Link Report for Thur. 5/24 - The Braun Link Report Era Ends

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Thursday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Jose Capellan at home vs. Memphis (Cardinals), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Manny Parra at Mobile (Diamondbacks), 6:55 pre-game; 7:05 PM gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP Rafael Lluberes at home vs. Sarasota (Reds), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:00 PM gametime

 

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

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

 

West Virginia: RHP J.T. King at home vs. Augusta (Giants), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime

 

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

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Thursday'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_mobaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_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 Wednesday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 26 20 .565 - 14-6 12-14 W2 Nashville 24 22 .522 2.0 14-8 10-14 L1 Memphis 23 24 .489 3.5 15-9 8-15 W1 Omaha 21 24 .467 4.5 17-9 4-15 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 24 20 .545 - 9-10 15-10 W4 Huntsville 23 21 .523 1.0 13-12 10-9 L1 Chattanooga 20 26 .435 5.0 12-13 8-13 L2 West Tenn 20 26 .435 5.0 11-10 9-16 W1 Carolina 17 30 .362 8.5 9-13 8-17 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 28 18 .609 - 15-6 13-12 W1 Palm Beach 26 20 .565 2.0 13-12 13-8 L1 Vero Beach 22 24 .478 6.0 16-9 6-15 L2 Daytona 21 24 .467 6.5 13-8 8-16 L4 Jupiter 19 27 .413 9.0 7-14 12-13 W1 St. Lucie 18 28 .391 10.0 10-15 8-13 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 29 14 .674 - 14-9 15-5 W1 Greensboro 27 19 .587 3.5 15-6 12-13 L1 Lakewood 23 20 .535 6.0 10-11 13-9 W4 Delmarva 20 24 .455 9.5 11-11 9-13 W3 Lake County 20 25 .444 10.0 12-13 8-12 L4 Lexington 20 26 .435 10.5 10-14 10-12 W1 Hagerstown 19 27 .413 11.5 10-12 9-15 L3 Hickory 17 26 .395 12.0 7-10 10-16 W1

[Mass Haas]

From Wednesday's Game:

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

The West Virginia Power?s Chuckie Caufield (20) is tagged out on a sliding dive to second by the Augusta GreenJackets? Marcus Sanders.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/SLIDE52307.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Here's the exact text from the Daily Mail on Thursday afternoon:

 

Power points -- The teams (Augusta and West Virginia) will conclude their four-game South Atlantic League series at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). The Southern Division-leading GreenJackets (32-14) will start right-hander Adam Cowart (7-2, 1.84). The Northern Division-leading Power (29-14) is expected to throw right-hander J.T. King (4-1, 3.18) in place of left-hander Zach Braddock (3-1, 1.30), who is sidelined with a shoulder injury that could keep him off the mound for a month or more.

[Mass Haas]

Here's your Brevard County promotion for Thursday night:

 

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

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/05/20/PUuASfiN.jpg

[TheCrew07]

Nashville up 2-0 early.

 

Huntsville down early, Parra struggling a bit with 5 hits and 2 ER through 2.

 

The BC game is suspended according the box score due to a power outage of some sort.

 

WV down 2-1 entering the 7th.

[Mass Haas]

Suspended: Brevard County 4, Sarasota (Reds) 1, bottom of the 4th at Space Coast Stadium

 

MiLB.com:

 

Reds-Manatees game suspended

 

Thursday's Florida State League game between Sarasota and Brevard County was suspended due to a power outage at Space Coast Stadium.

 

The Manatees were leading in the fourth inning, 4-1, when the game was called. Action will resume at 5 p.m. ET Friday, ahead of the regularly scheduled game.

 

Partial Brevard County Box Score:

Mike Bell and Angel Salome with solo home runs; Mat Gamel 2-for-2 (singles); LHP Rafael Lluberes four walks in four innings with minimal damage...

 

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

[TheCrew07]

Brewer with another nice day, my warm and fuzzy about him might turn into a full blow man crush yet.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 4, Augusta (Giants) 2

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER EDGE GREENJACKETS

 

The West Virginia Power ended an eight game stretch against first place opponents with a 5-3 record after they defeated the Augusta GreenJackets 4-2 on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Power took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Darren Ford led off with a double and scored later in the inning on Michael Brantley?s groundout. Matt Weston?s solo home run in the fifth inning tied the game and Augusta took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning when Nestor Rojas scored on Ryan Rohlinger?s sacrifice fly.

 

The Power loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning where Andrew Lefave and Andy Bouchie hit back-to-back RBI singles to give West Virginia the lead for good. Brent Brewer added an insurance run in the seventh inning on a two out RBI single.

 

D.J. Lidyard (1-1) allowed just a run on three hits over two and two thirds to get the win, Omar Aguilar (3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get his first save since April 18th and Adam Cowart (7-3) was tagged with the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits over five and a third. J.T. King started for the Power and tossed five solid innings, allowing just a run on three hits.

 

The Power improved to 30-14 with the win and the GreenJackets fell to 32-15 with the loss. Brent Brewer paced the Power with three hits.

 

The Power will begin a four-game series against the Greenville Drive at Appalachian Power Park on Friday night. The Power will start left hander Luis Ramirez (1-1, 6.51) and the GreenJackets will counter with right hander Chris Jones (2-4, 3.65). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Brent Brewer added a sacrifice to his three singles, although he was caught stealing twice, and is now 15-for-20 in that category (Darren Ford is 23-for-30); Chuckie Caufield with the base hit, BB, and HBP trifecta; J.T. King's been solid, huh?

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

One of Brewer's caught stealing was third base with two already out -- ugh; closer Omar Aguilar sandwiched a 9th inning triple amid three K's...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[DHonks]

interesting to see Braun removed in a double switch.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewers GM Doug Melvin (Part 2 of 2):

Keep in mind this was taped a couple of days ago...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-24.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 9, Memphis (Cardinals) 5

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Joe Dillon photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2338

 

Sounds Use Big Inning To Down Redbirds, 9-5

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds erupted for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium to score a 9-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds in the finale of a four-game series.

 

With the victory, Nashville (25-22) earned a series split with Memphis and wrapped up its eight-game homestand with a 5-3 record.

 

Joe Dillon swung the big stick for the Sounds, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run on the evening.

 

The Sounds struck first, plating a pair of runs against Memphis starter Mike Smith in the bottom of the second inning. Dillon got things started with a leadoff home run to left, his third longball in his last six starts.

 

AUDIO: Joe Dillon's HR Starts The Scoring --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-24.mp3

 

Brad Nelson followed with a single and later scored the frame?s second run on a Charles Thomas groundout.

 

Memphis got a run back in the fourth on a Rick Ankiel sacrifice fly before Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell extended the Nashville lead to 4-1 in the bottom of that frame with a two-out, two-run single.

 

Jose Capellan took a no-decision for the Sounds in his second start of the year after a mid-May promotion from the bullpen. The right-hander worked four innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters. He threw 57 pitches in the outing.

 

The Redbirds greeted Nashville reliever R.A. Dickey with four runs in the top of the fifth to grab a 5-4 lead in the contest. Three of the four runs in the frame were unearned following a Dillon throwing error on a Smith bunt. Skip Schumaker, Brendan Ryan, and Nick Stavinoha (3-for-4) all produced RBIs in the frame.

 

Trailing by a run in the seventh, the Sounds sent 10 runners to the plate against a trio of Redbirds hurlers. Barnwell got things started with a leadoff triple then scored the tying run when pinch-hitter Andy Abad followed with an RBI single. After Ryan Braun drew a walk, Jose Macias drilled an RBI double down the left field line to give Nashville a 6-5 lead and chase Smith from the contest.

 

Chris Lambert took over on the hill and surrendered consecutive hits to Laynce Nix (RBI single) and Dillon (double) before intentionally walking Brad Nelson to load the bases. Mike Rivera greeted new Memphis hurler Hugo Castellanos with a two-run double off the left field wall to increase the lead to its final 9-5.

 

Dickey (3-4) picked up the win for the Sounds. He allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits in three innings of work in relief of Capellan.

 

Greg Aquino and Dennis Sarfate closed out the contest with a scoreless inning apiece for Nashville.

 

Smith (5-4) took the loss for Memphis after allowing seven runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 frames of action. He walked two batters and struck out three.

 

The Sounds travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday to open a brief four-game road trip against the Isotopes. Right-hander Tim Dillard (2-3, 3.25) will start the 8:05 p.m. CT series opener for Nashville and square off against Albuquerque southpaw Paul Mildren (3-4, 4.47).

 

Baseball returns to Greer Stadium on Tuesday when the Sounds open an eight-game homestand during which they?ll host the Las Vegas 51s (AAA-Dodgers) and Tucson Sidewinders (AAA-Diamondbacks).

 

Nashville Box Score:

Hopefully the very last time we see Ryan Braun's name in a minor league box score...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Mobile (Diamondbacks) 10, Huntsville 6

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1177

 

BayBears Bang Out 14 Hits in Win Over Stars

 

Carlos Gonzalez collected three hits and drove in four runs to push Mobile past Huntsville 10-6 Thursday night in the second of a five-game series at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears improved their season record to 25-22 and have claimed five out of seven against the Stars, who fell to 23-22 and remain one game behind Tennessee, which lost at home to Jacksonville, in the North Division standings. Huntsville committed a season-high three errors and issued a season-high eight walks in allowing double figures in runs for a third time this season.

 

Mobile loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh inning against Robert Hinton on an Adam Heether throwing error, a walk to Javier Brito and a base hit to left field by Justin Upton, who finished with three hits in five at-bats. Gonzalez then lined a 1-0 offering into centerfield for a double that cleared the bases and pushed the home team?s lead to 6-2. The highly-prized outfield prospect has knocked in nine runs in seven games against Huntsville pitching and has driven in multiple runs in a game three times.

 

Mel Stocker and Heether singled in the eighth and both scored on a double by Drew Anderson that cut the BayBears lead to 6-5. Hernan Iribarren grounded out to second for the second out of the inning, as Anderson rounded third base thinking that was the final out of the frame. Brito, the first baseman, threw wildly past third baseman Wilkin Castillo which allowed Anderson to score to trim the deficit to 6-5.

 

However, reliever Luis Pena could not keep the game close in the bottom half of the inning, as the first five batters all picked up a hit and produced four runs. Brito, Upton and Gonzalez all delivered run-scoring hits and Josh Ford?s double play grounder pushed across the final run in the Bay Bears highest scoring victory over the Stars this season. Mobile has scored 10 runs in three of its last five wins and leads the league with 229 runs scored.

 

Stars? starter Manny Parra allowed single runs in the first three innings and was taken out after 5 1/3, during which he allowed two earned runs on seven hits. He issued a season-high five walks and struck out five. Hinton allowed a season-high three runs, after yielding only four in his first 16 appearances, on two hits and a season-high three walks.

 

Trailing 3-2, Huntsville loaded the bases with one out in the fourth inning and could not score, as Guilder Rodriguez bounced into a force out at the plate and Steve Sollmann grounded out and then could not score still down 3-2 in the sixth with runners at second and third base and one out when Iribarren struck out and Rodriguez grounded back to the mound.

 

The series continues Friday night when Huntsville will send left-hander Adam Pettyjohn to the hill against BayBears? right-hander Jonathan Castellanos. 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:

Manny Parra's roughest outing of the season just as we tried to generate some AAA buzz for him...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

Listened to most of this game, and those wasted scoring chances in the 4th and 6th were just brutal...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=56371

 

Braun earns promotion, Sounds earn win

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

Even when he showed up at the spring training facility in Arizona before any of his teammates. Even when he hit the cover off the ball all season long here in Nashville.

 

Even when seat-warming third basemen Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino had their collective batting average hovering around the Mendoza line, the Milwaukee Brewers made Ryan Braun wait just a little bit longer for the big league call-up he?d already been waiting for his whole life.

 

On Thursday night, just minutes after the Sounds? come-from-behind 9-5 victory over Memphis in front of 8,538 fans at Greer Stadium, the wait ended for Braun.

 

Braun was brilliant in Music City this season. He hit .342 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs, while playing in the spotlight that has shined in recent years on top prospects like Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks.

 

Known in spring training as one of the hardest workers in the Brewers organization, this is Braun?s first big league promotion.

 

?I just found out five minutes [after the game] when [sounds manager Frank Kremblas] called me into the office and told me about it,? Braun said. ?I?m thrilled, I?m excited. It?s something I?ve been looking forward to my whole life. I just can?t wait to get out there and get started.?

 

Braun, a Southern California native, will meet up with the Brewers in San Diego where they are about to begin a series with the Padres.

 

?For me it?s the culmination of everything I?ve worked for in my baseball career to this point, so I?m thrilled,? Braun said.

 

Braun plugged away in Nashville even though the journeymen the Brewers had platooning at third ? Counsell and Graffanino ? were struggling at the plate.

 

Braun was told to work on his defense and stay patient. Counsell and Graffanino were hitting .231 and .187 as of Thursday.

 

But one day after Brewers general manager Doug Melvin left town after three games of diligent scouting, Braun was called up.

 

?Obviously, I?ve been looking forward to getting my opportunity for a while now,? Braun said. ?More than anything else I understand the complexity of [the] decision, but basically it?s out of my hands so what I tried to do was basically not think about it. I just tried to come out and work hard every day.?

 

As for the game itself, the star was Nashville?s Joe Dillon, who hit a homer and two doubles to pace the Sounds offense. Dillon also scored three runs.

 

?I?m definitely feeling a lot better at the plate,? said Dillon, who has three homers in his last six games. ?I feel like I?m getting my confidence back and getting my swing back.?

 

The Sounds (25-22) blew the game open in the seventh. Trailing by one, they scored five runs on six hits, including four for extra bases.

 

?That?s baseball,? Dillon said. ?You battle back and the game?s not over until it?s over.?

 

Reliever Elmer Dessens was put on the 15-day disabled list to make room for Braun.

[Mass Haas]

Some tidbits from the Charleston Daily Mail piece that focused on Jeremy Jeffress' return:

 

On a $1 drink night at Appalachian Power Park, most of the 5,776 fans didn't even know what might have brought a bigger ballpark buzz.

 

It wasn't cheap beer and it wasn't the West Virginia Power's 4-2 victory over Augusta Thursday, earning a split of a four-game series between the South Atlantic League's division leaders.

 

It wasn't even the fact that the Power handed GreenJackets' right-hander Adam Cowert, who shares the SAL lead with seven wins, only his fourth loss in 21 decisions in two pro seasons.

 

Brent Brewer had a very good night of his own, going 3-for-3 and starting West Virginia's two-run sixth-inning rally besides knocking in the Power's final run in the seventh. The shortstop, who passed up a Florida State football scholarship as a receiver, had his fifth three-hit game of the season and raised his average to .275.

 

"Honestly, I'm surprised I'm doing this well, but I've worked hard to pick things up," Brewer said. "I struggled a lot at first and I was seeing a lot of off-speed stuff. Now, I just try to stay back and wait on the pitch a bit longer and I'm seeing the ball much better."

 

Power points -- The Power (30-14) opens a four-game holiday weekend home series tonight at 7:05 (6:05 Central) against Greenville (19-27). West Virginia will send lefty Luis Ramirez (1-1) to the mound against Drive right-hander Chris Jones (2-4). ... Power right fielder Chuck Caulfield's eighth-inning single was his 58th hit of the season, ranking second in the SAL. ... West Virginia third baseman Taylor Green's gritty stop-and-grab of a tough hop with the bases loaded ended the GreenJacket eighth, turned a certain double into a groundout and saved the game from being tied. ... The Power's Memorial Day series closer Monday is a 1:05 PM start (12:05 Central). The time is listed erroneously on some schedules at 7:05 (6:05 Central).

[hsvstarsfan]

OUT OF CONTROL

Over the course of a 140-game season, or 138 as the Stars' season will be this year, you get games like this -- horrifically sloppy with a good share of wasted opportunities. It's a wonder the Stars twice were able to stay in this game as long as they did -- trailing by a run, 3-2 until the 7th when prized prospect Carlos Gonzalez sliced a bases-loaded double off Robert Hinton to give Mobile a 6-2 lead........ Then getting those runs back in the 8th to trail 6-5........ But in the end, the numbers told the story of this loss -- their 3rd in their last 4 -- 3 errors, 8 walks allowed, 9 left on base (6 with runners in scoring position and two out), and 5 stolen bases allowed....... Not even Manny Parra (5-1, 3.04 entering this game) was immune. He walked the leadoff hitter in four straight innings (3rd-6th) and gave up a leadoff single in the 1st and 2nd innings....... He had problems controlling his fastball tonight, leaving him unable to use it as a set-up pitch. If you can't control your fastball, you're certainly going to have a problem using your secondary stuff........ Even the bullpen, which has been the Stars' bread-and-butter this year, had its worst night of the season -- 7 runs, 6 earned, on 7 hits and 3 walks in just 2 2/3 innings, raising the club's bullpen ERA to over 3.00 for the first time this year........ Robert Hinton was able to extinguish a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the 6th by striking out Emilio Bonifacio, then getting Wilkin Castillo to foul out to Steve Sollmann, but in the 7th with the bases full and no one out, Gonzalez doubled to break open what had been a close game.

Unfortunately, the Stars were never able to take advantage of scoring opportunities in nearly every inning........ In the 3rd, Ruben Mateo was hit by an inside pitch to load the bases for Lou Palmisano, who has been slumping at the plate (4-for-23 in his last 8 games). But patience paid off. Lou fouled off a couple of 2-2 pitches, took an inside pitch, then walked on a low fast ball to force in Manny Parra, who led off the inning with a single....... Brendan Katin then ended the inning by flying out to shallow left after driving a 3-2 pitch deep enough to go out, but foul......... In the top of the 4th, reliever Clint Goocher came in and walked Hernan Iribarren on four pitches to fill the bases with one out. Guilder Rodriguez hit one back to Goocher who forced Mel Stocker out at the plate and Steve Sollmann, 4-for-26 against Mobile and 3-for-5 with 8 RBIs in bases-loaded situations, hit into a force at second....... In the 6th, the Stars had runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, but Iribarren struck out swinging and Guilder grounded the ball to Goocher to end the half........ In the 9th, with Palmisano batting, Sollmann advanced to 3rd on a balk by Abe Woody, but Palmisano and Katin both grounded to short to end the inning....... In the end, Hernan left 3 runners on base, Brendan left 4 runners stranded, Sollmann left 5, and G. Rod left 6.

The Stars are now 2-5 against Mobile this year...... Keeping in mind, this team was transplanted from east Tennessee last year, the Stars had losing records in 3 of the last 4 seasons against the Smokies.

Adam Pettyjohn, 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA this month in four starts, will face Jonathan Castellanos (5-3, 3.26), whose only no-decision in 9 starts this year came against the Stars on May 9.

Steve Sollmann (2, 21, .322) has been a model of consistency so far. He's not had two straight games in which he's failed to come up with a hit. He hit .362 in April (the 8th best mark for that month in Stars history) and is hitting .288 this month........Speedy Mel Stocker, who stole his 10th base and the Stars' all-time 2,999th base in the 4th inning, is turning it on --- 7 hits in his last 14 at-bats....... G. Rod, after getting his average up to .296, has since gone 1-for-12........ Streaky Steve Moss is hitting .235 (8-for-34) in his last 10 games, with a 4-hit game and a pair of 2-hit games sandwiched in between........ Brendan Katin has struck out 55 times in 157 at-bats (a .350 average), but he had 6 games, compared to 3 in April, in which he's avoided the whiff. Compared to Greg Sain last year, Sain's still far-and-away the whiff king. Sain struck out 49 times in 129 at-bats -- a .380 percentage....... And that still doesn't compare to these hitters:

Year ABs SOs Pct.
Rob DeBoer 1997 288 111 .385
Lance Burkhart 2002 85 33 .388
Michael Moore 2000 76 37 .487

For those who remember "strikeout kings" Steve Howard, Brad and Rob Nelson, Howard, the former season record-holder with 142 strikeouts, fanned at a 29.2% rate in 1988, Brad at a 29.4% rate, and Rob at 27.5%....... Hernan Iribarren was caught stealing in his 3rd consecutive game, tying a club record held by five other players, the last being Elvis Pena in 2002....... Adam Heether has a 7-game hit streak going (10-for-26, 4 RBIs), his longest since he broke in with the Stars in 2005. Making his Stars debut less than a week before Hurrican Katrina, he made an impression with an 8-game streak before being stopped by the Smokies on August 31.

Ryan Braun has made it to the majors........The 5th overall choice in the 2005 June draft is expected to be in the starting lineup when the Brewers face the San Diego Padres on the coast, Friday night. I'm tuning in to MLB's Extra Innings on DirecTV for that one........Braun was hitting .342 for Nashville, 7th in the PCL in batting........ The Brewers placed pitcher Elmer Dessens on the disabled list. Usually, a team replaces a pitcher with a pitcher, but not in this case...... Braun says his manager, Frank Kremblas, didn't say anthing. Just threw his flight itinerary on the table, and it took him awhile to figure out what had happened...... The 3rd base platoon of Tony Graffanino and Craig Counsell made a combined total of two errors there, but Counsell was hitting .231 with no HRs and Graffanino was hitting .187 with 1 HR and 8 RBIs.

The Oakland Athletics acquired former Huntsville Stars pitcher Alec Zumwalt from Nashville in a cash trade with Milwaukee. Zumwalt was 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA this season for the Sounds....... For the Stars in 2005, Zumwalt was 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 28 games, getting his first promotion to Triple-A after pitching 8 1/3 scoreless innings for the Stars in August.

David Weiser's Huntsville Stars Box Score