Link Report for Games of Thursday, June 10th

[MassBrew]

Thursday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed...

 

INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Adrian Hernandez at home vs. Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (Phillies), 7:00 PM

 

Audio link:

www.newstalk1430.com/

 

Alternate audio link (Red Barons' feed):

www.sportsjuice.com/provi...swbrbarons

 

HUNTSVILLE: RHP Chris Saenz at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 7:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

HIGH DESERT: RHP Jesse Harper in his Mavs' debut at home vs. Lancaster (Diamondbacks), 9:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm

 

BELOIT: TBD at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 7:00 PM

 

Audio link (Kernels' feed):

www.kernels.com/radio.html

[MassBrew]

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes (Adobe required...):

 

www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf

[Jode403]

Just tuned into the Beloit game. Beloit leads 5-4 going to the 7th inning.

[MassBrew]

Updates while the Brewers do their West Coast thing:

 

In progress: Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (Phillies) 5, Indianapolis 0, after four innings (game delayed by rain at this point)

 

In progress: Birmingham (White Sox) 8, Huntsville 0, after eight innings

 

In progress: High Desert 2, Lancaster (Diamondbacks) 1, after one inning

[huntsvillefan]

Stars lose 8-1 & drop below 500 for first time this year.

[MassBrew]

Final: Cedar Rapids (Angels) 7, Beloit 5

Two-out, three-run, walk-off HR dooms Snappers...

 

Beloit Box Score:

Luis Pena your starter tonight; Lou Palmisano back in the lineup and behind the plate; 3B Adam Heether continues to pound extra-base hits (HR), but his error cost the team a run early on...

 GAME DATE: 6/10/04 BLT at CR BELOIT 5 AT CEDAR RAPIDS 7 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG CEDAR RAPIDS AB R H BI AVG T.Trofholz RF 4 1 2 1 .313 H.Kendrick 2B 5 1 1 0 .355 S.Moss CF 5 0 1 0 .218 M.Pali 1B 4 2 2 1 .293 D.Anderson LF 5 0 0 0 .262 B.Wilson CAT 5 0 2 2 .300 L.Palmisano CAT 4 1 0 1 .301 B.Balkcom RF 5 1 1 0 .265 V.Rottino DH 4 0 0 0 .301 B.Wood SS 5 1 2 3 .276 A.Heether 3B 4 1 2 2 .255 M.Brown 3B 4 0 1 0 .245 M.Ramirez 1B 4 1 1 0 .284 A.Peel LF 4 0 1 0 .237 J.Murray SS 4 0 0 0 .193 C.Maher DH 4 1 1 0 .210 W.Lewis 2B 3 1 1 1 .294 Q.Cosby CF 3 1 1 1 .251 L.Pena PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Hunter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Buckley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Dillard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Zimmermann PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 5 7 5 TOTALS 39 7 12 7 BELOIT 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0- 5 7 1 CEDAR RAPIDS 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 3- 7 12 4 E--A.Heether, H.Kendrick, B.Wood 2, M.Brown. DP--BELOIT 0, CEDAR RAPIDS 1. LOB--BELOIT 7, CEDAR RAPIDS 8. 2B--T.Trofholz (7), M.Ramirez (11), B.Balkcom (11), A.Peel (5). 3B--B.Wood (3), C.Maher (2). HR--A.Heether (8), M.Pali (4), B.Wood (7). HBP--T.Trofholz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT L.Pena 6.0 8 4 3 2 7 1 3.66 T.Taubenheim 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.90 T.Dillard (L,1-2) 0.2 3 3 3 0 0 1 3.75 CEDAR RAPIDS C.Hunter 6.0 5 5 3 0 5 1 3.50 A.Buckley 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 5.72 B.Zimmermann (W,3-4) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1.82 HB--C.Hunter. SO--T.Trofholz, S.Moss 3, D.Anderson, J.Murray 2, W.Lewis 2, M.Pali, B.Balkcom 2, B.Wood, M.Brown 2, A.Peel, C.Maher 2. BB--W.Lewis, M.Pali, Q.Cosby. T--2:35. A--2649

Beloit Game Log:

2B Will Lewis has been contributing at the bottom of the lineup since his call-up...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12632

[DHonks]

okay Josh Murray, if Moss can get above the Uecker line, so can you

[batman]

Stars lose 8-1 & drop below 500 for first time this year.

 

But they'll win 90 or 100 games, right? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

We were a little delusional, unfortunately.

 

~Bill

[MassBrew]

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 8, Huntsville 1

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Easily Chris Saenz' roughest outing of the season...

 GAME DATE: 6/10/04 BIR at HVL BIRMINGHAM 8 AT HUNTSVILLE 1 YTD YTD BIRMINGHAM AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG N.Martel LF 5 0 1 0 .317 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 1 1 .241 R.Yan 2B 4 2 2 0 .270 A.Gwynn CF 4 0 1 0 .248 M.Morse SS 5 1 2 0 .301 P.Fielder 1B 3 0 0 0 .271 A.McNeal 1B 5 2 3 6 .279 B.Nelson DH 4 0 2 0 .297 S.Bikowski RF 4 1 0 0 .263 R.Knox LF 4 0 1 0 .264 C.Maldonado DH 5 1 1 2 .260 C.Barnwell 3B 4 0 3 0 .238 N.Murphy CF 3 0 2 0 .294 J.Raburn RF 4 0 1 0 .236 R.Sasser 3B 4 0 0 0 .229 K.Johnson CAT 4 1 1 0 .233 C.Stewart CAT 2 1 0 0 .225 O.Chavez SS 4 0 1 0 .200 H.Phillips PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Saenz PIT 0 0 0 0 .350 J.Fields PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Shelley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.McNichol PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Rijo PIT 0 0 0 0 .333 TOTALS 37 8 11 8 TOTALS 35 1 11 1 BIRMINGHAM 0 1 0 2 4 0 1 0 0- 8 11 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 1 11 1 E--R.Weeks. DP--BIRMINGHAM 0, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB--BIRMINGHAM 7, HUNTSVILLE 12. 2B--A.Gwynn (8), K.Johnson (7). HR--A.McNeal 2 (15), C.Maldonado (4). HBP--A.Gwynn, B.Nelson. SF--R.Weeks. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BIRMINGHAM H.Phillips (W,5-5) 6.0 8 0 0 2 4 0 3.72 J.Fields 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1.76 B.McNichol 2.0 3 1 1 0 1 0 1.98 HUNTSVILLE C.Saenz (L,4-4) 5.0 6 7 7 2 3 3 4.41 J.Shelley 3.0 5 1 1 3 1 0 2.25 F.Rijo 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.71 HB--H.Phillips, B.McNichol. SO--N.Martel, A.McNeal 2, C.Maldonado, R.Sasser, R.Weeks, A.Gwynn, P.Fielder, B.Nelson, R.Knox, J.Raburn, K.Johnson 2. BB--R.Yan, S.Bikowski, N.Murphy, C.Stewart 2, P.Fielder 2. T--2:46. A--2197

Huntsville Game Log:

Baserunners stranded throughout...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12002

[MassBrew]

In progress: High Desert 7, Lancaster (Diamondbacks) 1, after four innings

Kind of a shame the Brewers are opposite this one; it appears as though RHP Jesse Harper's Brewer organization debut is off to a solid start and deserves our attention tonight...

[MassBrew]

Final: Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (Phillies) 7, Indianapolis 1

The Tribe is now a shell of its former self...

 

Indianapolis Box Score:

Jim Rushford killed his old club in two recent series...

 GAME DATE: 6/10/04 SWB at IND SCRANTON-WB 7 AT INDIANAPOLIS 1 YTD YTD SCRANTON-WB AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG A.Machado SS 4 2 2 1 .252 P.Bergeron CF 5 0 1 0 .214 M.Budzinski CF 4 0 2 2 .231 C.Magruder LF 4 0 1 1 .267 L.Collier LF 5 1 1 0 .326 C.Hart RF 5 0 1 0 .285 J.Rushford 1B 5 1 3 1 .327 C.Coste 3B 3 0 2 0 .329 S.Wooten 3B 4 1 2 1 .182 S.Sheldon 1B 3 0 1 0 .230 P.Ozuna 2B 5 0 1 0 .251 D.Reichert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Hernandez CAT 5 0 1 1 .208 J.Nunnally PH 1 0 0 0 .250 J.Padilla RF 3 1 0 0 .253 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Yarnall PIT 1 1 1 1 .667 L.Figueroa 2B 3 0 0 0 .280 S.Lee PIT 1 0 0 0 .333 M.Erickson SS 2 0 0 0 .220 S.Lundberg PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Stewart PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Gemoll 1B 2 1 1 0 .238 A.Delgado CAT 4 0 1 0 .169 A.Hernandez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Scarbrough SS 3 0 0 0 .211 TOTALS 37 7 13 7 TOTALS 35 1 8 1 SCRANTON-WB 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0- 7 13 3 INDIANAPOLIS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 1 8 0 E--L.Collier, S.Wooten, S.Lee. DP--SCRANTON-WB 1, INDIANAPOLIS 2. LOB--SCRANTON-WB 10, INDIANAPOLIS 11. 2B--A.Machado (6), M.Budzinski (8), E.Yarnall (1), P.Bergeron (1), B.Gemoll (2), A.Delgado (2). 3B-- M.Budzinski (6). HR--A.Machado (3), S.Wooten (1). SB--L.Collier (9). CS--P.Ozuna, C.Coste. HBP--S.Wooten, J.Padilla, C.Magruder, C.Coste. SH--A.Hernandez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA SCRANTON-WB E.Yarnall (W,2-0) 5.0 3 0 0 1 2 0 2.89 S.Lee 3.0 3 0 0 0 3 0 3.16 S.Lundberg 1.0 2 1 0 0 2 0 4.50 INDIANAPOLIS A.Hernandez (L,0-3) 4.0 7 5 5 2 3 1 7.91 P.Stewart 2.0 3 1 1 2 1 0 8.59 D.Reichert 2.0 2 1 1 1 2 1 1.43 R.Giron 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.91 HB--E.Yarnall, S.Lee, A.Hernandez, P.Stewart. WP--A.Hernandez. SO--L.Collier, J.Rushford, P.Ozuna, J.Padilla 2, S.Lee, S.Sheldon, J.Nunnally, L.Figueroa, M.Erickson, B.Gemoll, A.Delgado, S.Scarbrough. BB--A.Machado, M.Budzinski, J.Padilla, E.Yarnall 2, L.Figueroa. T--2:40. A--6613

Indianapolis Game Log:

Adrian Hernandez - yuck; Indy strands 'em as well as Huntsville tonight...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14159

[MassBrew]

Final: High Desert 10, Lancaster (Diamondbacks) 6

Party like it's 1999, kids, the streak is over at 11!

 

High Desert Box Score:

Travis Hinton with two bombs, one a grand salami; Dan Boyd with one; welcome to the family, Jesse Harper -- the Mavs are undefeated when he starts...

 GAME DATE: 6/10/04 LNC at HD LANCASTER 6 AT HIGH DESERT 10 YTD YTD LANCASTER AB R H BI AVG HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG D.Richar SS 4 0 1 0 .343 C.Morris DH 3 1 1 0 .287 N.Brown 2B 4 0 0 1 .293 P.Rasmusen PH 1 0 0 0 .219 C.Jackson LF 5 1 1 0 .342 K.Bibbs CF 5 2 3 0 .306 C.Quentin DH 4 2 2 0 .297 C.Crabbe 2B 3 2 1 0 .301 J.D'Antona 3B 4 0 1 0 .322 T.Hinton 1B 4 2 3 6 .322 S.Luellwitz 1B 4 1 1 0 .247 D.Boyd LF 3 2 1 2 .302 J.Ball RF 3 2 2 2 .288 S.Candelaria RF 4 0 2 0 .251 J.Ball CF 0 0 0 0 .288 F.Villanueva CAT 3 0 0 0 .237 P.Avlas CAT 3 0 2 2 .306 T.Farnsworth 3B 3 1 2 1 .200 B.Simon CF 2 0 0 0 .151 E.Cruz SS 3 0 0 1 .213 M.Morgan RF 1 0 0 0 .250 J.Harper PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Morgan PH 1 0 0 0 .250 E.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .167 J.Doyle PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.McMachen PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Rivera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Holsten PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Wells PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Liebeck PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Watson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 6 10 5 TOTALS 32 10 13 10 LANCASTER 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 0- 6 10 2 HIGH DESERT 2 0 5 0 0 0 2 1 X-10 13 2 E--M.Morgan, J.Doyle, T.Farnsworth, E.Cruz. DP--LANCASTER 4, HIGH DESERT 1. LOB--LANCASTER 7, HIGH DESERT 4. 2B--C.Crabbe (11), T.Farnsworth (4). 3B--C.Jackson (2), J.Ball (5). HR--T.Hinton 2 (9), D.Boyd (9). CS--J.Ball. SF--P.Avlas, E.Cruz. SH--N.Brown. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANCASTER J.Doyle (L,0-2) 2.0 6 6 6 2 0 2 14.06 C.McMachen 1.1 3 1 1 3 2 0 4.07 R.Holsten 1.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 7.54 C.Wells 1.1 1 1 1 0 1 0 2.61 J.Liebeck 0.2 1 1 1 0 1 1 27.00 M.Watson 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.82 HIGH DESERT J.Harper 4.1 4 2 2 2 6 0 4.15 E.Henderson (W,3-4) 2.1 4 3 3 0 1 0 7.19 N.Slack 1.1 1 1 1 1 2 0 5.93 H.Rivera 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.82 WP--J.Harper. PB--P.Avlas. SO--D.Richar, N.Brown, C.Quentin, J.D'Antona 2, S.Luellwitz, J.Ball, P.Avlas, B.Simon, M.Morgan, C.Morris, K.Bibbs, C.Crabbe, S.Candelaria. BB--D.Richar, C.Quentin, J.Ball, C.Morris, C.Crabbe, D.Boyd, F.Villanueva, T.Farnsworth. T--2:46. A--1590

High Desert Game Log:

Mavericks kept hitting into double plays, otherwise it'd have been an even bigger night...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=17914

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

The Stars? first-half title hopes took a severe blow Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville (30-31) lost to Birmingham (31-30), 8-1, and dropped into fourth place in the Southern League West, three games out of first with nine to go. The Stars fell under .500 for the first time since April 17.

 

The Barons? Aaron McNeal was a one-man wrecking crew, clubbing two homeruns, including a grand slam, and finishing 3-for-5 with six runs batted in. Carlos Maldonado also homered, a two-run shot to left in the fourth that made it 3-0, Barons. McNeal?s second-inning solo homer put Birmingham on the board, and the grand slam, his 15th homerun this season, put the game away. After a walk and a pair of infield singles loaded the bases in the fifth, McNeal launched a two-out blast to right center for a 7-0 Barons lead. McNeal?s seventh-inning single plated Ruddy Yan to make it 8-0.

 

Huntsville equaled the Barons? hit total, 11, but managed only one run. The Stars stranded 12 runners in the game, including leaving the bases full twice, once after loading them with one out in the fourth. Rickie Weeks broke up the shutout with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly that scored Kade Johnson, who returned to the Stars? lineup after clearing wavers at noon on Wednesday.

 

Heath Phillips (5-5) notched his fifth win, scattering eight hits, two walks and one hit batter over six scoreless innings. Chris Saenz (4-4) suffered his fourth defeat, surrendering seven runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings.

 

Huntsville pits lefty Ryan Costello (3-0, 4.76) against Barons lefty Dennis Ulacia (3-3, 3.91) in the series finale on a Fireworks Friday night. Game time is 7:05 p.m. at Joe Davis Stadium, with fireworks after the game.

[MassBrew]

Beloit Game Summary form the Cedar Rapids' Site:

 

Brandon Wood?s two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning rallied the Kernels past the Beloit Snappers, 7-5, Thursday night in a Midwest League baseball game played before a crowd of 2,649 at soggy Veterans Memorial Stadium.

 

Howie Kendrick led off the Kernels ninth with a single and Matt Pali followed with a bunt single. Bobby Wilson and Blake Balkcom hit into fielder?s choice grounders.

 

Wood then took a called strike before turning on a hanging breaking ball and launching his seventh home run onto the Randy Kuehl Honfidence Pavilion, a three-run shot that lifted the Kernels to their seventh win in their last eight games.

 

The first six innings of the game was played in a steady rain.

 

The Kernels (36-23) closed to within one-half game of Western Division leaders Kane County and Peoria. Kane County and Peoria both were rained out Thursday night and play doubleheaders Friday night. The top two teams in each division at the end of the first half qualify for the postseason playoffs. The Kernels have 10 games remaining in the first half, Kane County and Peoria each have 11 games left.

 

The Kernels almost were undone by four errors that led to two unearned runs.

 

Beloit scored an unearned run in the first inning and used a pair of doubles to score two runs in the second in building a 3-0 lead.

 

Wilson?s two-run single in the third inning pulled the Kernels within 3-2. Pali?s home run in the Kernels? fifth tied the game, 3-3.

 

Beloit reclaimed the lead, 5-3, on Adam Heether?s two-run home run in the sixth inning.

 

Quan Cosby?s check-swing infield tapper down the third-base line in the bottom of the sixth scored Caleb Maher, who had tripled, and cut Beloit?s lead to 5-4.

[DHonks]

Gotta say it's great to see those HD batting averages getting up there. And Hinton has been on fire since he recovered from that shoulder surgery. So far he's been on fire for about the last 5 months of minor league baseball

[rluzinski]

Our #1 farm system looks like crap so far, plain and simple.

[homer]

Quote:

---

Our #1 farm system looks like crap so far, plain and simple.

---

 

Parra, Jones, Hardy, Kryzel.....these guys are/have been hurt for much of the year. The farm teams are doing fine given the guys playing down there. Relax, have a brew, be happy.

[H0FFY]

Quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our #1 farm system looks like crap so far, plain and simple.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Wow! If I said that, I would need to look over my shoulder for a hit man hired by the insiders. Aren't you guys going to savage Homer so he never, never dare dissent again.

[H0FFY]

Oh, sorry Homer, it was not you that dissented. It was that luzinski guy. Good, Homer, good. Bad luzinski, bad.

[emunney]

I must finally admit to implanting H0FFY's brain with a microchip.

 

Down with dissent!

 

LONG LIVE THE INSIDERS!

[JoeHova]

I wouldn't say it looks like crap, 2 teams are over .500 and one is only 1 game under. Also, there have been a lot of injuries and most of our top guys are young for their leagues. I admit I'm a little disappointed, but to tell you the truth, I don't care very much whether a minor league team wins or loses as long as the prospects are working on their games and improving. There is still a 2nd half title to contend for in Huntsville. We may have been overly optimistic about some of the players, but Prince looks like he's coming out of his slump and so does Rickie.

[MassBrew]

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes:

 

One hour and 34 minutes of rain delays wasn?t enough to dampen the spirits of the Scarnton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Thursday night before 6,613 fans at Victory Field.

The Red Barons banged out 13 hits against four Indianapolis pitchers and cruised to a 7-1 win, sweeping the series against the Indians and giving Scranton a 7-1 record against Indianapolis this year.

 

The game was delayed 34 minutes at the start and another hour in the middle of the sixth inning. After the rain delay, the Red Barons added a run in the top of the eighth inning on a solo home run by shortstop Anderson Machado.

 

Indianapolis loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with one out for its first scoring threat of the game, but pinch-hitter Jon Nunnally struck out and second baseman Luis Figueroa grounded to first to end the threat. The Indians managed one run in the bottom of the ninth when Brandon Gemoll opened with a standup double and scored on a single by Chris Magruder.

 

Cecil Cooper's comments:

 

"We played awful," said Cooper. "We didn't play defense and we didn't play offense. We got showed up tonight."

 

TRIBE NOTES:

 

The four-game losing streak is the longest of the season for the Indians.

 

Third baseman Chris Coste saw his first action since coming off the disabled list and went two for three.

 

The Indians are 8-16 against IL North opponents and 16-15 at Victory Field.

[MassBrew]

High Desert Site Game Summary:

 

MAVS BREAK LOSING STREAK

The High Desert Mavericks? dugout, bullpen, and positional players all congregated toward the mound amidst smiles and high-fives at the game?s conclusion.

 

It was something they haven?t been able to do in nearly two weeks.

 

The Mavericks, behind a monstrous night at the plate by Travis Hinton and a five-run, ten-batter third inning, romped over the Lancaster JetHawks 10-6 before 1,590 at Mavericks Stadium on Thursday night, snapping their season-long 11-game losing streak and longest skid in four years.

 

Hinton, who finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two homers and six RBI?s, highlighted the third with a grand-slam to the power-alley in right, his second homer of the game and ninth of the 2004 campaign, off Lancaster starter Jared Doyle. Bogged down with a rough outing, Doyle (0-2) was lifted for reliever Cliff McMachen, who proceeded to load the bases on two walks and a single, and forced in the fifth run of the inning by giving up a bases-loaded walk to Troy Farnsworth, hiking the Mavs lead to 7-1.

 

Lancaster (37-23) made things interesting by scoring four unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth to cut the lead to 7-5. The Mavs (21-40) retaliated with the last three runs of the game, when Dan Boyd belted an opposite-field two-run homer to right in the seventh and Enrique Cruz lifted an RBI sacrifice fly to right, pacing the Mavs out to the 10-6 score.

 

The road was not easy to victory though, as the JetHawks stranded seven runners on base and had a chance to tie the game in the eighth with the bases loaded and down four runs. Phil Avlas drilled a Nick Slack pitch to deep left-center, but Kennard Bibbs was able to come down with the fly ball just a foot shy of the wall.

 

High Desert answered Lancaster?s initial first-inning run with two of their own in the bottom of the inning, on Travis Hinton?s two-run skyscraping homer that caught a strong, windy jetstream and carried out of the yard toward the right-field line.

 

Buried amongst the Mavs offensive flurry was a strong outing by starter Jesse Harper, who took a no-decision in his Mavericks debut after the Milwaukee Brewers claimed the prospect off waivers from Toronto. Harper, who was on a 70-pitch count, scattered two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings, striking out six. Eric Henderson (3-4) picked up the win in 2.1 innings of relief.

 

High Desert takes to the road for six games, beginning with three in San Bernardino against the Inland Empire 66ers, as David Bradley (3-3) will take the hill for the Mavs against the Sixers? Felix Hernandez (6-3) on Friday night at 7:11 PM (9:11 Central).

[MassBrew]

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update:

 

ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW SINKS STARS

Tonight was Baseball Card Night, a popular promotion for the Stars. They've had one every year of their existence but one......... The cards were sponsored by Colonial Graphics, who do such a fantastic job on the Stars' yearbooks, of which there will be two versions this year........ The cards are still the usual paper thin, smaller-than-standard fare we've gotten since Burger King sponsored the first several nights in the beginning of the franchise...... The cards have predominantly green, diamond-themed borders, with a blue, gradient inner border that frames the photo......... The players name is set inside the bottom of the blue border in a conservative font style, with the team on the top part of the border, in 1985-style lettering......... The concession stand is now selling the Southern League All-Star set and they look very nice this year.

 

Even though they're still only three games back with nine to go, the Stars fell to 4th place and like a boat with a leak, fans are watching the whole spectacle from our life rafts...... They've lost eight of their last ten and fall to 3-8 in June, the worst start for that month since 1987.

 

Eleven hits for Birmingham. Eleven hits for Huntsville....... That looks even, yet the game was anything but......... Longball made the big difference in Birmingham's 8-1 victory, the Stars scoring as the result of a sacrifice fly in the 9th inning....... It was Earl Weaver baseball, not Birmingham pitching that dominated ....... Get that big inning and do it with home runs. Drive them in once they get on base....... Five of the Barons' eight runs came with two out, and they were the big ones --- Carlos Maldonado's 2-run HR in the 4th and Aaron McNeal's grand-slam in the 5th.

 

The Stars? Twelve runners stranded, half of them in scoring position. Twice leaving the bases full.

 

First inning. Tony Gwynn hits a one-out double, his first extra-base hit since May 21. Prince Fielder draws a walk, but gets picked off for the second out....... On Brad Nelson's single, Gwynn is thrown out at home on a good throw by left fielder Normand Martel.

 

Second inning. Chris Barnwell reaches base on a bunt single, and extends his hitting streak to seven games, but is stranded at second when Kade Johnson is struck out on one of the many change-ups Birmingham pitcher Heath Phillips throws tonight........ Barnwell, June's hottest hitter, is 11-for-25 (.440) on his streak, 14-for-39 (.359) for the month.

 

Fourth inning. The Stars load the bases with one out, but once again, Kade strikes out on a change and Ozzie Chavez slides into first to try to beat out a dragged out grounder, but loses the bang-bang play. With the Barons ahead by a 3-0 count, this was the best chance to take momentum in this ballgame....... The Stars were hitting Phillips, and had they scored two or three runs, they might have been in this game to the end, one way or another.

 

Sixth inning. Ryan Knox hits a leadoff single, but is stranded at third when Chavez hits into a force. By this time, it's too late for the Stars. The Barons have a 7-0 lead halfway into this game, and they only got tougher. Josh Fields struck out the top of the Stars order in the 7th. Brian McNichol had a tougher go, allowing a leadoff double to Kade Johnson, who went to third on a single and scored on Rickie Weeks' deep fly ball to right. Gwynn was grazed by a pitch putting runners on 1st and 2nd, but Nelson struck out on a 2-2 pitch, mercifully ending one boring game

 

Aaron McNeal's leadoff HR in the 2nd was a bomb........ It cleared the Corr Wireless sign in left by a good margin and probably climbed the hill in back of it........ Chris Saenz tried to jam him in the 5th, but McNeal brought his foot back to get around on the pitch, and cranked it deep to centerfield. Gwynn gave it a chase and climbed the wall for it, but all he could do was watch it go over for a grand-slam........ Maldonado struck his two-out, two-run HR when the Barons were ahead, 1-0. A punishing breaking ball hitter by the book, Saenz threw him, yep, a breaking ball and he lofted it over the boards to the right of the scoreboard.

 

Jason Shelley entered the game in the 6th, and had a 21-pitch (at least) inning, then stuck around to throw 31 more in the 7th.

 

A newly-installed net in front of the visiting dugout saved a run in the 6th inning. Rickie Weeks made a nice backhand stop of a sharp Maldonado grounder in the hole, spun around, and made a wide and wild throw that bounced off the netting into the field of play. In older days, the ball would have wound up in the dugout for a two-base error, which would eventually have scored Maldonado with the following single by Nate Murphy.

 

The Stars' capacity for getting hit by pitches continues, as they run the season total to 43. That's already more purple hearts than in six previous seasons --- 1985, 86, 88, 89, 90, and 92........ The Stars are destined to break their club record of 79 and possibly the league record of 91 by the 1999 Diamond Jaxx....... Weeks is just one away from tying the team record set by Ramon Hernandez in 1998.

 

The Stars will pit lefty Ryan Costello (3-0, 4.76) against lefty Dennis Ulacia (3-3, 3.91) for a Fireworks Friday night. A Boy Scout overnight sleepover after the game under the tent should attract a nice large crowd........ The Stars would need a crowd of 6,121 to hit the 100,000 mark in attendance this year, ahead of last year's pace.

 

For you homies wondering about the scoreboard situation, two CPUs that operate in the back of the scoreboard (there are four more in the booth) overheated and have to be replaced. Someone from Las Vegas will be in Huntsville, Friday, to replace them and install an A/C unit to keep them cool....... Someone from Canada will be on his heels to get the pitch speed thingy working. That may come while the Stars are on their next road trip to Smokies Park and Birmingham........ The Rickwood Classic is next Thursday, and I'll be there to give you my insights and thoughts on one of baseball's oldest parks. I haven't seen it since I saw my first Stars game in 1985.

[MassBrew]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 32 26 .552 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 32 29 .525 1.5 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 30 28 .517 2.0[/b] LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 30 30 .500 3.0

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 33 28 .541 MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 33 28 .541 BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 31 30 .508 2.0 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 30 31 .492 3.0[/b] MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 26 35 .426 7.0

 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 37 23 .617 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 34 26 .567 3.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 31 29 .517 6.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 29 31 .483 8.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 21 40 .344 16.5[/b]

 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 36 22 .621 KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 36 22 .621 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 36 23 .610 .5 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 32 28 .533 5.0[/b] CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 30 27 .526 5.5 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 26 29 .473 8.5 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 25 33 .431 11.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 18 41 .305 18.5