Link Report for Sunday 9/7 - Three One-Run Victories!

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Fine detailed account...

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=323

[MassBrew]

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

 

OH, DOCTOR!

It was all about pitching and defense right down to the edge-of-your-seat finish, a big hit from a star prospect whose bat had been silent since July........ It was about three pitchers, two of whom will likely make up 2/5 of our rotation next year, and the coolness under tremendous pressure they faced as they got out of one jam after another....... It was about the silencing of two of Birmingham's biggest bats by the best pitching staff in the league, best in a nearly 20-year club history, and it was about the major league caliber defense, and a number of eye-popping, heart-stopping plays that kept the remainder of the team that did get on, from scoring at will....... It was about the manager who wasn't afraid to take chances, some of them wrong and unnecessary in hindsight, and some that made him look like a professor........ It was about a pitching coach, a successful hurler with the team so long ago, who instilled the confidence in his legions when they looked shaky, and dug out the will in them to overcome....... And I don't want to forget it was also about the two dozen or more fans who drove from Huntsville to Hoover Met since Friday. They cheered this team on and provided their vocal support from seats behind the Huntsville dugout.

 

 

The Huntsville Stars closed the deal Sunday at 4:24 pm when Jon Hamilton popped up a 2-1 pitch to left field. Brad Nelson came in a few steps and with two hands on glove, locked in the team's 6th League Championship berth in 18 years......... Tuesday, the Carolina Mudcats come to Joe Davis Stadium to start the best-of-five battle for the title........ The Cats may be a tougher challenge then Birmingham. They had the 2nd best average (to Birmingham) and the 2nd best pitching staff in the league, and averaged almost seven runs a game in beating the Tennessee Smokies in four games, while the Stars held the Barons to an average of 2.6 runs a game, shutting them out twice, but only hit .196 themselves........ The Mudcats also beat us in the season series this year, 5-2.

 

The 1994 Stars, with a tight-knit team of marginal prospects who could come up with a different hero nearly every night, won 81 games that season for a player-turned-manager, that like himself, was a disciple of plate patience........ As a result, that team led the Southern League in walks and finished 2nd in runs scored, despite hitting .251 --- 7th in the league........ While plate patience didn't become the 2003 Stars, scoring when they needed to did, behind the stingiest staff in the league, much the same as the 1994 crew who held the previous club ERA record......... It was pitching that glued the 2003 Stars right down to the end during this series and today's ballgame.

 

Greg Bruso scattered just four hits and walked only one batter, but there were some tense moments........ Scott Bikowski, the only hitter in Birmingham's lineup who could solve the Stars' pitching staff, doubled all the way to the right field wall in the 2nd inning. Carlos Maldonado moved him over to third on a ground ball to J.J. Hardy, but Jon Hamilton stranded him on a fly out to Dave Krynzel........

 

The Barons left another runner in scoring position in the 4th inning, Bruso's toughest inning yet (21 pitches, only 9 for strikes)......... Bruso was consistently behind in the count this inning. Bruso was behind leadoff hitter Danny Sandoval, 2-and-0, but got him to foul out to catcher Kade Johnson on a 2-2 pitch. With two out, he walked Gabe Alvarez on four pitches, then another 3-ball count to Bikowski, who singled sharply to left, sending Alvarez to second. Bruso finally got out of the inning when Maldonado popped up Bruso's first pitch to Chris Barnwell on the infield.......... The Barons began to get a little impatient at the plate after that, swinging early to no avail.

 

After retiring seven straight hitters, Bruso and the Stars found themselves in their biggest hair-puller of the game in the 7th inning........ Former Star Alvarez, the league's 4th leading hitter, broke an 0-for-15 slump and hit a 1-1 pitch into right-center. Bikowski followed with his second double. Alvarez was held at third, but Maldonado drove him in for his only RBI in the series, a fly out to left. Bruso cut the throw home off from Nelson to keep Bikowski from advancing on the throw........ Maldonado went 0-for-16 in this series after hitting .293 vs. the Stars the entire season with a team-high three HRs and 13 RBIs....... Jon Hamilton, the next hitter, grounded an 0-1 pitch to Hardy, who took one look to third, then took the safe route to first for the second out. Bruso then got out of the inning getting Guillermo Reyes to pop out to Barnwell near the mound....... In all, Bruso threw 88 pitches, 55 for strikes.

 

Barons starter Enemencio Pacheco, on three days rest, was put on a pitch limit of 70-75 pitches, but he was retired after using 53 pitches to chalk up four scoreless innings....... Pacheco wasn't nearly as sharp as he was in Game One. The Stars threatened in each inning, leaving six runners on base, four of them in scoring position. In the 2nd, Kade Johnson struck out on a Pacheco fastball, leaving Brandon Gemoll on third........ A magnificent running catch in the left-center field gap by Chad Durham with 2 out in the 4th with two runners on, preserved a scoreless tie.

 

Game Two loser Carlos Castillo was called in to start the 5th for Birmingham....... The Stars jumped on him quickly. Dave Krynzel, 0-for-15 with 8 Ks entering this game, picked up his 2nd hit of the game, sharply grounding a single to right........ Running on a 1-0 pitch, Hardy sliced a double down the right field line, allowing Dave to race home safely with the Stars' first run, as shadows began draping the row of seats I was sitting in, behind the Stars dugout on the third base side........ Hardy took third on Corey Hart's fly ball to right, then Gemoll, who hit .222 in the series, drove in Hardy with an RBI single to right. Castillo was done after walking Noochie Varner and the Stars were done as well......... Wally Backman, the former Met infielder, brought in the Barons' latest killer closer for next season, Ryan Meaux. He struck out Brad Nelson and retired the side in the 6th and 7th as well. The Stars would have only one more baserunner for the rest of the game --- Nelson, who walked in the 8th.

 

The Barons would come knocking in the 8th and 9th, but Jeff Hundley and Chris Saenz would not let the big bad wolf in......... Tom Nicholson (4-for-14 in the series), legged out a double to center to lead off the 8th. On an 0-2 pitch, Chad Durham failed twice to move Nicholson on a bunt, then hit a two-hopper to Gemoll, playing well away from the first base bag. Gemoll, in a momentary fit of indecision, decided he'd better feed the ball to Hundley, rather than try to get the lead runner, and got the swift Durham on what turned out to be a bang-bang play......... With the tying run on third and one out, Hundley got Danny Sandoval to foul out behind the plate, bringing up Jeremy Reed........ The Stars' success to getting Reed was perhaps by pitching outside to him. Reed can stroke the outside pitch, in fact likes it, but he has tried to pull it, and with the expected results....... By this time, he was showing fits of frustration. Swinging on the first pitch, Reed, who led the Barons with a .455 average vs. Huntsville, capped a 2-for-19 series, by hiting an easy grounder to second baseman Chris Barnwell for the final out.

 

Making only his second appearance for the Stars since his promotion from High Desert at the end of the season, Chris Saenz came on to face the middle of the order....... Assignment: protect a one-run lead and put the Stars on the Championship road........ Baseball doesn't get any better than this. Sitting on the edge of your seat, not knowing the outcome right down to the final pitch. Each out becoming another jump in your heart rate. Oh, Doctor. If there was ever a time to hold your head in your hands and sweat this out, this was it.........

 

Gabe Alvarez comes to the plate. The Barons had been waiting and waiting, as they had on Jeremy Reed, for him to break out........ He never did either. Alvarez hit a wicked two-hopper, but right to J.J. who fired the ball to Gemoll. One out. Alvarez finishes the series 1-for-17 with 2 RBI......... Scott Bikowski, the only hitter to have a successful series for Birmingham, going 7-for-14, walked on four pitches. I don't know if it was intentional, but all four pitches were outside........ Maldonado up. Saenz falls behind 2-and-0. After fouling off a pitch, he hits a fly ball deep to right, but it's right in Noochie's sight and he clamps it in front of the track.......... Saenz disposed of Jon Hamilton for the last out, and the promise early in the season of a team that on paper, filled with the first wave of highly-rated prospects grown on Dean Taylor's farm, appeared to have all it needed to win a Championship, came another step closer to that promise fulfilled.

 

Don't know yet who'll go in the first game of this series at the Joe..... I suspect Ben Hendrickson will be given the ball to make amends for a 4-run Birmingham blast that drove him from Game One, but we'll both know soon........ Tickets, I suspect, will go on sale tomorrow morning at the Joe........ For the Stars, and Stars fans, the season lives on.

 

Pete Zoccolillo, who made his major league debut for the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday night, going 0-for-4 and striking out, struck out as a pinch hitter in Sunday's game against Chicago........ Patrick Kinas, in his 11th season as voice of the Carolina Mudcats, won the Southern League Radio Broadcaster-of-the-Year award........ The Mudcats will come in Tuesday with one minor league graybeard who was with their team when they played the Stars for the 1994 Championship ---- Kevin Polcovich....... Polcovich, an infielder, was added to the Mudcats roster on August 13 and has played in just 13 games this season for Carolina. He played for Carolina from 1992-95 and 1997 and spent time in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997 and 1998........ He is a career .267 hitter in the minors in a professional career that goes back to 1992.

[MassBrew]

Helena Independent Record Game Story:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...803_01.txt

 

In the other Pioneer League semifinal, Provo crushed Ogden, 20-5. Provo gave up the home field advantage as they play their home games at BYU, where Sunday games are not allowed. Provo will be favored in the deciding game three, but root for Ogden, otherwise, you'll have another championship final series without audio. Plus, it'd be fun playing against the recent home of the Brewer affiliate in the final.

 

Helena Box Score:

 GAME DATE: 9/07/03 BILLINGS 1 AT HELENA 2 YTD YTD BILLINGS AB R H BI AVG HELENA AB R H BI AVG C.Dickerson CF 3 0 0 0 .143 G.Rodriguez 2B 2 0 0 0 .167 L.Bolivar 2B 4 0 1 0 .125 T.Trofholz CF 3 0 1 0 .571 J.Votto 1B 3 0 0 0 .167 D.Anderson LF 4 1 1 0 .250 M.Perez CAT 4 0 1 0 .286 M.Ramirez DH 4 1 1 0 .250 W.Olmstead LF 4 0 0 0 .125 B.Whitney 1B 3 0 1 1 .167 B.Himes RF 4 0 1 0 .143 R.Deevers RF 3 0 0 0 .286 R.Mosby DH 4 0 1 0 .250 C.Lozada CAT 2 0 1 1 .200 P.Gentry PR 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Barnes 3B 3 0 0 0 .000 T.Cairns 3B 4 1 1 0 .250 A.Gomez SS 3 0 0 0 .000 W.Hudson SS 3 0 2 0 .667 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Knoff PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Bohorquez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 1 7 0 TOTALS 27 2 5 2 BILLINGS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0- 1 7 0 HELENA 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X- 2 5 2 E--B.Whitney, J.Barnes. DP--BILLINGS 0, HELENA 2. LOB--BILLINGS 7, HELENA 5. 2B--M.Perez (1), B.Himes (1). SB--L.Bolivar (1), G.Rodriguez (1). SF--C.Lozada. SH--C.Dickerson, T.Trofholz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BILLINGS J.Knoff (L,0-1) 5.0 5 2 2 1 3 0 3.60 C.Bohorquez 3.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0.00 HELENA M.Stetter (W,1-0) 6.0 5 1 0 0 5 0 0.00 T.Taubenheim 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 D.Eveland (S,1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 SO--C.Dickerson, J.Votto, M.Perez, W.Olmstead 2, R.Mosby 2, T.Trofholz, B.Whitney, R.Deevers 3, J.Barnes. BB--J.Votto, G.Rodriguez 2. T--2:08. A--1384

[MassBrew]

Beloit Box Score:

Callix Crabbe's three walks came in handy; RHP Calvin Carpenter's struggles with wildness continue...

 GAME DATE: 9/07/03 CLINTON 3 AT BELOIT 4 YTD YTD CLINTON AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG C.Coughlan LF 4 1 1 0 .286 K.Bibbs LF 3 1 0 0 .308 C.O'Riordan 2B 3 0 1 1 .316 C.Crabbe DH 1 2 0 0 .545 N.Gold 1B 2 0 0 0 .188 T.Gwynn CF 3 1 1 1 .467 H.Lebron RF 4 0 0 1 .200 P.Fielder 1B 4 0 2 1 .294 J.Senreiso CF 4 0 1 0 .250 R.Weeks 2B 4 0 1 1 .154 E.Santana CAT 4 0 0 0 .182 T.Hinton RF 3 0 0 0 .273 C.Hamblen DH 1 0 0 0 .000 M.Mendez RF 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Quero PH 1 0 0 0 .143 J.Eure 3B 2 0 0 1 .143 P.Quero DH 1 0 0 0 .143 P.Esparragoz CAT 3 0 1 0 .250 C.Ringe 3B 4 1 3 0 .313 C.Terni SS 3 0 1 0 .357 J.Gonzalez SS 4 1 2 0 .500 C.Carpenter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Urena PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Luna PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Martin PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 3 8 2 TOTALS 26 4 6 4 CLINTON 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0- 3 8 0 BELOIT 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X- 4 6 1 E--P.Esparragoz. DP--CLINTON 0, BELOIT 1. LOB--CLINTON 9, BELOIT 5. 2B--C.Terni (3). SB--C.Coughlan (2), K.Bibbs 2 (3), C.Crabbe (2). CS--C.O'Riordan, C.Ringe, C.Crabbe, P.Esparragoz. HBP--N.Gold. SF--T.Gwynn, J.Eure. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CLINTON S.Urena 5.0 3 3 3 3 0 0 5.40 B.Luna (L,1-1) 3.0 3 1 1 2 1 0 2.45 BELOIT C.Carpenter 2.0 1 1 1 5 1 0 4.50 E.Henderson 3.1 5 2 2 1 2 0 5.40 F.Martin (W,1-0) 2.2 2 0 0 0 4 0 0.00 B.Hall (S,1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.00 HB--C.Carpenter. WP--F.Martin. SO--C.Coughlan 2, N.Gold, H.Lebron, J.Senreiso 2, E.Santana 2, J.Gonzalez, R.Weeks. BB--C.Coughlan, C.O'Riordan 2, N.Gold 2, C.Hamblen, K.Bibbs, C.Crabbe 3, T.Hinton. T--2:49. A--607

[igor67]

How about Saenz? Sure Brad was at HD for part of the year, but Chris slogged through the worst of it, and then gets promoted at the last second and his second appearance is to protect a 1 run lead in the 9th of the deciding game of a playoff series. Talk about night and day atmosphere changes. Can the Brewer win 3 league championships this year? That would be enough winning mindset to make Dean blush http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[lend d money]

I don't necessarily agree with madbad's assessment of the Calvin Carpenter situation. He was the only guy not getting strike calls and there is an easy reason for that...the guy doesn't throw them. He deserves a precipitous fall on the Power 50 rankings. It appeared he was aiming the ball rather than trusting his stuff as his velocity was unimpressive. Kudos to d money(no relation) for not allowing Calvin to single-handedly end our season. I think the MVP of the game should have been Henderson. If he doesn't get us out of Carp's no-hit, bases loaded, no out jam, we aren't talking about today. He continued to shut the Kings down after that.

[MassBrew]

Beloit Daily News Game Story:

Quotes...

 

www.beloitdailynews.com/903/snap8.htm

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Game Story:

Locker room celebration...

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...326870.xml

[madbad2000]

I agree with lend d money that Henderson desered honorable mention but Forrest was on fire last night. As for carp we'll have to agree to disagree. I hope he can turn it around.

 

Go Snappers