Link Report for Wed. 8/8 - Final Update Focuses on Lefave

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Zach Jackson at Tacoma (Mariners), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 5:45 pre-game, 6:00 gametime

 

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

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=503&sid=t503

 

West Virginia: LHP Luis Ramirez at home vs. Savannah (Mets), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

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

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

 

Helena: Idle

 

Arizona: TBD at the Rangers' complex in Surprise, 7:00 PM local time in Arizona, 9:00 Central; never any audio for Arizona Rookie League games

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday'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:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_nasaaa_tacaaa_1

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_biraax_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_tbyafa_breafa_1&did=t503&sid=t503

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_savafx_wvaafx_1

 

Arizona:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_brrrok_rngrok_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 Tuesday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 71 46 .607 - 37-17 34-29 W2 Iowa 64 54 .542 7.5 38-25 26-29 L2 Omaha 59 59 .500 12.5 38-20 21-39 W1 Memphis 48 70 .407 23.5 26-34 22-36 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 28 17 .622 - 13-7 15-10 W6 Chattanooga 25 20 .556 3.0 14-11 11-9 W2 Tennessee 23 22 .511 5.0 16-9 7-13 W1 Carolina 22 23 .489 6.0 14-11 8-12 W1 West Tenn 18 27 .400 10.0 9-16 9-11 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 25 17 .595 - 15-8 10-9 W1 St. Lucie 21 22 .488 4.5 9-12 12-10 W7 Jupiter 19 22 .463 5.5 10-8 9-14 W1 Palm Beach 20 24 .455 6.0 11-15 9-9 W1 Daytona 18 27 .400 8.5 10-15 8-12 L4 Vero Beach 11 30 .268 13.5 6-15 5-15 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hickory 28 17 .622 - 15-9 13-8 W2 Lakewood 22 21 .512 5.0 13-10 9-11 L2 Lake County 21 22 .488 6.0 10-14 11-8 L4 Delmarva 21 23 .477 6.5 9-15 12-8 W3 Greensboro 20 25 .444 8.0 12-7 8-18 L4 Lexington 19 26 .422 9.0 12-10 7-16 L4 West Virginia 19 26 .422 9.0 10-9 9-17 L5 Hagerstown 14 30 .318 13.5 9-15 5-15 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 6 3 .667 - 2-0 4-3 L1 Billings 5 4 .556 1.0 2-1 3-3 W3 Missoula 5 4 .556 1.0 4-2 1-2 W1 Helena 2 7 .222 4.0 2-5 0-2 L6 

[Mass Haas]

Arizona League Standings:

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...;period=h2

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder/Outfielder Callix Crabbe:

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/audio/2007/Interview%208-8.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Tacoma (Mariners) 3, Nashville 2

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Vinny Rottino photo, text follows --

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2496

 

Sounds Wrap Road Trip With 3-2 Loss

TACOMA, Wash. - The Nashville Sounds concluded their Pacific Northwest road trip on the short end of a 3-2 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday afternoon at Cheney Stadium in the finale of a four-game series.

 

With the loss, Nashville (71-47) split its series in Tacoma and finished its road trip with an even 4-4 record. The Sounds' lead in the PCL American Conference Northern Division currently sits at 6 ½ games over Iowa.

 

The defeat was Nashville's league-leading 23rd one-run loss of the year, a total that accounts for nearly half of their losses in 2007.

 

Nashville came up short despite out-hitting the Rainiers, 12-9, and getting at least one hit from each of the nine players in its lineup.

 

Tacoma third baseman Mike Morse enjoyed an outstanding day at the dish to lead the Rainiers' offense, finishing 4-for-5 and scoring one run while driving in the club's other two.

 

Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on Vinny Rottino's two-out solo homer to left. The blast, which came against Tacoma starter Robert Rohrbaugh, was the catcher's ninth of the season.

 

AUDIO: Vinny Rottino Home Run --

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/audio/2007/Highlight%208-8.mp3

 

The Sounds doubled the advantage to 2-0 an inning later. With two outs, Drew Anderson singled to extend his longest hitting streak of the season to 11 games then scored on an Ozzie Chavez RBI double.

 

Tacoma jumped on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Morse opened the frame with a double off Sounds starter Zach Jackson and later scored on a Bryan LaHair groundout to cut Nashville's lead to 2-1.

 

Morse put the Rainiers by a 3-2 count in front in the sixth as a pair of walks came back to bite Jackson. With one out, Sebastien Boucher and Nick Green drew back-to-back free passes on eight pitches from the southpaw then scored on Morse's two-out, two-run single to left to give the home team its first lead of the afternoon.

 

Nashville didn't go down with a fight, putting runners on second and third with only one out in the top of the ninth following inning-opening singles by Callix Crabbe and Gabe Gross and a Rickie Weeks groundout that advanced the runners.

 

However, Tacoma reliever Rick White retired Rottino on a grounder to third and, after intentionally walking Andy Abad to load the bases, struck out Laynce Nix on a 3-2 pitch to end the contest.

 

Rohrbaugh (6-1) earned the win for the Rainiers after he gave up two runs on nine hits over six frames of action. White notched his first save after working out of the ninth-inning jam.

 

Jackson (9-8) took the loss for Nashville and had his winless stretch extended to his last seven starts. The left-hander allowed three runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings, his seventh quality start of the year. He walked three batters (two of which scored) and struck out four in his outing.

 

The Sounds fly back to Music City overnight then join the entire PCL for an off day on Thursday. Nashville opens an eight-game homestand on Friday evening by welcoming the Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA-Marlins) to town for the clubs' fourth and final series of the year. The Sounds have won eight of the 11 meetings between the teams this season.

 

Left-hander Adam Pettyjohn (9-2, 3.42) is scheduled to start Friday's 7 p.m. homestand opener for the Sounds. Albuquerque will counter with right-hander Kenny Baugh (5-7, 6.78).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Rickie Weeks' OPS in six Nashville starts is 1.253...

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_nasaaa_tacaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2007_08_08_nasaaa_tacaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 9, Birmingham (White Sox) 8

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

http://www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=1313

 

Crew Comes Through in Stars' Comeback Win

 

Ryan Crew doubled home the game-winning run in the fifth inning in a see-saw affair that Huntsville came back to claim, 9-8, over Birmingham Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars improved to 29-17 in the second half with their seventh straight win to maintain their three-game lead over victorious Chattanooga in the North Division, while the Barons dipped to 20-26 in the second half and 52-64 overall. All of the victories during the Stars win streak have been by one or two runs.

 

The Stars scored a run in the first inning and three more in the third, highlighted by a run-scoring single by Adam Heether and a Lou Palmisano sacrifice fly, to take a 4-0 lead. Stars' starter Corey Thurman breezed through three shutout innings before giving up five runs on six hits in the fourth. Shawn Garrett and Ricardo Nanita doubled in a run, Cory Aldridge singled home a run and Cole Armstrong capped the rally with a two-run double.

 

The Stars tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a run-scoring single by Guilder Rodriguez, who knocked in his first run at home all season, and regained the lead later in the frame on a run-scoring single by Crew and increased the lead to 7-5 on a bases loaded wild pitch by starter Wes Whisler, who was lifted after four frames. He allowed seven runs, five earned, on nine hits, while walking one and fanning one.

 

Vince Perkins took over on the hill for the Stars in the fifth and gave up singles to Adam Shabala and Victor Mercedes before throwing away a sacrifice bunt attempt by Chris Getz that allowed both runners to score to tie the game. Getz then scored the go-ahead run when Aldridge grounded into a double play. John Wesley took over on the hill in the home fifth in his Barons debut and gave up a home run to Brendan Katin, the first batter he faced, that tied the game at eight. Rodriguez legged out an infield single with one down and scored on Crew's game-winner down the left field line with two outs. It was Crew's first multiple RBI game since joining the Stars in early June.

 

Jeff Housman went two scoreless innings behind Perkins before Robert Hinton threw a perfect eighth to get the game to Luis Pena, who worked a shutout ninth inning, stranding Michael Myers at second base, to record his ninth save in 11 tries.

 

The series continues Thursday night with left-hander Derek Miller taking the hill for Huntsville against Barons' right-hander Jack Egbert. 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 Box Score:

Guilder Rodriguez on base all four plate appearances while in for an injured Alcides Escobar, no new update on Alcides' status...

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_biraax_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2007_08_08_biraax_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/118665094724330.xml&coll=1

 

Stars on right side of seesaw

Bullpen, reserves help win wild game over Barons

By BRAD SHEPARD for The Huntsville Times

 

Heading into Wednesday's series opener against Birmingham, the Stars were hitting less than .200 against the Barons as a team this season.

Those days seemed long ago once the game started.

 

So, too, does the last time Huntsville actually lost a game. The red-hot Stars out-pounded their Southern neighbors 9-8 in a seesaw slugfest before an announced crowd of 1,105 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

The victory was first-place Huntsville's seventh straight as it continued its quest to sweep the league's North Division halves.

 

"I think the last time we played them we pressed a little bit," Ryan Crew said of the teams' last meeting on June 17. "Now, we're focused, and we've got a lot more momentum and confidence.

 

"We just know we're going to win one way or another."

 

On a night when pretty much everybody hit, two reserves were key reasons the Stars (29-17, 66-48) won again. Left fielder Crew and shortstop Guilder Rodriguez combined for five hits, three RBIs and four runs scored.

 

They also came through in clutch moments for the Stars. But, then again, pretty much everybody else did, too.

 

"This is my work," Rodriguez said. "When you're a backup, a utility player, you have to be ready to play every day. I play 100 percent every time I play."

 

Added Crew: "It's definitely tough (not playing every day). It's a lot tougher on your mind than anything else. When you show up and you want to be in there, it's more disappointing than anything. You've just got to take advantage of your chances."

 

Neither team could capitalize on chances to win early in the game. It was mainly because nobody could hold a lead in the first five innings.

 

After a Steve Moss-produced run in the first, Huntsville tacked on three more in the third for starter Corey Thurman. But the veteran right-hander couldn't hold the 4-0 cushion, even for an inning. The Barons scored five runs off six hits in the top of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead.

That was just the start of the craziness.

 

The Stars bounced back for three more in the bottom half off four hits and a wild pitch to surge ahead 7-5. Again, Birmingham answered, getting three more runs off Vince Perkins (1-1) in the fifth to go up one.

 

Brendan Katin quickly erased the deficit with a leadoff home run in the sixth that barely cleared the right-field wall. It was his second hit of the night, and after Rodriguez hustled out an infield single, Crew guided a double down the left-field line for the go-ahead run.

 

Jeff Housman, Robert Hinton and Luis Pena worked four scoreless innings against a lefty-loaded lineup after Thurman and Perkins were knocked around to secure the win.

 

"The bullpen did an excellent job tonight," Rodriguez said. "The other team had a lot of lefties in the lineup, and we pitched well against them.

"The key to this team all year is everybody plays hard all the time."

 

Even those who don't play every day.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

http://www.starsboxscore.com/

 

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER

BULLPEN GETS 6th SAVE IN AS MANY GAMES

 

The Barons and Stars slugged it out early and traded leads back and forth, but Jeff Housman, Robert Hinton, and Luis Pena put the stopper on the bat attack as the Stars held on to their 7th straight victory --- their 11th in 12 games at Joe Davis Stadium....... Each of the Stars seven victories have been by one or two runs, as they improve to 66-48 on the season and 29-17 in the 2nd half.

 

98° at 6 pm and insufferably humid......... Add that to the fact that the kids are back in school and the adults are at home with them, and you have more insects and birds than you have people at the ballpark....... Can't really blame them for staying home. It's a summer game, of course, but no one is enjoying this heat wave. And no amount of thinking about last April (when blowing snow swept the field in an April 6 game) can help.

 

A lot of changes to this Birmingham team since they faced them in mid-June......... Gone is Donny Lucy, promoted to Class AAA-Charlotte (Int'l.) on August 3, likewise Thomas Collaro, shortstop Robert Valido, sent down to Winston-Salem, June 25 Eduardo Sierra, now at Charlotte, and 1st baseman Jeremy West and pitcher Kris Honel, both of whom retired....... The most recent acquisition was pitcher John Wesley, promoted from Winston-Salem, who took the loss as Ryan Crew doubled in Guilder Rodriguez in the 5th to break an 8-8 tie.

 

The Stars, for the 16th time in 35 games since late June, jumped off to a 1st inning lead as Steve Moss, .213 (16-for-75) since his All-Star appearance, led off with a double over the glove of 3rd baseman Adam Shabala to left field. After Ryan Crew's sacrifice, Moss came home on Steve Sollmann's grounder........ The Stars added three more in the 3rd for a 4-0 lead, on by a throwing error by Shabala, a single to right by Adam Heether, and a sacrifice fly by Lou Palmisano -- the 38th sacrifice fly for the Stars this season -- 2nd most in the league behind West Tenn's 39.

 

With Corey Thurman looking good after three innings (he retired 9 of 10 batters, giving up a ground rule double to Corey Armstrong in the 3rd), it looked as if the Stars were going to cruise to another victory, but the Barons jumed early on Thurman's pitches in the 4th....... Leadoff man Victor Mercedes lined a two-hopper to center on an 0-1 pitch for a single, then with one out, 1st baseman Shawn Garrett skied a 1-2 pitch deep to the gap in left-center. Crew ran a long way to chase it down, but the ball eluded his glove as it skipped off the wall for a double to score Mercedes....... Cory Aldridge then got hold of a 1-0 offering and rocketed it up the middle to score Garrett, making it 4-2....... David Cook then poked an 0-1 pitch from Thurman through the right side of the infield past the glove of 1st baseman Carlos Corporan, moving Aldridge to second........ Richard Nanita, a .405 hitter off Stars pitching this year, lined a 1-1 pitch down the right field line into the corner for a double to score Aldridge, reducing the Stars' lead to a run...... Cole Armstrong followed with a 5th straight hit, driving a 1-0 pitch into the gap in right-center for a double, scoring Cook and Nanita, thus giving the Barons a 5-4 lead....... The inning ended when Michael Myers, another heavy hitter vs. the Stars (.353 in 17 ABs), lined into a double play.

 

The Stars, however, have played exceptionally well -- too well as a team to let a one-run deficit go ignored....... They started attacking Birmingham's pitcher early in the count in the bottom of the 4th........ Brendan Katin led off with a single up the middle on a 1-1 pitch from starter Wes Whisler (2-0, 2.66 in his last four starts). Following a sacrifice midway between the mound and the plate by Carlos Corporan, Guilder Rodriguez hit Whisler's first pitch by 1st baseman Shawn Garrett into right, tying the game....... Steve Moss then slapped a grounder up the middle that got by 2nd baseman Michael Myers, confused perhaps by Mercedes' advance on the ball. G. Rod was able to get to third as center fielder Richard Nanita did not react to the ball as it was first hit....... Crew then fouled off a couple of pitches, then poked the ball to right on 1-and-2, scoring G. Rod, and giving the Stars back the lead, 6-5....... A two-out walk to Heether loaded the bases for Palmisano, a .263 hitter in this situation. Relief pitcher John Wesley, in his first Double-A game, got him to swing at a 3-and-2 pitch for a strikeout....... That would have been the third out, but the pitch was high and got past catcher Cole Armstrong, and Moss scored to give the Stars a 7-5 lead.

 

Now it was the Barons' turn to come back, and they did with the help of some shaky relief and a throwing error by Vince Perkins....... It took the Barons three pitches to get runners in 1st and 2nd. Then Chris Getz laid a sacrifice in front of Perkins, who hastily threw the ball off the glove of a leaping Corporan....... The combination sacrifice-throwing error scored both Adam Shabala and Victor Mercedes, tying the game at 7-7....... After a single by Shawn Garrett moved Getz over, the Stars ceded Birmingham's go-ahead run on a double play grounder by Cory Aldridge

 

It was a game of anything you can do, I can do better, and the Stars decided this was going to be it in the bottom of the 5th........ While I was getting my second Diet Pepsi, following a Crystal Light that I had smuggled in, Brendan Katin hit his 20th home run of the season in the 5th over the Carrabba's sign in right (the first fence -- about 357' away)...... That tied the game again......... With one out, G. Rod hit a hot smash off the glove of Garrett, who fed the ball to the pitcher, Wesley, a tad too late for the out. The game-winner was stroked by Crew, who doubled just inside the 3rd base line, under the glove of Shabala. G. Rod scored from first as the ball crossed the line into foul territory........ Housman, Hinton, and Pena, then slammed the door on the Barons, who never got a runner into scoring position, until Myers singled and advanced on Mercedes' grounder for the 2nd out of the ballgame in the 9th........ It was Housman's first appearance in eight days, but he struck out three in two no-hit innings and threw some 16 strikes among 21 pitches........ Hinton, who has settled down after a disastrous June and July that got him sent down to Brevard County (a 14.72 ERA in eight appearances), retired the Barons on 11 pitches, nine for strikes, in the 8th. (Hinton now has four scoreless innings on one hit in his last three appearances)....... Myers hit a 2-1 pitch deep to short off Luis Pena to lead off the 9th, beating G.Rod's high throw to Corporan, but then retired the top of the order for his 9th save.

 

The Stars have now gotten saves from their bullpen in six straight games for the first time in their history! Only twice had they done it in five straight......... The first time was in 1990 when Steve Chitren and Rich Berg got the saves in a five-game winning streak from May 20-24...... The second time came a year ago, when Joe Valentine picked up four saves and Travis Phelps, one, in the midst of a 10-game winning streak at the tail end of the season.

 

12-game winner Jack Egbert faces the Stars' Derek Miller Thursday night, which forecasters say is supposed to be hotter, still, if that can be imagined....... The high for the day is supposed to get up to 101°....... Egbert is 2nd to Montgomery's Chris Mason (a 13-game winner) among the Southern League's ERA leaders, and tops among Southern League pitchers in fielding, as well. He is also 2nd in strikeouts to teammate Gio Gonzalez, who will start Sunday against Sam Narron....... Miller has won his last four starts, accompanied by a 2.10 ERA, and not lost since coming up from Brevard County. He debuted in the first game of the Stars' record-tying 12-game win streak.

 

The Stars are 96-57 since August 1 of last year. They have won 22 of their last 28 games and are 41-13 when they score first........ In the Stars' last 17 games, 10 of which they've won, the Stars have hit .285, reaching double-figures in hits nine times....... Here's a little oddity. The Stars are last in the SL in doubles (169), yet lead the league in triples (36). They're also last in home runs (61), and still they lead the league in on-base pct. (.361)....... Michael Brantley, bothered by a nagging hamstring, sat out his 3rd straight game....... Ryan Crew had his first two-hit game since July 12. Since then, he's gone 11-for-44 with four of his five RBIs coming in his last six games....... Alcides Escobar also got a rest after a 4-for-4 game and 7-for-14 series vs. Mississippi........ Brendan Katin took over the SL RBI lead (77) with his 20th home run of the season in the 5th. He's 3rd behind Charlton Jimerson and Evan Longoria in the home run race........

 

The Stars have three hitters knocking on .300: Adam Heether (.299), Guilder Rodriguez (.296), and Hernan Iribarren (.296), with Ryan Crew at .289 and Steve Sollmann at .284....... Iribarren was hitting .257 on July 20. Since then, he's stroked the ball at a .478 clip with five doubles and four triples with 13 multi-hit games out of the 17 he's played in....... Adam Heether has hit .320 since starting the season hitting .132 after the end of April........ The Stars are 13-7 when Brendan Katin homers......... Steve Moss is hot again -- 8-for-21 (.381) in his last six games....... Despite hitting safely in five of his last six games, Lou Palmisano is 5-for-24 (.208) and hitting .161 since the start of July.

 

The Brewers have lost 14 of 20 and on Wednesday, were mauled by the Colorado Rockies, 19-4. Yovani Gallardo took the worst pounding in his professional career, giving up 11 runs on 12 hits in 2 2/3 innings and walked three.

 

The Baltimore Orioles have released former Diamond Jaxx 1st baseman Brandon Sing. Sing was hitting .187 in 64 games for the Bowie Bay Sox. The Joliet, Illinois native hit .276 for the 2005 Diamond Jaxx team that lost the Southern League Championship Series in four games to Jacksonville........ Chattanooga outfielder-1st baseman Jay Garthwaite has been released....... The Winnipeg Goldeyes of the independent Northern League have signed former Stars outfielder Demond Smith. Smith, who played for the Stars in 1997-98, is tied with Stan Javier for 6th on the Stars' all-time stolen base list........ Ruben Mateo was hitting .462 for Newark (Atlantic) after a 4-for-4 night against Somerset in a 10-5 win, Monday night.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Tampa (Yankees) 6, Brevard County 3

MiLB.com:

Coke, Yanks manage Manatees

Phil Coke took a no-hitter into the fifth inning as Tampa defeated host Brevard County, 6-3, on Wednesday.

Coke (7-2) gave up a run on three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 frames. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out one and lowered his ERA to 2.77. Cole Gillespie led off the fifth with a single to right for the Manatees.

Tim Battle smacked a two-run double in the second for the Yankees (30-16). Eduardo Nunez, Francisco Cervelli, Marcos Vechionacci and Chris Malec each chipped in one RBI.

Lorenzo Cain hit a one-out double in the sixth, advanced on a groundout and stole home for Brevard County (25-17). Cain and Darren Ford added RBI singles in the ninth.

Brevard County starter David Welch (6-4) yielded five runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. -- Danny Wild/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_tbyafa_breafa_1&did=t503&sid=t503

 

Brevard County Game Log:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_log&gid=2007_08_08_tbyafa_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 8, Savannah (Mets) 1

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER SNAP FIVE GAME SKID

 

The West Virginia Power scored early and often on Wednesday night, plating six runs in the first three innings and snapped their five game losing streak with an 8-1 victory over the Savannah Sand Gnats at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Charlie Fermaint doubled to begin the bottom of the first inning and scored on Andrew Lefave's two-run homer. It was Lefave's 12th homer of the season. The Power plated two more runs in the bottom of the second. Fermaint and Brent Brewer hit back-to-back doubles with two outs to begin the rally. Fermaint scored on Brewer's two-bagger and Brewer touched home plate on Matt Laporta's RBI single, which was his first hit as a member of the Power.

 

In the third inning Kenny Holmberg hit a two-run blast, which was his 12th of the year. The Sand Gnats scored their only run in the top of the sixth inning on D.J. Wabicks's RBI single. Holmberg walked with the bases loaded to plate the first Power run in the seventh, and two batters later Andy Bouchie's sacrifice fly scored Chuckie Caufield.

 

J.T. King (6-2) allowed a run on three hits over three innings to get the win, while Jeremy Mizell (3-12) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits over five innings. Luis Ramirez started for the Power and tossed four scoreless frames, while Donovan Hand threw a pair of scoreless innings out of the pen.

 

The Power improved to 68-45 overall and 20-25 in the second half, while the Sand Gnats fell to 34-80 overall and 14-39 in the second half with the loss. Milwaukee's 2007 first rounder Matt LaPorta was one of four Power players to record a multi-hit game. Fermaint, Brewer, Laporta and Taylor Green all had two hits a piece.

 

The Power will continue the four game series with Savannah Thursday night. The Power will start right hander Alex Periard (5-5, 3.21) and the Sand Gnats will counter with right hander Jonathan Castillo (3-3, 3.97). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

***

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Sports/2007080838

 

LaPorta debuts with two hits in Power win

By Jim Workman

For The Charleston Gazette

 

Matt LaPorta may be just the spark plug the Power needs for a strong late-season surge.

 

The first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, selected just two months ago out of the University of Florida, made his Class A debut Wednesday night and fit right in with his West Virginia teammates as the Power defeated the Savannah Sand Gnats 8-1 in a South Atlantic League game at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The victory broke a five-game losing streak for the Power, who returned home from a 1-7 road trip.

 

LaPorta, a former Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, contributed with a single, a double and an RBI to endear himself to the APP faithful.

 

"It's a plus any time you get a player of his caliber," said Power manager Mike Guerrero. "He'll come right in and inject some enthusiasm with the other players and do the things that he can do."

 

"It feels great to be here," said LaPorta. "This is an awesome atmosphere. I just want to help out in any way that I can so we can get back on track."

 

The Power raised its second-half record to 20-26 and 68-46 overall. West Virginia has already claimed a playoff spot with a first-half Northern Division title.

 

Andrew Lefave stroked a two-run home run over the right-field wall and onto Morris Street in the bottom of the first inning to lift the Power to a 2-0 advantage. Brent Brewer bashed a two-out RBI double that smacked the top of the left-field fence to give the Power a 3-0 lead in the second.

 

LaPorta hit a single to left that plated another run in the second to increase the West Virginia lead to 4-0, and Kenny Holmberg joined the hit parade by crushing a two-run home run to left in the third to make it 6-0 Power.

 

Savannah, a New York Mets affiliate, scored in the top of the sixth on an RBI single to cut the Power lead to 6-1.

 

Holmberg and Andy Bouchie added RBIs with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly, respectively, in the seventh to boost the Power advantage to 8-1.

 

Brewer, Taylor Green and Charlie Fermaint also chipped in with two hits apiece for the Power.

 

J.T. King (6-2) was credited with the win for West Virginia while Jeremy Mizell (3-12) was tagged with the loss for Savannah. Luis Ramirez started on the mound for the Power but was lifted after only four scoreless innings.

 

NOTES: The Sand Gnats (14-30 in the second half, 34-80 overall) have not played in Charleston since 2003, when they were a Montreal Expos farm team. ... The Power will play host to Savannah tonight through Saturday in a four-game series before the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs come to town for a four-game set starting Sunday.

 

West Virginia Box Score:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_savafx_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2007_08_08_savafx_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/LAPORTA1.jpg

 

 

Matt LaPorta delivers an RBI single in the second inning in his first game with the West Virginia Power Wednesday. The Brewers' first-round draft pick later added a second hit in the Power's 8-1 win over Savannah.

Charleston Gazette Photographer:

Kenny Kemp

 

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Brewers 6, Arizona Rangers 5

Arizona Box Score:
Only one Ranger run scored through the first seven innings, and that was unearned; SS Luis Sanchez hit his first home run...

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_08_brrrok_rngrok_1

Arizona Game Log:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_log&gid=2007_08_08_brrrok_rngrok_1

 

[And That]

Huntsville middle infielder Guilder Rodriguez has an isolated average of .007. That is the lowest amount of power you will see from a pro ball player in your life... most of them luck into more than 1 extra base hit (a double) over the course of 140+ ABs.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Sports/2007080913/LeFaves-hot-bat-helps-Power-end-losing-streak/

 

LeFave's hot bat helps Power end losing streak

Jack Bogaczyk

Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor

 

It was the anticipated night of first-round Milwaukee draft pick Matt LaPorta's arrival on Wednesday at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Before the celebrated bonus baby got to the plate to start an eight-game homestand, however, Andrew LeFave already had another of what he has had throughout the South Atlantic League baseball season.

 

That's another good at-bat.

 

In LaPorta's West Virginia debut as a designated hitter, he was one of four Power batters with two hits apiece. However, it was LeFave that started the Power to the end of a five-game losing skid, with a two-run, first-inning homer in an 8-1 win over Savannah.

 

LeFave and LaPorta, batting third and fourth, respectively, couldn't have more different pro baseball histories.

 

LeFave was an undrafted signee by the Brewers 13 months ago -- for $2,000. LaPorta, a two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year at Florida, was the No. 7 overall draft pick two months ago and got a $2 million-and-change signing bonus.

 

The 5-foot-10 LeFave's .353 batting average in the Arizona Rookie League last summer was the sixth-highest in minor league ball. Now, he comfortably leads the SAL in hitting (.348).

 

LeFave isn't really a home run hitter, although his first-inning blast off Sand Gnats' loser Jeremy Mizell (3-12) was his 12th this season. The 6-2 LaPorta is the Florida Gators' career home run leader with 74. Then, he hit one on his first pro swing on July 30 at Helena in the Pioneer League.

 

However, if the first-half Northern Division-winning Power (20-26 second half) is to right itself after a stretch in which it dropped 15 of 19, these two will be crucial in a lineup that has been struggling at the plate.

 

That's foreign to LeFave, 23, who already has enough plate appearances to qualify for the first batting title for a Charleston player in the capital city's two decades in the SAL.

 

"I just try to use the same approach every time up there and see the ball long," said the left-handed hitting LeFave. "I think I've always had a fundamentally sound swing and I really try not to get into pitchers' counts and try to use the whole ballpark."

 

LeFave, a Washington state native who starred in NAIA baseball at Missouri Valley College, figures he wasn't drafted because of his size -- or lack of it.

 

"That helps me, too," he said. "I kind of go out there with a chip on my shoulder because it's kind of like I have to prove that a lot of people overlooked me ...

 

"When I got that opportunity (to sign), you take it, when it's what you've been waiting for your whole life."

 

While the rest of the Power lineup has struggled, LeFave has prospered. While his 1-for-4 Wednesday dropped his average by a point, the off-season commercial fisherman (Dungeness crabs, off the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest) has hit .444 in his last dozen games and raised his average by 14 points.

 

LeFave could be Charleston's first batting champion since Houston farmhand Jack Perconte led the International League with .346 in 1983 for the Charlies, during the city's last Class AAA season.

 

The Power first baseman tries not to think about it.

 

"I do, a little bit," he said. "If you think about it too much, you start doing things you shouldn't. I don't look at stats too much. I try not to get too negative or too positive. I don't want to get down on myself if I struggle a bit."

 

Power hitting coach Corey Hart said despite LeFave's gaudy numbers in 35 games last season, "I don't think I expected him to do as well as he has. You don't just expect someone to lead the league in batting."

 

With LaPorta giving the Power a needed fresh bat for the final four weeks of the season, LeFave may see even better pitches and more hitter's counts.

 

POWER PLUGS -- J.T. King (6-2) got the Power win in middle relief. Starter Luis Ramirez worked four scoreless innings, but left after 68 pitches since he was making only his second start since June 5. ... Ramirez, King and finisher Donovan Hand combined for no walks. ...

 

LaPorta is the fourth Milwaukee first-round pick to play in Charleston in three seasons, joining pitcher Mark Rogers, third baseman Ryan Braun and a new LaPorta teammate, pitcher Jeremy Jeffress. ... West Virginia will top 200,000 in attendance for the third straight season tonight. A crowd of 1,997 brought the season total to 199,507. ... Kenny Holmberg and LeFave hit their 12th homers in the win. In 2005, Holmberg was an NAIA All-America first-team pick, while LeFave was a second-teamer. ... Right-hander Alex Periard (5-5) gets the 7:05 PM start tonight (6:05 Central) for the Power in Game 2 of the series against Gnats' righty Jonathan Castillo (3-3).

 

Charleston Daily Mail File Photo:

West Virginia Power first baseman Andrew LeFave leads the South Atlantic League in hitting.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/0809lefave.jpg

[LouisEly]

Katin with his 20th home run in the Southern League... despite a less-than-stellar BA, 20 HRs in that league is pretty good. Rob Deer II?

 

They need to find a way to get Ryan Crew some more ABs. Can he catch? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif All he does is produce everywhere he goes.