Link Report for Wed. 5/31: Stars' Dubious Streak Reaches 13

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

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

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP's Travis Phelps and Carlos Villanueva in a double-dip at home vs. West Tenn (Cubs), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP Manny Parra at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 6:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

voiceoftherepublic.com/live.asx

 

West Virginia: Idle

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday'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 Game One:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Two:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_2

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_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 Tuesday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 28 24 .538 - 16-9 12-15 L1[/b] Iowa 23 27 .460 4.0 12-13 11-14 W1 Omaha 21 31 .404 7.0 14-14 7-17 W2 Memphis 19 32 .373 8.5 11-13 8-19 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 33 20 .623 - 20-8 13-12 L2 West Tenn 30 22 .577 2.5 12-13 18-9 W2 Carolina 26 27 .491 7.0 15-10 11-17 L1 Tennessee 25 28 .472 8.0 16-12 9-16 W1 [b]Huntsville 20 31 .392 12.0 9-17 11-14 L11[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 29 21 .580 - 14-13 15-8 W4 [b]Brevard County 26 24 .520 3.0 12-11 14-13 L1[/b] Daytona 26 25 .510 3.5 15-10 11-15 W1 Palm Beach 25 25 .500 4.0 11-13 14-12 W1 Jupiter 21 29 .420 8.0 10-16 11-13 L1 Vero Beach 19 32 .373 10.5 11-15 8-17 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 31 19 .620 - 16-9 15-10 W1 Lexington 31 20 .608 0.5 19-10 12-10 L1 Greensboro 28 23 .549 3.5 20-9 8-14 W1 [b]West Virginia 27 23 .540 4.0 16-11 11-12 W3[/b] Lakewood 26 25 .510 5.5 14-9 12-16 L3 Lake County 24 28 .462 8.0 12-13 12-15 L1 Hickory 22 27 .449 8.5 12-11 10-16 W4 Hagerstown 18 33 .353 13.5 9-11 9-22 L8

[Trowekamp]

Has anybody heard whether Parra has regained his stuff or if the Brewers are considering this a throw away year to get healthy and next year will determine whether he is still a pospect?

 

I have given up on Mike Jones at this point.. when the GM starts questioning your toughness, start packing your bags.

[djoctagone]

who is graham koonce (first base for nashville now that brad nelson is demoted) and where did he come from?

[pogokat]

check out the transactions page!

 

Koonce was signed a couple days ago...to make room for him, brad nelson was demoted, and greg sain was released

[TheCrew07]

Parra with a nice line tonight.

[And That]

Manny Parra with a vintage Manny Parra-like outing. He went five innings, and I can only hope everything is feeling rosy in his shoulder.

 

Koonce is a sweet OBP guy that had a cup of coffee with the A's (I know, weird) a few years ago. He replaced Bad Brad Nelson at 1B for the Sounds.

 

And on the day Huntsville scores 6 runs, their pitching can't hold the team under 6. Good grief.

[gregmag]

Woo-hoo Parra! Man, would it be beautiful to get him back on track for the majors.

 

Also a great night for Gwynn so far with the two doubles. As a Krynzel backer in the eternal Tony vs. Dave argument, I can only say: prove me wrong! BTW, does anyone know what happened to Dave?

 

Greg.

[DHonks]

wow, Gwynn with a bunt single...to think, we actually must teach bunting for hits.

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game One: West Tenn (Cubs) 10, Huntsville 6, eight innings (scheduled for seven)

Make that 12 in a row for the Stars...

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Official game summary from the Stars' site later on; Ozzie Chavez reaches base in all four plate appearances; Don Money empties the bench to no avail; Lou Palmisano has thrown out his share of baserunners this year, at least it seems...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

LHP Russ Rohlicek singled to death in the extra frame; was Travis Phelps removed in mid at-bat in the 4th? Brad Nelson with a bases-loaded rally-killing GIDP in his first 2006 Huntsville at-bat in the 5th -- why is Lou Palmisano bunting after three straight hits to open the inning -- c'mon, Don Money! Bases loaded, none out in the Huntsville 6th -- thank goodness for the Diamond Jaxx error, because that rally was going nowhere; check out the Huntsville 7th with a chance to win it -- aarrgghh!!! Do we ever want to see backup catcher J.C. Boscan in a pinch-hitting role again -- ever?

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress, Game Two: West Tenn (Cubs) 1, Huntsvile 0, bottom of the 3rd in Huntsville, scheduled for seven

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 4, Daytona (Cubs) 3, ten innings

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Carlos Corporan with the walk-off single after a Ryan Braun sacrifice bunt helps set up the inning; as noted above, hello, Manny Parra! Keep telling yourself Charlie Fermaint is 20 years old; lefty's Parra and Sam Narron with pickoffs; newcomer catcher Kyle Phillips walks twice in his Brewer organization debut; Dave Johnson allows a home run in the 9th to send things into extras...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Zach Sorensen:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-31.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 6, Iowa (Cubs) 5

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Nelson Cruz photo, text follows--

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1980

 

Sounds Blast Way Past I-Cubs, 6-5

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Mike Rivera and Nelson Cruz each homered and combined to drive in five of Nashville?s six runs in leading the Sounds to a 6-5 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs on Wednesday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

The game was the fifth consecutive one-run contest between Iowa and Nashville (29-24). Nine of the teams? 14 meetings this season have been one-run decisions.

 

Iowa jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Ryan Theriot scored on a double play groundout.

 

Nashville catcher Mike Rivera put the home team in front in the bottom of the fourth inning with a one-out two-run homer to left off Iowa starter Ryan O?Malley. The blast, which scored new Sound Graham Koonce, was the backstop?s seventh of the season.

 

The Sounds upped the lead to 6-1 in the fifth with a four-run rally against O?Malley. Second baseman Zach Sorensen opened the scoring with his first hit of the season, an RBI triple to left-center that brought in Tony Gwynn. Sorensen went 2-for-4 in his first game of action for Nashville since April 8. He was activated prior to the game after being sidelined with right biceps tendinitis for the majority of the year.

 

After Brent Abernathy drew a walk to continue the top of the fifth for the Sounds, Nelson Cruz slugged his team-leading 13th home run of the year ? a three-run shot to left that hit high on the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left field.

 

AUDIO: Cruz Homers Off The Guitar --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-31.wma

 

Iowa left fielder Luis Montanez hit a guitar shot of his own a half-inning later, belting a one-out solo shot off Nashville reliever Wilton Chavez. It was his second tater of the season and made it a 6-2 game.

 

The Cubs pulled within a pair in the seventh when Mike Fontenot ripped a two-run double into the right field corner to chase Chavez and reduce the Nashville lead to 6-4.

 

Iowa continued its comeback in the eighth, putting the first two runners on base against Chris Demaria before Buck Coats greeted Mitch Stetter with an RBI single to left-center to make it a 6-5 contest. With runners left at first and second, the southpaw worked out of the jam by retiring the next three batters to avoid further damage and sustain the one-run advantage.

 

Sounds closer Allan Simpson made sure the buck stopped there as he shut down the Cubs in the ninth with a one-two-three inning to notch his fifth save of the year.

 

Gwynn went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles for the Sounds to extend his hitting streak to six games and increase his average to a season-best .332 on the year. Jermaine Clark also added a three-hit evening for Nashville.

 

Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate (3-2) allowed one run on six hits over five innings and worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam unscathed in his final frame of work to pick up the victory.

 

Nashville pitchers combined to strike out 12 Iowa batters, the club?s third consecutive double-digit punchout performance after 23 straight games without recording 10 or more K?s.

 

O?Malley (3-3) took the loss for the Cubs after allowing six runs on eight hits over six innings of work.

 

The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Thursday evening. Right-hander Justin Lehr (0-1, 5.40) makes his first start of the year at Greer Stadium when he toes the rubber for the Sounds. Iowa will counter with left-hander Les Walrond (5-1, 2.37).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Two doubles among Tony Gwynn's three hits -- he's been impressive, no doubt; nice work, Dennis Sarfate -- but 101 pitches in five innings...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

Two Sounds picked off in the 4th, four in the game -- four pickoffs! Isn't Gary Pettis the hitting coach here? Yikes...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

There's no doubt that this streak is going to start getting some serious national attention...

 

Final, Game Two: West Tenn (Cubs) 5, Huntsville 2

lucky (OK, unlucky) 13, folks, 13 -- details in the AM...

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score:

Stars with more hits, 10-8, but committed three errors, all in a four-run Diamond Jaxx 4th inning -- that's how you lose 13 in a row -- you fail to hit, pitch, execute and/or play defense at the most critical of times...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_2

 

Huntsville Game Two Game Log:

First two Stars reach in the 1st and never advance; can't wait for the explanation of Huntsville's 6th inning...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_2

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Stars Swept in Twin Bill

 

Gary Cates doubled home two runs in a four-run fourth inning rally that lifted West Tenn to a 5-2 win in the second game and a doubleheader sweep over Huntsville Wednesday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Diamond Jaxx tallied four times in the eighth inning in game one to win 10-6 and moved to within one game of North Division leading Chattanooga, which fell to Mississippi, while the Stars lost a franchise-record thirteenth game in a row to fall to 20-33. Huntsville also established another franchise record with a twelfth consecutive loss at home and remains winless on home soil since defeating Montgomery 4-1 on May 7. The Stars completed the month of May at 7-23.

 

The Diamond Jaxx loaded the bases with one out in the fourth inning against Stars? starter Carlos Villanueva and Cates came through with his second two-bagger of the game to deliver Miguel Negron and Adam Greenberg, and move Richard Lewis to third base, to put the visitors ahead 3-1. Eric Patterson hit a ground ball to shortstop Milko Jaramillo, who threw home to try to cut down Lewis but catcher J.C. Boscan could not handle the throw and allowed Lewis to score to make it 4-1. Nic Jackson then grounded into a fielder?s choice to plate Cates to finish the rally.

 

Ron Acuna singled home Brad Nelson with two outs in the home fifth to trim the lead to 5-2. The Stars loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning against Clay Rapada but failed to score when Ozzie Chavez was thrown out at the plate trying to score from third base on a pitch that bounced away from catcher Tony Richie and Drew Anderson struck out. Rapada retired the side in order in the seventh to earn his 16th save of the season, second of the series and complete his third scoreless appearance of the series over five frames.

 

Jackson knocked in the go-ahead run in the opener of the twin bill with a base hit against Russ Rohlicek, marking the second straight game in which he drove in the winning run. Eric Patterson knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, Jackson scored after stealing third base and a wild throw by catcher Lou Palmisano and Lewis capped the inning with a base hit to drive in Chris Walker, who went four-for-five.

 

The Stars scored in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 5-4 but Brad Nelson grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded as a pinch-hitter. Huntsville scored twice in the sixth inning to tie the game at six but could not push across the go-ahead run with runners at first and second base and one out and failed to score in the seventh inning with a runner at third base and one out.

 

The series concludes on Thursday night with southpaw Jeff Housman taking the hill for Huntsville against Diamond Jaxx right-hander Randy Wells. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[brewerphandog]

Where/when was Jones' toughness called into question by Melvin? Do you have a link? THanks

[BillScottCanRake]

It wasn't Melvin (at least I don't think he made any comments), but rather Gord Ash who made the comments about Jones:

 

LINK: BF.net: mlb.com news on Parra, Jones

[brewmann04]

What the latest on jones is he going to back this season?

 

thanks

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1

 

Stars still look for light

Despite roster moves, Huntsville drops 13th straight

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

New faces. Same old funk.

 

The Huntsville Stars endured a couple of roster moves Wednesday, but their losing streak didn't follow departed Greg Sain and Guilder Rodriguez out of town.

 

Instead, the Stars' futility reached 13 games when they lost both games of a doubleheader against West Tenn in front of 1,021 fans at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

A four-run eighth inning by the Diamond Jaxx gave them a 10-6 extra-inning victory in the opener.

 

Then Don Money's Stars committed three errors in the fourth inning of the second game to allow four West Tenn runs to score in a 5-2 setback to reach unlucky No. 13.

 

In the opener, reliever Russ Rohlicek could only hang his head as the Diamond Jaxx slapped around several seeing-eye singles on their way to a four-run eighth.

 

Only one of those hits was struck sharply off Rohlicek (0-2), who took his second loss in as many games against his old teammates. Eight of the 11 runs he has allowed this season have come against West Tenn (32-22).

 

The bad luck in the eighth led to another Huntsville unraveling. A throwing error by catcher Lou Palmisano on a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly by West Tenn second baseman Eric Patterson brought home the final two runs.

 

When the horrific inning finally ended, the Stars walked off the field in disbelief.

 

Though they've seemingly lost in every way imaginable in the past two weeks since a May 17 win at Chattanooga, the Stars (20-33) unveiled two more ways to drop a game Wednesday.

 

When their hitting finally emerged, coming from behind twice, the pitching staff allowed the most runs it had in a game all season.

 

It wasn't like the Huntsville offense produced in the clutch, though.

 

Brad Nelson - who was demoted from Triple-A Nashville and took the released Sain's spot on the Stars' roster - entered the first game as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. He grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat with the Stars still trailing 5-4.

 

Following a two-run rally to tie the game in the sixth, it looked like the Stars would finally snap out of the streak in their final at-bat. Ron Acuna led off the seventh with a double. But Nelson grounded out, and with runners on first and third and one down, pinch-hitter J.C. Boscan grounded to Diamond Jaxx shortstop Carlos Rojas, who threw home to get Acuna.

 

Steve Moss then struck out looking, foreshadowing the frustrating finale.

 

For the third time in as many games in this series, Nic Jackson, who didn't even start the game, proved to be a Star-slayer. After knocking in the game-tying run Sunday and the game-winner Monday, he drove in the go-ahead run with a single Wednesday.

 

Nelson now has been on the Stars' roster in each of the past four years.

 

The other new guy, Milko Jaramillo, took the spot of Rodriguez, who was sent down to Single-A Brevard earlier in the day.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=50172

 

Sounds hang on to down Cubs

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

Led by blistering-hot Tony Gwynn, the Nashville Sounds received contributions from their entire lineup and downed the Iowa Cubs 6-5 in front of 2,580 fans at Greer Stadium.

 

Gwynn, in the middle of a 20-game stretch in which he?s hitting over .400, went 3-for-4 with a double and a run. The scrappy leadoff man also extended a six-game hit streak in which he?s hitting nearly .500.

 

?I don?t know if this is the best streak I?ve had, but I can say it?s the best I?ve felt at the plate since probably high school,? Gwynn said.

 

Besides Gwynn, the Sounds (29-24) saw every other player in their lineup either register a hit or score a run. Zach Sorenson, who returned to action for the first time since injuring his right bicep on April 8, collected a pair of hits and scored a run.

 

Newcomer Graham Koonce, who had his contract purchased on Wednesday by Milwaukee from San Diego of the independent Golden Baseball League, went 0-for-3 with a run.

 

Nelson Cruz and Mike Rivera did most of the damage for Nashville as each notched a homer. Cruz hit a three-run shot in the fifth and Rivera got the Sounds on the board with a two-run shot in the fourth.

 

Nashville built a 6-1 lead, but had to hang on for the victory after Iowa rallied. The Cubs put up a run in the sixth, two in the seventh and another in the eighth to pull within a run. All five of Iowa?s comeback runs came at the expense of the Nashville bullpen, after starter Dennis Sarfate surrendered just one run through five innings.

 

In the end, the Sounds got just enough from their bullpen as closer Allan Simpson pitched a scoreless ninth en route to his fifth save of the season.

 

?Any time you have a 1-2-3 [inning], it?s a perfect scenario,? Simpson said. ?[bullpen struggles] are going to happen from time to time. Nobody is going to be perfect all the time.?

 

The two teams are accustomed to tight games. Nine of their 14 meetings this season have been decided by a run or less, including the last five games. Iowa had won four of the previous five games between the rivals.

 

?When you play a team [six] times in a row, there?s no secrets of what their game plan is,? Simpson said. ?You?ve just got to come right at ?em. They?ve got a pretty good book on [me] by now.?

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Two big innings give Sounds win

MIKE ORGAN, the TENNESSEAN

 

Nashville made the best of what had been a bad situation in the midst of back-to-back series with Iowa.

 

The Cubs had beaten the Sounds in four of the previous five games in the rare stretch where the teams are playing each other eight consecutive times.

 

After dropping a 2-1 decision at Greer Stadium on Tuesday the Sounds bounced back Wednesday before a crowd of 2,580 by erupting for six runs over two innings and then holding on for a 6-5 victory.

 

It was the fifth consecutive one-run game between the two teams.

 

Another strong performance by the Sounds pitchers was a key. Nashville's five pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, marking the third consecutive game the Sounds have recorded at least 10 strikeouts.

 

Before that Nashville had gone 23 outings without a 10-strikeout game.

 

"We just hadn't been swinging the bats very good and in the couple of games when we have swung the bats we didn't pitch good enough to win,'' said Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas.

 

The start of Wednesday night's game was delayed 25 minutes because of rain.

 

With Iowa clutching a 1-0 lead, Mike Rivera ignited the rally for the Sounds in the fourth with a two-run shot that easily cleared the left-field wall.

 

The Sounds added four runs in the fifth. Tony Gwynn reached on a bunt single, then scored on a triple by Zach Sorensen. Brent Abernathy walked and Nelson Cruz cleared the left-field wall with a three-run homer.

 

The back-to-back innings, in which Nashville recorded five hits, gave the Sounds a 6-1 cushion.

 

Two added: Former Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Graham Koonce, a first baseman, had his contract purchased Wednesday by the Milwaukee Brewers from the San Diego Surf Dogs of the Independent Golden League and was added to the Sounds roster.

 

Koonce, 31, was the 2003 PCL MVP after hitting 34 home runs and registering 115 RBI for Sacramento.

 

He had not yet played for the Surf Dawgs because the league does not start until Monday.

 

Infielder Zach Sorensen also was added to the roster and played in last night's game. He had been on the disabled list due to right biceps tendonitis.

 

Two leave: Koonce and Sorensen replaced Milko Jaramillo and Brad Nelson, who were assigned Tuesday to the Brewers Double-A affiliate Huntsville.

 

What they said: "The thing that you run into with playing this team so many times in a row is that you can get a little bitterness toward each other. It hasn't happened in these two series yet, which is good.'' ? Kremblas.