Link Report for Games of Saturday May 1st

[MassBrew]

Looks like EZBoard is finally back to normal -- why couldn't all this upgrade stuff have happened back in January instead? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

 

I do have to thank Brewer radio announcer Jim Powell for directing people to visit Brewerfan.net last night and specifically the linked picture of Prince Fielder crashing the Chattanooga catcher within the Link Report for games of Thursday the 29th.

 

I had settled into a comfy chair in front of my PC screen, the kid had been tucked in for the night, and I had Bob and Jim's audiocast coming through while viewing the video feed, which is my regular Brewer game-time routine. Still not used to hearing my name mentioned during the broadcast of a major league game (especially daunting when you're there to hear it live), but it is appreciated -- just as we thank Jim for the continued support (and all those "Down on the Farm" reports we needed even more so prior to Brian's creation of Brewerfan).

 

Ok, enough self-promotion, on to Saturday's Daily Menu -- kind of bummin' there's not a daytime audio feed available for my office stay today...

 

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

 

This is a good place to remind you as well, that all three affiliates provide pre-game shows that nearly always include a daily interview, plus it's a fine place to pick up injury and transaction news and injury analysis that is often not quite yet online.

 

INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Matt Childers at home vs. Toledo (Tigers), 7:00 PM; Matt's made 109 starts in his pro career, so it's not like this is something brand new for him...

 

Audio link:

www.newstalk1430.com/

 

HUNTSVILLE: RHP Paul Stewart at home vs. West Tenn (Cubs), 6:05 PM; for the second time in a week, Stewart makes a start that isn't a start, as it's another game for Stew that is being picked up mid-stream, with the Stars down, 6-3 after two innings. There is then the regularly scheduled game, with the starter unannounced as of yet.

 

It gets confusing, but I believe the first game will be a nine-inning affair with the Diamond Jaxx the home team, then the nightcap will be a seven-inning game with the Stars hosting. We'll find out tonight http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

HIGH DESERT: RHP Bo Hall at home vs. Lancaster (Diamondbacks), 9:05 PM

 

Audio link:

www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm

 

BELOIT: The Snappers also play two, in Clinton; we believe RHP Brian Montalbo will be one starter; sorry, Snapper family members, no web audio for this series that ends today...

[kanyeJ]

yeah, a day with NO pitching prospects going.

 

Fun!

 

Lets hope the offense';s shine today.

[Diskono]

I would imagine that Dennis Sarfate or Matt Ford would be starting the second Huntsville game

[Anders34]

That would be sweet if Sarfate started the second game. If the Stars don't come back, he would be the losing pitcher in Game #1 and then be the starter in Game #2. I bet it doesn't happen too often that the same starting pitcher gets a loss in both games of a doubleheader (Hopefully that does not happen, but it would likely be one for the record books).

[kanyeJ]

any word on the first Huntsville game? Nowhere does it say they are actually making a game up, just that their regular game is tonight at 6.

 

Mass, you sure theyre making a game up today and from when was it?

[950opsLHcatcher]

The first Huntsville game doesn't start for another hour and fifteen minutes. They are picking it up after a few innings in, so they don't need to start it during the day.

[MassBrew]

Mass, you sure theyre making a game up today and from when was it?

 

All the details are in the Huntsville game summary within the link report for Friday's action.

[MassBrew]

Final, Game One: Beloit 1, Clinton (Rangers) 0

 

Beloit Game One Box Score:

All the numbers you'd normally associate with that score; nice pitching, naturally...

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 BLT at CLN BELOIT 1 AT CLINTON 0 DH GAME #1 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG CLINTON AB R H BI AVG G.Rodriguez 2B 3 0 2 0 .348 J.Senreiso CF 4 0 1 0 .239 T.Trofholz CF 3 0 1 1 .273 J.Senreiso RF 0 0 0 0 .239 D.Anderson LF 3 0 0 0 .273 D.Bubela RF 3 0 1 0 .254 L.Palmisano DH 3 0 1 0 .343 J.Hatcher CF 0 0 0 0 .308 V.Rottino RF 3 0 1 0 .316 I.Kinsler SS 3 0 2 0 .373 T.Marks CAT 3 0 0 0 .231 K.Richardson CAT 2 0 0 0 .221 A.Heether 3B 3 0 0 0 .227 E.Frostad 3B 2 0 0 0 .233 C.Corporan 1B 2 1 1 0 .258 L.Grayson LF 3 0 0 0 .231 G.Acosta SS 2 0 0 0 .170 J.Kreuzer DH 2 0 0 0 .227 B.Montalbo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Benjamin 2B 3 0 1 0 .220 T.Dillard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Jacobsen 1B 2 0 0 0 .204 A.Wishy 1B 1 0 1 0 .209 W.Sarmiento PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Watts PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 25 1 6 1 TOTALS 25 0 6 0 BELOIT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0- 1 6 0 CLINTON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 6 0 DP--BELOIT 1, CLINTON 2. LOB--BELOIT 3, CLINTON 7. 2B--T.Trofholz (3), V.Rottino (6), I.Kinsler (14). CS--I.Kinsler. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT B.Montalbo (W,1-1) 5.0 5 0 0 3 5 0 3.46 T.Dillard (S,2) 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.20 CLINTON W.Sarmiento (L,1-2) 6.0 5 1 1 0 6 0 1.69 J.Watts 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 5.02 WP--B.Montalbo. SO--T.Trofholz, D.Anderson 2, L.Palmisano, T.Marks, C.Corporan, G.Acosta, J.Senreiso 3, D.Bubela, E.Frostad, B.Jacobsen. BB--K.Richardson, E.Frostad, J.Kreuzer. T--1:48.

[MassBrew]

Final, Game Two: Beloit 9, Clinton (Rangers) 3

Fine day for the Snappers; nothing to find fault with here except for two errors by Cap'n Lou...

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 BLT at CLN BELOIT 9 AT CLINTON 3 DH GAME #2 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG CLINTON AB R H BI AVG G.Rodriguez 2B 3 2 1 0 .348 J.Senreiso CF 4 1 2 0 .253 T.Trofholz CF 4 1 2 0 .284 L.Grayson RF 4 0 2 0 .250 D.Anderson LF 3 1 1 1 .275 I.Kinsler SS 4 0 1 1 .367 L.Palmisano CAT 3 0 2 2 .356 A.Wishy LF 4 0 0 0 .197 V.Rottino DH 4 1 0 1 .300 K.Richardson 1B 3 0 0 0 .211 A.Heether 3B 3 0 0 1 .217 E.Frostad 3B 2 1 0 0 .226 R.Deevers RF 4 2 3 1 .237 J.Kreuzer DH 2 1 1 2 .239 M.Ramirez 1B 4 1 2 3 .191 C.Clark CAT 3 0 0 0 .100 A.Septimo SS 2 1 0 0 .000 T.Swope 2B 2 0 0 0 .205 D.Eveland PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Cunningham PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Mattoon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Frydendall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 30 9 11 9 TOTALS 28 3 6 3 BELOIT 1 6 0 0 1 0 1- 9 11 3 CLINTON 1 2 0 0 0 0 0- 3 6 1 E--L.Palmisano 2, M.Ramirez, A.Wishy. DP--BELOIT 0, CLINTON 0. LOB--BELOIT 5, CLINTON 7. 2B--R.Deevers (5), L.Grayson 2 (7), I.Kinsler (15). HR--M.Ramirez (2), J.Kreuzer (1). SB--R.Deevers (2), J.Senreiso 2 (9), I.Kinsler (5). HBP--J.Kreuzer. SF--D.Anderson, A.Heether. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT D.Eveland (W,2-1) 5.0 5 3 3 2 4 1 3.18 T.Taubenheim 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 3.97 CLINTON T.Cunningham (L,0-2) 1.0 6 7 7 3 0 1 10.66 B.Mattoon 4.0 3 1 1 0 2 0 2.19 C.Frydendall 2.0 2 1 1 0 2 0 5.91 HB--T.Taubenheim. BALKS--B.Mattoon. SO--D.Anderson 2, A.Heether, M.Ramirez, L.Grayson, A.Wishy, K.Richardson 2, E.Frostad, C.Clark, T.Swope. BB--G.Rodriguez, L.Palmisano, A.Septimo, E.Frostad, T.Swope. T--2:17.

[DHonks]

Gotta say, I'm starting to hold Eveland to a higher standard--call it the "Parra standard." What I mean is that I see he threw 5 innings allowing 2 earned runs--which is very good--and I look at those walks and say "well, that's not his best effort." Gotta love having pitchers so talented that today's boxscore leaves us disappointed by that line.

[MassBrew]

Final: Indianapolis 5, Toledo (Tigers) 3

 

Indianapolis Box Score:

RHP Mike Adams makes a statement with the pitching line of the year thus far...

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 TOL at IND TOLEDO 3 AT INDIANAPOLIS 5 YTD YTD TOLEDO AB R H BI AVG INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG N.Logan CF 4 0 0 0 .270 M.Erickson 2B 4 1 2 1 .245 W.Morris 2B 2 0 0 0 .298 C.Coste 3B 3 0 1 1 .339 M.Thames RF 4 0 0 0 .279 C.Magruder LF 4 0 0 0 .313 A.Barkett 1B 4 0 0 0 .273 J.Liefer 1B 3 1 1 1 .359 J.Vitiello DH 4 0 0 0 .313 C.Hart RF 3 0 0 0 .278 J.Smith 3B 3 2 1 0 .264 J.Nunnally CF 4 0 1 0 .184 D.Klassen SS 4 1 3 2 .239 S.Sheldon DH 4 2 1 0 .214 R.Gomez LF 4 0 1 1 .208 M.Johnson CAT 2 0 0 0 .195 M.Difelice CAT 3 0 0 0 .314 S.Scarbrough SS 3 1 2 1 .242 S.Loux PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Ecknstahlr PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Anderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 3 5 3 TOTALS 30 5 8 4 TOLEDO 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0- 3 5 0 INDIANAPOLIS 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0- 5 8 0 DP--TOLEDO 0, INDIANAPOLIS 0. LOB--TOLEDO 5, INDIANAPOLIS 6. 2B-- J.Smith (7), D.Klassen (4), M.Erickson (1). 3B--R.Gomez (1). HR-- J.Liefer (5). SB--W.Morris (2), D.Klassen (2), M.Erickson (3), C.Coste (1). SH--C.Coste, M.Johnson. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA TOLEDO S.Loux (L,2-3) 6.1 8 5 4 2 2 1 3.73 E.Ecknstahlr 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.04 M.Anderson 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 7.56 INDIANAPOLIS M.Childers 4.0 4 3 3 2 2 0 5.50 M.Adams (W,1-0) 5.0 1 0 0 1 8 0 3.32 PB--M.Difelice. SO--N.Logan, W.Morris, M.Thames, A.Barkett, J.Vitiello, J.Smith, D.Klassen, R.Gomez 2, M.Difelice, M.Erickson, C.Magruder, M.Johnson. BB--W.Morris 2, J.Smith, J.Liefer, C.Hart, M.Johnson. T--2:19. A--4359

[MassBrew]

Thanks to 950opslhcatcher (Toby) for his comments in the High Desert and Huntsville box score posts (I edited each for the cut-and-paste boxes)...

 

Final: High Desert 13, Lancaster (Diamondbacks) 6

Mavs starter Bo Hall didn't get an out in the 6th inning after five previous fine frames, but he got the win to improve to 2-2 behind a 13-run, 17-hit Maverick attack. Chris Morris paced the offensive onslaught with four hits and Travis Hinton added three more as the Mavs found a way to score 13 runs without hitting any homers. Mike Kusiewicz, who closed out the game, has had success at AAA, so he might be a name to look for when Indianapolis needs an arm.

 

High Desert Box Score:

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 LNC at HD LANCASTER 6 AT HIGH DESERT 13 YTD YTD LANCASTER AB R H BI AVG HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG J.Ball CF 4 1 2 0 .266 C.Morris DH 5 1 4 4 .278 N.Brown 2B 4 1 1 0 .325 C.Crabbe 2B 3 1 1 1 .256 C.Jackson DH 2 0 0 0 .302 D.Boyd LF 3 1 2 1 .278 D.Tosca PH 1 0 0 0 .343 J.Frost PR 0 0 0 0 .278 D.Tosca DH 2 1 2 3 .343 J.Frost LF 0 0 0 0 .278 C.Quentin RF 3 1 0 0 .244 T.Hinton 1B 5 1 3 2 .341 J.Cota 1B 4 1 1 0 .355 J.Eure 3B 5 1 0 0 .216 J.D'Antona 3B 4 0 1 0 .250 F.Villanueva CAT 4 2 1 0 .170 D.Brooks LF 4 1 2 1 .360 K.Bibbs CF 5 2 2 1 .281 P.Avlas CAT 4 0 1 2 .350 S.Candelaria RF 4 2 2 0 .259 A.Haley SS 3 0 0 0 .205 O.Chavez SS 4 2 2 2 .260 A.Bass PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Wechsler PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Kolb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Wells PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Kusiewicz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Watson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.White PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.McMachen PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 6 10 6 TOTALS 38 13 17 11 LANCASTER 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 0 0- 6 10 1 HIGH DESERT 1 6 0 0 0 1 5 0 X-13 17 1 E--J.D'Antona, C.Crabbe. DP--LANCASTER 1, HIGH DESERT 1. LOB--LANCASTER 9, HIGH DESERT 6. 2B--J.Ball (4), C.Morris (4), D.Boyd (4), T.Hinton (6), S.Candelaria (3). 3B--D.Brooks (1), O.Chavez (1). HR--D.Tosca (3). SB--C.Morris (17). CS--C.Morris, C.Crabbe. HBP--N.Brown, C.Quentin 2, J.D'Antona, D.Boyd 2. SH--A.Haley. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANCASTER A.Bass (L,2-1) 1.1 9 7 7 1 1 0 6.35 J.Wechsler 3.2 1 0 0 0 3 0 2.70 C.Wells 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 0 3.60 M.Watson 0.2 4 5 5 1 0 0 6.39 B.White 0.1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1.98 C.McMachen 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.38 HIGH DESERT B.Hall (W,2-2) 5.0 5 4 4 1 6 1 7.36 D.Kolb 3.0 4 2 2 1 1 0 4.19 M.Kusiewicz 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 HB--A.Bass, B.White, D.Kolb 2, M.Kusiewicz 2. SO--C.Jackson 2, D.Tosca, C.Quentin, J.Cota, J.D'Antona, D.Brooks 2, A.Haley, D.Boyd, T.Hinton, J.Eure 2, F.Villanueva, K.Bibbs, S.Candelaria. BB--J.Ball, J.Cota, C.Crabbe 2, F.Villanueva. T--2:52. A--2336

[MassBrew]

Final: West Tenn (Cubs) 9, Huntsville 5, in the completion of a suspended game

 

Huntsville Game One Box Score:

Remember, Sarfate actually pitched this game awhile ago. Stewart went a "complete game" in that he pitched every inning of today's finish of the game. Not horrible, not great. Fielder with his seventh jack of the year, though that didn't happen today, either.

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 HVL at WTE HUNTSVILLE 5 AT WEST TENN 9 DH GAME #1 YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG WEST TENN AB R H BI AVG A.Gwynn CF 3 2 1 0 .241 D.Bacon CF 2 2 1 0 .273 R.Knox RF 3 1 2 0 .269 R.Lewis 2B 4 2 3 2 .352 R.Knox LF 0 0 0 0 .269 J.Spearman 3B 4 0 1 3 .222 P.Fielder 1B 4 1 3 3 .329 M.Hoffpauir 1B 2 1 1 2 .309 R.Weeks 2B 3 1 0 0 .297 M.Dzurilla LF 1 1 0 0 .255 B.Nelson LF 2 0 0 0 .243 N.Mitchell PIT 1 0 0 0 .000 B.Nelson RF 0 0 0 0 .243 R.Rohlicek PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Barnwell 3B 3 0 1 2 .189 M.Craig PH 1 0 1 1 .143 K.Johnson CAT 3 0 0 0 .340 S.Chiasson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Cruz SS 3 0 0 0 .151 A.Weston RF 4 0 2 0 .344 J.Raburn SS 0 0 0 0 .233 A.Weston LF 0 0 0 0 .344 D.Sarfate PIT 1 0 0 0 .000 G.Soto CAT 4 0 0 0 .259 P.Stewart PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 R.Cedeno SS 3 1 1 0 .242 R.Pinto PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Mallory RF 1 2 1 0 .204 TOTALS 27 5 7 5 TOTALS 27 9 11 8 HUNTSVILLE 2 1 0 0 0 0 2- 5 7 1 WEST TENN 3 3 0 1 0 2 X- 9 11 1 E--D.Sarfate, J.Spearman. DP--HUNTSVILLE 1, WEST TENN 0. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 6, WEST TENN 7. 2B--R.Knox (6), R.Lewis (6), J.Spearman (2), R.Cedeno (3), M.Mallory (4). HR--P.Fielder (7), M.Hoffpauir (5). HBP--A.Gwynn, D.Bacon, M.Dzurilla, M.Mallory. SH--R.Pinto. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE D.Sarfate (L,1-1) 2.0 6 6 5 2 1 1 6.60 P.Stewart 4.0 5 3 3 1 6 0 4.03 WEST TENN R.Pinto 2.0 4 3 3 3 2 0 7.02 N.Mitchell (W,1-0) 3.0 1 0 0 1 4 0 4.76 R.Rohlicek 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.80 S.Chiasson 1.0 2 2 2 0 0 1 18.00 HB--D.Sarfate, P.Stewart 2, R.Pinto. WP--P.Stewart. BALKS--R.Pinto. SO--P.Fielder, R.Weeks 2, C.Barnwell, E.Cruz, D.Sarfate, P.Stewart, D.Bacon, R.Lewis, J.Spearman, M.Hoffpauir, A.Weston, G.Soto, R.Cedeno. BB--R.Knox, R.Weeks, B.Nelson 2, D.Bacon, M.Hoffpauir 2. T--2:35.

Final: Huntsville 2, West Tenn (Cubs) 0, in the regularly scheduled game

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score:

Reggie Rivard, fresh off his one game stint with Indy, showing us what's up. Fielder with jack #8 in this one, providing all the offense the the Stars needed to win behind a four-hitter from Rivard and Roberto Giron, who picked up his fifth save. Brad Nelson also added his 5th homer of the year. This is probably the only game you'll see all season where a team (the Stars, in this case) didn't walk or strike out.

 GAME DATE: 5/01/04 WTE at HVL WEST TENN 0 AT HUNTSVILLE 2 DH GAME #2 YTD YTD WEST TENN AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG D.Bacon CF 4 0 1 0 .271 A.Gwynn CF 3 0 1 0 .244 R.Lewis 2B 1 0 1 0 .361 B.Gemoll LF 3 0 0 0 .158 M.Hoffpauir LF 3 0 0 0 .296 R.Knox LF 0 0 0 0 .269 M.Creighton 1B 2 0 1 0 .256 P.Fielder 1B 3 1 1 1 .329 A.Weston RF 3 0 0 0 .328 R.Weeks 2B 2 0 0 0 .288 M.Craig 3B 3 0 0 0 .000 B.Nelson RF 2 1 1 1 .250 J.Arteaga SS 3 0 0 0 .290 C.Barnwell 3B 2 0 0 0 .184 P.O'Toole CAT 2 0 0 0 .158 J.Alvarado CAT 2 0 1 0 .500 B.Brownlie PIT 2 0 0 0 .125 J.Raburn SS 2 0 0 0 .219 M.Mallory PH 1 0 1 0 .220 R.Rivard PIT 1 0 1 0 1.000 J.Spearman PR 0 0 0 0 .222 J.Belcher PH 1 0 0 0 .211 R.Giron PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 24 0 4 0 TOTALS 21 2 5 2 WEST TENN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 4 0 HUNTSVILLE 1 1 0 0 0 0 X- 2 5 0 DP--WEST TENN 0, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB--WEST TENN 7, HUNTSVILLE 1. HR--P.Fielder (8), B.Nelson (5). SB--D.Bacon (12). CS--A.Gwynn. HBP--M.Creighton. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA WEST TENN B.Brownlie (L,2-2) 6.0 5 2 2 0 0 2 3.62 HUNTSVILLE R.Rivard (W,2-0) 5.0 2 0 0 1 4 0 4.02 R.Giron (S,5) 2.0 2 0 0 2 4 0 0.82 HB--R.Rivard. WP--R.Rivard. SO--D.Bacon 3, M.Creighton, M.Craig, J.Arteaga 2, B.Brownlie. BB--R.Lewis 2, P.O'Toole. T--1:43. A--5722

[edod]

What's the deal with Adams being used longer and longer in games? I thought he was being groomed to be a closer, now it looks like he is being prepared for middle relief or even starting.

 

He might find himself in milwaukee quickly if he and the current staff keep pitching the way they have.

 

Damn good line for him tonight.

[DHonks]

What's the deal with Adams being used longer and longer in games?

 

I've been wondering that, too. Jason Childers closed last year and is still doing so. Adams was converted to a starter for a while last year, so this might be an effort to see how he does against AAA hitters 2 or 3 times through the order

[950opsLHcatcher]

Well, Adams did walk his first batter of the season. Not that anyone is complaining about a 25:1 K:BB ratio.

 

Mike's main problem is that his fastball isn't spectacular, so he gets in trouble with it when he leaves it up in the zone, which helps to explain his not-so-great HR allowed totals. By making him go through the order a few times, the Brewers might be helping him to make better adjustments (especially with his fastball) on the mound, which is necessary for ML success, to matter what your role is. I don't think that the Brewers are grooming him to be a starter because he hasn't been that successful when he's been thrown into the rotation. Having him pitch longer just forces him to mix up his pitches, which will be beneficial once he gets to the bigs. And if he keeps going like he is, that shouldn't be too much longer. I originally advocated for Michalek and Wise to replace Ford and Hernandez, but Adams is definitely making a statement and might be making it tougher not to promote him when the time comes.

[MassBrew]

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 14 6 .700[/b] TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 10 13 .435 5.5 COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 9 12 .429 5.5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 8 14 .364 7.0

 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 12 10 .545[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 12 10 .545 MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 11 12 .478 1.5 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 9 12 .429 2.5 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 8 14 .364 4.0

 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 16 7 .696 LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 15 8 .652 1.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 11 11 .500 4.5 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 10 12 .455 5.5 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 9 14 .391 7.0[/b]

 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 13 9 .591 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 13 9 .591 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 12 9 .571 .5 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 12 10 .545 1.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 11 .500 2.0[/b] QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 10 12 .455 3.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 10 12 .455 3.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 9 12 .429 3.5

[MassBrew]

Indianapolis Game Summary:

By the way, it really is pathetic that the local Indianapolis press does not even send a game reporter to home games...

 

Jeff Liefer?s solo home run in the fifth inning Saturday night proved to be the winning hit as Indianapolis (14-6) defeated Toledo (10-13), 5-3.

 

Liefer?s home run off Toledo starter Shane Loux (2-3) was his second home run in as many days. But the key to keeping the Indians in the game was the brilliant relief performance of pitcher Mike Adams. Adams (1-0) pitched five innings, allowed one hit, walked one batter and struck out eight.

 

"I just wanted to go out there and be aggressive," said Adams. "My plan was to attack from the start. I feel that I threw my best stuff tonight. I went to my strengths and got the job done. It?s a lot of fun to win."

 

Tribe starter Matt Childers was touched for three runs in four innings. Toledo scored first in the second inning. Jason Smith doubled to right, then scored on Danny Klassen?s double to right.

 

Indianapolis took the lead in the third inning off Loux with two runs. Scott Sheldon reached base on an infield single, then Mark Johnson sacraficed Sheldon to second. Steve Scarborough singled to left, scoring Sheldon. Then Scarborough came around to score on Chris Coste?s single to right.

 

Toledo scored two in the fourth to tie the game, 3-3. Jason Smith walked with two outs, then scored on Danny Klassen?s double to right. Rich Gomez followed with a triple to left, scoring Klassen.

 

Liefer?s heroics in the fifth came after Chris Magruder fouled out to Toledo third baseman Jason Smith.

 

The Tribe added an insurance run in the seventh, but Adams shut down the Mud Hens to earn the victory.

 

Indianapolis hosts Toledo Sunday afternoon on Logo Baseball Day. The Tribe will send Ben Hendrickson (3-0, 1.66) against Mud Hen Andy Van Hekken (0-2).

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Four games, four homers. Prince Fielder is on a tear. He hit two more on Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium, and it became infectious. Brad Nelson had not gone deep since his two-homer game April 18 at Montgomery. Nelson extended his hitting streak to eight games with a bomb to dead-center, his fifth homerun of the season. While the power-hitting lefties provided all the offense, Reggie Rivard and Roberto Giron combined on a four-hit shutout in the Stars? 2-0 win over West Tenn, salvaging a split of the doubleheader. The Diamond Jaxx won the first game, 9-5, in the completion of a suspended contest from April 22 at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tennessee.

 

Fielder is in the midst of a torrid hot streak, with homers in four straight games. He has hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games, batting .411 with six homers, 12 runs batted in and 12 runs scored. While Fielder has delivered the power, Tony Gwynn, Jr. has set the table, extending his hitting streak to 14 games with a single in both games of the doubleheader.

 

Reliever Reggie Rivard ? recently returned from an outing for triple-A Indianapolis where he picked up the win with two innings of relief ? delivered his finest effort of the year with the Stars? bullpen so weary that infielder Johnny Raburn had pitched the night before. Rivard (2-0) made his first start and came through with five scoreless innings, permitting just two singles, a walk and a hit batter. He fanned four and allowed only two runners to reach second base.

 

Giron continued his mastery, authoring two shutout frames for his fifth save in five chances. Giron fanned four while giving up two hits and two walks. Giron has surrendered one earned run in 11 innings this season. Bobby Brownlie (2-2) suffered a tough loss, allowing two runs on five hits with no walks and no strikeouts in a six-inning complete game.

 

In the suspended contest from April 22 ? the Jaxx led 6-3 after two innings when rain halted play ? West Tenn?s Nathan Mitchell (1-0) grabbed the win with three scoreless innings, fanning four and permitting just one hit and one walk. Dennis Sarfate (1-1), the Stars? starter nine days earlier, absorbed the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits and two walk over two frames.

 

The Stars (12-10) and Jaxx (9-12) play two more Sunday afternoon at Joe Davis Stadium, with the first pitch at 2:05 p.m. Game one pits the right-handed Sarfate (1-1, 6.60) against West Tenn lefty Renyel Pinto (1-2, 7.02). Game two starters are undecided.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Coverage:

 

Hot Fielder's blast leads Stars in split

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

Frank Kremblas might as well have the message on tape, so often he repeats it. Patience. Patience. Take what they give you. Don't chase bad pitches.

 

Sometimes, though, Prince Fielder "tries to be Mr. Hero,'' Kremblas says. It has led to impatience, trying to do too much.

 

Well, what do you know?

 

Fielder has grown more patient. And, as a result, more heroic.

 

The Stars' 19-year-old first baseman blasted a 430-foot homer - remarkably he was jammed on the pitch, according to Kremblas - to trigger Huntsville's 2-0 second-game victory in front of an announced crowd of 5,722. Reggie Rivard and Roberto Giron combined for the four-hit shutout.

 

The Stars lost the opener, the resumption of a suspended game, 9-5.

 

The Stars and Diamond Jaxx continue the six-game, four-day series today with a 2:05 p.m. doubleheader. The annual Ballpark 3K run, postponed from two weeks ago, will be held between games.

 

Fielder continued a stunning streak of explosive hitting. He has homered in four consecutive games and has gone for 23-for-56 with six homers and 12 RBIs in the last 13 games. Some of that comes with an asterisk, considering his 3-for-4 in the opener will officially count as having taken place on April 22.

 

The power was contagious apparently. Brad Nelson clobbered a Fielderesque shot in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.

 

Fielder merely shrugged when asked for an explanation.

 

"I don't know. Making good contact, I guess,'' he said.

 

He has fallen into the baseball equivalent of what red-hot basketball players refer to as "the zone.''

 

"Whenever you're in it, it's like the ball is slowing down. It's like you don't even swing hard, but the ball is going out,'' Fielder said. "That's kinda what I'm doing.''

 

Rivard, the Canadian right-hander, was superb, shutting out the D-Jaxx on two hits in five innings, striking out four.

 

It earned him two wins in two different leagues in four days. He made a cameo for Triple-A Indianapolis on April 28, picking up the win over Louisville in relief of Pedro Liriano, despite allowing a pair of runs in two innings.

 

The Stars managed only five hits off Bobby Brownlie (2-2), but two were the devastating homers by Fielder and Nelson. Another was a single by Tony Gwynn Jr., extending his hit streak to 14 games; Ryan Knox had 13 for the team high a year ago.

 

Saturday's first game was the resumption of a game suspended on April 22 in Jackson, Tenn. Kremblas had a simple memory of the first two innings of that game.

 

"We had a 3-0 lead, and we gave it up,'' Kremblas said.

 

A fuzzy memory, at best. It was 2-0, then 3-all. Then they gave it away. A hit batsman, an error and shaky pitching by Dennis Sarfate left the Stars in arrears, 6-3, when rain halted play.

 

The Stars did little to get it back when things picked up Saturday. Paul Stewart plunked a pair of D-Jaxx hitters in the fourth, leading to another run, then West Tenn quilted together five hits for a pair of runs in the sixth.

 

Fielder did cut the lead to the final of 9-5 with a two-run homer, a portent of things to come - the rest of the night, and the rest of the season.

[MassBrew]

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

 

We love David! Even after a complete game summary and newspaper account, he provides us with fresh info and a different perspective on all that is Huntsville!

 

FIELDER ON THE ROOF

A safer wager than Smarty Jones in the Kentucky Derby was that this double-header would be washed out before it even started tonight. The forecast all week was for a rainy and stormy weekend, but the sun shone through the clouds all day and it was actually a beautiful 74° evening with no rain at all ---- at least until about 20 minutes after the game. Then it came down steadily........

 

The crowd was slow to filter in, possibly unaware of the early start, possibly enticed to the VBC to see the Arena II Vipers, perhaps pessimistically expecting the rains to come anyway, even though the sun was out, but the park eventually swelled to over 5,700 without the attraction of a major promotion or fireworks.

 

It was Boeing Night, one of the major employers of Huntsville, and complimentary tickets were scattered all over the region, accounting for many of the general admission seats being filled. Section K was literally filled with employees all wearing lime-green T-shirts, creating quite a visual sight, and all of them cheering and enjoying themselves....... A couple of rovers from the Brewers' player development staff, Ed Romero and Ed Sedar, arrived tonight from Milwaukee and among the scouts present was former major league catcher Duffy Dyer.

 

The Stars actually caught a lucky break tonight because they had rainouts to make up, forcing them to play back-to-back double-headers. A washout couldn't be made up, crucial since the Stars have found themselves in a first half race......This is the last we see of the Diamond Jaxx in this half. Tomorrow is another double-header.

 

So the first order of business was to complete the game of April 22....... The Stars were the visiting team in their own home park in Game One, something I'm sure caused a lot of confusion among the neophytes who make up the majority of these weekend games.

 

Dennis Sarfate, who actually starts Game One Sunday, was tagged with the loss tonight for giving up six runs in two innings back on the 22nd of April....... Paul Stewart became the workhorse for a tired pitching staff, after throwing 94 pitches in six innings over two games this week already........The Stars bullpen has incredibly thrown 24 2/3 innings since Monday. That's over five days!........

 

So manager Frank Kremblas was hoping he could stick with Stew for the rest of this game. Stew did despite a lengthy 4th and 6th inning, in which he faced six and eight batters respectively...... I don't think Frank would have stuck with him if the Stars didn't have a 6-3 handicap to contend with when this started, but Stew performed valiantly, sarcastically joking that he had more rest than anyone else on the pitching staff.........

 

After striking out the side in the 3rd inning, Stew hit the first two batters to face him in the 4th and allowed a run to score on a fielder's choice....... In the 6th, he gave up four straight hits before striking out Jemel Spearman and Micah Hoffpauir on a slider to end the inning, so he had some gas left at the end........

 

Prince Fielder at the plate in the top of the 7th hit a high fly ball that sent Dwane Bacon back with his body turned to follow the flight of the ball and his glove even with his shoulder. Just as it looked as if he would catch it at the track, Bacon simply looked up and watched the ball go over the wall for his 7th home run of the season........ He added # 8 in the 2nd game to tie Greg Sain for the Southern League leadership.

 

Fielder and Brad Nelson accounted for all the scoring in a short 1:43 match in Game Two for Reggie Rivard, who was splendid in a spot start, throwing 38 of his 67 pitches for strikes........ Not in consecutive games by the rule book, but it's now four games, four homers for the Prince of the Parkway........ There's always tomorrow. He is the biggest threat to Ramon Hernandez's record of six in four games in 1997 and Mark McGwire's record of five during the regular season that I've seen in a long while........ Fielder got hold of a 1-2 Bobby Brownlie fastball in the 1st inning with one out........ I don't think I've ever seen or heard Prince hit a cheap home run. This was a mammoth rainbow shot that hit the top of the back wall in dead center at the 405 mark, and bounced over to the other side. I asked Prince after the game if he ever hit a "cheap" home run this year, and he said no.

 

In the 2nd inning, Nelson got a hold of a first pitch fastball from Brownlie and sent it also to straightaway center over the Third Base Grill sign (the first wall)....... One out later, Joel Alvarado made it a personal 3-for-6 start with a single to right. A grounder by Johnny Raburn sent him to second, but when Rivard singled crisply to left, Alvarado, trying to score, was a dead duck at the plate.

 

The doubleheader split puts the Stars in a first place tie with Birmingham....... It's unusual to see Brandon Gemoll in anything other than the # 5 position in the lineup, so it was really bizarre to see him hit 2nd tonight. Strategically, it makes sense since Gemoll is a lefty, but it didn't help much tonight. He grounded out in the 1st and flew out to center in the 3rd when he was jammed on a curve, and the 6th on a fastball........

 

Tony Gwynn, Jr. extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single that glanced off the tip of Brownlie's glove in the 3rd inning. It caught 2nd baseman Richard Lewis a little flat-footed when he broke for the ball before it was deflected, allowing it to get into the outfield grass. Gwynn already had a hit dating back to April 22, so the streak wasn't threatened in the first game......... Fielder is now hitting .436 in his last 10 games with five HRs and 11 RBIs, hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games, and looks like a nice candidate for the Southern League Hitter-of-the-Week award.

 

Some of the Brewers' best prospects are having their problems again....... It seems like a recurring nightmare with this organization........ Mike Jones was placed on the disabled list Saturday after undergoing a series of tests Friday to determine the cause of soreness in his elbow........ Milwaukee General Manager Doug Melvin said, "They did an extensive study with an MRI. They put dye in the elbow to see if there was anything wrong. The MRI didn't show any damage. We're just going to shut him down."

 

Jones, who turned 21 on April 23, was sidelined after 17 starts last season due to elbow problems and received conflicting diagnoses. It was initially feared that there was a slight tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, but the problem was later termed a Grade 1 sprain......... Jonesy reported pain the day after striking out eight batters in five innings in an April 23 start.

 

Jim Rooney, the Brewers' minor-league pitching coordinator, travelled to Huntsville and was present with Mike on Saturday to try to refine the right-hander's throwing mechanics. This spring, Jones attributed some of his problems to rushing his delivery.

 

On Thursday, David Krynzel, the Brewers' # 1 pick in 2000, was placed on the DL with a fractured right foot. Krynzel was playing for Class AAA Indianapolis when he fouled a pitch off the foot. He is expected to be sidelined for as much as 12 weeks.

 

Manny Parra, hampered by shoulder problems, could be ready to join Class A High Desert soon. Parra has been throwing in extended spring training in Arizona.

 

And right-hander Nick Neugebauer, who opened the season with High Desert after missing nearly two years with shoulder problems, is back in Arizona and throwing "an inning here and there."

[MassBrew]

High Desert Site Game Summary:

 

KA-BOOM: MAVS TAG HAWKS FOR 13

Friday night was the second post-game fireworks display of the season for the High Desert Mavericks. A preview was provided in the previous nine innings.

 

Six Mavs collected multi-hit games, pulverizing Lancaster starter Adam Bass en route to a 13-6 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks before 2,336 at Mavericks Stadium on Saturday night.

 

High Desert (9-14) blew the game open in the second inning while up 1-0, scorching Bass for six runs and knocking the big six-foot-six starter from the game. The Mavs sent 10 batters to plate in the inning, highlighted by an Ozzie Chavez RBI triple, Chris Morris? RBI single, Dan Boyd?s RBI double, and a Travis Hinton two-run double.

 

Lancaster (15-8) proceeded to score six unanswered runs, notching one in the third and five in the sixth to make the game interesting. Eleven batters came to the plate for the JetHawks in the sixth, circled around a three-run homer by Daniel Tosca, pinch-hitting for Conor Jackson after Jackson was ejected in the fourth inning along with manager Wally Backman for arguing an earlier strikeout.

 

Chris Morris struck back with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to increase the Mavs lead to 8-6, followed by a five-run eruption by the Mavericks in the bottom of the seventh to put the game away.

 

High Desert sent 11 hitters to the plate in the seventh, beginning the avalanche with a Kennard Bibbs RBI single. After Chavez reached two batters later on an RBI infield single which knocked reliever Mike Watson from the game, Morris greeted reliever Bill White by ripping another RBI double to hike the lead to 12-6.

 

Dan Boyd followed two batters later by taking an errant White pitch to the knee with the bases loaded, forcing in another run to make it 13-6.

 

Bo Hall (2-2) picked up the win with five stellar innings of work before being touched a bit in the sixth, allowing four runs on five hits along with six strikeouts. Bass (2-1) suffered his first loss on the year, getting shelled for seven runs on nine hits in only 1.1 innings.

 

Morris led the Mavs offensively with a four-for-five night at the dish, including four RBI?s. The 13 runs and 17 hits are the most High Desert has produced in the 2004 campaign.

 

The rubber match of the three-game series begins at 3:05 p.m. (5:05 Central) on Sunday afternoon at Mavericks Stadium, with Khalid Ballouli (2-2) getting the nod for the Mavs against Lancaster counterpart Keith Whatley (1-2).

[MassBrew]

No details to report on the Beloit action in Clinton, Iowa, as there is no local Sunday newspaper coverage in Clinton, and we've found the Lumberkings' website to be among the weakest in all of minor league baseball for content -- no audio, either -- study the boxscores and use your imagination!

[igor67]

Random statitude addition. Remebering my earlier post about trying to get a better judgement of Kade and ading up all of his AA stats. His current line is .219/.292/.362 which is pretty bad, but up substantially from last years .192/.271/.296

 

If Kade were to keep this year's pace going for another 3months (which would give him 400 AA ABs) he'd have an aggregate line of .261/.327/.504. Which would be solid for the Southern League from a catcher. One of the biggest things Kade has done is make better contact this year last year in 213 ABs he had 65 Ks this year in 47 ABs only 9. Equalizing those he'd have about 38 in the same number of ABs this year. Or the better way his 400 AB total would be 101.

[MassBrew]

Daily Press High Desert Game Story:

Plenty of quotes and a Lou Piniella reference...

 

www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...110,23774,