Link Report for Games of Tuesday, April 17th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Tim Dillard at Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Manny Parra at home vs. Jacksonville (Dodgers), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP Rafael Lluberes at Jupiter (Marlins), 5:35 PM

 

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

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

 

West Virginia: Idle -- haven't played since Saturday

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday'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_orhaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_jupafa_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 Monday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 6 5 .545 - 3-1 3-4 L1 Nashville 6 5 .545 - 3-4 3-1 L1 Memphis 6 6 .500 0.5 5-3 1-3 W1 Omaha 5 7 .417 1.5 3-1 2-6 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 5 6 .455 - 3-3 2-3 L2 Huntsville 4 5 .444 - 2-4 2-1 L2 Tennessee 4 5 .444 - 1-2 3-3 W2 West Tenn 4 7 .364 1.0 0-1 4-6 L2 Carolina 3 8 .273 2.0 1-0 2-8 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 6 4 .600 - 2-2 4-2 L2 Daytona 6 5 .545 0.5 4-2 2-3 W2 Jupiter 6 5 .545 0.5 1-2 5-3 L2 Brevard County 5 5 .500 1.0 2-4 3-1 W2 Palm Beach 5 5 .500 1.0 3-4 2-1 W2 Vero Beach 3 7 .300 3.0 2-3 1-4 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 8 3 .727 - 6-2 2-1 W1 West Virginia 6 3 .667 1.0 4-3 2-0 W4 Lexington 7 5 .583 1.5 5-3 2-2 W1 Hickory 5 4 .556 2.0 2-3 3-1 L2 Lakewood 4 4 .500 2.5 1-2 3-2 W1 Lake County 4 7 .364 4.0 2-2 2-5 L1 Hagerstown 4 8 .333 4.5 1-3 3-5 L1 Delmarva 3 7 .300 4.5 0-2 3-5 L2

[Mass Haas]

Subscribers at MiLB.com can watch Nashville at Oklahoma (or its archive) tonight. A daily purchase is $3.95.

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../video.jsp

[Mass Haas]

Final: Jupiter (Marlins) 4, Brevard County 0

Manatees get shut out despite nine base hits and three walks -- ugh...

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Four players with two hits apiece; four scoreless innings for the bullpen, but Dave Johnson allowed his two inherited runners to score...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_jupafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

Strikeout for Charlie Fermaint with the bases loaded and one out in the 4th; Manatees had at least one baserunner in all nine innings and failed to score...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_jupafa_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress: Huntsville 5, Jacksonville (Dodgers) 0, bottom of the 4th in Huntsville

Brendan Katin broke out of his slump in the most clutch of ways in the first, with a two-out single, after it appeared the Stars were about to waste a bases-loaded, no out advantage; don't fear, Stars fans, Huntsville won't go without a home run this season -- Steve Sollmann has hit one tonight; you might want to check out Mr. Manny Parra's game log after four innings -- just sayin'...

[homer]

Great night for Parra. 7IP, 7K, 0 BB.....I would love it if he could stay healthy all year.

[DannyKmilw]

Parra's line: 7IP 5H 2ER 1BB 7K.

 

When does he get to AAA? Mid season? Earllier?

 

Or is it when the orginization gives up on Dickey?

[pogokat]

Final: Huntsville 10, Jacksonville 2 (Dodgers)

 

Giant Night by Brendan Katin and Manny Parra...

 

Huntsville County Box Score:

Two walks apiece for Hernan and Cap'n Lou...a three bagger for Yohannis...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb..._hunaax_1

 

Huntsville County Game Log:

Reading about the bottom of the fourth will make you forget about the Brewers game tonight...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb..._hunaax_1

[TheCrew07]

Cain's average has doubled in the last 5 days... I'm trying not to jinx him, so I'll just leave it at that.

[pogokat]

Final: Oklahoma 5 (Rangers), Nashville 4

 

Tim Dillard gives up a buncha hits, but gets through...

 

Nashville County Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._orhaaa_1

 

Nashville County Game Log:

Ryan Braun k's to end the only Nashville rally of the night...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._orhaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1112

 

Katin "Krushes" and Parra Pitches Stars to Victory

 

Brendan Katin collected four hits, including a grand slam, and knocked in six runs to back the five perfect innings tossed by Manny Parra in Huntsville?s 10-2 win over Jacksonville Tuesday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars halted a two-game slide to improve to 5-5 and maintain their share of the lead in the North Division, while the visitors fell to 6-6 on the season and four games behind front-running Birmingham in the Southern League South. The Stars defeated the Suns for the first time in 13 tries dating back to a 7-5 decision on June 27, 2005 at ?the Joe.?

 

Katin delivered a two-out, two-run bases loaded single in the first inning to get the home team on the board and post the first runs against Jacksonville starter William Juarez, who had tossed 14 scoreless innings in his first two starts of the season. Hernan Iribarren delivered a two-out, run-scoring double in the second inning to give the Stars a 3-0 edge.

 

Lou Palmisano walked to lead off in the third and Steve Sollmann followed with a home run to left field, the first for the Stars on the season, which ended the longest drought without a long ball at the start of the season in franchise history. It was also just the third home run in his career in 1,068 at-bats. Katin, who had started the year 4-for-32, slugged a monstrous grand slam to left-center field with two outs in the fourth to push the lead to 9-0. Jeff Eure followed with a single and scored the final run for the home side when Yohannis Perez tripled into the left field corner. The 10 runs for the Stars doubled their previous season-high and the 12 hits they collected were the most in any game this season.

 

Meanwhile, in the midst of the offensive barrage, Parra quietly and effectively retired the first 15 batters he faced before Anthony Raglani led off with a double into right field on the first pitch of the sixth inning. Alberto Concepcion followed with a single and Chin-Lung Hu?s fielder?s choice grounder two batters later plated Raglani with the visitors first run.

 

Marshall McDougal singled in the Suns second run in the seventh and Parra was taken out with the bases loaded and one out after allowing five hits, walking one and fanning seven. Marino Salas retired the next two hitters to get out of trouble in the seventh and worked scoreless relief in the eighth and ninth innings to close out the Stars most lopsided win of the year. Juarez was charged with all 10 runs, on 10 hits, over four frames and suffered his first loss of the season.

 

The series continues Wednesday morning with Huntsville sending left-hander Adam Pettyjohn to the hill against Suns? left-hander Eric Cyr. Coverage of the game begins at 10:20 a.m. central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

Link, text follows:

 

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

 

Katin, Sollman go long in Stars romp

Katin's grand slam, Sollman 2-run blast dim Suns

By BRAD SHEPARD

For the Huntsville Times

 

Off the field, Brendan Katin and Steve Sollman are best friends and roommates.

 

So when Katin went 0-for-7 during Monday's marathon, wasting multiple scoring opportunities, the two buddies didn't have a whole lot to chat about afterward.

 

Tuesday, however, made for quite the conversation piece.

 

Katin went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and six RBIs to one-up Sollman and lead the Stars to a 10-2 thrashing of Jacksonville.

 

Though Sollman hit his team's first home run of the year with a two-run shot in the third, Katin's long grand slam overshadowed it.

 

"As long as he's hitting, that's all I care about," Sollman cracked, "because I've got to deal with him off the field.

 

"I'm more than happy to get upstaged by Brendan."

 

In a star-filled night, nobody shone brighter than Huntsville's right fielder. Katin started with a clutch two-out, two-run single in the first, and didn't let up.

 

"He was due a couple hits," Stars hitting coach Sandy Guerrero said.

 

A couple big hits were more than enough for left-hander Manny Parra, who had a perfect game working through five innings, to the delight of 971 fans at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

Parra's brilliance was in stark contrast to Jacksonville starter William Juarez.

 

Nobody saw it coming, either. Entering Tuesday, the Stars had no home runs in nine games, and Juarez was 2-0 with a 0.00 earned run average.

 

All that changed quickly.

 

Huntsville (5-5) loaded the bases in the first, and after two quick outs, Katin picked up his teammates with the two-run single.

 

Hernan Iribarren added an RBI single with two outs in the second, but the biggest hit of the season - albeit briefly - came when Sollman crushed his two-run homer off Juarez.

 

The shot snapped an 89-plus-inning drought that was Huntsville's longest power outage to open a season.

 

"He got the first one," Katin said with a grin, "but I hit it further."

 

Sollman's home run made the score 5-0 and appropriately smacked the Downtown Rescue Mission billboard.

 

Then with two outs in the fourth, Huntsville loaded the bases again to set the stage for Katin. He delivered in grand fashion, sending a no-doubter just to the left of the scoreboard to clear the bases.

 

Juarez turned and watched, probably avoiding the scoreboard that read 10 runs and 10 hits through four innings. By that time, his pitching appeared like batting practice.

 

The Stars hit him much better than Suns reserve catcher A.J. Ellis, who finished the game on the mound with a perfect inning.

 

Though overshadowed by Katin, Sollman's game wasn't too shabby, either. He finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs.

 

While Juarez was forced to grind out four horrific innings following Monday's 14-inning, bullpen-draining game, Parra cruised.

 

The Suns finally broke through for a run against the Stars starter on two hits in the sixth.

 

By that time, the outcome had long been decided. Parra went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, getting plenty of help from a pair of roommates along the way.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1

 

Suns shortstop Hu has 'ming xing' potential

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com

Huntsville Times

 

He was a "ming xing." That's as best as we can translate from the elegant, exotic characters of written Chinese into our letters.

 

"He was like a superstar." That's the English translation, and the description of Chin-Lung Hu for Sandy Guerrero.

 

Today, Hu is in his second season as a shortstop for the Jacksonville Suns, the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate. He is one of the organization's top prospects, a member of Taiwan's team in last year's World Baseball Classic and the No. 1 defensive shortstop in the Southern League last year.

 

He has been playing in the U.S. since 2003, which means every bit of cleverness has long been wrung out of "Hu's on first" lines and "Who Are You?" cascading from stadium P.A. systems.

 

Guerrero is the Huntsville Stars' hitting coach. He has been the de facto manager for much of the season as Don Money has been in New Jersey with his ailing father.

 

Ten years ago, Guerrero was a shortstop for the Brother Elephants in Taipei. Hu was a batboy, working for the Lions in Tainan.

 

Last year, Guerrero spotted Hu before a game. He began shouting in Chinese. Immediately, Hu said, "That's Guerrero!" Sandy didn't know the kid or their connection until Hu told him the story.

 

Hu should have recognized him. Guerrero led the league in hitting in 1998. He did TV commercials. He was a celebrity. People recognized him in the streets. Restaurant owners picked up his dinner tab.

 

A far cry from when he first arrived in Taiwan and was trying to chip through the language barrier and was stymied simply going into a McDonald's and pointing to a photo to place his order and trying to somehow get them to hold the onions, pickles and tomato.

 

"I made it a point to learn one or two (Mandarin) words a day," Guerrero said. He eventually became fluent, if occasionally confused as he danced between the Spanish of his native country, English and Chinese.

 

"My accent got extremely messed up," he confessed.

 

Hu is an affable youngster who offered a "What's up!" greeting to an interviewer Tuesday afternoon. He learned the basics of English in a Taiwan classroom, built a comfort level from hours of watching American TV and has added other words frequently found in locker rooms.

 

Along with some universal baseball words, he shares the universal woes of minor leaguers. "I don't like the bus trips," Hu said. "They're too long over here." Otherwise, living in the U.S. "is not a big problem."

 

He described his homeland, an island off the mainland of the People's Republic of China, as "a small country with a lot of people. It gets a lot like Florida - hot and humid and a lot of rain."

 

The former Chinese Baseball League shortstop has been impressed by current Chinese shortstop.

 

"His defense is as good as you're going to get," Guerrero said. "His arm is strong and extremely accurate. If he gets to the ball, you're out."

 

Offensively, as scouts also note, Hu has a few holes. "But he'll play in the big leagues," Guerrero said.

 

With "ming xing" potential, at that.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

 

STEVE SOLLMANN ENDS RECORD DROUGHT

When it rains, it pours, doesn't it?.

 

After 9 games, the Stars could never scratch for more than five runs in any one game and Monday night was the ultimate nightmare -- a 14-inning epic exercise in frustration -- three runs out of 15 walks and five hits........ Squandered were a bases loaded situation in the 2nd inning with one out, runners left on 1st and 3rd in the 5th and 6th, and the bases left loaded again in the 8th and the 13th innings...... When Steve Sollmann singled to center in the 13th, it was the Stars' first hit since the 5th inning...... Sollmann walked five times to tie a club record set by Gary Jones in 1986........ In the first seven innings, the Stars hit the ball out of the infield eight times and in their first 34 at-bats, they had ten walks, nine strikeouts, and two pop fouls.

 

Thankfully, you can't repeat something that awful in baseball very often, and on the eve of Don Money's return to the Stars, they went wild, scoring in each of their first four innings, and attaining season highs in runs and hits....... In addition, Sollmann's 3rd inning home run over the short fence in left-center field, his 3rd home run in 1,068 career at-bats, broke a record drought from the opening bell of 84 innings without a home run. (It snapped a streak of 57 innings broken by Dave Elliott in the Stars' 7th game of 1999.) And if that wasn't enough, Brendan Katin stroked the Stars' first grand-slam of the season hitting either off, above, or below the star-shaped ad sign in left field (The grand-slam off William Juarez was the first against a Jacksonville pitcher since Jeff Deardorff took Rick Roberts out of the park on August 3, 2002........ Katin finished his night with six RBIs -- the most by any Star since Enrique Cruz knocked all six of the Stars runs in a May 23, 2005 win over Carolina.

 

The game was supposed to be a pitching duel between Manny Parra, who won his first, and previously, his only start of the year, and Nicaraguan-born Juarez, who came into the game unscored upon in his two previous starts covering 14 innings....... But the Stars brought him down to earth quickly.

 

A 1st inning bunt single by Mel Stocker, a stolen base, a walk to Hernan Iribarren, and a single to left by Steve Moss and the Stars were in front, 1-0, before Juarez could get an out...... After dispatching Lou Palmisano on a foul out and getting a strikeout on Sollmann, it looked like a repeat of last night, but Katin's single to center made it 3-0 and a two-out RBI single to center by Iribarren in the 2nd made it 4-0...... Sollmann's two-run HR in the 3rd came with nobody out, and was followed by another hit by Katin....... After batting around in the 4th inning and scoring five runs with two out, Juarez was gone....... He had served up a feast of ten runs on ten hits and three walks in four innings....... In 2005 (he pitched for Class AAA-Las Vegas last year), Juarez had an ERA of 2.35 in three appearances.

 

It certainly looked like the Stars were going to get a month's worth of runs on this pleasant 73° night with a still wind. But it was back to reality in a desolate stadium with a triple-digit crowd at the Joe for the 5th straight night........ Three Jacksonville relievers struck out eight and held the Stars to just two hits in their last four innings, and limited them further to just four balls out of the infield.

 

Wednesday is a school-day special, which means a 10:00 AM start....... Adam Pettyjohn, a former Sun himself, faces Eric Cyr, the former Mobile Bay Bear in 2002, who pitched in only one game last year, and that for independent Quebec of the Can-Am League....... This will be Cyr's 3rd start. He held the Diamond Jaxx scoreless for 4 2/3 innings on April 12, but is 0-1, 3.72 after being banged up by the Smokies in his first start on April 7........ Pettyjohn went five innings against the Smokies last Thursday, striking out seven in his lone victory so far in two starts.

 

The Stars have committed only eight errors after ten games........ It's the 3rd straight season that Huntsville has made fewer than ten errors after ten games and only the 5th time in club history........ Hernan Iribarren's 4th inning double to left was his 3rd consecutive game with a double. Despite some consistent success this season, Hernan is hitting just .250, but is 8-for-29 (.276) at home....... Brendan Katin's four-hit night propelled his average almost 100 points from .125 to .216. Here's hoping he's broken out of his early-season slump........ The starting rotation, after 10 games, is 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA in 48 2/3 innings....... In 42 1/3 innings of work, the bullpen has given up just 24 hits to the rotation's 62. They have a working ERA of 1.70 and have struck out 53 and walked just six.

 

The Stars have climbed to 6th among team ERA leaders (3.51) and have the best strikeout-walk ratio among league pitching staffs (4.89:1)....... At the plate, they came in with a .205 average. Only Carolina (.198) was worse after nine games........ The Stars are averaging 1,148 per game after eight home dates --- last in the Southern League.

[Mass Haas]

From Monday, Nashville Pre-Game Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-16.mp3

 

Nashville Pre-Game Chat with First Baseman/Outfielder Brad Nelson:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-17.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Tim Dillard photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2267

 

Sounds Fall To RedHawks, 5-4

 

OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Nashville Sounds were on the short end of 5-4 decision on Tuesday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, losing to the Oklahoma RedHawks in the opener of a four-game series.

 

The defeat was the second in a row for Nashville (6-6), which fell back to a .500 on the season but maintains a share of first place.

 

Oklahoma took an early lead with a three-run rally against Tim Dillard in the bottom of the first inning. The RedHawks opened with four consecutive hits, including an RBI single by Desi Relaford in his first plate appearance of the season. Relaford scored the second run on a Marlon Byrd groundout before David Matranga dropped a two-out squeeze bunt up the third base line to plate Victor Diaz (3-for-4) to make it a 3-0 contest.

 

The Sounds jumped into the lead with a four-run outburst against RedHawks starter Mike Wood in the top of the fifth. Ozzie Chavez put Nashville on the board when he drove in Andy Abad with a one-out RBI single to right. After a Chris Barnwell walk loaded the bases, second baseman Callix Crabbe unloaded them with a three-run double to left that gave the Sounds a 4-3 advantage.

 

The RedHawks pulled back into the lead in the bottom of the sixth, tying the contest on a Guillermo Quiroz RBI single and moving in front by a 5-4 count on Ramon Vazquez?s sacrifice fly that chased Dillard.

 

Oklahoma reliever A.J. Murray (2-0) was awarded the victory after working two perfect innings that included a pair of strikeouts.

 

Nashville put the potential tying run on second base with two outs in the top of the ninth when Joe Dillon reached on a two-base error by Oklahoma shortstop Drew Meyer. However, Frank Francisco struck out Brad Nelson to end the game and earn his second save for the RedHawks.

 

Dillard (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out four during his 95-pitch outing.

 

Andy Abad recorded two of Nashville?s five hits on the evening and is batting .538 (7-for-13) in his last four games after opening the year with 12 hitless at-bats.

 

The teams continue the series with an 11:05 AM meeting tomorrow morning. Right-hander Chris Oxspring (0-1, 2.61) will man the bump for the Sounds and face RedHawks right-hander Doug Mathis (0-2, 8.22).

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com:

 

Hutchinson blanks Manatees

 

Trevor Hutchinson and two relievers combined to scatter nine hits as Jupiter blanked visiting Brevard County, 4-0, on Tuesday.

 

Hutchinson (1-0) allowed five hits and three walks with three strikeouts before Jarrett Santos and Jacob Marceaux combined for four innings of four-hit ball.

 

Dante Brinkley went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Hammerheads (7-5), who snapped a two-game skid.

 

Manatees starter Rafael Lluberes (0-1) surrendered four runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts over four innings.

 

Brevard County (5-6) threatened in the fourth, loading the bases with one out, before Hutchinson struck out Charlie Fermaint and Nestor Corredor to escape the inning.

 

Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Cole Gillespie and Carlos Corporan had two hits apiece for the Hammerheads. --Michael Blinn/MLB.com