Link Report for Games of Sunday, July 15th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Mark DiFelice at home vs. Memphis (Cardinals), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Sam Narron at Chattanooga (Reds), 1:00 PM pre-game; 1:15 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP David Welch at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:00 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503

 

West Virginia: LHP Mike Ramlow at Greensboro (Marlins), 3:50 PM pre-game, 4:00 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Helena: RHP Roque Mercedes at Casper (Rockies), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Arizona: TBD in Peoria at the Mariners' complex, 10:30 AM local time in Arizona, 12:30 Central; never any audio for Arizona Rookie League games

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_gboafx_1

 

Helena:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_casrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_mrnrok_1

[Mass Haas]

These links will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally they are updated an hour or two prior to gametime, with Nashville's usually earlier:

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Saturday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 57 36 .613 - 31-14 26-22 W1 Iowa 50 43 .538 7.0 29-19 21-24 L3 Omaha 45 49 .479 12.5 30-16 15-33 W5 Memphis 40 54 .426 17.5 21-27 19-27 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 13 11 .542 - 5-5 8-6 W6 Chattanooga 12 12 .500 1.0 6-8 6-4 L5 Tennessee 12 12 .500 1.0 9-5 3-7 W1 Carolina 11 13 .458 2.0 5-5 6-8 W3 West Tenn 8 16 .333 5.0 6-8 2-8 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 13 10 .565 - 5-3 8-7 L2 Palm Beach 11 11 .500 1.5 5-8 6-3 L1 Jupiter 10 12 .455 2.5 5-4 5-8 L3 Daytona 10 13 .435 3.0 5-6 5-7 L1 St. Lucie 9 13 .409 3.5 4-9 5-4 L2 Vero Beach 5 17 .227 7.5 2-7 3-10 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakewood 15 7 .682 - 8-2 7-5 W3 West Virginia 13 10 .565 2.5 7-4 6-6 W2 Lake County 12 10 .545 3.0 6-6 6-4 W1 Hickory 12 11 .522 3.5 8-6 4-5 L2 Delmarva 10 12 .455 5.0 5-7 5-5 L1 Lexington 10 13 .435 5.5 8-6 2-7 W1 Hagerstown 7 15 .318 8.0 3-7 4-8 L2 Greensboro 7 16 .304 8.5 4-5 3-11 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 17 8 .680 - 11-3 6-5 W6 Helena 15 10 .600 2.0 5-6 10-4 W1 Billings 11 14 .440 6.0 7-6 4-8 W2 Missoula 10 15 .400 7.0 5-7 5-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 13 5 .722 - 11-3 2-2 W1 AZL Mariners 13 6 .684 0.5 7-2 6-4 L3 AZL Padres 12 6 .667 1.0 6-2 6-4 W2 AZL Cubs 11 8 .579 2.5 6-3 5-5 W5 AZL Giants 9 10 .474 4.5 5-4 4-6 L1 AZL Rangers 8 11 .421 5.5 4-5 4-6 W1 AZL Royals 8 11 .421 5.5 3-5 5-6 W1 AZL Athletics 6 13 .316 7.5 3-6 3-7 L1 AZL Brewers 4 14 .222 9.0 1-8 3-6 L6

[Athens Badger]

Wow, early morning duty Mr. Haas.

 

Go young Brewers!

[foamboy1]

Does anyone know anything about DiFelice's stuff? He had great numbers at Huntsville, but looks like an older journeyman type.

 

Anyone know anything about him?

[Trowekamp]

Nice to see after all the promotions that each team is making a run towards first again.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1

 

Covering the bases

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

Twice since the second half of the season began, Stars manager Don Money has admonished his team about complacency. Huntsville won the first-half Southern League North title, but in the words of Yogi Berra, it ain't over till it's over.

 

"I swear (a letdown) was happening," Money said of the early stages in the second half. A low point was a doubleheader loss July 2 at West Tenn. The Stars then won seven of their next eight, going into Saturday night's game at Chattanooga.

 

"It's been a good year so far, but the goal is to win, to have the best year you can," Money said Saturday at his team hotel. "The pitching and the offense still have to improve. The goal is to get to the big leagues and they can't forget that. But it's so easy to have that letdown." ...

 

Stars coach Sandy Guerrero and brother Mike were the winning managers in their respective league's all-star games, with Sandy leading the North over the South last Monday in the Southern League game and Mike, the manager for Milwaukee's West Virginia Power, winning the South Atlantic League game. There have been countless brother acts playing on the same winning team, but there's no record to be found if two brothers have managed winning All-Star teams the same year. ...

 

New shortstop Alicides Escobar won Thursday's game in Chattanooga with a clutch triple, but two subtle but difficult defensive plays saved Friday's win. He's a free swinger who'll stick at No. 8 in the lineup as he adapts to Double-A pitching. ... Lou Palmisano was 21-for-51 against Chattanooga pitching this season going into Saturday's game, with four of his nine homers against the Lookouts. ...

 

Money's experience as a coach in last Sunday's Futures Game at San Francisco was a tremendous one -- until the trip home. "Mechanical problems" canceled his connecting flight from Dallas into Huntsville and delayed his arrival home eight hours. ... Money reports that the U.S. team manager, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, "seems like a good guy. He's an old-school guy, like me." Money spent some time with Winfield bemoaning some of the changes in the game, like the lack of emphasis on pregame infield practice these days. ... Surely Money's selection as coach will elevate his profile throughout baseball, though he says he is content in the Brewers organization, where he spent much of his major league playing career. ... The Stars' trading card set is now available at the stadium and online through huntsvillestars.com.

 

Around the league

 

Chin-Lung Hu, arguably the first-half MVP, has been promoted from Jacksonville to Triple-A. The Korean shortstop was also MVP in last Sunday's Futures Game. ... Jay Bruce, who played for the U.S. team in the Futures Game, was also just promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A this week. He's one of a number of top-flight players in the Southern League promoted around the All-Star break. Others include: Chattanooga infielder Paul Janish, Mobile pitcher Greg Smith, Mississippi pitchers Jose Ascanio and Joey Devine and Tennessee outfielder Josh Kroeger. ... And what is Evan Longoria (.306, 18 HR, 63 RBIs) still doing at Montgomery? ... Birmingham's Jack Egbert added to his league-leading strikeout total with a season-high 13 Ks against Jacksonville, giving him 114 in 116 innings.

 

Brewings

 

Triple-A Nashville Sounds (56-36 before Saturday's play, first place in Pacific Coast League American Division): 1B Brad Nelson .265, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs.

 

Single-A Brevard County Manatees (13-9, first place in second half in Florida State East Division): 3B Mat Gamel, who had a 33-game hit streak ended on July 8, .307, 3 HRs, 37 RBIs, 29 doubles

 

Single-A West Virginia Power (12-10, second in South Atlantic League Northern Division this half): P Jeremy Jeffress, the Brewers' No. 1 pick in '06, 5-3 with 2.85 ERA

 

On deck

 

The Stars are at Chattanooga today at 1 p.m. to end the road trip, then are off Monday. They open a five-game homestand Tuesday against Tennessee. Saturday's 7:05 game will be Youth Jersey Night.

[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with Manager Jeff Isom:

Be sure you're on the July 14th archive, then go to the 15:00 minute mark --

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

[captkirk16]

Rumor has it that Gindl is playing today for Helena. Any truth to that?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 1, Chattanooga (Reds) 0

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1268

 

Narron and Bullpen Blank Lookouts

 

Sam Narron, David Johnson and Marino Salas combined on a seven-hit shutout in Huntsville?s 1-0 win over Chattanooga Sunday afternoon in the last of a five-game set at AT&T Field. The Stars completed their first five-game series sweep of the season to push their win streak to a season-high seven games, improve to 14-11 in the second half and maintain sole possession of first place in the North Division, while the Lookouts slumped to 12-13 in the second half and 41-54 overall. The Stars won eight of the ten games in Chattanooga and have claimed a season-best six straight games on the road dating back to July 3 at West Tenn.

 

Steve Kelly threw five scoreless frames in his first start for the Lookouts, allowing three singles, striking out three and not permitting a runner to advance past second base. The Stars finally broke through in the seventh inning when Adam Heether led off with a double against Ramon Ramirez and scored on a single by Brendan Katin, who has driven in a run in 12 of his last 15 games. However, the Stars stranded runners at second and third with one out when pinch-hitter Mel Stocker flied out to shallow left field and Hernan Iribarren struck out to end the frame. Michael Brantley led off the eighth with a triple but could not score after an intentional walk to Lou Palmisano was followed by an inning-ending double play grounder off the bat of Heether.

 

Narron worked six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and fanning five to pick up his first win in three starts against the Lookouts. He has yielded only one run on 10 hits, while striking out a dozen and not issuing a walk over his last two starts over 13 innings. Johnson worked two shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out two. Salas allowed two singles but struck out Craig Tatum to end the game and move into a three-way tie for the league lead in saves with 17. The Huntsville hurlers did not allow a Lookouts? runner to reach third base.

 

The Stars begin a five-game series at home on Tuesday night against Tennesse with right-hander Will Inman taking the mound against Smokies? right-hander Justin Berg. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

LHP Sam Narron seemed to be on the cusp of nowhere-dom not long ago -- nice recovery; way to persevere over a year-plus of struggles, Adam Heether, now at .302, sweet -- there's another guy looking to make a Power 50 return, a la Callix Crabbe...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

Thank goodness we're not here cursing the failure to produce insurance runs in the 7th and 8th...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Mariners 3, Arizona Brewers 2, ten innings

 

Arizona Box Score:

Much-needed respectable mound effort; just three hits, though, as offense continues to struggle; 18-year-old 16th round pick Joel Morales of Puerto Rico with a wonderful five-inning stint; Canadian RHP Adam Arnold followed up nicely; just-turned 17-year-old Venezuelan infielder Allixon Cequea fanned all four times up; catcher Brett Whiteside two walks...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_mrnrok_1

 

Arizona Game Log:

Basepath hijinx (double steal) gets the A-Crew their first-inning run -- a similar attempt bombs out in the 6th...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_mrnrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Rumor has it that Gindl is playing today for Helena. Any truth to that?

 

Not in the starting lineup...

[Mass Haas]

Does anyone know anything about DiFelice's stuff? He had great numbers at Huntsville, but looks like an older journeyman type.

 

Anyone know anything about him?

 

We had posted this earlier:

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=38

[igor67]

Random observation Heether not on the Power 50 is a better prospect currently then either Scott Kirby or Josh Klimek. For those who have forgotten at one point Kirby was a top 10 prospect according to BA.

[Boy Jeenius]

Who are you and what have you done with Roque Mercedes(version 4)? 6 IP 0 walks, 2 er.

[homer]

Wow, I get a new job, miss the box scores for a few weeks and Gillespie goes on a tear. He's hitting .412 his last ten games.

[Boy Jeenius]

Harvard boy on fire. He and Zealous both have played well at 3rd, so they move Wilson to first. He responds with a 4 hit night. Cool.

[TheCrew07]

edit. nevermind, I read the boxscore wrong... Mercedes gave up 6 ER.

 

Salome has been struggling of late, .114 over his last 10 and still batting .298...

 

Cain has had it just as rough going 4 for 33 for a nifty .121 clip. He showed much more power last year, but just about everyone other than Gamel has seen their power numbers take a dip in BC.

 

I hope Gillespie can keep it going, he's been on fire, and his batting average is still under .250. It would nice to see him finish with a very solid second half.

 

Escobar and Iribarren could please me by both getting their BAs up over .275. If Iribarren would strike out half as much (76 SOs on the year) and Escobar would walk twice as much (10 BB all year) we'd have something. Brewer has exactly as many walks as Iribarren, but like 40 more SOs on the season, and still has better secondary numbers all the way around. I had such high hopes for these two, especially after watching the videos of Escobar playing SS. Still, a very nice win for Huntsville tonight.

 

I gotta give it up for Callix Crabbe as well, I had written him off a long time ago, but he's very good this year at Nashville, currently sporting an OPS over .800 which I would have never believed coming into the season. Maybe him and Rottino are our utility men of the future? (holy run on... I've been reading too much of Mass lately... haha!)

 

My main pimpage at Nashville Grant Balfour with only 4 BBs in has last 10 appearances... how irritated I was when people assumed he was wild because of that stupid "Ball Four" nickname.

[hsvstarsfan]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

THREE PITCHES DECIDE 2½ HR. GAME

HEETHER, KATIN BREAK SCORELESS TIE IN THE 7th

The Huntsville Stars survived rain, thunder, and a 9th inning uprising to win their 7th straight game and their 9th in 10 games to shut out the Chattanooga Lookouts Sunday afternoon, 1-0....... They are now 14-11...... The Tennessee Smokies, Huntsville's Tuesday opponent, took over 2nd place in the Northern Division by edging Mobile 7-6 with a 9th inning rally, and trail the Stars by a game.

 

Sam Narron did a fine job of mixing his pitches, keeping the Lookouts off-balance at the plate for six innings....... Leadoff hitter Adam Rosales was stranded in scoring position in the 1st after beating out a grounder to Adam Heether, followed by a successful sacrifice by Drew Anderson, but Narron had no trouble, setting down nine straight at one point until the next threat in the 6th.......A high hop that came off Alcides Escobar's glove put pinch-hitter Mike Griffin on base. Rosales then bunted him into scoring position, but after striking out Drew Anderson swinging on a 3-2 pitch, another error -- this one by Heether on a throw to first -- put Enrique Cruz on base. For the first time, Chattanooga had two men on base. But Jay Garthwaite went after Narron's first pitch and bounced it to Heether, who this time, made the throw across cleanly for the 3rd out.

 

Steve Kelly, who has had the Stars' number since 2003 (4-2, 1.15 in six starts), also had no problem getting the Stars out, but owed his defense a lot of the credit....... Hernan Iribarren led off the game with a one-hop single to left-center. He was erased on a double play. Adam Heether, in the 2nd, singled to left. Brendan Katin then hit into a double play to end the inning. In the 5th, Heether singled again, but was forced out by Katin's grounder....... After 44 innings, Steve Kelly has still not allowed the Stars more than a run in any of his seven starts.

 

Left now to the bullpen, this pitchers' duel was over, and it took all of three pitches........ In the top of the 7th, Heether, leading off the inning, hit a long fly ball over the head of left fielder Luis Bolivar, who raced to take the bounce off the wall...... He wound up with a double, his 3rd hit in three trips, raising his average to .303 (.349 against this team), and giving him 25 hits in his last 50 at-bats....... Then on a one-strike pitch, Katin picked up his one, timely hit, stroking the ball to Bolivar again, driving in Heether with the only run of the game.

 

The Stars had chances for more. They left runners on the corners in the 7th, and wasted a leadoff triple by Michael Brantley, who just missed his first home run as a Star in the 8th as the ball struck the top of the billboard in left. Then, with Brantley on 3rd, the Lookouts walked Lou Palmisano in the middle of a 2-0 count to pitch to the torrid, .476-in-July-hitting Heether, but he hit into a 1-4-3 double play.

 

The Stars, as it turned out, didn't need the runs, even as it staved off a 9th inning threat, not just against the heavy rain and nearby lightning as Marino Salas took the mound....... All but two people in the stands (the rest headed for cover) watched Salas get a quick ground out on Drew Anderson (0, 5, .240 vs. Huntsville), but then he gave up a single to right because Brendan Katin had been playing Enrique Cruz deep, and then, after getting a late break, saw the ball drop in front of him. Katin caught up to Jay Garthwaite's fly ball, though, inside the line for the 2nd out, but it wasn't over, yet.......... Luis Bolivar dropped a hit into left in between Brantley, Escobar, and Heether, moving Cruz into scoring position with two out........ Nothing like a little 9th inning suspense in this sport.

 

Salas finally delivered what we all had been waiting for, getting two quick strikes on recent pick-up Craig Tatum, then getting him to strike out swinging at a 2-2 pitch......... It was Salas' 17th save, the most for any closer since John Novinsky finished with that many three years ago....... The Stars are now 31-9 when a starter goes six innings, as Narron did today. They are also 29-10 when they score first, proving how important that fact of life is in baseball.

 

The Stars, now 11-1 on Sundays, take a rest Monday, as does the rest of the league, before returning home to face the Smokies, whom they had left Joe Davis for prior to this series........ Will Inman (0-2, 4.63 vs. the Smokies) will face Justin Berg (0-2, 7.47 vs. the Stars). Berg is coming off a good performance against Mobile (6 IP, 2 R, 4 H), but has not won a game since June 24. In three starts since, he's 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA. He's also 3rd in the league in walks.

 

With his average at .302, Adam Heether has crept into the league's Top Ten at 10th place. Whodathunkit in April?........ Brendan Katin picked up another strikeout, increasing his total to a league-leading 115. At the present rate, he'll finish with 180 strikeouts for the year, busting the club record of 146 by Brad Nelson (2004). The league record for 140 games is held by Rondal Rollin of Birmingham back in 1987 with 218......... Katin has also hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, but has had only three multi-hit games. Heether has had nine in his last 14....... Steve Moss is 3-for-18 in his last six games and Steve Sollmann's slump has ballooned to 1-for-26, dropping his average to .291. It was .330 a month ago......... Alcides Escobar is hitting .306 in July........ Narron's shutout performance lowered the rotation's ERA this month to 3.94 -- the first time in any month that it had been that low -- and their W-L record to 6-1....... The bullpen ERA this month is 4.19, an improvement over June's 4.53.

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with Infielder Steffan Wilson, drafted out of Harvard:

Be sure you're on the July 15th archive, then go to the 3:00 minute mark --

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 11, Casper (Rockies) 8

 

MiLB.com:

 

Wilson, Wheeler spark Brewers

 

Steffan Wilson went 4-for-4 with two homers and Zelous Wheeler hit a go-ahead single as visiting Helena edged Casper, 11-8, on Sunday.

 

The Brewers (16-10) trailed 8-7 in the ninth inning when Lee Haydel reached second on third baseman Shane Lowe's error and scored from third on Kurt Crowell's infield single off reliever Randall Taylor (0-2).

 

Wheeler, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, singled in pinch-runner Matt Cline. Wilson followed with an RBI double and Mike Goetz's run-scoring base hit capped the frame.

 

Wilson crushed solo homers in the second and eighth and lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Goetz added two hits and three RBIs.

 

Corey Frerichs (3-0) got the win after giving up an unearned run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 frames. Helena starter Roque Mercedes was pounded for seven runs -- six earned -- on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

 

Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin surrendered six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits while walking two and fanning six over seven innings.

 

David Christensen went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three runs scored for Casper (5-21). -- Michael Avallone/MLB.com

 

***

Additional details from the Helena Independent Record:

 

Brewer bats rally against Casper

 

CASPER, Wyo. - The Helena Brewers came back from a one-run deficit, scoring four runs in the ninth inning to beat the Casper Rockies 11-8 Sunday.

 

Helena's Steffan Wilson homered in the second on a fly ball to left field, giving the Brewers their first run of the game.

 

Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Rockies tied it up with a two-run homer by centerfielder David Christensen.

 

Helena gained the lead again in the sixth, scoring three runs. Zelous Wheeler drove in Eric Farris. Then Wilson, who went 4-for-4 on the day, singled to load the bases, and Jonathan Lucroy and Wheeler scored on a line drive by Mike Goetz.

 

The Rockies cruised through the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring five runs for a tally of 7-6. Christensen, who went 2-for-4, hit a single and scored on a hit by Jordan Pacheco.

 

The Brewers tied it up with one run in the eighth on a second homer by Wilson, but the Rockies matched it and held the lead into the ninth inning.

 

After reaching second on a throwing error by Casper third baseman Shane Lowe, Helena's Lee Haydel was driven in on a single by Kurt Crowell. Wheeler hit a single to center field to drive in Matt Cline, pinch running for Crowell, and made it to second on a missed catch error by Lowe.

 

Wilson doubled on a fly ball, driving in Wheeler, then scored on another line drive by Goetz, who was 2-for-3. The Brewers held the Rockies to a scoreless bottom of the ninth for the win.

 

They improved their record to 15-10 for second place in the Pioneer League's North Division.

 

The Brewers and the Rockies meet again tonight at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) for the final game in their series.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.casperstartribune.net...0ce537.prt

 

Rockies' roller-coaster ride ends in defeat

By ERIC SCHMOLDT

Casper Star-Tribune staff writer

 

The Casper Rockies hopped on a roller coaster on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately for them, the ride bottomed out at the end.

 

Casper used a five-run seventh inning to mount a comeback, lost and regained that lead in the eighth, then came unraveled in the ninth to suffer its fourth straight loss, an 11-8 defeat to the Helena Brewers.

 

"It's a funny game, because you never know where it's going to take a turn and turn crazy," Rockies' centerfielder David Christensen said. "It looks like we're just going to keep riding (our momentum) out and secure the 'W.'"

 

Helena starter Roque Mercedes sat the Rockies down in order in five of the first six innings as the Brewers built a 6-2 lead that looked pretty comfortable. But the Rockies got to Mercedes in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Christensen led off with a single and Jeff Cunningham walked. After a sacrifice bunt, Wilin Rosario walked to load the bases and Jordan Pacheco laced an RBI single.

 

Right fielder Orlando Sandoval stayed hot, extending his hitting streak to seven games with a two-run double that cut the deficit to 6-5.

 

The Rockies took the lead when a Helena error allowed both Pacheco and Sandoval to score.

 

"I'm very proud of the resiliency; (Mercedes) was dealing and it looked like he was going to shut us down," Casper manager Tony Diaz said. "Amongst the negativity because we lost the game, there are lots of positives we can build upon."

 

The Rockies' 7-6 lead didn't last long. Steffan Wilson blasted a home run to right-center field off Isaiah Froneberger, his second homer of the game and third in two nights.

 

But Christensen got aboard to lead off the bottom half of the eighth and scored his third run of the game as Casper regained an 8-7 advantage.

 

"We're always feeling like we got a chance there at the end," Christensen said. "But for whatever reason the bounces just aren't going our way."

 

That trend continued in the top of the ninth inning.

 

Lee Haydel reached second base on an error by third baseman Shane Lowe and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt to Rockies' closer Randall Taylor. It appeared Taylor could have thrown out Haydel at third base, but opted to get the out at first instead.

 

He got the next batter to ground out and had Kurt Crowell down to his last strike as Taylor looked for his fourth save. Instead, Crowell bounced a slow chopper down the third base line that worked more like a suicide bunt, plating Haydel and tying the game.

 

"We did not play well, did not execute the fundamentals," Diaz said. "On that bunt play we had the guy dead out at third base and threw to first."

 

It was not over there.

 

The Brewers tacked on three more runs as Zelous Wheeler singled, Wilson plated the winning run on a double, Eric Fryer walked and Mike Goetz singled before the Rockies stopped the bleeding.

 

"Just little things . . . when you put them together, they usually come back to haunt you," Diaz said. "And you've just got to take it the hard way -- with a big, old 'L.'"

 

GAME NOTES: Christensen was the only one that figured out Mercedes early on. The Helena starter had a perfect game through three innings and gave up two hits through six before he was rattled for five runs in the seventh ? Helena's Wilson was batting .372 when he came to Casper, but didn't have a single home run to his credit. Through two games here, he's 6-for-8 with three home runs, six RBI and four runs scored.

 

Helena Box Score:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_casrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_casrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Mark DiFelice:

Very interesting -- you folks do listen to these, right?

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-15.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 2, Memphis 1, ten innings

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for photo of game-winning run scoring, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2452

 

Sounds Score In Tenth To Beat Redbirds, 2-1

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? The Nashville Sounds defeated the Memphis Redbirds, 2-1, thanks to a two-out infield single by Charles Thomas and tremendous hustle from Callix Crabbe, who scored the game-winning run from second on the play in the bottom of the tenth inning on Sunday night at Greer Stadium.

 

With the victory, Nashville (58-36) earned its seventh win in the last eight games and notched its seventh consecutive winning homestand while maintaining a season-best seven-game lead over Iowa in the PCL American Conference Northern Division.

 

Thomas knocked in Crabbe for both Sounds runs, giving him 19 RBIs on the season. It was the tenth last at-bat victory for Nashville in 2007 and the seventh straight Sounds win in a one-run contest.

 

In the bottom of the tenth inning, Memphis reliever Mark Worrell (2-1) retired the first two Nashville batters before giving up back-to-back singles to Crabbe and Drew Anderson to put men at first and second with two outs. Thomas then hit a sharp ground ball up the middle that was stopped by a Jarrett Hoffpauir dive at the edge of the infield grass. After fielding the ball, Hoffpauir made a throw home but Crabbe slid in under the tag of Memphis catcher Brian Esposito to plate the winning run.

 

AUDIO: Game-Winning Run Scores In 10th --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...207-15.mp3

 

Nashville starter Mark DiFelice received a no-decision in his Sounds debut despite a stellar pitching performance. DiFelice threw six shutout innings, struck out eight and gave up only four hits. Including 14 appearances at Double-A Huntsville earlier this season, DiFelice has now thrown 47 straight innings without giving up a walk.

 

The Sounds started off the scoring in the top of the third inning when Crabbe (2-for-5) reached second with a leadoff double to deep center field. He advanced to third on an Anderson (2-for-4) sacrifice bunt and scored on a Thomas grounder to first base.

 

Memphis (40-55) answered in the top of the seventh inning when Hoffpauir drew a two-out walk before moving to third on an Esposito single to right. Hoffpauir then scored on a pinch-hit single from pitcher Randy Keisler to tie the game at one apiece.

 

Memphis starting pitcher Anthony Reyes also had an impressive performance, throwing six innings, giving up two hits and one earned run, in a no-decision. He walked two batters and struck out eight.

 

Sounds reliever Dennis Sarfate (2-5) got the win after throwing one inning of no-hit relief, giving up two walks and striking out one.

 

Sounds outfielder Brad Nelson extended his hit streak to a career-high 15 games with a two-out single to deep center field in the bottom of the ninth inning. With his career-best streak, Nelson ties Laynce Nix for the longest hit streak by a Sounds player over the past two seasons. Laynce Nix hit in 15 straight from July 18th- August 4th last season.

 

Chris Barnwell (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to a season-high seven games and Anderson lengthened his streak to eight consecutive games with a hit.

 

Nashville took the series three games to one and is now 8-4 against the Redbirds this season. The team will play its final four-game series at Memphis in September.

 

The Sounds hit the road for eight games on Monday, beginning with a four-game series against New Orleans (AAA-Mets) followed by another four-gamer against the division-rival Iowa Cubs (AAA-Cubs) that includes a doubleheader next Saturday.

 

Sounds right-hander R.A. Dickey is scheduled to take the hill in Monday?s 7 p.m. CT series opener at Zephyr Field. New Orleans will counter with right-hander Philip Humber (9-6, 4.48).

 

Nashville returns to Greer Stadium on Tuesday, July 24, for an eight game homestand featuring four-game series against both the Fresno Grizzlies (AAA-Giants) and the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-A's).

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1