Link Report Wed. 5/23 - Sore Shoulder May Sideline Braddock

[homer]

Thanks, Joe. I was screwing up the total bases - counting doubles too many times.

[DHonks]

Roberts sure has taken to relieving. I wonder if his velocity has increased, too.

[pogokat]

Roberts was a reliever at the university of Houston...he also threw pretty hard to begin with...low to mid 90's, if i remember...

 

he's becoming one of the brewers top relief prospects..

[NastyTwig]

So is it safe to say that Palmisano is a real prospect again?

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 2, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 0

Derek Miller, who pitched in his senior year at the University of Vermont following Tommy John surgery, needs to be pushed to AA -- nothing against the Adam Pettyjohn's of the organization -- Miller hasn't allowed a run in three starts, and here are his ten-start stats on the season, he hasn't been knocked out early yet:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=460311

 

MiLB.com Game Notes:

 

Miller, Manatees baffle Jays

 

Derek Miller and two relievers combined on a six-hitter as Brevard County topped host Dunedin, 2-0, on Wednesday.

 

Miller (2-1) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings. The 25-year-old left-hander won his second straight start and lowered his ERA to 2.75.

 

Ben Stanczyk worked around three singles in the seventh, and Kevin Roberts gave up a hit and a walk while fanning four over two innings to notch his second save.

 

The Manatees (28-18) took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Lorenzo Cain doubled and came home on Angel Salome's single. Mat Gamel walked and scored in the ninth on an error by shortstop Luis Sanchez.

 

Dunedin starter Kristian Bell (2-3) yielded one run on four hits while striking out three and walking two over seven innings.

 

Eric Nielsen went 3-for-4 for the Blue Jays (21-24). -- Alan Friedman/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

 

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

 

Brevard County Game Log:

Lucky double-play lineout for Ben Stanczyk in the 7th...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dunafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2007052331

 

Bottom?s up

Nine-hole hitter Green smacks two-run homer

By Mitch Vingle

Charleston Gazette Sports Editor

 

If you?d like insight into why the West Virginia Power is flying high within the South Atlantic League, look at the man who bats low in the order.

 

The lowest, in fact.

 

Third baseman Taylor Green, batting ninth, hit his sixth home run of the season and improved his average to .318 in the Power?s 4-2 Grand Slam School Day victory over Augusta at Appalachian Power Park Wednesday. It was a battle of South Atlantic League divisional leaders.

 

West Virginia?s victory, recorded before a packed house announced at 6,822, snapped a four-game home losing streak and moved the Northern Division-leading Power to 29-14 on the year. Augusta, atop the Southern Division, fell to 32-14.

 

Green?s two-run shot to right field proved vital when Power submarine-style pitcher E.J. Shanks gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Augusta?s Matt Weston in the ninth inning.

 

Green, a left-handed hitter, pounded his shot in the seventh inning with teammate Jimmy Mojica on first via a bunt single.

 

?I was battling up there,?? said Green, who moved to the Power after a stay in Helena last season. ?It was a full count and [GreenJacket pitcher Paul "Buster" Lussier] left the pitch up. I was lucky enough to put a good swing on it.??

 

Green doesn?t seem to stop battling. He was a 25th-round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2005 draft, he stands just 5-foot-10 and it?s no pat on the back to be batting last in the order. Yet the 20-year-old third baseman continues to produce.

 

?You can?t let [hitting ninth] get to you,?? he said. ?You have to do your job and keep trying. Do what you?re asked to do.

 

?I?ve batted ninth every game this year. I have no problem with it. Whatever I can do to help the team.??

 

The Power needed help after failing to win at the APP since May 6, especially considering Wednesday?s game setup. On the mound for Augusta, which boasts the top South Atlantic League pitching staff, was Kevin Pucetas, who entered with a 5-0 record and 1.13 earned run average.

 

Pucetas pitched six strong innings, allowing just two runs on bloop RBI singles by Power infielders Brent Brewer and Michael Brantley.

 

West Virginia, though, countered with another strong outing from righty Mike McClendon. In his previous start, McClendon came within two outs of throwing a no-hitter against Asheville. This time around, he zipped through five innings on 58 pitches and allowed four hits and no runs. McClendon (4-1) struck out two and walked none.

 

?This is two in a row for [McClendon],?? said Power pitching coach John Curtis. ?We took him out a little early because of the pitch load he carried with that no-no into the ninth.??

 

McClendon threw 119 pitches against Asheville.

 

?I knew I was going short,?? McClendon said. ?I just wanted to give them the best five innings I could.??

 

He did so, dropping his ERA to 2.08.

 

?His whole package is what makes him so exceptional,?? Curtis said. ?He doesn?t have an overpowering fastball, but he has movement on it and locates it well. He knows what he?s doing out there.??

 

Curtis also praised reliever Patrick Ryan, who, during one stretch over two innings against four GreenJacket batters, recorded three strikeouts and a pickoff.

 

?They were begging for [the pickoff] back there,?? Curtis said of Augusta. ?We were telling [Ryan] to make a throw. Finally, he did.??

 

Augusta had not trailed in the series until the third inning Wednesday.

 

?This is a game we needed,?? Curtis said.

 

POWER POINTS: Chuckie Caufield led West Virginia with three hits and bumped his average to .317. ... Brantley reached on a pair of singles to extend his on-base streak to 19 games. ... The Power will continue the four-game series against the San Francisco Giants affiliate at 7:05 PM today (6:05 Central). The announced starter for West Virginia is lefty Zach Braddock (3-1, 1.30), but a sore shoulder may mean a start for righty J.T. King (4-1, 3.18). Augusta is expected to counter with Adam Cowart (7-2, 1.84), the Sally League co-leader in wins.

 

West Virginia?s Chuck Caufield steals second base ahead of the tag by Augusta?s Marcus Sanders during the Power?s 4-2 victory Wednesday.

Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power1.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Final: Mobile (Diamondbacks) 3, Huntsville 1

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Mobile Hangs Heartbreaking Loss on Huntsville

 

Justin Upton?s home run in a controversial at-bat sparked a three-run seventh inning rally that carried Mobile to a 3-1 win over Huntsville Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game series at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears improved their season record to 24-22 and to 4-2 against the Stars, who fell to 23-21 and one game behind victorious Tennessee in the North Division standings.

 

The Stars loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on walks to Ruben Mateo and Lou Palmisano and a single by Drew Anderson, who had his first two-hit game since rejoining the Stars on Monday. Adam Heether lined a 3-2 offering from Dustin Glant into right field that was caught by Carlos Gonzalez, who threw back to first base to double off Anderson to end the game. Mobile turned three double plays in the game, all of which ended innings.

 

Stars? starter Sam Narron was taken out of the game after being struck by a Jarred Ball grounder that went for a base hit to load the bases with two outs in the third inning. Mark DiFelice took over and got out of the jam by retiring Javier Brito on a fly ball out and pitched scoreless relief through the sixth inning before the decisive frame took place.

 

Upton appeared to have offered and missed a 1-2 pitch that was ruled a no-swing on appeal to the first umpire. The Diamondbacks number one rated prospect then took a 2-2 pitch that could have been called strike three and wasn?t before he hit an opposite field long ball, his fifth in 31 at-bats, to right field to tie the game. Wilkin Castillo singled with one out to chase DiFelice from the game and Ronnie Merrill then greeted Jeff Housman with a triple to center field on an 0-2 pitch that chased home Castillo with the go-ahead run. Merrill scored when Housman uncorked a wild pitch, his third of the season.

 

Kinsey went a season-best seven innings to earn his second win of the season, both over the Stars. He allowed a run on six hits, walked one and struck out five. His wild pitch with two outs in the first scored Steve Moss, who had singled and moved to third on a base hit by Ruben Mateo. Glant earned his fifth save of the season and has protected both of Kinsey?s wins.

 

The series continues Thursday night, as Huntsville will send left-hander Manny Parra to the hill against BayBears? right-hander Esmerling Vasquez. 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:

If Sam Narron's leg injury requires a DL stint, maybe Derek Miller will get the bump up, they're on the same schedule right now...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewers GM Doug Melvin (Part 1 of 2):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-23.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 8, Nashville 5

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Ryan Braun photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2336

 

9th-Inning Homer Leads Redbirds Past Sounds

 

NASHVILLE ? Memphis third baseman John Nelson belted a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the visiting Redbirds an 8-5 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Wednesday afternoon at Greer Stadium in each club?s longest game of the season.

 

Nelson?s blast, which came off Sounds reliever Alec Zumwalt, was his third of the season and highlighted a five-RBI afternoon. Edgar Gonzalez and Rico Washington, who had both singled, scored on the roundtripper.

 

The three hour and forty-two minute contest featured three ties before Memphis took its final lead in the last inning. Nashville (24-22) never led in the contest. The defeat was the ninth suffered by the Sounds this season after an opponent scored the winning run in its final at-bat.

 

The teams traded first-inning runs. Memphis shortstop Brendan Ryan scored an unearned run in the top of the frame on a Vinny Rottino passed ball. The Sounds responded in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Braun (3-for-4) led off with his team-leading 12th double of the year and tied the game when Callix Crabbe followed with an RBI single to center, which snapped a 12 at-bat hitless stretch.

 

Memphis pulled ahead with a run in the second then two more in the third against Sounds starter Zach Jackson. Skip Schumaker gave the visitors a 2-1 lead in the second with a two-out RBI single before John Nelson increased the advantage to 4-1 an inning later with a two-run double to left.

 

Nashville erased the three-run deficit in the fifth and sixth innings. Braun made it a 4-3 contest with a one-out, two-run homer to left off Redbirds starter Troy Cate in the bottom of the fifth. The blast was his team-leading tenth of the year and second in as many days.

 

AUDIO: Ryan Braun Goes Deep Again --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-23.mp3

 

The Sounds tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth when Rottino led off with a double, stole third, and scored on an errant throw by Redbirds catcher Matt Pagnozzi.

 

The clubs exchanged runs again in the seventh to bring the score to 5-5. Gonzalez plated Ryan with a one-out RBI single in the top of the frame before Joe Dillon evened the score with a sacrifice fly in the home half, bringing in Andy Abad from third.

 

Neither team scored again until Nelson?s game-winning longball in the top of the ninth pushed the score to its final 8-5.

 

Andy Cavazos (1-2) earned his first win of the season after working a scoreless inning of relief. Brian Falkenborg held the Sounds at bay in the ninth to notch his team-leading 11th save of the year.

 

Zumwalt (0-2) took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits in his lone inning of action.

 

Jackson, who took a no-decision, worked his shortest outing of the season for Nashville, working only 3 2/3 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a 7 p.m. finale on Thursday evening. Right-hander Jose Capellan (3-2, 3.79) will make his second start of the season for the Sounds. Memphis will counter with right-hander Mike Smith (5-3, 5.55).

 

ZUMWALT TRADED TO A?S: Following the game, the Milwaukee Brewers announced that Sounds reliever Alec Zumwalt has been traded to the Oakland Athletics organization in exchange for cash considerations. He is expected to report to Triple-A Sacramento. Zumwalt, who took the loss in Wednesday?s game for Nashville, finished 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 13 relief outings for the Sounds in 2007 after leading the club with 15 saves in 2006.

 

Nashville Box Score:

Ryan Braun a triple shy of the cycle, plus he walked; interesting to see Ozzie Chavez at second base and Chris Barnwell at shortstop -- perhaps working on building Ozzie's versatility; Grant Balfour has been unreal in his peripheral numbers -- 37 K's (37!) in 22.1 IP; only 14 hits and eight walks allowed...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=56339

 

Sounds reliever loses game, gets traded

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

Alec Zumwalt said he has nothing but fond memories of his two seasons with the Nashville Sounds.

 

His final memory surely won?t be at the top of the list. Zumwalt gave up a three-run game-winning homer to Memphis? John Nelson in the ninth and was then informed he had been traded to the Oakland A?s organization when the game had ended.

 

The Redbirds beat the Sounds 8-5 in front of 2,552 fans at Greer Stadium in a 3 hour, 42 minute tug-of-war that featured three ties.

 

Zumwalt has been traded before ? in 2004 from the Atlanta Braves to the Brewers organization.

 

?I was pretty surprised, [but] this isn?t the first time I?ve been traded,? Zumwalt said as he transported his belongings from his locker to a giant garbage bag. ?It?s a new opportunity. I have had nothing but good experiences here with these guys.

 

?I?m just going to miss playing with this group of guys. The fun that we had, I?ll always remember.?

 

Zumwalt was the Sounds? closer on last year?s Pacific Coast League Northern Division championship team. He collected 15 saves and a 3.69 ERA, but he hasn?t fared as well this season.

 

He was 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA and had given up one run or more in his last four appearances.

 

Against Memphis on Wednesday, Zumwalt entered in the ninth inning of a 5-5 game. He gave up two singles before Nelson hit his game-winning blast.

 

?You play this game long enough and you realize it is a business,? said Zumwalt, who will be on his way to meet up with his new River Cats teammates in Sacramento. ?That?s the harsh reality of it. There?s no hard feelings either way.

 

?I would have loved to have left on a better note than that. Nobody wants to lose the game in the ninth. This last week has been a rough one for me pitching-wise, but whether or not that had something to do with me getting traded is out of my control.?

 

The Sounds trailed 1-0, 4-1 and 5-4, but battled back to tie the game each time. Ryan Braun turned in his typical heroic performance, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, two runs and two RBIs.

 

Nashville (24-22) was put behind the 8-ball early because of a sub-par outing from starter Zach Jackson. Six days after using 89 pitches to throw a complete game one-hitter, Jackson lasted just 3.2 innings over 99 pitches as the Redbirds jumped to a 4-1 lead.

 

?[His] command, pace was not very good,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said of Jackson. ?He seems to do that when he loses his command, probably thinking too much out there, takes a little bit too long in between pitches.?

 

Vinny Rottino ended an 0-for-22 slump with a double in the sixth.

 

The Sounds will close out their series with the Redbirds (23-24) tonight at 7 p.m. at Greer.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....m3hooYU%3D

 

Long Sounds game is lost on late HR

By BRYAN MULLEN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

It was tough to tell what was longer: the game or John Nelson's home run.

 

The Nashville Sounds hung around for most of the nearly four-hour game, then reliever Alec Zumwalt hung a curveball to Nelson, which Nelson planted well behind the left-field wall for a three-run home run in the ninth.

 

The blast gave Memphis (23-24) an 8-5 win against the Sounds (24-22) in front of 2,552 at Greer Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

 

It was another shaky performance by Nashville's bullpen, which has been inconsistent of late.

 

"If you're winning, your bullpen is going to help you win, or they're going to help you lose," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "But they've been fine. You're going to have your ups and downs."

 

Zumwalt has had his ups (he led the Brewers organization in saves with 20 last year) and downs (Wednesday's three-run home run).

 

He was told after the game he had been traded to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations. He reports to Triple-A Sacramento today. The trade was made during the game and before Zumwalt's appearance in the ninth.

 

Sounds starter Zach Jackson was just as ineffective as Zumwalt. Jackson lasted only 3 2/3 innings, needed 95 pitches, and allowed three earned runs.

 

"His command was off, and his pace wasn't very good," Kremblas said. "When he loses his command, he thinks too much and probably takes a little too long between pitches."

 

The 3 hour, 42 minute game was the Sounds' longest this season. The previous longest was 3:24.

 

What they said: "When any pitcher doesn't have a good day, it's command of the fastball more than anything and working behind in the count." ? Kremblas on Jackson.

 

***

Link for Ozzie Chavez photo while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....m3hooYU%3D

 

Homers come easily for new leadoff hitter

By BRYAN MULLEN

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

This leadoff thing is working out for the Sounds' Ryan Braun.

 

For the second consecutive game, Braun has led off for Nashville and the results have been stellar. The third baseman went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run Wednesday, one day after going 2-for-3 with a solo homer.

 

Wednesday's homer was his team-leading 10th.

 

Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said earlier in the week he made the change to give Braun a few more at-bats. On Wednesday, Kremblas said he doesn't plan on messing with a good thing.

 

"Unless they tell me different at the top, I'll keep him there," Kremblas said.

 

Of Braun's 39 base hits this season, 22 have gone for extra bases.

 

Slump ended: Nashville's Vinny Rottino was looking for a bloop single, an infield hit, anything to break his long hitless streak. He settled for an extra-base hit.

 

The catcher broke an 0-for-22 slump with a double in the sixth. It was the longest hitless streak for any Sounds players this season.

 

Dickey perfect: Nashville native R.A. Dickey, who starred at MBA and Tennessee, worked 1-1/3 innings in relief and was perfect. He struck out three and did not allow a run, a hit or a walk.

[Mass Haas]

Look for reports online later today, but the Charleston Daily Mail is expected to report that Zach Braddock's shoulder injury could keep him off the mound for a month or more.

 

Of course, the worst two words in that statement are "or more".

[TheCrew07]

great....

[Team Canada]

For crying out loud..

[aintbize]

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can we get a break?

[brewmann04]

Man this is really unreal of this orgazation and that why they should continue to draft pitching.