Link Report Wed 8/30 - Rottino on Fire; Maryvale Season Ends

[Mass Haas]

The Sounds magic number falls to two as they post a 10-8 win in 11 innings, and Helena takes advantage of the Rockies' lowest level farm team in a sweep, winning 9-6 -- they beat up on Casper's starter, now 1-10 with an ERA of 9.89. Steve Palazzolo, who should be dominating this league, is -- he went 3.1 scoreless to save it. Lefty Luis Ramirez managed to get through five for the win, in an only-OK effort.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Helena 9, Casper (Rockies) 6

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...106_05.txt

 

Brewers win fifth straight ? Errecart goes 3-for-4 to lead Helena

By CURT SYNNESS - IR Sports Writer

 

The Helena Brewers defeated Casper last night at Kindrick Legion Field, 9-6, for a 4-game sweep of the Rockies. It was the Brewers fifth consecutive win.

 

On a cold, windy evening in the Capital City, the home team scored three runs in the first inning, four in the third and two in the fourth to take a 9-2 lead, and then held on for a 3-run victory.

 

Helena outhit Casper, 10-8. The Brewers offense was paced by left fielder Chris Errecart, who went 3-for-4, with two doubles, three runs batted in and two runs scored; designated hitter Cole Gillespie, who went 2-for-4 and scored three runs; and first baseman Bill Rowe, going 2-for-4, with a double, one RBI and scoring once.

 

In the explosive third stanza, the Brewers belted four extra-base hits in five at bats. After Stephen Chapman laced a screaming triple over the center fielder's head, Gillespie walked, followed by three straight two-baggers, by Errecart, Rowe and Andy Bouchie (pronounced BOO-shay).

 

Lefthander Luis Ramirez started on the hill for Helena and picked up the win. Ramirez went 5.2 innings, scattering eight hits and allowing six runs, while striking out eight and walking three. Steve Palazzolo came in relief in the sixth, and was perfect over the final 3.1 frames. The 6-foot-10 righthander did not permit a baserunner and whiffed four batsmen.

 

Gillespie improved his Pioneer League leading batting average to .355. Errecart now tops the loop with 60 RBI.

 

Casper starter Ronny Lopez was stuck with the loss. Leading the Rockies hitters were Jayhasson Augustin, Mauris Loupadore and Kevin Clark.

 

The Brewers moved to 18-13 for the second half, and 33-36 overall. Casper fell to 9-21 and 24-44. Helena has a day off before traveling to Billings this Friday for a crucial three-game series against the Mustangs.

 

Helena Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 10, Albuquerque (Marlins) 8, 11 innings

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for Tony Gwynn photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2134

 

ALBUQUERQUE ? The Nashville Sounds took advantage of a pair of errors to score two unearned runs in the top of the eleventh inning and post a 10-8 victory over Albuquerque on Wednesday evening at Isotopes Park.

 

With its 14th last at-bat win, Nashville (75-64) maintained its three-game lead over Iowa in the American Conference Northern Division; the Cubs defeated Oklahoma, 3-2, earlier in the evening. The Sounds? magic number to clinch a playoff berth was reduced to two with five games remaining in the season.

 

Catcher Chad Moeller led off the Nashville eleventh by reaching when his grounder to former Sound Jason Wood at third base was mishandled. After Dennis Sarfate sacrificed him to second, Moeller scored the go-ahead run on Tony Gwynn?s RBI single to right. Gwynn also scored on the play on a throwing error by Isotopes hurler Josh Stewart, who cut off the throw from the outfield and attempted to gun down Gwynn at second.

 

AUDIO: Gwynn Single + Error Plates Two --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-30.mp3

 

Sarfate (10-7) worked two scoreless frames, including striking out the first four batters he faced, to earn the victory and become Nashville?s first 10-game winner since Nelson Figueroa (12) in 2004.

 

The extra-inning contest, which was necessitated after Nashville failed to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, was the Sounds? 15th of the season and third of its current road trip.

 

Sounds third baseman Vinny Rottino continued his red-hot hitting with a season-best four hits on the evening. With his 4-for-5 night, he upped his team-leading August average to .420 (34-for-81).

 

Gwynn finished 2-for-7 for Nashville to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the outfielder?s second double-digit streak of the year.

 

Nashville grabbed an early 1-0 lead on Brent Abernathy?s two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning before falling behind, 4-1, as the Isotopes plated four runs against Ben Hendrickson in the bottom of the second on a two-run Mark Little triple followed by a two-run Paul Hoover homer, the catcher?s sixth roundtripper of the year.

 

The teams traded fourth-inning runs before the Sounds pulled within one at 5-4 in the top of the fifth on Jermaine Clark?s fifth home run of the season, a two-out shot to right off Isotopes starter Adam Bostick.

 

After Albuquerque added a run in the sixth, Nashville once again made it a one-run contest in the seventh by virtue of a longball. First baseman Graham Koonce crushed the first pitch of the inning from Albuquerque reliever Jim Brower over the wall in left for his 18th home run of the year and a 6-5 contest.

 

The Sounds missed an opportunity to do further damage in the frame as J.B. Miadich struck out Gwynn with the bases loaded to end the inning.

 

Isotopes right fielder Chris Aguila touched Sounds reliever Chris Demaria for a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to increase the home team?s lead to 7-5.

 

Nashville rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth to grab an 8-7 lead. The Sounds opened the frame with three straight hits off Miadich to tie the contest. After Chris Barnwell singled, Drew Anderson plated him with an RBI triple to right then scored on Koonce?s run-scoring single. Dave Krynzel pinch-ran for Koonce and moved up to second when Rottino was hit by a pitch.

 

Clark followed with a grounder to first baseman Tom Wilson, who attempted to force Rottino at second but his throw was off the mark and sailed into left field, allowing Krynzel to score the go-ahead run.

 

Alec Zumwalt struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth before the Isotopes tied the contest with an unearned run against him in the ninth. The blown save, which occurred without the right-hander giving up a hit, was Zumwalt?s third in 18 chances this season.

 

Wood drew a walk to open the Albuquerque ninth and was sacrificed to second. Robert Andino followed with a grounder to second which was misplayed by Clark for an error, placing runners on the corners with only one out. Edgar Gonzalez made it an 8-8 game with a sacrifice fly to center that brought home Wood.

 

Stewart (1-3) took the hard-luck loss after allowing two unearned runs in his lone inning of work.

 

Hendrickson took a no-decision for Nashville after allowing six runs on 10 hits over his six frames.

 

The teams wrap up the series on Thursday with a 7:35 p.m. CT finale. Left-hander Zach Jackson (4-5, 3.79) will man the bump for Nashville to face Albuquerque right-hander Jeff Fulchino (5-10, 4.35).

 

Nashville Box Score and Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_albaaa_1

[pogokat]

mass--

 

I think my response last night was more of an emotional one regarding the specific game...nonetheless, this team has the talent to win even more ball games than they have..

 

the brewers comment wasn't a fair comparison...i guess i just feel like huntsville fan at the moment, because it seems like more could be done to help the teams succeed at their level..

 

of course you are right about them playing well...i guess i just want more!

 

it's been a very good season..

[filthyfrog]

Gillespie now has 17 SB (and 3 CS) in 45 games, which would be on pace for over 50 in a full season. I don't remember the initial scouting reports mentioning speed as a part of his game. Are these just rookie league swipes? Meaning, is he just stealing on the poor low level catching? Or is he actually that fast?

[brewmann04]

we seem to have some major talent comming up through the system

[colbyjack]

Speed is definitely part of Gillespie's game, which is why he's able to play CF as well as LF. He's not going to swipe 50 over the course of the season, so that rate is definitely chalked up to running on rookie league catchers, but as he moves up he could be someone that could steal 20-25 over the course of the season.

 

Here's his profile from draft day:

 

Gillespie is a great example that hard work eventually pays off. He is an extremely versatile player that has played just about every position for the Beavers. Gillespie exploded this season emerging as the Beavers' best hitter for a team heading to the NCAA Super Regionals while filling in for the injured Tyler Graham and the departed Jacoby Ellsbury, a first-round pick from a year ago. Gillespie has a little bit of everything. In addition to having the ability to play numerous positions, he can hit for both average and power while showing a very good eye at the plate, and has decent wheels that helps him leg out doubles and triples while also allowing him to be a threat on the basepaths while covering a respectable amount of ground in the outfield. A shoulder injury and persistent problems in his throwing shoulder probably limits him to left field as he moves up the ladder.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006083128/

 

Greensboro pitcher has successful SAL debut against Power

Michael A. Jones

Charleston Daily Mail Staff

 

The Power had climbed up to second place in the South Atlantic League standings with four consecutive victories, but a 22-year-old newcomer spoiled Fan Appreciation Night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

West Virginia recorded 11 hits but dropped the penultimate game of its home schedule Wednesday night, 8-1.

 

Greensboro starting pitcher Joel Fountain, making his first start since Aug. 19, limited West Virginia batters to five hits while breezing through five scoreless frames in his SAL debut.

 

Fountain was forced to wait an extra 30 minutes to make his start after rain postponed the first pitch.

 

Fountain had been promoted Saturday morning from the Florida Marlins' rookie-league affiliate after the club finished its season last week.

 

The Power missed an opportunity against Fountain, a 25th round draft pick this year out of St. Mary's College, but couldn't cut into a three-run deficit in the fourth inning when it left runners on second and third with one out.

 

Fountain quelled the rally when designated hitter Nate Yoho lined to first and shortstop Ryan Barba popped to shallow right.

 

"The defense is a lot better here," Fountain said. "They really helped me out in some jams."

 

Fountain was at home in Reno, N.V., when he received the phone call and took the mound five days later.

 

"I wasn't really expecting to get called up," he said. "I just played catch, and it felt good. (I was) just trying to do what I could do."

 

West Virginia left 12 men on base while Greensboro pounded out its eight runs on 11 hits.

 

In the second, right fielder Brad Correll hit a solo blast -- his seventh in 31 games this season with Greensboro -- while Rod "The Toastman" Blackstone led a "2-for-11" cheer, alluding to his results at the plate in three previous games against the Power.

 

After touching home, Correll jogged to the backstop netting and held three fingers in the air and shouted, "Make that 3-for-12," receiving a modest applause from the crowd. Correll ended the night 2-for-4 with a homer and double.

 

The Grasshoppers scored once more off starter Shawn Ferguson in the second and again in the fourth. Julian Cordero relieved Ferguson, who fell to 2-3 after giving up three runs through four innings.

 

Greensboro broke open the game in the sixth, scoring four runs off Cordero to improve its second-half record to 37-34.

 

Barba helped West Virginia avoid the shutout by driving in catcher Brad Willcutt with a single in the eighth.

 

The loss drops the Power's record to 34-29 in the second half.

 

Power Manager Mike Guerrero said it was important for the team to finish the season strong.

 

"This is a pretty fun team to manage," Guerrero said.

 

"They go out there like they have something to prove. We won't make the playoffs, but it's important for every individual to play the game hard every day.

 

"We've failed to close out ballgames, and that's cost us."

 

The final home game of the 2006 schedule is set for 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central).

 

* * *

Former Power infielder Agustin Septimo was hitless in three at-bats Wednesday. He knocked in a run with a sacrifice bunt in the sixth.

 

Septimo spent part of the 2005 season with West Virginia before he was acquired by the Florida Marlins in the minor-league Rule Five draft.