Link Report for Games of Saturday, June 4th

[ThePurpleStorm]

Phew, AAA isn't challenging Weeks enough. Could he possibly be any more ready offensively?

[DHonks]

Could he possibly be any more ready offensively?

 

he's not batting 1.00, though. Just kidding. His offense is amazing. But they need him to figure out how to play defense while we figure out how to move Spivey

[colbyjack]

I brought this up the other day, but how much do you go through the motions with Junior Spivey hoping to trade him given the way Weeks is hitting? At this point in time, I'm becoming more comfortable with taking a marginal A-ball hitter for Spivey, if that, even if it means we pay most if not all of his remaining 2005 salary.

 

My usual props towards the West Virginia middle infield and to Dana Eveland, who got his ERA under 3.00 again. Those three players probably are my favorite 3 players to follow.

 

I can't believe Hendrickson gave up as many runs as he did giving up as few baserunners as he did. Take away the runs (which is of course easier said than done) and you have a very respectable line.

[brettac1]

My usual props towards the West Virginia middle infield

They are fun to watch. It's amazing how great of a hitter Hurricane is, I hope he does get promoted as aggressively as some were saying.

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game One: Brevard County 2, Daytona (Cubs) 1

Final, Game Two: Daytona (Cubs) 9, Brevard County 1

 

Brevard County Game One Box Score:

Why did the Cubs release C.J. Medlin early in 2004 again? At least the Brewers are recognizing they might have something here -- Batman, we need one of your newcomer series http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ...

 YTD YTD BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG DAYTONA AB R H BI AVG S.Sollmann 2B 3 0 0 0 .235 C.Walker CF 3 1 1 1 .286 D.Anderson LF 3 0 1 0 .288 R.Chirinos 2B 3 0 0 0 .242 A.Heether 3B 2 1 0 0 .295 B.Dopirak 1B 3 0 0 0 .225 C.Medlin DH 3 1 2 2 .316 S.Moore DH 3 0 1 0 .285 S.Moss CF 3 0 1 0 .272 J.Johnson RF 1 0 0 0 .296 L.Palmisano CAT 3 0 1 0 .260 K.Collins LF 3 0 1 0 .243 J.Eure 1B 2 0 0 0 .218 F.Salas 3B 3 0 1 0 .222 O.Chavez SS 2 0 0 0 .237 E.Cruz PR 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Deevers RF 2 0 0 0 .175 T.Richie CAT 2 0 0 0 .226 J.Habel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.O'Toole PH 1 0 0 0 .250 B.Evert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Granato SS 3 0 1 0 .218 S.Marshall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 23 2 5 2 TOTALS 25 1 5 1 BREVARD COUNTY 2 0 0 0 0 0 0- 2 5 0 DAYTONA 0 0 1 0 0 0 X- 1 5 0 DP--BREVARD COUNTY 1, DAYTONA 0. LOB--BREVARD COUNTY 2, DAYTONA 5. 2B--A.Granato (4). HR--C.Medlin (5), C.Walker (4). SB--S.Moore (11). CS--D.Anderson, C.Medlin. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREVARD COUNTY J.Habel (W,1-3) 5.2 4 1 1 2 4 1 2.03 B.Evert (S,2) 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 0 5.06 DAYTONA S.Marshall (L,4-3) 7.0 5 2 2 2 4 1 1.92 SO--A.Heether, S.Moss, L.Palmisano, O.Chavez, B.Dopirak, J.Johnson, K.Collins, T.Richie 2, A.Granato. BB--A.Heether, J.Eure, J.Johnson 2. T--1:48.

Brevard County Game One Game Log:

A hideous game on the basepaths for the 'Tees...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_dbcafx_1

 

Brevard County Game Two Box Score:

Tie game heading to the bottom of the 6th in this seven-inning contest; what the heck, another C.J. Medlin mention -- two walks, OPS over .900...

 YTD YTD BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG DAYTONA AB R H BI AVG T.Ezi RF 3 1 2 1 .266 C.Walker CF 3 1 1 2 .286 D.Anderson LF 3 0 1 0 .287 R.Chirinos 2B 2 1 0 1 .250 A.Heether 3B 3 0 0 0 .303 B.Dopirak DH 2 0 0 0 .229 C.Medlin CAT 1 0 0 0 .301 K.Boyer PR 0 0 0 0 .198 S.Moss CF 3 0 0 0 .271 K.Boyer DH 1 2 1 0 .198 L.Palmisano DH 3 0 1 0 .259 S.Moore 3B 3 1 2 1 .284 J.Eure 1B 3 0 0 0 .220 J.Johnson RF 3 1 2 1 .298 O.Chavez SS 2 0 0 0 .240 K.Collins 1B 4 1 1 2 .241 W.Campana 2B 2 0 0 0 .252 P.O'Toole LF 3 1 1 2 .261 C.Villanueva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Fox CAT 3 1 2 1 .247 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Rojas SS 2 1 0 0 .240 L.Stockman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Sevier PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Lewis PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Gerk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Atlee PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 23 1 4 1 TOTALS 26 10 10 10 BREVARD COUNTY 0 0 0 0 0 1 0- 1 4 0 DAYTONA 1 0 0 0 0 9 X-10 10 0 DP--BREVARD COUNTY 1, DAYTONA 2. LOB--BREVARD COUNTY 3, DAYTONA 5. 2B--S.Moore (12), J.Johnson (12), J.Fox 2 (7). 3B--C.Walker (3). HR--T.Ezi (1). SB--T.Ezi (6), S.Moore (10). CS--B.Dopirak. HBP-- C.Walker, C.Rojas. SF--R.Chirinos. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREVARD COUNTY C.Villanueva 2.1 1 1 1 1 3 0 2.28 B.Hall 1.2 0 0 0 3 1 0 4.24 L.Stockman 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3.86 J.Lewis (L,1-4) 0.0 5 7 7 0 1 0 5.54 N.Slack 1.0 3 2 2 0 0 0 9.43 DAYTONA N.Sevier 5.0 2 0 0 1 3 0 5.48 J.Gerk (W,1-1) 1.0 1 1 1 0 2 1 6.53 T.Atlee 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 3.45 HB--B.Hall, J.Lewis. WP--C.Villanueva, J.Lewis. SO--D.Anderson, A.Heether, S.Moss, L.Palmisano, J.Eure, O.Chavez, B.Dopirak, K.Collins, P.O'Toole, J.Fox, C.Rojas. BB--C.Medlin 2, R.Chirinos, B.Dopirak, S.Moore, J.Johnson. T--2:12. A--1999

Brevard County Game Two Game Log:

Jeremy Lewis' ERA jumps from 2.89 to 5.14 in a matter of seven batters; Lewis wasn't pulled, he was ejected, probably not sleeping well tonight...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_dbcafx_2

[Mass Haas]

Pre-game Nashville Audio Chat with Corey Hart:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-4.mp3

 

Final: Omaha (Royals) 5, Nashville 4

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds had their three-game winning streak come to a close with a 5-4 loss to the division-rival Omaha Royals on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium in front of a season-high 10,825 fans in the opener of a four-game series.

 

Despite the loss, Nashville (30-27) retains a one-game lead over Memphis in the PCL American Conference Northern Division.

 

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Aaron Guiel?s two-out, two-run double off Nashville starter Ben Hendrickson in the top of the third inning.

 

Nashville second baseman Rickie Weeks, who finished 3-for-4 on the evening with a walk, put the Sounds on the board in the bottom of the inning when he belted a two-out solo homer to left off Royals left-hander Jimmy Gobble, his team-leading 12th longball of the season. The home team threatened later in the frame but Prince Fielder, who had singled, was caught between third and home on a Kevin Orie double for the third out of the inning.

 

Audio Link of Rickie Weeks' HR -- you just have to check out the classic (and humorous) call of Sounds announcer Chuck Valenches http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif :

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-4.mp3

 

Omaha pulled ahead 4-1 in the fifth with another pair of runs against Hendrickson. With one out, Luis Ugueto tripled to right on a line drive that barely eluded the glove of a diving Corey Hart. Former Sound Adrian Brown followed with an RBI single to center then later scored on a Guiel sacrifice fly.

 

The Sounds climbed back within a run at 4-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. Brad Nelson extended his hitting streak to a season-best six games with a leadoff single and moved to second on a Hart single. After both runners advanced a base on a Gobble wild pitch, Ryan Knox hit a dribbler to the mound and Gobble threw to the plate to catch Nelson in a rundown but Royals catcher Scott Walter misfired on his throw back to third, allowing Nelson to score. The overthrow was mishandled by Ugueto, the left fielder, to allow Hart to come in with the frame?s second run.

 

The Royals added an insurance run against Sounds reliever Jeff Bennett in the top of the ninth on Alejandro Prieto?s two-out RBI single to right.

 

The run turned out to be a big one as Weeks plated Steve Scarborough with a one-out RBI single off Nashville native Wes Wilkerson in the bottom of the inning. The right-hander induced a game-ending double-play grounder from Fielder to escape further damage and preserve the win.

 

Gobble (2-6) struck out a season-high seven batters and allowed three runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings to earn his second victory. Hendrickson (2-5) drew the loss after allowing four runs in five innings of work. Wilkerson earned his third save for Omaha after allowing one run over the final 3 2/3 frames.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. meeting on Sunday evening. Left-hander Jeff Housman (2-4, 5.57) takes the hill for the Sounds to face Omaha right-hander Dennis Tankersley (2-5, 6.38 ).

 

Nashville Box Score:

 YTD YTD OMAHA AB R H BI AVG NASHVILLE AB R H BI AVG A.Brown CF 5 1 1 1 .258 T.Durrington 3B 5 0 1 0 .270 A.Prieto SS 4 1 2 1 .273 R.Weeks 2B 4 1 3 2 .333 A.Guiel RF 4 0 2 3 .279 P.Fielder 1B 4 0 1 0 .256 K.Harvey 1B 4 0 0 0 .345 K.Orie DH 3 0 1 0 .314 C.Pickering DH 3 0 1 0 .162 B.Nelson LF 4 1 1 0 .254 S.Walter CAT 4 0 0 0 .328 C.Hart RF 4 1 1 0 .265 C.Truby 3B 4 0 0 0 .263 J.Mosquera CAT 4 0 1 0 .194 J.Gemoll 2B 4 2 2 0 .313 R.Knox CF 4 0 0 0 .230 L.Ugueto LF 2 1 1 0 .218 S.Scarboroug SS 4 1 1 0 .242 J.Gobble PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hendrkson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 W.Wilkerson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Meyers PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 J.Bennett PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 5 9 5 TOTALS 36 4 10 2 OMAHA 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 1- 5 9 3 NASHVILLE 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1- 4 10 1 E--S.Walter, L.Ugueto, J.Gobble, R.Weeks. DP--OMAHA 1, NASHVILLE 1. LOB--OMAHA 7, NASHVILLE 8. 2B--A.Guiel (17), K.Orie (14), J.Mosquera (8 ), S.Scarboroug (8 ). 3B--L.Ugueto (3). HR--R.Weeks (12). SB--J.Gemoll (2). SF--A.Guiel. SH--L.Ugueto. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA OMAHA J.Gobble (W,2-6) 5.1 7 3 1 3 7 1 6.56 W.Wilkerson (S,3) 3.2 3 1 1 0 3 0 5.14 NASHVILLE B.Hendrkson (L,2-5) 5.0 6 4 4 1 6 0 4.45 M.Meyers 2.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 6.15 J.Bennett 2.0 2 1 1 1 1 0 4.45 WP--J.Gobble. SO--K.Harvey, C.Pickering 2, S.Walter, C.Truby, J.Gemoll, L.Ugueto, T.Durrington 3, R.Weeks, P.Fielder, B.Nelson 2, C.Hart, J.Mosquera 2. BB--A.Prieto, C.Pickering, L.Ugueto, R.Weeks, P.Fielder, K.Orie. T--2:52. A--10825

Nashville Game Log:

Big strikeout of Fielder in the 1st; as I mentioned earlier, that 3-0 pitch to Kevin Orie in the 5th hurt as well...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[DHonks]

Well, some very nice performances tonight. Hidden in the night is Nelson Cruz. Now doesn't the Little Unit go tomorrow?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 8, Mississippi (Braves) 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Dana Eveland tossed six shutout innings and Tony Zuniga collected four hits for the first time this year in Hunstville?s 8-1 victory over Mississippi Saturday night in the first of a four-game series at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars ended a seven-game slide to the Braves and improved to 23-33, while the visitors saw their seven-game win string snapped and fell to 28-28. Jacksonville shut out Chattanooga 4-0 and Montgomery held off Mobile 10-8 to remain in first place in the South Division and move one game in front of the Braves, who entered Saturday?s action in a three-way tie for the top spot.

 

The Stars broke open a scoreless game by scoring three runs in the third inning, all with two outs. Tony Gwynn, Jr. started the rally with a walk and scored on an infield hit by Vinny Rottino, who snapped a 12 at-bat hitless streak. Ben Van Iderstine followed with another infield hit to score Nelson Cruz and Zuniga singled to right field to plate Rottino and knock in his 22nd run of the year.

 

Huntsville strung together six singles, a passed ball and a throwing error in a five-run sixth inning to match its highest scoring frame of the year and seize control of the game. Mississippi starter Brian O?Connor was taken out of the game with runners at second and third base and one out and reliever Steve Kent was greeted by a pinch-hit single by John Vanden Berg that scored Zuniga to make it 4-0. A passed ball by Ray Serrano allowed Brandon Gemoll to score and Vanden Berg to advance to third before scoring on a base hit by Callix Crabbe, who had his first three-hit game of the season. Nelson Cruz singled home Crabbe and Gwynn, who had singled and moved to third on the hit by Cruz, scored when Jeff Francoeur?s throw from right field got past Serrano at the plate. The Stars totaled five runs in an inning for the sixth time and established a season-best for hits in an inning. Huntsville had been held to two runs in 31 2/3 innings by the Tennessee and Mississippi bullpens over the last eight games before tallying three time against Kent, who had tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings since joining the Braves.

 

Eveland allowed three singles and recorded 11 ground ball outs to become the first Stars pitcher to win five games this season. The southpaw fanned six and walked one and avoided early trouble when Wes Timmons was thrown out at the plate in the second inning on a ground ball against a drawn-in infield hit to shortstop Enrique Cruz by Luis Hernandez. Eveland did not allow a runner past second base over his final three frames and has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings over his last two starts. Khalid Ballouli earned his first save of the season in his third relief outing with three innings of work during which he allowed one run on two hits and two walks. Mississippi first baseman Scott Thorman went hitless in three at-bats and walked once and saw his 18-game hitting streak come to an end.

 

Nelson Cruz finished with three hits in five at-bats and extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. He has totaled 15 hits in 35 at-bats and knocked in nine runs during the streak and has driven in a run in eight of his last nine games. Six different Stars drove in a run and all eight position players had at least one of the team?s 16 hits, one shy of a season-high set on April 11 at Jacksonville.

 

The series continues Sunday afternoon with right-hander Dennis Sarfate getting the start for Huntsville against Braves? left-hander Chuck James. Coverage of the game gets underway at 1:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Brett Pollock always does an awesome job mixing in season-to-date info with all the details from the game...

 YTD YTD MISSISSIPPI AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG G.Blanco CF 4 0 1 0 .214 C.Crabbe 2B 5 1 3 1 .241 O.Joseph LF 3 0 0 0 .243 A.Gwynn CF 4 2 1 0 .286 J.Francoeur RF 4 0 2 0 .268 N.Cruz RF 5 1 3 1 .296 S.Thorman 1B 3 0 0 0 .321 V.Rottino CAT 5 1 2 1 .274 W.Timmons 3B 3 1 0 0 .313 B.Vn Idrstne LF 5 0 1 1 .284 J.Schuerholz 2B 4 0 1 0 .268 T.Zuniga 3B 4 1 4 1 .253 L.Hernandez SS 4 0 1 0 .208 B.Gemoll 1B 4 1 1 0 .229 R.Serrano CAT 3 0 0 0 .222 E.Cruz SS 3 0 0 0 .271 B.O'Connor PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 2 0 0 0 .087 S.Kent PIT 0 0 0 0 1.000 J.Vandn Berg PH 1 1 1 1 .258 C.Duran PH 1 0 0 1 .000 K.Ballouli PIT 1 0 0 0 .214 B.Boyer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Basner PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 1 5 1 TOTALS 39 8 16 6 MISSISSIPPI 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0- 1 5 1 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 3 0 0 5 0 0 X- 8 16 1 E--J.Francoeur, C.Crabbe. DP--MISSISSIPPI 0, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB-- MISSISSIPPI 7, HUNTSVILLE 9. 2B--N.Cruz (13), T.Zuniga (5). SB-- G.Blanco (9). HBP--O.Joseph. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MISSISSIPPI B.O'Connor (L,4-2) 5.1 9 5 5 1 6 0 3.97 S.Kent 0.2 4 3 3 0 0 0 4.50 B.Boyer 1.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 5.44 R.Basner 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.79 HUNTSVILLE D.Eveland (W,5-4) 6.0 3 0 0 1 6 0 2.94 K.Ballouli (S,1) 3.0 2 1 1 2 0 0 5.22 HB--K.Ballouli. WP--B.O'Connor. PB--R.Serrano. SO--G.Blanco, O.Joseph 2, S.Thorman 2, B.O'Connor, A.Gwynn 2, N.Cruz, V.Rottino, B.Vn Idrstne 2, B.Gemoll, E.Cruz, K.Ballouli. BB--S.Thorman, W.Timmons, R.Serrano, A.Gwynn, E.Cruz. T--2:42. A--5224

Huntsville Game Log:

Eveland overcomes a Crabbe error in the 2nd; Braves thrown out at home in the 2nd and 3rd...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 13, Lakewood (Phillies) 8

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER OFFENSE EXPLODES IN VICTORY OVER LAKEWOOD

LAKEWOOD, NJ ? The West Virginia Power scored 13 runs on 13 hits on Saturday night against the Lakewood BlueClaws and went on to beat the BlueClaws 13-8 at First Energy Park.

 

The Power jumped on top 1-0 in the top of the first inning. With runners on first and third, Josh Brady took off for second base, and Alcides Escobar scored on the throw down to second base. Lakewood tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning on Greg Isaacson?s RBI single.

 

The Power scored six runs in the fifth inning and pulled away. Agustin Septimo drove in the first run with a single, Escobar knocked in the next two runs with a double and Hernan Iribarren followed him with an RBI triple. With a runner on third base and two outs, Brady smacked his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot that completed the six-run inning for the Power and gave them a 7-1 lead.

 

The BlueClaws answered by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Brad Harman drove in the first two runs with a single and Mike Dzurilla drove Harman in later in the inning on an RBI single to make it a 7-4 game.

 

The Power added five insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Brady drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, Grant Richardson knocked in the next two with a double and the Power finished the inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Carlos Corporan and Freddy Parejo to take a 12-4 lead.

 

Isaacson brought the BlueClaws two runs closer with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 12-6. The Power added another run in the top of the ninth inning on Corporan?s second RBI single of the game to go up 13-6. The BlueClaws scored the final two runs of the game on Sam Orr?s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little, and too late.

 

Justin Barnes (2-1) earned the victory and Andy Baldwin (0-4) obtained the loss. The Power improve to 18-37 with the win and the BlueClaws move to 18-37 with the loss.

 

The Power will continue the four game series against Lakewood on Sunday afternoon in a double-header at First Energy Park. In game one LHP Greg Kloosterman (3-7, 5.18) will throw for the Power and the BlueClaws will counter with RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-5, 6.35). In game two the Power will throw RHP Robbie Wooley (1-3, 4.72) and the BlueClaws will counter with RHP Joe Bisenius (0-1, 8.25). The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM (12:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

 YTD YTD WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI AVG LAKEWOOD AB R H BI AVG A.Escobar SS 3 1 2 2 .312 R.Frith RF 5 0 0 0 .304 J.Murray PR 0 0 0 0 .187 B.Harman SS 5 1 2 2 .283 J.Murray SS 2 2 0 0 .187 M.Dzurilla 2B 5 1 2 1 .347 H.Iribarren 2B 4 2 2 1 .313 S.Orr 3B 5 2 3 2 .282 J.Brady 3B 4 2 2 3 .274 J.Jaramillo CAT 3 0 0 0 .291 G.Richardson 1B 5 1 1 2 .257 D.Brant CAT 2 0 0 0 .260 C.Corporan DH 4 2 3 2 .241 D.Gredvig 1B 3 1 0 0 .264 F.Parejo RF 5 0 1 1 .242 C.Klemm CF 3 2 2 0 .229 A.Septimo LF 4 1 1 1 .227 G.Isaacson DH 2 1 2 3 .293 H.Rasheed CF 3 1 1 0 .214 R.Plumsky LF 4 0 0 0 .286 C.Blevins CAT 3 1 0 0 .203 A.Baldwin PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Montalbo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Tompkins PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Barnes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Dueitt PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Beresford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Martinez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 13 13 12 TOTALS 37 8 11 8 WEST VIRGINIA 1 0 0 0 6 0 5 0 1-13 13 0 LAKEWOOD 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 2- 8 11 2 E--B.Harman 2. DP--WEST VIRGINIA 1, LAKEWOOD 3. LOB--WEST VIRGINIA 2, LAKEWOOD 6. 2B--A.Escobar 2 (10), G.Richardson (8), G.Isaacson (3). 3B--H.Iribarren (4). HR--J.Brady (4), S.Orr (9). CS--J.Brady. HBP-- C.Klemm. SF--J.Brady. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA WEST VIRGINIA B.Montalbo 4.2 6 4 4 2 4 0 5.63 J.Barnes (W,2-1) 3.1 3 2 2 1 4 0 3.72 S.Beresford 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 1 6.23 LAKEWOOD A.Baldwin (L,1-4) 4.2 8 6 6 1 4 0 4.70 J.Tompkins 2.0 3 6 1 3 1 1 3.32 C.Dueitt 1.1 1 0 0 0 3 0 3.95 J.Martinez 1.0 1 1 0 0 1 0 8.18 HB--J.Barnes. WP--A.Baldwin 2, J.Martinez. SO--J.Murray, J.Brady, G.Richardson 3, C.Corporan, F.Parejo, H.Rasheed, C.Blevins, R.Frith 2, B.Harman, M.Dzurilla, S.Orr, D.Gredvig 2, R.Plumsky 2. BB--H.Iribarren, C.Corporan, H.Rasheed, C.Blevins, D.Gredvig, G.Isaacson 2. T--3:08. A--7012

West Virginia Game Log:

Always too much to digest in these 21-run games...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lwdafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....1/SPORTS04

 

Omaha beats Sounds with tough pitching

Nashville lets scoring opportunities slip by

By BRYAN MULLEN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

A big crowd saw the home team come up just short.

 

The Nashville Sounds, playing in front of their largest crowd of the season, was nipped 5-4 by visiting Omaha in front of 10,825 last night at Greer Stadium.

 

The Sounds never led and continuously chipped into the Royals lead. But Nashville couldn't quite get over the hump and was hurt by not enough timely hitting coupled with questionable baserunning.

 

Still, Nashville has won seven of its last nine games and leads Memphis by one game in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern division.

 

"Out pitch selection wasn't very good tonight," Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said. "We put ourselves in holes swinging at bad pitches. (Omaha starting pitcher Jimmy) Gobble made some pitches, though. His cutter was really sharp tonight. Not taking anything away from him, but our guys have to realize if he's going to it and keeps going to it, we have to make an adjustment there."

 

The Sounds (30-27) were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, with the only run coming when Rickie Weeks (3-for-4, two RBIs) had an RBI single to center in the ninth, drawing Nashville to within one run. But Prince Fielder followed by grounding into a game-ending double play.

 

Nashville's pitchers kept the game tight despite the offensive struggles. Starter Ben Hendrickson (2-5) allowed four earned runs in five innings and struck out six. Mike Meyers and Jeff Bennett combined to throw four innings and allowed only three hits and one run.

 

Omaha (24-33) right fielder Aaron Guiel broke a scoreless tie in the third, lining a two-run double. Sounds left fielder Brad Nelson almost made a nice grab on the play, leaping to make the catch near the warning track, but the ball bounced off the tip of his glove.

 

Nashville cut Omaha's lead in half moments later. Weeks drilled a solo home run to left in the third. It was Weeks' team-leading 12th home run of the season.

 

Nashville had plenty of scoring chances but struggled often. In the third inning Fielder ran through a stop sign and was tagged out after getting into a rundown. In the fifth the Sounds had the bases loaded and designated hitter Kevin Orie had a 3-0 count. Instead of taking a pitch, Orie swung away and popped foul to the catcher to end the inning.

 

"He's got the green light there, that's his decision," Kremblas said. "I leave it up to them. However I was thinking myself, after seeing the first three pitches and them being so wild, that that would probably put some indecision in your mind as a hitter."

 

Game at a glance

 

?Losing pitcher: Ben Hendrickson (2-5)

 

?Big stick: Rickie Weeks, 3-for-4, two RBIs.

 

?How they lost: Omaha went up 4-1 in the fifth when Adrian Brown slapped an RBI single. Two batters later Aaron Guiel drove in a run with a sac fly. Nashville managed a run in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't tie the score.

 

?What they said: "We just have to go out and do our job every day, and hopefully we will have a chance to win in the last inning," Hendrickson said.

 

?Tonight's pitchers: Sounds ? LHP Jeff Housman (2-4, 5.57 ERA). Omaha ? Dennis Tankersley (2-5, 6.38).

 

Bryan Mullen covers sports for The Tennessean. He can be reached at bmullen@tennessean.com.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Little hits add up to a lot of runs for Stars in victory

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

The biggest hit of the night was short enough it could have been attached to a leash. The Stars' collection of hits was more like a pile of change you find behind the sofa cushion, instead of some humongous pile of gold.

 

It was the little things, but a big deal for a Huntsville team limping with a four-game losing streak, and seven losses in eight starts.

 

In front of an announced crowd of 5,224 Saturday night, Huntsville overwhelmed the Mississippi Braves 8-1 with a 16-hit attack, only two of which went for extra bases.

 

Third baseman Tony Zuniga, who had been in a slump that mirrored the team (three hits for his last 25 at-bats), had four hits. Nelson Cruz, who extended his hit streak to eight games, and Callix Crabbe had three hits each.

 

The Stars' good offensive work backed up another splendid pitching performance by Dana Eveland (5-4), who yielded only three hits in six innings. This, after a seven-inning one-hit gem last Monday - otherwise known as the day the Stars had last won a game.

 

The Stars and Braves, who had swept Huntsville in a four-game set in Mississippi, meet again today at 2:05.

 

The trip to Mississippi meant the Stars didn't arrive in Huntsville until 5 a.m. Saturday.

 

"We came out loose today,'' Zuniga said. "I think we were just having fun.''

 

Zuniga said he slept in until 2 in the afternoon, "got some lunch and came straight here. Maybe,'' he mused, "that's what I need to do tomorrow.''

 

The 30-year-old Zuniga said he hasn't been merely struggling the past few games. "I feel like I've been struggling a little all year.

 

"I've been pressing. Hopefully things are changing. We'll start winning and I'll start seeing the ball better.''

 

Of course, there could be even bigger forces at work. Ed Sedar, the Brewers' roving outfield instructor, visited Nashville last weekend and got the Triple-A Sounds U-turned from a 2-6 road trip into a 7-1 streak.

 

The Stars patched together a three-run third off Mississippi starter Brian O'Conner (4-2) with only one ball hit out of the infield.

 

Tony Gwynn walked with two out, Cruz singled to left and a wild pitch hopscotched them both up a base.

 

Vinny Rottino battled off a 2-2 pitch for the biggest little hit in a week, chopping one 45 feet up the line toward third, in no man's land for the defense, scoring Gwynn.

 

Ben Van Iderstine followed with a worm-burner to deep short that scored Cruz, then Zuniga singled off O'Conner's leg to drive home Rottino.

 

In the sixth, Zuniga and Brandon Gemoll singled, and pinch-hitter John Vanden Berg singled home Zuniga.

 

Gemoll scored on a passed ball, then Vanden Berg wound up scoring on another one of Crabbe's hits.

 

After Gwynn singled, Cruz drove in Crabbe and an alert Gwynn scored when Jeff Francoeur's throw from right was well off-target.

[Mass Haas]

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Cubs' bats come alive

By JERRY SCHAEFFER

Daytona Beach News-Journal Correspondent

 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Fireworks were scheduled for the post-game celebration at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Saturday night, but the Daytona Cubs started an early version in the bottom of the sixth inning.

 

The Cubs, who had dropped a 2-1 decision in the first game of a doubleheader, smashed open a 1-1 pitcher's duel in the bottom of the sixth in the second game to salvage a split in Florida State League action.

 

By sticking eight hits with a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly, Daytona erupted for nine runs in the sixth for a 10-1 conquest of the Manatees. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Cubs while halting a four-game win streak for Brevard County.

 

"Our team really came together in the sixth," Daytona manager Richie Zisk said. "We put together some success that we hadn't had all night up to that point, then we seemed to wake up when Brevard's pitcher (reliever Jeremy Lewis) hit (Carlos) Rojas with a pitch in the middle of the inning."

 

When the sixth-inning smoke had all cleared, Lewis had been ejected, the two benches had cleared for a verbal-only confrontation near the mound, and first baseman Kevin Collins, leftfielder Paul O'Toole and centerfielder Chris Walker had each driven home two runs.

 

"That was certainly a big inning and a big win for us," Zisk said. "They had beaten us three straight."

 

Second baseman Robinson Chirinos, third baseman Scott Moore, right fielder J.J. Johnson and catcher Jake Scott also had timely hits to drive home runs for the Cubs.

 

"It was a big boost for us that Nate Sevier, normally a reliever, got the spot start for us and pitched five shutout innings," said Zisk.

 

"I can't say enough about his coming through when we really needed it."

 

Sevier allowed only two hits and faced only 16 batters--one over the minimum.

 

He did not get the win, however, as Manatee rightfielder Travis Ezi lined a two-out solo homer in the top of the sixth off eventual winning pitcher Jordan Gerk to even the score at 1-1.

 

Then came the fireworks in the Daytona sixth.

 

The Cubs had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Second baseman Robinson Chirinos walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. One out later, he scored when doubled, etching his team-leading 35th RBI.

 

In the first game, Brevard's C.J. Medlin pulverized a first-inning fastball from Daytona Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall, sending the Manatees to a 2-0 advantage.

 

It was his fourth of the season and plated Steve Moss, who had been issued a two-out walk.

 

"The pitch was a little up--probably a little higher than the pitcher wanted it," Medlin described. "I got it good, but I didn't know I had hit it well enough to go out until I saw the outfielders watching it go over the fence."

 

With Brevard starter Josh Habel's effective mound work, the guests didn't need any other offense.

 

Habel retired 17 of the 22 Cubs he faced in 5 2/3 innings, grabbing his first win of the season. The only chink in his Saturday armor was Walker's solo homer down the left-field line with two out in the third inning.

[Mass Haas]

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BlueClaws fall into tie for last with Power

BY JOE ADELIZZI

Asbury Park Press STAFF WRITER

 

LAKEWOOD ? When the teams with the second- and third-worst records in all of minor league baseball match up, you can expect to see some sloppy play, some poor pitching and some big innings helped by mishaps.

 

So when the West Virginia Power, the holder of last place in the South Atlantic League's North Division, and the Lakewood BlueClaws, a game above West Virginia in the standings before Saturday night's game, you would be hard pressed to expect a crisp game.

 

You would be right. The Power pounded out 13 hits, took advantage of two BlueClaw errors and are now tied for last place after their 13-8 victory against the Claws.

 

Both teams are now 18-37, better than the Phillies' other Class A affiliate, Clearwater, which has baseball's worst record at 12-41.

 

It was an uphill battle all night for the Claws. The Power got their first run when Lakewood threw out Josh Brady on an attempted steal in the first inning. Alcides Escobar scored from third on the play.

 

Lakewood tied the score in the second when Greg Isaacson singled in Doug Gredvig.

 

It all came apart for Baldwin and the Claws in the top of the fifth.

 

Agustin Septimo singled in the first run of the inning when Chris Klemm bobbled the ball, allowing Carlos Corporan to score the lead run. The Power followed with another single, a double, a triple and a two-run home run by Brady.

 

The Claws tried to get back in it in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs, two on Brad Harman's two-out single and the third on Mike Dzurilla's hit, which broke an 0-for-12 slide.

 

But the Power built on the lead in the seventh inning, scoring five more, all of them unearned. To make matters worse, catcher Jason Jaramillo was hurt in a collision at the plate and had to leave the game.

 

The Claws will get a chance to crawl out of the basement today when they play a doubleheader, which starts at 1 p.m. (noon central).