Link Report for Games of Sunday, April 10th

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu: The offensive drought has us starving for runs -- so far, the menu is only one-star (Nashville)!

 

For most fans, an early-evening option with the Manatees will be your main course, as the other games are up against Brewers-Cubs...

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change

 

Nashville: RHP Rick Helling at home vs. New Orleans (Nationals), 1:45 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Glenn Woolard at Carolina (Marlins), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: TBD at Daytona Beach (Cubs), 5:05 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's feed):

stream.netro.ca/wele

 

West Virginia: RHP Forrest Martin at Hagerstown (Mets), 12:35 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's feed):

streaming0.ctinetworks.co...uns-wa.pls

[Mass Haas]

At least the new stat system has this -- most easily accessed via Baseball America, click on the "Individual Stats" for any team, in nice sortable columns. So at least we can get pitcher's innings from here, if not the box scores, for now...

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...index.html

[Mass Haas]

New home page article:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewArt...icleId=206

[Mass Haas]

We'll be linking as follows each day -- by clicking on the link, you'll be able to check in on the partial box scores as they build through the course of each game -- as of this post, Huntsville and West Virgina are underway:

 

New Orleans at Nashville (2:05 Central):

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville at Carolina:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1

 

Brevard County at Daytona Beach (5:05 Central):

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_dbcafx_1

 

West Virginia at Hagerstown:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hagafx_1

[DKM4Boston]

Update: Hagerstown 5 West Virginia 0, through 5 innings

 

I've been listening to the Power game, but I don't know how much more I can take. The lone W.V. hit came on an infield single by Dallas Bates, that actually resulted in an out, as Mannon (who walked) was tagged out at 3B.

 

The Suns sent 9 batters to the plate in the bottom of the 4th. Brian Montalbo came in w/ 2 outs in the inning, his first 6 pitches were balls and he ended up walking in a run. Escobar had a 2-out error that opened up the door for Hagerstown.

 

Power have gone down in order in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings, and now you can add the 5th to that list.

 

 

Update (5th inning): Ambiorix Concepcion and Mike Carp hit back-to-back doubles to increase the Suns' lead to 5-0. Carp also hit a solo HR back in the 2nd inning.

[rainman]

Whats going wrong in West Virginia anyway? Have they even scored a run this season?

[DHonks]

The Hurricane must still be brewing for the 2005 season

[DKM4Boston]

They ALMOST scored a run, but Will Lewis was thrown out at the plate by the CF. That was the point I stopped listening. 4 runs, 14 hits in almost 4 whole games. Yuck. The Hagerstown starting pitchers have not allowed a single run to score this year according to the play-by-play guys.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Hagerstown (Mets) 6, West Virginia 0

When do the "Power-less" puns begins? For you folks who went to spring training, you did see batting practice, didn't you? Will Lewis in CF in an effort to jump-start anything with this squad...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

If it's not the bats, the Mets are going to have a heck of a pitching influx from the farm in about three years...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hagafx_1

[BrewCrewInMN]

Stars lose 3-0...0-4 to open the season...unbelievable offensive woes for our minor leaguers so far.

 

Bot of 7, Zephyrs up on the Sounds, 3-2

[Mass Haas]

Final: Carolina (Marlins) 3, Huntsville 0

This team is one Nelson Cruz home run from being shut out in the first four games of the season...

 

Huntsville Box Score:

If it's not the bats, the Marlins are going to have a heck of a pitching influx from the farm in about two years...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1

 

This is depressing...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, New Orleans (Nationals) 3

 

Nashville Box Score:

Nice to see Jeff Bennett close it out...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[PeaveyFury]

Nice to see Nelson hitting well early on. Hopefully he's fully healed from his injury and ready to mash again this year.

[DHonks]

Nice to see Nelson hitting well early on. Hopefully he's fully healed from his injury and ready to mash again this year.

 

he's also drawn more walks than K's in the early going. I wonder if someone sat down with the AAA kids and told them the importance of walking

[jmon482]

Final: Daytona 6 ,Brevard County 1

 

Well at least the Captain went yard.

 

Box Score

[shelmark]

Is the cupboard now bare after the AAA boys that we have been touting for so long, or is this an aberration? I can't believe the total ineptitude of our minor league teams. Are we pushing too fast? I'm not panicking on Rogers, but I had lobbied on this board very hard for Homer Baily or Chris Nelson, and I believe that is a mistake we will come to regret.

[PeaveyFury]

Its early. We're like 5 games into the season.... don't jump to conclusions yet.

[colbyjack]

Is the cupboard now bare after the AAA boys that we have been touting for so long, or is this an aberration? I can't believe the total ineptitude of our minor league teams. Are we pushing too fast?

 

There is some good depth past the talent at AAA, but once those guys advance, there aren't many, if any, top-flight prospects. Plus you look at how quickly several of them have progressed, as Rickie Weeks spent all of a month below the AA level in our system. I don't think it's a case of pushing our prospects too fast, but what offensive players do we really have after almost the entire Nashville lineup? The team focused almost entirely on arms early in the 2004 draft, and there really hasn't been a guy that has stepped up similar to Cory Hart in recent years (Hernan has, but he was a non-drafted free agent).

 

It's good for the big-league club that almost all of our very top prospects are at AAA and AA this year, but not so good for the teams below, and even the talent at AA is mostly pitching.

 

And, it is extremely early. I still think the Brevard County lineup will come around. There are several advanced college bats on that team that will start pounding out some hits once they heat up. The Power will also start to score more runs IMO. The Huntsville squad I guess I'm less confident of, as they seem to be built for extreme small-ball. While the runs have been hard to come by, the pitching hasn't been bad.

 

It is an interesting way to look at it though. After Prince, Krynzel, Weeks, Hart and Nelson, what hitters are left in the system? Palmisano? Hernan? Nelson Cruz? It may be a good time to start targeting some hitters again early in the draft.

[shelmark]

I too am hoping we target hitting in the upcoming draft. We could eventually use those prospects to acquire the big-league pitching we need.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Free Hasaan Rasheed!!!!

[DHonks]

I think that we just need to give these guys some time. I wish we still had Travis Hinton at 1b in AA, but we don't. Still, we have a lineup full of guys that either have hit in the past or have something to prove. Over the course of the year, we should see Rottino, Gwynn, N. Cruz, E. Cruz, and others hit decently. The A squads just need guys like Anderson, Mannon, Palmisano, Sollman, Rasheed, Festa, Moss, Heether, Iribarren, et al to start performing like they are capable of. I'm not asking for breakout years, just solid seasons.

[hsvstarsfan]

The good, the mostly bad, and the just-plain ugly

Well, let's get the good news out of the way cause it won't take long....... The forecast for the home opener looks good. The rains will come early in the week while the team is in Jacksonville. Friday is supposed to be clear for a Fireworks night, with the high temperature in the low 70s. I'd bring a light jacket. I think a crying towel might be in order, too.

Is Carolina that good, or are we that bad?...... That's a question I intended to answer last night but never got around to because an early 4 am job gets in the way (as it will for much of the season, and it will cause a lot of afternoon naps)...... Well, consider that five of the Marlins top 10 prospects are in Carolina this season, including their top hitting and top pitching prospect at #1 and #2. You would have known that if you followed this site. The Marlins' minor league organization, though, is ranked 14th among the 30 major league teams. The Brewers rank 3rd....... Conclusion -- they're competitive, but beatable. Maybe we are that bad, but we're not going to be this bad the rest of the season....... The Stars set club records for fewest hits in a 4-game series (14) and fewest runs (1), but the good news is --- they're not getting blown out....... The pitching staff gave up 10 earned runs in 28 1/3 innings --- a 3.18 ERA....... The bullpen in 11 2/3 innings gave up 2 runs on just 8 hits (1.54 ERA)....... I don't think this is much consolation, to tell you the truth. We'll see if we can't do better against Jacksonville on Monday for the start of a three-game series. Khalid Ballouli will make his Huntsville Stars debut as the starter for that game. Last year at High Desert, he was 6-14 with a 5.97 ERA. He has a 91-94 mph fastball, a tight slider and deceptive change-up. Three years ago, he was ranked 28th among the Brewers' top 30 prospects and hasn't been on the radar since....... Khalid has a little bit of injury history, but when he's in the rotation, his numbers are fantastic. His 5.91 K:BB ratio in Ogden was absolutely amazing. He's 25 and ready for Double-A.

Coming in, Logan Kensing had only pitched in 35 minor league games but had major league experience with the Florida Marlins last year, making three fill-in starts in five appearances, although the trial had disastroug results....... He has a 91-94 mph fastball, doesn't get rattled, and has a solid-to-average slider, and is developing his change-up....... He sounds hittable, but he held the Stars to two hits -- a double to Callix Crabbe with one out in the 1st and Brandon Gemoll's single, but he also walked four and Huntsville had a chance to take advantage of his wildness........ The Stars stranded seven runners in the first three innings. With Ben Van Iderstine on first and Crabbe on second in the 1st inning, Nelson Cruz and Tony Zuniga were retired to end the inning....... The Stars had the bases loaded in the 2nd with nobody out, but Kensing struck out Glenn Woolard, Tony Gwynn, Jr. flied out to left, but not deep enough to score Gemoll, then struck out Crabbe looking....... Zuniga walked with two outs in the 3rd and Gemoll followed with a single, but Enrique Cruz was called out on strikes to end the inning....... In the end, the Stars were 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position in this series.

Such ineptness doesn't go ignored........ Carolina broke through in the bottom of the 3rd......... Dennis Anderson hit Woolard's 3-1 pitch down the right field line past Gemoll for a leadoff double........ Logan Kensing, a shortstop in high school who pitched only out of necessity, sent a fly ball deep toward right-centerfield, moving Anderson to third..... After James Shanks struck out on a 1-2 pitch, Robert Andino, 7-for-11 in the four-game series, legged out an infield single to short. The sharply hit hopper was a tough play for Enrique Cruz who one-hopped the ball on target to Gemoll, but it was not in time, and the Mudcats took a 1-0 lead.

The Mudcats added their second run in the 4th on Anderson's bouncing ball up the middle on a 3-2 count. It could have been worse because the bases were loaded and nobody out for Woolard, but he held the Mudcats to just that run, getting the final outs on a double play, the second in four innings for Woolard. ....... The final run in the 6th on a home run by Chris Bass off reliever Josh Habel, making his Stars debut........ Kensing retired the last 10 hitters to face him and got strikeouts on the final hitters from the 2nd through the 5th inning. He left the job to a bullpen that had not given up a run in the previous three games. Their pen kept that record clean, and Chris Resop closed it out to get his 3rd save in the four-game set, something unprecedented in Stars history.

The Montgomery Biscuits are off to a 4-0 start and their leading hitter is Johnny Raburn, 6-for-9...... Noochie Varner for the Tennessee Smokies is 4-for-14 after four games........ Derek Lee, who was with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last year, is not on their roster or on any of the Blue Jays' minor league rosters. The General, who holds many of the Stars' career pitching records, including victories, started only 9 games for the Fisher Cats last year, going 1-3 with a 3.14 ERA before going on their disabled list....... Robinson Cancel, who started spring training in a Cubs uniform, is not on the rosters of the Cubs' top two farm clubs....... Steve Scarborough (4-for-8) , Rickie Weeks (4-for-9), Brad Nelson (3-for-7), and Dave Krynzel (3-for-8) are off to good starts for the 3-1 Nashville Sounds.

www.starsboxscore.com

[Mass Haas]

Sounds Site Game Summary -- link, then text:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1499

 

Late Comeback Nets Sounds 5-3 Victory Over Z's

The Nashville Sounds continued their early-season success in recovering from deficits, scoring three unanswered runs in the bottom of the seventh inning en route to a 5-3 victory over the visiting New Orleans Zephyrs in the finale of the teams? season-opening four-game series.

 

With the win, the Sounds improved to 3-1 on the young season. All three victories came in games in which they trailed at some point.

 

New Orleans grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on back-to-back one-out doubles by Jeffrey Hammonds and Matt Cepicky. The Sounds responded quickly. With one down in the bottom of the frame, Prince Fielder and Corey Hart reached on consecutive one-out singles before coming around to score on Brad Nelson?s two-run double, making it a 2-1 contest.

 

The Zephyrs evened things with timely two-out hitting against Sounds starter Rick Helling in the top of the fifth. With Jason Bowers on first after drawing a walk, New Orleans starting pitcher Brian Powell chopped an opposite-field two-out single to right to keep the inning alive for leadoff hitter Tyrell Godwin, who ripped an RBI double into the left field corner to square the game at 2-2.

 

The two-out timely hitting continued for the Zephyrs in the sixth, when the visitors took a 3-2 lead. Rick Short, who batted .462 (6-for-13) in the four-game set, plated Cepicky with a two-out double that landed on the right field line.

 

Nashville took control in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out rally of its own. After Trent Durrington (2-for-2) singled between a pair of groundouts, he advanced to third on a Dan Smith wild pitch and scored on Steve Scarborough?s infield RBI single to knot the affair at 3-3. Matt Erickson followed with a pinch-hit single, his first knock of the season, to put runners on the corners for Dave Krynzel, who produced a two-run triple to right-center to put the home club ahead by a 5-3 count.

 

Reliever Chad Paronto (2-0) earned his second victory of the year with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief behind Helling. Jeff Bennett closed out the contest with two hitless innings to earn his first career Triple-A save and second career save overall. Smith (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs in his lone inning of work.

 

The Sounds continue their opening homestand on Monday evening when they welcome the Oklahoma RedHawks (AAA-Rangers) to town for the 7 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Southpaw Andy Pratt makes his season debut for Nashville and will face local fan favorite John Wasdin (0-0, 108.00).

 

Rick Helling was the first Sounds starter to make it into the sixth inning, but he did not pick up the win.

JAE S. LEE / TENNESSEAN STAFF

 

http://tennessean.com/sports/baseball/archives/05/03/68079787.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/sports/bas...D=68079139

 

New-look Sounds off to big start

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Showing some resilience, the Nashville Sounds bounced back from Saturday's loss to New Orleans yesterday with a 5-3 comeback win, claiming three victories in the four-game series.

 

''We don't like to lose. Hopefully when we do, it's because we got beat ? because the other team did things better that game,'' Sounds center fielder Dave Krynzel said.

 

''(Saturday) we left four guys at third base. We lost that game because we didn't do the right things. But we learn from our mistakes.''

 

Krynzel, who fouled off a two-strike bunt attempt with a runner at third in Saturday's 5-4 loss, bypassed the small-ball approach in yesterday's seventh inning.

 

After Steve Scarborough's RBI single tied the game at 3-3, Krynzel hammered a triple to right-center field, scoring Scarborough and Matt Erickson for the deciding margin.

 

''That was a big hit by Krynzel, after big hits by (Trent) Durrington and Scarborough,'' Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

It was the second comeback of the day for the Sounds, who trailed 1-0 before Brad Nelson's two-run double in the fourth. However, the Zephyrs tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth.

 

Rick Helling became the first Nashville Sounds starter to pitch into the sixth inning, working 5 2/3 innings before yielding to the bullpen.

 

Chad Paronto threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory, with Jeff Bennett pitching two hitless innings to earn his first Class AAA save.

 

''We wanted Rick to finish the sixth, but I think he ran out of gas,'' Kremblas said.

 

''But he did an outstanding job just extending the innings for us and allowing us to only have to use two relievers.

 

''I think we'll be in our games more because of pitching and defense. Our offense looked good the first two days; the last two days, it was OK. We had chances (Saturday) and didn't come through, and we got some timely hitting (yesterday).''

 

Streakers: Scarborough and Krynzel have hits in each of Nashville's four games. Among Sounds with 10 or more at-bats, they're 1-2 in bating average ? Scarborough at .462 and Krynzel at .400.

 

Extra, extra: Seventeen of the Sounds' 37 hits have been for extra bases ? six home runs, nine doubles and two triples.

 

Four Sounds have three extra-base hits each ? Rickie Weeks (double, triple and homer in Friday's game) Scarborough (double, two homers), Krynzel (two doubles, triple) and Nelson (three doubles).

 

Slow start: Nashville's starters have yet to figure into a decision. Jose Capellan and Ben Hendrickson were both in line for victories on Thursday and Friday but were unable to go the required five innings.

 

Reliever Justin Lehr took Saturday's loss after Paronto (Thursday) and Mike Meyers (Friday) picked up the first two wins.

 

Early movement: New Orleans had five roster transactions before getting three games into the season, with pitchers Micah Bowie and Josh Karp going on the disabled list and infielder Carlos Baerga going up to Washington following an injury to Wil Cordero.

 

Pitcher Travis Hughes and infielder Wes Carroll were added to the roster.

 

The Sounds, who underwent 124 transactions last season, have yet to make a move.

 

What they said: ''With these young guys, there are going to be ups and downs; it's part of the maturation process. But they've got to go to the plate with a plan and try to execute that plan.'' ? Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas.

 

Maurice Patton covers the Nashville Sounds for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8018 or mopatton@tennessean.com.