Link Report for Tuesday 9/9 - Let the Finals Begin!

[MassBrew]

Tuesday's Daily Menu :

 

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

 

HUNTSVILLE: RHP Ben Hendrickson at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 6:05 PM; game one, best-of-five

 

Audio link:

espn1450.com/

 

BELOIT: We believe it'll be RHP Khalid Ballouli at Lansing (Cubs), 5:00 PM, -- no web audio; game one, best-of-five

[colbyjack]

Here are the pitching matchups as best as I can tell. Carolina & Lansing seemed to have used a 4-man rotation since the playoffs started, possibly because of the days off. Like I said, as best as I can tell...

 

Huntsville vs. Carolina (Games 1 & 2 in Huntsville):

Game 1: Trevor Hutchinson vs. Ben Hendrickson (as noted above)

Game 2: Todd Moser vs. Jeff Housman

Game 3: Donnie Bridges vs. Jason Shelley

Game 4 (if necessary): Nick Ungs vs. Pedro Liriano

Game 5 (if necessary): Trevor Hutchinson vs. Greg Bruso

 

Lansing vs. Beloit (Games 3-5 in Beloit):

Game 1: Anderson Tavarez vs. Khalid Ballouli (as noted above)

Game 2: Andy Sisco vs. Jason Baker/Luis Pena

Game 3: Rocky Cherry vs. Calvin Carpenter/Eric Henderson

Game 4 (if necessary): Sean Marshall vs. Dennis Sarfate

Game 5 (if necessary): Anderson Tavarez vs. Khalid Ballouli

 

Looking at these matchups, another pitcher might be added to all but the Stars rotation, especially if there are no off-days. Henderson or Pena would probably be the most likely candidates for the Snappers, although one starter should be kept in case Cal Carpenter continues to need some piggy-back help. Carolina could turn to a couple of options to start including righties Joe Cueto & Randall Messenger & lefty David Marchbanks while lefty Ryan O'Malley might be the best option for Lansing.

 

One other note about the Lugnuts, you don't want to go into the 9th & face their closer, Jason Wylie, who notched 29 saves this year. Pretty impressive for A-ball. Hopefully that won't be an issue with the way the Snappers are swinging the lumber.

[homer]

Hey, I'm in Nashville for work. It's only 100 miles or so to Hunstville. I just may make the drive tonight. Any idea on whether or not these games sell out?

[Member]

Hey, I'm in Nashville for work. It's only 100 miles or so to Hunstville. I just may make the drive tonight. Any idea on whether or not these games sell out?

 

According to what I heard when I was there, it doesn't sound like they will sell out. Its probably a good idea to call ahead, tho, just to be safe. That's a long drive to be turned away.

[lend d money]

Carpenter has proven himself to be extremely unreliable. It is one thing to not have your best stuff and get hit, but quite another to repeatedly miss the strike zone and walk several people in an INNING. I would not want to see him on the mound as a game three starter unless we come home up 2-0. I would start Eric and get Carp work during any mopup duty. D Money(no relation) has proven in the last two days that he is serious about winning as he has brung the hook early and, perhaps too, often.

[huntsvillefan]

The worst thing about this playoff series has been the extremely low numbers at ALL the games. Sadly there is NO chance it will sell out. Its football season and in Alabama nothing else matters.

Please come and add to our numbers. The players deserve every cheering voice.

[MassBrew]

Beloit Daily News Playoff Preview:

Colby, you were off just slightly in your Beloit rotation projection...

 

www.beloitdailynews.com/903/nuts9.htm

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Finals Preview:

Two weeks ago, this was a team staggering like a frat party victim hunting a soft place to pass out.

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...309170.xml

 

Huntsville Times Miscellaneous Series Facts:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...309172.xml

 

Mark McCarter's Monday Night Experience in Huntsville:

If only the same kids would come out for tonight's playoff game...

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...309172.xml

[lend d money]

I guess I will get my wish. Evidently d money has also run out of patience with Carp.

[edod]

Hendricksen is cruising along. 4ip 1h (bloop single)

Score is still 0-0.

[brewersdad]

huntsville game still scoreless in the 7th

[lend d money]

I went on to USA Today before coming to this site. It had Carolina ahead 3-0 in the ninth.

[NastyTwig]

Yuck. Both the Snappers and the Stars lost.

[GoGoGirl]

I just heard the Snappers lost 7-6 in 10 innings. I guess they have also decided to throw Pena tomorrow and Baker in game 3 at home.

[lend d money]

I just spoke to a parent of a Snapper player and got a basic overview. We were ahead 5-0 early in the game. The Lugnuts then scored two runs in consecutive innings(thinks third and fourth). Ballouli only went 4-5 innings. Huizinga came in after him and went to about the seventh or eighth. Alliston finished the game. He said we were credited with 3-4 errors, but in actuality made 6 errors. He said Terni and Heether ,in particular, had rough nights in the field. He said Prince had some clutch hits and thinks he went 3-4. The winning run was scored in the tenth inning on an error. They had runners on second and third with one out. I can only presume the infield was playing in. A very catchable ball was hit to Heether who bobbled it and then made an errant throw home for what evidently was a fitting end to the game. He said we missed out on some scoring opportunities, which was a series long problem against Clinton. I'm sorry I don't have any more specific information, but he was calling me from his car after the game and didn't recollect all the details.

[huntsvillefan]

lost 3-2 after a great rally at the bottom of the 9th.

A wonderful game despite the loss. Even more respect for Brandon's glove, two wonderful plays saving Barney and JJ from big errors. Sadly he was in for the bunt when Corey made the throwing error that led to their first run.

Hendrickson looked really good and the game was a real nail biter.

Win or lose I won't complain if there are a few more like this.

[huntsvillefan]

A really nice triple by Dave, keeping going what he started in the last game against Birmingham. Maybe the SLUMP is over.

Also a really good crowd compared to the earlier games(though homer would still have had no trouble finding a seat)

[hsvstarsfan]

Any idea on whether or not these games sell out?

Are you kidding? Come on down!

[MassBrew]

Carolina (Marlins) 3, Huntsville 2

Ben Hendrickson in the accompanying photo...

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=328

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Box Score:

 GAME DATE: 9/09/03 CAROLINA 3 AT HUNTSVILLE 2 YTD YTD CAROLINA AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG B.Hall 3B 0 0 0 0 .136 C.Barnwell 2B 4 0 1 0 .300 B.Hall LF 3 0 0 0 .136 D.Krynzel CF 4 1 2 0 .167 J.Medrano 2B 4 0 1 2 .190 J.Hardy SS 3 1 0 0 .227 M.Padgett RF 4 0 1 0 .176 C.Hart 3B 4 0 0 0 .238 C.Aguila LF 1 0 0 0 .300 B.Gemoll 1B 4 0 2 1 .286 C.Aguila CF 2 0 0 0 .300 N.Varner RF 4 0 1 1 .273 J.Willingham 1B 1 0 0 0 .333 B.Nelson LF 4 0 1 0 .143 J.Willingham 3B 2 0 0 0 .333 M.Kremblas CAT 3 0 0 0 .111 P.Magness 1B 3 0 0 0 .286 B.Hendrickso PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 S.Fesh PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Hundley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Ashby PH 1 0 0 0 .429 R.Miller PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Flannery PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Machado PH 1 0 0 0 .100 F.Gracesqui PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Parker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Niles SS 4 1 1 0 .286 R.Jorgensen CAT 2 1 1 0 .417 T.Hutchinson PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 C.Ambres CF 0 1 0 0 .250 TOTALS 29 3 4 2 TOTALS 33 2 7 2 CAROLINA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0- 3 4 0 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2- 2 7 1 E--C.Hart. DP--CAROLINA 1, HUNTSVILLE 1. LOB--CAROLINA 4, HUNTSVILLE 5. 3B--D.Krynzel (1). SB--C.Barnwell (1), B.Gemoll (1), N.Varner (1). SH--C.Ambres. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CAROLINA T.Hutchinson 6.1 3 0 0 0 5 0 3.38 S.Fesh (W,2-0) 1.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.23 M.Flannery 0.2 3 2 2 1 1 0 4.91 F.Gracesqui (S,1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 HUNTSVILLE B.Hendrickso (L,0-2) 7.1 4 3 2 4 2 0 4.38 J.Hundley 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 R.Miller 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 M.Parker 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 SO--B.Hall, M.Padgett, J.Willingham, C.Ashby, T.Hutchinson, C.Barnwell, D.Krynzel, C.Hart 3, B.Nelson, B.Hendrickso. BB--B.Hall, C.Aguila, J.Willingham, R.Jorgensen, J.Hardy. T--2:25. A--1219

[MassBrew]

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

 

BLOWN CALL COSTS STARS

The consensus of every observer I heard high and low, from one foul line to the other was that first base ump Scott Kennedy blew the call in the top of the 9th, cheating Chris Barnwell out of a hit and the Stars out of a victory in Game One..

 

Assuming the call on Barnwell would have been made correctly, the bases would have been loaded for Brandon Gemoll, whose one-out single to left could have brought home two runs and resulted in a first-and-third situation for Noochie Varner. Varner's single could have tied the game, and there still would have been a runner in scoring position with one out......... But this is what happened, instead.

 

Down 3-0, the Stars were fortunate enough to send the top of the order to the plate in the 9th inning. On the mound, the Mudcats' closer Mike Flannery, who picked up two saves against the Stars this season, but was hit hard as well (.313 opp. avg.)......... Barnwell worked the count to 2-2, and then chopped a grounder over the head of Flannery. Jesus Medrano had to come in and awkwardly made the play to first. With Barney steaming up the baseline, Medrano's flip was a shoe late, but Kennedy emphatically threw the runner out........ Barnwell flipped out at the call and had to be restrained by 1st base coach Sandy Guerrero.

 

Handicapped by the bad call, the Stars nevertheless rallied anyway as Dave Krynzel rapped a single to right center and J.J. Hardy walked on four pitches........ MVP Corey Hart, clearly the goat in this game, struck out on a 1-2 fastball for the second out........ Gemoll now is the last chance for Huntsville........ He goes 0-and-2, fouls off a pitch to the upper level seats on the 3rd base side, then bloops an inside pitch. Chris Aguila races in from left and Billy Hall goes back, but the ball drops in front of Aguila for a hit. Next, Varner gets behind 0-and-2, but keeps the rally alive with a single to the gap in left-center........ With a 2-2 count on the next hitter, Brad Nelson, the runners advance into scoring position on a double steal, but Nelson is left standing on a strike three call that is clearly low and wide of the plate --- another bad call in the inning (and not the first of the night by Cameron Keller, either)........ Nelly stood at the plate in disgust and I shattered my clipboard in two against the hard plastic seat in front of me........ Oddly enough, the Stars' 5-3 loss to Carolina back on June 24 ended on a bad call with the tying run at the plate.

 

The Stars must now come back, as they have done before. This is nothing new......... In 1994, the Stars lost the first game of the Championship Series to Carolina, then proceeded to take the next three, and this year, as well as in 2001, lost the 1st game of the Division Playoffs, and went on to victory........ Jeff Housman, who pitched a two-hitter over seven innings in a Game Two victory over Birmingham last Thursday, will be on the mound Wednesday for what will be the last home game for the Stars this season....... Southpaw Todd Moser goes for Carolina. The Stars will be seeing him for the first time........ Moser, who was shelled by Tennessee in the Eastern Division Playoffs, was 6-4, 3.41 during the regular season. A fifth-year pro, he won All-Star recognition in Class A, but is a non-prospect and has been challenged by Double-A this year. He's got good control, but gave up a club-high eight HRs.

 

The game started out as a beautifully pitched duel between Trevor Hutchinson, who after giving up a leadoff single to Barnwell, retired 14 straight, and Ben Hendrickson, who pitched one-hit ball until the 8th........ Of Hendrickson's 22 outs, eleven came on ground outs and two by strikeout. Until the 8th, only one hitter reached 2nd on him, and he was economical with his pitches, never throwing more than 13 until the 7th. He went full on only two hitters.

 

But Carolina, never hitting the ball hard all night, put together two successive radar-guided singles....... Corey Hart, lacking any range all season on his left side, took a couple of steps toward the hole, but appeared to just let Ryan Jorgensen's one-hopper through, allowing Drew Niles to move to second........ With a scoreless tie and the pitcher up, you could see a bunt coming....... Pinch-hitter Chip Ambres laid one down on the edge of the grass on the 3rd base side, a tough one. Corey came in and fielded the ball with his throwing hand and off stride, sailed the ball high and wide up the 1st base line, scoring Niles and putting runners in scoring position........ Billy Hall was intentionally walked by Hendrickson to set up the double play, but Jesus Medrano, who hit .227 with just one RBI against Stars pitching during the season, rolled a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield, to score both runners........ Hendrickson's night was over after 93 pitches, 53 for strikes (57%)....... Jeff Hundley and Ryan Miller mopped up the inning easily.

 

Although Hutchinson was just as sharp, the Stars left two runners in scoring position on his watch....... Barnwell was stranded on third by Hart, who looked at a third strike to end the 1st inning......... Krynzel, whose bat woke up in Game 5 vs. Birmingham, tripled off the right field wall with two out in the 6th, but Hardy hit a high hop over the third base bag, and Josh Willingham made a nice backhand stop and threw to first in time to end the inning...... The Stars wouldn't threaten again until the 9th.

 

The game was stopped in the bottom of the 3rd inning to give an Austin, Texas lawyer an opportunity to win a million dollars by throwing three strikes through an outlined human-shaped stand-up target set up at home plate. Through some sort of national elimination, I guess, sponsored by BC Powder, Jack Gullahorn came out to the rubber, accompanied by his personal pitching coach, Vida Blue (yes, none other than the 1971 A.L. Cy Young winner)...... Given seven chances, Gullahorn, already filthy rich I'm sure --- he is a lawyer, after all --- missed the form altogether on the first pitch. The second hit the edge of the cut-out. The remaining two were nowhere near the strike zone........ Had to wonder why Vida Blue was even there. Wondered if he really wanted to come at all because he was late, but he clearly hadn't been much help to this guy at all, but just for showing up, the Texas suit-and-briefcase deepened his pocket with $10,000 given by the sponsor.

 

In the 4th inning, a high pop by Hart went foul to the first base side and hit a baby who was being protected by his father or whoever was holding him. The baby was not, I hope, seriously hurt, and the ball may have been deflected first...... Medical aid was alerted and the baby and family were quickly cared for by the Stars staff members, including GM Bryan Dingo and they all left the game.

 

The Brewers released scout Epy Guerrero (Sandy's father) and closed down their Dominican camp. A cost-saving move apparently. In addition to the number of major leaguers Guerrero scouted for the majors, he discovered Luis Martinez, who traveled a weary road to success to make it to the majors this year.

[MassBrew]

Lansing (Cubs) 7, Beloit 6, 10 innings

 

Lansing Site Game Summary:

 

LANSING -- Playing from behind the powerful Beloit Snappers all night long at Oldsmobile Park, the first time the Lansing Lugnuts led the game Tuesday night was when they danced off the field victoriously in the 10th inning.

 

Trailing 5-0 after three innings and ailing from an off outing by ace Anderson Tavarez, the Lugnuts' bullpen held firm for the final seven innings while their hitters chipped away. The culmination was a thrilling 7-6 victory to take Game One of the 2003 Midwest League Championship Series.

 

With leadoff hitter Felix Pie at third base and one out in the 10th, cleanup man Brian Dopirak grounded the ball to the left side of the infield. Beloit third baseman Adam Heether bobbled the ball for an instant and then threw home, but his throw was wide and Pie scored standing up and ran into a pile of his congratulatory teammates.

 

Beloit had scored three runs in the second inning on RBI singles by Callix Crabbe and Pedro Esparagoza and a run-scoring double by Heether. In the third, the club tacked on two more with a Travis Hinton double that scored Prince Fielder and a throwing error by Dopirak.

 

Tavarez left after three tough innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He walked one, struck out two and failed to get a single groundball out.

 

Dan Foli took over in the fourth and held down Beloit with three scoreless innings as the offense raged back.

 

Lansing scored two in the fourth on two-out singles by Keith Butler and Pie, scoring Matt Creighton and J.J. Johnson. Two more scored in the fifth on two-out RBI singles from Jose Reyes and Johnson. In the sixth, Lansing brought it back to all-square when Casey McGehee grounded into a fielder's choice to score Pie.

 

Felix, the offseason star for Lansing in the postseason, went 3-for-5, improving his league-best postseason average to .545 (12-for-22).

 

Beloit finally found a chink in the armor of Lansing's bullpen in the seventh, when Tony Gwynn doubled off of lefty Ryan O'Malley and then scored on a single by Fielder.

 

Lansing had an answer again.

 

In the eighth, Pie led off with a walk and Buck Coats laid down a bunt for a single. McGehee sacrificed them into scoring position and Robinson Chirinos followed with a first-pitch sacrifice fly to deep left.

 

The score remained tied in the ninth as Lansing Closer Jason Wylie threw a scoreless frame. In the 10th, manager Julio Garcia went to B.J. Benik, who has now pitched in all five games of the postseason. Benik responded by striking out two hitters and stopping a sure hit up the middle with a flick of his glove to complete a perfect inning.

 

Pie legged out an infield single in the 10th; Coats sacrificed him to second, and an infield single by McGehee put runners at the corners and set the stage for Dopirak.

 

Game Two is at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday at Olds Park with lefty Andrew Sisco on the hill.

 

The Lugnuts have been in three Championship Series in their eight-year history and won in 1997.

 

Beloit Box Score:

Where's Jeff Eure these days?

 GAME DATE: 9/09/03 BELOIT 6 AT LANSING 7 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG LANSING AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs LF 5 0 0 0 .227 F.Pie CF 5 3 3 1 .545 C.Crabbe DH 5 0 1 1 .450 B.Coats SS 4 0 1 0 .250 T.Gwynn CF 4 1 2 0 .435 C.McGehee 3B 5 1 2 1 .227 P.Fielder 1B 5 1 3 1 .385 B.Dopirak 1B 5 0 2 1 .263 R.Weeks 2B 4 1 1 0 .150 M.Creighton 2B 4 1 0 0 .250 T.Hinton RF 5 1 1 1 .263 R.Chirinos PR 0 0 0 0 .143 A.Heether 3B 4 1 1 1 .250 R.Chirinos 2B 0 0 0 1 .143 P.Esparragoz CAT 5 1 1 1 .231 J.Fox DH 5 1 1 0 .231 C.Terni SS 4 0 0 0 .286 J.Reyes CAT 4 0 1 1 .250 K.Ballouli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Walker PR 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Huizinga PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Walker RF 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Alliston PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Johnson RF 5 1 3 1 .375 P.O'Toole CAT 0 0 0 0 .125 K.Butler LF 5 0 1 1 .316 A.Tavarez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Foli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.O'Malley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Wylie PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Benik PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 41 6 10 5 TOTALS 42 7 14 7 BELOIT 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0- 6 10 2 LANSING 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 0 1- 7 14 3 E--P.Fielder, A.Heether, B.Coats, B.Dopirak, J.Johnson. DP--BELOIT 0, LANSING 1. LOB--BELOIT 9, LANSING 14. 2B--T.Gwynn (1), P.Fielder (1), T.Hinton (2), A.Heether (1), F.Pie (4). SB--R.Weeks (1). CS--C.Walker. HBP--R.Weeks, B.Coats. SF--R.Chirinos. SH--B.Coats, C.McGehee. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT K.Ballouli 5.1 10 5 3 0 3 0 4.35 J.Huizinga 2.0 2 1 1 2 0 0 2.25 J.Alliston (L,0-1) 2.0 2 1 1 1 2 0 2.45 LANSING A.Tavarez 3.0 7 5 4 1 2 0 4.66 D.Foli 3.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 R.O'Malley 2.0 2 1 1 1 2 0 2.25 J.Wylie 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 B.Benik (W,1-0) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 HB--K.Ballouli, J.Wylie. SO--C.Crabbe, P.Fielder, R.Weeks, A.Heether, P.Esparragoz 3, B.Coats, J.Fox 2, J.Reyes, K.Butler. BB--T.Gwynn, A.Heether, C.Terni, F.Pie, B.Dopirak, J.Reyes. T--3:09. A--1330

[MassBrew]

Lansing State Journal Game Story:

Photo of Prince...

 

www.lsj.com/sports/lugnut..._fill.html

[lend d money]

He played the last two games of the Clinton series. D. Money(no relation) has basically rotated those two and Vandy and Pedro at catcher for some time now. I'm not sure I agree with doing that in the playoffs.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Game Story:

Quotes, etc....

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...224120.xml