Link Report for Mon 6/5; Final Update - WV Game Story, Photo

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Jared Fernandez on two days' rest at home vs. Albuquerque (Marlins), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Carlos Villanueva at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Josh Wahpepah at Vero Beach (Dodgers), 6:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

West Virginia: RHP Matt Kretzschmar at home vs. Hagerstown (Mets), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday'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_biraax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_vbdafa_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]

Standings through Sunday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 33 24 .579 - 21-9 12-15 W5[/b] Iowa 24 31 .436 8.0 12-13 12-18 W1 Omaha 23 34 .404 10.0 16-15 7-19 L2 Memphis 21 35 .375 11.5 11-15 10-20 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 36 22 .621 - 23-10 13-12 W3 West Tenn 34 23 .596 1.5 14-14 20-9 W2 Tennessee 28 30 .483 8.0 18-12 10-18 L2 Carolina 26 32 .448 10.0 15-13 11-19 L6 [b]Huntsville 23 33 .411 12.0 9-19 14-14 W3[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 32 23 .582 - 14-13 18-10 W3 [b]Brevard County 30 24 .556 1.5 16-11 14-13 W4[/b] Daytona 29 27 .518 3.5 18-11 11-16 W2 Palm Beach 28 27 .509 4.0 14-14 14-13 W1 Jupiter 24 31 .436 8.0 11-16 13-15 L1 Vero Beach 22 34 .393 10.5 12-15 10-19 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 34 21 .618 - 19-10 15-11 L1 Delmarva 32 22 .593 1.5 17-12 15-10 L1 [b]West Virginia 31 23 .574 2.5 16-11 15-12 W7[/b] Greensboro 31 24 .564 3.0 20-9 11-15 W1 Lakewood 28 27 .509 6.0 16-11 12-16 W1 Hickory 24 29 .453 9.0 12-11 12-18 L1 Lake County 24 32 .429 10.5 12-17 12-15 L5 Hagerstown 19 36 .345 15.0 10-14 9-22 W1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...format=prn

 

Injury helps Power's Miller learn how to pitch

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

Talk about taking lemons and making lemonade.

 

That is an accurate analogy for the way West Virginia Power pitcher Derek Miller used an injury to improve himself.

 

Miller, a 6-foot, 195-pound left-hander, suffered a partially torn ligament in the elbow of his throwing arm four years ago, when he was a sophomore at the University of Vermont. He endured eight months of rehabilitation, then returned to the mound for his junior season. He finished the year but needed Tommy John surgery afterward.

 

"I learned how to actually pitch the year I had the injury," said Miller, whom the Milwaukee Brewers drafted in the 47th round in 2004.

 

"I didn't have any zip on my fastball or any bite on my curveball. I had to start pitching the corners. Once I could hit those spots at will, the hitters didn't have a choice. They had to swing at pitches they didn't want to, and they started getting themselves out.

 

"I learned a lot about myself. Pitchers don't always go out there with their best stuff, but they have to make do with what they have got."

 

Miller has continued his post-surgery success in the South Atlantic League this season.

 

He owns a 6-1 record and a 2.95 earned run average. He has allowed 60 hits and 22 runs (20 earned) in 61 innings with 65 strikeouts and 25 walks.

 

"I know hitters get themselves out," said Miller, who was 0-1 with three no- decisions in his first four starts and is 6-0 with two no-decisions in his last eight starts. "You just have to pound the strike zone as much as you can. I just try to go out there every time and give my team a chance to win."

 

Miller got the win Sunday in West Virginia's 7-3 victory over Lake County.

 

Darren Ford, Tony Festa, Ned Yost and Scott McKnight each had two hits for the Power, which scored the final six runs in the series finale to sweep its four-game set with the Captains.

 

Ford accounted for four of West Virginia's seven runs, scoring two and driving in two.

 

* * *

TONIGHT MARKS the start of a four-game series between West Virginia (31-23) and Hagerstown (19-36), with the first two games at the Power's Appalachian Power Park and the last two games at the Suns' Municipal Stadium.

 

Hagerstown will start right-hander Jason Meyers (1-5, 7.57). West Virginia will counter with right-hander Matt Kretzschmar (0-2, 8.20).

 

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

The South Atlantic League series should be an entertaining one. The teams have played three times this season (April 18-20), with the Suns winning twice and the Power winning once. All three games were decided by one run.

 

* * *

THE POWER has won eight of its last 10 games, including seven in a row.

 

"We are starting to put everything together," Yost said.

 

No one has been hotter at the plate during that stretch than Yost, a 6-2, 195- pound first baseman who is hitting .421 (16-for-38) with three RBI and nine runs in West Virginia's last 10 games.

 

Despite his hot hitting, Yost is trying to maintain an even keel.

 

"You can't get too high or too low," said Yost, whose father manages the Brewers. "You can go 4-for-4 one day and 0-for-4 the next day."

 

His batting average has increased 125 percentage points to .289 after an opening month in which he struggled mightily. He hit .164 (10-for-61) with five RBI and six runs in 18 games in April but has hit .367 (36-for-98) with 12 RBI and 20 runs in 28 games in May and June.

 

"At the beginning of the season, I was still trying to figure out my swing," said Yost, whom the Brewers signed as an undrafted free agent last year. "It just took me about a month to do it.

 

"I was a little jumpy and a little anxious (in April). When May came around, I told myself, ?It's a new month. It's time to start over.' I have been getting hits ever since."

 

Yost attributes his turnaround to a series of minor changes to his swing and his stride rather than a major adjustment.

 

"It was all sorts of little stuff," he said.

 

* * *

ACCORDING TO Sunday's Lexington Herald-Leader, Houston Astros star Roger Clemens' return to baseball will be televised by ESPN.

 

The 43-year-old Clemens, who has won the Cy Young Award a Major League Baseball-best seven times, will take the mound for Lexington in front of a standing-room-only crowd Tuesday when the South Atlantic League club hosts Lake County.

 

According to the newspaper, ESPN will expand its 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter to cover the 60-75 pitches Clemens is scheduled to throw.

 

"Karl Ravech, Harold Reynolds, John Kruk and Peter Gammons of ESPN's Baseball Tonight will describe the action and analyze Clemens' effort," the newspaper reported. "Analyst Jeff Brantley will join reporter Pedro Gomez inside Applebee's Park to provide additional analysis and interviews."

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Press Release:

 

The game between the Huntsville Stars and the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx that was suspended in the third inning due to rain on June 1 will be played to it's nine inning conclusion and will be followed by a seven inning contest on Thursday, June 15th. The first game will begin at 6:05pm.

[bork]

Another shakey outing by Wahpepah. The recent slide is a concern. Is he hiding an injury or are guys figuring him out?

[DHonks]

wow, 3 walks so far for Brantley pushing them above his K total. What discipline for the kid!

[Mass Haas]

Final: Hagerstown (Mets) 6, West Virginia 5

Bummer of a loss to a pretty poor Suns squad; SS Michael Bell experiences it all -- HR early on, but then a huge two-out error that led to disaster in the 8th; Angel Salome struck out to end the game with the tying and winning runs on base...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Angel picks off another baserunner, this time at first base; Ned Yost (on fire) with a two-run HR in the 8th to bring the Power oh-so-close; teams traded key double plays in the 2nd...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Six double plays combined...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 11, Vero Beach (Dodgers) 10

As sour as the Power loss was, this one looks sweet -- Carlos Corporan's two-run double in the top of the 9th wins it, Jeremy Lewis gets the save...

 

Reminder -- after reviewing the game log, if there's a particular part of the game (or the whole thing!) you want to check out, there is an audio archive available for this June 5th game -- adjust the date on the linked page if need be:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Luis Pena comes off the DL and pitches a 1-2-3 8th inning -- three swinging strikeouts; Josh Wahpepah's really scuffling over his last three or four starts; Ryan Braun missed all the fun, not even in a pinch-hit role, what's up with that? The Hurricane's back -- did six games go by that quickly? Don't worry, folks, 19-year-old Alcides Escobar is still an uber-prospect; in C.J. Medlin, Carlos Corporan, and now Ryan Phillips, the Manatees have a catching rotation that's a bit more than respectable at the plate; Charlie Fermaint now 19-for-24 in stolen base attempts...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_vbdafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

Are you man (or woman) enough to digest a full 11-10 game log? Here's your chance...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_vbdafa_1

[gregmag]

Good eye, DHonks. That's pretty remarkable for a guy Brantley's age. He hasn't done anything else especially well this year (unless he's been a great fielder; I wouldn't know), but he has loads of time to develop something -- anything.

 

Another double for TGJ, but Krynzel keeps steady at two lengths behind with a couple of steals. We really have some outfielders at AAA -- and, I continue to believe, some pitchers.

 

Greg.

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

Suns snap Power winning streak

 

The West Virginia Power had the tying run on third base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Monday night?s game against the Hagerstown Suns, with Angel Salome at the plate who had smacked two game-winning hits earlier in the season. German Marte struck Salome out and ended West Virginia?s seven-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory.

 

Joe Holden hit his first of two home runs in the top of the third inning, a two-run shot that put the Suns up 2-0. The Power cut that lead in half on a solo home run from Mike Bell in the fourth inning. The Power scored twice in the sixth inning to take their only lead of the game. Salome doubled in Lorenzo Cain to tie it up and Salome scored later in the inning on Ned Yost?s sacrifice fly.

 

The Suns scored four runs in the eighth inning to pull away. Holden hit his second homer of the night, a solo shot to begin the scoring. With two outs and runners on second and third, Jose Castro hit a ground ball to Power shortstop Mike Bell. Bell bobbled the ball and then overthrew Yost at first base allowing two runs to score. Castro scored the final run of the inning on Drew Butera?s RBI single. The Power scored their final two runs in the bottom of the eighth on Yost?s fourth home run of the year.

 

Grady Hinchman (1-1) earned the victory, German Marte (2) earned the save and Robbie Wooley (1-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 31-24 after the loss and the Suns improved to 20-36 with the win.

 

On Tuesday night, Hagerstown will start right hander Waner Mateo (0-0, 0.00) and the Power will counter with left hander Dave Welch (2-3, 3.15). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 4, Huntsville 2

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=866

 

Clutch Hitting Carris Barons to Victory

 

Corwin Malone worked seven strong innings and Gustavo Molina knocked in two runs, and threw out two runners trying to steal, to lead Birmingham to a 4-2 win over Huntsville Monday night in the fourth game of a five-game set at the Hoover Met. The Barons improved to 25-34 overall and 11-18 at home, while the Stars dropped to 22-34 and saw their three-game win streak brought to a halt.

 

Steve Moss singled with one out in the third inning, moved to third base on a single by Callix Crabbe and scored on a fly ball off the bat of Drew Anderson, who knocked in his eighth run of the series, to give the visitors the 1-0 lead. Malone then retired the side in order in three of the next four innings and allowed only a Crabbe single in the sixth the rest of the way. The southpaw worked seven innings, allowing a lone run on five hits and walk. He struck out four and has held the Stars to two runs over 13 innings in two starts.

 

Birmingham scored twice in the home third against Carlos Villanueva, making his second start since returning to the Stars after a week in the big leagues with the Brewers. Molina singled home Micah Schnurstein with one out and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single by Ricardo Nanita, who has hit safely in all four games of the set.

 

Molina singled in a two-out run in the fourth inning and Corey Smith drew a two-out walk in the fifth and scored when Cory Aldridge followed with a double. Villanueva was lifted after five frames, allowing four runs on eight hits and suffering his third straight loss to fall to 4-5. He has allowed nine runs, eight earned, over 11 1/3 innings in his last two starts on the road after permitting only one marker over 26 2/3 in his first four appearances away from home. Khalid Ballouli tossed two scoreless frames in relief in his first outing since May 11. He was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day after missing three and a half weeks with a sore right throwing shoulder.

 

The Stars scored a run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Crabbe that plated Jeff Eure, who had led off the frame with a triple. Ehren Wasserman tossed a scoreless ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the year. The Stars, who had rampaged through the Barons staff for 30 runs on 35 hits and 29 walks in the first three games of the series, were held to seven hits and received only two free passes.

 

The series wraps up Tuesday night with Stars southpaw Jeff Housman taking the mound against Barons? southpaw Ryan Rodriguez. 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:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

[Mass Haas]

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

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-5.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Albuquerque (Marlins) 8, Nashville 1

Tied at one going in to the 9th -- that tells you how the 9th inning went...

 

Nashville Box Score:

Tony Gwynn a double and a walk -- what a breakout couple of months; Nelson Cruz three strikeouts -- 58 in 201 AB's; Chris Barnwell on base three times -- he may not be voted All-Star PCL shortstop, but he had better be named to that squad; Jared Fernandez stellar, just one of those nights for Jason Kershner and Alec Zumwalt...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

Twice Jared Fernandez couldn't help himself at the plate early on; killer bunt pinch-hit pop out by Kennard Bibbs in the 7th -- Gwynn then failed to produce in the same fateful inning; four soft base hits off Kershner in the 9th, Zumwalt's hits allowed were much louder...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Jared Fernandez photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1991

 

Seven-Run Ninth Propels Isotopes Past Sounds

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Albuquerque scored seven runs in the top of the ninth inning against the Nashville bullpen to break a 1-1 tie and post an 8-1 victory over the Sounds on Monday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

The loss snapped a six-game skid for the Isotopes (34-25) and brought an end to a season-best five-game winning streak for Nashville (33-25).

 

The starting pitchers for both teams were able to quiet the bats for the majority of the contest. Both starters combine to allow two runs on just five hits between them.

 

The Sounds sent knuckleballer Jared Fernandez to the mound on only two days? rest. The lack of rest didn?t seem to bother the right-hander as he threw seven innings and allowed one run on just three Isotope hits. Over the past four days, Fernandez threw 215 pitches and received two no-decisions.

 

The Isotopes starter, Jeff Fulchino, was equally impressive as he logged six innings of work and allowed one run on two hits.

 

Albuquerque took an early lead in the top of the second. With one out, catcher Tom Wilson doubled to left, giving the ?Topes their first hit of the game. Wilson scored two batters later when Chris Ashby hit a two-out RBI double to the wall in left field to give the vistors a one-run lead.

 

The Sounds did not strike back until the bottom of the seventh inning. Mike Rivera and Dave Krynzel started the inning off with a pair of walks against Fulchino before Albuquerque manager Dean Treanor made a double switch, bringing Joe Horgan to the hill and sending James Shanks to left field. Following a double steal, Chris Barnwell, the Sounds? hottest hitter, greeted Horgan with an RBI single just out of the reach of Albuquerque second baseman Drew Niles to score Jermaine Clark, who had pinch-run for Rivera at second. Clark?s run knotted the game up at 1-1.

 

Barnwell?s single increased his hitting streak to seven games, the longest active streak on the team, and the infielder finished the game 1-for-2 to raise his team-leading average to .337 on the year.

 

Sounds manager Frank Kremblas brought in reliever Jason Kershner in the top of the eighth and the southpaw struck out the first three batters he faced but didn?t experience the same success in the ninth.

 

The Isotopes recorded three singles in a row off Kershner to lead off the ninth which loaded the bases for cleanup hitter Scott Seabol, who delivered a soft single over a drawn-in infield to put Albuquerque up 2-1 and chase Kershner from the ballgame.

 

The visitors continued to score against new Sounds reliever Alec Zumwalt as Wilson hit a two-run ground-rule double with the bases loaded, his second two-bagger of the night.

 

Albuquerque plated four more runs in the frame on an Ashby RBI single and a three-run home run off the bat of Shanks, his fourth roundtripper of the season. By the time the Sounds started to bat in the ninth, the Isotopes had recorded a seven-run lead.

 

The seven-run inning was the largest allowed by Nashville all season.

 

Horgan (3-0) blew a save for Albuquerque but was a beneficiary of the big ninth inning outburst as he picked up his third win of the season. Kershner (3-2) was credited with the loss after allowing four earned runs in one-plus inning of work.

 

The two teams face off for the finale of the four-game series on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Sounds will give right-hander Justin Lehr (0-1, 5.73) the nod and the Isotopes will send Chris George (1-0, 7.65) to the mound.

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Game Summary from the Vero Beach site:

 

The Vero Beach Dodgers overcame an early six-run deficit, but lost the lead in the 9th to lose to Brevard County 11-10 Monday night at Holman Stadium. Gabriel Gutierrez drove in three runs, including the lead run on a suicide squeeze bunt in the 7th inning. The series continues Tuesday night at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central) with Baseball Bingo taking place during the game.

 

The Dodgers chipped away after an early Manatee offensive assault gave Brevard County a 9-3 lead. Vero Beach took their first lead of the game in the 7th inning. Cory Dunlap led off with a monstrous home run to right that pulled the Dodgers within 9-8. Carlos Santana followed with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Travis Denker smacked a ball up the middle that deflected off Manatees pitcher David Johnson and allowed Santana to score all the way from second base. After Jamie Hoffman singled Denker to third, Gutierrez laid down his suicide squeeze to put the Dodgers ahead 10-9.

 

Julio Pimentel, who pitched a perfect 8th inning, stayed on in the 9th and retired his first batter. But after allowing a walk and single, Carlos Corporan doubled into the right field corner to score both baserunners. It was Pimentel's first blown save.

 

The Manatees built their early lead off starter Chris Malone. Steve Sollman doubled in two runs in the first, which the Dodgers matched in the bottom of the inning. In the second, Corporan led off with a double and Josh Murray singled. One out later, Charlie Fermaint singled in one run and Alcides Escobar brought in another with a double. That knocked out Malone after just 1 1/3 innings. His previous shortest outing was four innings pitched and it was just the third time this year he failed to make it past the fifth.

 

Zach Hammes relieved him and walked Sollman. Brendan Katin reach on a fielder's choice that brought in another run and Kyle Phillips singled in two more to put Brevard County on top 7-2. Vero got a run back in the bottom of the second before Brevard County struck for two more in the fourth to make it 9-3.

 

The Dodgers made strides in the bottom of the fourth. Denker and Hoffman started the inning with back-to-back singles and advanced on a wild pitch. Gutierrez grounded a ball after which Hoffman was tagged out. It scored a run and Gutierrez was safe at first. Xavier Paul followed with a single to knock Brevard starter Josh Wahpepah out of the game.

 

David Nicholson greeted reliever Ben Stanczyk with a single to plate Gutierrez and pull the Dodgers within 9-5. A Blake DeWitt ground out brought in Paul and Nicholson scored when Dunlap's pop up to third was dropped for an error. The 9-7 deficit lasted until the 7th when Vero Beach took the brief lead.

 

It the second time this year Vero Beach held a lead after eight innings against Brevard County only to lose it in the 9th. The one-run loss was the Dodgers league-high 18th of the season.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2006060541

 

Suns end Power?s 7-game streak

By Jim Workman

For The Charleston Gazette

 

It has been said that all good things must come to an end.

 

The Power didn?t want to believe it, but the inevitable happened on Monday night.

 

The Hagerstown Suns knocked off the West Virginia Power 6-5 in a South Atlantic League contest at Appalachian Power Park before a McJunkin Night crowd of 5,848 fans.

 

The Power entered the game riding a seven-game winning streak, having just completed a four-game series sweep at Lake County. But four Suns runs in the eighth doomed the streak.

 

?It was a great ballgame, but that?s just part of baseball,? said Power manager Mike Guerrero. ?Our offense has been carrying us lately and it didn?t happen tonight. It was just one of those games where you?re just missing a single here or there.?

 

The Power managed just six hits, compared to 10 for the Suns.

 

Power reliever Robbie Wooley (1-2) was tagged with the loss, pitching 2 1/3 innings and giving up three runs, one earned. Suns reliever Grady Hinchman (1-1) was rewarded with a win.

 

Joe Holden smacked a two-run home run in the top of the third to give Hagerstown a 2-0 lead.

 

The Power got a run back in the fourth when Mike Bell swatted a homer over the left-field wall to cut the Suns? advantage to 2-1.

 

In the sixth, the Power struck again. Angel Salome doubled in Lorenzo Cain who led off the inning with a triple to tie it at 2-2. Ned Yost smacked a sacrifice fly to center to give the Power a 3-2 lead.

 

Holden tied it with one swing in the eighth, stroking a homer that sailed quickly over the right-field fence.

 

The Suns scored twice more on a throwing error by Bell, the Power shortstop. Jose Castro bounced a hard grounder that Bell bobbled and then overthrew, allowing the two runners to score to give Hagerstown a 5-3 advantage.

 

Drew Butera plowed a single to right to score another run, increasing the lead to 6-3.

 

Power first baseman Ned Yost drilled a home run in the bottom of the eighth that pounded off the scoreboard in left-centerfield to trim the Suns lead to 6-5. The Power had a chance in the ninth, but Salome went down swinging with two men on base to end the contest.

 

?One of the good characteristics of this team is that we never give up,? said Guerrero. ?We play hard to the wire.?

 

West Virginia (31-23) still has an excellent chance at making a run for the first-half Sally League Northern Division title. Standing just 2 1/2 games out of first place behind Lexington, the Power will face Hickory and Hagerstown in the final 15 games of the first half ? teams with a combined record of 43-65.

 

The brief two-game homestand concludes tonight with a 7:05 PM start (6:05 Central). The Power will travel to Hagerstown for two games and Hickory for three games before heading home to play host to Hagerstown for yet another two-game set next Monday.

[Mass Haas]

Link for Chris Barnwell photo while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Ninth inning is a killer for Sounds

Force tie in seventh, but Isotopes explode at end

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Five straight ninth-inning Albuquerque hits led to seven runs as the host Nashville Sounds dropped an 8-1 decision Monday night.

 

The loss snapped a season-high five-game winning streak for the Sounds, who maintained their eight-game lead over second-place Iowa in the Pacific Coast League American Northern Division. Iowa lost at Oklahoma.

 

"It's nice to have a cushion like that," said Nashville center fielder Tony Gwynn, who had one of the team's six hits.

 

The Sounds, who won the first two games against Albuquerque, forced a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning on Chris Barnwell's RBI base hit, getting starter Jared Fernandez off the hook.

 

"We just didn't swing the bats for (Fernandez)," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said. "But their guy (Albuquerque starter Jeff Fulchino) threw well."

 

With the game tied, Nashville reliever Jason Kershner allowed singles to the first four hitters in the ninth as Albuquerque took a one-run lead. Alec Zumwalt, relieving Kershner, was greeted by Tom Wilson's ground-rule double, extending the visitors' lead to 4-1. Chris Ashby added a two-run base hit and James Shanks a two-run homer.

 

"We blew it late in the game," Kremblas said. "That happens sometimes. You forget about it and come back (the next day)."

 

What they said: "Sometimes you're going to have days like that ? days when you don't get many opportunities to score, and when you don't capitalize when you do get an opportunity. This was one of those." ? Gwynn.

 

***

Link for Dave Krynzel photo while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Gwynn is named Brewers' minor-league player of May

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Sounds outfielder Tony Gwynn has been selected the Milwaukee Brewers' minor-league player of the month for May.

 

In his first year at the Class AAA level, Gwynn batted .363 (41-for-113) in 29 games for the month, scoring 23 runs and stealing 10 bases. He also had five extra-base hits ? three doubles, a triple and a home run ? and drove in eight runs.

 

Over his last 24 games heading into Monday night, Gwynn was hitting .396 (40-for-101), with hits in 20 of those contests and multiple hits in seven of his last eight games.

 

His May average was the 15th-best effort in the Pacific Coast League, and elevated his seasonal mark to .333 ? eighth in the PCL. Gwynn also is among the league leaders in runs scored (40) and stolen bases (16).

 

He is the third Nashville player to earn Brewers' minor-league player of the month honor since the Sounds became Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate before the 2005 season. Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart won the honor last year.

 

"Getting 500, 600 at-bats each of these last two seasons, I felt there was no chance to do anything but learn from them," Gwynn said. "All I'm doing now is applying the things I've been taught and taking them out to the game. I still have relapses, but the key is to catch them early and get them out of the way. I've been able to do that."

 

Brevard County's Yovani Gallardo earned the monthly pitching award after going 3-1 with a 2.61 earned-run average over five games, striking out 39 and walking 8 in 31 innings.

 

Hot 100: Dave Krynzel's fifth-inning steal of second base was the Sounds' 100th of the season as the team continued to pad its league lead in that category.

 

Salt Lake entered play Monday in second place with 63 thefts.

 

Five different Nashville players have stolen 10 bases or more, including Krynzel with 14. Of the 15 other PCL teams, only 10 players have reached double digits in steals.

 

Krynzel added a second theft, teaming with Jermaine Clark on a seventh-inning double steal, and Chris Barnwell stole a base in that inning as well. Clark now has 19 to remain second in the league.

 

Eight is great: The Sounds opened play Monday with an eight-game lead over second-place Iowa in the PCL American Northern Division, a season high.

 

Last season, the Sounds held a lead of eight games or more on just six dates all season and did not take their first eight-game lead until July 26.

 

Winning tradition: Monday night's Sounds roster featured 16 players who have won at least one Class AAA league championship over the previous three seasons.

 

In addition to the 11 players that returned from Nashville's 2005 PCL title team, six current Sounds ? Graham Koonce, Justin Lehr, Mark Johnson, Nelson Cruz, Chris Mabeus and Mike Rivera were members of one or both of the Sacramento teams that won back-to-back league crowns in 2003 and '04 (Lehr, Cruz and Rivera were with last year's Sounds).

 

Also, infielders Brent Abernathy and Zach Sorensen played for Buffalo during that team's 2004 International League championship run.

 

No sacrifice: The Sounds have struggled with the fundamental sacrifice bunt of late, failing on a couple of tries Saturday and again Monday.

 

Pinch-hitter Kennard Bibbs popped up a seventh-inning attempt Monday as the Sounds were looking to snap a 1-1 deadlock.

 

Two nights earlier, Sorensen and Ben Hendrickson both misfired on sacrifice tries, though Hendrickson's hardly mattered as part of Nashville's seven-run fourth inning.

 

Bibbs and Dennis Sarfate were successful in a couple of tries during Sunday's victory.

 

***

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Sounds get thumped in ninth

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

The Nashville Sounds were on the verge of riding an outstanding performance from knuckleballer Jared Fernandez all the way to victory against Albuquerque on Monday at Greer Stadium. Then the team took a metaphoric knuckle sandwich to the chin in the ninth, when the Sounds bullpen gave up seven runs and Nashville fell to the Isotopes 8-1.

 

Fernandez had been excellent before he was relieved in the eighth inning. Using his knuckleball to its full effectiveness, Fernandez went seven innings and gave up just one run on three hits, while striking out five.

 

?I thought [Fernandez] did good,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said. ?He was much better tonight than his last couple starts.?

 

But Fernandez?s work was all for nothing.

 

The game was tied at one when Sounds relievers Jason Kershner and Alec Zumwalt were tagged for seven Isotope runs. Kershner, who struck out the side in the eighth inning, gave up four runs on four hits before Zumwalt took over. It didn?t get better for Zumwalt, who gave up three more runs as Albuquerque pulled away.

 

During its decisive ninth inning, Albuquerque saw its first five batters reach base and sent ten batters to the plate. James Shanks? two-run homer off Zumwalt capped the Isotope scoring.

 

The seven runs were the most allowed by the Sounds in an inning this season.

 

After the game, Kremblas took the blame for the loss. He had the infield in with no outs and the bases loaded for Scott Seabol, whose blooper landed just outside the reach of Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell. Had Barnwell been in place, Nashville would have gotten at least one out and perhaps a double play. Instead, Albuquerque took the lead.

 

?I take the credit for it,? Kremblas said. ?I should have had the infield back? and I would have traded a double play ground ball for a run. So, it?s my fault.

 

?Once they scored the one run, it was flood gates time.?

 

Nashville?s only run came in the seventh when Barnwell hit an RBI single, which scored pinch runner Jermaine Clark. Other than that, Nashville couldn?t figure out Isotope pitching, especially starter Jeff Fulchino.

 

The Sounds, who managed just two hits off Fulchino, had a chance to put more runs up in the seventh, but instead stranded runners on second and third. Kremblas said the Sounds? failure to capitalize changed the outlook heading into the Isotopes? big ninth inning.

 

?If we score, it?s a whole different game,? Kremblas said.

 

Despite the loss, Nashville (33-25) remains eight games in front of Iowa for the lead in the Pacific Coast League North Division.

 

Run, Nashville, run: Sounds baserunners collected four stolen bases on the game to raise the team?s PCL-leading total to 103 on the season. Clark, who is second in the league, notched steal No. 19.

 

Eveland returns: Dana Eveland, who was 3-1 with an 0.75 ERA for Nashville earlier this season, will get the start on Thursday at New Orleans. Eveland was demoted on Saturday after going 0-3 with 8.51 ERA in Milwaukee.

[Mass Haas]

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Suns set on Power streak

 

Jack Bogaczyk

Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor

 

Apparently, the law of averages is more powerful than batting averages.

 

At least it seemed so Monday night at Appalachian Power Park, as a standing-room crowd of 5,848 came out for McJunkin Night and to see the West Virginia Power try to extend a seven-game winning streak.

 

What happened was that Hagerstown -- in last place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division race -- won its second straight after 11 consecutive baseball losses, hanging on for a 6-5 victory as Suns starter Ryan Meyers baffled Power bats and 165-pound Joe Holden belted a pair of homers.

 

In its seven-game win streak, West Virginia batted .321. The 6-foot-5 Meyers -- only 3-10 in four minor league seasons -- wasn't fazed by a Power lineup that had no one hitting under .262 and owned a .316 average at home.

 

The lanky right-hander allowed only one hit in five innings, a solo homer by Power shortstop Mike Bell in the fourth. Meyers' biggest problem was five walks, but he was bailed out by West Virginia's free-swinging early in counts and three double plays.

 

"The first three innings I had mechanical problems, and then once I figured that out what I was doing wrong, I had thrown a lot of pitches (80 in five innings)," said Meyers (1-5).

 

"Against these guys, you have to work ahead. They have some guys who take big hacks, and I was trying to get them to swing at bad pitches. They did help me out a bit."

 

Holden's two-run homer in the third gave Hagerstown (20-36) a lead and his solo blast to right to start the eighth tied it at 3, but what was really costly to the Power was Bell's double-error (bobble, throw) that allowed two runs to score later in that inning.

 

"That (error) was actually the key to the game, a big part of how it turned out," West Virginia Manager Mike Guerrero said.

 

The two errors gave Bell 21 for the season (in only 37 games), tying third baseman Mat Gamel for the club lead. That's a leaky left side of the diamond, but on Monday, Gamel was sparkling with the glove at third.

 

As for that law of averages again -- the Power had just played an errorless four-game sweep at Lake County, and Holden had only one homer in 299 previous minor league at-bats, then hit a pair.

 

Bell's offense provides a tradeoff. His homer extended the shortstop's Power Park hitting streak to 16 games (23-for-59, .390). Still, although the Power managed only six hits (their fewest in two weeks), Guerrero's club almost won it against the Sun bullpen.

 

Lorenzo Cain's triple, an Angel Salome double and Ned Yost's sacrifice liner gave West Virginia a 3-2 lead in the sixth, but Hagerstown batted around in the eighth for a four-run cushion. Yost hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to cut the Power deficit to 6-5.

 

In the ninth, Darren Ford's two-out infield single kept West Virginia alive and Cain followed with a single to right, but Hagerstown right-hander German Marte fanned Salome to end the game and Charleston's longest baseball winning streak since the Alley Cats won 12 in a row in April 2004.

 

"Timely hitting is something you can't predict," Guerrero said. "Sometimes, you hit. Sometimes, you don't. Tonight, we hit it hard sometimes but right at them. We didn't hit any holes. That happens sometimes."

 

The loss dropped the Power a spot into fourth place in the SAL Northern Division, but West Virginia remained 2 1/2 games behind first-place Lexington.

 

Power plugs -- Hagerstown will give right-hander Waner Mateo (0-0) his first SAL start tonight (7:05) in the Power homestand finale. Mateo was suspended 50 games for violating minor league baseball's drug program back on April 12. He made one relief appearance (two innings, April 8) before his suspension. The Power will counter with lefty Dave Welch (2-3) ... The teams will go to Hagerstown for games Wednesday and Thursday, then meet in a similar series next week ... The Power's seven-game winning streak is the longest in the Milwaukee farm system this season ... Salome's double (his 18th) was his 67th hit, keeping him second to Columbus' Andrew Locke (68) in the SAL ... Suns catcher Andrew Butera went 2-for-3. He's the son of former Major League catcher Sal Butera, currently a Toronto scout ... The crowd of 5,848 raised West Virginia's home attendance average to 3,568.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

West Virginia Power shortstop Mike Bell puts the tag on Hagerstown?s Drew Butera during their game at Appalachian Power Park on Monday. The Power, which had won seven consecutive games, dropped a 6-5 decision to the Suns before 5,848 fans on McJunkin Night.

 

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