Link Report for Games of Wednesday, June 21st

[CaliBrewer]

Hey MadScientist....It is amazing how a person can read the stats every day and THEN become a Huntsville genius telling people why the players are playing poorly. When was the last time you have been to a Huntsville game. My wife and I were in Alabama on business and pleasure. We were fortunate to be able to watch 7 home games. You stated that many of the players were playing poorly, including regression by Crabbie, Heether,ect.......Let me tell you what I saw. I saw Crabbie make 3 to 5 GREAT plays that you could not 'see' through the stats. I watched with amazement Heether at 3rd base in 1 game rob 4 hitters of extra base hits diving to his right and getting up and making the out. Also, you couldn' 'see' that in the stats. I watched Moss run down numerous balls that were hit in the gap that should have been doubles or triples. I watched Eure play 1st base as well as anyone in the organization. I could keep on going, but you wouldn't understand because you only base your opnion on 'stats." I watched the opposing team make a lot of great plays to rob our hitters of hits. I saw Sain, Eure, Palmisano, Anderson Heether, Moss and Acuna hit some shots right at someone and knocked them back a few steps. I blame the POOOOOOOOR umpires, they were consistently rotten.. Their calls were unbelievable behind the plate. ( a pitcher was in heaven with their strike zone ). I saw the pitching coach get tossed 2 times while I was there. All because of terrible calls. The men on the Stars showed great sportsmanship dealing with the umpires. I saw 4 players turn around and let the umpires know that they were terrible. I feel more players should have voiced their opinion on calls. I saw a player question their strike zone and I heard the umpire tell him to turn around and swing the bat. That pitch the catcher jumped outside low and the ball went to the backstop. Since I did see 7 games, I can let you know what was going on. Not once did the Stars put a game together with good pitching and good hitting at the same time. You need to remember that these are young men that are battling for a job and position. They are giving their all. They show up at 1pm for a 7pm game. They are at the field for 9 to 10 hours. I know that you go on this site and see a guy 1 for 5. You think he is playing poorly. You also want to see everyone hitting 300. Well that does not happen in real life. I hope in the future you can get to some games so you can tell us what is going on - firsthand.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-21.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Round Rock (Astros) 2, Nashville 1

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Tony Gwynn photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2013

 

Sounds Open Road Trip With 2-1 Loss

 

ROUND ROCK, Texas ? The Nashville Sounds were held to a season-low four hits in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Round Rock Express on Wednesday evening at The Dell Diamond in the opener of a five-game series.

 

With the defeat, Nashville (39-32) fell to 13-19 in road games this season and has suffered a loss in 10 of its last 12 contests away from Greer Stadium.

 

The Sounds out-hit the Express in the game, 4-3, as the teams combined for only seven hits (four for extra bases).

 

The host Express grabbed a 1-0 lead with a pair of doubles in the bottom of the fourth inning against Sounds starter Dana Eveland. With one out, Brooks Conrad reached second on a two-bagger to right and came around to score two batters later on Humberto Quintero?s RBI double. The two hits were the first allowed by the Nashville left-hander in the contest.

 

Round Rock doubled the lead in the sixth with a two-out rally against Eveland. Conrad and Royce Huffman drew walks with two gone in the frame then each moved up a base on a Quintero single. Charlton Jimerson followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk to force in Conrad with the game?s second run and a 2-0 Express lead.

 

Nashville finally jumped on the board in the eighth when Tony Gwynn led off with a triple against Round Rock reliever Mike Gallo then scored on Brent Abernathy?s groundout later in the inning to cut the lead to 2-1.

 

AUDIO: Tony Gwynn's 8th-Inning Triple --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-21.wma

 

The Sounds put the potential tying run on base in the top of the ninth when Mike Rivera singled with one out, but Round Rock closer and former Brewer farmhand Roberto Giron retired the final two batters to quell the rally.

 

Sounds shortstop Zach Sorensen stole his first base of the year in the contest, becoming the 15th different Nashville player to record a theft this season.

 

Express reliever David Lee (1-1) earned his first victory of the season with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work behind spot starter Mark McLemore, who worked only 3 2/3 frames. Lee retired nine straight Sounds batters to open his outing.

 

Giron came on to record the final five outs and pick up his sixth save of the campaign.

 

Eveland (3-3) took his third consecutive loss in the contest after allowing two runs on three hits while walking four and striking out eight batters over 5 2/3 innings.

 

Three Nashville relievers combined for 2 1/3 hitless frames after Eveland departed the game.

 

The teams meet again on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Nashville right-hander Ben Hendrickson (4-2, 2.21) takes the hill to face Express right-hander Ezequiel Astacio (3-2, 4.66).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Nelson Cruz now 15-for-19 in SB attempts...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 2

 

Brevard County Site Game Summary:

 

Flores helps Mets clinch East

 

Jesus Flores hit an RBI single to snap a tie as visiting St. Lucie beat Brevard County, 5-2, on Wednesday to clinch the Florida State League East Division first-half title.

 

Enrique Cruz hit a one-out double off Jeremy Lewis (1-4) and Flores followed with a base hit up the middle to give the Mets a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning. Mike Carp delivered a two-run double in the ninth, his 12th two-bagger of the year, for the final margin.

 

St. Lucie (40-30) needed to win to secure a postseason spot after Palm Beach defeated Daytona, 10-3, earlier Wednesday.

 

"I told the players before the game that our destiny was in our own hands," said St. Lucie manager Gary Carter, who didn't know the Cardinals' result during his team's game. "I'm not going to take any credit [for the title]. It was the kids, we can only motivate them. We try to pound into their heads good, sound, fundamental baseball."

 

The Mets and Cardinals had swept each other twice during the first half, and with the original tiebreaker getting rained out June 11, a win for Palm Beach would have served as a tiebreaker within the division and a ticket to the playoffs.

 

"That's what makes this league kind of special, nobody ran away with it," Carter said. "It's kind of hard to believe that it came down to the final game."

 

St. Lucie's Joseph Serfass (1-1) walked one and struck out one in 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win in relief of Salvador Aguilar. The starter went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Carlos Muniz worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to register his 14th save.

 

Corey Coles and Carp hit run-scoring singles to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the third.

 

The Manatees (35-31) tied it in the bottom of the frame when Ryan Braun hit an RBI triple and scored on a single by Kyle Phillips. -- Marissa Rega/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 7, Helena 5

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...206_01.txt

 

Osprey fight past Brewers for win

By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor

 

These may not just be the same old Missoula Osprey.

 

The Pioneer League baseball club has been roughed up in recent years by the Helena Brewers, but one night after suffering a season-opening loss, the Osprey turned the tables on Helena, holding on for a 7-5 win.

 

Missoula used a combination of timely hitting in the early innings and hard-nosed pitching that was able to keep Helena at bay when they had scoring opportunities.

 

?We had our chances to win, but we did a good job battling back,? said Helena manager Ed Sedar.

 

The Brewers had to rally from an early deficit, as the Osprey tacked three runs on the scoreboard in the second inning.

 

Jake Elder brought home two of the runs when he launched a home run over the left-field fence. Two batters later, Matt Oxendine brought home another run with a RBI single.

 

Helena answered in the second when Eric Newton launched a two-run home run of his own. It was the second home run for Helena in the first two games.

 

Newton, a 33rd-round pick this year from Santa Clara, hit in the No. 7 slot in the lineup.

 

Newton and Fredy De La Cruz, Helena?s No. 8 hitter, were a combined 3-for-7 at the plate, scoring three runs. De la Cruz is hitting .500 thus far this season. He hit a double in the fourth inning and another in the sixth.

 

?They will be pretty good the whole season,? Sedar said. ?We expect that, though, from the top to the bottom of the order.?

 

While Newton and De La Cruz scored three runs, the rest of the Helena lineup, had trouble finding its way to home plate.

 

The Brewers stranded 10 runners, seven of which were in scoring position.

 

In the third inning, Stephen Chapman reached third and Chris Errecart was on second with just one out, but Osprey starter Tony Barnette induced a pair of groundouts to end the threat.

 

Missoula was able to build on its early lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings and Andy Fie delivered a big blow in the sixth with a two-run single.

 

That gave Missoula a 7-3 lead, but that wouldn?t last long as Chapman stroke a two-RBI double, bringing home Newton and De La Cruz.

 

That would be as close as the contest would get, however, as the Brewers were unable to score in the final three innings.

 

They did, however, mount a credible threat in the eighth.Chapman and David Parker were on second and third, but Matt Krohe fanned Taylor Green to end the inning.

 

Krohe got the win for Missoula and Jorge Perez notched the save.

 

Chapman had a fine offensive day for Helena, going 3-for-4 at the plate. he is hitting at a .571 clip this season.

 

The two teams will meet today in the third game of a four-game set. Left-hander Zach Braddock will start for Helena, while Luis Caro will take the mound for Missoula.

 

Helena Box Score:

Twelve of the 21 batters starter Mike McClendon faced reached -- four scored...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Never Outhustled]

Am I crazy, or did Mark McLemore start on the mound for Round Rock against Nashville tonight?

 

Your not crazy. McLemore has been working his way back to the big leagues as a knuckleballer for a few years now. He starting pitching in an Indepent league, and has worked his way up. I'd say he's pretty driven, because he's an old dude to be taking such a shot in the dark after he already had a pretty good career as a 2B.

[colbyjack]

If I look back at Braun's defense as you seem to think he needs to stay in A+ when was the last error he made? I know your a big follower, maybe you can look that up. My guess it's been 20-25 games ago since he last made an error. If you talked to the organization they may tell you that is what they were looking for, "improvement on defense".

 

I'll give you that WestCoastBrewer, and I did notice that when I added that comment (last time I checked, at the beginning of the month I think he was at 13). And for the record, I've never doubted his defensive ability to stick at 3B long-term, and I certainly wouldn't hold a player back just because of their D'.

 

Like I said, I'm not trying to take a dig at Braun, but based on his statistical performance the promotion is questionable.

[WestCoastBrewer]

Pogokat,

Great report on the game, the players and the park. I have been to Space Coast stadium as well, clearly not a power hitters park. Has anyone looked at which stadium is a hitter friendly park in the FS league?

[craigharmann]

If I remember correctly, Mark McLemore was one of those guys who could fill in at pretty much any position...came up as a second baseman, but played the Bill Hall utility role quite well...so, I guess he's now trying to make it every position he's played in the majors? Hmm....interesting. He's gotta be about 40ish, right?

[mpepy05]

Yovani is not injured. They pulled him because he wasn't doing that great---he walked three guys and hit another 3, plus several hits.

 

___________________________________________________

 

7 hits? I see only 3, with 2 hit batters on the box score. Just wondering if the box is right.

[Team Canada]

7 hits? I see only 3

 

Did you read "several" as "seven"?

[MadScientist]

Hey Calibrewer, if you read my post you might notice that I was asking questions not making assertations, other than the fact that the Stars are doing poorly, particularly at the plate. Your first hand accounts are part of what I'm interested in seeing. It sounds like the players haven't quit, and are playing decent defence, which is a good sign for Money. However I would expect hard-hit balls to eventually find gaps, and the umps should suck equally for both sides.

 

I don't expect everyone to be doing great. I would expect some players to be holding their own at the plate. Since the whole team is down, I asked what the cause is. Is it talent, or is it developement, or both?

[pogokat]

i thought he hit 3 , but it might have been the first reliever that hit the 3rd guy..

[colbyjack]

Pogo, I just caught up with your first-hand report. Thanks so much, it's great hearing about the guys first-hand. With so much attention on Braun, Yo, etc., you got me excited again for Escobar (I haven't heard Jim mention how young he is recently http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ).

[Mass Haas]

(I haven't heard Jim mention how young he is recently http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ).

 

Then you didn't read the Arizona Brewer (Harold Mejia) thread posted within the past 24 hours http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

[LouisEly]

It is amazing how a person can read the stats every day and THEN become a Huntsville genius telling people why the players are playing poorly. When was the last time you have been to a Huntsville game. My wife and I were in Alabama on business and pleasure. We were fortunate to be able to watch 7 home games.

 

It could also be argued that 7 games is a very small sample size, and that composite statistics over a whole season will give you a more accurate assesment of a player. It can go both ways.