Link Report for 4/22 -- Nelson Cruz Leaves Game (Leg Injury)

[Mass Haas]

http://prodtn.cafepress.com/2/14097492_F_tn.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! No home cooking today, though...

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change:

 

Nashville: RHP Jose Capellan at Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Khalid Ballouli at West Tenn (Cubs), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 PM gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

If that link is down for bandwidth, use:

 

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

 

Brevard County: RHP Ty Taubenheim at Jupiter (Marlins), 6:05 PM; TBD has a name today, and it's the staff ace...

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.live365.com/cgi-bin/m...2747300015

 

West Virginia: RHP Josh Baker at Lake County (Indians), 6:05 PM; player friends and family have been lucky thus far -- opponent audio for each Power game, despite the poor results...

 

Audio link (opponent's):

www.welw.com/programming/webcast.html

[Mass Haas]

Your standings heading into Friday's action -- a Link Report feature re-activated:

 

 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB OKLAHOMA 8 7 .533 [b]NASHVILLE 8 7 .533[/b] NEW ORLEANS 7 7 .500 .5 MEMPHIS 6 8 .429 1.5

 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB CAROLINA 10 3 .769 WEST TENN 9 5 .643 1.5 [b]HUNTSVILLE 7 7 .500 3.5[/b] CHATTANOOGA 6 8 .429 4.5 TENNESSEE 4 10 .286 6.5

 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB ST. LUCIE 8 6 .571 JUPITER 8 6 .571 DAYTONA 7 6 .538 .5 VERO BEACH 7 7 .500 1.0 PALM BEACH 7 7 .500 1.0 [b]BREVARD COUNTY 4 9 .308 3.5[/b]

 NORTHERN DIVISION W L PCT GB HAGERSTOWN 11 3 .786 DELMARVA 10 4 .714 1.0 KANNAPOLIS 9 6 .600 2.5 LEXINGTON 8 6 .571 3.0 LAKE COUNTY 8 6 .571 3.0 HICKORY 5 10 .333 6.5 LAKEWOOD 3 11 .214 8.0 [b]WEST VIRGINIA 2 12 .143 9.0[/b]

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200504222

 

Power hurt by homers, but Curtis sees hope

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff Writer

 

After the season?s first two weeks, Power pitchers have been most generous in permitting home runs.

 

The 22 homers yielded by the Power are far and away a South Atlantic League worst and reflect both the hitter-friendly conditions at Appalachian Power Park and the pitchers? inability to locate their pitches properly.

 

Nevertheless, Power pitching coach John Curtis can cite some favorable, if arcane, numbers: his pitchers have compiled a 2-to-1 strike-ball ratio with their fastballs.

 

Throwing fastballs for strikes, Curtis said, is one of the Milwaukee organization?s highest priorities at the Class A level.

 

?We?re looking for fastball command,?? said Curtis. ?We?re looking for their ability to throw fastballs in the zone when they want and leave the strike zone when they want and then come back in. The secondary pitches are things they?re working on right now. But it?s their fastball control that?s going to get them out of this league. We feel that with the fastballs they have, they can win in this league if they keep the ball down.??

 

The Power?s earned run average of 5.40 ranks 15th in the 16-team league, but Curtis noted that his pitchers are mostly 19- and 20-year-olds in a league where many of the hurlers are former college players and are 22 and 23 years of age.

 

?I feel like we?re a freshman team going up against varsity competition,?? he said. ?But we knew that going in. In fact, I?ve been really pleased with the way we?ve pitched. I?ve seen some very good things. I?ve seen an aggressive approach. They?ve not been intimidated. They?ve gone after the hitters. In my humble estimation at least, they?re coming along at this point.??

 

Lexington manager Tim Bogar played at Watt Powell Park in 1988 as a member of the Columbia Mets.

 

He vividly remembers the old park but much prefers the new one, Appalachian Power Park.

 

?This is like a cathedral compared to that,?? said Bogar, a former New York Met. ?I think this is a beautiful park with great surroundings. I love the building here in the corner.??

 

POWER POINTS: The Power visits Lake County tonight to begin an eight-day, eight-game road trip. After four games at Lake County, the Power will visit Hickory for a four-game series. The Power will return to APP April 30 for an eight-game, nine-day homestand. ... First baseman Grant Richardson said success on the road might carry over to the next home stand. ?I think if we go on the road and win some games ? I?m not saying we?re going to go 8-0 on the road ? we?ll come back here a little more comfortable,?? he said. ?We?re going to build, build and build. I think it?s all uphill from here.?? ... Power general manager Andy Milovich expects more efficiency at the concession stands in the next homestand. ?I wish we would have had more time to prepare,?? Milovich said Thursday night. ... In attendance, the Power ranks fourth in the 16-team league with a 3,904 average through six games entering Thursday?s game. Greensboro, which opened a new park this year, leads the league with a 5,598 average through seven games. The Power?s average took a hit at Wednesday morning?s Grand Slam School Day, which drew just 2,480. The next Grand Slam Youth Day is May 2.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes (pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

I won't get a chance to listen until this evening, but here's what should be an interesting conversation with OF Ryan Knox, in his seventh year in the system:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-21.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Links to follow tonight's action while listening in -- Brewers are on the west coast, remember.

 

It is pretty cool on milb.com's box scores that you can click on a name, and get updated personal stats. But on their stats pages (for instance, West Virginia), they don't list players no longer on the roster, like Jason Tuttle or Adam Mannon, so that's disappointing...

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_jupafx_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lcoafx_1

[ThePurpleStorm]

Cappellan off to a decent start.

[950opsLHcatcher]

Callix, finally leading off. Bibbs can't get on base like the Crabbe. Callix is squat, and he uses his diminuitive nature to get on base. I'm fine with that. I really hope he forces Rickie to move to third.

 

Khalid... meh.

[Past Member]

After seeing the WV Power standings it's obvious there's been a Power outage. Time for them to spark something.

[brewcru1]

Quote:

---

After seeing the WV Power standings it's obvious there's been a Power outage.

---

 

Wow that is hilarious. Have you ever considered doing comedy for a living?

[colbyjack]

You can't get on pohlman entirely for that one. Plenty of folks have been beating that "joke" to death lately.

 

Go school!

[brewcru1]

Very true very true. I guess when they string together 2 wins it'll be a 'Power surge'

 

If that ever happens that is.

[colbyjack]

That team name was set up for all kinds of bad puns. And they have 4 mascots. Hydro!

[gregmag]

You think maybe Enrique Cruz is back on track after getting thrown off by section 5?

 

You think maybe this is about the time Rickie Weeks never looks back?

 

Jose Capellan! Josh Baker! Khalid . . . um, never mind.

 

Greg.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 5, Jupiter (Marlins) 4

Seven strong innings from big Ty Taubenheim...

 

Brevard County Box Score:

There's never been issues with 24-year-old Jeff Eure's power bat -- 10 of his 16 hits this season have been for extra bases, for his career, 121 of his 317 have been XBH's -- .241 career average entering the season...

 BREVARD COUNTY 5 AT JUPITER 4 YTD YTD BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG JUPITER AB R H BI AVG O.Chavez SS 4 1 0 0 .226 A.De Aza LF 3 0 0 0 .298 L.Palmisano CAT 4 1 1 0 .245 F.Moore 2B 5 0 2 0 .364 D.Anderson LF 3 1 1 1 .313 A.Molina RF 5 0 0 0 .263 A.Heether 3B 3 1 0 0 .310 L.Mitchell 3B 3 0 0 0 .288 J.Eure DH 4 1 3 2 .314 M.Tucker 3B 1 0 0 0 .000 J.Brady 1B 4 0 0 1 .026 R.Bear 1B 4 2 2 0 .292 S.Sollmann 2B 2 0 0 0 .213 K.Randel DH 4 1 1 0 .196 R.Deevers RF 3 0 0 0 .182 R.Abercrombi CF 4 1 4 4 .234 T.Ezi CF 4 0 1 0 .189 P.Arlis CAT 2 0 0 0 .242 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Brock SS 4 0 0 0 .184 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Teekel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Costello PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Mildren PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Martinez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Olivera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 5 6 4 TOTALS 35 4 9 4 BREVARD COUNTY 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0- 5 6 1 JUPITER 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0- 4 9 1 E--J.Brady, P.Arlis. DP--BREVARD COUNTY 1, JUPITER 0. LOB--BREVARD COUNTY 6, JUPITER 8. 2B--R.Abercrombi 2 (3). HR--J.Eure (4), R.Abercrombi (3). SB--O.Chavez (1), R.Bear (2). HBP--A.Heether, S.Sollmann 2. SF-- D.Anderson. SH--R.Deevers. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREVARD COUNTY T.Taubenheim (W,3-0) 7.0 6 2 2 3 3 1 1.89 N.Slack 0.2 1 1 1 0 0 0 13.50 R.Costello (S,1) 1.1 2 1 1 1 3 0 4.00 JUPITER J.Teekel (L,0-2) 4.0 6 5 5 2 1 1 6.43 P.Mildren 3.0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0.66 C.Martinez 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10.80 M.Olivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 HB--J.Teekel 3. WP--J.Teekel. PB--P.Arlis. SO--O.Chavez, A.Heether, J.Eure, S.Sollmann 2, R.Deevers, T.Ezi, A.De Aza, A.Molina, L.Mitchell, K.Randel, M.Brock 2. BB--O.Chavez, L.Palmisano, A.De Aza 2, P.Arlis 2. T--2:32. A--2664

Brevard County Game Log:

Josh Brady drives in his first run of the season, but is now 1-for-38; Steve Sollman HBP twice -- the 2004 Helena boys struggling in their jump to high-A; power-pitching Taubenheim inducing fly-balls and pop-ups...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_jupafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Tenn (Cubs) 9, Huntsville 4

Never fun losing to Cubbies of any kind...

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Enrique Cruz hitting .360 in the Southern League with some five doubles thus far? OK, but six errors in 15 games; Callix Crabbe draws the Stars' only two walks...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 7, Oklahoma (Rangers) 2

Is it possible to have two "breakout" seasons; Brad Nelson's 2005 could shape up to be more important than his king-size 2002 in Beloit; how about Brad flashing the range in right field tonight...

 

Nashville Box Score:

Sounds draw nine free passes, and continue to get solid contributions from their "veteran" players; no walks for Jose Capellan -- nice, and Justin Lehr shines...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

One put-out for Brad in right...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Game Summary from the Hammerheads' Site:

 

Reggie Abercrombie submitted a stellar offensive performance for the Hammerheads tonight at Roger Dean Stadium, but Jupiter came up just short in the run column, losing to the Brevard Manatees 5-4. Abercrombie went 4 for 4 and came a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He had two doubles, a home run, a single and all four Hammerhead RBI?s. Brevard came up one run better though, scoring one in the 1st, one in the 4th, and three in the 5th, all off Hammerheads starter Josh Teekel (0-2). Teekel dropped his second game of the year, while Brevard?s Ty Taubenheim (3-0) picked up his third win. Taubenheim pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five.

 

This time it was Brevard who jumped out first, capitalizing on a throwing error by Hammerheads catcher Patrick Arlis, allowing Ozzie Chavez to advance to third with nobody out. Drew Anderson would hit a sac fly to center, driving Chavez in for the game?s first run.

 

Jupiter would answer in the bottom of the second, when Abercrombie drove in the first of his four runs on the night with an RBI double to left. Reggie also hit a solo homer to left in the bottom of the 4th.

 

Brevard would get one more in the 4th and three more in the 5th. Brevard would lead off the 5th with back-to-back singles from Lou Palmisano and Anderson. Adam Heether was hit by Teekel, followed by an RBI single from Jeff Eure which would chase Teekel from the game. Paul Mildren would come on and shut the door on the Manatees, pitching three perfect innings of relief, striking out five.

 

The Hammerheads would make a run for it in the bottom of the 8th. With two outs, Ryan Bear and Kevin Randel connected on back-to-back singles. That left the door open for Abercrombie to rack up two more RBI?s on a double to center. Patrick Arlis would follow up with a walk, but shortstop Todd Brock struck out to end the inning and the Jupiter rally.

 

These two teams will play their series finale tomorrow at Roger Dean Stadium. Game time is 6:05 (5:05 Central), and the pitching match-up will feature Hammerheads ace James Russ (2-0) facing off against Carlos Villanueva (1-0).

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary -- link, then text:

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=570

 

Casey McGehee knocked in three runs and scored twice to lead West Tenn to a 9-4 decision over the Stars Friday night at Pringles Park in the first of a three-game weekend series. Huntsville dropped to 7-8 overall, 1-7 on the road and lost a six-game win streak, while the DiamondJaxx improved to 10-5 overall and 5-3 at home.

 

McGehee singled in Adam Greenberg with the game?s first run in the first inning and scored the home team?s second run later in the frame on a two-out bases loaded walk to Ryan Theriot. McGehee followed a leadoff double by Matt Murton in the third inning with a two-base hit of his own to make it 3-0 and then scored on a throwing error by Enrique Cruz to push the lead to 4-0.

 

The Stars had been hitless through the first three innings before stringing together three hits to score twice in the fourth. Tony Gwynn, Jr. singled with one out and moved to third on a double by Vinny Rottino, his first extra base hit of the season. Nelson Cruz grounded out to score Gwynn and move Rottino to third but had to be taken out of the game after apparently sustaining an injury to his left leg. Tony Zuniga singled to left to plate Rottino to trim the Jaxx?s lead to 4-2 and knock starter Raul Valdez out of the game.

 

Callix Crabbe doubled home two runs in the fifth against Carmen Pignatiello to tie the game at four and extend his hitting streak to seven games. John Vanden Berg and Enrique Cruz opened the inning with singles and advanced one base on a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Josh Habel, who had replaced starter Khalid Ballouli at the start of the fourth inning. Ballouli allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits over three innings, matching Manny Parra for the shortest outing by a Stars? starter this season.

 

West Tenn grabbed the lead for good in the sixth with two runs on a successful squeeze bunt by Pignatiello and a bases loaded walk to Murton, the first hitter faced by Alec Zumwalt in relief of Habel. The home team put distance between itself and the Stars with three more runs in the eighth off of Matt DeWitt. Stars pitchers walked a season worst seven hitters, walked in three runs, wild pitched in another marker and yielded a dozen hits. Habel suffered the loss after 2 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the year, during which he gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks.

 

Enrique Cruz finished with two doubles and a single and collected three hits in a game for the third time this season, while Crabbe walked twice and has now drawn five bases on balls over the last two games.

 

The Stars will send left-hander Dana Eveland to the mound in the second game of the series Saturday against Jaxx right-hander Jae-kuk Ryu. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:20 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Lake County (Indians) 3, West Virginia 2

Close but no cigar...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Don't think anyone pegged catcher Nestor Corredor pegged as a # 3 hitter entering the season; Will Lewis shouldn't be in the "6" spot...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lcoafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

With pitch counts in place, this team can't afford even one pitcher having an off night, as Robbie Wooley apparently was tonight; check out the Power chances in both the 8th and 9th -- frustrating!

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lcoafx_1

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Game Summary from the Captains' Site:

 

Fernando Pacheco's RBI single in the eighth inning Friday lifted the Lake County Captains to a 3-2 vistory over the West Virginia Power in the opener of a four-game series at Classic park.

 

The game was delayed for an hour and 35 minutes at the start due to rain. When the game began, the temperature was 46 degrees.

 

The Power (2-13) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning against starter Aaron Laffey when William Lewis singled home Grant Richardson.

 

Laffey was sensational, scattering just three hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out four. He left the game after six, trailing 1-0.

 

The Power made it 2-0 with a run against T.J. Burton (2-1) in the seventh, but the Captains rebounded to tie the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh off Robbie Wooley (0-1). Brian Finegan tripled into the right field corner and scored on Jose Constanza's base hit. Constanza stole second, went to third on a bunt single by Argenis Reyes and scored on a ground ball double-play by Marshall Szabo.

 

The Captains took the lead in the eighth when Mike Butia doubled to lead off the inning. After a walk to Chris Gimenez, Pacheco stroked a single to right, scoring Butia for a 3-2 Captains lead. It was Pacheco's second hit of the night, and his team-high 12th RBI of the year.

 

Kieran Mattison came on in the ninth and worked around a two-out single and an error to post his first save of the season.

 

The Power wasted a stellar effort from start Josh Baker, who tossed five shutout innings.

 

The Captains (9-6) snapped a three-game losing streak. The two teams will meet again on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 (1:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

Link, text follows:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1519

 

The Nashville Sounds wrapped up their eight-game road trip with a victory on Friday evening at SBC Bricktown Ballpark, defeating the host Oklahoma RedHawks by a 7-2 margin.

 

With the victory, Nashville (9-7) secured its first road series victory since last June and held onto a one-game division lead.

 

The Sounds broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when the club?s leading hitter, Kevin Orie, contributed a two-run double to plate Rickie Weeks and Brad Nelson and extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

 

Oklahoma tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth on Adrian Gonzalez?s leadoff solo home run off Sounds starter Jose Capellan and a Jason Conti sacrifice fly.

 

Nashville jumped out to a 7-2 lead with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh. After Oklahoma starter Jason Standridge retired the first two hitters, seven consecutive Sounds reached base to net five runs. Nelson opened the scoring with an RBI single. Following an Orie walk, Trent Durrington and Pat Borders drew consecutive bases-loaded RBI walks before Steve Scarborough (3-for-5) ripped a two-run double to center to cap off the evening?s scoring.

 

Capellan (1-0) earned his first victory of the season after allowing two runs and striking out four batters in six innings of work, while Standridge (2-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs on eight hits and issuing seven bases on balls in his 6 2/3 frames. Justin Lehr closed out the contest with three scoreless frames for the Sounds to pick up his first save of the year.

 

The Sounds return to Greer Stadium on Saturday evening to begin an eight-game homestand with the 6 p.m. opener of a four-game series against the new division-rival Iowa Cubs. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (0-1, 6.14) makes the start for Nashville and will face Iowa southpaw Renyel Pinto (0-2, 11.32).

 

Audio Link: Kevin Orie's Two-Run Double:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-22.mp3

[dadofandrew]

Can someone save Toby's quote that Calix will force Weeks to 3B? I wonder if Rickie remains at 2B, and Crabbe might make the bigs, but I can't imagine that scenario taking place.

 

Also, does Brad have the arm necessary to play RF every day? If he does, that might move him up a notch.

[DHonks]

wow, Taubenheim with 3-0 record, BC only has 5 wins!

[AJ Love]

great to see Weeks continue to hit well and great to see a quality start for Capellan. I'm likin' it