Link Report for Games of Easter Sunday, April 8th

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP R.A. Dickey and RHP Chris Oxspring in a double-dip at home vs. New Orleans (Mets), 12:40 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime; each game seven innings

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Manny Parra at home vs. Mississippi (Braves), 1:50 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: Idle

 

West Virginia: Idle

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday'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 Game One:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Two:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_2

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_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 Saturday's Action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W2 Iowa 1 1 .500 0.5 0-0 1-1 W1 [b]Nashville 1 1 .500 0.5 1-1 0-0 W1[/b] Omaha 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 2 1 .667 - 0-0 2-1 W1 Carolina 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L2 Chattanooga 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 W1 Huntsville 1 2 .333 1.0 1-2 0-0 L2 West Tenn 0 3 .000 2.0 0-0 0-3 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 3 0 1.000 - 2-0 1-0 W3 Daytona 2 1 .667 1.0 1-0 1-1 W1 Jupiter 2 1 .667 1.0 1-1 1-0 W2 Brevard County 1 2 .333 2.0 1-1 0-1 L1 Palm Beach 1 2 .333 2.0 0-1 1-1 L2 Vero Beach 0 3 .000 3.0 0-1 0-2 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hickory 2 0 1.000 - 0-0 2-0 W2 Lexington 2 0 1.000 - 2-0 0-0 W2 Greensboro 2 1 .667 0.5 0-0 2-1 W1 West Virginia 2 1 .667 0.5 2-1 0-0 W1 Lake County 1 2 .333 1.5 0-0 1-2 L1 Lakewood 1 2 .333 1.5 1-2 0-0 L1 Delmarva 0 2 .000 2.0 0-0 0-2 L2 Hagerstown 0 2 .000 2.0 0-2 0-0 L2

[pogokat]

Final (Game One):New Orleans (Mets) 3, Nashville 2

 

Nashville rallies late, but loses game one:

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/sta

 

Nashville Game Log[/b}

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/

[chowyo123]

I thought winkelsas retired... Looks like he's with the braves now.

[pogokat]

Final (Game Two):New Orleans (Mets) 1, Nashville 0

 

Not a great showing by anyone here...

 

Nashville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/mi..._nasaaa_2

 

Nashville Game Log

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c..._nasaaa_2

[pogokat]

Nashville Game Summary from team site

 

Sounds Swept By Z's In Easter Doubleheader

Date Posted: 4/8/2007

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2251

 

NASHVILLE ? The Nashville Sounds were swept by the visiting New Orleans Zephyrs in an Easter Sunday doubleheader at Greer Stadium, losing 3-2 and 1-0 in a pair of seven-inning contests.

 

Nashville fell to 1-3 on the young season with the losses, while New Orleans improved to 3-1 as the clubs concluded their season-opening series.

 

New Orleans starting pitchers were the story of the day. Jorge Sosa worked six scoreless frames in game one and Chan Ho Park matched his effort by putting a half-dozen goose eggs up on the scoreboard in the second contest to stifle the Sounds? offense.

 

The Zephyrs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the nightcap when Carlos Gomez plated Anderson Hernandez (2-for-4) on a one-out RBI single to right off Sounds starter Chris Oxspring.

 

Nashville put the potential tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh when Andy Abad drew a walk from reliever Ivan Maldonado to open the frame. Pinch-runner Callix Crabbe advanced to second on a one-out wild pitch and advanced to third on a Brad Nelson groundout but was stranded there as Maldonado induced a game-ending flyout from Ozzie Chavez to secure the save.

 

Park (1-0) held the Sounds to only two hits over his six innings, striking out six batters while walking one, to pick up a win in his first start of the young season.

 

Oxspring (0-1) took the loss despite turning in an efficient effort in his Nashville debut. The Aussie held the Zephyrs to one run on four hits over five innings of work. The Aussie walked two batters and struck out four.

 

Jose Capellan turned in his second relief outing of the year for the Sounds, working the final two innings in scoreless fashion with three strikeouts. He worked a tidy nine-pitch sixth before allowing two baserunners in the seventh but kept New Orleans off the board.

 

Outfielder Drew Anderson became the lone Sound to hit safely in all four games this season with a first-inning single in the opener and a first-frame double in the nightcap.

 

The Sounds dropped a 3-2 decision earlier in the afternoon during the twinbill?s opening game.

 

After retiring the first 11 batters he faced, Nashville starter R.A. Dickey ran into trouble in the top of the fourth inning during his Sounds debut, allowing three runs.

 

The Nashville native fanned the first two Zephyrs batters of the frame before Carlos Gomez beat out an infield single to break up the perfect effort. The normally-accurate Dickey then walked the next three batters, the third of which to Ricky Ledee forced home Gomez to break a scoreless tie. Fernando Tatis followed with a two-run single to up the visitors? advantage to 3-0.

 

Vinny Rottino broke up the Z?s shutout bid in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out, two-run homer to left-center off New Orleans reliever Lino Urdaneta. Catcher Mike Rivera, who had singled, scored on the utilityman?s first roundtripper of the season, which pulled Nashville within a run at 3-2.

 

Urdaneta recovered to induce a groundout from Brad Nelson and a foul popout from Joe Dillon to escape without further damage and secure the win.

 

Sosa (1-0) earned the win after holding Nashville to two hits over six scoreless frames, striking out five. Urdaneta was awarded the save despite surrendering Rottino?s homer in his lone frame of work.

 

Dickey (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits over five innings while walking three batters and striking out five in his Nashville debut.

 

The Sounds continue their season-opening homestand on Monday by welcoming the Oklahoma RedHawks (AAA-Rangers) to town for the 6 p.m. opener of a four-game series.

 

Right-hander Yovani Gallardo, the top prospect of the Milwaukee Brewers, will make his Triple-A debut when he starts the contest for the Sounds. Oklahoma will counter with right-hander Francisco Cruceta, who will also make his first start of the young season.

[pogokat]

Final: Huntsville 4, Mississippi (Braves) 1

 

Manny Parra with a strong outing. Steve Moss and Yohannis Perez both on base 3 times. It would be great to see Yohannis live up to his potential right away...

 

Huntsville Box Score:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb..._hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.com/mi..._hunaax_1

[pogokat]

Huntsville Game Summary from team site

 

Parra Pitches Stars Past Braves

4/8/2007

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=1103

 

Manny Parra worked five strong innings and chipped in with a clutch two-run single to lead Huntsville to a 4-1 Easter Sunday win over Mississippi at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars put an end to a two-game slide and evened up the season-opening five games series at two games apiece.

 

Jon Schuerholz opened the game with a walk, stole second, moved to third base on a Brent Lillibridge sacrifice bunt and scored on a Brandon Jones sacrifice fly. The Braves have scored first in all four games and in the first inning in three straight.

 

Mississippi starter Kelvin Villa, making his first double-A start, walked the bases loaded in the second inning before Parra grounded a single into right field to chase home Adam Heether and Lou Palmisano to give the home side its? first lead since Thursday night. Steve Sollman singled to left field to score Yohanis Perez and Hernan Iribarren?s double brought home Parra to close the Stars? biggest scoring rally of the young season.

 

The visitors loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but Parra worked out of trouble by striking out Mark Jurich on three pitches and inducing Villa to ground into an inning-ending double play. The Huntsville hurler then stranded runners at second and third with nobody out in the next frame by fanning Jones, getting Matt Esquivel to foul out and retiring Van Pope on a ground out. Parra punched out seven, walked two and yielded six hits in five frames to earn the win.

 

Corey Thurman worked a scoreless inning and two thirds in his first outing of the season before Joe Thatcher struck out Jones with Schuerholz at second base to end the seventh inning. Grant Balfour worked a perfect eighth and ninth innings, striking out five and earning his first save of the season. The four Stars? pitchers combined to register 16 strikeouts and have fanned 48 in the first four games of the year.

 

The series concludes Monday night with left-hander Sam Narron taking the hill for Huntsville against Braves? southpaw Francisely Bueno. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[hsvstarsfan]

PUNCHING VILLA

The strikeout is a great silencer. The hitter can't put it in play, so there's no chance a fielder can blow the out, and very rarely will a Mickey Owen drop a third strike and put the runner on base....... The Huntsville Stars' pitching staff got 5+ innings of those outs on a 46° Sunday afternoon.......

Starter Manny Parra continued the early inning pattern the Stars have followed against this club........ After four games, the Braves have hit .500 in the 1st inning, scoring 6 runs on 9 hits, 4 walks, a balk, a sacrifice, and two sac flies........ In the 2nd inning, the Braves are 0-for-12 with 5 strikeouts.

Starter Manny Parra in his first start since his Game One victory of the Southern League Championship Series, threw 22 pitches in the 1st inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead......... He walked leadoff hitter John Schuerholz on seven pitches, balked him over to 2nd before ever throwing a pitch to Brent Lillibridge, who quickly sacrificed him to 3rd, then gave up a long fly to left by Brandon Jones, who drove in the Braves only run....... Then two singles on three pitches followed, and Matt Esquivel and Van Pope were on base. It looked like another rally was beckoning for Mississippi, but Parra struck out Josh Burrus with a curve to end the inning........... In the 2nd, Manny retired the side on 12 pitches.

Parra showed us his poise in pitching out of trouble again in the 4th and 5th......... The Braves loaded the bases in the 4th with nobody out, and failed to score, and in the 5th, couldn't score after a leadoff single by John Schuerholz and a double to the left field wall by Lillibridge that put runners in scoring position with none out....... Parra struck out Mike Jurich on three pitches to get his 6th strikeout in the 4th for the first out, then losing pitcher Kelvin Villa hit into a 4-3 double play to end the inning, saved by Steve Sollmann's fine play........ Sollmann was forced to dive to take the throw, and stretched out on the ground with his head in the direction of right field, still managed to keep one foot on the bag....... A fine 360° turn by Yohannis Perez at short on a ground ball to his right, and accurate throw to first got Parra out of the 5th.

The Stars gave Parra all the support he needed with their first big rally of the year, bringing the entire order to the plate......... Kelvin Villa, after an easy 1st inning facing four batters, lost control in the 2nd, throwing 13 of this first 20 pitches for balls, and 40 in all that inning as the Stars took a 4-1 lead........ Throwing 8 pitches in a leadoff walk to Adam Heether was some indication. After retiring Ron Davenport on a fly out to Lillibridge on the grass behind short, Villa walked Lou Palmisano on six pitches, the Yohannis Perez on four....... Parra, who once in a while in the past two seasons has come through in the clutch, although he is not a threat at the plate, came through on a 1-2 count, slapping a single to right, sending in Heether and Palmisano for a 2-0 lead. Steve Sollmann on an 0-1 pitch, then hit a soft liner over the infield into left to score Perez to make it 3-0 and Hernan doubled off the base of the right center field wall to score Parra for the Stars' final run.

The Stars never threatened to score much after that, although Davenport led off the 8th with a double, but then they got all the help they needed from a bullpen combination that struck out 9 in 4 innings, giving up just one hit without a walk......... After four games, the Stars bullpen has an ERA of 1.44, 28 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings, only 2 walks.

The 16 strikeouts recorded by Rich Sauveur's staff is the most since August 5, 2003, when Jason Shelley, Mike Adams, and Matt Parker combined to fan 17 hitters in a 4-3, 12 inning win against Mobile....... The nine strikeouts by the bullpen is the most since July 16, 2005 when Andy Pratt, Khalid Ballouli, Brett Evert, and Keith Stamler fanned 10 in relief of Ty Taubenheim in his 2nd appearance for the Stars.

This was the first win by a starter this season and the first win by Sandy Guerrero as manager......... Don Money has been up north the past three days on emergency leave. His father, I hear, is in bad health..

Adam Heether is reminding us every day of the reason why we should value his defense over Ryan Braun's, even though Braun spoke louder with his stick....... In the 3rd inning, Heether fielded a hard hit grounder on the short hop, had to pick it on the 2nd bounce, then still had the control to fire a strong throw to first to get Matt Esquivel for the 3rd out after Brandon Jones had doubled with two out.

Huntsville warms up to the mid 50s tomorrow, but temps should be in the mid 40s by the time the Stars get underway at the Joe for game five....... Sam Narron will face Francisley Bueno, who faced the Stars twice last year, losing both times, losing 11-0 on a Steve Hammond 2-hitter and 3-1 to Corey Thurman in the first game of an August 10 double-header

Huntsville Stars Box Score

[Mass Haas]

Link for R.A. Dickey photo while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Dickey starts strong, falls apart in fourth

First loss as Sound sees ups and downs

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

R.A. Dickey's quest to return to the majors got off to a great start Sunday, but the former MBA and Tennessee star faltered in his Sounds debut as Nashville lost 3-2 to the New Orleans Zephyrs in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader at Greer Stadium.

 

The Nashville native retired the first eleven batters he faced but gave up three runs in the fourth inning on two singles and three consecutive walks.

 

"I felt pretty good out there. Outside of a couple of weakly hit balls, it was a good outing. Obviously the back-to-back walks hurt. It's kind of inexcusable," said Dickey (0-1), who spent his first ten seasons with the Rangers organization and is trying to get into the Brewers' rotation after being signed in January.

 

The Sounds lost a pitcher's duel 1-0 in game two as both teams struggled offensively.

 

Dickey gave up two hits and three earned runs in game one as Nashville's late rally attempt fell short. He had five strikeouts, but the three walks proved costly.

 

"He did well. He had one inning where he had some hiccups with a couple walks. Overall, a pretty good first start," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

The Sounds made it close in the seventh inning when right fielder Vinny Rottino hit a two-run home run to left field. But New Orleans closer Lino Urdaneta got the save by retiring the side.

 

The Sounds struggled offensively in both games against veteran New Orleans pitchers Jorge Sosa (1-0) and Chan Ho Park (1-0).

 

Against Sosa in game one, Nashville had just two hits through six innings. The Sounds totaled four hits throughout the game and the poor hitting continued during the second game.

 

Nashville had only two hits off Park, who went six innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

 

Rottino and Drew Anderson were the only Sounds player to record multiple hits on the day. Both were 2-for-6.

 

"They made pitches today," Kremblas said, "and didn't give us a lot of chances."

 

Sounds' starter Chris Oxspring (0-1) allowed four hits and one run with five strikeouts through five innings in the second game.

 

"I made one mistake that cost me a run and eventually cost the team the victory," he said. "It was just one of those days."

 

The Sounds open a four-game series against Oklahoma at 6 p.m. today at Greer Stadium.

 

What they said: "I made one mistake that cost me a run and eventually cost the team the victory." ? Oxspring on Carlos Gomez's single, which drove in teammate Anderson Hernandez for the winning run.

 

***

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Not facing Sounds is good news for Dickey

By TYLER BLANK

For The Tennessean

 

R.A. Dickey, who spent the past 10 seasons in the Texas Rangers organization, has another reason for coming home to Nashville. The MBA grad has not fared well against the Sounds.

 

Although he owns six Oklahoma RedHawks pitching records including wins, strikeouts and innings, Dickey has a career record of 4-11 against the Sounds. He has a 5.37 ERA against Nashville in 20 appearances and 14 starts.

 

Dickey was named Mr. Baseball in 1993 at MBA and an All-American in 1996 at Tennessee, where he holds records in appearances, starts, innings and strikeouts. He was selected by Texas in the first round of the 1996 draft.

 

He converted to a knuckleball pitcher in 2005 and has spent each of the last three seasons on the Rangers' opening day roster.

 

Double trouble: The Sounds were swept in a doubleheader for the first time since Oklahoma accomplished the feat in July. The last time Nashville swept a doubleheader was August 2005 at Colorado Springs. The Sounds were 2-6 in doubleheader games last season.

 

Turning two: Heading into Sunday's game, the Sounds were among a bundle of teams at the top with a Pacific Coast League-leading four double plays this season. They added two to that total Sunday, bringing their season total to six.

 

On a roll: After hitting in each of Nashville's games Sunday, Drew Anderson is the only Sound to have hit safely in all four games this season. He is 4-for-14 (.286).

 

No. 500: Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas recorded his 500th career managerial victory Friday. He is fifth in team history with 151 victories and could jump to as high as third by the end of the 2007 season.

 

Kremblas has a winning percentage of .511 in nine season as a minor-league manager.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Coaches Chat with Hitting Coach Harry Spilman:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%204-8.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Parra's performance far above par in win

Stars pitcher hurls win, knocks in pair of runs vs. Braves

By SKIP VAUGHN

For The Huntsville Times, skipv@htimes.com

 

Huntsville Stars pitcher Manny Parra had a memorable Easter - on the mound and at the plate.

 

Parra got the win and drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single as the Stars beat the Mississippi Braves 4-1 before an announced crowd of 775 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"It's a family day," the left-hander said. "Even though a lot of us don't have our families here, we're a team. We're a family here, so it's like we have a family here to spend time with."

 

He went five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. He allowed six hits, one earned run and committed a balk. Parra (1-0) threw 85 pitches, 50 for strikes.

 

"Even though I pitched behind (in the count) a lot, there was a lot of battling going on," he said. "The defense picked me up a couple of times. I'm pretty happy to get through five innings."

 

Trailing 1-0, Parra came to bat in the second inning with the bases loaded and one out. He laced a single to right field off Braves starter Kelvin Villa (0-1). The Stars would score all four of their runs in the inning.

 

"I love hitting. It's always fun," Parra said. Asked if he was most proud of his pitching performance or his big hit, he said "definitely the pitching."

 

But he'd grade himself a "C" on his outing. "Getting ahead early, throwing strikes early in the count, I didn't do a good job doing that," Parra said.

 

Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur was most impressed with how Parra worked his way out of jams. The Braves scored their lone run in the first. They had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth and men on second and third with no outs in the fifth, but failed to score.

 

"What I saw today was that he stayed focused even when things got a little hairy out there," Sauveur said.

 

Parra and relievers Corey Thurman, Joe Thatcher and Grant Balfour combined for 16 strikeouts. Balfour earned the save with five strikeouts in two perfect innings.

 

"Every win is special, but to do it on Easter Sunday it's more special," said Stars hitting coach Sandy Guerrero, serving as acting manager in the absence of Don Money. "Actually we did it by good situational hitting and excellent pitching."

 

Steve Moss went 2-for-3 for the Stars (2-2). Lou Palmisano doubled and scored a run against Mississippi (2-2).

 

"We got the hits with the runners on, that's how you win ballgames," Palmisano said. "It's when you've got to get your hits, with runners on base."

 

As the Stars catcher, Palmisano had a firsthand view of Parra's pitching performance. "He threw great," Palmisano said. "He commanded the ball on both sides of the plate. He made some great pitches there, made some great pitches when he had to."

 

The Stars and Braves will finish their five-game, season-opening series tonight at 7:05. Probable starters are left-handers Sam Narron for Huntsville and Francisley Bueno for Mississippi.

[LouisEly]

Not a great showing by anyone here...

 

Well, I'd say that Oxspring and Capellan had pretty good showings.

 

Funny - Drew Anderson has had exactly one hit in every game so far.