Link Report for Games of Thursday, May 27th

[MassBrew]

Thursday's Daily Menu: No messy major league Brewer game to get in the way of your minor league audio enjoyment this evening http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

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

 

INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Travis Phelps at Pawtucket (Red Sox), 6:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.newstalk1430.com/

 

Alternate audio link (Pawsox' feed):

www.pawsox.com/

 

HUNTSVILLE: RHP Tim Bausher at home vs. Mobile (Padres), 7:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

HIGH DESERT: RHP David Bradley at home vs. Stockton (Rangers), 9:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm

 

BELOIT: RHP Carlos Villanueva at Kane County (A's), 6:05 PM

 

Audio link (Cougars' feed):

www.kccougars.com/

[MassBrew]

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes:

More outstanding Jeff Leifer numbers...

 

www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf

[MassBrew]

Final: Indianapolis 3, Pawtucket (Red Sox) 0

Listened to this one on local radio while puttering around the house this evening; Travis Phelps allows only three hits over six innings; Jason Childers closes things out; Jon Nunnally with a go-ahead HR early-on for the Tribe...

 

Indianapolis Box Score:

Nice Indy debut for RHP Clint Weibl...

 GAME DATE: 5/27/04 IND at PAW INDIANAPOLIS 3 AT PAWTUCKET 0 YTD YTD INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG PAWTUCKET AB R H BI AVG R.Knox LF 4 0 1 0 .253 H.Stanley LF 4 0 1 0 .176 M.Erickson 2B 5 1 1 0 .212 T.Coquilette 1B 3 0 0 0 .287 C.Hart RF 3 0 0 0 .263 C.Febles SS 4 0 1 0 .258 J.Liefer 1B 4 0 0 0 .331 A.Hyzdu RF 4 0 0 0 .285 J.Nunnally CF 2 2 2 1 .264 E.Snyder 3B 3 0 0 0 .279 S.Sheldon DH 1 0 0 0 .207 R.Casanova DH 3 0 0 0 .273 M.Johnson CAT 4 0 2 2 .256 T.Schrager 2B 3 0 1 0 .280 S.Scarbrough SS 4 0 1 0 .219 K.Shoppach CAT 2 0 0 0 .220 L.Figueroa 3B 4 0 1 0 .291 J.Owens CF 3 0 0 0 .203 T.Phelps PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Cassidy PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Weibl PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Malaska PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Almonte PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Johnson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 3 8 3 TOTALS 29 0 3 0 INDIANAPOLIS 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0- 3 8 0 PAWTUCKET 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 3 1 E--M.Malaska. DP--INDIANAPOLIS 1, PAWTUCKET 0. LOB--INDIANAPOLIS 8, PAWTUCKET 4. 2B--C.Febles (7). HR--J.Nunnally (7). CS--R.Knox, J.Nunnally. HBP--T.Coquilette. SH--R.Knox, S.Sheldon. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA INDIANAPOLIS T.Phelps (W,5-1) 6.0 2 0 0 1 5 0 4.58 C.Weibl 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 J.Childers (S,12) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.64 PAWTUCKET S.Cassidy (L,0-1) 5.1 5 2 2 2 3 1 4.35 M.Malaska 0.1 1 1 1 2 0 0 7.94 E.Almonte 2.1 2 0 0 1 0 0 7.43 J.Johnson 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.15 HB--J.Childers. WP--E.Almonte. SO--R.Knox, M.Erickson, C.Hart, T.Coquilette, C.Febles, A.Hyzdu 2, T.Schrager, J.Owens. BB--C.Hart, J.Nunnally 2, S.Sheldon 2, K.Shoppach. T--2:30. A--2695

Indianapolis Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=13579

[Diskono]

baseball fight @ Huntsville!

 

Sounds like Prince was HBP and brawling insued. He and the pitcher have been ejected.

[MassBrew]

Final: Beloit 5, Kane County (A's) 4

Wow - first and third for the Cougars in the ninth, one out; Dan Grybash induces the 4-6-3 double play to end the game!

 

Beloit Box Score:

 GAME DATE: 5/27/04 BLT at KNC BELOIT 5 AT KANE COUNTY 4 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG KANE COUNTY AB R H BI AVG G.Rodriguez 2B 5 0 0 0 .286 B.Ingram SS 4 0 1 0 .260 T.Trofholz RF 5 2 2 0 .296 L.Appert 2B 5 0 0 0 .237 D.Anderson LF 4 1 3 0 .270 D.Castillo DH 3 1 0 0 .297 L.Palmisano CAT 3 0 0 0 .305 E.Kim 1B 4 1 2 0 .250 V.Rottino DH 3 1 1 1 .314 B.Snyder 3B 3 0 0 0 .311 A.Heether 3B 4 0 1 1 .243 D.Majewski CF 3 1 3 2 .303 S.Moss CF 4 1 1 0 .175 D.Harriman CAT 3 0 0 0 .286 M.Ramirez 1B 4 0 2 2 .283 V.Spanos PH 1 0 0 0 .280 J.Murray SS 4 0 1 0 .213 T.Brown CAT 0 0 0 0 .300 C.Villanueva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Tritle RF 4 1 3 2 .174 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Perez LF 3 0 0 0 .250 D.Grybash PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Dunwell PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Rodriguez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Pickens PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 36 5 11 4 TOTALS 33 4 9 4 BELOIT 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0- 5 11 0 KANE COUNTY 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0- 4 9 0 DP--BELOIT 2, KANE COUNTY 2. LOB--BELOIT 6, KANE COUNTY 7. 2B-- D.Anderson (8), A.Heether (13), E.Kim 2 (9). 3B--M.Ramirez (1). HR--C.Tritle (3). SB--T.Trofholz 2 (10), D.Anderson (4). HBP--L.Perez. SF--V.Rottino, D.Majewski. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT C.Villanueva (W,4-4) 5.0 5 3 3 1 3 1 4.18 M.Stetter 2.2 2 1 1 2 4 0 3.75 D.Grybash (S,2) 1.1 2 0 0 0 1 0 4.82 KANE COUNTY C.Dunwell (L,6-2) 5.0 8 4 4 1 4 0 4.13 M.Rodriguez 2.0 3 1 1 0 0 0 5.06 J.Pickens 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.05 HB--C.Villanueva. WP--C.Dunwell. SO--T.Trofholz, L.Palmisano, A.Heether, S.Moss, L.Appert, E.Kim 2, B.Snyder 2, D.Harriman, V.Spanos, L.Perez. BB--L.Palmisano, B.Ingram, D.Castillo, B.Snyder. T--2:49. A--6830

Beloit Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=13920

[MassBrew]

Updates -- I've had High Desert on, I'll let others comment on the Stars' game...

 

In progress: Mobile (Padres) 4, Huntsville 2, after seven innings

 

In progress: Stockton (Rangers) 0, High Desert 0, after one inning

Starting pitcher David Bradley's 3.63 ERA entering the game the lowest on the Mavs' staff...

 

Tidbits from the HD broadcast in the early going:

 

-- OF Chris Morris doubled in his first AB but was caught stealing third. This is his first start in 20 games as he's had a thumb injury

 

-- Dan Boyd was hit by a pitch for the 11th time this year in the first, and the fifth time in six games

 

-- John Vanden Berg's .327 average heading into the game has been pumped by a .440 (!) average at Friendly Mavericks Stadium

[MassBrew]

Beloit Game Summary from the Cougars' Site:

 

The Kane County Cougars rallied late but lost for the second straight night to the Beloit Snappers by a final score of 5?4 on a beautiful night at Elfstrom Stadium. The Cougars had the tying and go ahead runs on base in the final two innings but were unable to come up with the big hit and split the first four games of the current eight game home stand.

 

The Snappers (26?21) got on the scoreboard first, for the fourth straight game, scoring two runs on a double to the right center field gap by Manuel Ramirez to take a 2?0 lead.

 

The Cougars (28?18) would answer scoring a run of their own in the bottom of the second when Eddie Kim came home on an RBI single from Dustin Majewski to make it a 2?1 game. The Snappers would add two more runs on three hits in the top of the third to take a 4?1 lead.

 

The Cougars would come back in the bottom of the fifth on a two home run off the bat of Chris Tritle, his third of the season, to cut the lead to 4?3.

 

Beloit would add another run in the top of the seventh inning when Terry Trofholz would score from third when Lou Palmisano grounded into a double play.

 

The Cougars got that run back in the bottom of the eighth inning when with one out, Dustin Majewski hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly into left field scoring David Castillo to cut the lead to 5?4. Vasili Spanos then was called upon to pinch hit for David Harriman but struck out to end the inning.

 

The Cougars would threaten again in the bottom of the ninth putting runners on first and third with only one out but a 6?4?3 double play ended the game as the Snappers evened the season series at four games a piece.

[MassBrew]

Update: High Desert 6, Stockton (Rangers) 2, bottom of the 4th at Friendly Mavericks Stadium

Dan Boyd and Travis Hinton just hit back-to-back jacks, with Boyd's a three-run shot -- fun, fun, fun...

[MassBrew]

Final: Mobile (Padres) 6, Huntsville 2

 

Huntsville Box Score:

RHP Tim Bausher surrenders three home runs...

 GAME DATE: 5/27/04 MOB at HVL MOBILE 6 AT HUNTSVILLE 2 YTD YTD MOBILE AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG T.Donovan LF 3 0 0 0 .292 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 1 0 .261 F.Guzman CF 4 1 0 0 .283 A.Gwynn CF 2 1 0 0 .261 G.Sain 1B 5 2 2 3 .235 P.Fielder 1B 2 0 0 0 .256 J.Gautreau 3B 5 1 1 1 .231 J.Raburn PR 0 1 0 0 .241 B.Johnson RF 4 0 0 0 .232 J.Raburn 1B 1 0 0 0 .241 J.Barfield 2B 3 1 1 0 .254 B.Nelson LF 2 0 1 0 .287 N.Trzesniak CAT 3 0 1 0 .220 J.Belcher RF 4 0 2 2 .293 A.Webb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Barnwell 3B 4 0 0 0 .202 J.Cassel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Johnson CAT 4 0 1 0 .238 J.Roman PH 1 1 1 1 .172 O.Chavez SS 3 0 0 0 .190 R.Spiehs PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Bausher PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 M.Thompson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Woolard PIT 1 0 0 0 .000 R.Merrill SS 4 0 1 0 .192 C.Rojas PIT 2 0 2 0 .250 S.Morales CAT 1 0 0 1 .227 TOTALS 35 6 9 6 TOTALS 29 2 5 2 MOBILE 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 0- 6 9 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0- 2 5 1 E--K.Johnson. DP--MOBILE 1, HUNTSVILLE 0. LOB--MOBILE 7, HUNTSVILLE 6. 2B--J.Roman (2). HR--G.Sain 2 (12), J.Gautreau (6). SB--T.Donovan (15), F.Guzman (17), A.Gwynn 2 (14), J.Raburn (3). CS--B.Nelson. HBP-- A.Gwynn, P.Fielder. SF--S.Morales. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MOBILE C.Rojas 5.1 2 2 2 3 5 0 4.59 A.Webb 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 0 11.32 J.Cassel (W,2-0) 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.91 R.Spiehs 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.88 M.Thompson 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.22 HUNTSVILLE T.Bausher (L,1-5) 6.2 6 4 4 3 5 3 3.27 G.Woolard 2.1 3 2 2 1 2 0 7.71 HB--C.Rojas 2. WP--C.Rojas, G.Woolard. SO--F.Guzman, G.Sain, J.Gautreau 2, J.Barfield, R.Merrill 2, R.Weeks 3, J.Belcher, K.Johnson, O.Chavez, G.Woolard. BB--T.Donovan 2, F.Guzman, J.Barfield, A.Gwynn, B.Nelson 2, O.Chavez. T--2:59. A--1109

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=11989

[dman]

Huntsville seems as though they are struggling to score runs. If it wasn't for Nelson and Belcher this team would really be hurtin. It is time for Weeks and Fielder to step up and start helping out or this team won't win there division. Which i think will be a stretch anyway until they get some pitching help i.e. Jones, Ford, Parra. I see woolard got sent up from HD. His AA debut was not pretty. I don't think there bullpen is to hot for the most part.

[pogokat]

Final: High Desert 12, Stockton (Rangers) 8

Mavericks draw nine walks and three HBP in addition to their 13 base hits...

 

High Desert Site Game Summary:

 

CANDY, SWEET CANDY

The High Desert Mavericks received an impressive offensive outing from Scott Candelaria, as the Mavericks cruised to a 12-8 victory over the Stockton Ports before 1,424 at Mavericks Stadium on Thursday night.

 

Candelaria, who came into the game 0-for-4 against Stockton pitching, tallied a 3-for-3 evening at the plate while reaching base five times, notching three RBI?s, two walks, and a run scored.

 

High Desert (19-29) avoids their first wrong-side of a home sweep at Mavericks Stadium for 2004, erupted for five runs in the fourth inning to turn a 2-2 tie into a 7-2 laugher. After a Chris Morris lead-off walk and a Callix Crabbe double, Dan Boyd drilled a three-run homer to center, followed by a Travis Hinton solo dinger to right, chasing Stockton starter Ben Keiter from the game.

 

The Mavs, who posted their first back-to-back homer effort this season, tallied their fifth run of the inning on Candelaria?s RBI single.

 

Candelaria followed with a two-run triple in the sixth to hike the lead to 9-4, after Stockton got two runs back in the fifth on a Juan Senreiso two-run homer.

 

The Mavs finished off their scoring in the eighth on an Enrique Cruz RBI single and a two-run single by Morris, before Stockton (22-25) posted the final four runs of the evening in the ninth to make the score semi-respectable.

 

David Bradley (3-2) picked up the win by tossing five innings in his first start in two weeks, scattering four runs on five hits. Keiter (2-4) collected the loss, while the Mavs? Eric Henderson tallied the save, his first of the year, by pitching the last four innings in relief of Bradley.

 

High Desert takes to the road for nine games, lasting until June 7, as they send Bo Hall (2-3) the mound to begin a three-game series in San Bernardino with the Inland Empire 66ers, as the Sixers will counter with Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-0). The game?s first pitch will be at 7:11 PM (9:11 Central).

 

High Desert Box Score:

 GAME DATE: 5/27/04 STK at HD STOCKTON 8 AT HIGH DESERT 12 YTD YTD STOCKTON AB R H BI AVG HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG J.Senreiso CF 4 1 1 2 .438 C.Morris DH 4 1 3 2 .318 J.Arias SS 5 2 2 0 .301 C.Crabbe 2B 4 2 2 0 .287 V.Sinisi LF 4 2 1 1 .326 D.Boyd LF 4 1 2 3 .286 N.Gold 1B 4 0 2 4 .231 T.Hinton 1B 5 1 1 1 .294 A.Webster DH 4 0 0 0 .238 J.Vanden ber CAT 4 1 0 0 .314 J.Cleveland RF 4 0 2 0 .328 K.Bibbs CF 4 2 1 0 .301 A.Fox 2B 2 0 0 0 .268 T.Farnsworth 3B 2 2 0 0 .161 C.Smith CAT 4 1 1 1 .250 S.Candelaria RF 3 1 3 4 .250 R.Shelley 3B 4 2 2 0 .143 E.Cruz SS 5 1 1 1 .233 B.Keiter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Bradley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Mazurek PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .167 C.Russ PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 O.Beltre PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 8 11 8 TOTALS 35 12 13 11 STOCKTON 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 4- 8 11 2 HIGH DESERT 0 0 2 5 0 2 0 3 X-12 13 0 E--R.Shelley 2. DP--STOCKTON 0, HIGH DESERT 2. LOB--STOCKTON 6, HIGH DESERT 11. 2B--J.Arias 2 (8), V.Sinisi (11), N.Gold (11), R.Shelley 2 (2), C.Morris (6). 3B--J.Cleveland (2), K.Bibbs (5), S.Candelaria (1). HR--J.Senreiso (1), C.Smith (1), D.Boyd (6), T.Hinton (5). SB--C.Crabbe 2 (16), K.Bibbs 2 (17). CS--C.Morris 2, C.Crabbe. HBP--D.Boyd, J.Vanden ber, T.Farnsworth. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA STOCKTON B.Keiter (L,2-4) 3.0 6 6 4 5 2 2 6.10 D.Mazurek 2.2 4 3 3 1 3 0 4.76 C.Russ 1.1 1 0 0 2 0 0 4.30 O.Beltre 1.0 2 3 0 1 0 0 4.03 HIGH DESERT D.Bradley (W,3-2) 5.0 5 4 4 4 3 1 4.08 E.Henderson (S,1) 4.0 6 4 4 2 2 1 7.06 HB--B.Keiter 2, D.Mazurek. SO--J.Senreiso, V.Sinisi, A.Webster 2, J.Cleveland, D.Boyd 2, T.Hinton, T.Farnsworth, E.Cruz. BB--J.Senreiso, V.Sinisi, N.Gold, A.Webster, A.Fox 2, C.Morris 2, C.Crabbe 2, K.Bibbs, T.Farnsworth 2, S.Candelaria 2. T--3:20. A--1424

High Desert Game Log:

Mavs escape leadoff triple trouble in the 6th...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=17910

[Diskono]

Woolard got hit pretty hard in the 8th, I think he gave up a Corey Hart-esque foul right before the double. In his defense, the second run he gave up probably shouldn't have counted, it sounded like the runner out at 2nd was actually out before the run scored.

[MassBrew]

Indianapolis Star:

 

Travis Phelps and two Indianapolis Indians relievers held the Pawtucket Red Sox to three hits Thursday night in a 3-0 win.

 

Phelps (5-1) struck out five and allowed just two hits in six innings. He retired the final 11 batters he faced and allowed only one runner to advance to second base.

 

"A superb effort by Phelps," Indians manager Cecil Cooper said in a news release from the team. "A much-needed win for our staff."

 

Jon Nunnally's home run off Scott Cassidy (0-1) in the second gave the Indians (26-19) a 1-0 lead.

 

"We came out and got a run early," Phelps said. "I got some momentum and all my pitches were working well tonight."

 

Mark Johnson's two-run single in the sixth inning off Red Sox reliever Mark Malaska gave Indianapolis a 3-0 lead.

 

Nunnally went 2-for-2 with two walks to help the Tribe win for just the second time in its past eight road games.

 

"For some reason, we have not found our comfort zone offensively on the road," Indians second baseman Matt Erickson said. "Tonight, we got a couple of key hits. . . . As long as we get good pitching, we're going to be just fine."

 

Clint Weibl pitched two scoreless innings, and Jason Childers pitched the ninth for his 12th save.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

In a contest puncutated by a bench-clearing brawl, Mobile (24-23) knocked off Huntsville, 6-2, on Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars (25-22) fell 2 ½ games behind West Tenn in the Southern League West.

 

The Stars and Bears rumbled in the sixth after Mobile starter Chris Rojas hit Prince Fielder in the helmet with an 0-1 pitch. Fielder pointed the bat at Rojas before dropping it and taking off for the mound. Bears catcher Nick Trzesniak tackled Fielder from behind as Rojas took a futile swing at Fielder, then the benches and bullpens arrived. Though no other fisticuffs ensued, it took several minutes for the umpires to sort out whom to eject. Finally, Rojas, Fielder and Trzesniak all were booted from the game.

 

The Stars tied the game soon after Rojas? pitch hit Fielder, putting runners at first and second. Tony Gwynn Jr. was thrown out at home trying to score from second on a wild pitch by Alan Webb, but Johnny Raburn, who ran for Fielder at first and raced to third on the wild pitch, scored on Jason Belcher?s two-out single for a 2-2 tie.

 

In the seventh, Mobile?s Greg Sain broke the deadlock with a two-run blast to left, his second homer of the game. The Bears added two insurance runs in the eighth, the second scoring when it appeared the final out of the inning had been recorded at second before the run crossed home plate.

 

Jack Cassel (2-0) recorded the win with 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief, fanning one. Tim Bausher (1-5) suffered the loss, permitting four runs on six hits, including three homers, and three walks while fanning five over 6 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the season.

 

The Stars send righty Dennis Sarfate (2-4, 4.83) against Bears right-hander Tim Stauffer (1-0, 2.70) in game two of the series Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Game time is 7:05 p.m. as the Stars? brand-new, state-of-the-art scoreboard makes its debut!

[MassBrew]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 26 19 .578[/b] COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 24 20 .545 1.5 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 23 25 .479 4.5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 22 25 .468 5.0

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 27 19 .587 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 25 22 .532 2.5[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 24 22 .522 3.0 MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 24 23 .511 3.5 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 18 29 .383 9.5

 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 28 19 .596 LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 26 20 .565 1.5 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 26 20 .565 1.5 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 20 26 .435 7.5 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 19 29 .396 9.5[/b]

 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 28 18 .609 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 27 19 .587 1.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 27 19 .587 1.0 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 26 21 .553 2.5 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 26 21 .553 2.5[/b] QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 21 24 .467 6.5 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 20 26 .435 8.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 15 32 .319 13.5

[MassBrew]

Daily Press High Desert Game Story:

 

www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...598,19727,

 

James Quigg / Victor Valley Daily Press Staff Photographer

High Desert's Chris Morris gets tangled up with Stockton's Joaquin Arias at second base during their game Thursday night.

 

http://www.vvdailypress.com/storypics2/052804_mavs.jpg

[hardytheman]

Let me ask you kane, who do you take off the roster to add Woolard? Let me follow that up with, who do you take off the roster on May 7th when the roster size decreases to 23 in Huntsville?

 

Finally, my 'gut feeling' says he's not going to be moved any time soon. And my 'gut feelings' have yet to be wrong. Check any/all of my previous posts regarding player moves/transactions

 

 

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

 

LOL!!! remember this post Brewcru? Gut feelings? Too funny!!!!!!!!!!!! Guess you were just PROVED WRONG!

[shelmark]

How can a team with 4 top prospects be last in the Southern League in Batting Average. I'm not even counting Belcher. I know they are doing well record-wise but some of you have to be a little bit disappointed in the long hitting droughts that this group is putting together. I keep waiting for them to erupt but they continue to get low hit totals on a regular basis.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Game Story:

 

Stars, skipper get fighting mad in 6-2 loss to Mobile

BayBears' Sain homers twice as players, fans are ejected

By PAUL GATTIS

Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

Just your ordinary night at Joe Davis Stadium. ...

 

The new scoreboard was christened before it was even put to use, getting popped by the home run hit by Mobile's Greg Sain in the fourth inning.

 

Stars manager Frank Kremblas survived two heated arguments with home plate umpire Ria Cortesio and did not get an early shower.

 

First base umpire Rusty Griffin ejected three fans sitting in the stands behind home plate for allegedly shouting obscenities at Cortesio.

 

Stars first baseman Prince Fielder got hit in the head by a pitch and then went looking for a head to hit in response, setting off a bench-clearing brawl in the sixth inning.

 

And by the time the night ended, Sain had slammed another home run and the BayBears beat the Stars 6-2 before an announced crowd of 1,109.

 

Yeah, pretty routine stuff.

 

Well, maybe the fight wasn't routine.

 

Fielder took a fastball off the head from BayBears starter Chris Rojas and didn't like it. As he walked toward first base, he pointed with his bat toward Rojas on the mound and the players shouted at each other.

 

Then Fielder bolted toward Rojas just as Rojas bolted toward Fielder and the benches emptied into a typical baseball fight - a little pushing and not much else.

 

Fielder was dragged down from behind by Mobile catcher Nick Trzesniak and Rojas took a swing at Fielder before moving away. Fielder and Trzesniak exchanged a couple of punches and the brawl quickly ended with no bitter feelings on either side.

 

Fielder was ejected from the game, as were Rojas and Trzesniak.

 

"It's not that big a deal," Fielder said. "It's over."

 

Said Mobile manager Gary Jones, "It's part of it. Sometimes it happens in baseball. It's unfortunate. Rojas obviously wasn't trying to throw at him and you can't blame Fielder for reacting the way that he did."

 

Added Kremblas, "I had no problem with either one of them."

 

Kremblas was obviously had a bigger problem with Cortesio, with whom he argued vehemently twice over plays at the plate.

 

The first came soon after the brawl. Tony Gwynn Jr. had also been hit by a pitch, advanced to second when Fielder was hit. While stealing third, Mobile reliever Alan Webb threw a wild pitch and Gwynn hit third and kept going. He was thrown out when catcher Steve Morales flipped to Webb covering home.

 

The second came in the eighth when Mobile's Jesse Roman scored on Morales' sacrifice fly to center. Except Kremblas complained that Roman did not cross home plate before Ronnie Merrill was thrown out on a double play that ended the inning, which would mean the run didn't count.

 

"There were a couple of calls that were close," Kremblas said. "I only wish they had gone our way.

 

"But I'm such a jerk to the umpires that I shouldn't expect calls to go our way."

 

The three fans were forced to leave the game in the seventh inning when Griffin called for their ejection. The game was stopped for a couple of minutes until they left the seating area.

 

And all this somewhat overshadowed the two home run game by Sain, who is second in the league with 12. The first home run was followed on the next pitch by a solo shot from Jake Gautreau off losing pitcher Tim Bausher (1-5).

 

The Stars offense, meanwhile, managed just five hits. Jack Cassel (2-0) pitched 11/3 innings of hitless relief to get the win.

 

It was just the Stars' second loss in their last seven games.

 

And, well, maybe it wasn't such an ordinary night after all.

[MassBrew]

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

 

THE LAST STRAW

What a crazy game on this quiet, pleasant Thursday night......... A brawl, a BAD call, ejections, projection, a loss of direction, and defensive rejections, a christening, a launching, and first time around, and if I'm redundant, and not making any sense, I'll explain it all. Read on. There's a reason why this game lasted almost three hours.

 

Let's get to the most exciting part...... In all the years I've been coming to the Joe, I've never actually seen a brawl here. Perhaps the consequences in starting one have something to do with it. Anyone leaving the dugout to participate gets an automatic fine and suspensions are usually very certain...... But you can take one guess what started this one.

 

Chris Rojas, in his 3rd season for Mobile, is 3-3 with a 4.73 ERA, but against the Stars, he's been a historic whipping post...... In his 14th appearance against the Stars going back to 2002, he's won only one of his 10 starts, that being last year when he pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Ben Hendrickson on July 17, but overall, he's 2-6 with a 5.64 ERA........ His last appearance was May 11 this year, when he gave up five runs in five innings and walked away with no decision in an 8-5 victory for the Stars.

 

With the Stars trailing, 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Rojas began getting inexplicably wild. A couple of his pitches to leadoff man Rickie Weeks were way outside, before Weeks swung at a third strike (third strikeout for Weeks this night)....... Tony Gwynn, Jr. then got a hot foot on a 1-2 pitch........ Rojas was wild with a fastball, hitting Gwynn on the back foot. In letting the bat instinctively drop down while trying to avoid the pitch, the ball ricocheted off his foot to the bat to strike the other foot. He angrily threw the bat away and trotted to first....... That was the 30th time a Stars batter has been hit this season, which matches the entire total of the 1992 season....... Half the time the target has been Weeks, who I've noticed has been backing his left foot a little bit off the plate now. But as many times as the Stars have had near-confrontations, especially against Jacksonville, there's never been a brawl --- until tonight.

 

Prince Fielder followed Gwynn. On 0-1, Rojas went head-hunting, literally....... This was bound to happen after 30 HBPs....... The pitch hit Fielder in the helmet, which flew off. Fielder didn't fall, but he backed out of the box, bat in hand, then glared at Rojas........ About a third of the way to first, Fielder began leaving the baseline, stepping into the infield grass and everyone knew the boiling point had just about been reached....... Fielder stopped, pointed the bat straight at Rojas, then dropped it, and took off at Rojas......... Catcher Nick Trzesniak grabbed the Big Prince from behind, more to restrain him from taking a belt at Rojas, but Rojas took the occasion to take a swing at Fielder, then all hell broke loose.........

 

Both benches and bullpens emptied. Chris Barnwell, separated from the melee, was poised to take a whack at someone, but he was restrained, while the scrum resembled bees on a hive, with the central characters hidden deep inside........ No other fisticuffs ensued, but it was interesting to watch at the time because you never know what's going to happen when one starts....... It took several minutes for this umpiring crew of Ria Cortesio, Rusty Griffin, and Steve McMullen, at the Joe for the first time this year, to sort everything out, but when the smoke cleared, Rojas, Trzesniak, and Fielder were booted.

 

Johnny Raburn came in to pinch-run for Fielder and take over first base duties as well........ Raburn has turned into the second coming of (former Star) Jared Mathis on this team. This is the sixth position he's played this year, but unlike the versatile Mathis, I get a better impression of Raburn (.241, 9 RBIs) as a hitter. Time will tell if that's actually true........ Mobile manager Gary Jones brought in Alan Webb to pitch to Brad Nelson, but on the second pitch to Nelson, Frank Kremblas had the boys running. The pitch bounced wild, all the way to the backstop. Gwynn tried to take two on the wild pitch, but the tag was made on the throw from Steve Morales to Webb on a very close play that brought Kremblas out to argue........ Raburn took third on the play at the plate....... Nelson walked on five pitches, then on a 1-1 pitch, Jason Belcher singled to center to score Raburn, tying the game......... That was all for Webb, who left with an ERA of a leaden 11.32........ Jack Cassel got Barnwell to hit into a 5-4 force play and that was the end of that long inning....... Cassel would retire the side in the 7th, but Kade Johnson, the first batter that inning, battling an 8-for-52 month, made it an adventure with a long fly to dead center that Freddy Guzman caught on an over-the-shoulder run.

 

Tim Bausher pitched well enough to hold the Bay Bears for three innings, but again got little run support, and found himself behind, 2-0 on back-to-back HRs by Greg Sain and Jake Gautreau in the 4th........ The 4th is Bausher's toughest inning so far this year. Prior to this game, he's been hit for a .320 average that inning, after holding opponents to the .250s for the first three....... Sain's HR, on a 2-0 pitch, rudely hit off our new scoreboard where it says "GUEST" and "HOME"........ Although the appelations look fixed on the scoreboard, GM Bryan Dingo tells me he's working to have the installers put LED displays there to designate anything that the control room chooses to put there, hopefully before the end of the season.......

 

Gautreau took the first pitch and pulled it over the the AmSouth sign in left........ Concerned after walking Freddy Guzman with two out in the 7th, pitching coach Fred Dabney and Kremblas let Bausher in to pitch to Greg Sain, but he gave up another home run over the long Corr Wireless sign in left field. Normally on a 75-80 pitch count, he threw this on his 95th and last pitch of the game, breaking the 2-2 deadlock, giving the game to Mobile........ Bausher, in seven previous starts, had never given up more than two earned runs per start, but because he had no runs to work with in three of those starts, and nine in all seven starts put together, he is now 1-5.

 

The Bay Bears got their sixth run, not that it mattered at that point, on a bad call by home plate ump Ria Cortestio, the first female ump in Southern League history........ With the Bay Bears leading 5-2 after pinch-hitter Jesse Roman's RBI double to the right field wall, shortstop Ronnie Merrill blooped a single to left, sending Roman to third. Next, Steve Morales flied out to center -- the second out -- Gwynn threw to Weeks at second to get Merrill advancing on the fly....... One can see the strategy --- Merrill sacrificing himself, hoping Roman scores before he is tagged out at second. It didn't work that way. Roman didn't cross the plate in time. Nevertheless, Cortesio called Roman safe at home, clearly a bad call, causing a storm of protest from everywhere. Even Mobile's play-by-play man in the booth, Tom Nichols, admitted it was a bad call.

 

There were two really sparkling defensive plays by the Stars....... In the 4th, two batters after those back-to-back HRs were hit, Nick Trzesniak chopped a ball to Ozzie Chavez..... Charging in on the ball, Ozzie made a nifty short-hop catch away from his body, then fired on the run to Fielder to get the out........ An inning later, Freddy Guzman hit a deep fly that sent Gwynn fleeting to the track in dead center....... Appearing to lose the ball, Gwynn twists and turns, backpedals, frontpedals, then makes the catch on the track.

 

Glenn Woolard arrived in Huntsville Thursday, and made his debut in the 7th inning after Bausher's two-run gopher ball to Sain....... He struck out Gautreau on a long nine-pitch battle to end the inning, and got three of four batters to face him in the 9th (walking Todd Donovan on four pitches), but gave up three straight hits in the 8th. His off-speed was good, he had trouble with the slider, which he had trouble keeping down, but he had decent control of his fastball and generally did his best although he tended to go long in the count.

 

The new scoreboard, which I've talked to death about, will make its debut tonight, but as I look out the window now at 19 minutes past 11 in the morning, the skies are overcast and ripe for a big shower....... The Stars will send Dennis Sarfate (2-4, 4.83), coming off a good 10-1 win over Jacksonville, against Tim Stauffer (1-0, 2.70), just placed in Mobile's rotation....... Hopefully the rain threat won't spoil what looked to be the best crowd of the season.

 

Corey Hart, who made his major league debut Tuesday night against Los Angeles, was returned to Indianapolis....... Paul Stewart, in his first appearance for the Indians Wednesday, had a similar outing to Woolard's: 2 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 2 earned runs for a 7.71 ERA, 3 Ks and a walk.

 

The Stars could still break a club record for the fewest errors made after 50 games...... After 47, they've committed 47 errors. The record for the fewest made after 50 games is 53 by the 1999 Stars....... The Stars already broke the record for fewest errors after 40 games (with 39), also previously held by the 1999 Stars.

 

Tony Gwynn's hitting streak ended at nine games. He was 16-for-39 during the streak........ His average is at .261. It was .213 when the streak started........ Brad Nelson was caught stealing for the sixth time in 10 attempts in the 2nd inning. He has 11 doubles this month, the most since Steve Scarborough hit 11 in April of 2002....... Jason Belcher, hitting .339 for the month of May, is the Stars' leading hitter, and 4-for-8 in his last two games...... The Stars are still one shy of getting the 700th save in their history for some pitcher....... They are also 18 strikeouts shy of 17,000 in their 20-year history and 44 away from hitting their 2,000th home run........ The Stars pitching staff has racked up 400 strikeouts, 2nd best in the league.

 

The Booster Club is planning a bus trip to Birmingham for the Rickwood Classic at Rickwood Field, one of baseball's oldest fields, built in 1910 and modeled after Forbes Field. Already, 30 have signed up for it with room for a few more.

[filthyfrog]

How can a team with 4 top prospects be last in the Southern League in Batting Average. I'm not even counting Belcher. I know they are doing well record-wise but some of you have to be a little bit disappointed in the long hitting droughts that this group is putting together. I keep waiting for them to erupt but they continue to get low hit totals on a regular basis.

 

I think anyone who says he's not disappointed by Huntsville's lack of offense would be lying. It's a prospect laden lineup and we want to see the whole team get hot at the same time. So far, it's seemed like only one player gets hot at a time. Kade, then Prince, then Brad, then Tony. But I think it's important to point out that the last wave of prospects also struggled in their AA debuts. Hardy, Hart, Krynzel, and Nelson (though Nelson deserves an asterisk for his injury) all had a tough time adjusting and really didn't start hitting until after almost a half season. And they didn't even skip A+ like Weeks, Fielder, and Gwynn did.

 

So I think we just need to continue to be patient. Like the last wave of prospects, I expect this wave to find their groove eventually.