Link Report for Games of Monday, April 11th

[Mass Haas]

Nothing worth noting from the Port St. Lucie site in their Brevard County game summary...

 

West Virginia Game Summary (Lexington Site):

 

Legends Power Past West Virginia

Saul Torres clubbed a three run home run and Ben Zobrist smacked a three run double to lead Lexington to an 8-5 win over West Virginia Monday night. The homer by Torres was just the third by a Legend this season. Zobrist also walked once bringing his season total to nine free passes in five games.

 

Ryan McKeller (1-0) earned the win with five innings of work. The Pflugerville, Texas native allowed three runs on an RBI double by Hernan Iribarren in the third inning and a two run double in the fourth by Nestor Corredor. Enyelbert Soto tossed an inning and third to collect his first save of the season.

 

The Legends eight runs and twelve hits were both season highs. The pitching staff also struck out ten batters. It?s the third time they?ve hit double-digit strikeouts in game this season.

 

Every Legend batter had a least one hit in the game. Mitch Einertson ended his 0-15 slump with a single to left field in the third inning. Former Brewer draft pick Hunter Pence had his first multi-hit game of the year with two singles. Torres had a single to go along with his home run and Scott Robinson continued his hot start with a double and a single.

 

Lexington will try to get back to .500 Tuesday night. The Legends will send Ronnie Martinez (0-1) to the mound to face West Virginia?s Josh Wahpepah at 7:05 (6:05 Central).

[Cyanogen5]

That was an incredible game (Nashville). They just kept getting hits, mostly singles, and a couple of timely errors. The Huntsville game was incredible too, but for a different reason. How many outs did they need to record in that 9th inning? You just can't give them THAT many chances and expect them not to take one at some point!

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Dave Krynzel (nice discussion):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-11.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Game Summary from the Huntsville Site:

 

Russell Martin doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning to lift the Suns to a 7-6 comeback win over the Stars Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Stars dropped to 0-5 to start a season for the first time since 1987 and for just the second time in franchise history.

 

Jacksonville shortstop Joel Guzman walked to open the 10th inning and was sacrificed to second base on a bunt by Sergio Garcia, who figured prominently in the Suns' five-run ninth inning rally that sent the game into extra innings. Martin followed by driving a 2-1 offering from Alec Zumwalt into the alley in left-center field to chase Guzman home with the winning run.

 

The Suns improved to 3-2 and have now scored 22 of their 29 runs on the season from the seventh inning on.

 

The Stars took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ben Van Iderstine delivered a two-out single to score Nelson Cruz, who had started the inning with a double and moved to third on a ground ball out. The visitors pushed their lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning when Enrique Cruz, pitcher Khalid Ballouli and Tony Gwynn, Jr. strung together consecutive two-out singles. Jacksonville starter Eric Stults, on the mend from Tommy John surgery, was charged with both runs on six hits over his five innings of work.

 

Right-hander Richard Bartlett took over in the sixth inning and allowed consecutive run-scoring singles to Van Iderstine, Brandon Gemoll and Enrique Cruz that extended the Huntsville lead to 5-0. Chris Barnwell, pinch-hitting for Ballouli, knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to complete the Stars' first offensive output of the season of more than one run and push the lead to 6-0. Bartlett allowed nine hits in 2 1/3 innings in his second outing of the season.

 

Ballouli retired the final 13 hitters he faced after yielding a two-out single to Guzman in the first inning and ended four of his five innings with strikeouts. The right-hander fanned seven and did not walk a batter in his first start of the season. David Bradley worked a scoreless sixth and seventh inning before giving up a Delwyn Young solo home run in the eighth that got the home team on the scoreboard.

 

Jerome Gamble took over on the hill in the ninth for Huntsville and started the inning by striking out Brian Sprout but a wild pitch allowed the Suns' infielder/outfielder to reach first base. Garcia delivered a one-out, pinch-hit single and Martin singled to load the bases before Van Iderstine?s throw back to third base from left field got past Barnwell and Enrique Cruz, allowing Sprout to score and the other runners to advance one base. Gamble then fanned Young but another wild pitch permitted Garcia to score and Young to reach safely and brought Zumwalt out of the Huntsville bullpen.

 

The right-hander?s first pitch was smacked into center field for a base hit by Nick Alvarez that scored Martin to trim the lead to 6-4. Tydus Meadows walked to load the bases and Jimmy Rohan flied out to shallow center for the second out of the frame. Todd Donovan then lined the first pitch he saw to center for a single that plated Young and Alvarez to tie the game at six.

 

The Stars collected 17 hits, three more than they had compiled during the four-game series against Carolina to open the season. Nelson Cruz, Enrique Cruz and Van Iderstine each had three hits, while Gwynn, Jr., Barnwell and Vinny Rottino each chipped in with a pair.

 

The series continues Tuesday morning with left-hander Dana Eveland making his second start for Huntsville against right-hander Chad Billingsley, one of the top pitching prospects in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system. Coverage of the game begins at 9:50 AM Central Time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

The links for Nashville pre-game audio have been corrected, so you can go back and check those coaching staff interviews out if you wish:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/l...rviews.asp

[Past Member]

Earlier in this thread someone said Adam Heether had a broken nose. How did this happen?

[Mass Haas]

Keep up with these Link Reports, Pohlman -- you'll find the story (and picture) here from Saturday:

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...2845.topic

[Mass Haas]

Link, text follows:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1501

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

The Nashville Sounds continued to thrive as a comeback club on Monday evening, plating six runs over the final two innings to erase a 7-2 deficit and post a dramatic 8-7 victory over the visiting Oklahoma RedHawks in the opener of a four-game series.

 

24-year veteran Pat Borders delivered the decisive blow, lining a two-out RBI single to center on a 1-0 pitch from Oklahoma reliever Jose Veras to plate Brad Nelson with the winning run.

 

Down by five, the Sounds rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, keyed by four two-out singles against Veras from Borders, Steve Scarborough, Dave Krynzel, and Rickie Weeks, the last of which brought home Ryan Knox to tie the game at 7-7.

 

The final five runs in the game for the Sounds all came with two outs in an inning.

 

Oklahoma rightfielder Jason Conti put the visitors on the board first, giving the RedHawks a 1-0 lead with a one-out solo homer to right off Sounds starter Andy Pratt in the top of the first inning. The RedHawks homer barrage continued in the second when Cody Ransom made it 4-0 when he belted a three-run homer to deep left off Pratt, plating Laynce Nix and Manny Alexander in front of him.

 

Krynzel mashed his first home run of the season in the bottom of the third, one-hopping a John Wasdin offering onto Chestnut Street beyond the right field fence to make it 4-1. The visitors quickly got the run back in the top of the fourth when speedy leadoff hitter Andres Torres doubled to center and scored later in the frame on Marshall McDougall?s RBI single for a 5-1 lead.

 

Krynzel was at it again for Nashville in the home half of the fifth, ripping a one-out RBI double down the right field line to bring in Scarborough, who had extended his season-opening hitting streak to five games with a single earlier in the inning. With the score 5-2, Wasdin escaped further damage in the frame when he left Nashville runners stranded at second and third by inducing a groundout from Weeks and popout from Corey Hart.

 

The RedHawks did more damage in the sixth against Sounds reliever Mike Meyers. After Greg Colbrunn and Conti drew walks on 3-2 counts, Ian Kinsler plated both on a double into the left field corner to increase the lead to 7-2.

 

Krynzel (3-for-5, 4 RBI) and Scarborough (2-for-4, 2 R) each extended his season-opening hitting streak to five games in the victory for the Sounds; Krynzel's four-RBI effort increased his team-leading total to 11 on the year.

 

Reliever Julio Santana (1-0) was the beneficiary of the latest Nashville comeback, earning the victory after tossing a pair of scoreless innings for the Sounds. Veras (0-1) took the loss after giving up the final four Sounds runs on five hits and three walks in his 1 1/3 frames.

 

The teams continue their series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Jose Capellan (0-0, 4.15) toes the rubber for Nashville to face RedHawks right-hander Jason Standridge (0-1, 1.69).

 

Audio of Pat Borders' Game-Winning Single:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-11.mp3

[hsvstarsfan]

Ballouli stunning... Stars stunned

Well, we're not that bad, after all. We're just Star-crossed.

It was one of the most improbable, heart-breaking losses I have ever had to sit through........ The Stars were six outs away from a 6-0 shutout, their first victory of the season. Khalid Ballouli, in his debut with the Stars, looked like the ace of the rotation, even though he was #5 in the order...... And they had more than made up for the last four losses by surpassing their entire hit total of the Carolina series........ But oh stinging irony. The reputed strength of this team --- pitching and defense failed them in the 9th inning.

If you had decided to shut the radio off before the Suns got to the bottom of the 9th, then returned one inning later --- or perhaps after the game, you would most likely ask, "What on earth just happened?" "How did it happen?"........ How does it happen that three wild pitches, two of them on third strikes, and an error can turn the sweet taste of success to the bitter pill of defeat? I'd like to know what went on in that dugout after the game........ Well, here's how it happened.

Jerome Gamble came on to protect a 6-1 lead in the 9th. Delwyn Young had homered to right field with one out in the 8th, but this game seemed safely put away........Two outs away, in fact, after Brian Sprout had struck out swinging, but wait....... The ball gets away from Vinny Rottino and rolls back to the screen. Gamble is charged with a wild pitch and Sprout is on at first. An omen?........ i breathe easier after Joel Guzman, the Dodgers' top minor league prospect, strikes out for the third straight time.

But then pinch-hitter Sergio Guzman singles through the middle, moving Sprout to 2nd. Russell Martin hits a ball past Enrique Cruz into left for a single, but then as Sprout holds up, the relay throw from Ben Van Iderstine gets past Cruz and 3rd baseman Chris Barnwell and rolls in front of the Suns' dugout. Sprout scores. It's 6-2........ Both bullpens now get busy.

Garcia is on 3rd and Martin on 2nd. Delwyn Young swings at a 2-2 pitch for strike three, which would make that the fourth out of the inning, but the ball hits off the mask of Rottino and pops off the screen behind home plate. It's scored as another wild pitch. Garcia scores. It's 6-3........ Martin moves to 3rd and that's all for Gamble........ In 61 2/3 innings for the Class AA -Portland Sea Dogs (East) last year, Gamble was charged with four wild pitches.

Alec Zumwalt, designated as this year's closer, finally gets his chance to save the day. Nick Alvarez hits his first pitch to centerfield for a single scoring Martin. It's now 6-4. Young goes to 2nd. Tydus Meadows, the former Diamond Jaxx outfielder two years ago comes up. On a 1-1 count, Zumwalt uncorks a wild pitch, the third of the inning. Rottino has no chance to recover the ball which is coming up the third base line and Young goes to 3rd. Zumwalt, unnerved perhaps, throws a ball in the dirt and walks Meadows......... James Rohan flies out to shallow center. Gwynn races in for the catch and Young has no chance to score........ It's the second out, and perhaps we can win this one after all....... Yeah, keep dreamin'. I've seen this act before.

One out away from victory and one out from a save, former Mobile Bay Bear Todd Donovan lines Zumwalt's first pitch to center and Young and Alvarez score, tying the game...... Unfrigginbelievable....... Khalid Ballouli's masterpiece of a debut is forgotten, but for the record, after Ballouli gave up a 2-out single to Guzman in the first, he retired 13 straight batters, striking out six of them. He was so in control that of 43 pitches in his first three innings, 32 were strikes. He was so poised that even after going behind 3-and-0 on James Loney in the 4th, he struck him out........ In each of his five innings, he finished with a strikeout..... Can't wait to see his next start at home........ Sprout, who started the inning, ended it when Zumwalt knocked down a sharp grounder back to him, throwing to Brandon Gemoll for the final out.

In the bottom of the 10th, Zumwalt was ahead of Guzman 1-and-2, then walked him. Garcia sacrificed him over to second and Russell Martin ended this game for Jacksonville with a double over Van Iderstine's head........ I can't recall the last time we lost a lead like this, this late. I really had notes, but I can't find them...... I do recall a loss to Birmingham much like this in July of 1994 when Jason Giambi booted Michael Jordan's two-out grounder in the 9th with the bases loaded, allowing all three runners to score. That capped a six-run 9th and a 6-5 loss at Hoover Met.

The Stars had one big chance to cushion their lead in the 8th inning when Chris Barnwell's single to the opposite field loaded the bases with 1 out, but with a fresh pitcher, William Juarez, on the mound in relief of Richard Bartlett, who gave up an amazing 9 hits in 2 1/3 innings, Tony Gwynn, Jr. and Callix Crabbe both flied out....... Brandon Gemoll, in the 9th, had a chance to send in Nelson Cruz, who doubled, but flied out to left.

Tomorrow morning at 10:05, the Stars will face the Suns once again...... Dana Eveland will face the Dodgers' top pitching prospect, Chad Billingsley and his explosive fastball. Some scouts have compared him to Mark Prior. Time for bed. I'm out.

[Mass Haas]

And now you newcomers know how lucky we are to have Huntsville Stars' historian David Weiser (hsvstarsfan) and his www.starsboxscore.com site on board here. Thanks, David!

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=40629

 

Sounds come back again, win 8-7

By Mark McGee, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

An anonymous Nashville Sounds player wrote the words ?No retreat, no surrender? in blue ink on the clubhouse message board.

 

It could well be the marketing slogan for the Sounds this season. Trailing 7-2, the Sounds rallied for five runs in the eighth and then sealed the victory in the ninth on a game-winning single to center by veteran catcher Pat Borders.

 

The 8-7 victory Monday night over the Oklahoma City RedHawks at Greer Stadium was the second game in a row that the Sounds rallied after six innings for the victory. All four victories this season have been come-from-behind efforts.

 

?These guys are tough mentally,? said Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas. ?They are learning how to be even tougher. They keep plugging away until they get a break, and we got a couple of breaks late in the game.?

 

For Borders, a World Series MVP and Olympic gold medal winner, big hits are a part of his career. But the 41-year-old catcher was as happy with his two-out game-winner that scored a sliding Brad Nelson as any of his past accomplishments at the plate.

 

?Heck yeah, it?s the biggest hit I?ve had,? Borders said. ?It is the one closest to now.?

 

Borders had two hits in the game, including a single in the fifth inning, jump starting what had been a slow start at the plate.

 

?You have to be lucky sometimes,? Borders said. ?The hit I got earlier helped me get out of a little bit of a mental slump I had been in since I got here.?

 

Julio Santana came on in relief and pitched scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth innings. Four Nashville pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

 

Lead-off hitter Dave Krynzel collected four runs batted in with a solo home run to right in the third, an RBI double in the fifth and a two-RBI single to center in the eighth.

 

For Kremblas it was less than a perfect effort. The Sounds made three fielding errors and ran the bases in a less-than-effective manner.

 

?We hope we don?t make three errors every night,? Kremblas said. ?We still have a lot of work to do. That?s what you are going to have with a younger team. They have shown they can work through mistakes, and that is always nice too. But we would prefer not to have the mistakes.?

 

The series with Oklahoma City continues tonight at 7 with Nashville right-hander Jose Capellan (0-0, 4.15) facing right-hander Jason Standridge (0-1, 1.69).

[Mass Haas]

One down -- and 31 to go

 

LEGENDS WIN FIRST OF 32 MEETINGS WITH POWER

By Mark Maloney

LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

 

The schedule is such that the Lexington Legends and West Virginia Power are apt to get sick of one another this season.

 

But last night, in the first of 32 meetings, the Legends found a way to make things pleasant, posting an 8-5 victory at Applebee's Park.

 

"I know it's important to play well against this team because we have 32 games against them," Legends Manager Tim Bogar said. "It can make or break your season."

 

The Legends' eight runs and 12 hits are season highs. The Power had 13 hits. Saul Torres led Lexington's assault with a three-run homer and a single.

 

Ben Zobrist had a three-run double that ignited a five-run fourth inning that put the Legends (2-3) ahead to stay. Zobrist picked out the second pitch thrown by reliever Robbie Wooley and pulled the ball down the first-base line.

 

"He came in with a fastball inside on the first pitch and, the second pitch, I was thinking something off-speed," Zobrist said. "He kind of left it over the middle of the plate."

 

Torres' three-run shot, to the bleachers in left, opened the scoring in the second.

 

"I was just thinking 'hit the ball hard somewhere,'" Torres said. "I just react with the pitch. It was a slider. I just had it."

 

West Virginia, which was held to four runs in four losses to start the season at Hagerstown, tied this game with a run in the third and two in the fourth.

 

Those were the only runs surrendered by Ryan McKeller (1-0), who gave up six hits and a walk over five innings. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound righty struck out four and became the first Legends starter to get a win.

 

"McKeller did a great job," Bogar said. "He made a couple of mistakes. Otherwise, he was around the plate and he did what he had to do."

 

The Legends took control by scoring five in the fourth.

 

Singles by Torres, Kevin Vital and Lou Santangelo loaded the bases with none out. Santangelo's hit snapped an 0-for-12 start to the year.

 

Power starter Josh Baker retired Jonny Ash on a fly, then gave way to Wooley.

 

After Zobrist cleared the bases, he scored on Scott Robinson's second hit of the night, a double. Robinson took third on Hunter Pence's second single of the night.

 

Robinson scored on the back end of a double steal.

 

"We needed a game like this to kind of break the ice," Bogar said. "Everybody kind of relaxed a little bit. It's nice to see some big hits in big situations."

[dadofandrew]

Playing a team 32 times, hilarious.

 

I wanted to mention that the Nashville and H-ville games were all but identical. No one else has.

[hardytheman]

I think the Rottino experiment at catcher isnt working out too well.