Link Report Fri 6/15 - Inman at AA; New Injury for Braddock

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

ALONSO DRIVES IN FOUR, POWER WIN

 

John Alonso went 2-for-3 and drove in half of West Virginia?s runs on Friday night as the Power defeated the Lake County Captains 8-3 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Alonso knocked in his first three runs on his second home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning. The Power added another run on Taylor Green?s two-out RBI single in the third. Roman Pena?s sacrifice fly plated Matt Whitney in the fourth inning before West Virginia added three more runs in the fifth. Chuckie Caufield and Alonso ripped RBI singles and Green knocked in the other run on a sacrifice fly.

 

In the sixth inning Lake County pitcher Austin Kreps tried to pick off Andrew Lefave at first base, and his throw went into right field, allowing Jimmy Mojica to score. The Captains plated a pair of runs in the eighth inning on an RBI single from Niuman Romero and a run scoring double from Nick Weglarz.

 

Travis Wendte (5-0) tossed five innings out of the bullpen, allowing a pair of runs on six hits and got the win while Hector Rondon (4-4) was tagged with the loss. Power starter Zach Braddock left the game in the third inning due to an undisclosed injury.

 

The Power improved to 47-18 with the win and the Captains fell to 29-38 with the loss. Mojica, Alonso, Lefave and Steve Chapman all had multi-hit games for the Power. The win ties a franchise record for the most victories in a half.

 

The Power will continue the five game series against Lake County with a day/night doubleheader on Saturday. Game one features left hander Brae Wright (5-3, 5.85) for the Power and the Captains will counter with right hander Josh Tomlin (5-0, 2.63). Game two features right hander Shawn Ferguson (0-1, 4.91) for the Power and the Captains will counter with right hander Carlton Smith (3-5, 6.08). Game one starts at 12:05 PM (11:05 AM Central) and game two starts at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Joe Dillon photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2388

 

Dillon Blasts Sounds To 6-5 Win In Series Opener

 

NASHVILLE ? Joe Dillon drilled a one-out, game-ending home run off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Nashville Sounds a thrilling 6-5 victory over the division-rival Omaha Royals on Friday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

 

The blast, Dillon?s second of the game and team-leading 12th of the season, came on an 0-1 pitch from Omaha reliever Thad Markray.

 

AUDIO: Dillon Gives Fans A Happy Ending --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...6-15-1.mp3

 

The victory was the fifth last at-bat win of the year for Nashville (39-29), which pulled within a half-game of first-place Iowa in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. Four of the club?s five last at-bat wins have come on home runs.

 

The Sounds continued their recent hot streak, notching their 12th victory in the last 16 games.

 

Nashville carried a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning before Omaha rallied for a pair of runs against closer Luther Hackman, who suffered only his second blown save in 12 opportunities. After Mitch Maier opened the visitors? ninth with a solo homer to right to make it a one-run contest, the Royals tied the score on a one-out Bill McCarthy RBI single.

 

Omaha grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Sounds starter Tim Dillard. Maier led off with a double, moved to third on an Angel Berroa, and scored the game?s first run on Billy Butler?s sacrifice fly to center.

 

The Sounds responded quickly, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame. Callix Crabbe drew an inning-opening walk and later scored the tying run on a Laynce Nix RBI groundout. Dillon put Nashville ahead with a two-out solo homer to left off Royals starter Jason Shiell, his first of two longballs on the evening.

 

The Royals took a 3-2 lead in the fifth against Dillard, and, once again, Nashville had an immediate answer, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame against Shiell to retake a 5-3 lead. J.R. Hopf got the rally started with a solo homer to right that landed on the Watson?s hot tub deck, his first professional home run in 138 at-bats. Barnwell and Nix added RBIs later in the frame.

 

Neither team scored again until Omaha?s ninth-inning rally, although Hackman skillfully worked out of an inherited one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth by fanning Richard Lewis and Jace Brewer in succession to keep the lead intact.

 

Sounds reliever Greg Aquino (1-0) was the beneficiary of the late heroics and earned his first victory of the season after tossing a scoreless top of the tenth.

 

Markray (3-2) took the loss after surrendering Dillon?s game-ender to close out his 1 1/3-inning outing.

 

Dillard, who was in line for the win before the late Royals rally against the Nashville bullpen, worked his seventh quality start of the season. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings of work.

 

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. meeting on Saturday. Right-hander Chris Oxspring (6-3, 2.50), the Pacific Coast League?s ERA leader, will man the bump for the Sounds and face Omaha right-hander Matt Wright (3-3, 3.92).

[Mass Haas]

Final, Game Two: Birmingham (White Sox) 9, Huntsville 2

Details in the AM...

 

Huntsville Game Two Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_2

 

Huntsville Game TwoGame Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_2

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1220

 

Stars Swept in Twin Bill and Fall Back into First Place Tie

 

Cory Aldridge knocked in five runs and starters Jack Egbert and Ryan Wing gave up two runs over a combined 10 1/3 innings in Birmingham?s doubleheader sweep of Huntsville Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium in front of a crowd of 6,055. The Stars dropped to 35-31 and into a first place tie with Tennessee with two games left in the first half, while the Barons improved to 32-36 in the half and to 5-3 against Huntsville.

 

Aldridge tripled home a run with two outs in the first inning of game two and was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run. The visitors broke the game open in the third against Will Inman in his double-A debut with five runs. Robert Valido doubled in a run and scored on an infield single by Victor Mercedes, who came home on a two-out double by Jeremy West that made it 4-0. Inman hit Jeremy Frost and Ricardo Nanita singled to load the bases and knock the young right-hander out of the game. Robert Hinton took over and gave up a two-run single to Chris Kelly that capped the uprising. Inman, 4-3 with a 1.72 earned run average and a Florida State League All-Star at Brevard County, was charged with six runs on six hits and a pair of walks. Aldridge blasted a two-run home run just to the right of straightaway center field in the fourth to push the Birmingham lead to 8-0 and finish the night with five runs batted in.

 

Wing blanked the Stars on two hits over five frames to pick up his third win of the season. He has allowed only four earned runs on seven hits in 16 innings in his four spot starts. The home side?s only offense in the nightcap came on a two-run, opposite field home run by Steve Moss in the sixth. Huntsville was held to four runs on eight hits in the two games and dropped to 5-21 in games in which it has been held to fewer than four runs.

 

Sam Narron gave up a two-out, run-scoring single to Aldridge in the first inning in the opener and was knocked out in the second after giving up a two-out run-scoring single to Valido that made it 3-0 Barons. Corey Thurman took over and got out of the inning before he opened the third with a walk to Thomas Collaro, who scored when Aldridge followed with a double to make it 4-0. From there Thurman retired nine in a row and 15 of the last 16 hitters he faced in going 5 1/3 innings, the longest outing by a Stars? reliever this season.

 

Egbert blanked the Stars on one hit over the first three frames before Michael Brantley led off the fourth with a single, moved to third on a Steve Sollmann double and scored on a passed ball. Sollmann then scored on a Lou Palmisano single that trimmed the lead to 4-2. Egbert was taken out with runners at second and third and one out in the sixth and replaced by Fernando Hernandez, who struck out Palmisano and retired Brendan Katin on a pop up to end the threat. He retired the side in order in the ninth and set down all five hitters he faced with a total of 11 offerings to earn his fifth save of the season.

 

The series continues Saturday night, as Huntsville will send southpaw Steve Hammond to the hill against Barons? ace left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on Sports Radio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1

 

Barons steal pair from Stars

Doubleheader loss leaves Huntsville tied with Tennessee

By SKIP VAUGHN

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

 

Last year, the Huntsville Stars finished the first half of the season 24-45 and a distant 19 1/2 games behind first place Chattanooga.

 

But this year they're in a pennant race.

 

The Stars entered Friday night's doubleheader against Birmingham clinging to a half-game lead over second place Tennessee in the Southern League North.

 

"Of course you want to be in a pennant race, but when you come to the ballpark, you've still got to get your work done," Stars manager Don Money said before the games. "Our job is to make these guys better.

 

"Of course, everybody's happy. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to win two games. But you have to play one game at a time and see what happens."

 

What happened was Birmingham beat the Stars 4-2 in the night's first game at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"We dug too deep a hole early," Money said.

 

"Two of the four (Birmingham runs) came on two-out base hits."

 

The Barons scored three runs to chase Stars starter Sam Narron (2-5) after 1 2/3 innings.

 

Robert Valido tripled to lead off the game and eventually scored on Jeremy West's two-out hit.

 

Michael Myers had an RBI double and Valido a run-scoring single in the second.

 

Cory Aldridge got an RBI double off Stars reliever Corey Thurman in the third for a 4-0 lead.

 

Huntsville answered with two runs in the fourth off Birmingham starter Jack Egbert (7-4).

 

Michael Brantley hit a leadoff single, advanced to third on Steve Sollmann's double and scored on a passed ball.

 

Sollmann scored on Lou Palmisano's hit.

 

"They just got out to an early lead," Sollmann said. "And in the end we just weren't able to put together enough hits."

 

The Stars had men on second and third with one out in the sixth but failed to score. Birmingham reliever Fernando Hernandez struck out Palmisano and retired Brendan Katin on a popup to second to end the inning.

 

He pitched a perfect seventh to earn his fifth save of the season.

 

"We had a good chance there in the sixth," Money said.

 

"We had the fourth and fifth hitters up and just didn't come through."

 

In the nightcap, Birmingham beat the Stars 9-2 to spoil the Double-A debut of Huntsville starter Will Inman.

 

Fortunately for the Stars, West Tenn beat Tennessee 4-2, so Huntsville (35-31) was tied for first at night's end.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds win in 10 on homer

Dillon's second smacks the guitar

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

Third baseman Joe Dillon hit two home runs, including a walk-off shot in the 10th inning, to give the Nashville Sounds a 6-5 win over the Omaha Royals on Friday night.

 

It is the Sounds' third win in a row at Greer Stadium and comes in the opener of a four-game homestand.

 

"It was able to go out of the park for us, and get us the win." Dillon said of his homer, which hit the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left field.

 

Dillon now has 12 homers on the year, a Nashville team-best. It was the Sounds' fifth last at-bat win.

 

"It was a fastball, up and in," he said. "It's a good feeling."

 

The Sounds are now a half game behind first-place Iowa.

 

Sounds starter Tim Dillard was solid, going 6 2/3 innings on 76 pitches. Dillard gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out two.

 

"He was better," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

Nashville has won 12 of their past 16 games and 16 of their last 26 home outings.

 

"You hate to go into extra innings," Kremblas said. "We were glad to get the win."

 

Omaha struck in the first inning on two consecutive hits off Dillard to open the game, giving the Royals an early 1-0 lead.

 

Nashville also struck in the first inning. Second baseman Callix Crabbe scored on a Laynce Nix RBI groundout. Dillon then hit his first home run of the game off Royals starter Jason Shiell to give the Sounds a 2-1 lead.

 

Omaha scored two runs in the fifth inning, including one on a Dillard wild pitch.

 

Designated hitter J.R. Hopf hit his first career home run in 138 minor league at-bats to lead off the fifth inning, tying the score at 3-3.

 

Nashville scored two more runs in the inning on RBIs by shortstop Chris Barnwell and Nix, giving the Sounds a 5-3 lead.

 

Omaha battled back though. Reliever Luther Hackman gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning to Omaha's Mitch Maier. Hackman then walked the tying run to first base and gave up another single. Omaha left fielder Bill McCarthy hit a blooper to short right, which brought in the tying run.

 

The Royals lead the season series 6-3, with seven more meetings left this season.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds get pitcher from Huntsville

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

Pitcher Manny Parra joined the Sounds from Double-A Huntsville on Friday.

 

Parra will make his debut Triple-A debut Wednesday against Iowa.

 

The left-hander fills the void left by pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who will make his major-league debut with Milwaukee.

 

Parra was 7-3 with a 2.68 ERA in 13 starts for the Stars. He struck out 81 batters in 80 2/3 innings while only walking 26.

 

Gallardo was called up by the parent club Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, replacing pitcher Chris Capuano.

 

Capuano went on the disabled list with a left groin strain.

 

Nice hitting: Third baseman Joe Dillon's two home runs Friday gave him 12 on the year and overtook catcher Mike Rivera as the Sounds' season leader.

 

Dillon's two shots gave Nashville 77 this year.

 

"I'm just trying to hit the ball hard, and sometimes they go out," Dillon said.

 

In the fifth inning, designated hitter J.R. Hopf hit his first career home run, which ties the Sounds with Memphis for the most in the Pacific Coast League at 77.

 

Dillon broke an 0-for-13 at-bat hitless streak with the first home run.

 

It marked the eighth consecutive game for Nashville in which the Sounds have hit a home run.

 

The Sounds have hit a home run in 29 of their past 34 games.

 

Opening blues: The Sounds improved to 7-11 in series openers this year with their win Friday.

 

The Sounds ended an eight-game road trip at 1-1 in series openers, including a 7-1 loss to the Royals on June 7 at Omaha. The Sounds won their opener at Memphis 7-1 on June 11.

 

Extra innings: The Sounds are now 2-3 in five extra inning games this season. It is their first in 32 games, dating to May 12, which was a loss to Salt Lake in 11 innings.

 

Their only other extra-inning home win was a 2-1 win April 22 against Iowa in 10 innings.

 

Free haircuts: The Sounds will offer free haircuts courtesy of Great Clips at tonight's game. While the haircuts are free, donations will be accepted for charity.

 

All donations will benefit the Children's Miracle Network, whose local affiliate is Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. The haircuts will be available on the hot tub deck behind the right field fence.

 

Great Clips will also offer the same promotion on July 28.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200706163

 

Power ties win mark

Alonso?s big night helps West Virginia sink Captains 8-3 for 47th victory of the season

By Nick Scala

Charleston Gazette Staff Writer

 

John Alonso went through the usual postgame ritual of signing autographs for the kids attending the Power?s 8-3 win over Lake County Friday night, but the Power first baseman wasn?t about to surrender one artifact to the fans.

 

?Sorry guys, can?t have this one? Alonso said as he walked down the right-field line toward the team?s clubhouse, gently tossing a souvenir of his own ? the ball he crushed for a three-run home run in the second inning. ?I?m keeping this one.?

 

Alonso?s blast, a towering shot onto the concourse beyond the right-field fence, gave the Power a 3-0 lead. He complemented his second homer of the season with an RBI single in the Power?s three-run fifth, making it a happy night for the 5,518 in attendance at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Alonso?s home run followed back-to-back one-out walks to Kenny Holmberg and Steve Chapman, and came on the final pitch of a grueling 10-pitch duel with Captains starter Hector Rondon.

 

?I was just thinking when I get to two strikes to keep on fighting him off and battle, battle, battle,? Alonso said. ?He was trying to pound me inside, but he made a mistake and left the ball up.?

 

The victory gives the Power a record of 47-18, with the 47 wins tying the franchise mark for wins in a half-season, set by the Charleston Wheelers in the second half of the 1990 campaign.

 

That 1990 club needed 72 games to reach the mark. This year?s model has done it in just 65 games, and the Power will have two chances to eclipse the record when West Virginia plays host to Lake County in a day-night doubleheader.

 

The news wasn?t all good for the Power, though. Starting pitch Zach Braddock, who came in with a 1.21 ERA and a 3-1 record, left with one out in the third inning with an undisclosed injury. Power manager Mike Guerrero said it was not related to the shoulder injury that put the left-hander on the disabled list earlier in the season.

 

?We?ll see what the doctors have to say tomorrow,? Guerrero said.

 

Luis Ramirez stepped in for Braddock and pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits. Travis Wendte (5-0) got the win after going the rest of the way, allowing two runs on six hits in five innings.

 

Rondon (4-4) took the loss for Lake County, which has lost seven in a row.

 

The Power has won two in a row, four of its last five and is 6-2 since clinching the South Atlantic League?s Northern Division first-half championship.

 

The hits keep coming for the team that saw two of its top hitters, Darren Ford and Michael Brantley, promoted after the clincher.

 

?Even without Ford and Brantley it?s the same team,? Alonso said. ?These new guys come here and work hard and they love to play the game. I don?t think anything?s gonna change.?

 

One of the new additions, center fielder Charlie Fermaint, went 0-for-5 in the leadoff spot after having multiple-hit games in his first three starts with the club.

 

Shortstop Jimmy Mojica picked up the slack, going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs. Chapman and Andrew Lefave also had two hits, and Taylor Green drove in two runs with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.

 

POWER POINTS: Power lefty Brae Wright (5-3, 5.85) will start the first game of today?s doubleheader, scheduled for 12:05 PM (11:05 AM Central), against Lake County ace right-hander Josh Tomlin (5-0, 2.63). The nightcap, slated for a 7:05 start (6:05 Central), pits Power newcomer Shawn Ferguson (0-1, 4.91) against Captain right-hander Carlton Smith (3-5, 6.08).

 

Charleston Gazette Photographer: Lawrence Pierce

The Power?s Kenny Holmberg dives back to first base as Lake County?s Matt Whitney awaits the throw.

 

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

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.floridatoday.com/apps...002/SPORTS

 

Inman heads to Double-A

Right-hander was set to pitch in All-Star game

BY JIM CAWLEY

FLORIDA TODAY

 

VIERA - A surprising call just after midnight early Friday produced a major change of plans for Will Inman.

 

The 6-foot, 200-pound righty, who led the Florida State League with 98 strikeouts and was second with a 1.72 ERA as a Brevard County Manatee, was set to pitch in Saturday night's FSL All-Star Game at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.

 

Instead, Inman was told he was being promoted to the Class AA Huntsville Stars for their playoff push and would be needed to pitch Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the Birmingham Barons.

 

Suddenly, he was exchanging driving directions to Daytona Beach for plane tickets to Alabama.

 

Unfortunately for Inman, Friday's game proved a rough welcome. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and six earned runs.

 

"It's a great honor to make the all-star team in this league," Inman said on Thursday, hours before receiving the surprise promotion. "There are so many big names out there; so many great arms out there."

 

Inman allowed just 15 earned runs in 78 2/3 innings this season. He struck out seven or more batters eight times, including a season-high 12 against Sarasota on May 25.

 

Florida State League opponents hit just .198 off of Inman, who didn't allow more than three earned runs in any of his 13 starts with Brevard County.

 

"He's got four pitches and he throws them over the plate at any time," Manatees manager John Tamargo said. "He's very deceptive. You see this guy pitching in the big leagues and being successful."

 

Good luck, kid

 

Speaking of FSL standouts, Yovani Gallardo, an all-star pitcher with the Manatees last season, received his call to the big leagues on Thursday when the Brewers placed Chris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list.

 

The 21-year-old right-hander was 8-3 with a 2.90 ERA for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds this season. He struck out a league-high 110 and walked 28 in 77 2/3 innings.

 

In his short stay in Brevard County, Gallardo made a big impression on Manatees GM Buck Rogers.

 

"He kept it straight, played it right and set an example for all of these players to follow," Rogers said. "He's got a recipe for success. God bless him. I hope he maxes it out because he's a nice guy."

 

Gallardo is the second player to go from Brevard County to Milwaukee in one year. Ryan Braun, who played 59 games for Brevard County in 2006, is now the starting third baseman for the Brewers. He is batting .314 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 18 games with the big-league club.

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com:

 

INMAN IS OUT AND UP: Manatees fans hoping to see starting pitcher Will Inman may have been disappointed that he was a last-minute no-show to the All-Star festivities, but Brewers fans -- and likely Inman himself -- should be more excited than let down.

 

Inman, who was in line to start the game for the Eastern Division after posting a 1.72 ERA and a league-leading 98 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings, got promoted to Double-A Huntsville on Thursday. He didn't have to wait long to get a taste of the Southern League, getting the start in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against Birmingham.

 

Things didn't go so well -- the Brewers prospect gave up six earned runs in 2 2/3 IP -- pehraps making Inman wish he could've stuck around in Florida a little while longer. But it certainly had to be a boost of confidence that the organization wanted him to join Huntsville as the Stars try to clinch the first-half title in the North Division.

 

"Huntsville is vying for a playoff spot," Brewers director of player development Reid Nichols said. "If he can help them, he's well-deserving."

 

With a doubleheader loss on Friday night, Huntsville is tied with Tennessee atop the division. Even though Inman wasn't able to come up with a win for the Stars, it's clear Nichols and the Brewers believed that Huntsville, not Daytona, was the place for the right-hander to be this weekend.

 

"To put him in a playoff situation in Double-A is probably comparable to starting an All-Star Game in the Florida State League for him," Nichols said.

[igor67]

Will was too happy about being called up. Now he will be mad the Southern league won't like Will when he's mad http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/devil.gif

[saget]

Hopefully Braddock's injury isn't serious. It wasn't his shoulder though, so that's good.

 

Maybe all his fingernails fell off or something.

[aintbize]

This is a game where sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you...Inman will be back...stay focused Will, stay focused. As someone stated earlier, hopefully he gets pissed...if so...LOOK OUT AA HITTERS!

 

I am really hoping Braddock has a nasty blister or the like...let's hope!