Link Report for Games of Friday, July 22nd

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! Check out the Manatees from the office late this afternoon...

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Gary Glover at Omaha (Royals), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Josh Habel at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

If that link is down for bandwidth, use:

specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml

 

Brevard County: At home -- first, the completion of Thursday's suspended game (scoreless, sixth inning), followed by TBD vs. Daytona (Cubs) in the regularly-scheduled nine-inning affair, 4:00 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's, right-hand side of linked page):

www.daytonacubs.com/

 

West Virginia: RHP Yo Gallardo at home vs. Lakewood (Phillies), 6:05 PM

 

Audio link:

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

 

Helena: TBD at Orem (Angels), 8:05 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's, scroll to bottom left-hand side of linked page):

www.oremowlz.com/

 

Arizona: Idle -- find some air conditioning!

[Mass Haas]

Links to follow Friday's action as it happens:

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Brevard County (completion of suspended game):

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

 

Brevard County (regularly-scheduled game):

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_orerok_1

[Mass Haas]

The Reds' Billings club just about keeping pace with Helena's juggernaut; things no easier for Brevard County:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 55 44 .556 - 29-23 26-21 L1[/b] Memphis 50 49 .505 5.0 26-22 24-27 W1 Iowa 46 50 .479 7.5 31-25 15-25 L1 Omaha 44 55 .444 11.0 18-25 26-30 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 15 10 .600 - 8-7 7-3 W2 West Tenn 16 11 .593 - 10-6 6-5 L1 [b]Huntsville 13 14 .481 3.0 4-7 9-7 L3[/b] Tennessee 13 14 .481 3.0 5-6 8-8 W1 Chattanooga 10 17 .370 6.0 5-10 5-7 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Brevard County 16 9 .640 - 5-4 11-5 W1[/b] St. Lucie 16 10 .615 0.5 5-6 11-4 W1 Palm Beach 17 11 .607 0.5 7-5 10-6 W4 Vero Beach 15 11 .577 1.5 9-6 6-5 L1 Jupiter 10 15 .400 6.0 9-7 1-8 L5 Daytona 8 17 .320 8.0 4-9 4-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 19 7 .731 - 14-1 5-6 L1 Hickory 17 9 .654 2.0 7-4 10-5 W4 Lexington 14 12 .538 5.0 9-4 5-8 W1 [b]West Virginia 13 13 .500 6.0 6-4 7-9 L1[/b] Lakewood 12 15 .444 7.5 8-8 4-7 W1 Hagerstown 10 15 .400 8.5 3-7 7-8 W2 Greensboro 10 16 .385 9.0 2-6 8-10 W3 Lake County 10 16 .385 9.0 6-8 4-8 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Helena 21 8 .724 - 9-4 12-4 W2[/b] Billings 19 10 .655 2.0 11-5 8-5 W7 Great Falls 10 19 .345 11.0 7-9 3-10 W1 Missoula 9 20 .310 12.0 4-12 5-8 W1

Arizona League Standings:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...mp;lid=121

 

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

 

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

[bork]

Take away the 5-25 start by West Virginia and the Brewers organization is only 5 games below .500.

 

Even the 25 games below .500 is impressive, when you consider they were 55 games below .500 not too long ago.

[Mass Haas]

Monday 7/18:

 

Police cruiser damages fence at ballpark

 

City officials made emergency repairs to an aluminum fence at Appalachian Power Park that was damaged about 4 a.m. Sunday by a Charleston police cruiser.

 

Between 15 and 20 feet of black aluminum fence was damaged on the Smith Street side of the ballpark, City Manager David Molgaard said.

 

The cruiser was driven by an officer responding to a call for backup from Sgt. George, said Lt. Jim Sands of the Charleston Police Department. George, a canine officer, was pursuing someone in the East End who had displayed a handgun, Sands said.

 

The officer was heading east on Smith Street when he swerved to avoid an SUV in an S-curve around Brooks Street, Sands said. The officer lost control and plowed into the fence, narrowly missing an electrical box and scoreboard. Sands declined to identify the officer, saying the accident is under investigation.

 

The officer was treated and released from CAMC General Hospital for possible eye injuries from broken glass. The windshield of the cruiser was shattered and total damage was estimated at between $2,000 and $3,000. Estimates of the fence damage were not available Sunday but could run higher, Molgaard said.

 

?We?ve secured that area with temporary chain-link fencing,? Molgaard said. ?It will probably take several weeks to get it permanently repaired.?

 

City officials wanted to seal off the opening in preparation for the scheduled game tonight between the West Virginia Power and the Hagerstown Suns, and simply to secure the park, he said.

 

Friday 7/22:

 

Power auctioning piece of wrecked police car

 

The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, will auction off several items at Appalachian Power Park during tonight's game.

 

The Power is auctioning off several items of signed memorabilia with all of the proceeds going toward the travel expenses of the 9- and 10-year-old Mountaineer Little League All Star Team.

 

Some of the items will include autographed baseballs, autographed game used bats by West Virginia Power players. Perhaps the most unique of all the items up for grabs is an autographed piece of the City of Charleston Police cruiser which crashed into the left field fence at Appalachian Power Park on the morning of July 17.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005072220/

 

Hometown hero ... sort of

Matt Lockhart

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Grant Richardson lived a lie. But, hey, it wasn't his fault. He just wasn't salivating to fix it.

 

In all the glitz of Appalachian Power Park's $23 million price tag, there is one key flaw. Despite what the monstrous video scoreboard says, Grant Richardson isn't from Richland, W.Va.

 

"I'm from Washington," said Richardson, who went 0-for-2 in the West Virginia Power's 13-0 loss to Lakewood Thursday. "But I tell you what, that played a big part in people liking me."

 

Yes, Richardson is thankful for the hometown error. When the Power stumbled through a 4-18 April, Richardson was part of the problem.

 

All spring, Power Manager Ramon Aviles talked up Richardson's game. He said the 6-foot-1 first baseman who excelled at Washington State University would provide big power numbers for this Milwaukee Brewer farm club.

 

That didn't happen, at least not at first. Richardson managed just two RBI and a .211 batting average in 20 April games.

 

"I had a rough start," Richardson said.

 

To his surprise, there weren't many boos. Instead of paying attention to Richardson's statistics on the scoreboard, fans talked about something else.

 

"People would read Richland, W.Va., so they loved me no matter whether I did good or bad," he said.

 

Now, the Washington native doesn't need false advertisement. He's earning the praise.

 

So far, July has been his month. In 19 games, Richardson is batting .349 with three homers and nine RBI.

 

And, this might just be the beginning.

 

The Brewers firmly believe the three hitters in front of Richardson -- Alcides Escobar, Hernan Iribarren and Ryan Braun -- will all make the Major Leagues.

 

These are the organization's top prospects and the Brewers are letting Richardson be the guy to drive them in.

 

"I love hitting with guys on base," said Richardson, who is hitting .275 with a team-leading nine home runs and 35 RBI on the season.

 

"One thing Ramon has been telling me all year is to be patient when no one is on, but when they're on base, be aggressive."

 

Patience was hard to come by early this year, but that's in Richardson's past.

 

He's no longer bothered a rib injury that forced him to miss nearly a month.

 

The team originally thought Richardson had a bum shoulder, but they later learned a rib was out of place and it was causing strain on his shoulder.

 

"Since he came off the (disabled list), he's been hitting over .300," said Aviles. "It's helping a lot because he's been getting better pitches to hit, especially with the guys we got in front of him."

 

In an organization thin on first baseman prospects, Richardson might just be working his way near the top.

 

* * *

POWER PLUGS: West Virginia pitchers walked seven Lakewood batters Thursday, including three straight with the bases loaded.

 

Lakewood's Derek Griffith threw a complete game three-hitter. Despite the 13-0 drubbing, improvement has been easy to see during the second half of the South Atlantic season. So far, the Power is 4-2-2 in second-half series.

 

In the first half, the Power went just 2-11-5 in series. The first series win didn't occur until early June after the Power had either lost or tied the first 14 series of the season.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes for Friday (PDF format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

Final, completion of suspended game: Daytona (Cubs) 8, Brevard County 0, ten innings

 

Brevard County Box Score:

You won't see a completed linescore, but the box score is intact; RHP Darwin Soto retires only three of 13 batters faced; Manatees draw one walk while striking out 13 times...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

Up to the suspended point only -- Darwin Soto will never have to read the details of the eight-run tenth in which he retired only one batter...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress, regularly scheduled game: Daytona 0, Brevard County 0, after two innings

RHP Carlos Villanueva is your Manatee "TBD" in this one...

[Mass Haas]

In progress, regularly scheduled game: Daytona (Cubs) 1, Brevard County 1, bottom of the 8th at Space Coast

Carlos Villanueva's line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K's, in other words -- typical....

[Mass Haas]

LHP Rafael Lluberes is your TBD for Helena this evening...

[Kraft4a3]

Just back from the 9-4 Sounds win over the Omaha Royals. I am not a scout by any means, but here where some things.

 

Corey Hart didn't look good when thrown good off-speed stuff early in the game. He did crush a hanging 3-2 breaking ball deep over the fence in left-center for his 2-run HR. He had a good AB and drew a walk later in the game. He did just miss another homer late, but it was down off the end of the bat a bit.

 

Prince had a big upper cut in his first two at bats and was popping a lot of balls up early on. His last two AB's were solid he sent a rocket back up the box for his only base hit. He also grounded out very sharply to 2nd. Seemed like he made some in-game adjustments. He DH'ed so no reports on his defense.

 

Nelson Cruz doesn't get cheated with his swings. Had some good cuts, but not too much to show for it.

 

Zuniga's homer was a routine fly ball that got pushed out by the wind. It was a 337 ft homer that barely scraped the 336 ft fence down the line in Left. Should have been robbed actually.

 

I wasn't in the best position to watch Glover, Stetter, and Obie. It was hot real hot, and I felt for the starting pitchers. Glover was decent when he kept the ball down. Obie didn't have much problem getting the final outs.

 

Defense all around was very solid. Rivera did a nice job blocking the plate turning away a Royals runner early in the game. The runner beat the ball by quite a bit, but he couldn't get around to the plate. Should have ran Rivera over, but didn't. Infield turned some nice DP's as well.

 

The call that lead to Morris getting tossed was the correct call, and they had no right to argue it. In addition, for a minor league player to come storming out of the dugout is uncalled for. He got the heave-ho, and then stormed out. Whoever was coaching first also got tossed during the same instance.

 

I mainly just watched Hart, Cruz, and Fielders' AB's. Little disappointed when Ryan Knox didn't run out a grounder hard that got bobbled, he could have made it a close play.

 

Help: I have some pictures form the digital camera, but don't know how to upload them on to the post. They aren't the greatest, but I will be going tomorrow again. Will try to get some more if I can get them on the site.

[jackellberry]

how did princes SB look?http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Kraft4a3]

how did princes SB look?

 

Oh yeah, I was going to mention that. He kind of stole it Carlos Lee style. Pitcher wasn't paying attention to him and he took off before the pitcher started for home. The catcher didn't have much of a chance and the throw was a little off line.

 

Prince took off realized the pitcher had went home, stutter stepped a little then kept going. He got a good 1/2 second head start. He can move though scored from 2nd on a base hit.

[LV Brewer Fan]

Kraft thanks for the first hand accounts. Keep them coming if you are atttending throughout the weekend as they are greatly appreciated!http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Mass Haas]

Final, regularly scheduled game: Brevard County 2, Daytona (Cubs) 1, 11 innings

 

Brevard County Site Doubleheader Summary:

 

MANATEES SPLIT DOUBLE DIP WITH CUBS

Extra Innings In Both Games

 

The Brevard County Manatees managed to salvage the second game of a double header, 2-1, after falling to the Daytona Cubs 8-0 in game one. Both games crept into extra innings with game one going into the tenth and game two lasting eleven innings before the Manatees pushed across the winning run.

 

Game one was the completion of last night's game that was suspended due to darkness caused by a power outage with the stadium lights. Play resumed in the middle of the sixth inning with the score tied at 0-0. After a valiant effort by Manatees pitching for the first four innings, the Cubs managed to score eight times in the top of the tenth to make the Manatees wish there was another blackout.

 

The light towers were blazing in full force for game two, showcasing a brilliant pitching performance by Manatees starter Carlos Villaneuva. Displaying an impressive fastball for seven innings, Villaneuva breezed through the Daytona lineup striking out ten. He scattered five hits, walked only one, and allowed the Cubs only run on the game. Villaneuva's ERA now stands at a minuscule 2.00.

 

The Manatees got on the board offensively in the bottom of the sixth. After a Travis Ezi lead off single, and a Wandel Campana sac bunt, all it took was a Drew Anderson single to score Ezi for the first Manatee run. The Manatees struck the final blow in the twelfth inning. With one out, Anderson got the ball rolling by placing a perfect bunt down the third base line. Adam Heether kept things going by reaching on Cub shortstop Carlos Rojas's throwing error. Anderson would score the winning run on a Steve Moss single to send the crowd of 2,447 home happy.

 

Daytona Site Excerpts:

 

The Brevard County Manatees must get paid time-and-a-half for working overtime, because their knack for playing extra-inning games is slowly reaching legendary status.

 

For the 13th and 14th times this season, it took extra innings in a Manatees game to decide a winner, as Brevard County and Daytona split a pair of extra-inning affairs at Space Coast Stadium in the second and third games of a four-game set on Friday night.

 

With the split, the Cubs are now 9-18 on the second half as Brevard County kept their place atop the East with a record of 17-10.

 

The two teams will finish up their four-game set as they head up I-95 to Jackie Robinson Ballpark for the finale on Saturday night. The Cubs will send righty Juan Mateo (7-4, 4.22 ERA) to the mound to face Manatees righty Luis Pena (2-6, 4.77 ERA).

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Travis Ezi on base three times; RHP Bo Hall and LHP Jeremy Lewis never get any pub, but they've been solid all year out of the 'Tees pen...

 YTD YTD DAYTONA AB R H BI AVG BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG C.Walker CF 5 0 0 0 .280 T.Ezi DH 3 1 2 0 .268 C.Rojas SS 5 0 1 1 .241 W.Campana SS 4 0 0 0 .269 S.Moore 3B 4 0 1 0 .281 D.Anderson LF 5 1 2 1 .290 B.Dopirak DH 5 0 0 0 .241 A.Heether 3B 5 0 1 0 .310 K.Collins 1B 3 0 0 0 .266 S.Moss CF 5 0 1 1 .272 J.Fox CAT 4 0 0 0 .276 L.Palmisano CAT 4 0 0 0 .240 P.O'Toole LF 4 0 1 0 .200 S.Sollmann 2B 4 0 1 0 .269 E.Cruz 2B 3 1 1 0 .176 R.Deevers RF 4 0 0 0 .170 J.Culpepper RF 3 0 1 0 .375 C.De La Cruz 1B 3 0 2 0 .188 Y.Ferreras PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Eure 1B 0 0 0 0 .220 P.Schappert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Villanueva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Gerk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Lewis PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 36 1 5 1 TOTALS 37 2 9 2 DAYTONA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 5 1 BREVARD COUNTY 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1- 2 9 1 E--C.Rojas, W.Campana. DP--DAYTONA 2, BREVARD COUNTY 0. LOB--DAYTONA 6, BREVARD COUNTY 8. 2B--A.Heether (18). SB--D.Anderson (13). CS-- S.Moore, J.Culpepper. SH--J.Culpepper, T.Ezi, W.Campana. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA DAYTONA Y.Ferreras 6.0 5 1 1 1 3 0 7.31 P.Schappert 4.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0.83 J.Gerk (L,2-4) 0.1 2 1 0 0 0 0 4.17 BREVARD COUNTY C.Villanueva 7.0 4 1 1 1 10 0 2.10 B.Hall 3.0 0 0 0 2 3 0 4.10 J.Lewis (W,5-5) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.83 SO--C.Walker 2, S.Moore 2, B.Dopirak 2, K.Collins 3, J.Fox 2, P.O'Toole, E.Cruz, J.Culpepper, T.Ezi, A.Heether, S.Moss, R.Deevers. BB--S.Moore, K.Collins, E.Cruz, T.Ezi, J.Eure. T--3:07. A--2447

Brevard County Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 9, Omaha (Royals) 4

Thanks for the first-hand account above!

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

Link for Tony Zuniga photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1704

 

OMAHA -- The Nashville Sounds opened their brief road trip with a 9-4 victory over the division-rival Omaha Royals on Friday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium.

 

With the victory and a loss by Memphis, Nashville (56-44) re-extended its lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division to a season-best six games.

 

Gary Glover (3-1) picked up the victory for the Sounds after allowing four runs over seven innings of work and new addition Wes Obermueller recorded the final four outs to pick up a save in his Nashville debut.

 

Outfielder Corey Hart slugged his 11th home run of the year in the win. Tony Zuniga also homered, his third longball with the Sounds, during a 2-for-4, three-RBI evening.

 

Audio Link of Corey Hart's Home Run:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-22.mp3

 

Steve Scarborough and Chris Barnwell turned in 2-for-4 efforts and scored two runs apiece for Nashville. Scarborough also added a pair of RBIs.

 

Omaha starter Danny Tamayo (4-7) took the loss after surrendering six runs on six hits over five frames.

 

The teams meet again at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium. Left-hander Jeff Housman (4-7, 5.28) will make the start for the Sounds and face Omaha right-hander Dennis Tankersley (7-6, 4.80).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.omaha.com/index.php?u...id=1466360

 

Sounds' rally in 5th burns Royals

BY CRAIG SESKER

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

 

They are the best road team in the Pacific Coast League.

 

And they proved precisely why Friday night despite playing a team they have struggled against.

 

The Nashville Sounds used a strong performance by the bottom of their batting order as their final four hitters combined for six runs, seven hits and five RBIs in a 9-4 baseball win over the Omaha Royals.

 

"There is no secret that if the bottom of the order hits, you usually win," said Nashville No. 9 batter Steve Scarborough, who was 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. "When we help our guys in the middle of the order, who always hit, we are real successful. Especially in a hitter-friendly ballpark like this."

 

First-place Nashville (56-44) entered the four-game series just 4-8 against the Royals this season, but changed its fortunes on the hottest day of the year in Omaha before 7,796 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium. The temperature at game time was 97 degrees with a heat index of 109.

 

"Those guys always seem to swing the bat real well against us," Nashville manager Frank Kremblas said. "Plus they have pitched well against us. So this was a good win."

 

Nashville broke a 2-2 tie with a four-run fifth inning. Mike Rivera, the No. 7 hitter, led off with a walk before Chris Barnwell followed with a single and Scarborough delivered an RBI single. Corey Hart capped the outburst by launching a two-out, two-run homer to left.

 

An early baserunning miscue provided a microcosm of a frustrating night for the Royals (44-56), who lost their third straight game.

 

A chance for a potential big third inning went awry when Omaha's Denny Hocking smoked a double into the right-field gap with no outs. Chad Santos initially appeared like he would score easily from first.

 

Santos arrived at home before the ball, but Rivera blocked the plate as a sliding Santos never reached the plate. Adrian Brown followed with an RBI single, but Aaron Guiel bounced into a double play.

 

"Santos can't allow that to happen," Omaha manager Mike Jirschele said. "He has to knock the guy out of there."

 

Guiel slammed a solo homer in the first, his 22nd home run of the season. He also contributed a two-run double in the sixth with nobody out. But Sounds starter Gary Glover retired the next three batters to work out of trouble.

 

Glover (3-1) went seven innings to record the win, allowing eight hits and four runs. Glover started the year in Milwaukee before being sent down to Nashville early last month.

 

Former Omaha pitcher Wes Obermueller, optioned to the Sounds on Wednesday from the Milwaukee Brewers, retired all four batters he faced to earn the save.

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio with RHP Mike Meyers:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-22.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 6, Huntsville 4

Among the early second-half division leaders, you got the sense that the Stars' fast start was a bit of a mirage, but it's not like they're getting blown away -- these are heartbreakers...

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Andy Gonzalez singled home a pair of runs with two outs in the eighth inning to snap a tie and send Birmingham to a 6-4 win over Huntsville Friday night in the first game of a three-game set at the Hoover Met. The Barons snapped a three-game slide and improved to 16-8 in the second half of the season, while the Stars suffered their fourth straight loss to fall to 13-15 in the second half. The Barons have won four of the five games between the two teams and improved to just 19-22 at home.

 

Pedro Lopez and Antoin Gray singled with one out in the eighth against Keith Stamler and advanced a base on a Jerry Owens ground ball out. Gonzalez, who had lined out sharply to left field to end the sixth inning with two runners on as the first batter Stamler faced in relief of starter Josh Habel, lined a 2-0 offering into center field for a base hit that chased home both runners to give the Barons a 6-4 lead. Stamler had gone 7 1/3 scoreless innings over his last five outings, including two scoreless frames in Wednesday?s 19 inning 2-1 loss to Mobile, prior to Friday night.

 

Ryan Meaux took over for starter Charlie Haeger after a leadoff single by Tony Gwynn, Jr. in the seventh and worked three scoreless frames to earn his fifth win of the year and second against the Stars. The southpaw allowed one hit, fanned one and walked one in his second appearance against Huntsville.

 

The Stars, who had been limited to three singles over eight scoreless frames by Haeger on July 4 in Huntsville, were blanked for three frames before erupting for four runs on five hits in the fourth inning to move out to a 4-0 lead. Enrique Cruz tripled with two outs and scored when Ben Van Iderstine followed with a three-base hit to chase home Cruz with the game?s first run. Nelson Castro followed with a single off the glove of a diving Josh Fields at third base to plate Van Iderstine before Jeff Winchester doubled to deep center field to deliver Castro to make it 3-0. Gwynn then doubled to center to score Winchester and knock in his first run in 15 days to complete the four-run uprising.

 

Habel fanned Casey Rogowski and Fields with runners at first and second base and one out in the third inning and faced a similar situation in the fifth. Rogowski flied out for the second out of the inning but Fields blasted a 3-0 pitch over the wall in left field to trim the Stars lead to 4-3. It was his 13th home run of the season and second against the Stars. Jerry Owens? two-out infield single in the sixth scored Chris Stewart with the tying run and spelled the end of the night for Habel, who allowed four runs on nine hits, with seven strikeouts, over 5 2/3 innings worth of work.

 

The series continues Saturday night with Stars' right-hander David Bradley taking the hill against Barons left-hander Daniel Haigwood. 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.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

You wouldn't think veteran utility man Nelson Castro would be an ideal candidate for the DH spot in a rare series when it's used, but he managed three hits in this one...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 5, Lakewood (Phillies) 4, 11 innings

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER WIN IN 11 INNINGS

Charleston, WV ? Nestor Corredor provided the West Virginia Power with a clutch two-out game winning RBI double in the bottom of the eleventh inning on Friday night at Appalachian Power Park as the Power beat the Lakewood BlueClaws 5-4.

 

The Power scored the first run of the game on an RBI single from Grant Richardson in the bottom of the first inning. Ryan Frith tied the game in the top of the second inning on an RBI double. The Power regained the lead scoring two times in the bottom of the third inning. Ryan Braun drove in the first run with a double and Braun scored later in the inning on Hasan Rasheed?s sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Power.

 

The BlueClaws brought themselves within a run in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single from Doug Gredvig. Braun drove in his second run of the game with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Power a 4-2 advantage. In the top of the eighth inning Brad Harman knocked in Josh Mader on an RBI groundout and Jason Jaramillo tied the game at 4-4 on an RBI single. The game remained tied at 4-4 until Corredor ended the ballgame with his double in the bottom of the eleventh inning.

 

Ben Stanczyk (4-1) earned the victory, and Jacob Barrack (4-3) obtained the loss. The Power are 14-13 in the second half after the win and the BlueClaws move to 12-16 with the loss.

 

The Power will continue the five-game series with the Lakewood BlueClaws at Appalachian Power Park on Saturday night. The Power will throw RHP Mark Rogers (1-6, 4.22) and the BlueClaws will counter with RHP Nate Johnson (7-5, 5.51). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2005072242

 

Power wins in 11th on Corredor's hit

By Nick Scala

Charleston Gazette Staff Writer

 

In his first at-bat against Jacob Barrack, with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth and the potential winning run on second base, Nestor Corredor looked at a first-pitch fastball for a strike ? and wound up striking out.

 

Faced with a second chance in the 11th inning, Corredor looked for ? and received ? the same pitch, and he jumped on it, roping a game-winning hit to give the West Virginia Power a 5-4 win over the Lakewood BlueClaws Friday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

?I was waiting for a fastball on the first pitch, and I got it,? Gallardo said after driving home Hernan Iribarren from second base with the winning run. ?In my other at-bat, the first pitch was a fastball, so I was looking for it again.?

 

Corredor also had a key defensive contribution, throwing out a would-be base stealer in the top of the 10th.

 

?I?m very excited because I helped get the team a win,? he said. ?Hopefully, it?ll carry over for more.?

 

A paid crowd of 4,019 was treated to postgame fireworks, but had to wait two extra innings to celebrate.

 

After leaving the go-ahead run in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, the Power finished the job in the 11th. Iribarren led off with a single, his third hit of the night, and moved to second on Grant Richardson?s third single. Then, with two outs, Corredor drilled Barrack?s first pitch over the head of left fielder Sean Gamble, allowing Iribarren to trot home.

 

The Power bounced back from Thursday?s 13-0 loss to the BlueClaws, but manager Ramon Aviles wished it could have been done in quicker fashion.

 

?It should have been done earlier,? Aviles said after the Power improved to 14-13 in the second half and 11-9 in July. ?A lot of things happened that caused us to go to extra innings. Our base-running was terrible, and it almost cost us.?

 

The Power had two runners caught stealing, one was picked off at first and another was thrown out at second trying to move up on a fly ball.

 

Ben Stancyzk (4-1) got the win in relief after throwing a 1-2-3 11th. Barrack (4-3) took the loss.

 

Power starter Yovani Gallardo, looking for his fourth win in as many starts, left after six innings with a 3-2 lead, but the Power bullpen couldn?t hold it. Gallardo allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings. The 19-year-old right-hander from Texas struck out eight and walked just one while lowering his ERA to 2.99.

 

?That?s four times in a row now he?s pitched very well,? Aviles said of Gallardo.

 

In his last four starts, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Gallardo is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA, allowing just four earned runs in his last 26 innings.

 

The Power collected 17 hits, with the top of the order making the most noise. Alcides Escobar also had three hits, and Ryan Braun and Carlos Corporan contributed two each.

 

The Power jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Lakewood starter Andy Baldwin. Escobar singled and scored on Richardson?s RBI single to left. Lakewood got even in the top of the second when Doug Gredvig singled and scored on Ryan Frith?s two-out double to right-center.

 

West Virginia regained the advantage with two runs in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back doubles by Iribarren and Braun to start the inning delivered the first run, and Braun scored on a sacrifice fly by Hasan Rasheed.

 

The BlueClaws got an unearned run in the seventh, making it 3-2. A one-out walk and a throwing error by Braun at third set up Gredvig?s run-scoring single to right, but Gallardo escaped further damage when he ended the inning with a 3-6-1 double play.

 

The Power added a run in the seventh when Escobar led off with a single, moved to second on Iribarren?s sacrifice bunt and scored on Braun?s line single to left-center.

 

But in the top of the eighth, Lakewood tied it up with two runs against relievers Justin Barnes and Robert Hinton. Joshua Mader led off with a double and eventually came around on Bradley Harman?s ground out, and two walks issued by Hinton set up Jason Jaramillo?s two-out RBI single to tie the game at 4.

 

Power points

 

The Power leads the season series with Lakewood 11-4. ... West Virginia is 8-4 when Gallardo starts. ... The Power is 5-2 in one-run decisions this month. ... The teams play the fourth game of the five-game series Saturday night. Promotions include Boy Scout Night, with overnight camping and a movie on the scoreboard for participating Boy Scouts, and a tribute to the Negro Leagues, with the players on both teams wearing Negro League throwback uniforms.

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Power batters with 17 hits, four of them doubles; Yo Gallardo was pitching in high school 15 months ago...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Orem (Angels) 7, Helena 4

Big early deficit too much to overcome...

 

Helena Independent Record Game Notes:

 

Brewers offense held in check in Orem

By IR Staff

 

The Orem Owlz slowed the bats of the Helena Brewers on Friday, harnessing the Pioneer League's best offense for a 7-4 win.

 

The Owlz scored five runs in the first inning and kept Helena from the big inning that has been prominent for the Brewers this season.

 

Helena (21-9) remained two games ahead of Billings in the Pioneer League North Division when the Mustangs fell 5-4 to Casper on Friday. Both teams have seven games remaining on their first-half schedule.

 

The Brewers play at Orem through the weekend before returning home for a three-game series with the Mustangs on Monday.

 

Helena outhit Orem 10-6 on Friday but could not overcome the early deficit brought on by a grand slam by Joshua Cowles with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

 

That came after the Brewers took a 2-0 lead on an RBI groundout by Angel Salome and a sacrifice fly from Matthew Gamel in the top of the inning.

 

Orem added two runs in the second inning for a 7-2 lead and held the Brewers to single runs in the fifth and seventh innings.

 

Charlie Fermaint played a major role in both later runs with his eighth home run of the year in the fifth and a double and run scored in the seventh.

 

Salome drove in the fourth run with a double to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Teammate Brendan Katin had two hits and has hit safely in 17 straight.

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.heraldextra.com/modul...mp;thold=0

 

Jason Franchuk, OREM DAILY HERALD

 

Along the concourse down the third-base line, a local company offered free massages Friday.

 

Strange as that may sound, it also should be noted that they weren't necessary. It was a relatively stress-free night for the Orem Owlz, who defeated Helena, 7-4, at Utah Valley State College.

 

A first-inning grand slam by Josh Cowles held up the rest of the evening. Another home run in the second inning provided just enough margin for error.

 

"If you don't get to a good pitcher early, odds are you don't get to him at all," Owlz manager Tom Kotchman said of Helena's Rafael Lluberes (1-2). "We basically won that game on two swings. We got a little lucky."

 

Fans who missed the first couple of innings missed most of the action in a breezy game that took just over two hours to finish.

 

A couple of walks loaded the bases for the Owlz in the first inning, then Lluberes walked home a run with two outs before giving up the grand slam to Cowles to left field.

 

Helena scored two runs in the first as Jose Arredondo, who struggled in his last start, struggled to gain his form.

 

Orem didn't score past the second inning. Marco Albano hit a two-run home run to left field. Cowles' blast was his fourth this year; it was Albano's first.

 

It was too late, but Lluberes did settle down. He threw five innings, giving up all seven runs while striking out two. After the first two innings, he allowed no runs and one hit.

 

"He started changing speeds and getting strikes," Kotchman said.

 

Owlz starter Jose Arredondo (3-0) received his big break in the third. With runners on first and second, catcher Brett Martinez caught baserunner Brendan Katin sleeping at second base.

 

"Without that play, who knows what happens?" Kotchman said.

 

Arredondo gave up six hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings.

 

But it's nights like these when the Owlz are glad to have a true closer waiting in the bullpen.

 

Kevin Lynch's job in college was to come out and save games. He's doing the same as a pro. He earned his second one by pitching the last 2 1/3, doing it on 21 pitches and only allowing one hit to seven batters.

 

"Most pitchers when they turn pro were starters," Kotchman said. "He's done this before. Having him is a luxury."

 

Kotchman takes these wins against the Brewers seriously. He considers them possibly the best team in the league, and a blueprint for how to construct a roster.

 

"They're young and really good," Kotchman said. "They've got everything. That's how you build a major league club."

 

Helena Box Score:

Tough night at the plate for Ned Yost (0-for-4, three K's, GIDP)

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_orerok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_orerok_1

[molitor fan]

Just wanted to pull this out from the above article because it needs to be noted......

 

Kotchman takes these wins against the Brewers seriously. He considers them possibly the best team in the league, and a blueprint for how to construct a roster.

 

"They're young and really good," Kotchman said. "They've got everything. That's how you build a major league club."

[ja002h]

CV = awesome.

[hscoach]

Yovani is on fire, are they going to stop him at 100 innings?