Link Report for Sat.7/8 - Krynzel tops Nashville 4-run rally

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Round Rock (Astros), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: Rehabbing LHP Jorge de la Rosa at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450radio.com/

 

Brevard County: Rehabbing RHP Tomo Ohka at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:05 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.palmbeachcardinals.com/

 

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

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: LHP Zach Braddock at home vs. Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime

 

Audio (click on "Listen Live"):

www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php

 

Arizona: TBD at the Angels' kids, 12:30 PM Central time, 10:30 AM local, never any web audio for the Arizona League

[Mass Haas]

Follow Saturday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Activate the Nashville Gameday. For the other links, 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. It's sweet!

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_pbcafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_angrok_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 Friday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 46 41 .529 - 28-19 18-22 L1[/b] Iowa 42 45 .483 4.0 23-20 19-25 W2 Memphis 37 50 .425 9.0 19-26 18-24 W1 Omaha 34 54 .386 12.5 19-20 15-34 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 12 7 .632 - 7-2 5-5 W1 Chattanooga 11 8 .579 1.0 6-4 5-4 L2 West Tenn 11 8 .579 1.0 6-3 5-5 W2 Carolina 8 10 .444 3.5 5-5 3-5 L1 [b]Huntsville 7 12 .368 5.0 3-7 4-5 L2[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 10 3 .769 - 6-3 4-0 W1 St. Lucie 10 3 .769 - 5-1 5-2 L1 Palm Beach 6 8 .429 4.5 3-2 3-6 W1 [b]Brevard County 5 8 .385 5.0 2-3 3-5 W2[/b] Vero Beach 5 9 .357 5.5 1-5 4-4 L1 Jupiter 5 10 .333 6.0 4-6 1-4 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 11 5 .688 - 6-1 5-4 W1 Greensboro 8 8 .500 3.0 4-4 4-4 W2 Lake County 8 8 .500 3.0 4-3 4-5 W1 Hagerstown 7 8 .467 3.5 5-6 2-2 L1 [b]West Virginia 7 8 .467 3.5 4-3 3-5 L2[/b] Lexington 6 10 .375 5.0 5-3 1-7 W3 Delmarva 5 10 .333 5.5 3-3 2-7 L1 Hickory 5 11 .313 6.0 4-8 1-3 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 11 6 .647 - 6-2 5-4 L1 Great Falls 10 8 .556 1.5 3-5 7-3 W2 [b]Helena 8 10 .444 3.5 4-6 4-4 W1[/b] Missoula 6 11 .353 5.0 3-6 3-5 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 9 4 .692 - 4-3 5-1 W1 AZL Royals 9 4 .692 - 3-3 6-1 W4 AZL Mariners 8 5 .615 1.0 4-2 4-3 L2 AZL Padres 8 5 .615 1.0 4-3 4-2 W3 AZL Angels 6 7 .462 3.0 4-5 2-2 L1 [b]AZL Brewers 5 7 .417 3.5 2-4 3-3 W1[/b] AZL Athletics 5 8 .385 4.0 2-3 3-5 W1 AZL Rangers 5 8 .385 4.0 2-3 3-5 L5 AZL Cubs 3 10 .231 6.0 1-6 2-4 L2

[DHonks]

Luis Ramirez with some great numbers thus far in the AZ league

[foamboy1]

Brewer is starting off quite slow it seems. I get worried about the guys who are great athletes but not great baseball players.

 

Also, don't you know that McDonald's will eventually have a McAngus sandwich.

[plowjockey]

Brewer DH'd for a week and I don't think he had a hit in that time. He's been hitting much better once he started playing SS.

[Mass Haas]

Adam Heether in the Manatee lineup for the first time since being sent down from Huntsville, starting at third base...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 5, Arizona Angels 1

 

Arizona Brewer Box Score and Game Log Link:

Reliever Wily Peralta's line isn't the prettiest of the day, but he induced a double-play grounder with the bases full and one out upon his entrance; young high school catcher Brett Whiteside quickly becoming a Link Report favorite, boosting his 1.288 OPS even higher today; Angel first round catcher Hank Conger, who many had targeted in the draft for the Crew, off to a fine start, but let's face it, he's no Brett Whiteside http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_angrok_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress: West Virginia 0, Lexington 0, bottom of the 4th in Lexington

Why mention this so early? What a pitchers duel -- the first six Power batters struck out. Meanwhile, 19-year-old lefty Steve Garrison cruises through the Legend lineup the first time through -- the Brewer lower level pitching is just so darn exciting...

[bork]

Brevard County rained out again. Ohka to try gain tomorrow according to MLB.com. Will Ohka ever get his rehab starts in? With Ohka getting pushed back again, that means the Brewers will need 2 spot starters to start the second half.

[wibadgers23]

Quote:

---

Will Ohka ever get his rehab starts in?

---

 

He wont pitching for a team in Florida. It rains too dang much down there.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Steve Bray:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-8.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Round Rock (Astros) 4

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Dave Krynzel photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2044

 

Four-Run Ninth Nets Sounds A 5-4 Win

 

ROUND ROCK, Texas ? The Nashville Sounds took a page out of the 2005 club?s book on Saturday evening at The Dell Diamond, plating four runs in the top of the ninth inning to erase a three-run deficit and score a dramatic 5-4 victory over the host Round Rock Express in the middle game of a three-game series.

 

The win was the first of the year for Nashville in games in which it trailed after eight innings of play. Entering Saturday, the Sounds were one of only three Pacific Coast League clubs to be winless in those situations (0-33 entering the contest).

 

The Sounds (47-41) scored their seventh last at-bat victory of the year to post their fifth win in the last seven contests. The 2005 Nashville squad registered 22 last at-bat wins en route to winning the PCL championship.

 

Trailing 4-1 entering the ninth, Nashville didn?t go down without a fight and reclaimed the lead with a four-run rally against the Express bullpen. Mark Johnson and Ozzie Chavez, who paced the Sounds with a 3-for-4 evening, each singled off Brandon Puffer to put two on with only one out. The right-hander retired pinch-hitter Nelson Cruz on a flyout for the second out of the frame before walking Tony Gwynn to load the bases.

 

Round Rock skipper Jackie Moore summoned closer Travis Driskill from the bullpen and the right-hander was greeted by a two-run Zach Sorensen single that made it a 4-3 game. Dave Krynzel followed and delivered a go-ahead two-run double to center that spotted the visitors a 5-4 advantage by plating Gwynn and Sorensen before being thrown out at third to end the inning while trying to stretch the knock to a triple.

 

AUDIO: Krynzel's Game-Winning Double --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-8.wma

 

Both offenses got off to slow starts as neither team posted a hit until Round Rock first baseman Royce Huffman led off the bottom of the fourth with a single against Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate.

 

Sarfate worked into and out of a pair of one-out, bases-loaded jams during the game?s first four innings. After walking the sacks full in the first, he struck out Brooks Conrad and retired Humberto Quintero on a groundout. In the fourth, the right-hander allowed a pair of singles then issued a walk to load the bases with one gone but recovered to induce an inning-ending double play grounder from Jesse Garcia to keep the game scoreless.

 

The Sounds did not record their first hit of the evening until the top of the fifth, when the visitors took a 1-0 lead against Express starter Chris Sampson. Chavez opened the frame with a double to right and moved to third on a Sarfate sacrifice before scoring the contest?s first run on a Gwynn RBI single. Gwynn finished 2-for-2 on the evening, his team-leading 31st multiple-hit contest of the season for Nashville.

 

Round Rock rallied in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, Mike Rodriguez drew a walk and moved to third on a Joe McEwing single. Luke Scott followed with a game-tying RBI double to center that plated Rodriguez. Huffman then gave the home team its first lead of the night with a single to left that scored McEwing. Krynzel, the Sounds? left fielder, kept the lead at only 2-1 by throwing out Scott at the plate as he attempted to score on the play.

 

Rodriguez, the Express center fielder, kept the one-run lead alive in the top of the seventh when he gunned down Chavez at the plate when the infielder attempted to score the game-tying run from second on a Gwynn single.

 

Scott gave Round Rock some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, two-run homer to right on a 3-2 pitch from Sounds reliever Mitch Stetter that increased the Express lead to 4-1. The blast, which scored Alan Zinter, was Scott?s Pacific Coast League-leading 20th longball of the season and only the second roundtripper given up by Stetter this year.

 

Sounds reliever Chris Demaria (2-0) was the beneficiary of the late comeback and picked up his second victory of the year after working one scoreless inning. Allan Simpson picked up his sixth save of the season by blanking Round Rock in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Driskill (3-6) took the loss after blowing his second save of the year for the Express.

 

Sampson was denied his team-leading 11th win of the season for Round Rock after the late Nashville comeback. He held the Sounds to one run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings.

 

Sarfate, who was taken off the hook by the Sounds? comeback, had been in line to suffer his fourth straight losing start after giving up two runs on five hits over five frames. He walked five batters and struck out four in the outing.

 

Reliever Steve Bray made his Sounds debut with a scoreless inning of work behind Sarfate. He did not allow a baserunner and struck out a batter.

 

The teams wrap up the series in a 7:05 p.m. Sunday finale that will feature a pair of rehab starts. Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets (1-0, 0.00) will make the first start of a rehab outing for Nashville. Round Rock will counter with rehabbing Houston Astros right-hander Brandon Backe (0-1, 7.04).

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log:

Tony Gwynn reaches base five times -- he'll boost his pretty good .352 OBP coming into the game; Dennis Sarfate 99 pitches in his five innings, rarely economical; great time for Dave Krynzel to get his only base hit of the game...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress: Billings (Reds) 4, Helena 3, after seven innings

As of 11:00 PM Central, should you wish to listen in; double-play ended a potentially huge Helena 7th inning rally, unfortunately...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 8, Birmingham (White Sox) 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link for Travis Phelps photo, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=912

 

Stars Batter Barons Pitchers One More Time

 

Jeff Eure and Drew Anderson slugged two-run home runs in the seventh inning and Jorge De La Rosa worked five strong innings to guide Huntsville past Birmingham 8-1 Saturday night in the final game of a five-game set at the Hoover Met. The Stars improved to 8-12 in the second half and took three of five from the Barons for a second time on the road, while the home team fell to 11-9 in the second half and one game behind South Division leading Montgomery, which won at Tennessee. The Stars totaled 35 runs on 61 hits in the series, totaling at least 11 hits in four of the five games and at least 13 safeties in three of the five contests.

 

Barons? starter Corwin Malone struck out the side in order in the first inning before Brad Nelson tripled on the first pitch of the second inning and scored one out later on a wild pitch. Travis Ezi led off the third with a single and Guilder Rodriguez followed by laying down a bunt that was fielded in front of the mound by Malone. He threw wildly past second base in an attempt to get Ezi and centerfielder Chris Amador over ran the ball, allowing Ezi to score easily and Rodriguez to reach third base. Malone then struck out Steve Moss, walked Callix Crabbe, struck out Eure and got Nelson to ground out to avoid any further trouble.

 

Birmingham trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the third when Chris Getz?s infield single plated Gustavo Molina, who was picked off at first base but remained on the bases when Nelson?s throw to second base sailed into left field. De La Rosa then retired the next eight hitters he faced and wound up with one strikeout and no walks in his third rehab start with Huntsville. He went five innings to earn his first win in his longest outing the with the Stars.

 

Crabbe singled with one out in the seventh and scored when Eure blasted his eighth home run of the season over the wall in left field. Nelson followed with a double and was thrown out trying to advance on a ground ball to shortstop before Anderson clubbed his second home run of the series and his fourth of the season. It was the fourth time this year the Stars have hit two long balls in an inning and the third time on the road. Eure has hit safely in all 10 games in Birmingham and knocked in eight runs, while Anderson has hit safely in the nine games he has played in at the Hoover Met.

 

Travis Phelps took over for De La Rosa and worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, striking out two and issuing one walk, his first in 19 innings. Matt Yeatman tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the Stars, who held the Barons to two runs or less in four of the five games.

 

The Stars are off until Wednesday when they open a five-game series at home against Mississippi with left-hander Steve Hammond taking the hill. 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.

 

Huntsville Box Score and Game Log Link:

Brad Nelson a home run shy of the cycle; the rotating shortstop duo of Guilder Rodriguez and Milko Jaramillo may be the weakest in memory for a Brewer affiliate...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Jeff Eure photo courtesy of PonderPhoto.com via the Stars' site:

 

http://www.huntsvillestars.com/images/news/euret.JPG

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Site:

 

Manatees, Cards washed out

 

Saturday's Florida State League game between the Brevard County Manatees and the Palm Beach Cardinals was postponed due to rain at Roger Dean Stadium.

 

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader starting at 2:05 Sunday (1:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Lexington (Astros) 1, West Virginia 0

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

GARRISON FANS EIGHT IN LOSS TO LEXINGTON

 

Steve Garrison and Raymar Diaz thrilled a crowd of 6,936 at Applebee?s Park in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday night with a fantastic pitchers duel in which neither starting pitcher allowed an earned run. The Lexington Legends held the Power scoreless and sent them to their third straight loss with a 1-0 victory.

 

The only run of the game crossed the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning. Josh Flores and Wladimir Sutil reached on back-to-back bunt singles to begin the inning and those were the only two hits that Garrison surrendered all night long. With runners on first and second, Tommy Manzella hit a ground ball to short which went through the legs of Mike Bell and into left field allowing the only run of the game to score.

 

Raymar Diaz struck out the first six Power batters of the game, and retired the first eight in a row before Michael Brantley reached on a two-out single in the third inning. The Power hit into three inning-ending double plays and had only two runners in scoring position all night long. The 1-0 loss marks the fifth time that the Power have been shutout this season, all five shutouts have come on the road.

 

Raymar Diaz (7-4) earned the victory pitching seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and struck out nine, while Sammy Gervacio (8) pitched a pair of scoreless innings to get the save. Power lefty Steve Garrison (3-3) suffered perhaps the worst hard luck loss of the season, pitching six fantastic innings, allowing only two bunt singles and an unearned run with a season high eight strikeouts.

 

The Power are 46-39 overall and 7-9 in the second half after the loss and the Legends improved to 51-35 overall and 7-10 in the second half after the win.

 

The Power will finish the two game series against the Legends Sunday night. Lexington will start right hander Sean Walker (6-4, 2.61) and the Power will start left hander Rafael Lluberes (3-2, 3.31). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM (5:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score and Game Log Link:

You can't blame just him when the team gets shut out, but Mike Bell's 30th error of the season leads to the second Power loss in a week in which a Bell error was responsible for the losing run; three crushing double plays stymie the Power -- hey, that's my first use of "stymie" this season...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Billings (Reds) 4, Helena 3

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log Link:

Just a crushing loss as Cole Gillespie grounds into a bases-loaded, inning-ending double play to end it; in the 7th, Andy Bouchie grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on 1st and 3rd; the benches cleared as the game ended when Stephen Chapman got tangled at second base trying to break up the double play, no punches thrown, thankfully..

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

OL' MAN RIVER

STARS SLOG THEIR WAY TO A 4th-PLACE TIE

Presumably, this is the last rehab start here for Jorge de la Rosa........ De la Rosa, who went on the DL June 9, was sent here because of a blister on a middle finger on his pitching hand, is the first on such an assignment to last more than three games. He finished up with a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings, giving up 11 hits, striking out four and walking one....... In the 12+ innings he worked, he retired the side in order seven times.

 

The Stars roster of pitchers will be reduced to 10 if de la Rosa is reassigned to Nashville or taken off the DL and joining Milwaukee. That's counting the recent subtraction of Steve Bray, who made his debut with Nashville tonight, pitching a 1-2-3 6th inning in relief of Dennis Sarfate in the Sounds' 5-4 win at Round Rock........ When the Stars resume their schedule at Joe Davis Stadium, Wednesday vs. the Braves, we'll probably see a new pitcher or two.

 

Fans will see former Stars outfielder Bobby Darula, Wednesday. Darula was signed by the Braves from the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League. Since June 24, he's hit .260 for the M'Braves, mostly as a leadoff hitter, although he's frequently hit 6th in their lineup....... Darula played for the Stars in 2000-01, hitting .253 in 57 games, then made minor league stops at Chattanooga from 2002-04, hitting .325 to win the Southern League batting championship in 2002 -- barely -- in 96 games.

 

Former Stars outfielder Ryan Knox is also back in the Southern League........ Knox snapped a 3-for-35 slump with a home run in the Biscuits' 6-1 win over Tennessee tonight. he rejoins former Stars teammate Johnny Raburn, who is hitting .285.

 

The Stars won their first series, taking the Barons in three of five games, outscoring Birmingham 34-14 and outhitting them, .328 -.230. Tim Dillard failed to hold onto a 4-2 lead in the 7th inning Friday, but Ryan Braun must share some of that blame, and the other loss was by one run, so the Stars generally played well enough to sweep, but didn't......... The Stars have hit .275 in July and .261 since the start of the 2nd half, well enough to put them in a 4th place tie with Carolina, thanks to their double-header loss to Jacksonville........ Ron Acuna went 6-for-16 in the series and hit safely in the four games he played in, breaking an 0-for-19 slump....... Drew Anderson went 10-for-21 in the series and drove in five runs. Against the Barons this year, he's hit .340 with 14 RBIs, and since May, he's hit .308.......

 

Ryan Braun got the day off (headed to the Futures Game), but he's hit safely in five straight, going 9-for-19 (.474) to raise his average to a healthy .271. He's scored seven of his 11 runs this year in his last four games, but there's the matter of his seven errors, four which came in Stars losses........ Callix Crabbe pepped up his average a little by going 7-for-21 in the series. He also made what voice of the Stars Brett Pollock described as the "play-of-the-year" in Friday's game. In the 4th inning, ranging far to his right, he snagged a Thomas Collaro grounder on the backhand behind the bag at second base, and from shortstop territory, threw across his body in time to get the final out. Crabbe goes down in my book as the best defensive 2nd baseman in Stars history since Gary Jones in 1986 (A's organization, eight errors in 88 games)........ Jeff Eure's improvement at the plate has been noteworthy. His strikeout rate has jumped a little. From .235 the first three months, it's gone up to .247 (10 Ks in 30 ABs this month), but he's hit .356 since June, best on the club with 17 RBIs -- more than his first two months, and he's on a six-game hitting streak, going 11-for-26 (.423)....... Travis Ezi raised his average from .195 to .225 by going 5-for-12 (.417) in his last three games with two triples....... Steve Moss started the 1st half hitting .251 and hasn't raised it higher than 267 since........ Brad Nelson had his first three-hit game since June 14. He's 5-for-24 (.208) this month........ Lou Palmisano, who hit .269 in May, has hit .208 since June 1........ Guilder Rodriguez is just 2-for-22 this month........ Greg Sain is hitting just .154 since joining the Tampa (Fla. St.) Yankees on June 9. He was released by the Stars on May 31.

 

Former Huntsville Stars Bucky Jacobsen, Jose Herrera, Jose Ortiz, and Lance Burkhart were named to the independent Atlantic League All-Star team. Their All-Star game will be played this Wednesday in Bridgeport, CT.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...906_02.txt

 

Mustangs run over Brewers in seventh

By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Independent Record Sports Writer

 

The Helena Brewers battled the Billings Mustangs to the very end, but the local boys couldn?t conquer their foes Saturday night, losing 4-3 at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

Even after the Brewers? Cole Gillespie batted into a double play to end the game, the fight wasn?t over.

 

Helena?s Stephen Chapman and Billings? Justin Turner had some choice words that prompted both teams to clear the dugouts and flood the field.

 

They were able to pull their players back and prevent the shouting match from developing into anything worse, but they couldn?t hide how much they both wanted the win that would end their three-game series.

 

After Thursday?s 8-0 loss to the Mustangs, the Brewers rallied to win 6-5 Friday night in the ninth inning and Saturday night it looked like it might happen again.

 

The Mustangs were the first to score when Jason Lowsma cracked an 0-2 pitch to the centerfield wall bringing in Chris Valaika and Danny Dorn.

 

The Brewers hit back the next inning when Fredy De La Cruz singled to center and advanced on a bouncer to third by David Parker. Taylor Green laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners into scoring position but only De La Cruz would come in during the inning off Chuckie Caufield?s grounder to first.

 

The Brewers then prevented the Mustangs from scoring the next two innings off some outstanding defensive plays.

 

Pitcher Jose Beltre struck out two batters over his two innings, but his most impressive performance came when he was able to collect himself after taking a shot to the chest.

 

With teammate Valaika on second, Billings? Drew Stubbs cracked a hit that bounced hard into Beltre?s midsection. The ball fell to the ground and Valaika headed to third, hoping to take advantage of Beltre?s pain. But the pitcher only stopped for a second after the blast and quickly picked up the ball and threw to third, getting the tag out.

 

Helena catcher Andy Bouchie then rifled a throw to second to catch Stubbs stealing and ending the inning.

 

?They?re very heads up,? said Brewers manager Ed Sedar of his team. ?There aren?t many pitchers that after taking that have the sense to all of a sudden look and try to still get the guy at third.?

 

The Brewers couldn?t hold Billings for much longer, however. Danny Dorn hit a triple and would eventually score along with Chris Heisey.

 

Helena matched the two runs when Gillespie blooped a hit into centerfield to allow Parker and Green to score.

 

Both teams ended the eighth with three batters apiece and after Billings was dispensed in the top of ninth it was Helena?s last chance to score.

 

With Green and Caufield on base, Chapman walked and Gillespie came to bat, but loaded bases turned out to be a disadvantage.

 

Gillespie?s grounder went right to the third baseman who quickly fired to second to begin a double play.

 

?They?re trying to do too much when they have chances to score,? Sedar said. ?The last thing you want to do is ... to keep trying to drill it into their heads.?

 

The final outs sparked a powder keg of emotion that seemed to be developing over the long game.

 

Mustangs? manager Rick Burleson was thrown out in the top of the ninth arguing a play that would?ve given Billings an extension on their lead, and Chapman took a pitch to the cheek in the fifth that remained red and swollen to the end.

 

Now, the Brewers (8-11) will have some time to cool off.

 

They have Sunday off before returning to play Monday in Ogden, Utah.