Link Report Mon. 7/2 - Brevard vs. Carpenter Rained Out

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP R.A. Dickey at home vs. Round Rock (Astros), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman and LHP Sam Narron in a doubleheader at West Tenn (Mariners), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: TBD at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime -- it should be a nice challenge for Mat Gamel and the 'Tees as they face rehabbing RHP Chris Carpenter

 

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

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

 

NOTE: It appears the Manatees have reduced their broadcast schedule -- today's link is for the Palm Beach audio.

 

West Virginia: LHP Brae Wright at Greenville (Red Sox), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

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

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

 

Helena: RHP Evan Anundsen at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime

 

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

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

 

Arizona: Idle

[Mass Haas]

Follow Monday's action as it happens:

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

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville Game One:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Two:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_2

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_pbcafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_capafx_1

 

Helena:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

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

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Sunday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 50 33 .602 - 28-12 22-21 W5 Iowa 46 37 .554 4.0 25-18 21-19 L5 Omaha 39 45 .464 11.5 26-15 13-30 L3 Memphis 35 49 .417 15.5 18-25 17-24 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 9 4 .692 - 5-2 4-2 L1 Tennessee 8 6 .571 1.5 6-2 2-4 W2 Carolina 5 8 .385 4.0 4-2 1-6 W3 Huntsville 5 8 .385 4.0 2-4 3-4 W1 West Tenn 3 10 .231 6.0 3-4 0-6 L7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 7 4 .636 - 4-3 3-1 L1 Brevard County 6 5 .545 1.0 3-2 3-3 W2 Jupiter 5 6 .455 2.0 3-1 2-5 L1 St. Lucie 5 6 .455 2.0 3-4 2-2 W2 Daytona 3 8 .273 4.0 2-4 1-4 W1 Vero Beach 3 8 .273 4.0 1-3 2-5 L8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lake County 7 3 .700 - 5-1 2-2 L2 Lakewood 7 3 .700 - 5-1 2-2 L2 Hickory 6 5 .545 1.5 3-3 3-2 L1 West Virginia 6 5 .545 1.5 2-2 4-3 L1 Delmarva 4 6 .400 3.0 2-2 2-4 W2 Lexington 3 8 .273 4.5 2-2 1-6 L2 Hagerstown 2 8 .200 5.0 2-2 0-6 W2 Greensboro 2 9 .182 5.5 1-3 1-6 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 7 6 .538 - 4-2 3-4 W1 Great Falls 7 6 .538 - 4-3 3-3 L1 Helena 7 6 .538 - 2-4 5-2 W3 Missoula 5 8 .385 2.0 2-5 3-3 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Mariners 7 1 .875 - 4-0 3-1 W6 AZL Angels 6 2 .750 1.0 5-0 1-2 W1 AZL Rangers 5 3 .625 2.0 2-2 3-1 W1 AZL Cubs 4 4 .500 3.0 3-1 1-3 L1 AZL Padres 4 4 .500 3.0 2-2 2-2 W1 AZL Brewers 3 5 .375 4.0 1-3 2-2 L2 AZL Giants 3 5 .375 4.0 2-2 1-3 W1 AZL Athletics 2 6 .250 5.0 1-2 1-4 L4 AZL Royals 2 6 .250 5.0 2-2 0-4 W1

[Mass Haas]

Another nice photo, sise-by-side of Mat Gamel and Chris Carpenter on MiLB.com's rotating banner stories tonight:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p?cid=milb

[TheCrew07]

Huntsville up huge early in game 1, good to see.

 

edit. Then Narron gives it all back but 1. dang it.

[Boy Jeenius]

Brantley 1 for 1 with 3 walks. He has an amazing approach at the plate.

[lexi881]

i cant find the banner....am i an idiot or is it gone?

[TheCrew07]

Wow tough night for the minor league teams again.

 

edit. No Gindl again, boo, but Haydel is finally starting to hit. Eric Newton has snuck up on me, but he's a college bat in the Pioneer league, still the early returns on him and Lucroy have been encouraging.

[bretsky07]

Joe Dillon! Two run shot in the bottom of the tenth to tie it back up at 3-3.

[Boy Jeenius]

Pasma puts up a bunch of zeros(6k's in 4 innings), Lucroy and Wycklendt with home runs, Newton 2 more hits, and 2 hits for Haydel, as he seems to be coming out of ether.

[norvilleb]

Happened to be at the Helena game tonight and Pasma did indeed pitch great. One of the two hits he gave up was a bunt single. That said, if he makes it to the show, my guess is he'll be a LOOGY.

 

Great Falls RF Salvador Sanchez has as good an OF arm as I've ever seen in this league. Apparently he must not be able to hit as I think he's 22 and has been in pro ball since HS and still in the Pioneer League but he can definitely throw.

[And That]

Eric Newton needs to be moved back off of 1B if the Brewers think of him as a prospect. He had an arm injury last year, so I'll give him the rest of the year to work it out, but if he's not in WV playing 2B next season, it's hard to project him.

 

Grant Balfour needs to be in Milwaukee sooner than later.

 

It is not helping Michael Brantley to walk every other AB in AA.

 

Jose Garcia MK II is pretty exciting with his GB/FB ratio.

[Mass Haas]

Manatees, Cards washed out

 

Monday night's Florida State League game between Brevard County and Palm Beach was postponed due to rain at Roger Dean Stadium.

 

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Tuesday, starting at 4:35 PM (3:35 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville loses twice in walk-off fashion, second game just ended at 12:45 Central (yes, unusual circumstances have me just "waking up" this evening) -- announcer Brett Pollock, going solo (road games), wrapping up over seven hours on air. Talk about earning your keep - wow. Anyway --

 

Final, Game One: West Tenn (Mariners) 10, Huntsville 9, nine innings (scheduled for seven)

Luis Pena, in his third inning of work, gave up a single, a costly wild pitch, then another single, all with one out in the 9th; starter Sam Narron only retired six of 15 batters faced, placing the bullpen in awful shape for the twinbill...

 

Final, Game Two: West Tenn (Mariners) 7, Huntsville 6

Protecting a 5-3 lead in the 6th, closer Marino Salas walked all four men he faced -- ugh; two of the inherited runners scored against Robert Hinton, the eventual losing pitcher in the 7th...

 

Obviously, a lot happened offensively as well. We'll wait for the game reports to post final box score links and updates in a bit.

[Mass Haas]

Helena KCAP Audio Pre-Game Interview with RHP Donovan Hand, the Brewers' 14th round pick out of Jacksonville (AL) State:

Be sure you're on the July 2nd archive, then go to the 1:00 minute mark --

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 6, Great Falls (White Sox) 3

 

Helena Site Game Summary:

 

Helena extends winning streak

 

HELENA -- An eighth inning, two-run home run by Anthony Wycklendt helped to lift the Helena Brewers over the Great Falls White Sox on Monday night. Down 3-1, Helena scored the game's last five runs to win 6-3 and extend its winning streak to four games.

 

Brewer starter Evan Anundsen tossed five innings, allowing just three runs to earn his first victory of the 2007 season. Reliever Curtis Pasma struck out six over four shutout innings to record his first save of the year.

 

Although the Brewers eventually prevailed, the White Sox jumped ahead first 1-0 on a solo home run by James Gallagher in the first inning. Helena quickly tied the game in the bottom half of the first inning when Eric Newton's double brought Eric Farris home. Great Falls scored two more runs in the third inning, but that proved to be the team's last runs of the game.

 

A Jonathan Lucroy sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning and a Jordan Swaydan RBI single in the fourth inning tied the game at three apiece. A solo home run by Lucroy in the fifth inning and Wycklendt's home run separated the Brewers from the White Sox. Helena pitching held Great Falls scoreless after the third inning as the Brewers completed their come-from-behind victory.

 

Combined with Billings' 13-8 loss to Missoula, Helena now moves into sole possession of first place in the Pioneer League North Division with an 8-6 record. The Brewers will look to maintain their first-place position Tuesday at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central) when Helena plays host again to the Great Falls White Sox.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...307_01.txt

 

Brewers gouge Great Falls

By CURT SYNNESS, Helena Independent Record Sports Writer

 

The Helena Brewers used the long ball, sound defense and stellar pitching to beat the Great Falls White Sox 6-3 at Kindrick Legion Field Monday night.

 

With the game tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the fifth, Jonathan Lucroy, Helena?s designated hitter, powdered a ball deep over the left field wall for a game-winning solo home run.

 

Then in the eighth, after Zelous Wheeler singled, right fielder Anthony Wycklendt, a Wisconsin native and lifelong fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, put the home team up by three runs. Wycklendt, whose favorite Brewer was Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount, lifted a high fly that cleared the fence in left for a two-run dinger.

 

Each blast was the first homer of the season for the respective hitters. Lucroy entered the game as the sixth-leading hitter in the Pioneer League, sporting a .370 average.

 

Helena (8-5) collected a total of 12 base knocks. Posting multi-hit games for manager Jeff Isom were Eric Newton, who went 2-for-4, with two doubles and an RBI; leadoff man Lee Haydel, who stroked two singles and scored a run; and Wycklendt. Eric Farris had a single and two stolen bases. Also singling were Jordan Swaydan, David Fonseca and Kurt Crowell.

 

But as good as the offense was, the pitching might have been even better. Starter Evan Anundsen worked five innings and was credited with the win.

 

He allowed six hits and gave up three runs while striking out four.

 

Lefthander Curtis Pasma entered in relief in the sixth, and shut out Great Falls the rest of the way, permitting only two hits. Pasma fanned six hitters with no walks to pick up the save.

 

It was a well-played game defensively, as neither team committed an error. Great Falls hurler Kevin Skogley started and went five stanzas, sustaining the defeat.

 

The White Sox (7-6) actually recorded the first homer of the game, when No. 2 hitter Jim Gallagher went yard in the first inning. Gallagher ended up with three hits, including a homer, a double, two runs and two ribbies.

 

The Brewers will host Great Falls again Tuesday night before meeting the Mustangs in Billings on July 4.

 

Helena Box Score:

Lee Haydel on base three times, a walk included, only his 2nd walk in 51 AB's, that pace should pick up...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

Starter Evan Anundsen works around a one-out triple in the 4th; Kurt Crowell scores from first on a two-out single to right field in the Brewer 4th -- perhaps he was running on the play; Anthony Wycklendt thrown out at home from right field to end the 6th...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Greenville (Red Sox) 5, West Virginia 4, ten innings

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER FALL IN EXTRA INNINGS TO GREENVILLE

 

The West Virginia Power erased a 4-0 deficit on Monday night in Greenville but the Drive were able to get a series split with the Power as they took the final game of the series with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings at West End Field.

 

The Drive plated their first two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Lars Anderson?s groundout plated Argenis Diaz and Josh Reddick?s base hit scored Chih-Hsien Chiang. In the second inning Anderson doubled in a pair of runs to put the Drive up 4-0.

 

The Power began their comeback in the sixth inning. Chuckie Caufield?s double plated the first of three runs in the inning. Kenny Holmberg?s sacrifice fly plated Andrew Lefave and Steve Chapman smacked an RBI double off the wall in right field to plate the final run of the inning.

 

Jimmy Mojica began the ninth inning with a walk and moved to second base on Martin Maldonado?s sacrifice bunt. Taylor Green came through on a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the game.

 

In the tenth inning Jason Place led off with a base hit and moved to second on Kris Negron?s sacrifice bunt. Omar Aguilar?s pickoff throw to second base went into center field and moved Place to third before Argenis Diaz hit a groundball toward Brent Brewer with the infield in, the ball hit off Brewer?s glove for an error and went into left field to end the game.

 

Josh Paplebon (5-4) allowed just a run on three hits over three innings to get the win while Omar Aguilar (7-2) allowed an unearned run on one hit over an inning and was tagged with the loss.

 

The Power fell to 54-26 overall and 6-6 in the second half, while the Drive improved to 37-44 overall and 8-4 in the second half with the win. West Virginia?s record in games with extra frames fell to 6-4 and they finished the road trip with a record of 4-4. Chuckie Caufield and Steve Chapman led the Power with two hits apiece.

 

The Power will begin a four game series against the Asheville Tourists at Appalachian Power Park on Tuesday night. The Power will start right hander Alex Periard (3-1, 2.80) and Asheville will start right hander Andy Graham (7-5, 5.45). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2007070214

 

Despite losses, Power surge continues

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff Writer

 

Even after losing two of its top offensive players last month, the West Virginia Power continues to sizzle.

 

The Power, which opens a four-game homestand against Asheville Tuesday night, has kept its team batting average near the .300 mark and leads the South Atlantic League in hitting, scoring and on-base percentage.

 

Entering Monday?s game at Greenville, the Power was batting .299, had scored 521 runs for an average of 6.6 per game and owned an on-base percentage of .368. First baseman Andrew Lefave was leading the league in hitting with a .350 mark.

 

On June 8, it seemed the Power offense would suffer when the parent Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfielders Michael Brantley and Darren Ford ? Brantley to Class AA Huntsville and Ford to high-A Brevard County. At the time, Ford was batting .335 with 33 stolen bases and Brantley .330 with 18 steals.

 

In their absence, the Power has improvised nicely, of course, but losing two South Atlantic League all-stars has not gone unnoticed.

 

?Ford and Brantley bring so much to the table that you?re always going to miss them,?? said manager Mike Guerrero. ?Our team hasn?t changed much, but you?re always going to miss guys like that. Those two guys play a pretty big part in the offense wherever they go. Once Ford gets on base, you?ve got problems because he can build a run out of almost nothing.??

 

The 23-year-old Lefave, an Anacortes, Wash., native, replaced Brantley in the No. 3 spot in the order and is 14-of-26 in his last seven games.

 

?He?s been hot the whole year,?? said Guerrero. ?He?s been one of our most consistent guys.??

 

Three other Power starters are hitting better than .300 ? third baseman Taylor Green at .326, second baseman Kenny Holmberg at .310 and outfielder Chuck Caufield at .307.

 

POWER POINTS: The Power defense faltered in a 7-1 loss at Greenville on Sunday, committing five errors, including four that led to six unearned runs in the third inning. ?When you commit four errors in an inning, and they score six runs off of it, it?s pretty tough,?? said the Power manager. ?It?s going to happen, and you learn from it.?? ... Wednesday?s game will begin at 4:05 PM (3:05 Central) and will be followed by a free concert and fireworks. ... The Power?s .299 batting average is comfortably No. 1 in the league; Hickory is second at .275. ... After the four home games with Asheville, the Power will visit Lexington for three games Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Bet you didn't know Greenville closer Josh Papelbon, Jonathan's brother, is a submariner; Andrew Lefave is just so advanced -- more walks (35) than strikeouts (30) in 226 AB's, to go along with a .962 OPS; Kenny Holmberg, another more "veteran" guy, also has walked more than he's K'd; Brae Wright allows four runs in his 5 1/3 inning start...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_capafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Power got two men on with two out in the 10th to no avail; closer Omar Aguilar did nice work in a tough 9th inning spot before the fateful 10th...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_capafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Chat with All-Star Starting Pitcher Chris Oxspring:

Bonus points for the Aussie accent...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-2.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 4, Round Rock 3, 11 innings

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Vinny Rottino photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2428

 

Rottino Lifts Sounds To 11th-Inning Victory

 

NASHVILLE ? Vinny Rottino drilled a one-out RBI single down the left field line in the bottom of the eleventh inning to propel the Nashville Sounds to a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Round Rock Express on Monday evening at Greer Stadium.

 

Nashville (51-33) recorded a last at-bat victory for the second consecutive evening against the Express and ran its winning streak to six games overall.

 

With the victory, the Sounds extended their lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division to a season-best five games over second-place Iowa.

 

Drew Anderson, who has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 contests, led off the Nashville eleventh with a double to center off Express reliever Chad Reineke. Two batters later, Rottino, who was at the plate on Sunday evening when the winning run scored on a wild pitch in the Sounds? 5-4 win, delivered his game-ending hit.

 

AUDIO: Rottino's Game-Ending Hit --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%207-2.mp3

 

With the score tied at 1-1 heading to extras, the teams exchanged two runs apiece in the tenth inning.

 

Danny Klassen belted a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the tenth inning off Dennis Sarfate to give the visitors a short-lived 3-1 advantage.

 

Sounds cleanup hitter Joe Dillon answered the bell in the bottom of the frame by belting his team-leading 16th home run, a one-out two-run blast to left off Express reliever Travis Driskill.

 

The teams engaged in a scoreless deadlock for the first five frames before Round Rock took a 1-0 lead against R.A. Dickey in the top of the sixth.

 

Mike Rodriguez opened the frame with a triple to right and Rodriguez scored the game?s first run two batters later on a Danny Klassen sacrifice fly to center. On the sac fly, Sounds centerfielder Tony Gwynn made an incredible running, diving catch to save further damage in the frame.

 

The Sounds rallied to tie the contest in the bottom of the eighth inning when Gwynn drew a frame-opening walk from Round Rock starter Juan Gutierrez then stole second as Callix Crabbe struck out. After Paul Estrada was summoned from the Express bullpen, Jose Macias greeted the right-hander with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to knot the score at 1-1.

 

Grant Balfour (1-1) picked up his first victory of the season as the beneficiary of Rottino?s heroics. The Aussie fanned a pair of batters during his scoreless inning of work.

 

Reineke (4-4) took the loss for the Express after surrendering the game-winning run.

 

Dillon extended his hitting streak to a season-best 11 games with a single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Macias finished 3-for-5 for the Sounds in the losing effort, his second consecutive three-hit effort.

 

The extra-inning affair was the Sounds? seventh of the year; Nashville improved to 3-0 in such contests.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a 7 p.m. finale on Tuesday evening. Right-hander Chris Oxspring (6-4, 3.48) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Round Rock right-hander Jared Gothreaux (4-5, 5.20).

 

A special Independence Day fireworks show will be presented by Your Select Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers following the contest.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...tory=56901

 

Sounds overcome curse and Express

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

The Nashville Sounds overcame a spectacular start by Round Rock?s Juan Gutierrez, a two-run 10th inning home run and perhaps the shortest curse in baseball history to defeat the Express 4-3 in 11 innings at Greer Stadium on Monday.

 

It only took one inning for the Nashville Sounds to overcome the ominous black cat curse.

 

Nashville had given up two runs in the top of the tenth and seemed headed for a hard-luck loss when the international symbol of all things unlucky ? a black cat ? ran onto the Greer Stadium field. But instead of giving in to the superstition, the Sounds? Joe Dillon hit a two-run homer to keep them in the game.

 

Then in the bottom of the 11th, Drew Anderson doubled and then scored the winning run off the bat of Vinny Rottino.

 

?All of a sudden in the right-hand corner of my vision I see this black cat running out,? said Anderson, who was in left field at the time. ?I was thinking to myself, ?That can?t be good,? especially after they had just hit a two-run home run.

 

?Some of the times that goes the other way. You lose that game and go on a losing streak, so it?s good we turned that game around.?

 

Instead, the Sounds? winning streak goes to six games.

 

Round Rock took a 3-1 lead thanks to a two-run homer by Danny Klassen off the Sounds? Dennis Sarfate.

 

But instead of caving in, the Sounds battled back. Jose Macias singled to set the stage for Dillon, who hit a two-run blast to left to keep his team alive.

 

Both Nashville (51-33) and Round Rock struggled to put runs on the board as the starting pitchers were both on their A-game. Gutierrez went 7.1 innings and allowed just three hits, while the Sounds? R.A. Dickey surrendered just one earned run over six.

 

?It was such a see-saw game,? Anderson said. ?Their starter came out and pitched really well and held us in check for seven innings. It?s just one of those games where momentum switched a couple times.?

 

The Sounds were deflated after Klassen?s blast off Sarfate, but Dillon swooped in and saved the day for the second game in a row. The night before he scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth. This time he hit a game-saving home run in the tenth.

 

Anderson and Rottino then came through in the 11th to win the game for the Sounds.

 

?I didn?t get off to the best start, but it doesn?t matter how you start,? Anderson said of his season to date. ?You just have to keep working.?

 

Nashville Box Score:

Wow, how big has Joe Dillon been? Nice work Tim Dillard behind R.A. Dickey; Laynce Nix and Vinny Rottino nice bench options in this one, pointing out again the struggle to juggle, especially in non-designated hitter games; his ERA (3.24) may not reflect it, but with all due respect, other than his 40-man status, Dennis Sarfate isn't really on the radar screen right now...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[MTBrew]

I've got to second the comments on Pasma. He was just teriffic. Threw strikes, kept the hitters off balance definately in command.

Anundsen did a nice job as well. Showed confidence in pitching through a couple of jams.

2 outfield miscues could have been costly but weren't.

The team is really playing well and Isom has them playing agressive baseball - stealing bases, hit and runs and taking the extra base. I particulary liked when he sent Wycklendt home in the 6th (something I don't think that Eddie Sedar would have done). Even though he was thrown out it put pressure on the defense to make a good play.

For baseball fans, and even casual ones, it was a great night at the ballpark. $2.00 tickets, $2.00 beers, beautiful night -temps in the 80's, slight overcast, no wind. Well played game with action in most every inning. Lots of kids and happy players signing autographs.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

Single lifts Sounds to 11-inning victory

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

The Sounds went back and forth with Round Rock before recording their sixth consecutive victory, 4-3 in 11 innings Monday night at Greer Stadium.

 

Vinny Rottino's single off Chad Reineke knocked in Drew Anderson for the winning run.

 

The Express' Danny Klassen hit a two-run home run off Sounds reliever Dennis Sarfate to give Round Rock a 3-1 lead in the top of the 10th inning. But the Sounds' Joe Dillon tied the game in the bottom of the inning with his team-leading 16th home run.

 

"He's a professional hitter," acting Sounds Manager Harry Spilman said of Dillon. "Any time there's a crucial situation in the game, you like to see him there.

 

Nashville is five games ahead of Iowa in the Pacific Coast League's American Conference Northern Division. It is the Sounds' largest lead of the season.

 

Nashville native R.A. Dickey started for the Sounds and gave up one unearned run in six innings.

 

"His knuckleball was working good tonight," Spilman said. "He's been good his past three or four starts."

 

The Sounds didn't score against Round Rock starter Juan Gutierrez until the eighth, when Jose Macias singled in Tony Gwynn Jr.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

Parra picks up PCL's pitcher award

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

A perfect game and consecutive wins have earned the Sounds' Manny Parra the Pacific Coast League's pitcher of the week award. The 24-year-old threw a perfect game at Round Rock in a 3-0 win June 24.

 

Parra used 107 pitches, 77 of which went for strikes, to retire all 27 Round Rock hitters in order. It was his second Triple-A start.

 

It was the third perfect game in the 104-year-old history of the PCL.

 

Former Sound John Wasdin also accomplished the feat in April 2003 at Greer Stadium.

 

Parra followed the perfect game with a two-hit outing over six innings in a 3-2 win over Round Rock on Saturday. Parra had a 2-0 record, a 0.60 ERA and a league-high 15 strikeouts over the past week.

 

Parra is 2-1 with a 1.29 ERA in his Triple-A career since being promoted from Double-A Huntsville on June 15. He is eighth among all minor leaguers with 102 strikeouts in 16 starts between Huntsville and Nashville.

 

Parra is the second Sound to receive the award this season. Yovani Gallardo picked up the award in late May. Gallardo was called up to Milwaukee the day before Parra's arrival in Nashville.

 

Dillon closes in: Third baseman Joe Dillon extended his hitting streak to 11 games in Monday's 4-3 win over Round Rock. He went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the 10th.

 

It is the Sounds' second-longest streak of the year. Andy Abad, currently on the disabled list, had a 12-game hitting streak.

 

Dillon has eight home runs and 19 RBIs in his last 17 home games.

 

"The last four to six weeks, he has been unbelievable," acting Sounds Manager Harry Spilman said. "He's a smart hitter."

 

Dillon's 16 home runs lead all Nashville batters.

 

Extra innings: The Sounds have been involved in seven extra-inning games. They are 3-0 at home and 1-3 on the road.

 

PCL leaders: Sounds pitchers have recorded the most strikeouts, 666, of any staff in the PCL this year.

 

The pitching staff also leads the PCL with a 3.62 ERA.

 

Nashville is 23-2 at Greer Stadium when the starter throws at least six innings.

 

Margin for error: The Sounds have committed a PCL-low 51 errors. Nashville also has the league's best fielding percentage at .984. The Sounds had a .982 fielding percentage last season, which led the PCL and set a franchise record.

 

Hot June: Four Sounds had their best monthly average in June ? Callix Crabbe (.341), Drew Anderson (.338), Vinny Rottino (.307) and Charles Thomas (.296).

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1251

 

Minaker Makes Stars Most Unhappy

 

Chris Minaker delivered game-winning hits in both games to help West Tenn pull off consecutive walk-off wins in a doubleheader sweep of Huntsville Monday night at Pringles Park. The Diamond Jaxx won 10-9 in nine innings in the opener and 7-6 in the nightcap to end a seven-game slide and improve to 5-10 in the second half, while the Stars dipped to 5-10 in the second half and 42-41 overall. The Stars have been swept in three doubleheaders over the last 17 days.

 

Charlton Jimerson doubled with one out in the home seventh in game two, moved to third base on a single by Rene Rivera and scored the decisive run when Minaker grounded a base hit just inside the bag at first base down the right field line off of Robert Hinton, who fell to 1-2 on the season. Adam Heether tripled to lead off the top of the inning in a 6-6 game but was left stranded there after Brendan Katin lined out to right field and Steve Moss and Carlos Corporan struck out against Craig James, who earned his third win.

 

Huntsville carried a 6-3 lead into the home sixth, as starter Corey Thurman gave way to Marino Salas after allowing three hits, walking four and fanning three. Salas walked all four batters he faced, including Minaker to force in a run to make it 6-4. Hinton took over and fanned Alex Meneses before Casey Craig?s double tied the game. Hinton fanned Brent Johnson and walked Prentice Redman to reload the bases before Marshall Hubbard struck out to end the inning.

 

The Stars scored twice in the first, twice in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to move out to the three-run lead. West Tenn got a solo home run from Matt Tuiasosopo and a two-run shot from Charlton Jimerson against Thurman, who gave up two long balls in a game for the fourth time this season.

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score:

Steve Sollmann three singles, an RBI, and two runs scored; Adam Heether on fire, 9-for-16 in the last four games -- his OPS is up to .761...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_2

 

Huntsville Game Two Game Log:

Just a super-critical at-bat by Steve Moss in that final inning, getting called out on strikes...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_2

 

In game one, Michael Hyrnio walked Corporan with one out in the seventh and was taken out of the game and replaced by Mumba Rivera, who saw Brendan Katin belt his second pitch over the wall in right field for a two-run home run that tied the game at nine. Rivera walked two more before ending the inning on a come-backer off the bat of Guilder Rodriguez. He struck out the side in the eighth and stranded two runners in the ninth before the Diamond Jaxx won the game in the bottom half of the inning when Minaker singled home Meneses, who was pinch-running for Luis Oliveros.

 

Mel Stocker singled in two runs and Hernan Iribarren doubled in a pair as the Stars scored six runs in the third inning to take a seemingly comfortable 7-1 lead. However, the home side responded with five in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a Jimerson two-run single that knocked out starter Sam Narron after he could not retire any of the five batters he faced in the frame. Tuiasosopo and Jimerson delivered back-to-back run-producing singles in the fourth to give West Tenn an 8-7 lead and a Tuiasosopo sacrifice fly in the sixth made it 9-7 Diamond Jaxx.

 

The series concludes Tuesday night, as left-hander Lindsay Gulin will take the mound for Huntsville against West Tenn right-hander Travis Chick. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Game One Box Score:

Michael Brantley on base five times (four walks); the Stars drew ten bases on balls and were HBP once; only Lou Palmisano's second error all season long; we need a "Mumba" in the Brewers' organization...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

 

Huntsville Game One Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...ord+shows/

 

Power players say team is better than its second-half record shows

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Twelve games into the second half, the West Virginia Power has as many losses as wins.

 

Considering what the low Class A club accomplished in the first half, when it won the South Atlantic League's Northern Division title with a 48-20 record, there is reason to wonder if something is wrong.

 

However, the players say there is no reason to worry.

 

Everything is good -- even if the team's record isn't.

 

"Our record doesn't speak for itself," said outfielder/first baseman Andrew Lefave, who ranks first in the league in hitting with a .345 batting average. "If you look at our record, you would think we aren't playing too good. But if you were at the games, you would think otherwise.

 

"At this level, even the worst team in the league has guys who are good enough to go out and compete against anyone. That's just baseball. Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. You can't win all of them, but you try to win most of them."

 

LeFave pointed to West Virginia's four-game series split with Southern Division first-half champion and second-half frontrunner Augusta (58-24, 8-4), which leads the 16-team league in pitching with a 2.53 earned run average.

 

The host GreenJackets won the first two games, 4-0 and 7-0. The Power won the last two games, 7-4 and 3-2.

 

"We went to Augusta and we lost the first two games, but then we came back, at a tough ballpark and against the league's best pitching staff with the league's lowest ERA, and split the series," he said.

 

"I think we're playing pretty good, but I don't think we're playing as good as we can."

 

West Virginia (54-26, 6-6) will begin a four-game homestand against Asheville (50-31, 8-4) at 7:05 Tuesday night (6:05 Central) at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Power will start right-hander Alex Periard (3-1, 2.80). The Tourists will counter with right-hander Andy Graham (7-5, 5.45).

 

LeFave and outfielder Stephen Chapman think the Power's problem is mental.

 

"We're still playing good baseball and we still want to win," Chapman said. "But we just haven't been kicking it in like we did in the first half."

 

Chapman said West Virginia's first-half success has contributed to its second-half slump.

 

"We don't have the drive for first place because we know we're safe (and) we're already in the playoffs," he said. "We're not giving up or rolling over. We're still trying to win every night.

 

"But if we lost (in the first half), we were ticked off. We were like, 'There's no way they're going to beat us tomorrow.' If we get beat (in the second half), it's not the end of the world for us.

 

"But there's no reason to be concerned. If we need a victory, we know how to get it."

 

Chapman said stretches like this one are inevitable for teams, especially when most of the guys are playing a full-season schedule for the first time in their professional careers.

 

"It's a long season," said Chapman, who shares the team lead in home runs (10) with second baseman Kenny Holmberg. "It's hard to have (the proper mindset) with you the whole season. You hit a wall. You're tired. You're run down. Practicing and playing everyday ... it's tough."

 

The solution? Nothing.

 

"Just let it correct itself," Chapman said. "Everybody knows how to catch and field and throw and hit. Some days, you do it (well). Some days, you don't."

 

Other observers attribute the second-half slump to June 8, the day the Milwaukee Brewers promoted outfielder/first baseman Michael Brantley, center fielder Darren Ford, starting pitcher Mike McClendon and closer E.J. Shanks.

 

Ford, McClendon and Shanks were SAL All-Star selections for the Power, which is 13-10 in their absence.

 

"We have missed them," Lefave acknowledged, "but at the same time, it gave me and other guys more opportunities to get into the game. It fueled my fire. It gave me a chance to show everybody what I can do.

 

"We have missed them, but we have been winning games without them."