Link Report for Games of Thursday, July 1st

[MassBrew]

Final: San Jose (Giants) 13, High Desert 7

 

High Desert Game Summary from the San Jose Site:

 

The San Jose Giants defeated the High Desert Mavericks 13-7 Thursday evening at Municipal Stadium in front of 1,218 fans.

 

San Jose pounced on the Mavericks with ten runs in the first inning which began with a Fred Lewis walk. Lewis was then picked off first base but first baseman Travis Hinton dropped the ball. The flood gates opened when shortstop Enrique Cruz threw to a vacated first base after getting the force out at second which allowed Angel Chavez to score, giving the Giants their first of 10 runs in the inning. The inning included an A.J. LaBarbera two-out single to drive in Brad Vericker and Randy Walter. Later in the inning the recently added Chavez, who was San Jose's Defensive Player of the Year in 2003, hit a two-run double. The Giants chased High Desert starter Manny Parra after two were out in the first after Fred Lewis scored on a wild pitch. Dan Trumble then greeted relief pitcher Craig Breslow with a single to center field to drive in Nate Schierholtz. Parra was victim to two errors in the first inning as all 10 runs were unearned. However, Parra did not help his own cause as he walked five of the twelve batters he faced.

 

Giants starter Julio Pavon earned his first win of the season with San Jose as he allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out five in six innings. The ten-run cushion to put the Giants on top early was welcomed as the Giants had totaled only one run of support of Pavon in his two previous starts this season.

 

Brooks McNiven was solid in relief of Pavon as he did not allow a run in his two innings of work. McNiven struck out two and allowed only one hit. After McNiven¹s departure, the Mavericks broke through with four runs in the ninth to cut the deficit to six. The ninth inning rally was powered by a Mario Mendez two-run homer.

 

The Giants continue their three game series with the High Desert Mavericks on Friday, July 2 with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 P.M. at San Jose Municipal Stadium. The scheduled starting pitcher for San Jose is left-hander Brian Burres (2-0, 2.81) while High Desert is expected to counter with David Bradley (3-4, 3.48).

 

High Desert Box Score:

Giants' stud pitcher Merkin Valdez was pushed to Sunday...

 GAME DATE: 7/01/04 HD at SJ HIGH DESERT 7 AT SAN JOSE 13 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG SAN JOSE AB R H BI AVG C.Crabbe 2B 5 2 2 0 .303 F.Lewis CF 3 1 0 2 .309 D.Boyd LF 5 1 1 1 .291 A.Chavez SS 6 2 2 2 .333 F.Villanueva CAT 5 0 2 3 .241 N.Schierholt 3B 5 1 4 2 .333 T.Hinton 1B 5 1 3 1 .315 D.Trumble LF 3 1 1 1 .277 J.Frost DH 5 0 1 0 .263 R.Walter RF 4 2 2 0 .272 B.Van Iderst RF 4 0 2 0 .500 B.Vericker 1B 4 1 0 1 .282 M.Mendez CF 3 1 1 2 .264 B.Buscher DH 4 2 1 1 .241 T.Farnsworth 3B 4 0 0 0 .152 A.LaBarbera 2B 5 2 2 2 .300 E.Cruz SS 4 2 2 0 .206 S.Holm CAT 4 1 1 0 .259 M.Parra PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Pavon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Breslow PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.McNiven PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Cram PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Rivard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Nolasco PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 40 7 14 7 TOTALS 38 13 13 11 HIGH DESERT 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 4- 7 14 3 SAN JOSE 10 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 X-13 13 1 E--T.Hinton, E.Cruz 2, A.Chavez. DP--HIGH DESERT 0, SAN JOSE 1. LOB--HIGH DESERT 7, SAN JOSE 10. 2B--D.Boyd (17), F.Villanueva (9), T.Hinton (22), B.Van Iderst 2 (2), A.Chavez (1). 3B--N.Schierholt (3), R.Walter (3). HR--M.Mendez (6). SB--A.LaBarbera 2 (7). HBP--D.Trumble. SF--M.Mendez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT M.Parra (L,4-2) 0.2 5 10 0 5 0 0 3.86 C.Breslow 2.1 4 1 1 1 1 0 7.19 N.Slack 2.0 1 0 0 1 4 0 4.91 R.Rivard 2.0 3 2 1 1 1 0 2.25 D.Nolasco 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 7.82 SAN JOSE J.Pavon (W,1-2) 6.0 7 3 3 0 5 0 3.71 B.McNiven 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 4.61 J.Cram 1.0 6 4 4 0 0 1 6.61 HB--N.Slack. WP--M.Parra. SO--C.Crabbe 2, F.Villanueva 2, J.Frost, T.Farnsworth, E.Cruz, F.Lewis 2, A.Chavez, B.Vericker 2, B.Buscher, S.Holm 2. BB--F.Lewis 3, D.Trumble, R.Walter, B.Vericker, B.Buscher, S.Holm. T--2:56. A--1218

High Desert Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=18903

[MassBrew]

Beloit Game Summary from the Burlington Site:

 

The Burlington Bees (5?3, 27?51) scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 7?5 lead on their way to an 8?6 win over the Beloit Snappers (2?6, 40?38) at Community Field tonight. The Bees won three out of four in the series and have won three in a row for the first time since sweeping a four?game series from the Quad Cities April 16?19.

 

The Bees scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Chris Lubanski led off with a single and scored on a double to left?center field by Walter Sevilla. Sevilla advanced to third on the throw to the plate and scored on a groundout by Mitch Maier.

 

The Snappers came back with two runs in the top of the second to tie the game and added two more in the third on an RBI triple by Drew Anderson who later scored on a single by Vinny Rottino. All four runs (three earned) were scored against Kahi Kaanoi, who started tonight in place of the injured Ambiorix Burgos. Brad Stiles took over in the fifth and gave up a solo homer to Adam Heether in the top of the sixth inning which gave the Snappers a 5?2 lead.

 

The Bees rally in the bottom of the sixth started on a double by Maier off of Snappers' starter Greg Moreira. Kenard Springer then struck out on a ball in the dirt and catcher Carlos Corporan fired the ball down the right field line for an error allowing Maier to score and Springer to get to second. After a walk to Kila Kaaihue, Dan Grybash took over for Moreira. Adam Donachie bunted and when Grybash couldn't field the ball, everyone was safe and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Brandon Powell followed with an infield single to make it 5?4 and Bryan Graham walked to force in the tying run. Ty Taubenheim took over for Grybash and Jeff Barry greeted him with a two?run single to the wall in center to cap off the rally and give the Bees a 7?5 lead. The Bees added an unearned run in the eighth when Kaaihue doubled and scored as Guilder Rodriguez threw the ball away on a bouncing ball by Powell.

 

Stiles continued on the mound into the eighth inning. With one out, the Snappers got three straight singles capped off with an RBI by Rottino to make it 8?6. After Heether popped out, Stiles gave way to Steve Bray who struck out Corporan to end the inning and then worked a scoreless ninth for his third save. Stiles (2?1) picked up the win and Grybash (1?2) suffered the loss.

[MassBrew]

Helena Game Story from the Missoulian:

 

Brewers outduel Osprey

By JON KASPER

 

A pitcher's duel or a slugfest, it doesn't seem to matter. The Helena Brewers have the Missoula Osprey's number.

 

The Brewers earned their sixth win in seven tries against the struggling O's on Thursday night, riding the arm of lefty Edwin Walker to a 3-1 Pioneer League baseball victory in front of 2,083 fans at Play Ball Park.

 

"They own us,'' said Missoula right fielder Travis Gulick, who doubled home Javier Brito in the second inning. "It's going to flip around. I've got a feeling."

 

The two Northern Division rivals won't meet again until July 31. Helena, which drilled Missoula 14-8 on Wednesday, moved to 9-3 and remained in first place. Missoula dropped to 3-10, six games back in last place.

 

Walker, a ninth-round pick in the 2002 draft, and Missoula's Shane Dove both pitched outstanding. Walker, who is coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, was just a tad better. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder struck out seven, surrendered two hits and walked one before being pulled with two outs in the sixth when he reached his pitch count of 75. Before exiting, he set down nine straight batters.

 

"I didn't think I had it at the beginning,'' said Walker, who moved to 2-0. "When I got in the game everything started going well for me. It's tough to come out of those types of games because you never know what's going to happen when you come out. You just hope for the best. They keep us on a strict pitch count and they stick to it.''

 

Walker struck out four of the last five batters he faced, three on off-speed pitches.

 

"He had a good changeup and kept us off balance,'' Missoula manager Jim Presley said of Walker. "His fastball has the velocity where he can get it in on you and he kind of had us off balance with the fastball and the changeup.''

 

Relievers Justin Wilson and Ryan Marion finished Walker's job, limiting to Missoula to two hits the rest of the way. Marion pitched the ninth to pick up his second save.

 

Dove (1-2) was a tough-luck loser despite throwing seven solid innings. The left-hander from Tega Cay, S.C., allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.

 

Dove made a couple of minor mistakes in the second inning that ended up costing him. With one out, he walked Alberto Segura. Center fielder Charlie Fermaint followed with a colossal two-run home run to left field. Fermaint, a fourth-round pick last season, went deep on a 3-2 pitch. The homer might've trickled into the Clark Fork River if not for a black plastic fence erected above the river bank during construction of the new stadium.

 

"I got behind in the count, which is what a hitter wants,'' Dove said. "I had to throw him a strike. He was ready for it and did his job.

 

"In that second inning I was throwing across my body instead of coming down with it. I was falling off the mound a little bit. That's what getting behind does. You just want to stay ahead.''

 

Dove's performance was a drastic turnaround from Wednesday when Missoula starter Derik Nippert gave up seven runs in less than two innings of work.

 

"(Shane) pitched great,'' Presley said. "He kept us right there. He was pretty impressive. That's what our starter has to do every night. He only gave up two runs. We should have scored more for him, but we didn't. We gave up that run in the last inning and that made it tough on us.''

 

Helena added an insurance run in the ninth when Segura singled home Grant Richardson, who was grazed by a pitch thrown by reliever Donald Julio. Richardson advanced to second on a Julio wild pitch. Segura's single came off of Esmerling Vasquez, who had allowed just one hit in his first 5 2-3 innings this season.

 

Like Dove, Walker struggled in the second inning. With rain coming down hard, Javier Brito drilled a Walker offering to the wall in deep left-center field. After the double, the umpires halted play and tarps were placed over the batter's box and the mound. Roughly 30 seconds later, the rain stopped.

 

"We're in Montana where (the weather) changes every three hours,'' Presley said. "That's what makes it beautiful.''

 

Five minutes after the rain delay began, Gulick laced a double to the wall in right field, scoring Brito to cut the lead to 2-1. Missoula advanced the tying run to second base in the sixth and eighth innings, but failed to get a key hit.

 

"I thought it was a lot better,'' Presley said. "We didn't give up a bunch of runs in the inning, so that was good. Shane pitched real well, kept us in it. That's what we've got to do. That was a better performance, even though we lost. Better all the way around.''

 

Notes from the nest

 

O's catcher Richard Mercado, a 12th-round pick out of Arizona, started for the first time since joining the club earlier this week. Mercado went hitless in four at-bats. He caught a foul pop in the seventh inning, although he didn't really catch it. Mercado trapped the ball against the net on the first-base side of home plate. Home plate umpire Jon Moynihan was blocked from seeing the trap and he called the batter out.

 

Missoula Osprey outfielder Travis Gulick is tagged out by Helena third baseman Tony Festa after Gulick tried to stretch a second inning blast to the center field wall into a triple Thursday evening. Gulick drove in a run with the hit.

MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian

 

http://www.missoulian.com/content/articles/2004/07/02/sports/sports01.jpg

[MassBrew]

Suddenly Indianapolis is in last place -- sorry, Mr. Schumacher...

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 44 34 .564 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 43 38 .531 2.5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 39 41 .488 6.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 37 41 .474 7.0[/b]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 5 3 .625[/b] WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 4 4 .500 1.0 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 4 4 .500 1.0 BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 4 4 .500 1.0 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 2 6 .250 3.0

 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 6 1 .857 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 5 2 .714 1.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 4 3 .571 2.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 2 5 .286 4.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 2 5 .286 4.0[/b]

 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 5 3 .625 *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 5 3 .625 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 5 3 .625 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 5 3 .625 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 4 4 .500 1.0 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 4 4 .500 1.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 4 4 .500 1.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 2 6 .250 3.0[/b]

 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 9 4 .692[/b] GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 7 5 .583 1.5 BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 6 6 .500 2.5 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 3 10 .231 6.0

 W L PCT GB GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 6 2 .750 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 5 3 .625 1.0 PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 5 3 .625 1.0 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 5 3 .625 1.0 ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 4 4 .500 2.0 RANGERS (TEXAS) 3 5 .375 3.0 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 3 5 .375 3.0 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 3 5 .375 3.0[/b] ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 2 6 .250 4.0

[hardytheman]

its extremely nice to see Bruso back in action and doing very well,albeit rookie ball.

 

Im wondering where he is gonna go after a few more starts. Cant stay in rookie ball the rest of the year can he? HD? Beloit? Indy? Maybe send him to Huntsville and move Sarfate down to HD.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Good Lord!!

 

Prince Fielder has 8 stolen bases!!

 

Eight!!!

 

Where's the story on that?

[igor67]

It's quite simple really if your a second basemen you need a perfect throw so you set yourself to tag Prince perfectly so as to not get killed when he lumbers in. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[filthyfrog]

I think Kremblas likes to double steal a lot. So if Prince is on first and Gwynn or Weeks is on second, they both go. Whether Weeks or Gwynn gets caught, Prince gets credit for a steal. Maybe one of the Huntsville folk can confirm or deny this hypothesis.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Game Story:

 

Newest Star enjoys triumphant return

Sleep-deprived Gann gets three hits in debut

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

If a debut can also be a homecoming and a family reunion and a little dash of storybook sprinkled on top, that's pretty much what Jamie Gann was enjoying Thursday night.

 

At game's end, Gann, the newest Huntsville Star, strolled past his teammates, exchanging high-fives and fist-knocks after a 10-7 victory over Mobile, then went straight to a gaggle of young fans gathered near the dugout in search of autographs - a gaggle of young fans that, two decades ago, could have included a young Jamie Gann.

 

Gann, a 29-year-old veteran of eight-plus pro seasons and now in his 11th city, spent much of his childhood in the Huntsville area. He and his family lived in New Market for seven years before moving to Oklahoma in 1988. "I used to come to a lot of games,'' Gann said.

 

On the occasion of this debut/homecoming, Gann was even joined by some cousins who came to watch. "Some of them,'' he said, "I haven't seen in six years.''

 

Gann made an immediate impact. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. The first pitch he saw, he drilled a run-scoring single. As catcher Kade Johnson aptly put it, walking past Gann in the dugout en route to the clubhouse, "Nice start.''

 

It was astounding not because it was the first pitch, but because he hadn't been to bed in some 36 hours.

 

Gann had been playing with the Bridgeport (Conn.) Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League, where he batted .369. He went to the Bridgeport ballpark Wednesday morning to assist with a day camp for youngsters and was told that Milwaukee was making inquiries about him. By game time, the deal was done. He caught a late-night shuttle and spent Thursday traveling to Huntsville.

 

He takes the roster spot left vacant when pitcher Mike Jones was placed on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.

 

The Stars needed an offensive performance like they got Thursday the way Jamie Gann needs a "Do Not Disturb'' sign and 12 hours' sleep.

 

They came from behind three times, the last time erasing a 7-6 deficit in the seventh on RBI singles by Prince Fielder and Brad Nelson.

 

The Stars had 15 hits, two shy of the season high, and it was their first double-digit run game since May 22.

 

Fielder had four hits, including a double, Rickie Weeks collected two doubles and a single, and Tony Gwynn Jr. had two hits. Johnny Raburn contributed a huge sacrifice fly that tied the game at 6-all.

 

Starter Dennis Sarfate struggled for Huntsville, giving up five walks and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, but relievers Brian Adams, Glenn Woolard, Fernando Rijo and John Novinsky (with his seventh save) allowed only two hits and one run in the last 5 2/3.

 

Greg Sain, the league's home run leader, and Joe Gerber both homered for Mobile.

 

It was hardly a masterpiece. There were four wild pitches, two hit batters, three BayBears errors, two Stars miscues on potential double plays that later allowed runs to score, and a bases-loaded walk.

 

But it was a memorable night for Gann, a 14th-round 1996 draft pick of the Diamondbacks out of Oklahoma. His past stops include Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; South Bend, Ind.; High Desert, Calif.; an A-ball team in Phoenix; El Paso, Tucson, Lancaster, Calif.; Kelowna, British Columbia; Amarillo, Tex., and Bridgeport. He even got a serious look as a pitcher by the D-backs.

 

"It's always good to help a team win,'' Gann said. "Any time you come in make a contribution from the get-go, it's good.

 

"First impressions should be playing hard and going about it the right way,'' he added. "You can't control your hits. But you don't give your at-bats away. You can control how hard you play, and hope good things happen.''

 

As for first impressions, this is nothing compared to the way he shook up the folks at Kelwona, in the Canadian Baseball League. Gann debuted there in June 2003 and had hits in his first four games - all of them home runs. He had five homers in six games there, including a walk-off job.

 

"Roy Hobbs,'' they were calling him there, after the character in "The Natural.'' Gann had been out of baseball for nearly a year before his agent contacted Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins, the CBL commissioner, and earned Gann a look-see.

 

"I just feel like I'm not done yet,'' Gann said. "I feel like I have more to offer. I'm still learning. I'm not young, but I've got the desire to play. I think there are things I can still do.''

[DHonks]

Maybe send him to Huntsville and move Sarfate down to HD.

 

can't see that happening. While not dominating, Sarfate has held his own in AA. He has had a few stretches of near dominance, too.

I would expect Housman to AAA and Parra to AA, giving Huntsville Parra, Sartate, and Saenz as their mainstays. Ford might have a chance to reach Indy with a strong few weeks.

 

Wildcards at this point who could affect promotions are Bruso, Diggins, Neugebauer, and Jones. I'm really not sure why Shelley and Stewart aren't already in Indy replacing Hernandez, Weibl, or Phelps.