Link Report for Games of Friday, July 15th

[clancyphile]

Vanden Berg has pushed that OPS back up.

 

Doing quite well - after this game, it's a .373 OBP and a .372 SLG. I think he's legit.

[pogokat]

I think he's legit.

 

we know.

[Mass Haas]

I think he's legit.

 

Really Harold? Honestly, I had no idea you felt that way http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

[Mass Haas]

Arizona Brewer game "unreported" as of late night, maybe in the AM...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Doubleheader Summary:

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds split a doubleheader with the visiting Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday evening at Greer Stadium, taking the opener by a 6-1 score before falling 2-1 in the nightcap in front of 9,858 fans.

 

Nashville (52-41) maintains its four-game lead over Memphis in the PCL American Conference Northern Division and draws its third split in four doubleheaders this season.

 

Outfielder Nelson Cruz hit safely in both contests to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, each of his tilts played in a Nashville uniform. All-Star Corey Hart also hit safely in both ends of the twinbill and has hit safely in five straight and in 19 of his last 20 games.

 

Nashville shortstop Steve Scarborough put the home team on the board in the opener, slapping a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate Cruz, who singled earlier in the frame. Albuquerque tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third on a Todd Sears sacrifice fly.

 

Prince Fielder ripped a one-out two-run single in the bottom of the fifth to give the Sounds a 3-1 lead. The hit, which came against Isotopes reliever Chad Bentz, brought home Ryan Knox and Dave Krynzel.

 

Hart gave Nashville some breathing room in the sixth with a two-out, two-run single off Albuquerque reliever Clint Sodowsky that increased the lead to 5-1. Warren Morris scampered home with the final run of the night on a subsequent Sodowsky wild pitch.

 

Sounds starter Rick Helling (8-3) picked up his team-leading eighth victory after allowing one run on four hits while fanning seven over five innings. Frank Castillo (7-6), a former Sound, was dealt the loss after giving up three runs over his 4 1/3 frames of work.

 

Chris Barnwell broke a scoreless tie in the nightcap with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning off Albuquerque starter Travis Smith. The two-bagger scored Tony Zuniga unearned after he had reached on a fielding error by Isotopes third baseman Jason Wood.

 

Albuquerque used the longball to grab a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth against Nashville starter Ben Hendrickson. Isotopes shortstop Josh Wilson tied the contest with a one-out solo homer to left-center, his eighth tater of the year. Wood, who played for the Sounds in 2000 & 2001, blasted his 11th roundtripper of the season two batters later to the same spot in left-center, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.

 

The Sounds put the potential tying run on second with one out in the ninth following a one-out Barnwell double but the Albuquerque bullpen retired Scarborough and Fielder in succession to preserve the win.

 

Smith (3-4) allowed one unearned run over six innings of work to record the victory, while Hendrickson (4-7) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in his six frames. The Sounds right-hander struck out a season-high 10 batters, the most by a Nashville pitcher this season and Hendrickson?s first double-digit K total since May 3, 2002. Jim Crowell induced a game-ending groundout from Fielder, the lone batter he faced, to record his team-leading eighth save.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. meeting on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Justin Lehr (7-7, 4.06) will make the start for Nashville and face Isotopes southpaw Donovan Osborne (1-0, 6.19).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 7, Arizona Mariners 3

 

Weather: 113 degrees, sunny.

Wind: 0 mph, None.

T: 2:49

 

Arizona Box Score:

18-year-old Canadian RHP Alexandre Periard gets stretched out to four innings, allowing a few too many baserunners during his stint, but otherwise solid contributions from several both at the plate and on the mound...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_mrnrok_1

 

Arizona Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_mrnrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Albuquerque HRs earn twinbill split

Helling stars in opener, Nashville loses nightcap

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Solid pitching and late offense keyed yet another Nashville Sounds victory last night, as the team opened an eight-game homestand with a 6-1 win over Albuquerque in the first game of a doubleheader.

 

In the nightcap, Ben Hendrickson struck out a Sounds season-high 10 but allowed a pair of sixth-inning home runs in a 2-1 loss.

 

Sounds starter Rick Helling and relievers Kane Davis and Jose Capellan combined to hold Albuquerque to four hits in the first seven-inning contest, with Davis and Capellan retiring the visitors in order in the sixth and seventh. The trio totaled 11 strikeouts.

 

Meanwhile, Nashville broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with Prince Fielder's bases-loaded single off the glove of Albuquerque first baseman Todd Sears that scored a pair of runs. Corey Hart added a bases-loaded single in the sixth to drive in two more runs, with Warren Morris scoring on a subsequent wild pitch.

 

Albuquerque utilized five relievers behind former Sound Frank Castillo, who started and took the loss. Three different Isotopes failed to retire a hitter, including Clint Sodowsky, who gave up Hart's two-RBI single and was ejected for hitting Fielder on the next pitch. Albuquerque Manager Dean Treanor was also tossed in the aftermath.

 

In the second game, Hendrickson struck out two hitters in each of the first four innings to match his and the team's previous season high, before his offensive mates gave him a 1-0 lead on Chris Barnwell's RBI double.

 

He added a strikeout in the fifth and sixth, but also allowed a pair of solo homers in the sixth. Albuquerque tied the game on Josh Wilson's shot and went ahead on ex-Sound Jason Wood's longball.

 

The 10 strikeouts for Hendrickson marked the first double-digit effort by a Nashville pitcher since Justin Reid posted 10 against Oklahoma on Aug. 24 of last season. It was his first outing with 10 or more since May 3, 2003, when he struck out 11 while pitching for Class A High Desert.

 

On the move: Milwaukee pitcher Tommy Phelps was outrighted to Nashville yesterday to make room on the roster for Dana Eveland, whose contract was purchased from Huntsville.

 

In 29 relief appearances for the Brewers, Phelps went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA and a save.

 

Eveland started the Southern League All-Star Game ? throwing a scoreless inning for the North Division ? and was 10-4, 2.72 in 18 starts with Huntsville. The 21-year-old left-hander was Milwaukee's 16th-round pick in the 2002 draft.

 

Cruzing: With base hits in the second inning of Game 1 and the sixth inning of Game 2, Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to 11 games ? every game he's appeared in since joining the Sounds from Class AA Huntsville.

 

In his 11 games, Cruz has hit .457 (16-for-35) with three home runs and eight RBIs.

 

On the other side, both Dave Krynzel and Warren Morris had five-game strings broken with hitless outings in the first game.

 

Droughts end: Ryan Knox's pinch-hit bunt single to lead off the fifth inning of Game 1 snapped a 0-for-13 skid coming off the bench.

 

Also, Hendrickson beat out an infield single to lead off the third inning in Game 2 for his first base hit of the year. He'd been hitless in his previous 14 at-bats.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Bibbs beats throw home for Stars' win

Huntsville forges pair of rallies to top Carolina

By PAUL GATTIS

Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

The Huntsville Stars pulled out a dramatic victory twice Friday night.

 

After taking a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Stars put together one more rally in the ninth when Kennard Bibbs' head-first slide into home scored the winning run to beat the Carolina Mudcats 5-4.

 

With one out and the bases loaded, Brandon Gemoll grounded to Mudcats first baseman Chris Bass. Bass' throw to force Bibbs at the plate was a heartbeat late as the Stars won their fourth game in the last five.

 

"We battled back," Stars manager Don Money said. "That's what you have to do."

 

The Stars appeared to have the game wrapped up in the eighth inning. With two outs and the game tied 2-2, John Vanden Berg laced a two-run single to center for a 4-2 lead.

 

But the Mudcats battled back against Stars reliever Jerome Gamble (2-0), who got the win when his teammates rallied in the bottom of the ninth off Carolina reliever Ross Wolf (5-3).

 

Tony Gwynn Jr. led off the ninth by striking out. But four straight hits - two of the infield variety - led to the winning run.

 

Bibbs "hit a good pitch," Money said, and singled to right. Vinny Rottino then hit the hardest ball of the inning - a line drive to center field that moved Bibbs to second.

 

Then Brad Nelson hit a slow roller to shortstop that Carolina shortstop Rex Rundgren couldn't come up with cleanly and that loaded the bases for Gemoll.

 

Gemoll grounded a high chopper to Bass at first. Unable to get much on the throw home, Bass' throw was just late as Bibbs slid in under Carolina catcher Jason Hill.

 

"It took four base hits to get one run," Money said. "Two of them did not go far."

 

The victory capped a pitcher's duel between Stars starter Glenn Woolard and Carolina's Yorman Bazardo - the No. 3 prospect in the Florida Marlins farm system.

 

Woolard went seven innings and allowed five hits and two runs - both runs coming on a long homer to center by, strangely enough, Bazardo.

 

Meanwhile, Bazardo went seven innings and allowed seven hits and two runs. After staking himself to a 2-0 lead, Bazardo surrendered a run in the third and the tying run in the fourth.

 

The Stars' first run came when Woolard hit a long double over the head of Mudcats center fielder Reggie Abercrombie. He scored when Rottino singled to left with two outs.

 

In the fourth, Enrique Cruz singled and scored on a two-out single by Vanden Berg.

 

It was Vanden Berg's first RBI since June 15th.

 

Vanden Berg then laced his two-run single to center in the eighth that temporarily gave the Stars a 4-2 lead.

 

But Gamble, who had pitched two perfect innings since coming off the disabled list earlier this month, allowed three hits and two runs to miss out on what would have been his fifth save.

 

Jeremy Hermida - the Marlins' No. 1 prospect - had an RBI double off Gamble, then Hill drove in the tying run with a groundout.

[Mass Haas]

No kidding -- the Melbourne / Viera media notices -- everyone loves a winner!

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.floridatoday.com/apps...60324/1002

 

Last to first: Manatees in playoff hunt

Home schedule favors Brevard to stay red-hot

BY SCOTT BROWN

FLORIDA TODAY

 

VIERA - The heavier the summer air gets, the lighter the Brevard County Manatees' collective step seems to get.

 

Go figure.

 

Then again, this team has been tough for John Tamargo to figure.

 

The Manatees skipper liked what he saw from his players during spring training, and Brevard County promptly went 25-43 in the first half of Florida State League play, finishing last in the East Division.

 

Energized by a clean slate and a fast start to the second half of the FSL season, the Manatees opened a long homestand Friday night thinking playoffs.

 

Even with a 7-6 loss to visiting Fort Myers on Friday, the Manatees (14-7) still stand atop their division. They also could put some distance between them and the rest of the division, since 14 of their next 15 games will be played at Space Coast Stadium.

 

If the Manatees win the East in the second half of the season, they will qualify for the FSL's playoffs.

 

"The homestand, I think, is going to tell us where we're going to be at the end of the year," Tamargo said. "I think at the end of the month we'll know if we have a legitimate chance of winning in the second half."

 

So far, the Manatees look for real.

 

They posted a 5-2 record on a recent road trip and got a big confidence booster in Dunedin. After losing consecutive games to the team that went 40-28 in the first half of the season, Brevard County rallied to win each of the next two games and salvage a series split.

 

The Manatees are authoring a a tale of two seasons -- not because of wholesale changes so much as a change in mindset.

 

In the first half, the Manatees found so many different ways to lose that they almost expected something bad to happen in the late innings of a close game.

 

And now?

 

"When we get down, we don't panic and we find a way to win games," outfielder Drew Anderson said. "Now we go out there and we expect to win."

 

While losing led to a domino effect in the first half, winning has given the Manatees momentum, not to mention a much happier clubhouse.

 

"It's a better atmosphere when you win," FSL All-Star catcher Lou Palmisano said. "Guys are relaxed; it's more upbeat."

 

Maybe a little relaxing is all it took for the Manatees to turn their season around.

 

Brevard County's pitching and defense were solid during the first half of FSL play, but the Manatees struggled to come up with big hits in the clutch.

 

They have produced enough such hits in the second half, Anderson said, that players now relish the chance to bat in the late innings of a close game with runners on base.

 

"When we're running on all cylinders, I don't think there's too many teams that can hang with us," said starting pitcher Tim Dillard, who has won six of his past seven decisions. "I think we have the best team in the league."

 

Dillard may be getting ahead of himself, but such a statement is indicative of the confidence that now permeates the home locker room at Space Coast Stadium.

 

As much as development is emphasized in the minor leagues, the players want to win as badly as they always have.

 

Apparently, the same goes for the Manatees' manager.

 

Before the start of the season, Tamargo flatly told his players that he hadn't taken the job just to watch them try to improve without much regard to winning.

 

"You develop, too, by winning," Tamargo said. "If you continue to lose, it gets to you."

 

It looks like for now that Tamargo is getting what every minor-league manager hopes for in a season: a team that is developing and winning.

 

"You can see them growing, being more aggressive," Tamargo said. "I don't want to jinx us, but it's been fun to watch."

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Gazette:

 

Wahpepah hurls Power past Lakewood 3-2

 

LAKEWOOD, N.J. ? The West Virginia Power got a strong pitching performance by starter Josh Wahpepah and held on at the end to beat the Lakewood BlueClaws 3-2 Friday night.

 

After consecutive 1-2-3 innings to start the game, West Virginia?s Grant Richardson led off the top of the second with a solo home run to left field, giving him a team-best eight on the season and giving the Power a 1-0 lead.

 

The Power extended its lead in the fourth when Josh Brady scored Richardson from third on a sacrifice fly, making it 2-0. In the next at bat, Nestor Corredor singled in Hasan Rasheed from third to put the Power up 3-0.

 

That gave Wahpepah more than enough run support. He flirted with a no-hitter before surrendering a double to BlueClaw first baseman Doug Gredvig in the bottom of the fourth. He gave up a two-out single to designated hitter Michael Dzurilla in the sixth before getting Gredvig to fly to center to end the inning. Dzurilla?s .340 average entering the game ranked fourth in the South Atlantic League.

 

BlueClaw catcher Jason Jaramillo doubled to left to start the seventh and put a runner in scoring position. Wahpepah then struck out Sam Orr, got Jesus Merchan to ground out and got Sean Gamble to pop out to escape the scoring threat.

 

Lakewood was able to muster some offense after Wahpepah left to start the eighth and was replaced by Ben Stanczyk. Stanczyk walked second baseman Josh Mader to start the inning and Chris Klemm moved him to third with a one-out double. After Dzurilla struck out, Jaramillo reached on a throwing error by Ryan Braun that allowed Mader and Klemm to score to make it a 3-2 game. Stanczyk got Orr to pop out to preserve the lead.

 

Richardson had two hits and scored twice to lead the Power (10-11).

 

Wahpepah (5-4) pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, fanning three with just one walk. Stanczyk pitched two innings, surrendering the two unearned runs to get his sixth save.

 

Matt Sweeney (1-8) took the loss for the BlueClaws (9-12). With the win, West Virginia moves a game ahead of Lakewood in the South Atlantic League Northern Division standings.

 

After taking three in the four-game series, West Virginia travels south to visit the Hagerstown Suns tonight. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll...012/SPORTS

 

Tough loss for Claws

Fail to score with bases loaded in 9th

BY JOE ADELIZZI, Asbury Park Press

 

LAKEWOOD ? Perhaps if Josh Wahpepah had still been on the mound spinning his magic against the Lakewood BlueClaws the 3-2 loss wouldn't have hurt as much.

 

Perhaps, if the Claws hadn't scratched their way back into the game with their usual eighth inning heroics, dropping their third game in four at home against West Virginia wouldn't have left the Claws' clubhouse a morose place to be.

 

Perhaps, if they had found a way to get at least one run home in the ninth inning, when they loaded the bases with no one out, the fireworks that entertained the largest crowd of the season (8,424) would have been more festive.

 

But none of those things happened.

 

"It is one of the toughest loses of the season," said Chris Klemm, one of three batters who failed to cash the tying run in the ninth inning.

 

Klemm had the best chance, working the count to 3-1 against Power closer Ben Stanczyk.

 

He looped the ball to center field, where Hasan Rasheed charged in and made the catch.

 

Meanwhile, at third base, Jesus Merchan decided that he couldn't score on the fly. Instead he headed home, hoping it would drop.

 

"It was not deep enough for me to take a chance," Merchan said. "I would not have made it."

 

But Rasheed was off balance when he made the catch and needed three steps to keep his balance before throwing home.

 

It was the second fly out of the inning for Lakewood, the first coming from Greg Golson. It went to right field but Merchan had no chance of scoring on the shallow fly.

 

The surprising thing was that the Claws made it that close. Wahpepah, now 5-4, was brilliant on the mound for seven innings, allowing three hits.

 

Meanwhile the Power had gotten three runs off Matt Sweeney, who gave the Claws a solid six innings. Grant Richardson started the scoring with a home run and West Virginia stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning. They had only one more base runner during the final five innings against three different relievers.

 

When Wahpepah, who has now allowed only two earned runs in 19 innings this July, left the game the Claws got a break to give themselves a chance.

 

Stanczyk allowed a walk, double to Klemm and another walk before Jason Jaramillo's slow ground ball to third baseman Ryan Braun was thrown into the stands behind first. That allowed two runs to score.

 

In the ninth, Merchan singled, Sean Gamble walked and Josh Mader reached when the Power threw late to third on his sacrifice bunt.

 

Then came the two fly outs before Mike Dzurilla struck out to end the game.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...605_06.txt

 

Brew crew comeback

By KEVIN SHIVELY - IR Sports Writer

 

Okay Brewers, you may deserve your number one spot.

 

We knew you had the skill, but Friday night we saw the attitude too.

 

That attitude came out when the Brewers came back from an 8-1 deficit to beat the Orem Owlz 11-10 in the bottom of the ninth.

 

"I really like that the guys never gave up," said Helena manager Ed Sedar. "They always felt like they had a chance and that kept them in it."

 

The Brewers had inched their way back out of the seven run hole, but were still down by two going into the bottom of the ninth.

 

Brendan Katin walked and was brought around and scored after back-to-back singles from Agustin Septimo and Matt Gamel, making Septimo the tying run on third.

 

With two outs, Charlie Fermaint must have decided that he didn't want extra innings, so he roped a single to left that easily scored both Septimo and Gamel.

 

Steven Chapman hit a homer in the eighth, and Ken Holmberg was 3-for-4 in the game.

 

The Helena offense put runs up on the board, but Helena's relievers allowed them the opportunity to score meaningful ones.

 

Tyler Morrison started on the mound for Helena, and struggled through three innings.

 

Morrison gave up four runs in each of the two first innings, on nine hits.

 

Dane Renkert relieved Morrison in the fourth, and pitched two hitless innings and allowed only one run in the sixth.

 

Ryan Marion threw the last three innings, allowing only one run on three hits, collecting the win to improve his record to 3-0.

 

"Dane and Ryan did outstanding tonight keeping them at bay," said Sedar. "We teach our pitchers in that situation to give the hitters time to come back; to hold the opposing team to zeroes or at least only one run an inning. They did a great job of that."

 

The Brewers (17-6) and the Owlz (12-12) will face off again tonight at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central).

 

George Lane IR staff photographer - Brewers shortstop Ryan Crew steps out of the way of an Orem Owlz runner, after tagging him out at second base. The throw to first went wide.

 

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2005/07/16/sports_top/b01071605_06.jpg

[Mass Haas]

A first for the "new" Helena Brewers, Helena Press Release follows:

 

HELENA - The Milwaukee Brewers announced Friday they have purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Dana Eveland from Double-A Huntsville of the Southern League.

 

Eveland pitched in Helena in 2003 and becomes the first of the Helena Brewers to reach the Major Leagues off of a Helena club since its return to the Queen City in 2003.

 

Eveland was 10-4 with the Huntsville Stars with a 2.72 ERA. In 109.0 innings he had allowed only 96 hits and had notched 98 strike outs with 38 walks. The 6'1 220 lb Eveland was a bullpen ace for Helena in '03. He was 2-1 with 41 K's in only 26 innings for the Brewers' that season, his first as a pro after being drafted in the 16th round of the amateur draft.

 

"We're very excited that Dana will be contributing for our parent club at the Major League level," Helena Brewers' General Manager Paul Fetz said. "I think it's a great indication of how well we have been treated in terms of talent provided to us by Milwaukee. Dana is the first but certainly won't be the last of the new generation of the Helena Brewers who will make it to Miller Park in Milwaukee."

[Mass Haas]

We have to turn to the Fort Myers' Site for a Brevard County Game Summary:

 

VIERA, FL ? There are some games during a season that a team has to win ugly and Friday night at Space Coast Stadium was one of those for the Fort Myers Miracle as they defeated the Brevard County Manatees 7-6.

 

The game saw a combined 13 walks, five errors, seven unearned runs and 27 men left on base with nine different pitchers and lasted three hours and 46 minutes, but in the end the Miracle hung on.

 

The night started off on a positive note for the Miracle. Manatee starting pitcher Ryan Costello couldn?t find the strike zone in the first. He walked lead off man Matt Tolbert, but got J.R. Taylor to ground into a double play. He followed that by loading the bases with a hit batsmen and two walks. That brought Kyle Phillips to the plate who tattooed a 2-1 fastball over the right field wall for a grand slam, his second homer of the season. It was the first grand slam hit by a Miracle since Terry Tiffee did it on May 7, 2002.

 

The Manatees responded with three unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Travis Ezi led off the inning by reaching on second baseman Tolbert?s error. After stealing second, he scored on an RBI single by Drew Anderson. With two outs Steve Moss blasted a two-run homer to left to make it 4-3.

 

The Miracle took a 5-3 lead in the second when Ron Perodin led off with a walk and with one out Taylor singled him to second. Perodin and Taylor pulled off a double steal and catcher C.J. Medlin?s throw went into left field which allowed Perodin to score.

 

The Manatees drew within one in the seventh with another unearned run when with the bases loaded Ezi grounded one back to the mound that reliever Jan Granado booted which allowed the run from third to score

 

The Miracle got two much needed insurance runs in the ninth. Kyle Geiger led off with a double to right and Brock Peterson extended his hit streak to 12 games by ripping a ground ball off the pitcher for an infield single and sending pinch runner Angelo Fermin to third. After Peterson stole second Scott Whitrock?s ground rule with two outs scored both runners.

 

In the bottom of the ninth the Manatees made things interesting off of reliever Jay Sawatski. Jeff Eure led off the inning by reaching on Taylor?s error. Medlin followed with a double to left that put runners at second and third. Steve Sollman?s sac fly scored Eure and moved Medlin to third. Ezi?s ground out scored Medlin to make it 7-6. Ozzie Chavez then singled to right and Anderson reached on an infield single to first. Sawatski got Adam Heether to fly out deep to center to end the game.

 

Crawford went five innings for the Miracle allowing three runs, all unearned, on six hits while walking a Miracle season high five and striking out six in getting his fourth victory of the season. Sawatski picked up his eighth save of the season by going 1.1 innings allowing two runs, both unearned, on three hits.

 

The same two teams meet Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. (6:00 Central) at Space Coast Stadium. The Miracle send RHP Anthony Swarzak, making his first start for the Miracle since being called up from Single-A Beloit, to the hill against Manatees RHP Carlos Villanueva (6-1, 2.21)