Link Report for Friday, August 12th -- AZ Box Score Now Up

[Mass Haas]

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 5, Huntsville 3

 

Huntsville Box Score:

The Stars did draw their walks (six), but stranded 11; it was unrealistic to expect Ty Taubenheim to continue his dominance during his first taste of AA -- lots of fly balls lately against Ty, 12 in this one; boy, does this group miss Nelson Cruz' thunder...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

Brad Nelson and Enrique Cruz fail in the 9th with the tying runs in scoring position and the go-ahead run at first -- gee, kind of like the Miller Park 8th inning tonight, but not via strikeout; Stars grounded into three excruciating double plays...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Missed Opportunities Costly to Stars in Setback

Chris Young homered and collected three hits and Pedro Lopez knocked in what turned out to be the go-ahead run in Birmingham?s 5-3 victory over Huntsville Friday night in the second game of a four-game set at the Hoover Met. The Barons won their fourth straight game to improve to 28-15 in the second half and maintained their game and a half lead over victorious Jacksonville in the South Division, while the Stars lost for a seventh time in eight games to drop to 20-27 in the second half. The Barons have won seven of the nine games played between the two teams, including four of five in Birmingham.

 

B.J. LaMura opened the ninth inning on the hill for Birmingham, trying to earn his first save of the season. Guilder Rodriguez and Tony Gwynn, Jr. walked with one out before Nelson Castro doubled to left field to score Rodriguez, move Gwynn to third and trim the Barons lead to 5-3. Castro became the first Huntsville player to double three times in a game this year and joined Enrique Cruz and Brad Nelson as the only Stars to collect three extra base hits in a game. La Mura was replaced by southpaw Corwin Malone, who walked Vinny Rottino to load the bases. Nelson lined out to shallow left field on the first pitch he saw for the second out of the inning and Cruz lined out to right field on a 3-2 pitch to end the game. Malone earned his first save in 15 appearances in relief.

 

The Stars scored in the first inning for a second straight night on a sacrifice fly by Nelson that plated Castro, who had doubled and moved to third on a Rottino single. Gwynn doubled with one out in the third and scored when Castro followed with his second two-bagger of the game.

 

Ty Taubenheim blanked the home side on two singles through the first three frames before the Barons tallied three times in the fourth to take the lead for good. Young led off with a single and moved to third on a one-out double by Josh Fields and stayed there when Ryan Sweeney walked to load the bases. Jonathan Aceves, who just rejoined the Barons yesterday from triple-A Charlotte, singled into center field to plate Young and Fields to tie the game at two. Andy Gonzalez struck out for the second out of the frame but Lopez, who started Birmingham?s 10-run eighth inning rally on Thursday with a leadoff double, singled into left field to chase home Sweeney to make it 3-2 Barons.

 

The Stars had runners at first and second base with two outs in the sixth inning but could not score and runners at first and second base with one out in the seventh inning but Nik Lubisich came out of the bullpen to retire Castro and Rottino to end the inning. Heath Phillips earned his eighth win of the season and second over the Stars after allowing two runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings.

 

The missed opportunities would prove costly when Young clubbed a two-run home run in the seventh, his 21st of the season, to push the home team?s lead to 5-2. Taubenheim would be taken out after walking Casey Rogowski, the next hitter, and suffered the loss to drop to 1-4. Callix Crabbe then grounded into a double play with runners at first and second base to end the eighth inning against Dwayne Pollok.

 

The series continues Saturday night with Stars right-hander Dennis Sarfate taking the mound against Birmingham right-hander Charlie Haeger. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:45 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Casper (Rockies) 7, Helena 4

Yeah, these guys are bums (sarcasm alert)...

 

Weather: 52 degrees, overcast.

Wind: 10 mph, R to L.

 

I would give anything for an evening with weather like that this summer...

 

Helena Box Score:

Every Rockie with at least one base hit; tie game until the 8th; catcher Brad Willcutt throws out two of three runners attempting to steal; we've said it before a dozen times this season -- what is with all the pickoffs in these minor league games -- players are still obviously picking up the nuances of reading moves off the mound;

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

With Radames Nazario batting, Bret Berglund picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Tyler Morrison to second baseman Kenneth Holmberg to first baseman Ned YostIV to shortstop Ryan Crew to second baseman Kenneth Holmberg to first baseman Ned YostIV, Cole Garner scores. -- the game log guy earned his money with that one notation...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[jvrocksaz]

Even more amazing about the numbers that Prince has put up (in AAA) is the fact that he missed 3 weeks while up with the big club...

 

Corey Hart 31-of-38 in the stolen base department -- don't look now, but he's sneaking towards PCL MVP consideration...

What an amazing accomplishment that would be considering the start he had.... I still think he could be a solid leadoff hitter...

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Site Doubleheader Summary:

 

Manatees Split Two With St. Lucie

The Manatees took game one in Friday night's doubleheader 7-4, but were unable to complete the sweep of the St. Lucie Mets, losing the second game 5-2.

 

In the first game, the Manatees got on the board early, scoring five runs in the second inning. With two outs, walks to Nestor Corredor and Steve Sollmann, and a single by Travis Ezi would load the bases. Steve Moss's double to left would plate Corredor and Sollmann and advance Ezi to third. Next batter, Drew Anderson would drive in Ezi and Moss to make it 4-1 Manatees. Another double, this time by Adam Heether, would score the final run of the inning and put the Manatees up by four. Moss would end up going 3-4 with two runs and two RBI's for the night. By the end of the night, Anderson upped his batting average to a team leading .307 thanks to his 2-4 performance and two RBI's from game one. Manatees starter Carlos Villaneuva (6IP, 4ER, 6H, 2BB, 6K) pitched six solid innings en route to his eighth win of the season, while Nic Slack picked up his fifth save after working a perfect seventh inning.

 

The second game was a reversal of fortune for the Manatees. After allowing five runs in the first game of the night, the Mets returned the favor in game two, touching up Manatees starter Ken Durost for five runs in the second inning. Durost (4IP, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K) would settle down after the inning to throw two scoreless innings. Reliever Bo Hall (3IP, 0ER, 2H, 3K) came on to pitch the final three innings, not surrendering another run. The Manatees bats were silenced by Mets starter Maldonado Oquendo (5IP, 0ER, 2H, 4K) for the first five innings of the game, before finally breaking through for two runs in the sixth. A Sollmann sacrifice fly would plate the first run of the game after an Ezi leadoff triple. Heether's RBI double to score Anderson would cap off the scoring for the night, and send the Manatees home with a doubleheader split.

 

With the split, the Manatees fell to 4.5 games behind leader Vero Beach for the race for first in the East Division. The Manatees look to close the gap tomorrow night against the St. Lucie Mets at 7:00 (6:00 Central). The Manatees will be honoring the Negro Leagues at Space Coast Stadium tomorrow night. The first 1000 fans through the gates will receive a free poster of Negro League legend, Doc Graham. Doc Graham will also be on hand at the ballpark to sign autographs and answer any fan questions.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2005081251

 

Power gets long ball, solid pitching in 6-1 win

By Jay Srinivasan

For the Charleston Gazette

 

The West Virginia Power exacted swift revenge on the Lexington Legends.

 

After getting mauled 12-1 Thursday, West Virginia returned the favor Friday night, trouncing the Legends 6-1 in front of 4,711 paid fans at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Charlie Fermaint and Carlos Corporan homered and Derek Miller pitched five strong innings in his first start to move the Power within four games of division-leading Delmarva in the South Atlantic League?s Northern Division.

 

Power manager Ramon Aviles credited his pitchers for the win.

 

?We got great pitching today,? said Aviles. ?Miller did an outstanding job.?

 

Down 4-0, the Legends threatened to rally in the top of the fifth. Ole Sheldon and Drew Sutton led off with consecutive singles and Mitch Einertson walked to load the bases.

 

Francisco Caraballo then blasted a single to center to score Sheldon, and Sutton scrambled from second to reach home but got tagged out by catcher Angel Salome just before he reached the plate. One out later, Bryan Triplett walked to load the bases again. Miller pitched his way out of the jam by forcing Edwin Maysonet to ground out.

 

Miller (1-0) allowed only four hits, one earned run and struck out six for the win. For the Legends, starter Evan Englebrook (7-5) took the loss after yielding eight hits and three earned runs in five innings.

 

?It felt good. Kinda like a weight off my shoulders,? said Miller. ?It wasn?t very pretty in the last inning. I was elevating the ball and any time that happens you are in some big trouble. But I got the job done.?

 

Reliever Robert Hinton pitched four shutout innings, giving up no hits while striking out six for his 12th save. He retired the batters in order in three of those innings.

 

?We hit both sides of the plate very good, pitched ahead and that?s what you need to do,? said Aviles. ?Hinton did it like he had been doing it all year.?

 

Leading 1-0 after three innings, the Power got a lucky break in the top of the fourth. After Josh Murray singled with one out, Hasan Rasheed bounced the ball straight to shortstop Maysonet.

 

Trying to make a double play, second baseman Sutton took his eye off Maysonet?s backhanded throw, allowing Murray and Rasheed to reach. Next up, Fermaint made the Legends pay for their mistake by walloping a three-run round-tripper to right.

 

?That was the difference in the ballgame,? said Aviles. ?You?ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.?

 

In the sixth, Rasheed doubled and Hernan Iribarren followed with a triple to extend the Power lead to 5-1. A seventh-inning homer by Corporan put West Virginia on top 6-1.

 

The Power plays the third of its four-game home series against the Legends tonight. West Virginia will throw right-hander Mark Rogers (1-7, 4.70) and Lexington will counter with righty Ronnie Martinez (9-3, 4.21). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 (6:05 Central).

 

By the way, nice job on the eve of his 21st birthday on Saturday, Robert Hinton -- Mass Haas

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...305_05.txt

 

Rockies oust Brewers

By JOSH JORDAN - IR Sports Writer

 

The Casper Rockies came to Helena and did what few teams have managed this season, taking two straight games from the Brewers with a 7-4 win on a cold night at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning before Casper closer Andrew Johnston came in to slam the door.

 

Johnston, who entered the game with a 0.83 ERA and a league-best 12 saves, got Freddy Parejo to pop out to second base, struck out Michael Bell and got Kenny Holmberg on a groundout to third to get out of the jam. Johnston pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save and lowered his ERA to 0.76.

 

"He threw the ball very well," Helena pitching coach Mark Littell said. "He's very talented and he went for the kill and got it."

 

The eighth wasn't the only opportunity lost on the Brewers as they left 11 runners on base in the game. Helena also left the bases loaded in the first ? after an RBI double by Mat Gamel scored Holmberg to tie the game at 1-1 ? and left runners on base in each inning but the second, third and ninth.

 

The victory gave Casper a 2-1 series win in the battle of Pioneer League division leaders.

 

"This is a good ball club, you can't make many mistakes against them," Casper skipper P.J. Carey said about the Brewers. "But we came in and outplayed them overall in the series I thought."

 

Casper broke a 4-4 tie with two outs in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Chris Cook. It was Cook's second two-run shot in as many games and came on the first pitch he saw from Helena reliever Joe Thatcher. The blast brought in Corey Wimberley from second base and put the Rockies on top 6-4.

 

Cook hit a two-run home run in the first inning of Casper's 6-2 win on Thursday. The Grand Canyon Community College product went 5-for-7 with six RBI in the Rockies' two victories to end the series.

 

"He's had a great series," Casper manager Carey said. "The home run he had (Thursday) night set the tone early for us and after they came back and tied it (Friday night) he did it again. He hit that one tonight a ton and brought the tone back over to our clubhouse."

 

Cook's heroics stole the momentum away from the Brewers after they had scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. Darren Ford's two-out line-drive single to center field scored Ned Yost and Ryan Crew to knot the game at 4-4.

 

Dexter Fowler made a diving attempt at the ball in center but field umpire Justin Moore ruled he trapped the ball, allowing the runs to score. Carey was ejected from the game for arguing the call, leaving hitting coach Tony Diaz to manage the club.

 

Casper sandwiched Helena's first-inning run with one in the first and second. Eric Young hit a one-out triple to left field in the first and scored on a sacrifice by Cook, and Fowler doubled with one out in the second and scored on a ground out by Bret Berglund to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead.

 

The visitors, who lead the Pioneer League North Division with a 9-4 record, made it 3-1 top of the fourth when Berglund was caught in a pickle between first and second, allowing Cole Garner to score from third.

 

The Rockies may have gotten more in the inning if not for a stellar defensive play by Bell. The Helena third baseman dove to his left to stop Berglund's hard-hit grounder to the left side and threw out Steven Suarez at second base to turn what looked like a RBI single into a fielder's choice out.

 

Agustin Septimo got a one-out hit in the fifth and scored on a throwing by Casper shortstop Radames Nazario trying to throw out Yost at first base.

 

Casper took a 4-2 lead with a run in the top of the sixth before the Brewers were able to tie it on Ford's two-run single.

 

Helena will stay at home as they open a four-game series with Idaho Falls tonight at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central).

 

Jon Ebelt IR Staff Photographer - Helena first baseman Ned Yost IV, left, reaches back to make a difficult catch while recording an out on Casper's Corey Wimberly Friday at Kindrick Legion Field.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2005/08/13/sports/b01081305_05.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.commercialappeal.com/...64,00.html

 

Sounds pitching cools off Redbirds

5th straight win helps Nashville extend lead

By Jim Masilak, Memphis Commercial Appeal

 

Ben Hendrickson has had an up-and-down couple of years, but the Redbirds would never have guessed as much Friday night.

 

The International League's Most Valuable Pitcher last season, with an 11-3 record and 2.02 ERA at Indianapolis, Hendrickson was a miserable 1-8 with a 6.22 ERA in 10 games with the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Having struggled with his mechanics for much of this season at Nashville, Hendrickson came into Friday's game against Memphis with a 5-9 record and 4.81 ERA that belied his status as one of the Brewers' top prospects.

 

"I'm not comfortable with myself. I'm trying to work through some mechanical things and keep my arm at the same angle," Hendrickson said. "Tonight it was at the same angle and I threw well. I tend to get my arm way up top and they want it at three-quarters because it makes my fastball run and my change and curve are better.

 

"It helps a lot to go out there and know I can throw all three pitches, be in command and keep pounding the strike zone."

 

A revitalized Hendrickson (6-9) allowed just three singles in seven shutout innings Friday as the Sounds beat the Redbirds, 8-2, before an announced crowd of 10,067 at AutoZone Park.

 

"He sure didn't struggle tonight," Redbirds manager Danny Sheaffer said. "I don't care what kind of game plan we had tonight, we weren't gonna beat him."

 

Prince Fielder hit his 26th home run of the season in the fifth -- one of three homers in the inning for Nashville against 'Birds starter Kevin Jarvis -- to lead the Sounds' 14-hit attack against a Redbirds team plummeting out of the playoff hunt.

 

Nashville (68-52) won its season-best fifth game in a row. In so doing, the Sounds extended their commanding lead over the 'Birds in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern Division to 9 1/2 games.

 

"They played like a club that's in first place and they want to keep it," Sheaffer said. "We're not planning to just go home. But we need to start playing like it means something, because it means something to me."

 

Aiming for his team-leading 11th win of the season, Jarvis gave up three fifth-inning homers, including a towering solo drive to right by Fielder, the son of former big-league slugger Cecil Fielder.

 

Tony Zuniga and Mike Rivera launched back-to-back homers onto the bluff in left later in the inning as the Sounds took a 6-0 lead over the punchless 'Birds (58-61), who have dropped five of their last six at home.

 

While Jarvis (10-4) was roughed up for the second time in as many starts, Hendrickson had his best outing of the season.

 

Outfielder Chad Allen, recently acquired from the Texas Rangers organization and making his Redbirds debut, accounted for one of his team's three hits against Hendrickson with a second-inning single.

 

Fielder went 2-for-4 with a single and homer and is now 22-for-44 (.500) in his last 11 games.

[Mass Haas]

Nothing yet to report on Arizona from Friday...

[bork]

Salome's errors at Helena are becoming a distant memory. No errors yet and 2 guys picked off already. And at least one CS that I remember. I am definitely on his bandwagon.

[H0FFY]

Little Ben' words are music to my ears

 

"Tonight it was at the same angle and I threw well. I tend to get my arm way up top and they want it at three-quarters because it makes my fastball run and my change and curve are better."

 

Greg Maddux was a nothing (pre pro) pitcher who threw over the top. One pitching coach he had told Greg to try 3/4 arm angle, and, according to Greg, his fastball started moving.

 

If the Brewers perservere and Ben does too, and can actually master his new mechanics, and pitch like he did tonight, he will indeed be welcome with open arms again in Milwaukee.

 

As of right now Ben is 13th in era in the league. He could finish in the top 10.

[rotoherb]

Nashville has five guys in the lineup with a .900 OPS (Prince, Hart, Cruz, Zuniga, Rivera) and only two of the guys are veteran journeymen. This certainly bodes well for the next few seasons in Milwaukee.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 12, Arizona Angels 10

 

Weather: 101 degrees, clear.

Wind: 0 mph, None.

T: 2:35.

Att: 25.

 

Arizona Box Score:

It's pretty apparent that the pitchers that have earned trips to Helena (Parillo, Kretzschmar) have already been moved, while several of these Arizona bats would probably fare just fine in the Pioneer League...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

 

Arizona Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

[LouisEly]

MILB.com has updated their "Top 50 Prospects" list -- three Brewers make the cut:

 

I can't believe that some of those guys are more highly regarded of a prospect than Corey Hart. Choo? Dopirak? Loney? Hart's been getting it done at every level and he wasn't any older than any of those guys at the levels their at. I hope Hart's very slow start hasn't written him off some people's mind for MVP. .308 AVG, .916 OPS, 17 HRs, 9 3Bs, 31 SBs. (I also have a fear that Prince is going to take some of his votes, which may open the door for someone else.)

[pogokat]

i'm with you...i think harts a better prospect than capellan...which means that he should be on that list..

 

however, i think once a guy gets on lists like that, it takes a lot more than mediocrity to get them off..