Link Report for Thurs. 6/22: Four Walk-Offs (3 good, 1 not)

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Thursday's Daily Menu: No big league game, boys! Who are you listening to while cruising the web tonight? You know you want to!

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Round Rock (Astros), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Jeff Housman at Mobile (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 6:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.palmbeachcardinals.com/

 

West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Kannapolis (White Sox), 6:55 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: LHP Zach Braddock at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 8:05 PM

 

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". 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_mobaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_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 Wednesday's action:

Brevard and West Virginia begin their second halves tonight...

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 39 32 .549 - 26-13 13-19 L2[/b] Iowa 33 38 .465 6.0 18-17 15-21 W1 Omaha 28 44 .389 11.5 16-19 12-25 L1 Memphis 27 44 .380 12.0 15-22 12-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W2 Tennessee 2 1 .667 - 0-0 2-1 W2 West Tenn 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W1 Carolina 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L2 [b]Huntsville 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L1[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 L1 Great Falls 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 W1 [b]Helena 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 L1[/b] Missoula 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 W1

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Gazette:

 

After finishing in second place behind Lexington in the Northern Division for the first half of the season, the Power is primed for a strong second half and a run at a Sally League playoff berth.

 

That run starts tonight at Appalachian Power Park with the first of four games with Kannapolis. The Power went 1-3 on the road against the Intimidators in May.

 

After that, West Virginia heads south for four games at Augusta, Ga., and four more at Greenville, S.C. Four home games against Asheville July 4-7 gives the Power 16 non-division games to start the second half.

 

Will Inman, who?s been on the disabled list with a strained pitching shoulder, will be activated for the start of the second half and is scheduled to start Saturday night against Kannapolis. Before the injury, the 6-foot right-hander was one of the Power?s top starters, going 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In 35 innings, Inman has 53 strikeouts while allowing just five walks and no home runs.

[wibadgers23]

I see Braun isn't playing tonight for BC. I wonder if he's on his way to Huntsville. And 2 quick strikeouts for Rogers in the first inning. Nice start.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

I still think Ben Hendrickson should be given a chance at the Brewers long man spot before we get rid of him. The pen will give him less time to think before he comes in.

[bork]

Nice line by Hendrickson through 6.

 

12 K's in 6 1/3 innings for Miller. It would be nice to see him move up with Yo moving up.

[And That]

Nice line by Hendrickson through 6.

 

Hendrickson was also pulled after 6 despite a very Dillard-esque start.

[Bigtop79]

Tough night for Rogers. Great night (again) for Lil' Ben. No Hit through six, got pulled. Need to find some way to get him to settle down in Milwaukee.

 

Just my opinion

[colbyjack]

How 'bout Zach Braddock? Awesome debut for the young man.

 

EDIT: Oh yeah, as bork already noted, I hope Derek Miller takes Yo's place at BC. I don't think he has much left to prove at WV.

[Mass Haas]

In progress: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 3, Helena 3, after eight innings

Still time for you to jump in on this audio as of almost 11:00 PM Central...

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 5, Kannapolis (White Sox) 4

Walk-off win again for the Power -- another treat for the home fans; the Power are primed for a fun second half...

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER FAN 17 INTIMIDATORS

 

Derek Miller, Dane Renkert and Joe Thatcher combined to strikeout 17 Kannapolis Intimidators, establishing a new single game season high for the Power pitching staff and Mike Bell provided the heroics for the Moss and Gold with the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Power went on to win the first game of the second half 5-4 over Kannapolis on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Power scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on Bell?s RBI double. Ned Yost added to the Power lead with a two-run triple in the sixth inning to put the Power on top 3-0.

 

In the seventh Kannapolis scored twice to come within a run. Javier Castillo scored the first run on Bell?s errant throw and Paulo Orlando drove in the final run on an RBI single. Bell struck again for the Power in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single to give the Power a two-run lead, but Kannapolis tied the game in the eighth inning. Javier Castillo brought in the first run on a groundout and Eric Mesa scored the tying run on Joe Thatcher?s errant throw.

 

In the bottom of the ninth inning Lorenzo Cain walked and then stole second base. After Nestor Corredor struck out, Mat Gamel was intentionally walked. With runners on first and second base Bell singled into right field and Cain scored the winning run, marking the sixth time this season that the Power have won in their final at bat.

 

Derek Miller was strong through six and a third, allowing a run on two hits and struck out a season high 12 batters in the process. Miller has 21 strikeouts in two starts against Kannapolis this season.

 

Thatcher (1-3) earned the victory and Jason Rice (0-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 40-30 overall and 1-0 in the second half after the win and the Intimidators fell to 20-51 overall and 0-1 in the second half after the loss. Attendance for the game was 5,726.

 

The Power will continue the four game series against the Intimidators Friday night. Kannapolis will start left hander Clayton Richard (3-2, 2.83) and the Power will start left hander Rafael Lluberes (3-3, 2.84). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Angel Salome on base three times...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Six of Derek Miller's first seven outs came via the K, 10 of 13 and 12 of 19 overall; a couple of Power out on plays at the plate...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 5, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 4

 

Brevard County Site Game Summary:

 

Escobar, Manatees edge Cardinals

 

Alcides Escobar slapped a walk-off RBI single as Brevard County came from behind to defeat visiting Palm Beach, 5-4, on Thursday.

 

With the game knotted, 4-4, in the ninth, C.J. Medlin drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Hasan Rasheed. Brandon Yarbrough was called for catcher's interference, moving Rasheed into scoring position and setting the stage for Escobar's winning hit off reliever Zach Zuercher (1-2).

 

The Manatees (1-0) trailed, 4-0, in the fourth when Kyle Phillips and Medlin delivered RBI singles. Steven Sollmann, who went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring single in the fifth, led off the eighth with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice by Phillips and knotted the game on a flyout by Brendan Katin.

 

Brevard County reliever Robert Hinton (3-3) picked up the win after allowing one hit in two scoreless innings and fanning five of the seven batters he faced. Starter Mark Rogers gave up four runs on six hits in three innings before Ben Stanczyk blanked the Cardinals (0-1) over four frames.

 

Palm Beach starter Mark Michael surrendered three runs on seven hits over five innings. Jose Garcia tossed two hitless frames before Zuercher yielded Escobar's hit in the ninth.

 

Juan Lucena went 3-for-3 for the Cardinals, while Joe Mather was 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the second and an RBI double in the third. -- Max Lance/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

U-W Milwaukee product Ben Stanczyk with a huge effort after a few rough weeks as of late; Ryan Crew walks twice in his high-A debut; Steve Sollman on base four times, C.J. Medlin thrice...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

Bunt, sacrifice fly in the 8th for the 'Tees -- little ball rules!

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 4, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 3, ten innings

Jordan Swaydan's first pro hit a bases-loaded deep drive to the wall that will be scored as a single; Steve Palazzolo works out of a man-on-third, nobody-out jam in the top of the 10th -- very enjoyable late-night audio fun...

 

Helena Box Score:

It's always a rush when an 18-year-old dominates in his pro debut, right, Zach Braddock? Kudos once again to Tony Blengino, who scouted and signed the two stud New Jersey southpaws, Braddock and 19-year-old Steve Garrison, now with the Power; Zach Clem an intense kid, according to the H-Crew's Steve Wendt -- struggling early...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

Brewers strand 15, three as the game ended; seven Missoula wild pitches, and it still took the Brewers ten innings to score four runs; miserable bunt attempts by the Brewers for the most part -- plenty of practice to come...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Mobile (Padres) 8, Huntsville 7, ten innings

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=889

 

Lauderdale Launches BayBears to Victory

 

Matt Lauderdale?s pinch-hit, walk off home run in the tenth inning lifted Mobile to an 8-7 win over Huntsville Thursday night in the fourth game of a five-game set at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears have taken three of the four games to start the second half, while the Stars have now lost 14 of their last 18 games on the road and 28 out of their last 33 overall.

 

Brett Evert took over for Gerrit Simpson to open the tenth and Lauderdale was called on to bat for winning pitcher Dale Thayer, who blanked the Stars without a hit over two innings. Evert fell behind 3-0, threw a strike and then watched Lauderdale lift his 3-1 offering over the wall in left field for his second home run of the year and second in as many days. Evert also yielded a walk off home run to leadoff man Darren Blakely in the tenth inning on June 6 at Birmingham.

 

Juan Ciriaco singled home Brett Dowdy with two outs in the eighth inning on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game at seven against Simpson, who allowed one run on two hits over three innings of relief work. Huntsville scored five times in the seventh inning on three hits and three errors to rally from a 6-2 hole to claim a 7-6 lead. Steve Moss singled in a run, Drew Anderson delivered a sacrifice fly and Jeff Eure belted a two-run homer to left field off of Leo Rosales to give the visitors their first lead of the night. It was Eure?s sixth home run of the season and he finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

 

Mobile tallied four times in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie, as Drew Macias and Ciriaco singled in runs and Vincent Sinisi doubled home a pair against Khalid Ballouli, who had retired all three hitters he faced in the fifth inning in relief of starter Jeff Housman. The Stars left runners at second and third base with one out in the fifth and left Eure stranded at third base with one out in the sixth to keep the game tied at two.

 

Mobile starter John Hudgins went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and fanning six. He has lasted at least five innings in all eight of his starts and at least six frames in four of eight turns. The BayBears starters have gone at least six innings in all four games in the series.

 

The series wraps up Friday night with right-hander Steve Bray getting the starting assignment for the Stars against BayBears right-hander Jose Oyervidez. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Ryan Braun makes his AA debut (pinch-hit, reached on error); 2002 was a long time ago, Brad Nelson...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

Steve Moss picked off in the 1st; nice two-out hit in the 4th for Jeff Eure so as not to waste a lead-off Callix Crabbe triple; the Milko Jaramillo era as The Brewers' AA shortstop is off to a dreadful start this week...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Joe Winkelsas:

Good stuff about his work with Mike Maddux and Bill Castro...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-22.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 2, Round Rock (Astros) 0

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Ben Hendrickson photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2017

 

Hendrickson, Sounds Toss One-Hitter At Express

 

ROUND ROCK, Texas ? Ben Hendrickson worked six hitless innings as four Nashville pitchers combined on a one-hitter in Nashville?s 2-0 shutout of the Round Rock Express on Thursday evening at The Dell Diamond in the second game of a five-game series.

 

With the win, Nashville (40-32) snapped Round Rock?s eight-game winning streak and recorded its fifth shutout victory of the season. Sounds pitchers faced only two batters over the minimum in the contest.

 

Hendrickson (5-2) allowed only one baserunner over his six innings of work ? a 2nd-inning walk to Luke Scott. The right-hander was removed for a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh after tossing 90 pitches over six hitless frames. Hendrickson struck out nine batters in his outing, including six in a row in the fourth and fifth innings (two shy of the PCL record for consecutive punchouts).

 

The solid outing was Hendrickson?s team-leading seventh quality start of the year and the sixth in his last seven starts. He lowered his ERA to 2.00 through 10 starts this season.

 

Mitch Stetter (1.0 IP), Wilton Chavez (0.2 IP), and Joe Winkelsas (1.1 IP) worked the final three innings to complete the shutout.

 

Winkelsas, who worked out of an inherited two-out, two-on jam in the bottom of the eighth, recorded the final four outs to notch his first Triple-A save of the season. He has earned a win and a save in his two Sounds appearances this season.

 

Dave Krynzel put the visitors on top 1-0 in the top of the third inning with a one-out solo homer to right off Round Rock starter Jared Gothreaux. The blast was the outfielder?s fourth of the year and his first since May 10th.

 

The Sounds doubled their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Jermaine Clark singled, moved to second on a Tony Gwynn walk, and scored on Brent Abernathy?s two-out RBI single to right. The run-scoring knock was Abernathy?s second of the night and the 1,000th of his minor-league career.

 

AUDIO: Abernathy RBI Single (1,000th Hit) --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-22.wma

 

Round Rock took advantage of Hendrickson?s departure by recording their first hit of the ballgame when Joe McEwing greeted Stetter with a single in the bottom of the seventh. It would be the home club?s only knock of the evening.

 

Gothreaux (3-5) was dealt the loss after allowing both Sounds runs on four hits in his 4 1/3 innings of action.

 

The teams meet again on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Nashville send Dennis Sarfate (6-2, 2.58) and his personal four-game winning streak to the hill to face Express left-hander Philip Barzilla (3-3, 4.42).

 

Nashville Box Score:

The Ben Hendrickson enigma -- a mystery wrapped in a riddle, Seinfeld fans -- keep pumping up that trade value, Ben...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

Defensive indifference scored in the first inning? C'mon, give Nelson Cruz his stolen base...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200606234

 

Power legs out late win

By Nick Scala

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

In the battle of shin vs. shinguard, Lorenzo Cain had to settle for the loss.

 

He wouldn?t settle for losing the game, though.

 

Cain scored from second base on Mike Bell?s one-out hit to right in the bottom of the ninth, giving the West Virginia Power a 5-4 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators Thursday night in front of a crowd of 5,726 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

To get to the plate for the winning run, Cain had to slide through Kannapolis catcher Francisco Hernandez, who was blocking the plate while awaiting the throw home. Cain?s shin smashed into Hernandez?s shinguard, but the catcher couldn?t corral the peg to the plate.

 

After the collision, Cain stayed down on the ground in obvious pain as teammates came out to celebrate with him. After a couple of anxious minutes, Cain got up and limped off to cheers of the big crowd.

 

?I just rounded third, coming home, and I saw the ball was not even close and the guy was still blocking the plate,? the Power outfielder said. ?I should?ve run him over but it didn?t happen that way. I slid, because I thought I could beat it easily.?

 

Cain?s pain was eased by the tight victory in the opening game of the second half of the South Atlantic League season.

 

?Yeah, it hurts, but I?ll be ready to play [tonight],? he said.

 

With the score tied at 4, Cain drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth. He then stole second while Nestor Corredor was swinging and missing on strike three. It was nearly a double play, but Cain beat the rap on a close call at second.

 

?I saw [Kannapolis pitcher Jason Rice] with a high leg kick and I just took off,? Cain said. ?The ball beat me there, but I slid under the tag.?

 

After an intentional walk to Sally League All-Star Game MVP Mat Gamel, Bell came through with the opposite-field game-winner to right, giving him three RBIs for the night and giving the Power its sixth win of the season in its final at-bat. Bell finished 3-for-5, including an RBI double to drive home the Power?s first run in the fourth and a run-scoring single to make it 4-2 in the seventh.

 

The Power is 1-0 in the second half.

 

?We ended up the first half going strong and it?s real important to get out going strong in the second half,? Bell said. ?This team?s really coming together. Everybody?s picking each other up. It?s a good feeling.?

 

The win went to reliever Joe Thatcher (1-3), who struck out four in 1 1/3 innings. Hatcher?s throwing error allowed Kannapolis to score the tying run in the top of the eighth, then he was touched for a one-out triple in the ninth by Intimidators center fielder Paulo Orlando. But with the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Thatcher fanned Anderson Gomes and Brandon Johnson to maintain the deadlock.

 

The Power pitching staff struck out a season-high 17, with 12 of them going to starter Derek Miller. Looking for his eighth straight victory, Miller (7-1) left with a 3-0 lead after 6 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits, both by Kannapolis shortstop Javier Castillo. He threw 99 pitches, 69 of them for strikes, and walked two.

 

?I thought he was up a little more out of the strike zone than I?d like to see him, but they were chasing him,? said Power pitching coach John Curtis. ?But how can you be critical of a night when he strikes out 12 and gives them one hit through six? It was a fabulous effort.?

 

Curtis said Miller won?t bemoan the lost opportunity for another win.

 

?Here, wins are serendipity,? Curtis said. ?The way he pitched, he can go home and feel good even without the ?W? next to his name.?

 

After Miller was pulled with one out and one on in the seventh, two hits off Power reliever Dane Renkert and an error by Bell brought in two Kannapolis runs, cutting the Power lead to 3-2. Bell?s second RBI hit in the bottom of the seventh upped the margin to 4-2, but the Intimidators tied it in the eighth with two runs.

 

Ned Yost delivered a two-out, two-run triple down the right field line for a 3-0 Power lead in the sixth.

 

Angel Salome and Michael Brantley had two hits apiece for the Power.

 

POWER POINTS: The four-game series continues tonight with lefty Rafael Lluberes (3-3, 2.84 ERA) starting for the Power against Intimidators left Clayton Richard (3-2, 2.83). ... Miller also had the defensive play of the game, making a sliding catch on a popped-up bunt in the fifth by Orlando. ... Kannapolis first baseman Fernando Valenzuela Jr. is the son of the former major-league pitcher of the same name.

 

Charleston Gazette Photographer: Kenny Kemp

 

Catcher Francisco Hernandez swipes at and misses the Power?s Mike Bell, but later tagged him out.

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/POW1A.jpg

 

The Power?s Angel Salome (38) reaches second base as the throw from the catcher gets away.

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/POW2A.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...306_01.txt

 

Swaydan lifts Brewers over Osprey

By JEFF WINDMUELLER - IR Sports Writer

 

The Helena Brewers? Jordan Swaydan went 0-for-3 in Tuesday?s win over the Missoula Osprey and wasn?t even expected to play on Thursday.

 

But after substituting in just before the 10th inning, Swaydan stood at the plate with bases loaded and the score still tied at 3.

 

With a vocal crowd of 855 stomping on the stands and screaming for a hit, Swaydan cracked a high fastball to the right field wall bringing in Fredy De La Cruz for the 4-3 extra-inning win.

 

?That?s the way it actually usually happens,? said Brewers manager Ed Sedar of the circumstances.

 

Swaydan, who is listed as a catcher, was brought in as a precautionary measure to preserve rightfielder Stephen Chapman?s hurt hamstring, Sedar said.

 

?(Swaydan) just now started taking balls in the outfield,? Sedar said. ?And he gets the big hit for us.?

 

Swaydan?s tiebreaker came after Missoula rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie it up in the eighth inning.

 

The Brewers scored their first two runs in the third inning beginning with a sacrifice fly to left field by Taylor Green, allowing Garry Savas to come in. Chapman then took home after a wild pitch by Osprey?s Luis Caro bounced off the dirt and flew into the netting.

 

The Brewers took advantage of several wild pitches and used two to extend the lead in the sixth innning.

 

Eric Newton was able to take third and then home on wild pitches by Giornale Sena.

 

The 3-0 lead wouldn?t last long, however.

 

In the seventh, Jose Dijol nearly took out pitcher Brock Kjeldgaard with a hard-hit grounder right over the mound and into centerfield for a single. Then Andrew Fie really punished Kjeldgaard with a home run over the left field wall, scoring two.

 

The next inning, Dijol drove in the tying run when he dropped a single just past second base. Chapman raced in to catch the ball, but with a slide to his knees was only able to stop the ball on the bounce. Matt Oxendine came in for the run.

 

Sedar said that the Brewers were hitting well, but could have extended the lead with a better job bunting.

 

On more than one occasion, Helena had batters at first and second and was unable to bunt them ahead, Sedar said.

 

Meanwhile, with just three games down he is seeing the team begin to gel on defense.

 

The Brewers held off a possible go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning when Gerrardo Bustamente laid down a bunt and was able to make it to third base on an error.

 

Savas ran forward to get the ball, but then threw it far right of first base and into the fence.

 

But even with no outs and the go-ahead runner on third, the Brewers were able to keep Missoula from scoring.

 

Steve Palazzolo struck out the batter after Bustamente, Green threw out the next from second base and De La Cruz did the same from third to end the inning.

 

?You don?t see that very often when the lead off batter gets on third in extra innings,? Sedar said. ?We had a couple nice plays and Palazzolo did a nice job pounding the strike zone.?

 

Palazzolo, who came in at the top of the 10th, was the fifth pitcher to take the mound for the Brewers.

 

Those before him had to be pretty careful just to physically survive their stays on the mound.

 

Lefty starter Zach Braddock was hit in his pitching arm in the second inning off a hard drive by Dijol.

 

Chris Jean spent two-thirds of the sixth inning on the mound, but that was long enough for Bustamente to send shards of a broken bat his way.

 

Then there was the liner that Kjeldgaard dodged the next inning.

 

?I?m sure our pitchers ? because we have Mark Littell as our pitching coach ? are used to hard balls being hit back at them,? Sedar said. ?So I don?t think that fazes our pitchers at all.?

 

It didn?t Braddock, who lasted until the sixth inning and allowed just two hits while striking out three.

 

The Brewers move to 2-1 on the season as Missoula drops to 1-2. The two teams will play their fourth and final game today at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) at Kindrick Legion.

[Mass Haas]

We learn here why Ben Hendrickson was lifted:

 

Link while active, text follows --

 

www.statesman.com/sports/...press.html

 

Sounds pitcher stifles Express bats in victory

Hendrickson takes no-hitter into sixth inning of 2-0 victory

By William Wilkerson

AMERICAN-STATESMAN

 

ROUND ROCK ? Nashville right-hander Ben Hendrickson threw six innings of no-hit ball Thursday and the Sounds snapped the Round Rock Express' eight-game win streak with a 2-0 victory at Dell Diamond..

 

"Somewhere along the way we were going to lose a game," Express manager Jackie Moore said. "It took a pitching performance like that to do it."

 

Henderickson, the Milwaukee Brewers' 2004 minor league pitcher of the year, struck out nine batters on 90 pitches to improve to 5-2 on the year.

 

In his previous two starts against Round Rock, he compiled a 0-1 record with a 9.00 ERA.

 

"You could say it was my best outing of the season," Henderickson said. "I am just happy we won."

 

Dave Krynzel lined a home run over the right field wall in the third inning to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. That was all the offense the Sounds would need.

 

Brent Abernathy singled his first time up and collected his 1,000th hit in the fifth, which also drove in Jermaine Clark for the Sounds' second run.

 

Clark led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a walk from Tony Gwynn before Abernathy drove him in with his 22nd RBI.

 

In the bottom of the inning, Henderickson struck out the side for the second time. He got through the sixth inning untouched, but was unable to go any further because of a broken nail on his throwing hand.

 

"I knew I was going to break it before I started," Henderickson said.

 

Mitch Stetter replaced Henderickson in the seventh and immediately bid farewell to the no-hitter as Joe McEwing lined a single up the middle for the Express' only hit.

 

McEwing was unable to advance into scoring position as he was doubled up on a sharp line drive out to third baseman Vinny Rottino.

 

The Express picked up two walks in the eighth inning to place a runner in scoring position for the first time. But pinch hitter Alan Zinter ended the rally before it could start with a two-out ground ball to first base.

 

"Weird, (but) with one hit we still had opportunities to score some runs," Moore said. "Sometimes you just get beat."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/mobiler...amp;coll=3

 

BayBears walk off with win over Stars

Matt Lauderdale's homer lifts Mobile in 10th inning

By NEAL McCREADY

Mobile Register Sports Reporter

 

Thursday night was far from pretty, unless you ask Matt Lauderdale.

 

The BayBears' backup catcher hit his second pinch-hit home run in two days, but unlike the one Wednesday that piled on during a 15-0 Mobile win, the shot over the left-field wall Thursday night gave the BayBears an 8-7, 10-inning victory over Huntsville and sent an announced Hank Aaron Stadium crowd of 4,137 fans home happy.

 

"I had never seen (Huntsville reliever Brett Evert) before, but I could tell by his delivery that he was either going to yank balls outside or try to run one in on my hands inside," Lauderdale said. "Once he fell behind 2-0, I started looking middle-in. I knew he was going to throw me a two-seamer. They had the third baseman playing the line, so I knew they were going to try to pitch me in. I just got a good pitch down and in where I like and, luckily, I elevated it out of the park."

 

The win improved Mobile to 3-1 in the second half of the Southern League season and overshadowed a game in which the BayBears committed four errors, gave up five unearned runs in the seventh inning, committed baserunning mistakes and missed signs at home plate.

 

"Things are really starting to turn around for us," Lauderdale said. "The way we've been playing the past couple of weeks shows me that we've turned around our play."

 

"It wasn't pretty, but we got the 'W,'" Mobile manager Gary Jones said. "That's the bottom line, the end result, but we'd like to play a little bit better. Through it all, the guys continued to battle. The guys continue to play hard, fight and try to get better. This was a stepping stone."

 

Lauderdale's heroics made a winner of BayBears closer Dale Thayer (4-2), who threw two scoreless innings, striking out two in the process.

 

"That's what you want out of your closer in that situation at home," Jones said.

 

Mobile broke up a 2-2 tie with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Drew Macias and Juan Ciriaco had run-scoring singles and Vince Sinisi gave the BayBears a 6-2 lead with a two-run double.

 

In the top of the seventh inning, however, the BayBears gave those four runs and one more back. Milko Jaramillo and pinch-hitter Ryan Braun reached on consecutive errors, one by first baseman Stephen Smitherman and another by Ciriaco at shortstop, to open the frame. Steve Moss followed with an RBI single, chasing Mobile reliever Geoff Jones. Leo Rosales relieved Jones and appeared to get out of the inning after retiring Huntsville's Callix Crabbe, giving up a sacrifice fly to Drew Anderson, and inducing a ground ball to first base from Brad Nelson.

 

But Smitherman never got a glove on the ball, allowing a run to score, and Jeffrey Eure, one of the Stars' hottest hitters over the past week, blasted a two-run homer to left to give Huntsville a 7-6 lead.

 

Mobile tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth inning after Brett Dowdy singled, stole second base and scored on Ciriaco's single to set the stage for the late dramatics.

 

Mobile got on the scoreboard first thanks to Smitherman's RBI single in the bottom of the first. Huntsville tied the game 1-1 in the fourth when Eure drove in Crabbe, who had led off the inning with a triple. The BayBears got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when Luis Cruz singled and Macias sent him scampering home with a triple off the center-field wall.

 

Huntsville tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth on Ron Acuna's RBI single.

 

The two teams finish the series and the BayBears' homestand at 7:05 tonight.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006062312/

 

Power enjoys perfect start

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

There were a lot of things to like about the West Virginia Power's 5-4 win over Kannapolis Thursday evening at Appalachian Power Park.

 

A standing-room-only crowd of 5,726 fans braved an extremely muggy evening to watch the Power improve to 40-30 overall and 1-0 in the South Atlantic League's second half.

 

There was the dominating performance of starting pitcher Derek Miller.

 

Miller, a 6-foot, 195-pound New Hampshire native, struck out 12 Kannapolis hitters in just 6 1/3 innings.

 

Miller, in search of his eighth straight win, allowed just a pair of singles before giving way to his pitch count.

 

And, then, there was another solid offensive performance by Power batters.

 

West Virginia, which finished the first half of the season with a league best .279 batting average, continued its hot hitting by pounding out 11 hits against a quartet of Intimidator pitchers.

 

Michael Bell, who started the game at shortstop before moving to second in the ninth inning, paced the Power attack with three hits and three RBI, including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth.

 

But the most important part of the evening simply was starting the Sally League's second half on a winning note.

 

After winning their season-opener in April, the Power dropped four straight and dug themselves a hole in the standings with a 4-6 record after the season's first 10 games.

 

It was a hole from which the Power could not recover in the season's first half, as it finished five games behind Lexington in the league's Northern Division standings.

 

Stumbling out of the gate was a tough experience for the Power, but it served as a learning lesson in its approach to the second half.

 

"Getting in an early hole was a big thing that we just couldn't recover from in the first half," said Miller, who left the game with a 3-0 lead before ending up with the tough-luck no decision. "We've just been telling ourselves that we need to come out and win games right off the bat in the second half.

 

"Lately, we've been playing well," continued Miller (7-1). "We've just got to keep putting it together and keep pitching, playing defense and hitting."

 

Bell, a 15th round selection in last year's amateur baseball draft, echoed Miller's sentiments regarding the importance of a quick start.

 

"We ended the first half of the season going pretty strong," said Bell. "It's real important to get out going strong in the second half.

 

"Everyone is having a good time. The team's really coming together and picking each other up. If somebody doesn't get the job done, there's someone else there to pick him up.

 

"It's a good feeling to win when everyone is working together so well."

 

That teamwork was important after Kannapolis rallied from three runs down to tie the game at 4-4 in the eighth inning.

 

Kannapolis touched up Power reliever Dane Renkert for three runs in 1 1/3 innings to set up Bell's late inning heroics.

 

Bell's single made a winner of reliever Joe Thatcher (1-3), who worked 1 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four.

 

Designated hitter Ned Yost added a pair of RBI for the Power, while Angel Salome and Michael Brantley each had a pair of hits.

 

"Every win is important," said Power Manager Mike Guerrero. "We're just trying to continue to play good fundamental baseball in the second half.

 

"We finished the first half pretty strong, so we're trying to carry that over into this half of the season."

 

POWER NOTES: After dropping his first decision of the season, Miller has reeled off seven straight wins. ...West Virginia is 22-13 at home this season, including nine wins in their last 11 games. ... Kannapolis is a league worst 20-51, but is 3-2 against the Power.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

Power shortstop Mike Bell, right, attempts to turn a double play as Kannapolis? Anderson Gomes slides into second base.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/062306kanpow4.jpg

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

OZZIE GOES UP... ADAM GOES DOWN

AND SO DO THE STARS, AGAIN

Third baseman Ryan Braun, the Brewers # 1 draft pick last year, is now a Huntsville Star and he made his debut tonight as a pinch-hitter, and as expected, Adam Heether, hitting .212 in the Stars' last 32 games, of which the Stars lost 27, was sent down to Brevard County, and in back of him on the depth chart, as well.......

 

What was unforeseen was the other move, and not involving any pitching........ Shortstop Ozzie Chavez was promoted to Nashville, and from Brevard County, the Stars have Guilder Rodriguez back........ He and Milko Jaramillo will split the shortstop duties for the Stars....... Chavez was hitting .254 (.304 in the # 2-hole -- his 2nd most frequent lineup spot), which is a lot to ask of him, but the Stars won 11 games when Chavez drove in a run -- more than any player on the team. Defensively, he was an improved player this year, but was still leading Southern League shortstop in errors with 14 ...... Rodriguez, who was perfect in the field in eight games, will have more of a chance to prove what he can do playing more often in what is now his 2nd season........ G-Rod was hitting .163 in 43 at-bats before being sent to Brevard on May 31. With the Manatees, he was 1-for-7.........

 

Heether never got on track from the start of the season....... He hit .213 in April and .221 in May and was hitting .200 when he was sent down. He drove in 18 runs, but the Stars were 7-10 when he drove in a run and he left 35 runners in scoring position with two out, 2nd most on the team (with Chavez).

 

The Stars are now 1-7 in extra innings, and have lost 12 of their last 14 games. They're on their way to making another dubious statement in the record books. Their worst record in extra-inning affairs in a season is 1-5 during the 1998 season. The Stars lost their first three extra-inning games of the season before beating the Smokies, May 14, 6-4 in 10.

 

Defensively, it was a sloppy game, owing a bit maybe to the oppressive 96° heat index, but the Stars battled back from a 6-2 deficit to go ahead 7-6, until Mobile caught up in the 8th inning........ Brett Evert went 3-and-0 on his first hitter in the 10th, Matt Lauderdale. Lauderdale took a strike, then sent Evert's next pitch high and deep into the night. Anderson looked up and said so long....... It was Lauderdale's 2nd home run in two games, and his only two HRs of the year........ For Evert, it was dèjá vu. He lost a 5-4 game in the 10th inning to Birmingham's Darren Blakely on June 6.

 

The Bay Bears struck first in this see-saw game....... George Kottaras walked with two out and Jeff Housman hit Joey Gomes with a pitch, moving the runner to 2nd...... Steven Smitherman, a 2.0-version of former Stars' 1st baseman Greg Sain, then went the opposite way, something he rarely does, lining a ball over the head of 2nd baseman Callix Crabbe. Travis Ezi juggled it in right field, and Kottaras crossed the plate easily.

 

The Stars managed to hold the Bay Bears scoreless in the 3rd inning, despite two doubles, one -- a leadoff double by Vince Sinisi, whose agent is the famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel) Scott Boras........ Sinisi was selected by the Rangers in the 2nd round in 2003, and eventually placed on their 40-man roster, but the Rangers still must pay him $2.07 million, even though he's no longer in their organization......... Sinisi hit a hanging slider, driving it to the wall in front of the warning track in right........ He was erased, however, after George Kottaras hit a 2-0 pitch deep to Drew Anderson in front of the warning track. Anderson turned and heaved a one-hop throw to Callix Crabbe, a tremendous play in time to double up Sinisi........ Anderson's throw saved a run, for Gomes doubled past the next batter, Ezi.

 

The Stars tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the 4th, following a leadoff triple by Crabbe...... Crabbe hit four triples for the Stars last year, but this was his first this season........ Jeff Eure, with two out, ended the Stars streak of 16 2/3 innings without scoring a run, parachuting a 1-0 pitch between Drew Macias and two other fielders in shallow left-center to drive in Crabbe ....... Eure is a .320 hitter with runners in scoring position and two out this year. He is also hitting .289 during the Stars' long 33-game slump.

 

Mobile came back to go ahead 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning........ After Luis Cruz belted a leadoff single over the head of Milko Jaramillo, Drew Macias ripped a 3-2 pitch deep to center field. Steve Moss could not make the catch against the wall and Cruz scored, as Macias flew around the bases for a triple.

 

The Stars came back again in the 5th, coming up with a pair of clutch hits........ With one out, Jaramillo hit his first extra-base hit for the Stars, an opposite-field triple inside the right field corner. It's the first time since May 7th that the Stars have hit two triples in one game....... Fellow Venezuelan Ron Acuna, pinch-hitting for Housman, hit a line drive in front of Gomes in right to drive in Jaramillo to tie the game, 2-2. Steve Moss followed with his 14th double of the year past Gomes, bouncing into the corner, sending Acuna to third, but the Stars would leave both those valuable runners in scoring position after Crabbe popped out and Anderson grounded out on a close play at first......... Although Anderson is the club's RBI leader, he has frequently disappointed in the clutch. He has left a club-leading 38 runners in scoring position with two out this year and is lugging around a .171 average with runners in scoring position.

 

Once again in the 6th, the Stars blew a chance for a big inning....... Jeff Eure doubled down the left field line with one out, his 12th double of the year....... After hitting .194 in May, Eure is socking the ball at a .340 clip this month with 10 RBIs, almost as many as he had in April........ A wild pitch on a 2-2 count to Lou Palmisano sent Eure to 3rd, but Palmisano and Ezi left him stranded......... Palmisano has driven in just two runs since June 4 and Ezi hasn't driven in a single run since he joined the Stars on May 18th.

 

It then appeared that Mobile put the game away in the 6th inning as they scored four unearned runs off reliever Khalid Ballouli........ That started when Jaramillo, going deep in the hole, threw way over the head of Brad Nelson, sending Steve Smitherman to 2nd on what was later scored a hit and an error on his leadoff grounder........ Juan Cruz then singled the other way, sending Smitherman to third........ Drew Macias, a .188 hitter with runners in scoring position, bounced a grounder into the hole for his 2nd RBI in the game, giving Mobile a 3-2 lead....... A Juan Ciriaco line drive single to right-center made it 4-2, but the key hit was Vince Sinisi's 2nd double of the game, making it 6-2.

 

The Stars have come back from a four-run deficit before, erasing a 4-0 Mobile lead on April 25 to win, 9-5. But that seems like a half-century ago........ In a rare comeback, the Stars scored five times in the 7th to go ahead, 7-6......... Jaramillo turned the worm, reaching 2nd as the Stars' leadoff hitter on an error when his roller in front of the plate was picked up by pitcher Geoff Jones on the barehand and overthrown to first, the ball going down right field foul territory........ Ryan Braun, making his Stars debut, then reached on another error, as his grounder kicked off Ciriaco's glove, placing runners on the corners........ Moss then sent a liner into center, scoring Jaramillo, making it 6-3........ A sacrifice fly by Anderson scored Braun, making it 6-4, but there were two out........ Nelson, the spoiler of many a rally since he came down from Nashville on May 31 (.158 hitter with runners on base and 0-for-11 in the series), bounced a 3-2 pitch right past Smitherman at first toward the right field corner, scoring Moss, and allowing Nellie the extra base....... Now it's 6-5 and here comes Eure....... He gets an 0-1 change-up and all Sinisi can do is watch it go over into the berm area to complete a five-run comeback, and for the 2nd time this season, Eure is a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

 

But the 7-6 lead lasted only until the 8th. A one-out single by Brett Dowdy and a stolen base set up the tying run as Juan Ciriaco bounced a two-out, two-strike pitch through the middle to tie the game, and you know the rest of the story.

 

Friday, Stephen Bray will make his second career start against Jose Oyervidez......... Bray will go for win # 5, but he has not won a game since May 14....... Tim Dillard has gotten credit for three of the Stars last four wins........ Interestingly enough, in games in which Huntsville starters go six innings, they are 11-20. Usually it's a pretty good indication all is well. Not so with this bunch....... Bray has a 1.59 ERA in six appearances this month........ Oyervidez (2-5, 3.80) lost in his only game against the Stars this year, an 8-4 game that Bray won in relief on April 24.

 

Jason Childers was given his release by the Class AAA-Durham (Int'l.) Bulls. He made it to the majors earlier this year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but was 0-1 with a 7.45 ERA for Durham in 18 appearances this season....... Brother Matt is pitching for the Yankees' top farm club, where he is 1-3, 5.75 for Columbus....... Another brother, Scott, is an umpire and worked 3rd base tonight in this game.

 

Ty Taubenheim won his first major league game tonight, throwing only seven pitches in 2/3 of an inning in relief as the Blue Jays handed the Braves their 10th straight loss, 3-2.

 

Ben Hendrickson pitched six no-hit innings as he and three relievers combined to one-hit the Round Rock Express, 2-0....... Greg Sain went 2-for-4, doubled, and drove in a run as the Tampa Yankees beat Sarasota, 12-8, in a Florida State League game.