Link Report for Games of Friday April 13th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: Hopefully no portions of triskaidekaphobia for anyone on tonight's menu...

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP R.A. Dickey at New Orleans (Mets), 6:40 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Mike Jones at Tennessee (Cubs), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: LHP Steve Garrison at home vs. St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM

 

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

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

 

West Virginia: LHP Zach Braddock at Delmarva (Orioles), 5:35 PM gametime

 

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

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

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday'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_nozaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_delafx_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 Thursday's Action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 5 3 .625 - 5-3 0-0 W1 Iowa 3 4 .429 1.5 0-0 3-4 L1 Nashville 3 4 .429 1.5 3-4 0-0 W2 Omaha 2 6 .250 3.0 0-0 2-6 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 4 3 .571 - 2-0 2-3 W3 Huntsville 4 3 .571 - 2-3 2-0 W2 West Tenn 3 5 .375 1.5 0-0 3-5 W1 Tennessee 2 5 .286 2.0 0-2 2-3 L4 Carolina 2 6 .250 2.5 0-0 2-6 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 5 2 .714 - 1-1 4-1 W1 St. Lucie 5 2 .714 - 2-0 3-2 W1 Brevard County 3 4 .429 2.0 2-3 1-1 L1 Daytona 3 4 .429 2.0 1-1 2-3 L2 Palm Beach 3 4 .429 2.0 2-3 1-1 L1 Vero Beach 2 5 .286 3.0 2-3 0-2 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 5 2 .714 - 3-1 2-1 W3 Hickory 5 3 .625 0.5 2-2 3-1 L1 Lexington 5 3 .625 0.5 5-3 0-0 L1 West Virginia 4 3 .571 1.0 4-3 0-0 W2 Lakewood 3 4 .429 2.0 1-2 2-2 L2 Delmarva 3 5 .375 2.5 0-0 3-5 W1 Hagerstown 3 5 .375 2.5 1-3 2-2 W1 Lake County 2 5 .286 3.0 0-0 2-5 L3

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Have I missed why Cain missed the double header last night? Nothing too serious I hope.

[bork]

Have I missed why Cain missed the double header last night? Nothing too serious I hope.

 

Was he celebrating his 21st birthday a day early?

[bretsky07]

Was he celebrating his 21st birthday a day early?

 

My roommates are getting tired of me bringing it up when it's a minor league player's birthday... thanks bf.net for helping me annoy my roommates!

[homer]

I noticed Cain's absence too. I chalked it up to his 1 for 20+ start. I'll be curious if he's not in lineup tonight.

[DHonks]

homer, he's in the lineup

[DHonks]

Ramlow and Periard with some nifty ERAs. Hard to believe Alex is a mere 19 years old, seeing as he was drafted at age 17.

 

EDIT: And technically, Periard was still 16 (a week shy of 17) when drafted in 2004 -- Mass Haas

[homer]

Errecart is off to a fast start for BC. I like his moxy.

[Boy Jeenius]

Listened to the Power game tonight. With Ford, Brewer, Caufield and Brantley at the top of the order - these guys can RUN. 2 bunt hits, runners in motion all the time, it was pretty cool to listen to. Braddock and Periard were really strong tonight, except for the time Periard threw to 1st with the runner not being held on. But he came right back and shut that inning down. Impressive.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 2, Delmarva (Orioles) 1

 

West Virginia Game Summary:

 

POWER WIN THIRD IN A ROW

 

The West Virginia Power fought off the Delmarva Shorebirds in a tight contest on Friday night to take the opening game of the four game series by the final score of 2-1 to win their third game in a row.

 

The Power scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Michael Brantley hit a groundball to Delmarva third baseman Pedro Silveren with the bases loaded and Silveren booted the ball, allowing Darren Ford to score. On the next pitch Kenny Holmberg singled to right field and scored Andrew Lefave. In the bottom of the ninth Bobby Andrews scored Delmarva?s lone run on a passed ball.

 

Power starter Zach Braddock pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision. He allowed only one hit with five strikeouts and three walks. Alex Periard (1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen, giving up only an unearned run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings, on three walks and two strikeouts.

 

Power relief pitcher Travis Wendte picked up his first save. Wendte came on with none out and runners at first and second in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Shorebirds? Stuart Musslewhite laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Power catcher Anderson De La Rosa tagged out Brandon Snyder at home, but then allowed Robert Andrews to score on a passed ball to cut the lead in half with two outs. Wendte induced Delmarva?s Daniel Figueroa to fly out to left field with the tying run at second.

 

The Power improved to 5-3 with the win and the Shorebirds fell to 3-6 with the loss. All of West Virginia?s victories have been decided by two runs or fewer, and all but one of their games have been decided by two runs or less.

 

The Power will continue the four game series against the Shorebirds at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Saturday night. Delmarva will start right hander Pedro Beato (0-0, 3.60) and the Power will counter with left hander Mike Ramlow (0-1, 4.91). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM (5:35 Central).

 

West Virginia Box Score:

6,907 at the Shorebirds' home opener, wow...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_delafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Considering the score, this was really a game log worthy of review; each team stranded nine, many in scoring position. Especially with the large crowd, this looked to be an edge-of-your-seat affair all the way through -- check it out...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_delafx_1

 

Audio highlight:

Click on this audio link, and use the "Select Date" option to make sure you're on the calendar for the 13th. Choose the WSWW archive, and go to the 3 hour, 28 minute mark for Andy "Bull" Barch's call of the bottom of the 9th -- very unique put-out at home I don't think I've ever seen nor heard described before...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.delmarvanow.com/apps/...40335/1006

 

Nobody home at plate

Shorebirds, after eight-game road trip, open at Perdue with only four hits

By Tim Brennan

Delmarva Now Staff Writer

 

SALISBURY -- The Delmarva Shorebirds came home to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Friday night for their home opener, having played eight games on the road. They brought the pitching, but apparently the offense got lost somewhere between Hickory, N.C., where the Shorebirds split a four-game series, and Perdue Stadium, where they arrived at 6:30 Friday morning.

 

Delmarva, which came in with the fifth-best batting average (.270) in the 16-team South Atlantic League, came up with just four hits off West Virginia pitchers Zach Braddock, Alex Periard and Travis Wendte in a 2-1 loss, but still had a chance in the ninth, thanks to the pitching.

 

"Good pitching today," Shorebirds manager Gary Kendall said. "[brad] Bergesen did a good job, [blake] Owen did a good job and [bruce] Gallaway. Especially with all the errors behind them, you wouldn't think you'd have an opportunity to win it in the ninth or tie it in the ninth."

 

With an infield hit from Brandon Snyder to lead off the ninth and a walk from catcher Victor Castillo, his fourth of the game, the Shorebirds had the tying run on base down 2-0. After a sacrifice bunt, Bobby Andrews, who pinch-ran for Castillo, represented the tying run at second base. Snyder ran into the second out at the plate when Michael Pierce hit a chopper in front of the home, and a fly-out later the Shorebirds' threat, and the game, was over.

 

"(That's) bad baserunning by Snyder, you can't go on a play there," Kendall said. "A better runner could, but not him."

 

The bright side of the game was the Shorebirds' pitching, which entered with the SAL's worst earned-run average (6.82) but was able to hold the Power in check. Brad Bergesen got the start and was the hard-luck loser, allowing just one hit and no walks over six innings (the largest outing of the season by a Delmarva pitcher). He had three strikeouts.

 

The trouble came in the fourth inning, when a pair of errors, one thanks to a questionable call, led to two unearned runs in the inning.

 

The first batter, West Virginia leadoff man Darren Ford, laid down a bunt that Bergesen was able to field and throw to first for the apparent first out with time to spare. But first base umpire Michael Pridemore ruled that first baseman Brandon Snyder pulled his foot off the bag.

 

After a fly-out, Bergeson hit the next two batters to load the bases, though he didn't feel the error weighed on him into the next to at-bats.

 

"I tried to go in on them both times, and got a little up and in," Bergesen said. "It didn't have too much of an impact, but I did end up hitting those two guys, which made it a little bit of a longer inning, and I wasn't able to get out of it."

 

However, the right-hander came back and got the groundball he needed. Michael Brantley hit a chopper to third baseman Pedro Silveren that could have been an inning-ending double play. Silveren bobbled the ball initially, then regrouped and tried to lob it to second for a force-out. He didn't put enough on the ball, and all the runners were safe. After a base hit, Delmarva found itself in a 2-0 hole despite just the one hit in the inning. The errors were two of four on the night, and Delmarva already has committed 17 errors through nine games.

 

"We're not a good defensive club," Kendall said. "I think these guys are capable of being better defenders, but they're just errors from a lack of concentration. At third base, that's a possible inning-ending double play, and I've seen that error out of (Silveren) before. It's a chopping ball that, I don't know if he tries to rush it, but he didn't make that play in spring training a couple times."

[Mass Haas]

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 3

 

Game Summary from MiLB.com:

 

Brown pitches Mets past Manatees

 

Eric Brown tossed five solid innings as visiting St. Lucie beat Brevard County, 5-3, on Friday.

 

Brown (2-0) allowed a run on five hits with five strikeouts and did not walk a batter. German Marte yielded an unearned run on two hits over the final two frames to recorded his first Florida State League save.

 

Dustin Martin and Yasmil Bucce delivered two-run doubles and Emmanuel Garcia capped a three-run fourth with an RBI single as the Mets (6-2) pounded out 11 hits.

 

Chris Errecart went 3-for-3 with three RBIs for the Manatees (3-5). He had a run-scoring groundout in the second, an RBI double in the sixth and a run-scoring single in the eighth.

 

Brevard County starter Steve Garrison (0-1) surrendered five runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four innings. -- Marc Jimenez/MLB.com

 

Brevard County Box Score:

Manatees with 11 hits but no walks (ten stranded overall); Josh Wahpepah's sterling four-inning effort deserves recognition; Chris Errecart (1.082 OPS) and Carlos Corporan (1.032) raking thus far, but only with three walks combined...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

Brevard County Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Tennessee (Cubs) 7, Huntsville 5

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1107

 

Smokies End Slide, Sink Stars

 

Josh Kroeger singled in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run to cap a two-run sixth inning rally in Tennessee?s 7-5 victory over Huntsville Friday night in Sevierville, TN. The Smokies stopped a four-game slide and improved to 3-5 on the young season, while the Stars could not extend their season-high two-game win streak and fell to 4-4.

 

Corey Thurman, in his second bullpen outing of the season, stranded the bases loaded in the fourth inning in relief of Mike Jones after the Smokies had scored to take a 4-3 lead. Hernan Iribarren led off the fifth with a double and scored to tie the game when Steve Moss followed with his second triple of the season. Brendan Katin then struck out for the first out of the frame before Lou Palmisano walked and starter Justin Berg was removed from the game. Adalberto Mendez came on to strike out Jeff Eure and seemed to have picked Palmisano off at first with Steve Sollman at the plate. However, the Stars catcher stayed in a rundown long enough to allow Moss to score the go-ahead run and pull off the double steal.

 

Thurman worked out of trouble again in the fifth but could not escape unscathed in the sixth when Chris Walker led off with a bunt base hit, stole second and scored the tying run on a double by Jake Fox that knocked the Huntsville hurler out of the game. The Stars called on southpaw Joe Thatcher to face the lefty-swinging Kroeger, who foiled the strategy with a ground ball single past a diving third baseman Jeff Eure that plated Fox after he had swiped third base. The Smokies added an insurance run against Mark DiFelice in the eighth on a two-out single by Matt Craig that delivered Jorge Cortes, who singled twice and walked twice.

 

Berg came to the plate with runners at second and third and two out in the second inning in a scoreless game and hit what looked to be a routine pop up to shortstop but the ball was dropped by Yohannis Perez and that allowed both runners to score. Walker singled and Cortes followed with a single to knock in Berg to make it 3-0 with his first hit of the season.

 

Mike Jones scored the visitors first run in the third inning and then knocked in a run in the fourth with a ground ball out to tie the game at three. He gave up four runs, only one earned, on seven hits and three walks over his 3 1/3 innings of work. The Stars bullpen had yielded just three runs over 27 2/3 frames before giving up three in tonight?s loss.

 

The series continues Saturday night when Stars send left-hander Manny Parra to the mound in the fourth game of the set against Smokies? right-hander Kevin Hart. Coverage will begin at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 AM WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.knoxnews.com/kns/smok...75,00.html

 

Smokies manage to reverse their fortunes

Losing streak ends with first home victory, 7-5

By NICK GATES, gates@knews.com

 

SEVIERVILLE - It was "Reverse the Curse" night.

Billy the Goat was paraded on the warning track at Smokies Park in a cart before the game in hopes that the Chicago Cubs, the parent team of the Tennessee Smokies, will win their first World Series since 1908 this October.

 

Only time will tell if the Smokies' promotion on Friday the 13th was successful in lifting the fabled hex but it must have had a profound effect on the Cubs' Class AA farmhands, if you believe in such superstition.

 

Jake Fox doubled in the tying run, stole third base and scored the winner on Josh Kroeger's single past a drawn-up infield, and the Smokies held on for a 7-5 Southern League victory over the Huntsville Stars to snap a four-game losing streak.

 

The Smokies (3-5) erupted for a season-high 14 hits en route to their first home win in three tries this season to the delight of the 3,335 at Smokies Park.

 

Pat Listach wasn't around for the traditional post-game high-fives and handshakes.

 

Tennessee's manager was ejected in the fifth inning for challenging umpire Manny Gonzalez's strike zone. Tennessee pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn filled in for Listach.

 

Tennessee's comeback wouldn't have been possible without the bullpen. Adalberto Mendez, Carmen Pignatiello and James Henderson shut out the Stars (4-4) for 4 2/3 innings.

 

Pignatiello (1-0) pitched two innings of no-hit relief for the win and Henderson got the final six outs for his first save.

 

Chris Walker played a key role for Tennessee's balanced offense.

 

The Smokies' leadoff hitter, who was 2-for-3 with a walk, ignited the winning rally with a single and got into scoring position by swiping second base.

 

Jorge Cortes also had two hits and drove in two runs for Tennessee.

 

The Smokies hadn't had a lead since the sixth inning of their fourth game at Jacksonville on Sunday. Tennessee broke through after two were out in the second against starter Mike Jones thanks to an inexplicable error.

 

Gary Cates singled and raced to third on Issmael Salas' double down the right field line.

 

Tennessee's pitchers don't have a hit this season and starter Justin Berg lifted a fly on the infield that popped in and out of shortstop Yohannis Perez's glove.

 

The Smokies grabbed a 2-0 lead on the error but they weren't finished. Walker singled and Cortes bounced a run-scoring single just beyond the reach of Huntsville first baseman Steve Sollmann.

 

Tennessee squandered 3-0 and 4-3 leads and Lady Luck didn't always smile on the Smokies.

 

Matt Craig appeared to tie the game with one swing in the fifth. His long drive landed atop the right field fence and caromed back into play for a double.

 

Craig tagged and advanced on a long fly, but was thrown out at the plate attempting to score.

 

Berg didn't have his command.

 

The right-hander, who was obtained in a trade from the New York Yankees, was touched for nine hits and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

 

Smokies Notebook: Chicago Cubs assistant general manager Randy Bush is in town for the series. Former Smokies manager Garth Iorg, who is roving instructor for the Milwaukee Brewers, is working with the Stars.

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Wow, ugly, costly error of the year thus far award to Yohannis Perez, sigh; Lou Palmisano 5-for-13 with six walks (.550 OBP) in the early-going...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

After last year's success, Corey Thurman must be bumming a bit to be both 1) still at AA, and 2) in the bullpen...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 3, New Orleans (Mets) 2

 

Nashville Site game Summary:

Link for J.D. Closser photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2260

 

Closser Blasts Sounds To 3-2 Road Win Over Z's

 

METAIRIE, La. ? Pinch-hitter J.D. Closser led off the eighth inning with a solo home run to give Nashville a 3-2 victory over the New Orleans Zephyrs on Friday evening at Zephyr Field in the Sounds? first road contest of the season.

 

The win, the Sounds? third in a row, spoiled the Zephyrs? home opener.

 

It marked the second time in the last seven days that a late pinch-hit blast gave Nashville (4-4) a victory over the Z?s; Callix Crabbe produced a game-ending homer in the bottom of the ninth on April 6 at Greer Stadium to give the Sounds a 4-3 win against New Orleans.

 

Closser?s roundtripper to left, his first of the year, greeted New Orleans reliever Steve Schmoll (0-1), who took the loss, and made a winner out of Sounds hurler Chris Spurling (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for Nashville.

 

Dennis Sarfate slammed the door on the Zephyrs, recording the final six outs to pick up his second save of the young campaign. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out three batters in his two innings of work.

 

The Sounds took advantage of a pair of New Orleans errors to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Zephyrs starter Jorge Sosa. Jose Macias (2-for-4) scored the game?s first run on a Joe Dillon sacrifice fly, and Mike Rivera drove in the second with an RBI single.

 

Z?s third baseman Fernando Tatis cut the Sounds? lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, leading off the frame with his first home run of the young season. The blast to center off Nashville starter Chris Oxspring made it a 2-1 contest.

 

New Orleans tied it at 2-2 in the sixth when Ruben Gotay opened the frame with a triple against Oxspring and later scored on an Andy Tracy sacrifice fly off Sounds reliever Mitch Stetter.

 

Double plays killed Nashville rallies all evening as the New Orleans defense combined for five twin-killings: strikeout/caught stealing double plays in the first, second, and third innings, and double-play grounders in the sixth and seventh frames.

 

Both starting pitchers turned in solid efforts but neither factored in the decision. Oxspring, whose ERA sits at 2.61 after two starts, allowed two runs on six hits while striking out five over 5 1/3 innings. Sosa kept his ERA at 0.00 on the year after allowing only two unearned runs on seven hits over seven frames.

 

The teams continue their series with a 6 p.m. meeting on Saturday evening. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo (0-1, 7.20) takes the mound for Nashville to face New Orleans right-hander Chan Ho Park (1-0, 0.00).

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

[JohnBriggs12]

Another errorless game for Braun. Rivera throws out the speedy Carlos Gomez trying to steal. What were the issues about these guys in spring training?

[igor67]

Perhaps Capellan's concern is that he can't out pitch Sarfate to get back? Interesting comparison between the two pitchers in terms of professionalism in handling this.

[homer]

Quote:

---

Another errorless game for Braun.

---

 

How many balls were hit to him?

[Mass Haas]

It's pretty easy (very easy, actually) to go to the game log link and use the "Find" option -- in this case, Braun threw out to first on a sacrifice bunt and handled another ground ball later in the game. He made a put out on a stolen base attempt at third. There was a ground ball base hit to third as well, so we don't know if that was a makeable play (very unlikely).

 

So, three defensive chances, all handled cleanly.

[brettac1]

What were the issues about these guys in spring training?

 

Experience at the position for Braun, along with service time concerns. For Rivera, how he would fare against major leaguers. Just because he threw a guy out in AAA doesn't erase pretty much every report in history that says he's a bad defensive player.

[homer]

Quote:

---

It's pretty easy (very easy, actually)

---

 

Sheesh. I should have known that. I guess mind mind is still in spring training.

[TheCrew07]

How long until Cain's slide over the fall and spring actually becomes something to worry about? If he's not hitting by mid May I think it will definately be something to worry about.

[Mass Haas]

Audio of J.D. Closser's go-ahead pinch-hit HR:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-13.mp3