Link Report for Games of Monday, June 4th

[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 Tim Dillard at home vs. Tucson (Diamondbacks), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman at Chattanooga (Reds), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: TBD at Tampa (Yankees), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime; we anticipate it'll be LHP Rafael Lluberes

 

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

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

 

West Virginia: 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:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_tbyafa_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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 33 23 .589 - 17-7 16-16 L1 Nashville 31 26 .544 2.5 19-10 12-16 L1 Omaha 30 27 .526 3.5 22-10 8-17 W4 Memphis 27 31 .466 7.0 17-13 10-18 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 30 25 .545 - 17-13 13-12 W1 Tennessee 30 25 .545 - 12-13 18-12 W1 Chattanooga 25 32 .439 6.0 16-16 9-16 L1 West Tenn 25 32 .439 6.0 16-14 9-18 L4 Carolina 20 37 .351 11.0 11-14 9-23 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 33 23 .589 - 19-8 14-15 L2 Palm Beach 30 25 .545 2.5 14-13 16-12 L1 Daytona 26 29 .473 6.5 15-10 11-19 L1 Vero Beach 26 29 .473 6.5 18-12 8-17 L1 Jupiter 25 30 .455 7.5 12-16 13-14 W3 St. Lucie 23 32 .418 9.5 11-16 12-16 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 38 16 .704 - 18-10 20-6 W1 Greensboro 31 26 .544 8.5 19-9 12-17 L1 Lakewood 27 26 .509 10.5 14-17 13-9 L1 Lake County 27 28 .491 11.5 15-13 12-15 W1 Lexington 26 31 .456 13.5 15-16 11-15 W2 Delmarva 24 29 .453 13.5 13-12 11-17 W3 Hagerstown 23 32 .418 15.5 13-12 10-20 L5 Hickory 22 32 .407 16.0 9-12 13-20 L2

[Boy Jeenius]

Good start Huntsville! 5 runs on 5 hits in the top of the 1st. 2 run double for Heether.

[pogokat]

BC's bats are as on fire as bats get down there...ma gamel really heating up, even if homers are impossible to come by in florida...

 

lorenzo cain will be hitting .300 in about 2 more games..

[homer]

Mat Gamel's defense is just, well, just not good. 2 more errors today brings the season total to 26. I wonder how long a leash he has before they think of a position switch?

[Mass Haas]

You can't mention poor defense at Brevard without noting that Ned Yost now has seven errors in only 12 games at first base -- yikes!

[Boy Jeenius]

I think the leash for Gamel will be looooonnnnnng. He's got a good bat, so they will stick with him. The light will go on eventually if they stick with a kid. That's why they're in the minors - to learn and grow. No one is a polished player when they sign. Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder were terrible defenders in the minors, but they worked hard and now they're pretty good. In fact Weeks is looking almost above average on his D this year.

[bork]

Cain now has the same batting average as Errecart. Weren't they something like 130 points apart less than a month ago? He has really turned it around quickly.

[Boy Jeenius]

Errecart did kinda have the rep as being a bit streaky in college, if I remember my BFN scouting report correctly. Or do we think his recovery from that injury may be hindering him a bit? Although the recent surge in that line up did occur around the time he started playing again.

[homer]

Quote:

---

Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder were terrible defenders in the minors, but they worked hard and now they're pretty good.

---

 

True, but their minor league struggles were nothing compared to this.

[Boy Jeenius]

You're probably correct. But each kid grows at their own pace. I've learned over my advanced years that patience is always a good thing when dealing with a gifted pupil. I guess I'm just an optimist. Even though Braun us up already, there is still a need to develop another 3rd baseman or 3. I hope they just stick with him.

 

By the way:

Am I the only one needing methadone because West Virginia isn't playing tonight? Listening to the broadcast always makes my night.

Another....Jack jackety jack!

[Mass Haas]

Final: Tampa (Yankees) 15, Brevard County 6

 

MiLB.com Game Notes:

 

Corona, Yanks mangle Manatees

 

Reegie Corona blasted a three-run homer to highlight a seven-run fourth inning as Tampa trampled visiting Brevard County, 15-6, on Monday.

 

The Yankees (31-24) had given up five runs in the top of the fourth before they nearly doubled that total in the bottom half, all with two outs. Corona began the outburst when he ripped a three-run shot over the left-field wall. Edwar Gonzalez tied the game, 5-5, with an RBI single and the go-ahead runs scored on third baseman Mat Gamel's Minor League-leading 26th error of the year.

 

Corona also had an RBI single in the eighth as he went 2-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Gonzalez led off the second with a home run, his second, as he went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

 

Tampa starter Daniel McCutchen (5-0) won for the fourth time in his last five starts, despite giving up six runs on 13 hits and striking out three in a season-high eight innings.

 

Michael Bell's grand slam fueled the five-run fourth for Brevard County (33-24). Gamel went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

 

Manatees starter Rafael Lluberes (4-4) gave up eight runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits and two walks, striking out one in four innings. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Check out LHP Rafael Lluberes' stat page at the end of this post -- he hadn't given up more than two earned runs in eight starts before this game, but he's walked too many and hasn't pitched deep into games. Only 22, so there's a reason he's been on the Power 50 -- is he really 6'4", 155? Top of the order with a nice night offensively, but where are the walks (Manatees 9th in the 12-team league in that category); Nestor Corredor really, really can't hit (.338 OPS); folks shouldn't forget that Mike Bell has some pop (12 HR's in West Virginia last season), speaking of which, Mat Gamel with three singles, but still searching for that first long ball; earlier last evening, this box score listed five Brevard errors -- official scorer cleaned up two of them, including one of Ned Yost's...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503

 

Brevard County Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_tbyafa_1

 

LHP Rafael Lluberes MiLB.com Page:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=453652

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 6, Chattanooga (Reds) 5

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1196

 

DiFelice Does the Job in Relief

 

Mark DiFelice threw four scoreless innings in relief to preserve a tenuous one-run lead, as a five-run first inning stood up in Huntsville?s 6-5 win over Chattanooga Monday night in the middle game of a five-game set at AT&T Field. The Stars won for a fifth time in the last six games to improve to 31-25 on the season and maintained a share of first place in the North Division with Tennessee (an 8-1 victor over Birmingham), while the Lookouts fell to 25-33 and seven games off the pace. The Stars have won five of the eight games between the teams, including three of the four games decided by one run.

 

Huntsville jumped on Lookouts? starter James Avery for five first inning runs, the second time the Stars have tallied five times in the first in their last eight games. Lou Palmisano and Brendan Katin delivered run-scoring singles, Adam Heether added a two-run double and scored on a Yohannis Perez sacrifice fly to complete the uprising. Steve Sollmann?s run-scoring single in the second chased home Hernan Iribarren to give the visitors a 6-0 edge. Avery was taken out after four innings and charged with the loss after yielding six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. He has now permitted 19 runs, 17 earned, on 25 hits over 13 innings in his last three starts.

 

Corey Thurman tossed three scoreless frames in his first start of the season before Tyrell Godwin led off the fourth inning with a home run, his second with the Lookouts, to trim the visitors lead to 6-1. It was the sixth long ball allowed by Thurman this season and the fourth that led off an inning. Thurman walked the next two hitters and was taken out of the game and replaced by David Johnson, who was making his double-A debut. Cody Strait walloped his second pitch over the wall in left field for a three-run homer that cut the lead to 6-4. Luis Bolivar then tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Tonys Gutierrez that sliced the visitors lead to just one.

 

Johnson got through the fifth unscathed and was taken out of the game after a leadoff double by Ryan Hanigan in the sixth and replaced by DiFelice. The veteran got Strait to fly out to right to move Hanigan to third with the potential tying run. Bolivar missed on a squeeze bunt attempt and Hanigan was tagged out by catcher Lou Palmisano for the second out of the frame. DiFelice fanned Bolivar to end the inning and retired the side in order in the seventh. He worked around a leadoff single by Paul Janish in the eighth and set down the home side in order in the ninth, fittingly striking out Marland Williams to end the game, to earn his third win of the season. The four innings worked by DiFelice represent the longest outing by a Stars? reliever this season and the sixth time this season in 19 outings he has thrown at least three innings.

 

The series continues Tuesday night when the Stars will send southpaw Steve Hammond to the hill against Lookouts? right-hander Carlos Fisher. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

30-year-old Mark DiFelice has been one of those guys teams must have to earn postseason chances -- he's been a godsend, if not a flashy one in a prospect kind of way; Steve Sollmann on base four more times -- perhaps the most consistent box score lines in the system day after day, remind yourself about his season at the bottom of this post...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

 

Steve Sollmann's MiLB.com Page:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=446538

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Outfielder Drew Anderson:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-4.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Tucson (Diamondbacks) 3

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

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

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2363

 

Sounds Win Again, Defeat Tucson 5-3

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds continued their winning ways on Monday evening at Greer Stadium, dispatching the Tucson Sidewinders, 5-3.

 

The win was the fifth in the last six games for Nashville (31-26), which ensured itself a winning homestand.

 

The Sounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Tucson starter Enrique Gonzalez in the bottom of the first inning. Ozzie Chavez led off with a single to right and Chris Barnwell walked before Laynce Nix forced Barnwell at second to put runners on the corners with one out. Drew Anderson hit a comebacker to the right of the mound and Chavez beat the throw home to score the game?s first run.

 

After Vinny Rottino singled to load the bases, Gonzalez uncorked a wild pitch to allow Nix to score the second run before Brad Nelson singled to short right to plate Anderson.

 

Rottino?s first-inning single extended the catcher?s hitting streak to nine games, matching his longest effort of the season.

 

Jose Macias increased the Nashville lead to 5-0 in the third with a two-out, two-run single to right off Gonzalez that scored Anderson and Rottino.

 

AUDIO: Jose Macias Two-Run Single --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-4.mp3

 

Gonzalez helped his own cause by driving in the first Sidewinders run with an RBI single off Tim Dillard in the top of the fourth inning.

 

Tucson got two more runs back from Dillard in the fifth to make it a 5-3 contest. Former Sound Mark Johnson laced an RBI single to right before Augie Ojeda ripped a run-scoring double just inside the first-base bag down the right field line.

 

Dillard worked his shortest outing of the season, lasting only 4 1/3 innings while throwing 95 pitches. He allowed three runs on nine hits.

 

Nashville native R.A. Dickey (4-4) earned the win in relief for the Sounds after turning in an outstanding outing. The knuckleballer allowed just one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless frames that included three strikeouts.

 

Left-hander Joe Thatcher worked a perfect ninth, including a pair of strikeouts, to earn his first save of the season. He became the sixth different Nashville hurler to notch a save this year.

 

Nix went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to six games, matching his best effort of the season.

 

Gonzalez (2-5) took the loss for the Sidewinders after giving up five runs in six hits over four frames of work.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a noon finale on Tuesday afternoon at Greer. Right-hander Chris Oxspring (4-3, 2.88) will make the start for the Sounds to face right-hander D.J. Carrasco (2-4, 5.13).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Anybody ready for some Joe Thatcher in Milwaukee after watching Brian Shouse's recent struggles? Wouldn't he have more value that Chris Spurling, for instance? Vinny Rottino is a hitter's hitter...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Dickey escapes jam, gives Sounds win

Comes on in relief to shut down Tucson

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Rocky Top is played when R.A. Dickey enters a Sounds game at Greer Stadium.

 

And it was a rocky situation when the former Tennessee Vols pitcher stepped to the mound in Monday night's game against Tucson.

 

Dickey, a knuckleballer, stopped a Sidewinders' rally in the fifth inning and led the Sounds to a 5-3 victory.

 

A crowd of 4,358 saw Nashville pick up its fifth win in its last six games.

 

Dickey (4-4) relieved Tim Dillard and allowed just one hit, no runs and struck out three over 3 2/3 innings.

 

"Dillard was just in battle mode, he did a great job of battling all night,'' Dickey said. "I just happened to be able to pick him up and leave his runners out there. I think it helps just to get strike one and I was able to do that with one of the first two pitches to every hitter I faced. You get a little more comfortable when you do that."

 

The win was Dickey's third consecutive after starting the season 1-4. The former Montgomery Bell Academy star has three wins in his seven relief appearances.

 

"From the beginning of the year R.A. is much better,'' Sounds Manger Frank Kremblas said. "He had some tough outings early where I think he got a little bit away from his knuckleball at times in some key spots and that hurt him. Now he's staying with it when he needs to."

 

The only hit against Dickey came in the sixth when Tucson's Jeff Salazar knocked a single to right field.

 

Dickey retired the side in the seventh and eighth innings.

 

Dillard's trouble was unusual. He entered the game with a 3.51 ERA in his first 11 starts and had won three of his previous four starts. He allowed nine hits and three runs while striking out just one in 4 1/3 innings.

 

Joe Thatcher relieved Dickey in the ninth and picked up his first save. Thatcher became the sixth different Sounds pitcher to get a save.

 

Nashville jumped to a 5-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run double by Jose Macias.

 

Tucson's first run came in the fourth on an RBI single by pitcher Enrique Gonzalez.

 

What they said: "It's probably difficult for batters to see a knuckleball (after facing another pitcher). I think it's a big adjustment just seeing a knuckleball anytime because they don't see them very often.'' ? Kremblas.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Sounds make wish reality for sick child

By MIKE ORGAN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Eric Curtis, a 9-year-old baseball fan from Dickson who suffers from leukemia, will throw out the first pitch at the Sounds game today against Tucson and be given VIP treatment at Greer Stadium.

 

Curtis is among several local recipients who are part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation national campaign to fulfill more than 100,000 wishes in the next four years for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

 

Curtis will learn this morning at Union Station Hotel that his wish trip has been granted. Along with their visit to Greer Stadium, Curtis and his family leave Thursday for New York and attend the Yankees game against Pittsburgh on Friday.

 

Included in that trip will be a limousine ride to Yankee Stadium and the opportunity for Curtis to meet the players.

 

Make-A-Wish volunteers visited Curtis in the hospital earlier this year to tell him he was eligible to receive a wish. He didn't hesitate ? his wish was to go to a Yankees game and meet the players.

 

Curtis and the other recipients' experience will begin when country music stars Big & Rich greet them at Union Station this morning at 7. They will then board their own party bus rental that will take them to the Nashville Zoo.

 

When they arrive at Greer Stadium Curtis will throw out the first pitch for the noon game and the entire group will sit in a skybox.

 

Streaks alive: Sounds utility man Vinny Rottino extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the first inning. That's Rottino's longest hit streak of the season. Rottino added a double in the third. Laynce Nix's double to the center field wall in the third inning extended his hitting streak to six games, which matches his longest of the season.

 

Old friend: Former Sounds outfielder Dave Krynzel made a nice play in deep left field in the second inning when he caught a fly ball that reached the warning track by Chris Barnwell to end the inning.

 

Capitalizing: After Nashville loaded the bases in the first inning the Sounds scored three runs. Tucson loaded the bases in the third inning when Brian Barden was hit by a pitch. The Sidewinders, however, failed to capitalize when Mark Johnson's fly ball reached the edge of the warning track and was caught by Nix.

[homer]

Quote:

---

Am I the only one needing methadone because West Virginia isn't playing tonight?

---

 

No! I actually let out an audible sigh when I saw they weren't playing. I love that team.

[LouisEly]

Anybody ready for some Joe Thatcher in Milwaukee after watching Brian Shouse's recent struggles? Wouldn't he have more value that Chris Spurling, for instance?

 

 

Wouldn't Thatcher have more value than Brian Shouse, for instance?