Link Report for Thurs. 7/5 - Latest: Parra, Caufield Updates

[pogokat]

Final: Nashville 3, Oklahoma (Rangers) 1

 

R.A. Dickey survives the walks in the unexpected abscence of Manny Parra to lead the Sounds to victory...

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._nasaaa_orhaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._nasaaa_orhaaa_1

[pogokat]

Hey! It's good to be back...

 

In the last month, the wife and I have discovered the wonder of parenthood and moved back to Georgia...so, i havent had the internet, or really any time...but hopefully i'll be here for good now...

 

we even took our daughter to her first minor league game tonight and saw the columbus catfish narrowly beat the charleston riverdogs...

 

hopefully, i'll be out full force to see jeremy jeffress and matt laporta in a few weeks..

[wibadgers23]

Holy crap, at 23 years old, what more does Lefave and Caufield have to do to get out of low A ball? I guess Ford, Cain, and Gillespie in BC would have something to do with it. But still, its a shame both of these guys are still in low A. Do you see one or both of these guys just skipping BC and heading straight to Huntsville later in the season?

[Boy Jeenius]

Travis Wendte too. He's too old to stay in WV and keep on dominating.

[Boy Jeenius]

Wild game with some clutch hitting in the late innings for a Helena victory. What entertainment. These games are a must listen. Gindl leaves the game early with a tender hammy. 2 for 2 when he left, but tweaked it on a triple. Haydel and Farris continue to emerge from ether and Lucroy with another jack. Harvard boy with 3 more hits. He and Zealous have 3rd base pretty well covered.

[wibadgers23]

Quote:

---

Back from the AAA game. I sat right on the dugout, Parra was there all night, laughing and joking with the team. Vinnie coached 1st. The scoreboard gun seemed slow all night. Both starters hitting 83 and 84 mph, and 73/74 on breaking stuff. Then Thatcher came in and it went up to 88 and 89 right away. He is filthy to lefties. The lefties that faced him never had a chance. Then Balfour came in, hit 93 on his first pitch, then 94 to 96 the rest of the night except for a first pitch change up that Cruz hit off 3rd base for a double. Trust me folks, Balfour is for real. He has a nasty, tight, late breaking slider or cutter too. He just blew through the heart of their line up with straight gas.

---

 

Thanks for the first-hand report Boy Jeenius. Sounds like Balfour and Thatcher both have some pretty nasty stuff. I'm really looking forward to seeing what these guys can do in Milwaukee. How did Callix Crabbe look in person? He's kept my attention all season so far as he is still young, hits for average, and walks more than he strikes out. Thanks

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

CAUFIELD KNOCKS IN FOUR, POWER WIN

 

Chuckie Caufield hit a two-run homer and knocked in four of West Virginia?s six runs on Thursday night as West Virginia took the third game of the series, defeating the Asheville Tourists 6-5 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Caufield?s two-run homer in the fourth inning snapped a scoreless tie and John Alonso hit a two-run blast later in the inning to give the Power a 4-0 edge. The Tourists plated their first run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Geoff Strickland but the Power answered a half inning later on Caufield?s run-scoring single.

 

Mike McKenry?s second of three singles plated a run for Asheville in the sixth inning and Caufield?s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh scored Brent Brewer for West Virginia?s final run. In the top of the eighth inning Jay Cox singled to bring in Matt Repec, bringing the Tourists within three. Anthony Jackson tripled in Strickland in the ninth inning and scored on Daniel Mayora?s groundout, but Omar Aguilar fanned Matt Repec during the next at bat to close out the game.

 

Chris Toneguzzi (2-1) allowed just a run on five hits over five innings and struck out six to get the win, Aguilar (6) got the save and Simon Ferrer (5-6) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits through seven innings.

 

The Power improved to 56-27 overall and 8-7 in the second half, while the Tourists fell to 51-33 overall and 9-6 in the second half with the win. Alonso, Caufield and Andrew Lefave all hit safely twice for the Power. The four RBI game tied a season high for Caufield.

 

The Power will finish the four game series against the Tourists Friday night. The Power will start right hander Jeremy Jeffress (4-2, 2.54) and Asheville will start right hander Esmil Rogers (2-0, 2.66). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2007070552

 

No knuckling under

Home runs carry Power to 6-5 win over Asheville

By Tommy R. Atkinson

Charleston Gazette Staff Writer

 

Baseball is a game of subtle adjustments and that was never more evident than Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Asheville knuckleballer Simon Ferrer had the West Virginia Power hitters on their heels through the first three innings, allowing just one hit with a soft touch that barely registered 80 mph on the radar gun. All that changed when the Power batters made their second trip through the order.

 

Chuckie Caufield and John Alonso each belted two-run home runs in the bottom of the fourth to propel the Power past the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists 6-5. A crowd of 3,567 attended the South Atlantic League matchup.

 

The Power?s Andrew Lefave led off the fourth with a single on the second pitch from Ferrer and Caufield followed with a two-run round-tripper on the second pitch, depositing the clout onto Smith Street for a 2-0 lead.

 

After the Power?s Brad Miller hit into a double play, Stephen Chapman singled on the third pitch to keep the inning alive. Alonso then smacked a two-run shot on his second pitch, sending the ball screaming down the left-field line and again onto Smith Street for a 4-0 advantage.

 

?John Alonso batted down in the lineup and he got a [double in the third inning] and he told me he scooted up in the box and it helped him to catch that thing before the bottom fell out of it,?? said Caufield, a Sally League Northern Division All-Star who tied a season-high with four RBIs Thursday.

 

?So I took his advice, just scooted up in the box and I was able to get one up in the zone. I stayed up in the box the rest of the game just to get closer, try to see the ball a little better so I could drive it.??

 

Caufield?s run-scoring single in the fifth extended the Power?s edge to 5-1 and his sacrifice fly in the seventh provided a 6-2 cushion. The Power needed the margin to withstand Asheville?s ninth-inning rally.

 

It took Power reliever Omar Aguilar a little while to find the strike zone when he entered in the top of the ninth, leading 6-3. Aguilar walked Geoff Strickland, the Tourists? No. 9 hitter, to start the frame, then leadoff batter Anthony Jackson followed with an RBI triple to make it a two-run lead.

 

Aguilar bore down and induced a foul pop for the first out from Asheville?s Hector Gomez, who had three hits in four previous at-bats.

 

Aguilar forced the Tourists? Daniel Mayora to ground out to Lefave at first for the second out, but Jackson was too swift and beat Lefave?s throw home as Asheville closed within 6-5. Aguilar struck out the Tourists? Matt Repec on four pitches, the final a 92 mph fastball, to notch his sixth save.

 

Power starter Chris Toneguzzi (2-1) turned in another solid performance, allowing an earned run on five hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Ferrer (5-6) took the loss, surrendering six earned runs on six hits in seven innings.

 

Caufield said Thursday was only the second time in his career that he had faced a knuckleball pitcher. The first time was almost two months ago when the Power visited Asheville and Ferrer started.

 

?A guy like that could be one of your worst nightmares, especially when he?s got that ball dancing all over the place,?? Caufield said. ?It?s pretty different. You?ve got to really make yourself think about hitting the ball up the middle [or] hitting it the other way.

 

?You see the ball well because it?s coming a lot slower. You try to do a little bit more than you should. You try to lift the ball [or] hit the ball farther instead of sticking to your approach and letting the ball come to you. You got a few guys that had some success [Thursday], guys starting to trust themselves and start doing the same thing and we started putting up a few runs.??

 

The Power (8-7) will close out the four-game homestand with Asheville at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). The Power will send right-hander Jeremy Jeffress (4-2, 2.54 ERA) to the mound, while the Tourists (9-6) will counter with righty Esmil Rogers (2-0, 2.66 ERA). There will be fireworks after the game, weather permitting.

 

Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chris Dorst

West Virginia Power designated hitter John Alonso (right) is congratulated by teammate Steve Chapman after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/homerun.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1257

 

Smokies Turn on Power and Shut Down Stars

 

Kevin Hart and Grant Johnson combined on a two-hit shutout and Tennessee blasted four home runs in an 8-0 blanking of Huntsville Thursday night in the second of a four-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Smokies improved to 10-8 in the second half and 46-40 overall but remain one game behind North Division leading Chattanooga, which won at Mississippi, while the Stars slumped to 7-11 in the second half and 44-42 overall. Huntsville was shut out for the ninth time this season and for the fourth time at home.

 

The visitors plated the game?s first run in the first inning when Sam Fuld, singled, stole second, moved to third on a Jorge Cortes single and came home on a Matt Craig sacrifice fly. It marked the third time in three home starts that Will Inman has been scored on in the first inning. Craig extended the lead to 2-0 with a home run in the third and Jake Fox?s league-best 17th long ball in the fifth pushed the Smokies? lead to 3-0. Inman then gave up back-to-back singles to Casey McGehee and Cates before being taken out of the game and replaced by David Johnson. Inman suffered the loss and dropped to 1-4 after giving up three runs on eight hits, while striking out seven.

 

Jemel Spearman led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit home run and Tyler Colvin crushed a three-run bomb to left-center field to make it 7-0. It was Colvin?s first round tripper at the double-A level and the second time the Stars have allowed four homers in a game.

 

Hart gave up a single to Hernan Iribarren, the first batter he faced, and did not allow a hit the rest of the way in his six innings of work. He struck out Steve Sollmann, Lou Palmisano and Brendan Katin in succession with runners at first and second and nobody out in the sixth while it was still a 3-0 game. Johnson allowed a leadoff single to Katin in the seventh and went three scoreless afterwards to earn his first save. He struck out one and walked two.

 

The series continues Friday night with Huntsville southpaw Derek Miller making his double-A debut against Smokies? right-hander Mark Holliman, who no-hit the Stars on June 21. 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.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1

 

Smokies dig deep to shut out Stars

Huntsville allows four homers in 8-0 lossto West Tenn

By SKIP VAUGHN

For The Huntsville Times, skip.vaughn@htimes.com

 

The Huntsville Stars entered Thursday night's game against the Tennessee Smokies hoping to continue their modest two-game winning streak.

 

Stars manager Don Money was philosophical about what his team needed to do to make that happen.

 

"Don't shoot yourself in the foot," he said before the game. "Go out there and try to play the best game you can, which you try to do every night. Just try to not beat yourself. Get some timely hits and some good pitching. And I think every manager would say the same thing."

 

But he didn't get his wish as the Stars lost to Tennessee 8-0 before an announced crowd of 1,381 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"Four home runs (by the Smokies) and no hitting," Money said. "That's it."

 

Huntsville's Brendan Katin and Hernan Iribarren had one hit apiece.

 

"The guy (Smokies starter Kevin Hart) just had a good night," Katin said. "The way he was throwing wasn't really conducive to the approach we were taking as hitters."

 

The Smokies went up 1-0 in the first on Matt Craig's sacrifice fly, scoring Sam Fuld from third base. Fuld hit a leadoff single, stole second, advanced to third on Jorge Cortes' hit and scored on Craig's flyout to center.

 

Stars starter Will Inman (1-4) went 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed three runs and eight hits with no walks.

 

Matt Craig upped Tennessee's lead to 2-0 with his home run to left in the third inning for his eighth homer of the year. Jake Fox added his 17th homer to left-center in the sixth.

 

Hart (7-5) went six innings with six strikeouts and allowed one hit and one walk with three wild pitches.

 

Grant Johnson earned his first save.

 

Pinch hitter Jemel Spearman led off the seventh with his second homer of the year off Stars reliever David Johnson. Tyler Colvin belted a three-run homer for a 7-0 lead.

 

In the eighth, Carlos Rojas doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Stars reliever Luis Pena.

 

Tennessee (10-8) outhit the Stars (7-11) by 11-2.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

WHAT A DOG!

JAKE CATCHES FLIES... SMOKIES HIT THEM OUT

What do you do for an encore after a big fireworks show for the Fourth of July crowd of 11,000+? Well, you call Jake the Diamond Dog, a barnstorming act featuring a handsome golden retriever (everyone loves dogs, c'mon.) who can act as bat boy, ball boy, and water boy, shag flies and frisbees, and just charm the socks out of you just by being a dog....... Oh yes. The game was a dog, too.

 

Kevin Hart, who held the Stars to two unearned runs over six innings back on June 20 at Smokies Park, did not let three errors by Carlos Rojas and three wild pitches of his own spoil a shutout bid this time, allowing just two hits en route to an 8-0 victory........ This wasn't a golden retriever. It was a hound.

 

After the Smokies scored in the top of the 1st on a sacrifice fly, Hernan Iribarren attempted to get the Stars off to a good start with a bloop single that dropped in near the right field line. Carlos Rojas then turned a double play ball by Michael Brantley into a none-out, 1st-and-2nd situation, when his soft lob near the bag was too soft to be handled by 2nd baseman Gary Cates. But on the first pitch, a ball, to Steve Sollmann, Iribarren was easily thrown out trying to steal 3rd. On the next pitch, Hart's wild pitch moved Brantley 90 feet, and would have moved Iribarren, and possibly resulted in the Stars' 1st run.

 

But it was of little consequence tonight....... Will Inman and David Johnson each gave up a pair of HRs, capped by Tyler Colvin's three-run shot that delivered the last nail in the coffin to give the Smokies an 8-0 lead........ Matt Craig's solo shot in the 3rd, an opposite-field HR to left that just carried over the Southern Jamm sign, made it 2-0........ Jason Fox, 2nd among Southern League HR leaders, hit one off the scoreboard in the 6th to make it 3-0, and Jemel Spearman greeted Johnson with a shot over the 2nd fence in left-center in the 7th to make it 4-0....... It was the 2nd time this season the Stars' pitching staff had allowed four dingers in a game. (Montgomery hit four in a 13-6 thumping on April 24).

 

Just as it was a frustrating night on the mound for our guys, it was frustrating at the plate, too, as if it mattered........ Held to only two hits, the Stars were still the beneficiary of three walks, three errors, and three wild pitches -- none of which they could capitalize on. They could get only one runner around to third -- that coming after Brendan Katin's single to right to lead off the 7th....... A comebacker dropped by Grant Johnson moved him to 2nd and a grounder to short moved Katin to 3rd. But Mel Stocker ended the inning with another ground out....... Walks to Iribarren in the 8th and Steve Moss in the 9th turned out to be harmless....... The Stars are now 3-9 in shutout games this season. They are 27-51 in shutouts since 2004.

 

Inman's ERA went down for the 3rd straight start, but he's given up five HRs in his five starts, and for the year, the Stars' staff has given up 64 homers (5th in the SL), while hitting just 42 themselves (last in the league)....... At the present rate, the Stars will end up with 68 HRs, missing the record low of 63 in 2005....... The Stars have not, as a team, hit 100 HRs since 2001.

 

Adam Heether's six-game hitting streak came to an end, while Lou Palmisano's 0-for-July streak stretches to 16 at-bats....... David Johnson's ERA climbed by nearly two runs -- from 3.77 to 5.74 in a disastrous 7th inning....... To give the bullpen a rest, outfielder Ryan Crew was called in to mop up in the 9th. It was his 2nd appearance on the mound this year since joining the team on June 3rd. Crew may be qualified to become a closer if he keeps doing what he did tonight -- getting Matt Craig to look at a called strike three, much to his vocal displeasure to home plate ump Arthur Thigpen, and fanning Tyler Colvin on a 77 mph pitch....... Crew now has three Ks in two IP. His previous pitching appearance came at Pringles Park on June 8.

 

Left-hander Derek Miller, who was promoted to the Stars earlier in the day, will start against curly-haired Mark Holliman, who threw a seven-inning no-hitter at the Stars on June 21....... Since then, Holliman has given up 17 hits and walked seven in 12 1/3 innings in two starts, losing one of them to Carolina on June 26......... Miller was 4-4 with a 3.71 ERA for Brevard County in 17 starts. He held his Florida State League opponents to a .240 average....... He left the Manatees with a 1-0 record and 6.75 ERA in his last three starts....... To free up the roster spot for Miller, Robert Hinton was sent down to Brevard......... After logging a 0.87 ERA in April, Hinton has gone 0-2 with a 10.21 ERA, giving up 36 hits and walking 14 in 19 appearances.

 

Mat Gamel, Brevard's 3rd baseman, has hit safely in 32 consecutive games, getting a leadoff home run in the 7th inning in Thursday's game against Jupiter in a 12-3 loss...... But Gamel, who is hitting .315 for the Manatees, has also made 40 errors at 3rd. To put things in perspective, the Stars club record for errors by a 3rd baseman is 38 by Scott Hemond in 1988 and Stan Royer in 1990, and this season is far from over.

 

Former Stars reliever Mitch Stetter is rehabbing with the Arizona Rookie League Brewers and was the starting pitcher in a 7-1 loss to the AZL Giants, July 4.

 

The Stars double-header loss July 2 was their 3rd straight. That hadn't happened since the 1999 season....... Yohannis Perez is finding his stroke with Brevard County. The Manatees' shortstop is hitting .283 and hit .310 in June after being sent down to the Florida State League on June 18...... Jeff Eure's average has shrunk to .209 at Class AA-Wichita (Texas). He's 5-for-38 (.132) with three RBIs in his last ten games........ Joe Valentine has been signed by the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. His contribution as a closer, saving 10 games for the Stars down the August-September stretch, was immeasurable, as it resulted in a Northern Division title and a championship berth last year....... Chris Saenz (Stars '03-'04) is getting shelled at Arkansas, the Angels' AA affiliate in the Texas League: a 1-6 record and a 7.68 ERA in 18 appearances, eight of them starts....... The Kansas City Royals purchased Tim Bausher (Stars '04) from Nashua in the independent Can-Am League, June 26. He's been assigned to Class AA-Wichita, former home to Mel Stocker. He was 4-2 with a 3.50 ERA at Nashua........ According to Baseball America, the Brewers have released Max St. Pierre for the second time this year. After making the Stars' opening day roster as a catcher, St. Pierre was released on May 2, then re-signed as a right-handed pitcher, but apparently, he was a bust there, too.

[Mass Haas]

Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with RF Caleb Gindl, the Brewers' 2007 5th round pick:

We've been waiting for this one; be sure you're on the July 5th archive, then go to the 11:00 minute mark --

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 15, Billings (Reds) 14

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.billingsgazette.net/a...stangs.txt

 

Helena outslugs Mustangs in 15-14 marathon

By GREG RACHAC

Of The Billings Gazette Staff

 

Cobb Field turned into Coors Field Thursday night, and if you were a pitcher you did not want to be there.

 

In a true old-fashioned slugfest, the Billings Mustangs and Helena Brewers combined for 29 runs and 35 hits.

 

The Pioneer League marathon lasted just over 3 1/2 hours. In the end, though, the Brewers had a bit more muscle to outlast Billings 15-14 in front of 2,164 fans.

 

It was a game reminiscent of the kind you'd see in the thin air of Denver's Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies and their respective opponents have been racking up runs at the Major League level for over a decade.

 

Pitchers struggled and balls flew out of the park.

 

Neither starting pitcher - Billings' Josh Ravin and Helena's R.J. Seidel - made it past the second inning.

 

Seidel got the hook just two outs into the opening frame, while Ravin went a bit longer, throwing an inning and two-thirds.

 

The Mustangs used a total of five pitchers in the contest.

 

Ravin gave up six hits and five earned runs. Relievers Dan Zeffiro, Jeff Jeffords and Joseph Krebs (0-2) combined to surrender five earned runs through four innings of work.

 

Helena used three pitchers. Brock Kjeldgaard entered in the first inning for Seidel and pitched 3.2 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned).

 

Craig Langille (2-0) earned the win.

 

The first inning lasted 45 minutes as the teams combined to throw 79 pitches and send 16 batters to the plate.

 

Offensively, it was obviously a marathon.

 

The Mustangs rapped out 16 hits. They sent nine men to the plate in two different innings and had eight others come to bat a different time.

 

The team was led by Brandon Waring and Michael McKennon, who each collected four hits.

 

Waring, the organization's seventh-round draft choice from Wofford, hit a two-run home run that hooked around the left field foul pole in the second inning as the Mustangs tied the game at 6.

 

Waring's homer came on the heels of Brandon Menchaca's two-run blast in the first that helped Billings push four runners across the pate.

 

But the Brewers, who collected 19 hits, were not to be outdone.

 

In the seventh inning, Helena took a 13-12 lead on Jonathan Lucroy's monstrous three-run homer that cleared the Wendy's sign above the left-field wall.

 

After the team came back to tie it with a run in the eighth inning, Helena got its winning tally off the bat of David Fonseca - a solo homer - in the top of the ninth.

 

Lucroy, Lee Haydel, Steffan Wilson and Curt Rindal all had three hits for the Brewers. Lucroy finished with four RBIs, while Eric Farris and Caleb Gindl each delivered three.

 

Kel Jones had three hits from his leadoff spot for the Mustangs.

 

Menchaca, McKennon, Brett Bartles and Justin Tordi all drove in three runs for Billings.

 

Ironically, the game was similar to that of another shootout between the same teams last July 24 at Cobb Field.

 

In that contest, the Mustangs prevailed 14-13 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from shortstop Chris Valaika.

 

That game lasted 3:39, four minutes longer than Thursday's.

 

NOTES: Bartles, a 30th-round draft pick out of Duke, made his Mustangs debut as the team's designated hitter. ... In his limited time on the mound, Ravin's pitch count climbed to 73. ... McKennon hit his league-leading 10th double of the season in the fourth inning. ... Gindl left the game in the third inning after tripling to the gap in right-center field. Gindl was hurt while running the bases. ... The Mustangs and Brewers combined for six errors in Thursday's game.

 

Helena Box Score:

RHP Craig Langille allowed all three inherited runners to score, but survived well enough to earn the win and save the pen; crooked numbers throughout -- enjoy, at least on the batting side...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_bilrok_1

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com:

 

Gamel extends streak in loss

 

Mat Gamel extended his hitting streak to 32 games, but former Brewer farmhand Agustin Septimo's grand slam powered Jupiter over visiting Brevard County, 12-3, on Thursday.

 

Gamel went hitless in his first two at-bats before homering to lead off the seventh inning. After grounding out in the fourth, the 21-year-old contemplated a different strategy for extending the streak.

 

"I was actually going to lay down a bunt if the third baseman was going to give it to me," Gamel said.

 

The third baseman is four games away from tying Joe Altobelli's Florida State League record set in 1951 and is 11 games shy of Brandon Watson's Minor League-best stretch set earlier this season.

 

When his streak started May 28, Gamel was hitting .238 and in the midst of a 2-for-22 slide.

 

"I was going through some crazy stuff at the plate," he said, admitting he was a little "hard-headed" at the time. "I was getting blown away by fastballs and was on time with changeups." But after a long talk and some extra batting practice with hitting coach Ken Berry, Gamel turned his season around.

 

"From that day, I started trusting [him] like I should have from the beginning," he said.

 

Gamel tallied 17 hits in the next eight games and is hitting .424 (50-for-118) over the 32-game span.

 

In the sixth, Septimo tripled and scored on Andrew Jenkins' double and later capped the eight-run rally with a blast over the left-field wall.

 

J.T. Restko and John Purdom III each drove in two runs and Jenkins collected two hits for the Hammerheads (6-7).

 

Jupiter starter Brett Sinkbeil (3-4) surrendered three runs on four hits while striking out five without a walk in seven innings for the win

 

Manatees reliever Kevin Roberts (3-2) yielded six runs on two hits and four walks while recording just one out in the sixth. Starter David Welch gave up a run on five hits and a walk while striking out two in 5 1/3 innings.

 

Michael Bell ripped a two-run homer, his seventh, for Brevard County (8-6). -- Ryan McConnell/MLB.com

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Chris Barnwell (Part 2 Of 2):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-5.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for R.A. Dickey photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2432

 

Dickey, Sounds Defeat RedHawks, 3-1

 

OKLAHOMA CITY ? R.A. Dickey turned in a solid start on two days? rest, allowing one run over six innings, to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 3-1 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks on Thursday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

 

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Sounds (52-35), who continue to lead the PCL American Conference Northern Division by five games.

 

Dickey (6-4) filled in for scheduled starter Manny Parra, who was pushed back a day and will start on Friday against Oklahoma. The Nashville native allowed one run on four hits over his six innings of action to notch his seventh quality start of the year.

 

Since rejoining the rotation in mid-June, Dickey has posted stellar numbers, carrying a 2-0 record and 1.69 ERA (6 ER / 32.0 IP) in five starts.

 

Former Sound Nelson Cruz put the RedHawks on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out RBI single that gave the home club a 1-0 lead.

 

Neither team scored again until the fifth when Nashville second baseman Callix Crabbe delivered a two-out, two-run single to center off RedHawks starter Mark Redman. Jose Macias and Drew Anderson scored on the knock to give the Sounds a 2-1 lead.

 

AUDIO: Callix Crabbe Two-Run Single --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-5.mp3

 

Crabbe scored the Sounds? third run of the evening in the eighth when he doubled and later came plateward on a Joe Dillon RBI single to bring the score to its final 3-1.

 

After Dickey departed the game, Joe Thatcher fanned two batters during a scoreless inning before turning things over to Grant Balfour, who notched his fifth save of the year by posting zeros and striking out five batters in the final two innings.

 

First baseman Brad Nelson went 1-for-3 for Nashville to extend his longest hitting streak of the year to nine games.

 

The teams continue the series with another 7:05 p.m. CT meeting on Friday evening. Left-hander Manny Parra (2-1, 1.29) will make the start for Nashville and face Oklahoma right-hander Eric Hurley (1-1, 3.27).

[brewmann04]

Great Inside Info on Thatcher and Balfour,maybe Dough does not have to look outside for Bullpen Help.He mighr just have to concreate to get a Bat for the stretch run.

[Will Inman Fan]

Quote:

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Inman with a pretty good start...focus on the 7 k's with no walks...things are slowly turning around for Will...Perhaps the best pitching of the night was done by Ryan Crew, who through a hitless inning...This team could have probably used Robert Hinton tonight...

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What this team needs is some HITS! You will never win with a ZERO! If I were the coach I would make em all bunt tonight b/c they aren't hitting!

[Boy Jeenius]

My first impression of Callix Crabbe was that he isn't really a big guy. But he sure is a solid player. He made all the plays last night, turns 2 real well. He seems to be real disciplined at the plate. Crabbe got a hit off of the soft tosser Redmond, and the hard throwing reliever (smoking a double into the LF corner). Most of the guys had trouble with the soft tosser. The only other guy that hit the ball hard off of both was Gwynn. Crabbe reminded me of that really nice minor league 2b we got from KC a couple of years ago, and then later we traded him to Boston(somebody help me out with the name). A guy that's a really, really nice player, but is going to need the right spot(and may need to play more positions) to break in. I know I became a fan of his last night, and I'm pulling for him.

[Mass Haas]

You're thinking of Alejandro Machado, who the Twins took in the Major League Rule 5 this year, but he's out for the season with a torn right labrum. At least he's making the major league minimum this year.

[pogokat]

Quote:

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What this team needs is some HITS! You will never win with a ZERO! If I were the coach I would make em all bunt tonight b/c they aren't hitting!

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yeah, offense would help quite a bit...how's he doing with the mono? I know firsthand that mono can slow you down for months..

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

newsok.com/article/3077582

 

Short notice doesn't keep Dickey from getting win

By Scott Wright

Oklahoman Staff Writer

 

R.A. Dickey pitched Thursday night on short rest and on short notice, but neither was enough to hinder the Nashville knuckleballer.

 

Dickey, who spent the previous 10 years of his career in the Texas Rangers organization and parts of seven seasons with the RedHawks, pitched the Sounds to a 3-1 win over his former club Thursday before 8,285 fans at the Bricktown Ballpark.

 

Dickey was scheduled to start Saturday night against the RedHawks but learned less than two hours before Thursday's game that he'd be pitching.

 

He had gone through his usual between-starts routine, which included pitching in the bullpen Wednesday and some off-day running Thursday afternoon.

 

"I ran 25 minutes ? went on my little track that I've gone around here for eight years,? he said. "I got back, and they told me I was starting after that. So I had about an hour and 20 minutes to prepare.?

 

The unexpected start came when the scheduled pitcher, Manny Parra, was told he might be called up by the Milwaukee Brewers and was instructed not to pitch.

 

"Every Triple-A team needs an R.A. Dickey, a guy that will take the ball any time and do a good job for you and keep you in the game,? acting Sounds manager Harry Spilman said. "He did just a great job tonight.?

 

Dickey allowed four hits in six innings, throwing 54 of his 90 pitches for strikes.

 

"I made an agreement with them that I'd start the game, but I just didn't want to have a pitch count,? said Dickey, who threw 93 pitches in his last start Monday. "I didn't want to be yanked out after three innings. If I was gonna go, I wanted to go.?

 

Dickey, who uses the knuckleball and a fastball that tops out about 85 miles per hour, watched in awe as relievers Joe Thatcher and Grant Balfour baffled the RedHawks with fastballs in the mid-90s over the final three innings.

 

"The heart of the order, Botts, Gold and Cruz, I bet collectively between those guys I threw 25 knuckleballs,? Dickey said. "So something coming in 94 is gonna look like 99.?

 

Balfour struck out five batters in the final two innings for his fifth save, his fastball reaching 96 mph.

 

"He was throwing gas and locating it, too,? Jones said. "That was the bad thing about it. He was impressive.?

[Mass Haas]

By the way, LHP Adam Pettyjohn is likely to start tonight for the Sounds, according to the same Oklahoma newspaper.

 

The Nashville media notes indicates it'll be Manny Parra.

 

RHP Chris Oxspring is starting on Sunday, he's scheduled to start the AAA All-Star Game Wednesday night as well, on what I imagine would be his "throw" day.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...-birthday/

 

Caufield has 4 RBI on eve of birthday

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Chuckie Caufield turns 24 today.

 

If the skipper wants to give the birthday boy a gift he really could use, West Virginia Power Manager Mike Guerrero should give Caufield a day off.

 

The only problem is, Caufield wouldn't accept it.

 

"I love playing the game," Caufield said Thursday night, when he picked up two hits and knocked in four runs in West Virginia's 6-5 South Atlantic League baseball victory over visiting Asheville.

 

"I can play the game right now, and I need to make the most of it.

 

"Looking down the road, you never know when it's going to be your last game. So, you might as well get out there and make the most of it while you can."

 

Caufield is the only Power player to appear in all 83 games this season.

 

"If you can play every day and you want to play every day, hey, we're looking for those kind of guys," Guerrero said. "Gamers are like that. You have to tip your hat to him.

 

"I ask him, ?Do you want a day off?' He says, ?No, I'm fine. I'm ready to go.'

 

So, I tell him, ?If you're ready to go, go get them. If you want a day off, let me know.' He works hard and he takes care of himself. It's paying off for him."

 

Caufield ranks first in the South Atlantic League in hits (106), first in RBI (66) and second in runs (67). He has a .310 batting average with four triples, six homers and 20 doubles. He also has 14 steals in 19 attempts.

 

"He's a sparkplug," Power hitting coach Corey Hart said of Caufield, a University of Oklahoma product whom the Milwaukee Brewers selected in the 39th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. "Your team is better with him in the lineup. So, it's good to have him in there as much as you can. We love him."

 

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Caufield arguably has been West Virginia's most consistent hitter this season. His batting average hasn't dropped below .300 since April 30 -- a stretch of 63 games.

 

"He puts good at-bats together, and he hits the ball hard," Hart said.

 

This is a point in the season when players often hit a wall, so to speak, when they are mentally and physically drained. Many low Class A players are in their first full-season leagues, and the grind since April can take a toll.

 

Caufield, however, refuses to use that as an excuse.

 

"I was always raised to find a way to get the job done no matter what," said Caufield, who is from Ada, Okla. "Even if they cut off both of my arms, I have a task to do and I need to find a way to get it done. That's just the way I look at it."

 

Among the Appalachian Power Park crowd of 3,567 were the All-Star outfielder's parents, Charles and Annette Caufield, who arrived in Charleston on Tuesday after driving more than 1,100 miles and 14 hours from Texas to watch their son play in person for the first time in his professional career.

 

"It's the greatest feeling in the world," said Caufield, whose mom made his favorite meal -- pork chops with a baked potato and corn on the cob -- for him Wednesday. "It's a special opportunity for me to play in front of my parents."

 

The Caufields saw their son snap a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run homer off Asheville starter Simon Ferrer, a right-hander whose specialty is the hard-to-hit knuckleball.

 

"I was a proud papa when he was first born," his father said, "but I'm really proud right now."

 

His parents' presence hasn't adversely affected Caufield, who is 4-for-11 with two homers, four runs and six RBI during their visit.

 

"He's business as usual," his mother said. "He never changes. He's going to be serious and play hard whether we're here or not because he's doing something he loves."

 

Designated hitter John Alonso also hit a two-run homer in the fourth, pushing the Power's lead to 4-0.

 

Caufield drove in West Virginia's last two runs with a fifth-inning single and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

 

The Power (8-7 second half) needed all of those runs to survive a late surge by the Tourists (9-6).

 

Asheville scored one in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the eighth and two in the ninth before West Virginia closer Omar Aguilar finally thwarted the threat with a game-ending strikeout.

 

Chris Toneguzzi (2-1) allowed one run on five hits and two walks in five innings to get the win.

 

Although he surrendered two runs on one hit and one walk in one inning, Aguilar earned his sixth save.

 

Ferrer (5-6) yielded six runs on eight hits and two walks in seven innings in a losing effort.

 

The teams will conclude their four-game series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). West Virginia will start right-hander Jeremy Jeffress (4-2, 2.54). Asheville will throw right-hander Esmil Rogers (2-0, 2.66).

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photos: Bob Wojcieszak

The West Virginia Power?s Brent Brewer slides safely into home Asheville Tourist catcher Mike McKenry during their game on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/070607Power1.jpg

 

West Virginia Power second baseman Brad Miller fields a ground ball during the game Thursday against Asheville at Appalachian Power Park. The Power won the game, 6-5.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/070607Power2.jpg

[Will Inman Fan]

Quote:

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yeah, offense would help quite a bit...how's he doing with the mono? I know firsthand that mono can slow you down for months..

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As for the Mono I think that he is doing a lot better he has traded in golfing for sleep, and he will get 3 full days off during the all star break and he is going to stay in Alabama (although I tried my hardest to get him to come home) But no matter how good/bad he pitches they are never going to win with no hits. When you got runners on 1 & 2 with no outs and your 3,4,5 hitters up and they dont even put the ball in play that isn't good~

[dadofandrew]

Mass, Inman's ERA is still 8+. While his outing did not suck, he has overall. "Settling in" may be a bit more optimistic than truthful at this point.

 

I have not shared the Inman love (though admit he's been outstanding at A ball and below) because of his small frame, and I probably see him as more of a #5 guy or a solid middle reliever (not that there's anything wrong with that) than most. He's got plenty of time to recover from hitting the wall, though, he's very young.

[qrk10000]

Actually Al, his overall numbers certainly have not "sucked" when you take into his account his performance at A+. He certainly started slow at Huntsville but his last couple of starts have been much better. I think it is far too early to be as critical of him as you are choosing to be.