Link Report for Thursday, July 13th - Ohka, De la Rosa

[bork]

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. Ohka got his start moved up a day, so he's pitching for the Baby Brewers now.

 

Ran into a little trouble in the 3rd, 4 runs, 2 earned.

 

EDIT: His day is done. 3 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 2 ER.

 

Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[deeswan]

Iacono. Hmm...., isn't he the guy on that commercial with Snoop Dogg?

[Southwest Brewer]

So are we happy just b/c he was able to pitch? I guess it's a good sign for Ohka/Sheets to pitch a few innings, but neither was lights out.

[bork]

He was pitching on 3 days rest and it appears that the defense didn't do him any favors (as you'd expect in rookie ball).

 

It will probably depend on how he feels tomorrow.

[brettac1]

Provided he feels good, he should be ready to roll on Tuesday for the big team.

[brewmann04]

health is #1 priority

they will need to get the rust off once they are back with the crew.

not expecting lights out but good results will come

[Mass Haas]

Thanks, bork, for kicking things off today. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

The rest of Thursday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

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

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: Rehabbing LHP Jorge de la Rosa at home vs. Mississippi (Braves), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

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

 

West Virginia: RHP Matt Kretzschmar at Lakewood (Phillies), 5:55 AM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: TBD at Ogden (Dodgers), 7:45 PM pre-game; 8:00 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

[Mass Haas]

Follow Thursday'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_ogdrok_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 Athletics 6, Arizona Brewers 0

 

Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log:

Brewers have eight hits and nine walks and don't score, strand 18! That has to be a record for most stranded while getting shut out. Bases left loaded in the 5th, the 6th, and the 8th (none were out in the 8th). In Tomo Ohka's rough third inning, two of the outs came on the basepaths. Rookie A's went up hacking against Ohka, no K's, no walks...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Four audio choices this evening, I'm hanging with JDLR and the Huntsville broadcast -- a 1-2-3 first for Jorge.

 

With the big boys off tonight, hopefully many of you are dipping your ears into the affiliate audio pool this evening...

[bthurley19]

Good night for JDLR, when does he come back to the majors?

 

De La Rosa 6.2IP 6H 1R 0ER 1BB 5K

[bork]

Good night for JDLR, when does he come back to the majors?

 

Whenever his maximum 30 days in the minors is up. The Brewers want to give him as much time as possible to get some confidence and consistency.

 

Edit: His rehab started on June 29th, so he should be back with the Brewers by the end of July.

[DHonks]

wow, De La Rosa with a gem. That's 3 good ones and one bad one. He'd be better than Jackson for a few starts at least.

 

And anyone think Gillespie will be in W. Va soon?

[molitor fan]

Looks like a wild night in Nashville too according to the box:

 

Ejections:Memphis Redbirds Manager Danny Sheaffer ejected by HP umpire Scot Chamberlain. (5th); Memphis Redbirds pitcher John Webb ejected by HP umpire Scot Chamberlain. (5th); Memphis Redbirds Pitching Coach Dyar Miller ejected by HP umpire Scot Chamberlain. (5th); Memphis Redbirds catcher Mike Rose ejected by HP umpire Scot Chamberlain. (3rd).

 

 

Bell with 32 errors, Gillespie made an out!, and what would one give for a major league line like that from JDLR?

[bullox]

Hang on a minute. Chapman got an OF assist at 1B out of Centerfield? Whoa.

[bthurley19]

Fernandez with a complete game shutout and Moeller goes 2 for 4 with a double. Never thought I would ever write that.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Ogden (Dodgers) 7, Helena 6

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.standard.net/xx/sports/84374/

 

Hanging tough

Raptors battle from behind to defeat pesky Brewers

By Roy Burton

Ogden Standard-Examiner staff

 

OGDEN -- Here we go again.

 

That's what the Raptors were thinking when Helena scored four runs in the first inning.

 

After a 23-hit, 21-run Wednesday whipping by the Brewers, that's the last thing Ogden wanted to see.

 

Then starter Steven Johnson stopped the bleeding; Ryan Rogowski helped the Raptors rally and Miguel Ramirez shut down the heart of the Helena order to close out a 7-6 victory Thursday at Lindquist Field.

 

Hobbled by an ingrown toenail removed just the day before, Johnson watched the Brewers pick up where they left off Wednesday in the first frame.

 

Cole Gillespie doubled in the first run after going 6-for-6 the previous night, then scored on an Andy Bouchie double. Chris Errecart added another RBI to the six he had Wednesday by driving in Bouchie, but a double play ended the inning there.

 

In the third, Gillespie extended his streak of reaching safely to eight at-bats and later scored on a passed ball, but that's where the streak stopped and that was the only other run allowed by Johnson.

 

In six innings, the league strikeout leader allowed 10 hits and five runs while setting down three on strikes. Not the performance Johnson probably wanted, Ogden manager Lance Parrish said, but a gutsy one nonetheless.

 

"He hung in there, sucked it up and went out there for six innings," Parrish said. "He's a bulldog."

 

Jesus Rodriguez (3-0) gave up two hits and one run in two innings of work for the win.

 

Rogowski, hitting .455 over the last five games, started things off in the seventh with a single. Josh Bell worked a bases-loaded walk, Rick Taloa ripped a long single to left to even it up at 5, Carlos Medero worked another RBI base on balls for the lead and Scott Van Slyke's RBI single completed the scoring in the frame.

 

Chuckie Caufield hit a two-out RBI double in the eighth to make it 7-6. Bell and Taloa each drove in a pair of runs.

 

Ramirez came on in the ninth with a one-run lead and earned his second save of the season by shutting the door on the middle of the Brewers' lineup in order, including Gillespie, 3-for-5 on the night, and Stephen Chapman, among the league leaders in several batting categories.

 

Rogowski said the biggest difference between Wednesday's waxing and Thursday's victory was mental. He was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

 

"Sometimes you just have bad games and it shows that you can't win them all," he said. "We came out and we battled back. We've got a great team here, we've got guys that can play and want to and that makes it fun and exciting."

 

Parrish is hoping for more fun and excitement now that Helena is leaving town. He noticed their team batting average, worst in the Pioneer League, wasn't so hot coming in. After three games in Ogden, they'd raised it from .236 to .251.

 

"Every one of them looks like a batting champion, so I'm glad they're getting out of here," Parrish said. "I feel fortunate that we were able to pull this game out because they were about as hot as you can get."

 

***

Helena Independent Record's notes:

 

The Helena Brewers yielded four runs in the seventh inning as they dropped a 7-6 decision to Ogden in a Pioneer League contest Thursday.

 

The Raptors scored their first run in the inning thanks to a bases-loaded walk by Zach Braddock to Joshua Bell.

 

That was the first of two bases-loaded walks as Carlos Medero-Stultz drew a free pass later in the inning from Stuart Sutherland.

 

Helena issued nine walks in the game.

 

Rick Taloa and Scott Van Slyke both had RBI singles in the inning.

 

The seventh frame completed a comeback for Ogden who was behind 5-3 going into the seventh.

 

Helena scored four runs of their own in the first inning. Cole Gillespie and Andy Bouchie each had RBI doubles in the inning.

 

Gillespie was 3-for-5 in the game. He is hitting .444 this season after recently joining the team after playing for College World Series champion Oregon State.

 

Chuckie Caufield was the only other Brewer with more than one hit. He was 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot with a run scored.

 

Both teams were solid on defense and The Brewers turned four double plays in the contest. Ogden pulled off two twin killings in the game.

 

Braddock took the loss with his record falling to 4-2 on the season.

 

Helena continues its Utah road swing playing the Orem Owlz today at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). That will begin a three-game series with the Owlz before returning to Ogden.

 

Despite the loss, the Brewers remained in a tie for second in the North Division with a 10-13 record. They remain five games behind Billings.

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log Link:

Chuckie Caufield on base four times; Brewers turn four double plays; starter Jose Beltre, lefty Zach Braddock, and RHP Stuart Sutherland all struggled -- Sutherland's line looks OK, but all three runners scored in an inherited bases-loaded, no out, situation...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_ogdrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Westwood (Phillies) 8, West Virginia 3

Doesn't look like the Power is going to survive this killer road schedule in July, really struggling lately...

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

Salome extends hitting streak in loss

 

Just 60 miles south of Manhattan, New York which is the hometown of Angel Salome, the third year player from Washington Heights High School reached base three times on Thursday night with a pair of singles to extend his hitting streak to ten games. Despite Salome?s terrific offensive performance, the West Virginia Power could not cool off the red-hot Lakewood BlueClaws as they beat the Power 8-3.

 

Jeremy Slayden hit a solo home run off of Matt Kretzschmar in the bottom of the second inning to give Lakewood a 1-0 advantage. Mike Bell ripped a two-out RBI double in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1 but that was as close as the Power got.

 

Lakewood plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back. Julian Williams drove in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly, Greg Golson tripled in two and scored the final run of the inning on Avelino Asprilla?s base hit.

 

Lakewood sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth inning and scored twice. Cooper Osteen ripped an RBI single and John Urick walked with the bases loaded to plate the second run of the inning.

 

Michael Brantley belted a one-out triple in the seventh inning and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-2 ballgame, but Lakewood answered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Julian Williams drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly. The Power scored the final run of the game in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Tony Festa, but it was too little and too late for the Power.

 

Carlos Carrasco (7-5) earned the victory, and Kretzschmar (1-4) obtained the loss. The Power are 47-42 overall and 8-12 in the second half after the loss while the BlueClaws improved to 53-37 overall and 16-5 in the second half after the win.

 

The Power will finish the four game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws at First Energy Park on Friday night. Left hander Zac Cline (4-1, 3.29) will make the start for Lakewood and the Power will counter with left hander Steve Garrison (3-3, 2.83). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll...40442/1012

 

Claws continue winning ways

 

Offense comes through in sixth straight win

BY JOE ADELIZZI, Asbury Park Press STAFF WRITER

 

LAKEWOOD ? Things are starting to get scary at FirstEnergy Park these days.

 

The Lakewood BlueClaws have been almost magical in their march through South Atlantic League opponents, which continued Thursday night in their 8-3 victory against the West Virginia Power.

 

It seems whatever the Claws need these days, they get.

 

When they needed a jump start to go along with the usual outstanding pitching of Carlos Carrasco, Jeremy Slayden smashed a home run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead.

 

When the Power tied the game on Michael Bell's double in the fourth inning, the Claws, the way a good team is supposed to, came right back, scoring four runs.

 

"We just seem to be doing whatever we have to to win," said Slayden, who walked and went to third when Lou Marson reached base on a Power error by Bell at shortstop to key the outburst.

 

Right on schedule, Julian Williams hit a sacrifice fly. Greg Golson followed with a towering triple and everything else was academic.

 

"Carlos pitched OK," said manager Dave Huppert. "But he threw too many pitches (107). Too many deep counts."

 

Of course, even Huppert can see what is happening to his offense.

 

"They just keep building runs," he said.

 

Slayden, who would later triple, said that he never doubted the team's offense would come to life.

 

"When people were saying we had no offense, I would look around and see a lot of guys who can sting the ball. When the warm weather came, so did the bats," said Slayden, who now has 42 RBI.

 

Carrasco (7-5) was throwing hard, hitting 93 mph with his fastball. And while he didn't have complete command, he was tough to hit.

 

He worked six innings, allowing four hits while striking out six, and walking two.

 

So has been the work of the BlueClaws who are now 16-5 in the second half and 53-37 overall.

 

They have now won a season-high six straight games, and nine of their past 10 games.

 

West Virginia Box Score and Game Log Link:

Michael Brantley's really come on -- little in the way of power, but so young yet; Matt Kretzschmar pales a bit in comparison with names like Inman, Miller, and Garrison in this rotation; this squad seems to miss Ryan Crew's presence (in Brevard)...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lwdafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 1

 

Brevard County Site Game Summary:

 

Mets sink Manatees

 

Jose Sanchez tossed seven strong innings and Mike Carp homered and drove in three runs as St. Lucie beat visiting Brevard County, 5-1, on Thursday.

 

Sanchez (9-5) allowed one unearned run on six hits while fanning one, to help the Mets end their six-game losing streak. In his last 29 2/3 innings, the 22-year-old right-hander has given up just three earned runs.

 

Travis Hope ended the game with two scoreless frames, striking out one, walking one and giving up one hit.

 

Carp sparked the Mets in the first with a two-run double. He hit his seventh homer of the year, a solo shot, in the third to give St. Lucie a 5-1 advantage. Jose Coronado, Bobby Malek and Enrique Cruz each added two hits for St. Lucie (11-8).

 

Freddy Parejo had two hits and Charlie Fermaint scored a run for the Manatees (8-11), who lost for the first time in three games.

 

Starter Sam Narron (5-5) suffered the loss, going 3 2/3 frames and surrendering five runs on seven hits while striking out three. -- Ryan McConnell/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score and Game Log Link:

Ryan Crew sees action in left field; this lineup looks light on thump when Brendan Katin gets a night off; Dave Johnson with stellar relief work -- he's been fine except for a couple of real clunker appearances; this team's been asked to thrive with too many "rehab-type" three-inning starts (Sam Narron, Mike Jones, Manny Parra, Luis Pena)...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_sluafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 3, Mississippi (Braves) 1

Can the Stars dream of a second-half playoff push? Only three games out...

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows...

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=919

 

Strong Pitching Carries Stars, Again

 

Steve Moss hit a two-run home run to back the strong pitching of Jorge De La Rosa and the bullpen in Huntsville?s 3-1 win over Mississippi Thursday night in the second of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars won their third straight game to improve to 10-12 in the second half, while the Braves lost their tenth straight road game and slipped to 6-16 in the second half. The Stars have held the opposition to two runs or less in six of their last seven games, five of which have resulted in victories.

 

Guilder Rodriguez dropped down a one-out bunt single in the third, moved to second on a De La Rosa sacrifice and scored when Moss jolted a 2-1 offering from Chris Waters over the wall in left field for his fourth home run of the year to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. It was Moss?s first home run since June 6 at Birmingham.

 

Luis Hernandez reached second base to open the fourth on a fielding error by left fielder Drew Anderson and scored on a two-out single by Brandon Jones, who had three of the visitor's five hits. De La Rosa allowed a lead off single to Yunel Escobar in the sixth but it was erased when the Braves? shortstop was thrown out trying to steal. Jones followed with a single and that spelled the end of the night for the Huntsville southpaw, who reached his prescribed 85 pitch limit. Brett Evert took over and picked Jones off at first before retiring Ray Serrano to end the inning. De La Rosa hasn?t given up an earned run in three of his four rehab starts and has issued only two walks in 19 innings.

 

The Stars stranded runners at first and third with nobody out in the seventh inning but tacked on an insurance marker in the eighth inning on a two-out single by Jeff Eure that scored Callix Crabbe. Both players, along with Ryan Braun, who doubled twice, extended their hitting streaks to a season-high seven games.

 

Khalid Ballouli took over for Evert and retired the side in order in the eighth inning on four pitches and set down all three hitters he faced in the ninth to preserve the win and earn his first save of the season. It was also the first save for the Stars in a game decided by three runs or less since May 14 at Tennessee.

 

The series continues Friday night with right-hander Yovani Gallardo taking the hill for Huntsville against Braves? right-hander Anthony Lerew. 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 align as Huntsville shackles Mississippi 3-1

Center fielder Moss says squad is coming together

By STEVE CAMPBELL, Huntsville Times

 

Huntsville Stars center fielder Steve Moss had simple, yet logical reasoning behind his team's 3-1 win over the Mississippi Braves on Thursday night.

 

"We just all came together," Moss said.

 

Huntsville starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa went 6 1/3 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out five.

 

In the third inning, Moss took the 94-degree heat off the minds of the 1,630 at Joe Davis Stadium by swatting a line-drive homer over the fence in left field.

 

The win pushed the Stars to 10-12 in the second half and 34-57 overall.

 

"We're only heading up right now," Moss said.

 

Of course, few games are perfect. A dropped pop-up in the fourth inning by Stars left fielder Drew Anderson later meant an unearned run charged to De La Rosa. The Braves mustered five total hits, but didn't make any of them too damaging.

 

Whenever the Stars found themselves in trouble, they somehow managed a way out.

 

After a Brave walked in the sixth with just one out, the Stars closed the inning with a double play.

 

In the seventh, Mississippi shortstop Yunel Escobar ripped a single up the middle. During the next at-bat, Escobar got a late jump on a stolen base attempt and was thrown out by Stars catcher Lou Palmisano.

 

Mississippi outfielder Brandon Jones, who led the Braves with three hits, reached base in the at-bat, only to be picked off by Huntsville reliever Brett Evert.

 

"I think we're playing pretty good baseball right now," said Stars first basemen Jeff Eure, who smashed a single up the middle in the eighth to bring home second basemen Callix Crabbe. "The pitching staff has been there all year and the offense has also been good (lately). To add on like that in the eighth, that was big."

 

The Stars host Mississippi again tonight at 7:05 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Drew Anderson's .290 average coming into the game was 9th best in the Southern League, another indicator of the league's pitching-strong tendencies...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 8, Memphis (Cardinals) 0

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Jared Fernandez photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2053

 

Fernandez Tosses Five-Hit Shutout At Redbirds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Knuckleballer Jared Fernandez threw his second complete-game shutout in his last four starts on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium, blanking the Memphis Redbirds on a five-hitter to lead the Nashville Sounds to an 8-0 victory.

 

The shutout was the ninth of the season for Nashville (48-42), tying the club with Salt Lake for most in the circuit.

 

Fernandez continued his recent dominance against Pacific Coast League hitters and dropped his ERA to 2.28 on the year, tying for 4th in the circuit. The knuckleballer has been virtually untouchable in his last six starts, posting a 4-1 record and miniscule 1.01 ERA (5 ER / 44.2 IP) while walking only two batters and striking out 30 over that span.

 

Fernandez?s complete game was his PCL-leading third of the year. He struck out six Redbirds and did not walk a batter for the second straight outing. The right-hander is the first Sound to toss two shutouts in a season since Bronson Arroyo (Pirates' organization) in 2002.

 

AUDIO: Fernandez Completes The Shutout --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-13.wma

 

The eight runs scored by the Sounds were the club?s most in five weeks, dating back to an 8-4 victory on June 3 against Albuquerque. The eight-run margin of victory was Nashville's largest since May 21 when they defeated Tacoma by a 10-1 count.

 

Memphis was held to only five hits on the evening and didn?t help their own cause with five errors in the game. None of the errors led to an unearned run for the Sounds, however.

 

Nashville grabbed a 4-0 lead by batting around in the bottom of the first inning against Memphis starter and former Milwaukee Brewer Travis Smith. With one out, Brent Abernathy walked and scored on Dave Krynzel?s double to left-center. The run-scoring knock extended the outfielder?s hitting streak to a season-best six games (7-for-21, .333) and produced Krynzel?s team-leading seventh RBI of July; he drove in only nine total runs in the first three months of the season.

 

Nelson Cruz singled to put runners on the corners before Krynzel scored when Smith?s pickoff throw to first base struck Cruz. The All-Star writhed in pain on the ground for several minutes but remained in the contest. After a walk to Graham Koonce, Vinny Rottino increased the Nashville lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to left. Zach Sorensen closed out the frame?s scoring with a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Koonce.

 

Rottino finished 3-for-4 to up his hitting streak to a season-high-tying seven games. He is batting .462 (12-for-26) over that stretch.

 

The Sounds increased the lead to 5-0 in the third when Cruz, who had opened the inning with a single, scored on a Krynzel single to right combined with a fielding error by Redbirds right fielder Brian Martin.

 

Nashville extended the lead during a three-run fifth that also included three Memphis ejections: reliever John Webb, manager Danny Sheaffer, and pitching coach Dyar Miller, all while arguing balls and strikes. The trio of Redbirds ejections came two innings after starting catcher Mike Rose was tossed by home plate umpire Scot Chamberlain.

 

The Sounds opened the fifth by loading the bases against Webb before pitcher Jared Fernandez produced an RBI groundout to short to up the lead to 6-0. Tony Gwynn and Abernathy followed with consecutive run-scoring singles off Webb. All three Memphis ejections followed that play and delayed the game for approximately 15 minutes due to an ongoing argument at the plate between Sheaffer, Miller, and the umpiring crew.

 

Koonce drew his fourth walk of the evening in the bottom of the sixth inning from Memphis reliever Orber Moreno to tie the Nashville single-game record. He is the 13th different player to record four walks in a contest and the first since Adam Hyzdu on June 29, 2002 at Iowa.

 

Catcher Chad Moeller made a strong Nashville debut in the contest, finishing 2-for-4. He singled in his first Sounds at-bat in the bottom of the first inning and later added a double in the seventh.

 

Gwynn finished 2-for-4 on the evening, his team-leading 32nd multiple-hit effort of the year, before being lifted for rest in the seventh frame. He played all nine innings of the Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo last night.

 

Smith (3-4) took the loss for Memphis after allowing five runs on six hits in only three innings of work before being pulled from the contest.

 

The teams continue the series with a 7:00 p.m. meeting on Friday evening. Right-hander Dennis Sarfate (6-5, 3.79) takes the mound for the Sounds to face Memphis right-hander Brad Thompson (0-0, 0.00), who will make his first start of the season for the Redbirds.

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Production throughout the lineup -- rout could have been bigger, Redbirds turned four double plays...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds shut out Memphis

Four Redbirds get tossed during game

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

The Sounds took advantage of the All-Star break, returning to action Thursday night with an 8-0 win over Memphis.

 

The Redbirds, meanwhile, didn't handle the time off nearly as well. Two players and two coaches were ejected after a flurry of arguments with the home plate umpire.

 

Meanwhile, Nashville pitcher Jared Fernandez (5-2) got his second shutout in his last four starts.

 

A Greer Stadium crowd of 6,850 saw Nashville, idle since Sunday's 4-3 loss to Round Rock, get eight hits in its first 19 at-bats.

 

"Really, two good things happened for us,'' said Sounds right fielder Nelson Cruz, who had two hits. "They got frustrated by all of those errors (five) that they made early and then we jumped on them and took advantage of the opportunity when they kind of got lost and started arguing a lot.''

 

The Sounds scored four in the first, led 5-0 when Cruz scored in the third and were up 8-0 after five.

 

That's when the fireworks erupted between the Redbirds and umpire Scot Chamberlain.

 

After Nashville padded its lead with three runs on three hits, Memphis catcher Brian Esposito got in an argument with Chamberlain. During that time Memphis pitcher John Webb, who had entered in the fourth inning, sprinted off the mound and jumped into the argument.

 

Webb was quickly ejected, which brought Redbirds Manager Danny Sheaffer and pitching coach Dyar Miller out of the dugout. After several minutes of more arguing Sheaffer and Miller were tossed by Chamberlain. Before he left, Webb tossed a ball into the stands. It was eventually thrown back onto the field by a fan.

 

Esposito was not ejected. He had come in during the third inning to replace starting catcher Mike Rose, whom Chamberlain ejected after Rose argued the call of a pitch.

 

It was the most ejections in a Sounds game since May 30 at Greer Stadium when a total of five (four for Iowa and one for Nashville) were tossed.

 

The shutout was the Sounds' ninth this year, which is tied with Salt Lake for the PCL lead.

 

When the game wasn't being interrupted by the arguing, Nashville kept its bats hot. The Sounds had 11 hits in the first six innings and finished with 12.

 

The eight runs scored by Nashville are the most since an 8-4 home win over Albuquerque on June 3.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Moeller is sent down, starts behind plate

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Catcher Chad Moeller was added to the Sounds roster Thursday and started the game against Memphis.

 

Moeller had played in 29 games this season with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old batted .184 (18-for-98) with two home runs and five RBIs.

 

His performance behind the plate had been solid with the Brewers. Moeller had committed only one error in 208 total chances (.995) and had no passed balls.

 

He threw out three of 25 runners attempting to steal (.120).

 

Moeller has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons as the Brewers' back-up catcher. Thursday was the first time he had appeared in a minor league game since July 13, 2002 when he played for Triple-A Tucson in the Diamondbacks system.

 

Moeller filled a roster spot for the Sounds vacated by Pacific Coast League All-Star catcher Mike Rivera, who was called up to Milwaukee on July 6.

 

Krynzel catches fire: The Sounds' Dave Krynzel, with his first at-bat Thursday, hit a shot to the centerfield wall that scored Brent Abernathy and gave Nashville a 1-0 lead.

 

It was Krynzel's seventh RBI in July and over the last nine games, which leads the team.

 

In the first 61 games of the year Krynzel drove in only nine runs.

 

Krynzel scored Thursday on an error giving the Sounds a 2-0 edge.

 

Cruz hobbled: The Sounds' Nelson Cruz was hit on a throw by Memphis pitcher Travis Smith on his way to first base in the first inning. Cruz stayed on the ground for several minutes and was tended to by Sounds trainer Jeff Paxson. He was, however, able to stay in the game.

 

Cruz advanced to second when Graham Koonce was walked and then scored on a line drive by Vinny Rottino.

 

They're back: Nashville's three PCL All-Stars ? pitcher Ben Hendrickson, centerfielder Tony Gwynn, and Cruz ? returned to town Thursday afternoon at 12:30 after playing in the game in Toledo, Ohio, Wednesday night. Having three players on the All-Star team was the most the Sounds have had since 2001.

 

Rose ejected: Memphis catcher Mike Rose tossed his helmet and spun around to argue in the third inning with plate umpire Scot Chamberlain. Rose was ejected from the game immediately. Brian Esposito replaced Rose.

[Mass Haas]

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www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=50986

 

Fernandez-led Sounds topple raging Redbirds

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

The Memphis Redbirds could not figure out Nashville starting pitcher Jared Fernandez, could not silence the Sounds? offense and could not get along with home plate umpire Scot Chamberlain on Thursday night at Greer Stadium.

 

The end result was the Sounds breezing past Memphis by a score of 8-0, but not until four Redbirds were ejected by Chamberlain in dramatic fashion.

 

Nashville (48-42) got on the board right away with four runs in the first inning off Memphis starter Travis Smith.

 

In the second inning, the first Redbird was ejected when Mike Rose was tossed for arguing balls and strikes.

 

The Sounds added another run in the third and three more in the fifth when Memphis came unraveled. Apparently frustrated with Chamberlain?s strike zone, manager Danny Sheaffer, pitching coach Dyar Miller and reliever John Webb were all ejected following a demonstrative back-and-forth debate with the umpiring crew.

 

Before he went to the dugout, Webb tossed the baseball into the stands in frustration.

 

?I guess it was balls and strikes,? Fernandez said of the reason Memphis was so angry with Chamberlain. ?I thought he was pretty consistent.?

 

The Memphis fireworks came close to overshadowing a masterful start for Fernandez (5-2). The 34-year-old knuckleballer went the distance and gave up just five hits. It was Fernandez?s second complete game shutout of the season. He leads the Pacific Coast League with three complete games.

 

Fernandez downed Memphis in his previous start eight days earlier.

 

?I?m not a big fan of facing teams back-to-back,? Fernandez said. ?But I think it was long enough with the all-star break in between. It worked out pretty well.?

 

Fernandez struggled in the big leagues with Milwaukee earlier this season. Besides that hiccup, Fernandez said he?s proud of the way he?s thrown since asking Cincinnati to release him late last season.

 

Fernandez became the first Sound to pitch two shutouts since Bronson Arroyo did so in 2002.

 

?When I came back [with Scranton, the Triple A affiliate of Philadelphia] late last year, that?s when I think I got it,? Fernandez said.

 

The Nashville offense was also in-sync. Vinny Rottino led the way with three hits and extended his season-best hitting streak to seven games. First baseman Graham Koonce tied a team record with four walks.

 

Moeller elects to join Sounds: Catcher Chad Moeller joined the Sounds roster on Thursday, effectively choosing to stay with the Milwaukee Brewers organization instead of becoming a free agent and joining another team.

 

Moeller was outrighted last week when Mike Rivera was promoted to become the Brewers backup catcher. That?s the role Moeller had filled the previous two-plus seasons.

[JohnBriggs12]

Something tells me Cole Gillespie will not be spending too much more time in Helena.