwynn to give the Sounds a five-run lead at 7-2.

 

In the same inning, Gwynn swiped second marking his team-leading 24th stolen base of the year. Rottino?s single extended the infielder?s hitting streak to a season-best eight games.

 

The Sounds? bullpen continued to remain hot as five relievers combine to throw four innings of one-run baseball behind Sarfate.

 

The Nashville defense made outstanding inning-ending plays to conclude both the seventh and eighth innings to keep the Redbirds at bay.

 

After the visitors had scored one run in the seventh to pull within 7-3, Timo Perez came up with two down and runners on the corners and lifted a soft fly into shallow right-center. Gwynn made a fantastic sliding catch following a long run to retire Perez and escape the inning.

 

With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Clark was able to track down a Mike Rose groundball up the middle, make a glove flip to Abernathy at the bag, and the second baseman caught the ball barehanded and fired to first to turn two to get the Sounds out of the jam.

 

The Sounds added their final run in the eighth on an Abernathy sacrifice fly to center.

 

On Saturday night, the Sounds will face off against the Redbirds at 6 p.m. for game three of the four-game series. Nashville right-hander Carlos Villanueva (0-0, 0.00) will make his first career Triple-A start in the contest. Memphis will counter with veteran left-hander Chris Narveson (4-2, 3.09).

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds jump on top early

Faith Night good for Nashville again

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Blessings rained down in abundance once again on Faith Night for Nashville on the way to an 8-3 victory over Memphis.

 

It was typical of most Faith Nights this year for the Sounds. They improved to 5-1 this season on the night that has garnered national attention since it began in 2002. Nashville is now 19-10 on all Faith Nights.

 

The pre-game promotions are geared for church groups and include a concert by a Christian recording group.

 

A crowd of 9,482 saw the Sounds pick up their sixth win in the last eight games.

 

The Sounds stretched a two-run lead in the sixth inning to a 7-2 advantage when shortstop Jermaine Clark knocked a one-hop shot to the center field wall that scored Vinny Rottino and Chad Moeller. Clark then scored on an RBI single by Tony Gwynn.

 

"They're a very good ball club when it comes to answering back so it makes it tough on us,'' said Clark, who was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. "(Alan) Benes left the ball up and I got it into the gap and luckily we scored a couple of runs.''

 

Memphis, which fell 8-0 in the series opener Thursday, now has lost six of its last eight games.

 

Trailing 7-3, the Redbirds tried to rally in the eighth by loading the bases on a single to left field by Skip Schumaker with one out.

 

Memphis catcher Mike Rose then hit it up the middle where Clark gloved the ball and flipped it to second baseman Brent Abernathy, who got Schumaker out, and then fired to Graham Koonce at first for the double play.

 

Nashville's offense, which got 12 hits in Thursday's 8-0 win over Memphis, stayed hot. Every position player got a hit except for Abernathy, and Nashville finished with a total of 13 hits.

 

The Redbirds, who managed just five hits Thursday, had their sixth hit by the fourth inning. Over the last five innings, however, Memphis managed just three more hits.

 

Dennis Sarfate (7-5), who has struggled recently, got the win.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds, Redbirds have look of 1902

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Nashville and Memphis wore throwback uniforms Friday for Turn Back The Clock Night at Greer Stadium.

 

The Sounds' were replicas of the Nashville Vols uniforms and Redbirds wore Memphis Egyptians uniforms. Both sets were from the 1902 season when both clubs were in the Southern Association.

 

Nashville wore baggy white short sleeve tops with "VOLS" across the chest in black letters and baggy white pants with a yellowish-orange pocket cover on the right hip pocket flap. The shirts had the same orange color collar and a stripe down the front. Nashville wore black shoes, black knee-high socks and had orange hats with a white visor.

 

Memphis wore black pants with a tan hip pocket flap, tan tops with a black collar and stripe down the front and "EGYPTIANS" across the chest. Memphis' hats were black with a white bill.

 

The Redbirds wore red shoes and white socks.

 

A silent auction took place during the game and fans were able to purchase the uniform sets of both teams. Proceeds benefited the Nashville Sounds Foundation.

 

Streaks extended: Sounds left fielder Dave Krynzel extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the third inning. That is a season-high streak for Krynzel.

 

Third baseman Vinny Rottino hit a single to right field in the sixth inning to extend his streak to eight games, his longest this year, and first baseman Graham Koonce's single in the fourth the fourth game in a row in which he's had a hit.

 

Better bats: Memphis managed just five hits in Thursday's 8-0 loss to the Sounds.

 

Friday night the Redbirds got their sixth hit in the fourth inning on a single by catcher Michel Hernandez, which loaded the bases.

 

Revived: The Sounds, who finished last among the 16 PCL clubs with a .229 June team batting average, have turned things around in July. Nashville followed a 12-hit game Thursday night with 13 hits in Friday night's game.

 

Take a walk: Koonce tied a Nashville single-game record Thursday by drawing four walks from Memphis pitchers. Koonce became the 13th Sounds player to accomplish the feat in franchise's history.

 

Roster move: Memphis placed Brian Daubach on the disabled list Friday with an inflamed right hand and activated Hernandez from the disabled list after being inactive since June 22.

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Five relievers get some work in after the All-Star Break and Jared Fernandez' complete game...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

AUDIO: Jermaine Clark's Two-Run Triple --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-14.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Mississippi (Braves) 3, Huntsville 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=921

 

Lerew Continues Mastery Over Stars

 

Anthony Lerew spun seven strong innings to pitch Mississippi past Huntsville 3-1 Friday night in the middle game of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Braves snapped a 10-game road losing streak and improved to 7-16 in the second half of the season, while the Stars were stalled in an attempt to win a fourth straight game for a third time this year and fell to 10-13 in the second half.

 

Barbaro Canizares reached on a fielding error with one out in the second inning and scored one pitch later when Ray Serrano slammed a two-run home run to left-center field. It was his first home run since the 2004 season and the first earned run allowed by Stars? starter Yovani Gallardo in 20 innings at the double-A level. The Stars pushed across their only run in the fourth when Drew Anderson reached with one out on a throwing error by shortstop Yunel Escobar, moved to second base on a walk to Brad Nelson and crossed the plate on a two-out single by Ron Acuna.

 

The Braves added the final run of the night in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Escobar that plated Onil Joseph, who walked with one out and became the first batter walked by Gallardo to score since he joined the Stars. Gallardo lasted six innings and allowed five hits, walked two and fanned five but suffered the loss to drop to 0-2. The Stars have scored four runs in the four games he has started and only three when he has been on the hill.

 

Lerew induced Jeff Eure to bounce into an inning-ending double play in the sixth with runners at the corners and retired the side in order in the seventh to close out his longest outing with the Braves. He yielded three hits, walked two and fanned five to pick up the win to square his record at 2-2. Lerew has now allowed only two earned runs over 29 innings in four starts against the Stars and is a perfect 4-0 against them since the start of the 2005 season. Arthur Santos retired the side in order in the eighth inning and Zach Schreiber struck out Acuna and J.C. Boscan in a driving rain with two runners on in the ninth to close out the game and earn his 11th save in 11 opportunities.

 

The series continues Saturday night with right-hander Tim Dillard taking the hill for Huntsville against Braves? left-hander Matt Harrison. 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.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Stars get silent treatment

Mississippi's Lerew tough as hosts fall 3-1

By MARK McCARTER

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com

 

Anthony Lerew is ranked the No. 1 pitching prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization. That assessment will get no argument from the Huntsville Stars.

 

For the fourth time in two years, Lerew bumfoozled the Stars' hitters, this time keying a 3-1 Mississippi win over Huntsville that ended a three-game Stars' win streak in front of an announced crowd of 5,790.

 

It was the first road victory for the M-Braves since June 20. They'll play the Stars (10-13) twice more, tonight at 7:05 and Sunday at 6:05.

 

Lerew, a 23-year-old Pennsylvanian, allowed only three hits and an unearned run in seven innings Friday. In three encounters last season, the Stars touched him for only two runs and eight hits in 22 innings. For the figure-filberts, it's a par-busting 0.62 ERA whenever he goes against the Stars. And a 4-0 mark.

 

Meanwhile, his equally talented and touted counterpart, Huntsville's Yovani Gallardo, may have the look of one of the best pitching prospects to roll through here in years, but has the luck of a man who saw a black cat cross his path moments before he walked under a ladder.

 

Gallardo is now 0-2 in four starts since his promotion from Class A Brevard County. But until a two-run homer by catcher Ray Serrano in the second, Gallardo had not given up an earned run in 20 innings.

 

"Right pitch, wrong location," Huntsville manager Don Money said of the belt-high fastball.

 

Asked for an assessment of Gallardo, Mississippi manager Jeff Blauser chuckled, then said, "That's a tough call. Because everybody we've faced here recently looks like Cy Young.''

 

The Braves managed only six hits Friday, after getting five on Thursday and two on Wednesday.

 

After beginning 2005 at Mississippi, and being voted to the league's mid-season All-Star Game, Lerew was promoted to Triple-A Richmond and eventually to Atlanta, where he appeared in seven late-season games. He started off in Richmond this season, but struggled somewhat and was sent to Mississippi.

 

"Mechanically, he got off from where he was a year ago," Blauser said. "The organization felt it would be in his best interest to come back here with K-Dub (pitching coach Kent Willis) who knows him well, and he's responded.

 

"More than anything, it's good to see he's over his mechanical issues," Blauser continued. "He can go out there and pitch in a way that's competitive instead of worrying about where he might be off mechanically."

 

For Gallardo, it was his first start since July 6. He pitched an inning Sunday in the Futures Game in Pittsburgh and threw a bullpen session on the side.

 

But, said Money, "He was up in the zone. He wasn't sharp. His location was off tonight."

 

In the second, Huntsville shortstop Guilder Rodriguez booted a grounder by Barbaro Canizares with one out. Serrano followed with his no-doubt homer to left, the first of the season by the Braves' backup catcher.

 

Drew Anderson reached on a Yunel Escobar throwing error with one out in the Huntsville fourth, took second when Brad Nelson walked and scored on a two-out single by Ron Acuna to cut the lead to 2-1, but an Escobar sacrifice fly in the fifth gave Mississippi its final 3-1 lead.

 

With a thunderstorm pouncing on Joe Davis Stadium as the Huntsville ninth began, the Stars had one last chance when reliever Zach Schreiber issued a pair of one-out walks.

 

Followers of Mississippi's parent club might be led to believe such relief is an organization habit.

 

However, Schreiber struck out Acuna and ex-Brave farmhand J.C. Boscan to end the threat.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 4, Brevard County 3

 

Brevard County Site Game Summary:

 

Mets top Manatees

 

Mike Carp had two RBIs and St. Lucie scored a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning to defeat visiting Brevard County, 4-2, on Friday.

 

Carp, who delivered a two-run double in the third, led off the eighth and was hit by a pitch. One out later, Caleb Stewart singled before Joe Thatcher struck out Ivan Naccarata. But Thatcher threw wildly after fielding a comebacker by Jamar Hill, allowing Carp and Stewart to score for a 4-2 lead.

 

Mets reliever Rafael Cova (3-0) walked one and struck out one over two hitless innings for the win. Carlos Muniz pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save.

 

Starter Philip Humber, the New York Mets' 2004 first-round pick who had elbow ligament replacement surgery last season, yielded two unearned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two over six frames.

 

Jose Coronado and Bobby Malek each had two hits for St. Lucie (12-8), which has won two in a row following a six-game losing streak.

 

Thatcher (0-1) took the loss for the Manatees (8-12) after allowing two unearned runs on one hit while striking out two in one inning.

 

Alcides Escobar hit an RBI double and Carlos Corporan had a sacrifice fly in the second to give Brevard County the lead. -- Josh Cooper/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link:

Reliever Robert Hinton with a super four-inning stint; as noted yesterday, for the long-term, these rehab-type brief outings for the several Manatee big-name starters coming off injury is the way to go, understood, but it has to put a strain on the bullpen overall -- guys like Hinton, Dave Johnson, Ben Stanczyk and Bo Hall have all done a good job in their piggyback-type outings, but it's not translating into wins; big-time power gap in the system, doesn't look like a power-starved 2006 Huntsville team will get much help from below in that regard in 2007...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_sluafa_1