Link Report for Games of Tuesday, July 20th

[MassBrew]

So what's up with the Helena staff?

 

RHP Miguel Garcia was recently demoted to Arizona; LHP Edwin Walker and RHP Justin Wilson are nursing sore shoulders, and RHP Ryan Marion is apparently fighting some pain in his side. RHP David Johnson hasn't thrown in a while. No report on the severity of any of these injuries.

 

So you have:

 

RHP's Robbie Wooley, Josh Wahpepah, Josh Baker, Justin Barnes, Robert Hinton, Alvaro Martinez, and LHP Jared Theodorakas form the rotation, with some piggy-backing; RHP's Tommy Hawk, Derek DeCarlo, Dan McKenna, and Brandon Murray are your relievers.

 

Since the organization is going to be so very careful with the rookie ball pitchers, look for reinforcements from Arizona sooner rather than later.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Propelled by a big night from Nick Trzesniak, Mobile took its second straight from Huntsville, 7-3, on Tuesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. The Stars (14-10, 46-48) remained in a first-place tie with Birmingham in the Southern League West second-half standings.

 

Trzesniak, batting just .195 entering the game and mired in a deep slump, snapped a scoreless tie in the third, launching Matt Ford?s 2-0 pitch deep to left for a solo homerun, his sixth of the year. In the fourth, Greg Sain singled in a run and Ronnie Merrill?s bases-loaded walk forced in another. With the bases still full, Trzesniak ripped Ford?s 3-2 pitch into the left-center, where Tony Gwynn Jr.?s dive came up just short. The ball rolled to the wall and Trzesniak slid in with a bases-clearing triple to put the Bay Bears up, 7-0.

 

?On the homer, Trzesniak did what he?s supposed to do ahead in the count,? Stars skipper Frank Kremblas said. ?The triple came after he battled from two strikes to a 3-2 count, and he got a pitch he could handle and hit it good enough into the gap.?

 

The Stars? scored twice in the fifth when Gwynn hit a ground ball to second with the bases loaded. Joel Alvarado scored from third as Rickie Weeks was forced out at second, and Ryan Knox raced home as Josh Barfield?s errant relay to first bounced away from Sain. In the eighth, Brad Nelson closed the scoring with a single to right to plate Gwynn.

 

Brian Whitaker (6-7) notched the win, his first against the Stars after four consecutive losses, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over eight innings. Ford (1-3) suffered the loss, permitting seven runs on five hits and two walks while fanning two in four innings. Mike Bumstead walked two in a scoreless ninth for the Bears. Stars reliever Jason Shelley threw two shutout frames, giving up one hit and fanning four. Saul Rivera and Fernando Rijo pitched one perfect inning apiece.

 

Stars lefty Jeff Housman (4-5, 3.11) meets Bears righty Gabe Ribas (0-3, 13.94) in game three of the series Wednesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. Game time is 7:05 p.m. and the FPH Financial Services Pre-game Show starts at 6:50 p.m. Stars baseball can be heard on ESPN 1450 and at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[MassBrew]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 52 43 .547 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 53 45 .541 .5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 46 51 .474 7.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 42 53 .442 10.0[/b]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 14 10 .583[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 14 10 .583 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 12 11 .522 1.5 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 10 14 .417 4.0 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 8 16 .333 6.0

 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 15 10 .600 *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 14 10 .583 .5 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 14 10 .583 .5 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 12 13 .480 3.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 10 15 .400 5.0[/b]

 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 17 8 .680 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 16 9 .640 1.0 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 13 12 .520 4.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 13 12 .520 4.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 12 13 .480 5.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 11 14 .440 6.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 11 14 .440 6.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 14 .440 6.0[/b]

 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 18 13 .581[/b] BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 17 13 .567 .5 GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 14 16 .467 3.5 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 13 18 .419 5.0

 W L PCT GB GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 16 8 .667 RANGERS (TEXAS) 15 8 .652 .5 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 13 10 .565 2.5 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 13 11 .542 3.0 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 12 11 .522 3.5[/b] ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 11 11 .500 4.0 PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 10 13 .435 5.5 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 9 14 .391 6.5 ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 5 18 .217 10.5

[tlpc4]

What to do?....What to do?

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif Brewers are not proactive enough with pitching injuries.

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Limit pitch counts

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Remove pitchers from games at first sign of an issues

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif Not enough hitters at Huntsville

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif Not enough hitters at High Desert

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif Not enough pitchers at Helena.

 

Do you carry 15 pitchers on a roster in order to keep pitch counts lowhttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif , forcing pitchers to pinch hithttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif ?

 

or

 

Do you keep 12 pitchers with low pitch countshttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif and make position players pitchhttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif ?

 

Maybe the roster limits need to be reviewed.

[Schmidty01]

This looks like it is heating up. This is from the Lancaster paper.

 

Wild throws draw wild remarks in Adelanto

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Wednesday, July 21, 2004.

 

By JEFF SANDERS

Valley Press Staff Writer

ADELANTO - A wild pitch Monday drudged up bad blood between High Desert and Lancaster, a rivalry that continues to simmer because of the Mavericks' accusations that the JetHawks stole signs during the first half.

 

When Lancaster right-hander Sam Smith hit Froilan Villanueva with a pitch during a three-run first inning in the series opener, the Mavericks bullpen - perhaps a bit edgy after a heated weekend series in Stockton - emptied and the JetHawks' dugout chirped when Villanueva glared at Smith.

 

Mavericks manager Mel Queen said he did not believe the JetHawks were throwing at Villanueva, but said tempers were on edge because of incidents in May when the two teams exchanged hit batters over the belief that JetHawks baserunners were relaying signs to hitters.

 

Lancaster manager Wally Backman took extreme exception on Tuesday.

 

"(Villanueva's) a liar," Backman said. "We don't do it. If I have guys stealing signs, they are doing it on their own. I don't teach that.

 

"If he's got a problem, let him take the 50 steps to my (expletive) dugout."

 

Further igniting emotions in the JetHawks dugout was Queen's comments that hitting three players and throwing behind catcher Phil Avlas during a game on May 9 was a warning that the Mavericks were catching onto the JetHawks.

 

"That was letting them know we didn't appreciate what was happening," Queen said.

 

That was news to Backman.

 

"I wish to (expletive) I would have known that they were throwing at us in that game," Backman said. "If I would have known that, somebody would have got hit right in the (expletive) head. That's a fact because I would have ordered that."

 

Backman said he ordered a batter to be hit earlier this season - when High Desert's Chris Morris stole a base in a game the Mavericks were leading by seven runs - which may have been the precursor to tension between the two teams.

 

Through Monday, the two teams have combined for 22 hit batters in 15 games (12 by the Mavericks and 10 by the JetHawks).

 

Queen said he knew Morris was hit intentionally and added that he was surprised Backman didn't catch onto the reasoning behind hitting Carlos Quentin twice and Neb Brown on May 9. He said he didn't care that Backman took exception that Queen admitted those pitches were intentional, either.

 

"Well, then tough," Queen said. "How about them hitting one of our hitters because he stole when we were up seven runs? They don't quit trying to hit home runs when they are up by seven runs do they? Morris is a base stealer. He hit Morris on purpose. We knew that. We knew he did it on purpose and we were going to get one of their guys. We had some problems (with the JetHawks) early but we haven't had any lately."

 

The reason? Queen said he hasn't caught the JetHawks - a team that won the first-half title with the league's best offense - stealing signs since he had his pitchers throw at them in May.

 

"We played them very early in the year and it was prevalent then," Queen said. "It hasn't been lately. But like I said, I don't know if they've stopped doing it or the players here aren't as experienced enough to give them."

 

Backman and several JetHawks took Queen's comments to mean they couldn't have won the first half without their players cheating. To prove they weren't, Backman prepared a list showing what promoted players are doing at Double-A El Paso - Quentin is hitting .389, Conor Jackson is hitting .352, Jesus Cota is hitting .329, and Neb Brown was hitting .284 before a season-ending injury.

 

Queen didn't want to see the list.

 

"They had a great club, they beat everyone," Queen said. "They got a lot of hits and hit a lot of home runs with nobody on second base. I would never imply (that's why they won). I would never take anything away from those guys.

 

"I'm saying we had games where I sat there and seven pitches in a row, I never looked at the pitcher, never looked at a pitch and I called every pitch just watching the runner (as he relayed the pitch call to the hitter). If they weren't giving signs, that's seven pitches in a row that are a real coincidence."

 

If anything was going on, Backman said his players were doing it on their own. The players, though, said Queen's accusations are unfounded.

 

"They don't know what they are talking about," outfielder Jarred Ball said. "We don't do that, I've never done it and I've never heard of anyone on our team doing it. No one on our team does that. I'm pretty positive about that."

 

Said Avlas: "We are not a team that does that. We can go out and get our own runs the way we've been doing it the whole year. That's just the type of club we are.

 

"We are total professionals."

[hardytheman]

wow,.

 

that was one of the most worthless things Ive read in my life.

 

The fact that the lancaster manager is swearing like that and "ordering" guys to get hit is pathetic. Those guys are there to MANAGE the team and TEACH guys how to play the game. Not engage in crap like that.

 

I know that sports are very competetive, played them my whole life, but cmon, these two managers, mainly the Lancaster one is taking things way too seriously. Talking about beaning guys in the head on purpose and stuff is uncalled for.

 

These are 20 yr old kids trying to MAKE A LIVING. If you bean some kid in the head because of some "problem" you have with another team, and that kids career is in jeopardy as a result, then theres some issues that need to be resolved with that manager and soon. Just imagine if Parra were to hit someone as retaliation and then the Lancaster players come out and start to pound him before Parras teammates can answer and he breaks his arm or soemthing? Thats our NUMBER 1 pitching prospect getting hurt for what could be a very long time, all because of two IMMATURE managers who've got a beef with each other.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Did I miss something with Durost? I thought he "retired"?

 

Was that a different guy? Help me out here!

[hsvstarsfan]

Once again, I'm having server problems, so no update on my website, www.starsboxscore.com today.

 

I called my server, HostSave, and they've acknowledged it's on their end. (I'm relieved to hear that.) As soon as they resolve their issues, I'll be back up. It's frustrating for me, but there's nothing I can do.

When I'm up, I'll let you know.

 

David Weiser

[MassBrew]

Did I miss something with Durost? I thought he "retired"?

 

May have been easy to miss with all the daily updates, but apparently a couple of weeks after he left the squad, Beloit RHP Kenny Durost did return, perhaps after a change of heart (that's speculative). But he is back...

[DuWayne Steurer]

Thanks Mass. I did miss it completely! (Obviously http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif )

[MassBrew]

Daily Press High Desert Game Story:

 

Mavs unload on JetHawks

High Desert's offense gives team first three-game win streak of the season

By TIM HARAN/Staff Writer

 

ADELANTO ? The stars finally aligned for the High Desert Mavericks and starter David Bradley.

 

It's safe to say they matched up perfectly.

 

It had been nearly two months since the right-hander had won a ballgame, though the winless streak wasn't due to ineffectiveness on the part of Bradley. In his last eight starts, he posted a 2.60 earned-run average only to be tagged with four losses.

 

In his first start at home since May 27 ? which also happened to be the date of his last win ? Bradley pitched a season-high 7 2-3 innings and the High Desert offense did the rest, whipping the Lancaster JetHawks 17-1 Tuesday night at Mavericks Stadium.

 

It was while Bradley looked on in the bottom of the seventh that the Mavericks blew open a close game. The team ignited for nine runs on 10 hits ? punctuated by Enrique Cruz's three-run homer to left-center field ? against a trio of JetHawks pitchers.

 

"I'm seeing the ball big right now," Cruz said. "We hope we can go like that from here on out. When one person starts hitting, everybody starts. We've just got to keep it going."

 

The Mavs sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame. Every one in the lineup except Jeff Eure ? who drew a walk ? recorded a hit in the inning and High Desert had six different players drive in at least one run.

 

High Desert (10-15), who handed Lancaster (14-10) its worst loss in franchise history, wasn't finished.

 

The Mavs tallied another five runs in the eighth, marked by Cruz's bases-loaded blast off the JetHawks' Matt Morgan.

 

"It's one of those things that happen," Manager Mel Queen said of the onslaught. "We've had it happen to us. We know the feeling. But it's nice to be on this side of it."

 

Bradley (4-6), who received extended applause as he left the mound after striking out two JetHawks in the eighth, allowed just one run on six hits while striking out seven. The effort also provided the Mavs with their first three-game winning streak of the season. The team had won two in a row 10 times.

 

"Bradley just kept going out and shutting them down," Queen said. "And then everything came apart on their pitchers in the last two innings."

 

The JetHawks' bullpen allowed 14 runs on 14 hits in two innings.

 

As it had done in its previous four games, High Desert jumped in front early. The Mavericks scored three runs in the first inning against Lancaster starter Adam Bass, who took the loss.

 

But this time the Mavs, which nearly blew a seven-run lead on Monday, didn't give Lancaster a chance to mount a comeback. Once Bradley exited the game, reliever Reggie Rivard shut down the JetHawks and High Desert kept hitting.

 

"I just kept thinking this is amazing," Bradley said of watching the Mavs' offense take charge late in the game. "We're just completely annihilating the ball right now."

 

Lancaster's Doc Brooks led off the fourth inning with a triple high off the right field wall and later scored the JetHawks' only run of the game.

 

NOTES: Callix Crabbe reached base six times, going 4-for-4, drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch. ... Bradley is 4-1 at home this season. ... High Desert notched a season high 20 hits, breaking its old mark of 17 set on May 1 against the JetHawks. Cruz went 3-for-5 with seven RBIs.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Just thougth I'd add for the powers that be, that Durost is still listed as "no longer on the Beloit roster" and is not in the player database.

[tyguy20204]

"I wish to (expletive) I would have known that they were throwing at us in that game," Backman said. "If I would have known that, somebody would have got hit right in the (expletive) head. That's a fact because I would have ordered that."

 

Taking things a little too far...