Link Report for Wednesday 5/24 -- It's Zach Jack's Night

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Zach Jackson at home vs. Portland (Padres), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Tim Dillard at home vs. Jacksonville (Dodgers), 11:50 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: RHP Josh Wahpepah at Fort Myers (Twins), 6:05 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's):

miraclebaseball.com/

 

West Virginia: RHP Kevin Roberts at Kannapolis (White Sox), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday'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

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_ftmafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_kanafx_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 25 20 .556 - 14-8 11-12 L2[/b] Iowa 19 24 .442 5.0 9-12 10-12 W1 Omaha 18 26 .409 6.5 11-11 7-15 L3 Memphis 14 29 .326 10.0 10-12 4-17 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 30 16 .652 - 19-6 11-10 W5 West Tenn 27 19 .587 3.0 11-10 16-9 W1 Carolina 22 24 .478 8.0 15-10 7-14 L1 Tennessee 21 25 .457 9.0 12-9 9-16 L2 [b]Huntsville 20 25 .444 9.5 9-11 11-14 L5[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 25 19 .568 - 11-11 14-8 L4 [b]Brevard County 24 20 .545 1.0 10-10 14-10 W6[/b] Daytona 24 21 .533 1.5 15-10 9-11 W1 Palm Beach 22 22 .500 3.0 10-12 12-10 L1 Jupiter 18 27 .400 7.5 8-15 10-12 L6 Vero Beach 17 28 .378 8.5 11-14 6-14 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 26 17 .605 - 15-9 11-8 W5 Lexington 26 18 .591 0.5 17-8 9-10 L1 Greensboro 24 20 .545 2.5 18-7 6-13 L1 [b]West Virginia 23 20 .535 3.0 13-10 10-10 L1[/b] Lakewood 22 22 .500 4.5 14-9 8-13 L2 Lake County 22 23 .489 5.0 12-10 10-13 W1 Hagerstown 18 26 .409 8.5 9-9 9-17 L1 Hickory 17 25 .405 8.5 8-11 9-14 L2

[JoeHova]

Mass-

 

today is wednesday.

 

EDIT: Thanks! - Jim

[Mass Haas]

For those of you in the Milwaukee listening area, yours truly makes his WSSP AM 1250 Wednesday post-game show debut during the second hour of the show tonight. Hope some of you will be able to listen in -- I'm staying up just for you http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

[Mass Haas]

Final: Jacksonville (Dodgers) 6, Huntsville 4

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=847

 

Stars' Slide Extended to Six

 

Jimmy Rohan knocked in the go-ahead run in a three-run seventh inning rally that carried Jacksonville past Huntsville 6-4 Wednesday afternoon in the second game of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Suns improved to 28-19 and temporarily moved to within a game of South Division leading Montgomery, while the Stars suffered a season-high sixth straight defeat and fell to 20-26 overall and 9-12 at home.

 

Justin Simmons took over for Jacksonville starter Heath Totten and worked out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the sixth inning by striking out pinch-hitter Ron Acuna and getting Travis Ezi to fly out to keep the game tied at three. The Suns then used three singles, two sacrifice bunts and an error to break the tie and grab the lead for good in the next half inning.

 

Gerrit Simpson opened the seventh on the hill for Huntsville and walked lead off man A.J. Ellis, who drew his second free pass of the game. Simmons dropped down a sacrifice bunt and reached first base safely when catcher Lou Palmisano reached down to pick up the ball and could not do it cleanly. Chin-Lung Hu then executed a sacrifice bunt to move the runners along before Rohan singled to center field against a drawn-in infield to plate Ellis and move Simmons to third base. Matt Kemp grounded out to score Simmons and Rohan would score on a two-out single by A.J. Zapp to complete the rally.

 

Jeff Eure singled to right field with two outs in the home seventh to score Adam Heether to cut the visitors lead to 6-4. The threat ended when Callix Crabbe fouled out to Zapp at first with two runners aboard. The Stars stranded runners at the corners against T.J. Nall in the eighth inning and Ozzie Chavez flied out to end the game with runners at second and third base against Mark Alexander.

 

The Stars collected 14 hits, the most they have had in a game since April 10 at Mississippi when they put together 17, and two more than they had in the last three games combined, but stranded 13 runners. Chavez was the only starting position player not to have at least one hit, while Eure and Palmisano each had their first three-hit game of the season.

 

Crabbe singled home Eure with two outs in the fourth and Drew Anderson?s two-out, broken bat single to left field in the fifth scored Ezi to tie the game at three. Stars? starter Tim Dillard was charged with three runs on seven hits over six innings and remains winless at home in five starts.

 

The series continues Thursday night when right-hander Travis Phelps will start for the Stars and be opposed by Suns? right-hander Joel Hanrahan. 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.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Frustrating with a capital "F"...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[DHonks]

Zach Jack with his best game by far as a Brewers' farmhand. Good night for the tablesetters in AAA.

[Mass Haas]

Rough second inning (high pitch count) leads to Josh Wahpepah's earliest exit of the season by far down in Florida.

 

Tony Gwynn is absolutely on fire as of late for Nashville, up to .322 now (22-for-his-last-53, .415)....

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 1, Portland (Padres) 0

You're our American Idol tonight, Zach Jack...

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Zach Jackson photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1967

 

Jackson, Sounds Post Two-Hit Shutout

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Four Nashville pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout on Wednesday evening at Greer Stadium as the Sounds edged the Portland Beavers 1-0, the home team?s third shutout victory of the year.

 

Sounds starter Zach Jackson (2-2) logged his best start of the season, allowing only two hits over seven scoreless innings to drop his ERA to 2.50 on the year. It was the left-hander?s 4th consecutive quality start (1.29 ERA, 4 ER / 28.0 IP over that stretch).

 

Relievers Mike Adams (0.2 IP), Mitch Stetter (0.1 IP), and Alec Zumwalt (1.0 IP) worked the final two frames in hitless fashion to close out the victory. Zumwalt picked up his first save of the year.

 

Nashville (26-20) snapped a two-game skid and recorded its first nine-inning 1-0 victory in over four years, dating back to April 9, 2002, when the Sounds blanked Fresno by that score at Greer Stadium.

 

Sounds leadoff hitter Tony Gwynn continued his recent hot stretch at the dish with a 3-for-4 night, his team-leading sixth game with three hits or more this season. The Nashville centerfielder out-hit the Beavers on the evening all by himself in raising his average to .320 on the year. Gwynn has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games.

 

Neither teams pushed a runner past second over the first five innings as Jackson and Portland starter Tim Stauffer were dealing early.

 

The Sounds broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. Gwynn led off with a single, moved to third on a Dave Krynzel bunt single combined with a throwing error by Beavers first baseman Jon Knott, then scored on a Brent Abernathy sacrifice fly to right.

 

AUDIO: Sac Fly Nets Sounds' Lone Run --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-24.wma

 

It would turn out to be the only run the Sounds would need.

 

The Beavers threatened in the eighth, putting runners on second and third with two out against Stetter, but the Nashville lefty induced an inning-ending groundout from Jack Cust to escape the jam without damage.

 

Stauffer (2-4) took a hard-luck loss for Portland after turning in a solid outing. He allowed only one unearned run over six innings of work.

 

On a down note for Nashville, Vinny Rottino (0-for-3) and Nelson Cruz (0-for-4) had their longest hitting streaks of the season snapped at seven and six games, respectively.

 

The teams wrap up the four-game series with a 7 p.m. finale on Thursday evening. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (1-0, 2.70) makes his first start for Nashville since returning from Milwaukee. Portland sends Tullahoma native Dewon Brazelton (0-0, 0.00) to the bump. The MTSU product will make his third appearance of the year for the Beavers.

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Pitching Coach Stan Kyles:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-24.wma

[Mass Haas]

Final: Kannapolis (White Sox) 8, West Virginia 0

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

Intimidators shut out Power

 

The West Virginia Power had not been shut out in their first 43 games of the 2006 season, but on Wednesday night they left runners stranded in scoring position in six different innings and were shut out for the first time all year, falling to the Kannapolis Intimidators by the final of 8-0 at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

 

In the bottom of the first inning Adam Ricks scored on Mike Bell?s throwing error to give Kannapolis the early lead. Anderson Gomes drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the sixth inning and Brandon Allen knocked in the final run in the sixth with a two out single.

 

Clutch two out hits helped the Intimidators in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh Anderson Gomes ripped a two-out, two-run single to give Kannapolis a 5-0 lead. With two outs in the eighth inning Adam Ricks smacked a two run double and he scored later in the inning on a base hit from Salvador Sanchez.

 

Derek Rodriguez (2-4) earned the victory, and Kevin Roberts (2-6) obtained the loss. The Power are 23-21 after the loss and the Intimidators improved to 10-35 with the win.

 

The Power will continue the four game series against the Intimidators on Thursday night. Kannapolis will start left hander Noe Rodriguez (0-5, 6.29) and the Power will counter with left hander Derek Miller (4-1, 2.66). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Power couldn't take advantage of six early walks; Yost and Yoho have hit back-to-back on many nights -- nothing of significance except for the Yo-Yo combo -- hey, it was 8-0, what are you looking for?

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_kanafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Passed ball and an error for Angel Salome; you know what might be fun is having Angel catch Jared Fernandez...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_kanafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Fort Myers (Twins) 4, Brevard County 2

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Let's here it for Bo Hall, Dave Johnson, and Josh Alliston -- 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief; Charlie Fermaint on base three times; golden sombrero for Ryan Braun -- yikes...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_ftmafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

The last 13 Manatee batters went down in order...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_ftmafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Game Summary from the Fort Myers Site:

 

The Fort Myers Miracle don?t want to make a habit out of relying on their bullpen to pitch the majority of innings during a game, but for the third consecutive night that was the case. Danny Powers and Chris Schutt answered the bell and the Miracle snapped the Brevard County Manatees six game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night at Hammond Stadium.

 

Danny Powers entered the game with the Miracle on top 4-2 with two on and two out in the fourth. He walked the first batter he faced, but retired Hernan Iribarren on a fly ball to left to end the inning. He was spectacular over the next three innings allowing just a two-out single in the fifth to Steve Sollman. Powers went 3.1 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking one and fanning five and earning his second win of the season. Chris Schutt tossed two perfect innings to close out the game and earn his first save of the season.

 

The Miracle faced the third best pitcher in the Florida State League, Josh Wahpepah, who came in with a 1.57 ERA, but he didn?t make it out of the second inning. Wahpepah struggled with his control and the Miracle took advantage of it.

 

The Miracle, who improved to 26-20, sent 10 men to the plate and scored all four runs with two outs. Luke Hughes led off with a single to center. With one out Korey Feiner lined a single off of Wahpepah?s glove. With two outs Alexi Casilla walked to load the bases. Garrett Guzman forced home the first run with a walk and the Miracle made it 3-0 with back-to-back singles by Kyle Geiger and Kevin West. They finished the scoring when Matt Tolbert walked with the bases loaded.

 

Miracle starter Colby Miller struggled with his control as well. He gave back a run in the third when he walked the lead off batter in the inning, Scott McKnight, gave up a double to Charlie Fermaint and an RBI ground out to Iribarren. He got out of the jam by striking out Ryan Braun and getting Brendan Katin to ground out.

 

In the fourth he gave up a lead off single to Sollman who then stole second and went to third on Feiner?s throwing error. Miller walked C.J. Medlin and then got defensive help. Freddy Parejo hit a slow chopper to Plouffe at third and he gunned out Sollman at the plate. Miller then struck out Nestor Corredor, but couldn?t get out of the inning when he gave up an RBI single to McKnight, but the bullpen took over from there.

 

The same two teams play Thursday night in the third game of a four game series at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). The Miracle send RHP Anthony Swarzak (2-3, 4.70) against Manatees LHP Manny Parra (0-1, 7.50).

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Gwynn's run is enough

Jackson and bullpen shut down Portland

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Tony Gwynn's sixth-inning run and Zach Jackson's seven shutout innings led the Nashville Sounds to a 1-0 victory Wednesday night over visiting Portland.

 

For Nashville, which stopped a two-game losing streak, it was the first nine-inning 1-0 win since April 9, 2002, against Fresno. The Sounds have won three seven-inning contests by that score over the last four-plus seasons.

 

Gwynn, who posted his team-leading sixth game with at least three hits, led off the sixth inning with a base hit. He advanced to second on a Dave Krynzel bunt single and went to third when the ball was mishandled, before scoring on Brent Abernathy's short sacrifice fly to right field.

 

"The game seemed like it was going to be a close one, a low-scoring one," said Manager Frank Kremblas, who also coaches third base for the Sounds. "I felt that was going to be our best scoring opportunity, and I was going to take a chance."

 

Though Abernathy's fly ball may not have been deep enough under normal circumstances, and Portland right fielder Dustin Delucchi made an on-target throw, Gwynn was able to elude catcher Luke Carlin.

 

It was just the fifth 1-0 nine-inning game in the Pacific Coast League this year.

 

"It was one of those things where, if he set up on the inside (of the plate), I was going to slide to the outside," said Gwynn, listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds. "If he set up on the outside, as fragile as I am, I was going to have to go through him. Thankfully, I was able to take the slide route and get my hand in just before he tagged me."

 

The cushion was enough for Jackson, who allowed just two baserunners in his first six innings and evaded a bases-loaded situation in the seventh inning before turning the game over to the Sounds' bullpen.

 

Alec Zumwalt, the third Nashville reliever, retired Portland in order in the ninth to notch his first Class AAA save of the year ? and become the fourth Sounds pitcher with at least one.

 

Domino effect: A series of roster moves throughout the Milwaukee organization was announced after Wednesday's game.

 

Brewers reliever Chris Demaria was optioned to Nashville after their game at Cincinnati, with Corey Thurman ? tonight's originally scheduled Sounds starter ? reassigned to Double-A Huntsville. Chris Mabeus will join the Brewers from Huntsville.

 

"It's just a chain reaction; we're trying to shuffle the deck, find the hot hand and try to get somebody out," said Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash, who drove to Wednesday's Sounds game after watching Huntsville's game against visiting Jacksonville earlier in the day.

 

The Brewers bullpen, in front of closer (and former Franklin High star) Derrick Turnbow, has been depleted by injuries to starters Tomo Ohka and Ben Sheets.

 

As a result, Ben Hendrickson, who rejoined the Sounds on Monday after three weeks with the Brewers, will pitch tonight's series finale against visiting Portland.

 

What they said: "We were taking some pretty good swings. I don't think we ever felt we'd score just one run." ? Gwynn

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Bunts no sacrifice for visiting Suns

Stars don't have much luck with them in 6-4 loss

By MARK McCARTER

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com

 

The most difficult simple play in the game. The bunt. Put the bat in front of the ball, let it plop softly to earth and everybody runs like the wind. It's practiced every day.

 

On Wednesday afternoon, Jacksonville pulled off the bunt plays. Huntsville didn't. End of story in a 6-4 Stars loss, their sixth in a row. The Stars try to snap the streak tonight at 7:05 against the Suns, the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate.

 

The Stars had their hot moments, and not just when pitching coach Rich Sauveur was ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire. After struggling much of the season at the plate, they exploded for 14 hits.

 

There's the agony of defeat. Fourteen hits - and they still lose.

 

"We didn't execute the little things,'' said manager Don Money.

 

For a time, the hitting was timely. Adam Heether, Callix Crabbe and Drew Anderson all drove in runs with clutch two-out singles.

 

Then, in a burgeoning sixth-inning rally, the game tied at 3-all, Crabbe bunted back to the pitcher on a squeeze play, leaving the Stars squeezed at home.

 

They would recover enough to load the bases in the inning, but pinch-hitter Ron Acuna struck out and Travis Ezi flew out.

 

With one aboard in the Suns seventh, Huntsville catcher Lou Palmisano barely tickled a Justin Simmons bunt that was easing down the first-base line. Instead of picking the ball up, he chose to let it roll foul - but the ump had already detected him touching the ball.

 

A sacrifice bunt then put runners on second and third, and three singles produced a three-run inning. Even down 6-3, the Stars didn't fold.

 

A fourth two-out RBI single - this by Jeff Eure in the seventh - made it 6-4, but Huntsville left two runners aboard in the eighth and two more in scoring position in the ninth.

 

The Suns had scored their third run on a squeeze bunt. Money had even sensed the bunt play before it happened and yelled to Palmisano for a pitchout - an instant too late.

 

"We didn't take advantage," said Money, "and they did."