Link Report for Games of Monday, August 1st

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu: Lightest fare of the season thus far -- guess we're listening to the Sounds tonight!

 

All times Central except for Arizona Rookie; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Mike Meyers at home vs. Sacramento (A's), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Nashville Site Gamecast Feed:

www.nashvillesounds.com/live/xlive.htm

 

Huntsville: Idle

 

Brevard County: Idle

 

West Virginia: Idle

 

Helena: TBD at Great Falls (White Sox), 8:00 PM, no audio for this series

 

Arizona: Idle

[Mass Haas]

Links to follow Monday's action as it happens:

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 60 49 .550 - 31-27 29-22 W1[/b] Memphis 54 55 .495 6.0 30-28 24-27 L1 Iowa 48 58 .453 10.5 31-25 17-33 L1 Omaha 49 60 .450 11.0 19-28 30-32 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 21 13 .618 - 12-9 9-4 L1 West Tenn 22 14 .611 - 11-8 11-6 W1 [b]Huntsville 17 19 .472 5.0 7-10 10-9 W3[/b] Tennessee 17 19 .472 5.0 7-7 10-12 W1 Chattanooga 13 23 .361 9.0 6-12 7-11 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vero Beach 23 13 .639 - 14-7 9-6 W3 St. Lucie 21 15 .583 2.0 10-9 11-6 L1 Palm Beach 22 16 .579 2.0 11-9 11-7 L2 [b]Brevard County 20 16 .556 3.0 9-10 11-6 L1[/b] Daytona 14 22 .389 9.0 7-11 7-11 W1 Jupiter 13 22 .371 9.5 10-8 3-14 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 25 10 .714 - 15-1 10-9 W3 Hickory 21 15 .583 4.5 10-7 11-8 L3 Lexington 19 17 .528 6.5 11-8 8-9 L1 [b]West Virginia 19 17 .528 6.5 10-7 9-10 W3[/b] Lakewood 18 19 .486 8.0 12-11 6-8 L1 Greensboro 15 21 .417 10.5 5-9 10-12 W1 Lake County 15 21 .417 10.5 8-11 7-10 L3 Hagerstown 11 21 .344 12.5 4-9 7-12 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 1 0 1.000 - 1-0 0-0 W1 [b]Helena 1 0 1.000 - 1-0 0-0 W1[/b] Great Falls 0 1 .000 1.0 0-0 0-1 L1 Missoula 0 1 .000 1.0 0-0 0-1 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Mariners 3 0 1.000 - 2-0 1-0 W3 AZL Giants 2 1 .667 1.0 1-1 1-0 W1 AZL Rangers 2 1 .667 1.0 2-0 0-1 W2 AZL Royals 2 1 .667 1.0 1-1 1-0 L1 [b]AZL Brewers 1 1 .500 1.5 0-1 1-0 L1[/b] AZL Padres 1 1 .500 1.5 1-0 0-1 L1 AZL Athletics 1 2 .333 2.0 1-0 0-2 W1 AZL Angels 0 2 .000 2.5 0-1 0-1 L2 AZL Cubs 0 3 .000 3.0 0-0 0-3 L3

Stats and League Leaders, USA Today (or go to MILB.com):

 

www.usatoday.com/sports/b.../index.htm

[Mass Haas]

Because Vero Beach (Dodgers) won the first half FSL title, the Manatees are technically only one game out of a playoff spot.

 

As bright as the future looks for the Power, someone needs to start beating Delmarva (Orioles), especially at their place.

[H0FFY]

If I count right, the minors teams are a combined 16 games over .500. When is the last time that happened to us! And with oodles of young guys.

 

The more you look at the parent club and these minor clubs, you cannot really figure it going wrong. We seem to have a future.

[Cyanogen5]

I am assuming that is only for the szecond half? We still have to be quite a ways below .500 overall.

[bork]

We are still 29 games under 500 as an organization. But that's a huge improvement over the past 3 years (69, 46, and 54 games under.

 

Especially impressive when you consider West Virginia started off 5-25.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes for Monday (PDF format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Press Release:

 

Nashville Sounds right-hander Ben Hendrickson has been suspended for three games by the Pacific Coast League for intentionally throwing at Fresno batter Adam Shabala during the fifth inning of Friday's game at Greer Stadium.

 

Hendrickson, who was immediately ejected from Friday's contest by home plate umpire Jack Samuels following the incident, will begin serving the suspension on Thursday in Colorado Springs and will miss his next start as a result.

 

The right-hander is 5-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) for Nashville this season.

[jvrocksaz]

Apparantly losing a good portion of their team to West Virginia hasn't affected the offensive machine known as Helena...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Sacramento (A's) 8, Nashville 4

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

NASHVILLE ? The Sacramento River Cats hammered four home runs en route to an 8-4 victory over the Nashville Sounds in front of 4,233 fans on Monday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

With the loss, Nashville (60-50) maintained its six-game lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division due to a 13-inning loss suffered by second-place Memphis.

 

Sacramento All-Star outfielder Matt Watson put the visitors on the board with a three-run homer to right in the top of the first inning. Freddie Bynum and Jermaine Clark, who had walked and doubled to open the game, scored on Watson?s 15th roundtripper of the season. The blast was the first longball served up by Nashville starter Mike Meyers in 45 1/3 innings, dating back to May 17.

 

River Cats center fielder Charles Thomas continued the longball fest in the second, when he led off the frame with a solo blast to right-center, his third of the year, to increase the lead to 4-0. Catcher John Baker continued the power surge for the visitors in the fourth with a two-out solo homer to right off Meyers, his fourth tater of the year.

 

Nashville got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, plating a trio of runs to pull within 5-3. Warren Morris singled to open the frame then scored on outfielder Corey Hart?s subsequent triple, which was a misplayed fly ball by Thomas that landed on the warning track nearly 25 feet from the outfielder. Prince Fielder knocked in Hart with an RBI groundout for the second run. With one down, Nelson Cruz reached on an infield single then moved to second and third on separate wild pitches by River Cats starter Mike Ziegler. Catcher Mike Rivera drove him in with a two-out single to right.

 

The visitors tallied a fourth roundtripper in the fifth when Brant Colamarino ripped a two-run shot to left-center off Meyers, his tenth of the year, to increase the River Cats? lead to 7-3.

 

The Sounds got another run back in the bottom of the frame when Dave Krynzel scored on Hart?s infield single to make it a 7-4 contest.

 

Nashville reliever Brett Evert worked into and out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the sixth, retiring three batters in order without damage. Sacramento scored its final run of the evening in the seventh on a Shawn Garrett sacrifice fly.

 

Ziegler (5-3) picked up the victory after allowing four runs on eight hits in his five innings of work. Meyers (4-4) took the loss after surrendering seven runs, all coming on his season-high four home runs allowed, on seven hits in his 4 1/3 frames.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium. Left-hander Jeff Housman (4-9, 5.71) takes the hill for the Sounds to face Sacramento right-hander Seth Etherton (6-5, 2.81).

 

Audio Link, Nelson Cruz Throws Out Runner At Plate:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%208-1.mp3

 

The Sounds now need a win today to garner a split with the River Cats.

 

?They hit too many home runs,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said. ?[Meyers] left some pitches up in the zone. I?d like to have a split, but it?s not life or death at this point.?

 

***

Steroids controversy comes to Greer

By Nate Rau, nrau@nashvillecitypaper.com

 

The steroids controversy that shook baseball to its core earlier in the day found its way into the home locker room at Greer Stadium Monday. Members of the Nashville Sounds were sounding off after Baltimore Orioles first baseman and possible future Hall of Famer Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days by baseball for violating the league?s banned substance policy.

 

In the spring, Palmeiro testified before the United States Congressional Committee he never used steroids. Earlier this season he became the fourth player in baseball history to record 3,000 hits and 500 homers.

 

In his prepared statement Monday, Palmerio said he never intentionally used a banned substance. Sounds outfielder Ryan Knox says Palmeiro?s alibi shouldn?t hold up.

 

?No one is ignorant of anything they?re tested for,? Knox said. ?We?re inundated in spring training and throughout the year with lists, with pamphlets.

 

?It is impossible to accidentally take something you thought was illegal. That is your own stupidity and if that happens, you should be guilty anyway.?

 

Sounds hitting coach Gary Pettis played with Palmeiro with the Texas Rangers in the early 1990s. He said he was surprised at the news of Palmeiro?s suspension and added Palmeiro didn?t strike him as someone who would cheat.

 

?I still don?t know what happened,? Pettis said. ?They said it was a violation of the policy, now what that means I don?t know. Whatever it is, I?m surprised.?

 

Music City baseball fans may be frustrated with the notion that some of the biggest name players have earned their stardom with the aid of illegal substances. However, it may be unfair to spread the blame to minor league players like the ones who play with the Sounds. This is the first year players on major league 40-man rosters have been subject to testing, but Knox said non 40-man players have been tested for years.

 

Knox said the punishment for offenders isn?t strict enough. Right now there?s a 10-game suspension for a first offense, a 30-game suspension for a second offense and a one year suspension for a third.

 

?It isn?t my idea, but I agree with it 100 percent ? you take a steroid, you get caught, you go to jail,? Knox said. ?First of all, it is illegal. Second of all, he lied to the United States Congress and he lied to America. Shame on him.?

 

Palmeiro is the seventh major league player to be banned under the league?s new policy.

 

***

Tennessean:

 

One bright spot was the work of reliever Brett Evert. Making his second appearance since joining the team from Double-A Huntsville last Friday, Evert allowed just one run in 3 2/3 innings and worked out of a bases-loaded, no-outs situation unscathed in the sixth.

 

Despite the loss, the Sounds' lead remains six games over Memphis in the PCL American North due to Fresno's 2-1, 13-inning road victory over the Redbirds.

 

Play guitar: Tony Zuniga became the fifth Nashville Sounds player to be presented a Copley guitar prior to yesterday's game, after homering off the guitar-shaped scoreboard during Sunday's win over visiting Sacramento.

 

All five of this season's guitar winners ? Trent Durrington, Kevin Orie, Steve Scarborough, Rickie Weeks and Zuniga ? are infielders.

 

'Moneyball' author visits: Michael Lewis, whose book 'Moneyball' chronicled the approach of the small-market Oakland Athletics to competing in the free agent era, was in attendance at last night's game. Lewis was following a couple of Sacramento players ? the River Cats are Oakland's Class AAA affiliate ? and researching the area for a television pilot he's working on.

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 12, Great Falls (White Sox) 5

 

Helena Independent Record:

 

Brewers sizzle with win over White Sox

 

The Helena Brewers are off to a good start to claim the second half Northern Division title after a 12-5 win over Great Falls Monday.

 

The Brewers collected 14 hits, including four doubles and a triple, off five pitchers as they defeated the Sox for the seventh time in nine starts this summer.

 

Helena took the lead in the first and didn't look back as the Brewers outhit the White Sox by five runs.

 

Agustin Septimo hit his first triple on the season in the first inning with a line drive to right field. Septimo would then score off of Matt Gamel's double for a one-run lead.

 

Carlos Galladro and Scott McKnight would both double in the second with McKnight picking up an RBI.

 

Great Falls would score their first run in the second and would not score again until the fifth inning.

 

Seven runs were scored in the seventh by the Brewers to extend the lead by 10 runs.

 

The Brewers had the bases loaded with no outs when Freddy Parejo singled to left field for an RBI.

 

Ned Yost was hit by a pitch from Travis Doyle to be the second Brewer to cross the plate in the inning. Yost would score after Darren Ford reached off a fielding error.

 

The Brewers returned to the top of the batting order with one out, but Septimo was called out on a sacrifice fly.

 

McKnight lead the Brewers with three RBI adding to his nine on the season.

 

Helena is still tied with the Billings Mustangs for the Northern Division lead after playing two games in the second half. Billings beat Missoula 13-5 Monday for a two game winning streak.

 

The Mustangs came in a close second to the Brewers in the first half of Northern Division standings, but were unable to take over the lead the Brewers held from the beginning.

 

The Brewers will continue their three-game series against Great Falls today for game two at 7:00 (8:00 Central) to try and continue their two-game winning streak.

 

Helena Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1