Eye Black

Final: Helena 7, Ogden 1 Rain can't slow down Brewers By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (8-11) breezed to a 7-1 victory in a rain-delayed contest Friday against the Ogden Raptors (9-9). Grant Holmes (0-1) was roughed up in his Pioneer League debut for Ogden, giving up seven runs in three plus innings. Alan Sharkey ripped an RBI double to score Tucker Neuhaus in the second to begin the Brewer scoring. Sharkey now has hits in 9 of his last 10 games. The Brewers would compile 13 hits in their six offensive frames, with five hitters claiming multi-hit performances. Justin Chigbogu hit a solo home run to opposite field in the fourth for the lone Raptors run. It was Chigbogu's 14th homer which puts him in sole possession of first in the Pioneer League in round-trippers. Helena's offense peaked in the fourth with four runs on five hits. Brandon Diaz, Sthervin Matos and Natanael Mejia all had RBI base hits against Holmes to knock him out with just one out. Ryan Taylor wasn't able to fair much better, giving up two more hits before he escaped the inning. The Brewers and Raptors will face off in the second game of their four-game series Saturday at Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Multi-hit efforts from five of the top six batters in Helena's lineup, included Gregory Munoz (2-for-5), Brandon Diaz (2-for-5), Sthervin Matos (2-for-5, 2B), Nathanael Mejia (2-for-4, BB), and Tucker Neuhaus (2-for-4). Helena's pitchers combined to allow just 6 hits and 1 run while striking out 8. Starter J.B. Kole went 5.0 innings pitched and gave up 5 hits, 1 run (a solo home run) and struck out 5 batters. Josh Uhen pitched a perfect 6th inning and Tyler Linehan finished out the final 3 innings after a 53-minute rain delay allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 3. Helena Game Log

After been promoted from a fairly successful stint in the AZL, Dodgers 1st round draft pick Grant Holmes was roughed up by Helena tonight. Holmes, a RHP recently selected out of high school in South Carolina finished with 3.1 innings pitched allowing 9 hits, 7 earned runs, and 2 walks while striking out 4. The teams are currently in a rain delay in the 6th inning with Helena leading 7-1. More coverage to come later tonight or early morning.

Gomez, Chukars blow past Brewers By Amber Kuehn / Helena Independent Record The Idaho Falls Chukars weren’t about to be shut out again. One night after falling 3-0 to the Helena Brewers, the Chukars’ offense came alive in a 14-1 victory by the visitors at Kindrick Legion Field. Idaho Falls had 13 hits in the final game against Helena this season, taking the three-game series with the Brewers. It was the Chukars’ eighth win in their last 11 games, while Helena dropped its sixth game in the last eight. “Last night the pitcher (Jorge Ortega) was in more of a comfort zone than we wanted him to be, and we were swinging at bad pitches,” said Idaho Falls shortstop Corey Toups, who reached base a season-high six times Thursday night. “This gives us a lot of confidence. Anytime you can score 14 runs in a ballgame, it just means it’s all starting to come together. All the guys are contributing.” Toups finished with three hits and three walks, while Chukars right fielder Brawlun Gomez, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound right fielder from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, finished a double shy of the cycle. His two-run bomb in the third — the Chukars’ first home run since Aug. 6 — gave Idaho Falls a 5-1 lead. The Chukars led 9-1 going into the eighth frame, then broke the game open in that inning against Brewers relievers Luis Ortega and Junior Rincon. Ryan O’Hearn’s two-run double made it 11-1, Samir Duenez added an RBI single, and Rincon walked in a pair of runs for the final tally. The Brewers scored their lone run in the second on Tucker Neuhaus’ RBI single. It was one of nine hits for Helena, which is now just 7-17 against teams out of the South Division so far this season. In addition to a strong night offensively for the Chukars, the Idaho Falls’ defense was also much improved. A team that had recorded 20 errors in its last six games had none Thursday. The victory gave the 3-game series at Kindrick Legion Field to the Chukars, 2-1, as the Southern Division club improves to 29-26 overall, and 9-8 for the second half of the Pioneer League season. The Brewers, meanwhile, slip to 20-36, 7-11. NOTE: Manager Tony Diggs was not at the game due to an out-of-town funeral. Hitting coach Jason Dubois took over for Diggs at third base.

Final: Idaho Falls 14, Helena 0 Idaho Falls wins 14-1 to claim series By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Idaho Falls Chukars (9-8) trounced the Helena Brewers (7-11) 14-1 on Thursday to take the three-game series. The Chukars got off to a quick start with three runs in the first. Robert Pehl highlighted the frame with a two-run double and later scored on an RBI single from Samir Duenez off Cy Sneed (0-2). Sneed pitched three innings, giving up five runs on five hits and walking two batters in the start. The Brewers as a staff would walk nine batters in the game. The lone Helena run crossed the plate in the bottom of the second. Luis Aviles walked with two outs, stole second and came in on an RBI single from Tucker Neuhaus off Eric Skoglund (1-2). Skoglund pitched six solid innings in the start, giving up just one run on seven hits and striking out six. Helena was able to pick up nine hits in the game, but scattered them throughout, coming up with multiple hits in just one inning. The Brewers have lost seven straight series against the Pioneer League South Division. The Brewers will now host the Ogden Raptors in a four-game series at Kindrick Field. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score No extra base hits for Helena. Despite the one run, they did manage nine hits. The only multi-hit game came from Sthervin Matos who went 2-for-4. Helena Game Log

A couple more Helena photos via the Helena Independent Record. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/a7/ea7bad6e-235b-11e4-8f3f-0019bb2963f4/53ec20e197b0a.preview-620.jpg Thom Bridge/ Independent Record- Left-fielder Mitch Meyer swings at a high pitch Wednesday night against the Idaho Falls Chukars. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/ce/ece6149a-235b-11e4-8f1f-0019bb2963f4/53ec20e650cac.preview-620.jpg Thom Bridge/ Independent Record- Luis Aviles throws to first base.

Helena wins 3-0 for first shutout; Ortega pitches a gem By Curt Synness / Helena Independent Record http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/bc/ebcb8810-235b-11e4-9bd3-0019bb2963f4/53ec20e3b6894.preview-620.jpg Thom Bridge/ Independent Record- Alan Sharkey kneels to receive a toss at first base Wednesday night against the Idaho Falls Chukars. In a pitching masterpiece at Kindrick Legion Field on Wednesday, the Helena Brewers whitewashed the Idaho Falls Chukars 3-0. The Pioneer League game was delayed 20 minutes at the start due to a rainstorm, after which Helena starter Jorge Ortega worked seven innings for the win, moving his record to 3-3 on the year. The Brewers gave up just four hits in the victory, which evens the series at one apiece following a 3-1 win by Idaho Falls on Tuesday. The rubber match is scheduled for today at 7:05 p.m. Jorge Ortega faced just two men over the minimum, while retiring the last seven Chukars he faced in a row. The 21-year old from Caracas, Venezuela, allowed just three hits with no walks while striking out three. The defense played errorless ball behind Ortega — a 6-foot-1, 165-pound right hander — in addition to an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the fifth. Relievers Wesley Cox and Donnie Hissa closed out the final two scoreless frames, cementing the Brewers’ first shutout of the year. Helena’s initial run came in the third inning, when Gregory Munoz singled and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt. After Brandon Diaz’s single, advancing Munoz to the third, the Brewers went up 1-0 on a double steal. It turned out to be the deciding run, although the hosts tacked on two more counters for insurance. Idaho Falls’ pitching was nearly as spectacular as Helena’s, permitting just five hits. Starter Brooks Pounders, a 6-4, 270-pounder from Temecula, California, went the first 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and two runs, one of which was unearned. He fanned six Brewers and did not walk a batter. Chukars relievers Zach Loworn and Mariel Checo finished the last 3 1/3 frames, allowing just one hit and a run. The Brewers tacked on a run in the fourth to go up 2-0, when Luis Aviles’ squeeze bunt scored Connor Narron from third. And then in the seventh, the locals pushed another tally across on Diaz’s RBI single, plating Eric Williams. Diaz had the lone multi-hit game of the evening with a pair of singles. The web gem of the night belonged to Helena’s Brandon Diaz, who robbed Luis Valenzuela of a base hit with a diving catch of a dying quail in shallow center field in the sixth inning. Helena improves to 7-10 in the Pioneer League’s Northern Division in the second half of the season, while Idaho Falls is even at 8-8 in the Southern Division. The Brewers have yet to win a series against a Southern Division opponent this year.

Final: Helena 3, Idaho Falls 0 Brewers shut out Chukars 3-0 By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (7-10) shut out the Idaho Falls Chukars (8-8) 3-0 on Wednesday at Kindrick Field. Jorge Ortega (3-3) was outstanding in the start, pitching seven shutout innings and giving up just three hits. He would face just two over the minimum. Ortega would at one point retire 11 straight batters and later three Brewers pitchers would combine to retire 12 straight, setting a new season high. The first Helena run came in the third when Gregory Munoz scored on a double steal with Brandon Diaz. Diaz stole two bases in the game, giving him 20 on the season. He is now two ahead of Ty Washington for the Pioneer League lead. Alan Sharkey's 8-game hitting streak came to an end on Wednesday as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Sharkey came up as the final at-bat of the game for the Brewers and went down swinging. Wesley Cox and Donnie Hissa each pitched one inning of relief with Hissa picking up his first professional save. He would get a ground out from Ryan O'Hearn to end the game. The Brewers and Chukars will face off in a rubber match on Thursday from Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena only allowed four hits in the game, and as detailed above Jorge Ortega was stellar through seven innings pitched. Pioneer League stolen base leader Brandon Diaz led Helena hitters by going 2-for-4. Helena Game Log

Brewers 2-run error the difference in 3-1 loss to Idaho Falls By Curt Synness /Helena Independent Record http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/c3/3c361c62-22ac-11e4-bb0b-001a4bcf887a/53eafa44e45ef.preview-620.jpg Thom Bridge/ Independent Record- Becoming airborn, Luis Aviles hurls the ball to first base after a Chukars batter hit a grounder in the second inning. The Brewer hosted the Idaho Falls Chukars in their first home game in a week-and-a-half. Idaho Falls won the first contest of a three-game series against the Helena Brewers Tuesday, 3-1. The Brewers’ downfall in the pitchers’ duel at Kindrick legion Field came in the sixth inning on a two-run error. With the score tied at 1-all, the Chukars had men on second and third base with two down. Then Mike Hill rapped a routine grounder to second that appeared to be the end of the inning. But Helena’s Gregory Munoz let the ball go between his legs into right field, as both Robert Pehl and Samir Duenez scored. The visitors went up by two, which turned out to be the deciding margin. Idaho Falls improves to 28-25 overall and 8-7 in the second half, while Helena slips to 19-35, 6-10. The Brewers are sitting in third place in the Pioneer League’s Northern Division standings. The name of the game was pitching, with both club’s hurlers limiting the opposition to seven hits each. The Chukars used three pitchers on the night — Sugar Ray Marimon, Austin Fairchild and Cruz Guevara — with Fairchild earning the win. Fairchild worked 2 2/3 hitless innings, striking out four. Brandon Woodruff started for the hosts and worked four frames, giving up three hits and one run, while fanning four. Reliever Devin Williams went the final four stanzas and took the hard-luck loss. He permitted four hits and two runs, whiffing three Chukars batsmen. All three of Idaho’s runs were unearned. Helena’s lone run came on designated hitter Sthervin Matos’ solo home run in the fourth. The home team had a couple chances to add to their total, but came up empty handed both times. In the second, the Brewers had runners on second and third with none out; and in the third inning they had a runner from third nipped at the plate on a high chopper back to the pitcher. Idaho’s Wander Franco and Helena’s Mitch Meyer were the only players with multi-hit games. Despite the glaring two-run error in the fourth, the Brewers amassed several outstanding defensive plays on the night, highlighted by a couple of sparkling web gems by shortstop Luis Aviles. In the second inning, Aviles, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound 19 year old from Miami, Florida, charged a slow bouncer behind the mound and gunned down his man at first. Then in the sixth frame, he recorded all three outs. On one play, Aviles went far to his right on a grounder, and stylishly swooped up the ball and fired to first in one motion to get the out by half a step. Also flashing some decent defense were catcher Natanael Mejia and Mitch Meyer, the right fielder, along with a fine throw by Mejia and tag by Aviles in the seventh to cut down an attempted steal of second. The two team meet again tonight at Kindrick Legion Field for the second game of the series. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

Final: Idaho Falls 3, Helena 1 Pitching duel ends in a Chukars win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (6-10) fell 3-1 in the series opener of a three-game set Tuesday to the Idaho Falls Chukars (8-7). Brandon Woodruff had one of his best outings of the year in the start for Helena. The righty pitched five innings, giving up just one run on three hits and striking out a season-high four batters. The Brewers would take the first lead of the game by way of a Sthervin Matos home run. It was a solo shot over the scoreboard to pull him into a tie for the team lead with Mitch Meyer. Both have six round-trippers this season. The Chukars would take control shortly after. They tied it in the fifth on an RBI grounder from Luis Valenzuela and grabbed the lead in the sixth on a fielding error by Gregory Munoz. With two on and two out, Munoz let a slow roller get through his legs to score two unearned runs. That would give Devin Williams (4-6) the loss and a decision in 10 straight appearances. The Brewers and the Chukars will face off in the second game of their three-game series Wednesday from Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Offensively, Helena managed seven hits and the only multi-hit game came from Mitch Meyer who went 2-for-4. The Brewers were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Despite the loss, Helena pitchers combined to only give up one earned run on the night. In a relief appearance, Devin Williams pitched four innings allowing four hits and two runs (no earned runs), and no walks while striking out three. Helena Game Log

Apparently the over consumption of Old Style has caused some memory issues for Cubs fans. #SlamminSammySosa

Final: Helena 7, Ogden 3 Sharkey leads Brewers to 7-3 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (6-9) snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday with a 7-3 win over the Ogden Raptors (8-6). Zach Hirsch (1-1) had his best outing of the year for Helena, pitching five shutout innings in the start. Hirsch would allow just four hits and strike out three batters. The Brewers struck first in the third and would never trail in the ballgame. Edgardo Rivera scored on an RBI single from Alan Sharkey to get the scoring started. Sharkey was 3-for-5 with a solo home run, his first of professional baseball, and three RBI. He is now on a team-high seven-game hitting streak. The bulk of the scoring came in a four-run, five-hit fourth inning. Gregory Munoz had a 2-RBI double to highlight the frame. The Raptors would try to make a late rally in the ninth, scoring a run and putting a man on second, but Ryan Deeter struck out Jimmy Allen to close out the night and pull the Brewers to within three games of first place in the Pioneer League North Division. The Brewers now head back to Helena to host the Idaho Falls Chukars in a three-game series. First pitch on Tuesday from Kindrick Field is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Congratulations to Alan Sharkey who in his 407th plate appearance in professional baseball put his first ball over the wall. That first career home run had to feel good for the first baseman selected in the 13th round out of Coral Springs (FL) High School in 2012. Brandon Diaz was 1-for-1 while working three walks. Helena went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring positions, including a key two RBI double in the 4th inning by Gregory Munoz. Munoz finished 2-for-3 and had his 12th stolen base of the season. Also with a multi-hit game was Tucker Neuhaus who finished 2-for-5. Helena Game Log Leading 1-0 after three innings, Helena broke the game open with four runs in the fourth inning. Helena Top of the 4th -Pitching Change: Vaughn Hayward replaces Jeff Brigham. -Mitch Meyer doubles (9) on a line drive to center fielder Billy Bereszniewicz. -Tucker Neuhaus singles on a ground ball to left fielder Andrew Godbold. Mitch Meyer to 3rd. -Dionis Hinojosa singles on a ground ball to center fielder Billy Bereszniewicz. Mitch Meyer scores. Tucker Neuhaus to 2nd. -Edgardo Rivera out on a sacrifice bunt, third baseman Michael Ahmed to first baseman Cody Bellinger. Tucker Neuhaus to 3rd. Dionis Hinojosa to 2nd. -Gregory Munoz doubles (11) on a line drive to left fielder Andrew Godbold. Tucker Neuhaus scores. Dionis Hinojosa scores. -Pitching Change: Karch Kowalczyk replaces Vaughn Hayward. -Francisco Castillo grounds out, second baseman Jimmy Allen to first baseman Cody Bellinger. Gregory Munoz to 3rd. -Brandon Diaz walks. -Alan Sharkey singles on a ground ball to right fielder Devan Ahart. Gregory Munoz scores. Brandon Diaz to 2nd. -Connor Narron pops out to shortstop Kelvin Ramos. First career home run for Sharkey. Helena Top of the 6th -Gregory Munoz reaches on a fielding error by pitcher Karch Kowalczyk. -Francisco Castillo pops out to third baseman Michael Ahmed in foul territory. -With Brandon Diaz batting, Gregory Munoz steals (12) 2nd base. -With Brandon Diaz batting, Gregory Munoz advances to 3rd on a balk. -Brandon Diaz out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Billy Bereszniewicz. Gregory Munoz scores. -Alan Sharkey homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. -Connor Narron grounds out to first baseman Cody Bellinger.

A little more detail in this description of the infamous play provided by the Ogden Raptors game report, Brewers' Three-Error Play Keys Raptors' Win... Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Brewers made three errors in one play that allowed the Raptors to take the lead. Mike Ahmed and Cody Bellinger started the inning with consecutive singles. Julian Leon then hit a grounder to third, which got by Sthervin Matos for the first error. Helena left fielder Edgardo Rivera threw to home to try to get Ahmed trying to score from second. Rivera's throw got by the catcher Jack Cleary for the second error. Bellinger then tried to score from first, and Josh Uhen, who was backing up the play, tried to throw out Bellinger. Uhen's throw also got by the catcher for the third error as Leon, the batter, scored for a 3-1 lead.

Final: Ogden 7, Helena 1 Ogden clinches series with 7-1 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (5-9) were once again stymied offensively, falling to the Ogden Raptors (8-5) 7-1 on Saturday. It was a group effort for the Raptors' pitching staff as three right-handers each tossed three innings a piece. Trevor Oaks (4-0) would get the win pitching the fourth through sixth and allowing just two hits in shutout baseball. The lone run of the game for Helena came in the third. Gregory Munoz led off the inning with a double and later scored on an RBI single from Edgardo Rivera to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. After that it was all Ogden with the Raptors scoring seven unanswered runs. Three would cross the plate in the fourth on a singular play which involved three errors. It resulted in two runners coming in from first and second and Julian Leon coming all the way around to touch them all via the three errors. The Brewers tied a season-high with five errors total on the night. Josh Uhen (1-3) made the start for Helena, pitching well despite picking up the wrong side of the decision. Uhen would go six innings tying a season-high for him, allowing six hits and striking out one. The Brewers and the Raptors will face off in the finale of their three-game series Sunday from Lundquist Field. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. Helena Box Score The lone multi-hit performance for Helena was Mitch Meyer, he went 2-for-4 with a double. While Helena did commit five errors, three of them were charged to pitchers. Two errors on Josh Uhen (pickoff and throw) and one error on J.B. Kole (missed catch). Helena Game Log

Ogden shuts out Brewers in series opener By Helena Independent Record Ogden pitchers Jose De Leon and Lenix Osuna combined on a five-hitter, as the Raptors shut out the Helena Brewers 8-0 Friday at Lindquist Field in Ogden, Utah. It was Helena’s third straight defeat. De Leon earned the victory on the mound, improving his season mark to 5-0. De Leon went seven innings and allowed just three hits, striking out an incredible 11 batters while walking none. Osuna relieved him to start the eighth and allowed just two hits while continuing to keep the visiting Brewers off the board. Helena starter Luis Ortega (3-6) took the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits through four innings. Cy Sneed gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief, while the Raptors also scored a run against Junior Rincon. Ogden second baseman Jimmy Allen led the Raptors’ 11-hit attack, going 2 for 4 with two doubles, a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. First baseman Cody Bellinger was 2 for 5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Francisco Castillo, Brandon Diaz, Connor Narron, Alan Sharkey and Edgardo Rivera each had a hit for Helena, which struggled to put runners in scoring position. Narron was the only player with an extra-base hit, with a double against Osuna. Every player in the Helena lineup struck out at least once. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Ogden plated three runs. It stayed 3-0 until the seventh, when the Raptors exploded for five runs in the frame. The two teams meet again tonight at 7:05 p.m. The Brewers close out the series with Ogden on Sunday, have an off day Monday, then return home to Kindrick Legion Field on Tuesday to host Idaho Falls.

Final: Ogden 8, Helena 0 Raptors shut out Brewers 8-0 By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (5-8) were shut out for the fourth time this season on Friday, falling to the Ogden Raptors (7-5) 8-0 at Lindquist Field. Jose De Leon (5-0) was lights out in the start for Ogden. The Pioneer League's ERA leader went seven innings of shutout baseball, giving up just three hits and striking out 11. The Raptors would score in clumps coming up with three runs in the fourth. Andrew Godbold ripped an RBI double to right to score Yensys Capellan from first and later came in on an RBI double from Jimmy Allen. It was more hard-hitting from Ogden in the seventh when Cody Bellinger had an RBI triple and Allen came up with his second RBI double of the night. Helena's Alan Sharkey came up with a single in the second to extend his hitting streak to a season-high five games and Connor Narron had a two-out double in the ninth for the only extra-base hit of the night for the Brewers. He was one of just two Brewers to reach second in the game. None would reach third. The Brewers and Raptors will face off in game two of their three-game series Saturday from Lindquist Field. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. Helena Box Score Brewers 3rd round pick Cy Sneed had 5 strikeouts out of the 8 outs he recorded. Unfortunately he also gave up 4 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs. Helena Game Log

Final: Idaho Falls 8, Helena 4 Chukars claim series with 8-4 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (5-7) lost 8-4 on Thursday to the Idaho Falls Chukars (5-6) to lose their fifth straight series against South Division opponents. The Chukars roughed up Jorge Ortega (2-3) early, picking up six runs over the first four innings. Ortega would pitch five frames in the start, giving up six runs on 10 hits. Ortega has picked up three losses in his last three appearances. Brooks Pounders was solid in the start for Idaho Falls, tossing four shutout innings. Pounders, assigned to rehab with the Chukars, has played as high as AA with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The Brewers would cross the plate twice in the fifth for their first runs of the game. Tucker Neuhaus and Luis Aviles each had RBI singles off of Eric Stout. Neuhaus was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Trailing 8-2 headed to the ninth, Helena attempted to make a late rally. With two outs, Alan Sharkey and Neuhaus each doubled and later scored, but that is where the scoring would end. Cruz Guevara came in to close out the game on the hill and did just that. The Brewers will now head to Ogden to take on the Raptors in a three-game series. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:00 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena Game Log

I am all for CBS Sports Network broadcasting minor league baseball games, even if it is only once a week. Great surprise to get to watch Huntsville tonight in HD!

Some great "extra" coverage courtesy of the Helena Independent Record this morning. Aggressive Diaz is key for Brewers By Amber Kuehn / Helena Independent Record It’s no secret that speedy Brandon Diaz has been a key cog for the Helena Brewers this season. He’s a blur on the base paths, as is evidenced by his team-high 17 stolen bases — second only to Billings’ Ty Washington (18 thefts) in the Pioneer League. Diaz is also an extremely athletic center fielder, the type who can run down practically every ball hit in his general vicinity. “He’s the leader on our team in stolen bases, and it’s not by accident,” Brewers skipper Tony Diggs said. “Speed is a very good tool for him. “But he pays attention to the little details, which allows him to use his speed better.” Diggs said Diaz pays close attention to what an opposing pitcher is doing, times him, see what throws a catcher is calling for and makes his judgements based on that. He’s only been caught stealing four times in 21 attempts this season. “I’ve always been aggressive on the bases,” said Diaz, who was drafted by Milwaukee in the eighth round in 2013 out of high school. “Sometimes I get thrown out, but that’s going to happen (when you’re aggressive).” Diaz said he believes aggression on the base paths is a team mentality, and something they’ve been able to improve on as the season’s progressed. With so many guys with good speed on the roster, he said, why not take advantage of that? Teammates Edgardo Rivera and Gregory Munoz also have reached double-digits in stolen bases, with 11 and 10, respectively. Rivera, impressively, has never been caught. “Diggs has helped me out a lot,” Diaz said. “Coming from the AZL, I was kind of scared to run and get thrown out. Now I’m more comfortable and more relaxed. I just pick it up and just go.” Diaz is an intelligent 19-year-old, with a high baseball IQ, and the Brewers are happy to have him here in Helena. The Coral Springs, Florida, native leads the team with 39 runs scored, a byproduct of smart decision making once he gets on base. Diaz is batting .291 with four home runs and 15 RBIs this season. Last year in the Arizona League he had just three homers, but swiped 21 bags in 45 games. He’s impressed as much in the outfield as he has on the diamond, often making acrobatic plays to rob players of extra bases. No particular play stands out in Diaz’s mind as a web gem this year — as long as the ball ends up in his glove, he’s happy. In his time in Helena, Diaz said his most significant defensive improvements have come on balls over his head. Knowing he can track those down, he’s not afraid to play a bit shallow. He said taking reps on live balls in batting practice has helped him get better in that area. “I especially like the plays over my head because I feel like those are challenging,” Diaz said. “A guy thinks he has extra bases and then I come out of nowhere and take it away.” Making an impact Third baseman Sthervin Matos has made his mark since arriving in Helena — and even getting to the Capital City was a triumph in itself. On the day he was promoted from the AZL to replace Dustin DeMuth in the lineup, Matos mistakenly got off his Alaska Airlines flight in Great Falls during a scheduled stop. An airlines employee drove Matos the 90 miles from Great Falls to Helena and he arrived just in time for the game. That night, the 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic batted cleanup and smacked a home run that sailed about 415 feet and appeared to hit a house across the street from Kindrick Legion Field. His bat has been big ever since, and he leads the team with a .369 average. It seems as though Helena has been the perfect fit for Matos, who struggled to a .196 average through 11 games in the AZL to start the season. “There’s a lot of things Matos has been working on as far as his swing goes,” Diggs said. “Every now and then he gets a little big with his swing, but his hand-eye coordination is so good that he can make physical mistakes with his swing and still make contact. He’s a big bat in our lineup.” Lately, Matos has been batting in the third hole in the lineup. He has 38 hits, five home runs and a team-best 27 RBIs, despite playing just 24 games. Since his arrival, he’s been a mainstay in the lineup, whether as an infielder or designated hitter. He’s too good to not play. He’s also the type of guy you want at the plate with men on base, as his average soars to .404 in that situation. Diggs believes the difference between Matos’ time in Arizona and his time here in Helena has been his approach at the plate. Hitting coach Jason Dubois has worked plenty with Matos on that, and Diggs said he has begun to mature more as a player. “The focus with him as been on staying up the middle or even taking the ball opposite field,” Diggs said. “He has a tendency to let the ball travel deeper and do more damage with it then. When guys get into pull mode, they become more succeptible to offspeed pitches. So mainly for him, we’ve been working on being in a good position to hit the ball and stay up the middle.” Injury report Helena Brewers right fielder Elvis Rubio has been out since getting hurt while sliding into second base on July 19. Diggs said Rubio has been rehabbing the injury at the team’s facility in Maryvale, Arizona, and the team believes it’s possible he’ll be back with Helena as soon as next week’s homestand. Former Brewers catcher Greg McCall is also in Maryvale after having season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Diggs said he’s thankful players have the chance to get one-on-one attention in Arizona when injury strikes. The facility is open year-round. “The ability to send them down there and get them healthy, then to have them send them back out to teams has been a pretty good option for us in year’s past and this year is no different,” Diggs said. Rubio was batting .270 through 29 games in Helena prior to getting hurt. Second-half strides The Brewers have made improvements after finishing in the North Division cellar for the first half. Diggs believes it can be traced back to errors, and the fact that Helena has cut down on them this half. “It all comes back to taking care of the baseball,” he said. “... Hopefully we’ll continue to get better. It’s something we really stressed and talked about. I think it’s a big part of winning baseball games.” Editor’s note: All stats in this story are current as of Tuesday evening.

Final: Helena 4, Idaho Falls 3 (Game One) Brewers take opener of road doubleheader By Helena Independent Record After weather wiped out Tuesday’s series opener at Idaho Falls, rain again forced a delay on Wednesday to what turned into a Pioneer League doubleheader for the Helena Brewers. But, in the opener, Helena made up for lost time with a 4-3 win, spearheaded by the performances of Jack Cleary and Francisco Castillo. Cleary went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI and Castillo hit his first home run of the season in the win. Helena led 1-0 following Castillo’s solo shot in the first, and led 2-0 after 4 1/2 frames. Brewers starter Devin Williams kept the host Chukars off the board for four innings before giving up a run in the fifth. Williams earned the win, his fourth of the season. Milwaukee’s top draft pick of 2013 went five frames, giving up five hits and just the one earned run while striking out three. Wesley Cox came in for two innings of relief to pick up his first save, and neither pitcher walked a batter in the contest. By comparison, the Idaho Falls staff issued four walks to Brewers batters. Sugar Ray Marimon (0-1) got the start for the Chukars and took the loss. He allowed three hits through four innings, one of which was the homer. Reliever Austin Fairchild saw his ERA soar to 11.57 after allowing three earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings, as the Brewers took advantage of the pitching change. Fairchild also threw two wild pitches and hit a batter. Both teams had seven hits in the contest. Helena swiped three bases and played a clean game, while Idaho Falls had an error. The second game of the doubleheader was not completed by press time, though the Brewers were holding a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Helena Box Score Devin Williams faced one over the minimum through his first four innings, before giving up 1 run on 3 hits in the 5th inning. Helena Game Log Final: Idaho Falls 7, Helena 6 (Game Two / 8 innings) Another Chukars Walk Off Caps Doubleheader By Idaho Falls Chukars Another day of rain in Idaho Falls threatened another day of baseball. After an hour delay, the Chukars and Brewers began the doubleheader. After dropping game one, the Greybirds were down to their last at-bat twice in game two. Ryan O'Hearn ended the gloomy day on a sunny note, with a two run blast to give the Chukars a 7-6 win over Helena. Helena (18-31, 5-6) took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the final seventh inning, but Idaho Falls tied it up to send it to extra innings. The Chukars (24-24, 4-6) welcomed Donnie Hissa to the game by getting back to back singles off of him, by Robert Pehl and Brandon Thomasson. Michael Hill grounded out to bring in the first Greybirds run. Samir Duenez doubled home Brandon Thomasson to tie the game at five a piece. The Brewers regathered the lead in the eighth. Alan Sharkey's double off of Sam Lewis (2-0) scored Mitch Meyer to give Helena the one run lead. The Chukars bounced right back off of Hissa (0-2) in the bottom half. With one out, Corey Toups walked and his Sam Houston State teammate Ryan O'Hearn hit a line drive home run the opposite way to left field. It's the third straight game Idaho Falls won at home via a walkoff hit. Helena took game one of the series 4-3, hopping in front immediately with a leadoff home run by Francisco Castillo. The Brewers added another run in the fifth, thanks to a bases loaded hit by pitch. Samir Duenez shines for the Chukars with a pair of doubles en route to scoring two of the Greybirds three runs. Brandon Downes launched his first professional home run in the eighth. The Chukars continue the seven game homestand at Melaleuca Field on Thursday. Idaho Falls takes on Helena in game four of the four game set. Helena Box Score Helena Game Log

As he gets more at-bats and improves his approach hopefully he will begin to make more contact. Coming into tonight he was striking out in 38% of his plate appearances. When he does put it in play however, he is getting hits at a decent rate, his BABIP was .311 before today's game (and he is 2-for-2 so far tonight which will add a few percentage points). More consistent contact next season should hopefully lead to a more respectable stat line.

If it was reversed I would be upset with that call since you can't really tell where the runners heal comes down on the replay. As it is for today at least though, long live replay!

Man, that sure was a meaty 0-2 pitch.

Tonight's Helena game has been postponed until tomorrow night due to rain. Helena and Idaho Falls will play a double header tomorrow. Here is the announcement from the teams Twitter account: Alas, all is not lost as we can still get our nightly Sthervin Matos fix by enjoying this VIDEO of his 2-Run Homer from last evenings game.

Helena falls in extras to Idaho Falls By Helena Independent Record With runners on the corners in the bottom of the 10th inning Monday at Melaleuca Field in Idaho, Idaho Falls’ Luis Valenzuela pinch-hit a single down the first base line to give the Chukars an 8-7 win over the Helena Brewers. Helena (4-5) took a 1-o lead in the third when Alan Sharkey singled and came home later on a wild pitch. But Idaho Falls scored six unanswered runs after that to take a big lead through seven. But the Brewers weren’t done yet. Helena scored four runs in the eighth inning, two of them coming courtesy of Sthervin Matos’ fifth home run of the year, then tacked on two more runs in the ninth to tie the game at 7-all and send the game to extra innings. It was the Brewers’ fourth time going to extra frames this year, and Helena has yet to win a game in extra innings. Monday marked the Pioneer League debut of David Carver, who got the start for the Brewers. The southpaw was promoted from the Arizona League to fill Javi Salas’ roster spot after the right-hander was called up to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Carver, a 35th round draft pick this year out of Lamar University, gave up four runs on three hits while walking five through 2 2/3 innings. As a pitching staff, Helena walked a season-high 12 batters in the contest. Matos was 2 for 5 with a home run, double and two RBIs for Helena. Luis Aviles also went 2 for 5 with an RBI, and Mitch Meyer recorded a triple. Idaho Falls first baseman Samir Duenez was 2 for 4 with four runs batted in to lead the Chukars. NOTE: Helena reliever Drew Ghelfi was released by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday evening (as reported in the Minor League Transactions thread). Ghelfi was playing his second year of pro ball after being drafted out of Minnesota. No one has been promoted from the AZL yet to take his place in the bullpen.

Final (10 innings): Idaho Falls 8, Helena 7 Chukars win game one in extras By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (4-5) fell in extra innings 8-7 to the Idaho Falls Chukars(3-5) on Monday from Melaleuca Field. Helena captured the first lead of the evening with a run in the third. Alan Sharkey led off with a single and scored later on a Bryan Brickhouse wild pitch. Sharkey scored twice and reached three times, going 1-for-3. Brickhouse pitched five solid innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out four. The Chukars would then score six straight runs to take a 6-1 advantage through seven. Robert Pehl and Samir Duenez had RBI doubles in the fourth to jump the Chukars out to their biggest lead of the game. David Carver got the start for Helena, making his Pioneer League debut. He went two and two-thirds, giving up four runs on three hits and walking five. The Brewers as a pitching staff walked a season-high 12 batters. Helena would score six runs in the eighth and ninth combined, including a two-run home run from Sthervin Matos, his fifth of the year. A Mitch Meyer triple in the ninth followed by RBI singles from Luis Aviles and Dionis Hinijosa sent the game to the tenth tied 7-7. With runners on the corners in the bottom of the tenth, Luis Valenzuela pinch-hit and lined a single along the first base line to solidify the victory. It was the Brewers' fourth trip to extras this season, moving their mark to 0-4 on the year. The Brewers and Chukars will face off in game two of their four-game series Tuesday at Melaleuca Field. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. Helena Box Score Sthervin Matos continues to impress in the Pioneer League, going 2-for-5 with a double and a homerun. The only other Helena player with a multi-hit game was Luis Aviles, who went 2-for-5 as well. Helena Game Log Down 6-1 until late in the game, Helena rallied in the 8th and the 9th to put up 6 runs and send the game to extra innings. Helena Top of the 8th Pitching Change: Mariel Checo replaces Matthew Strahm. Alan Sharkey hit by pitch. Dionis Hinojosa lines out to shortstop Corey Toups. Gregory Munoz doubles (9) on a line drive to right fielder Ryan O'Hearn. Alan Sharkey to 3rd. Edgardo Rivera reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Samir Duenez. Alan Sharkey scores. Gregory Munoz to 3rd. With Tucker Neuhaus batting, Gregory Munoz steals (10) home. Edgardo Rivera steals (11) 2nd base. Tucker Neuhaus grounds out, first baseman Samir Duenez to pitcher Mariel Checo. Edgardo Rivera to 3rd. Sthervin Matos homers (5) on a fly ball to right field. Edgardo Rivera scores. Pitching Change: Nick Green replaces Mariel Checo. Connor Narron grounds out, third baseman Mike Hill to first baseman Samir Duenez. Helena Top of the 9th Mitch Meyer triples (3) on a fly ball to right fielder Ryan O'Hearn. Luis Aviles singles on a ground ball to shortstop Corey Toups. Mitch Meyer scores. Alan Sharkey out on a sacrifice bunt, catcher Kyle Pollock to second baseman Jeckson Flores. Luis Aviles to 2nd. Dionis Hinojosa singles on a line drive to right fielder Ryan O'Hearn. Luis Aviles scores. Gregory Munoz strikes out swinging. With Edgardo Rivera batting, Dionis Hinojosa picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Nick Green to first baseman Samir Duenez to shortstop Corey Toups.