Link Report for Games of Friday, June 16th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

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

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Jeff Housman at home vs. West Tenn (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: Idle (All-Star Game Saturday)

 

West Virginia: RHP Ryan Marion at home vs. Hickory (Pirates), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". 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_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_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]

From Buck Rogers, Manatees GM (I had it right this morning):

 

Here's the only way the Manatees can clinch a first half championship:

 

-the Palm Beach Cardinals MUST LOSE AT LEAST ONE of their three remaining games (home against the Daytona Cubs)

 

-the Brevard County Manatees MUST WIN all three games against the St Lucie Mets (at St Lucie on Monday and Tuesday, at home on Wednesday)

 

If that happens the final first half standings will be as shown below and, based on the fact that the Manatees have lost games off the schedule due to rain outs, the 'Tees would edge the Palm Beach Cardinals by 4/1000ths of a percent (.561 to .557) and secure a post-season playoff berth in September.

 

EASTERN DIVISION 1st HALF RECORD

 Brevard County Manatees 37 29 .561 --- Palm Beach Cardinals 39 31 .557 --- St Lucie Mets 38 32 .543 1.0

That's it, probably easier said than done, and we squandered an excellent chance the last two games by dropping close games to the Daytona Cubs. If we had won both of the last two games we'd be one out of first place with the Mets and needing to win only two of three, but that's not the way the script was written. So now the stage is set, we have to take care of our own business and hope for the Daytona Cubs to knock off the Palm Beach Cardinals at least once during the three game series. The Cards, by the way, are riding an eight-game winning streak and have no thoughts of losing anything to the Cubs at home at Roger Dean Stadium. Daytona's coaching staff told me yesterday that they will win at least one of the three just to guarantee themselves a .500 record, and after a horrific 0-6 start to the season, the Cubs look at that as a great way to recover and begin the 2nd half anew.

[DHonks]

Sarfate throwing a gem so far. Too many walks, but who cares as long as they don't score. The pitch count may be low enough to get him through 7 or 8, too.

[bork]

Looks like Festa is solidifying his case for a second half promotion. He's been on fire lately.

[plowjockey]

I'd call 4 for 4 (3 doubles) with 6 rbi making a case for Festa. Gamel has an interesting line - 4 for 4 with 5 runs scored. Ford and Cain continue to look like prospects as table setters.

[DHonks]

Good to see Festa and Sollman doing well. Weren't they part of the OBP boys in Helena '04? Richardson, Rasheed, Brady, and who else? Boy those guys had me excited for a few months

[48rogers48]

Was at the Power game tonight and Festa was just amazing on offense. Two of the doubles were off the wall. This close to being homers. Some nice double plays too.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 13, Hickory (Pirates) 7

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

Tony Festa reached base in all five of his trips to the plate in Friday night's game against the Hickory Crawdads at Appalachian Power Park. Festa went four for four with three doubles and he knocked in six runs as the Power erased a 5-0 deficit to beat the Crawdads 13-7.

 

The Crawdads scored five times in the first inning. John Santiago started the scoring with a two-run homer. Brad Corley brought in the next run on a double, Steve Lerud grounded into a double play scoring the fourth run and James Boone completed the five-run frame with an RBI single.

 

The Power scored four times in the bottom of the first to come within a run. Mat Gamel knocked in the first run on a single, Ned Yost scored Angel Salome on an RBI groundout and Mike Bell plated the final two runs on a double.

 

The Power tied the game in the third inning on Festa's RBI single. In the fifth inning the Power scored three runs to take the lead and never looked back. Festa brought in the first two runs on a double and Ryan Crew knocked in the final run on a sacrifice fly. Festa struck again in the sixth inning with another two-run double to give the Power a 10-5 lead.

 

Andrew McCutchen doubled and scored on Crew's error in the seventh inning and Hickory plated their final run on Tony Mansolino's RBI single in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth the Power added three insurance runs. Gamel scored on Mike McCuistion's errant throw from first base, Festa drove in a run on his third double of the game and Crew drove Festa in on an RBI double.

 

Kevin Roberts (4-7) pitched five scoreless innings out of the bullpen to earn the victory, Dane Renkert (5) earned the save, and Derek Antelo (2-3) obtained the loss. The Power are 38-29 after the win and the Crawdads fell to 32-25 with loss.

 

The Power will continue the three game series against the Crawdads Saturday night. Hickory will start right hander Blair Johnson (1-2, 4.39) and the Power will counter with left hander Steve Garrison (1-1, 4.19). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

RHP Ryan Marion fails to retire a batter in the first inning -- the former 8th round pick (2002) has had a tough go of it. The list of recent Brewer top 10 pitching draft picks who failed to even advance past A-ball is quite long, I think I'll prepare a home page feature on that subject some time; Kevin Roberts to the rescue -- it'd be great to see that kind of performance more often from him; Darren Ford caught stealing for the 10th time (32 SB's); Mat Gamel breaks a mini-slump in a huge way; cheers to Tony Festa, but not to rain on his big night (I guess I am), he'll be 26 years old in December -- he had better be raking in low-A...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200606173

 

Power executes in 13-7 win over Hickory

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

From his third-base coaching box, Power manager Mike Guerrero sensed an early hit-and-run opportunity and flashed the signal without hesitation.

 

What followed was a bit of hit-and-run perfection that John McGraw might have diagrammed.

 

Angel Salome poked an opposite-field single to right, zipping the ball through the hole vacated by the second baseman. It sent Lorenzo Cain to third and fulfilled Guerrero?s faith in a Power offense that has been quite productive of late.

 

The hit-and-run nullified what would have been an inning-ending double play and led to a four-run first inning. From there, the Power continued to rough up Hickory pitching en route to a 13-7 victory over the Crawdads Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. A lively crowd of 6,224, the third-largest of the season, attended.

 

Since a seven-game winning streak that began May 28, the Power has won 15 of 20 and, in an encouraging but odd statistical tidbit, the team leads the South Atlantic League with a .277 batting average but no Power player ranks among the SAL?s top 10.

 

After falling behind 5-0 in the top of the first, the Power pecked away, taking the lead for good in the fifth inning and finishing with 17 hits.

 

?The other team can have 20 runs, and we?re going to come back,?? said Salome, who ranks second in the league with 52 RBIs. ?That?s what you have to expect about us.??

 

Pitching coach John Curtis has his own term for it.

 

?It?s offensive inevitability,?? said Curtis. ?We?re just waiting for this to happen. This is a pretty special bunch. We know that no lead is too big.??

 

On a team that finds heroes up and down the lineup, Tony Festa on Friday contributed six RBIs, including a single that produced the tying run in the third inning and a two-run double in the fifth that gave the Power a 7-5 lead, a lead it would never relinquish.

 

In the fifth, in fact, Guerrero signaled Festa to bunt with runners on first and second and, after a failed bunt attempt, Festa launched his two-run double into the left-center gap.

 

?Mike took the bunt sign off on the second pitch,?? said Festa, ?and when the defense thinks you?re bunting, you know you?re going to get a fastball. So I was more aggressive. I got a fastball, and it was a good pitch to hit because I think [Hickory] thought I was perhaps bunting. It worked in my favor. I credit Mike for giving me the green light. He?s aggressive and therefore we?re pretty aggressive.??

 

Festa added another two-run double in the sixth and a third double that brought home one run in a three-run eighth inning. Festa was 4-for-4 for the night.

 

?It?s different guys having big games,?? he said. ?It?s always somebody picking the team up.??

 

Kevin Roberts, who had worked in the rotation all season, came out of the bullpen in the first inning to relieve starter Ryan Marion and pitched five innings of shutout ball for the victory. Dane Renkert picked up the final five outs for the save.

 

POWER POINTS: The Power and Crawdads will play tonight and close out the season?s first half with a 5:05 game (4:05 Central) Sunday evening....Entering Friday?s game, the Power was averaging 3,613 fans a game and was on a pace to exceed last year?s season attendance.

 

Ryan Crew of the West Virginia Power (left) was put out on a rundown play when he was tagged by Hickory?s Mike McCuistion.

Charleston Gazette Photographers: Kenny Kemp and Chip Ellis

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/pow1.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Tenn (Cubs) 7, Huntsville 3

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=880

 

Negron Continues to Nail Stars' Pitching

 

Miguel Negron knocked in three runs and Sean Gallagher was victorious in his double-A debut, as West Tenn kept its? faint playoff hopes alive with a 7-3 victory over Huntsville Friday night in front of 6,766 at Joe Davis Stadium. The Diamond Jaxx improved to 42-27 overall and 24-10 on the road and remained a game and a half behind Chattanooga for the North Division lead, while the Stars dropped to 24-44 on the season and 10-23 at home. West Tenn needs to win its final game Saturday and have the Lookouts lose their last two games of the half to Tennessee to force a tie for the top spot.

 

Negron delivered a two-out, two-run double in the first inning to stake the visitors to the early lead. The Stars got one run back in the second inning against Gallagher on a sacrifice fly by Ozzie Chavez that scored Lou Palmisano to trim the lead to 2-1.The run was the first the home side had scored in 16 2/3 innings.

 

The Diamond Jaxx answered right back in the third inning when Gary Cates scored on a Brian Dopirak sacrifice fly and Stars? starter Jeff Housman uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Richard Lewis to score. Lewis knocked in a run with a base hit in the fifth and Negron capped West Tenn?s third two-run inning of the night with a sacrifice fly. He has driven in 12 runs since joining the Diamond Jaxx, 11 of which have come against the Stars.

 

Huntsville got a run back in the fifth against Gallagher on a double by Ron Acuna that scored Steve Moss to make it 6-2, but Drew Anderson was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the frame. Gallagher, 4-0 in 13 starts in the Florida State League, gave up five hits, walked four and fanned five. Housman was charged with the loss after allowing a season-high six runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five and remains winless since April 19.

 

Jon Mueller worked a scoreless sixth inning before giving up a run-scoring single to Brad Nelson in the seventh that cut the lead to 6-3. Acuna walked to load the bases and Mueller was replaced by southpaw Carlos Vasquez, making his second appearance of the series. Lou Palmisano popped out to shortstop for the first out and Adam Heether and Chavez fanned to end the threat and the inning. Vasquez kept the Stars off the board in the eighth and ninth innings to earn his first save of the season.

 

The series concludes on Saturday night with coverage of the game beginning at 6:50 p.m. central time. Stars? baseball can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Cool to see nearly 6,800 at Joe Davis; otherwise, not much you can say about the Stars at this point...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Toronto's loss becomes West Tenn's major gain

Former Blue Jays prospect helps hand Stars another loss

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

This is the kind of player Toronto was hoping for when it made Miguel Negron the 18th person taken in the 2000 draft.

 

That is, a guy who could turn the game's momentum with his hitting and turn Skydome's turf into a track.

 

Instead - and unfortunately for the Huntsville Stars - Negron's pro career detoured. He was released by the Blue Jays organization in mid-May, picked up by the Chicago Cubs and assigned to West Tenn.

 

Now, he's terrorizing the Southern League and, most recently, the Stars. On Friday, Negron played a prominent role in a Diamond Jaxx win for the fourth time in five games as West Tenn waltzed 7-3 in front of an announced crowd of 6,766 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"This is a new start for me now with the Cubs," said Negron, whose Underarmor still has the Blue Jays' logo on it. "I was with the Blue Jays for six years, and I'm not saying I put up great numbers, but they didn't give me opportunities.

 

"I know you may be here today and gone tomorrow."

 

The way Negron is playing, he may be gone to Triple-A tomorrow.

 

So far in the series, Negron is 6-for-16 with seven RBIs. The 23-year-old had another hit Friday and drove in three runs, helping the Diamond Jaxx (42-27) build a 6-2 lead.

 

Huntsville had the chance for a seventh-inning rally as Callix Crabbe led off with a walk and scored. The bases were loaded with nobody out, but Lou Palmisano lined out weakly to shortstop. Adam Heether and Ozzie Chavez followed with strikeouts, and the Stars lost for the 24th time in 28 games.

 

They left 12 men on base.

 

"You've got to go up there and make the adjustments to be hitters," Stars manager Don Money said.

 

"I just sit down there and look at it day after day. I look at the lineup and mix and match, but we're just not getting it done."

 

Negron is.

 

On Tuesday, he hit a 10th-inning sacrifice fly in a 1-0 win. In Thursday's doubleheader, he drove in three runs in a 4-1 win then scored the first run in West Tenn's nightcap victory.

 

He was the catalyst again Friday. Since coming over from Toronto's system May 19, he's hitting around .400.

 

"He's played outstanding," West Tenn manager Pat Listach said. "He's definitely a prospect. We didn't know him from Adam when we got him."

 

The Stars (24-44) are trying to pick up the pieces before the second half. "It's tough to lose this many games in a half when your record was 20-20," Money said.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 3, Oklahoma (Rangers) 0

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Dennis Sarfate photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2006

 

Sarfate, Sounds Shut Out RedHawks, 3-0

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Right-hander Dennis Sarfate combined with a pair of relievers on a seven-hit shutout as the Nashville Sounds blanked the Oklahoma RedHawks, 3-0, in front of 7,770 fans on Friday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

The win was the third in a row and fifth in the last six contests for Nashville (38-30), which picked up its fourth shutout victory of the year.

 

Sarfate (6-2) turned in his fifth quality start of the year in recording his fourth consecutive victorious outing and team-best sixth victory overall. The right-hander allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings, walking four and striking out six batters in his 104-pitch effort.

 

Chris Demaria worked a scoreless eighth and Alec Zumwalt put up a goose egg in the ninth to complete the shutout and notch his fifth save of the year, pulling into a tie for the team lead.

 

The Sounds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third on Tony Gwynn?s bases-loaded two-run single to center off Oklahoma starter Nick Masset that brought in Zach Sorensen and Jermaine Clark.

 

Nashville upped the advantage to 3-0 in the fourth when Sorensen plated Nelson Cruz with a one-out RBI single to center.

 

Oklahoma?s best scoring opportunity came in the top of the first inning when Freddy Guzman led off the game with a walk, stole his Pacific Coast League-leading 23rd base of the year, and moved to third on a flyout before being thrown out at the plate by Cruz from right field while attempting to score on a fly ball off the bat of former Sound Adam Hyzdu.

 

AUDIO: Nelson Cruz Erases Runner At Plate --

Great call, by the way...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-16.wma

 

The RedHawks also put runners on third in the fifth and sixth frames but Sarfate ended both innings with strikeouts.

 

Chris Barnwell paced the Sounds? offense with a 2-for-3 effort, the club?s lone multiple-hit effort on the evening.

 

Masset (1-4) worked all eight innings for Oklahoma but took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out six batters.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday evening as the clubs play a pair of seven-inning games.

 

Right-hander Justin Lehr (1-2, 4.32) will start the opener for the Sounds to face Nashville native R.A. Dickey (2-4, 7.02) for the RedHawks. Sounds knuckleballer Jared Fernandez (1-1, 3.28) will man the bump in the nightcap and take on Oklahoma southpaw Kevin Walker (4-3, 3.90).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Vinny Rottino your catcher again; Dave Krynzel at .253 (.758 OPS, 46 K's in 150 AB's); Chris Barnwell had better be named to the PCL All-Star team...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link for Vinny Rottino as catcher photo while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Oklahoma can't touch Sarfate heat

Pitcher works seven scoreless innings in Sounds victory

By JEFF LOCKRIDGE

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

High cheese.

 

Sounds pitcher Dennis Sarfate threw it. The RedHawks couldn't touch it.

 

Sarfate worked seven scoreless innings and the Sounds stayed hot, beating Oklahoma 3-0 on Friday before a crowd of 7,770 at Greer Stadium.

 

It was Nashville's fourth shutout win this season and fifth victory in six games.

 

"Sometimes you stick with what works, and my fastball was working tonight," Sarfate said. "I throw in the mid-to-upper 90s, so if I can get ahead it's going to be a long night for the opposing team."

 

The Sounds host the RedHawks in a doubleheader at 6 tonight. The second of two seven-inning games will begin 20 minutes after the first concludes.

 

Nashville native R.A. Dickey is slated to start the first game for Oklahoma.

 

Starting pitching has been a strong suit for the Sounds this week. Sarfate (6-2) continued that trend after a rocky start. His first eight pitches were balls, but he escaped the first-inning jam when right fielder Nelson Cruz threw out Freddy Guzman at the plate.

 

Sarfate stranded two RedHawks in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings by getting the final batter of each frame to chase a high fastball. He finished with six strikeouts.

 

Alec Zumwalt worked the ninth for his fifth save.

 

Tony Gwynn laced a bases-loaded single to center field off starter Nick Masset in the third, scoring Zach Sorensen and Jermaine Clark to make it 2-0. Sorensen walked, Clark singled and Chris Barnwell dropped down a bunt hit to start the rally.

 

The Sounds added a run in the fourth when Sorensen delivered the last of three singles in the inning to plate Cruz.

 

"We're doing a good job of getting runners on, moving them over and getting them in," Gwynn said. "And as usual, we're getting great pitching."

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Dickey's return set for tonight at Greer

By JEFF LOCKRIDGE

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Nashville native R.A. Dickey is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list by Oklahoma and start the first game of a doubleheader against the Sounds at 6 tonight at Greer Stadium.

 

The former Montgomery Bell Academy and Tennessee standout has a 2-4 record in eight appearances for the RedHawks this season.

 

Dickey has been on the DL all but two days since May 18, his latest stint dating back to May 27. He has been nursing a strained right shoulder.

 

"He threw a simulated game in Memphis and has been given the go-ahead," RedHawks Manager Mike Boulanger said. "R.A. is a great person and everybody in the organization loves him. He's worked his butt off to get back."

 

Dickey, who has become primarily a knuckleball pitcher, started the year with the Texas Rangers but was optioned to the RedHawks after surrendering seven runs to Detroit in his first start April 6.

 

During the 2003 and '04 seasons, Dickey logged 221 innings with the Rangers and won 15 games.

 

"As far as I know, he's 100 percent now," said RedHawks pitching coach Andy Hawkins, who added Dickey will be on a pitch count tonight.

 

"We're just trying to get him back on the mound."

 

Guzman injured: RedHawks leadoff man Freddy Guzman left Friday's game after the second inning due to a laceration on his buttocks.

 

Guzman sustained the injury sliding into home plate while trying to score from third on a fly out during the first inning. He was thrown out by right fielder Nelson Cruz.

 

Cooled off: Prior to the Sounds' 3-0 win Friday, the RedHawks had been red hot with seven wins in their last eight games.

 

Oklahoma remains an impressive 14-4 since May 29 but has now lost seven of eight to Nashville this season.

 

Man in the mask: Vinny Rottino, a utility player used primarily at third base by the Sounds this season, made his third start at catcher and first at home Friday.

 

Career night: Graham Koonce came within one RBI of the Sounds' single-game record when he drove in all six runs in a 6-2 win over Omaha on Thursday.

 

Four Sounds have driven in seven runs in game. The latest to do it was Humberto Cota (Pirates' system) in 2002. Drew Denson had seven RBIs on two separate occasions in 1993.

 

Fireworks show: There will be a fireworks show following the second game of tonight's doubleheader.