Eye Black

Confirmation it is the Giants per Ken Rosenthal Tweet.

Final: Missoula 22, Helena 5 Osprey cruise to 22-5 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-25) lost their fifth straight on Friday in a 22-5 blowout at the hands of the Missoula Osprey (17-21). The Osprey scored 18 of their runs in the seventh and eighth innings alone which included two home runs. Fernery Ozuna hit a grand slam for his third hit of the night. He would finish with 7 RBI in the affair. Justin Williams extended his league-leading hit streak to 20 games after he came up with three hits including an RBI double and three runs scored. At one point Devin Williams (2-5) would retire 11 consecutive batters before giving up three runs in the fifth. He would strike out four in his five innings on the hill. The Brewers trailed just 4-2 going to the seventh when the wheels really fell off. Eight runs scored in the seventh and ten runs scored in the eighth. The ten-run eighth is the most runs allowed in an inning all year by the Brewers and they allowed season-highs in runs and hits for the game at 22 for each category. The Brewers and Osprey will face off in game two of their three-game series Saturday from Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score SS Francisco Castillo was 2-for-4 with a walk. CF Brandon Diaz was 2-for-3 with two walks. Tucker Neuhaus went 1-for-4 on the night with 1 walk. Sthervin Matos played 3B and went 2-for-5. So it wasn't a great night as the Helena crew as they allowed 22 runs, 20 of which were earned. Despite the tough overall outing for the Brewers, Devin Williams appeared to take a step in the right direction. His final line was: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 Walk, 4 K's, 0 HR allowed. Devin actually retired 11 straight batters from the middle of the 1st inning through the 4th inning. Entering the 5th inning he had only allowed one run, and it came in the 1st inning from his own throwing error on a pickoff attempt. He did give up three hits in the 5th inning, but a wild pitch and another throwing error on a pickoff attempt didn't help his cause in ultimately giving up 3 runs in the inning. Helena Game Log

Final: Great Falls 11, Helena 1 Voyagers sweep Brewers with 11-1 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-24) lost their fourth straight on Thursday, getting swept by the Great Falls Voyagers (23-14) with an 11-1 loss. Chris Freudenberg (3-3) got the start for Great Falls, pitching six innings of shutout baseball, giving up four hits and striking out five. The Voyagers scored nine of their runs in the first three innings, with six coming in the third. Ryan Jones hit a 2-RBI single to left followed two batters later by a three-RBI triple from Jake Peter. Peter was 2-for-5 with 4 RBI, a double and a triple. Javi Salas (0-3) struggled in the start for Helena, just pitching two innings and giving up six runs on five hits. The lone run of the game for Helena came in the eighth. Sthervin Matos hit a one-out single, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and later scored on the RBI triple of Alan Sharkey. It was Sharkey's first triple of the season. Mitch Meyer's 13-game hitting streak would come to an end on Thursday as he went 0-for-3. He would face a struggling Mike Blanke in the eighth, but would be walked in his final plate appearance of the night. Great Falls' Mason Robbins came up a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. The Brewers now head back to Kindrick Field for a three-game series with the Missoula Osprey. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Second baseman Francisco Castillo was the only Helena player with multiple hits, going 3-for-5 with a double. Helena Game Log

From the below audio link of Doug Melvin's appearance on WTMJ earlier today, when asked about position players he responded, "Position players aren't the situation that we're actually looking for. We feel we're pretty solid there." Not sure if it is posturing or he has ruled out position players even in the case of adding roster depth. Hopefully not, although maybe he is waiting until after the deadline to look for those type of players. Doug Melvin on WTMJ's Brewers 360 (If you have issues playing it from SoundHound, here is the WTMJ Website Link, Doug Melvin interview starts at 2:06 mark) Also, for what it's worth at the very end (last 20 seconds) he has some comments about the Twins and Cardinals being teams that may not deserve competitive balance picks and then mentions that the Brewers were happy to get the pick they did and that they, "may have gotten "Ryan" Haniger with that kind of pick." Haniger was the No. 38 overall pick (one pick before Joey Gallo went off the board), but it was the second of two picks awarded to the Brewers as part of the Fielder compensation. Regarding calling him Ryan, hopefully he just misspoke, because I would like to think he knows the names of at least the top five prospects in the system.

Great Falls Voyagers knock off Helena Brewers By Lee Vernoy / Great Falls Tribune The skies opened up over Centene Stadium Wednesday night at 9:10 p.m., and there was no doubt the eighth inning would never start. But the Noah jokes certainly did. The Great Falls Voyagers won the rain-shortened Pioneer League contest over the Helena Brewers 7-4, by way of strong pitching from Zach Thompson and Alex Powers, and power from the bats of Chevy Clarke, Zac Fisher, and Mason Robbins. The Voyagers, having clinched the Pioneer League Northern Division’s first half title two days earlier, now stand at 22-14 with two games left in the first half. Helena is now 13-23, dead last in the division. The defense of the Voyagers wasn’t very pretty – four errors total – and it reared its ugly head in the very first inning. Gregory Munoz singled and reached second when Toby Thomas muffed the catch on a potential double play ball off the bat of Brandon Diaz. Fellow middle infielder Ethan Gross let Tucker Neuhaus’ grounder climb up his arm for the second Voyager miscue as Gregory Munoz, who had stolen third, crossed the plate. Brandon Diaz scored the second run on Sthervin Matos’ fly to center, Tucker Neuhaus stole second, and Jack Cleary lined into a double play, with centerfielder Chevy Clarke doubling up Neuhaus at second. Great Falls came right back, starting with a leadoff homer by Clarke, his seventh of the year. Clarke singled home run number two in the second to score Ryan Jones, who reached on a one-out walk. Mason Robbins led off the third with a single, and Fisher, the designated hitter, slapped a frozen rope just inside the right field foul pole for his fourth dinger of the season to give Great Falls a 4-2 lead. The Voyagers added two more in the fourth. Thomas doubled to left with one out, Robbins singled him to third, and Fisher singled home Thomas, with Robbins moving to third on Brandon Diaz’s error in center. Patrick Palmeiro then lined to right field, but it was deep enough to score Robbins from third. Robbins capped the scoring when he led off the sixth with a poke over the wall in left for his third homer of the year. Thompson earned his first win of the year (1-2), giving up three runs – one earned – on five hits and a walk while fanning four. Powers came on in the sixth, giving up an unearned run on one hit, two walks and two Ks, earning his first save as a Voyager. Fisher drove in three runs on a 3-for-4 night, and Mason Robbins was a perfect 4-for-4, raising his average to .312. The Voyagers and Brewers wrap up the short two-game homestand tonight at 7 when Chris Freudenburg (2-3, 3.13) starting against Javier Salas (0-2, 5.40).

Final: Great Falls 7, Helena 4 Rain cuts Brewers short, falling 7-4 By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (12-23) lost 7-4 in a rain-shortened contest on Wednesday to the Great Falls Voyagers (22-14) for their third straight loss. The Brewers would take a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. Gregory Munoz led off the game with a single and came into score later on an error by shortstop Ethan Gross. Brandon Diaz would walk and score on the sacrifice fly of Sthervin Matos who now has 19 RBI in his two weeks in the Pioneer League. The Voyagers would score in five of their seven innings at the plate, pounding 12 hits in the first four innings. Brewers starter J.B. Kole (0-2) pitched three innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and striking out three. Great Falls hit three home runs in the ball game; solo shots from Chevy Clarke and Mason Robbins while Zach Fisher hit a two-run homer. After the bottom of the seventh inning, a powerful rain and lightning storm came in to shut down the operation. The Brewers are now a season-low 10 games below .500 and on a three-game skid. The Brewers and Voyagers will face off in the finale of their two-game series Thursday at Centene Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. Helena Box Score Brandon Diaz was 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Diaz is now stolen 14 bases on the season in 17 attempts. Sthervin Matos was 1-for-2. In 13 Pioneer League games, Matos has a slash line of .396 BA / .411 OBP / .717 SLG. Mitch Meyer was 1-for-3 with Helena's lone extra base hit, a double. Helena Game Log

Congrats to Jeffress on a solid 9th inning today. I knew he had some serious heat, but it was certainly on full display today. BrooksBaseball.net PITCH f/x had his four-seam fastball maxing out at 101.0 MPH today and his two-seam fastball at 100.7. Nice break for the Brewers to be able to add a power arm to the bullpen internally for the remainder of the season.

It amazes me how quickly Headley's stock has dropped over the past two years in San Diego. I do tend to think he will have a bit of a late season revival in New York this season which should boost his free agent value. I also found this short synopsis from a Baseball Prospectus article by Sam Miller about Headley to be somewhat encouraging.

Per MLB Trade Rumors...

Just to be a little more clear, I was attempting to temper "arrive by" expectations by offering up the absolute best case scenario for a 16 year old Dominican ballplayer that turns into a superstar. Honestly, I was probably even a little aggressive with the estimate in the best case scenario. Regardless, I wasn't trying to pin realistic debut expectations on a 16-year old ballplayer entering professional baseball since those probably fall somewhere closer between 23 and never. Anyway, agreed on your point of looking forward to enjoying the development of a young talented ballplayer and being able to "dream on" what could be no matter how realistic.

Brewers up early, fall late to Rockies By Amber Kuehn / Helena Independent Record http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/82/78215b3a-122e-11e4-ba11-0019bb2963f4/53cf4f6c74897.preview-620.jpg Helena’s Gregory Munoz waits for a relay from Sthervin Matos, giving the Brewers an out at second base Tuesday at Kindrick Legion Field. The lightning struck first and the thunder followed Tuesday at Kindrick Legion Field. After the players were called off the field, a light rain began to fall. Fifty-two minutes later, a different sort of storm descended on the Helena Brewers, this one in the form of the visiting Grand Junction Rockies. The Rockies exploded for five runs in the sixth inning following the weather delay and beat the Brewers 8-7 after thwarting a late comeback attempt by the hosts. “We once again had that one big inning where we had a letdown,” a disappointed Helena manager Tony Diggs said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to not let those big innings happen.” Helena trailed 3-0 early before Sthervin Matos struck a game-tying, bases-clearing double in the third. The Brewers took the lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Gregory Munoz. Luis Ortega came in to pitch for Helena after the long delay and retired the first three he faced. But the Rockies got to the reliever in the sixth, getting three straight hits — a single, a two-run homer by Max George, and another single — before the Brewers recorded a single out. When all was said and done, it was 8-4 Grand Junction. But the Brewers weren’t done yet. Against Rockies reliever Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Castillo hit a one-out double and came home on a balk call to make it 8-5. Brandon Diaz then reached on a strikeout passed ball, stole third and scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead to 8-6. An RBI triple by Mitch Meyer, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, made it 8-7, giving new hope to the hometown team and bringing life to the small crowd that rode out the storm. Grand Junction didn’t find home plate the rest of the night against Helena reliever Brandon Moore, who retired all nine batters he faced — including two by back-to-back strikeouts on minimum pitches. He was effective and his defense was athletic, with center fielder Brandon Diaz making several highlight-reel plays Tuesday evening. “He came in and did exactly what’s expected of a guy of his caliber,” Diggs said of Moore. “He mixed his pitches well and put up zeros, and had good defense behind him.” But despite putting the go-ahead run on base in the ninth frame, Helena couldn’t muster a win. Yoely Bello hit back-to-back batters to bring the Brewers’ biggest bat to the plate with only one out, but Sthervin Matos — who leads the team with a .413 average — grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. “They showed me great heart and good effort in playing through tonight,” Diggs said. Grand Junction won the season series 5-2. Forrest Wall led the Rockies at the plate, going 4 for 5 Tuesday with a pair of RBIs. Reliever Taylor Black got the win on the mound to improve to 3-0 on the year, while Ortega (2-4) was charged with the loss. Helena heads to Great Falls next for a two-game set before returning home to host Missoula for three. NOTES: Chad Thompson was promoted from Helena to the low-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League on Tuesday morning. The right-handed pitcher spent 2012 with the Rattlers prior to being sidelined for the 2013 season due to shoulder surgery. Currently, no pitcher has been called up from the Arizona League to take his spot in the rotation. ... ...Orem clinched the fist half Southern Division title and a playoff berth with a win over Missoula.

Final: Grand Junction 8, Helena 7 Tying run left at second, Brewers fall 8-7 By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-22) came up just short on Tuesday, losing 8-7 to the Grand Junction Rockies (20-15). For the second time in their four-game series with the Rockies, the Brewers stranded the tying run in scoring position in the ninth. Grand Junction took an early 3-0 lead with runs in the first and second off Cy Sneed. Wes Rogers led off the game with a single and later scored on an RBI single from Forrest Wall. Rogers was 2-for-4 in his second game of professional baseball while Wall went 4-for-5 on the night. Helena tied it up in the third when Sthervin Matos hit a 3-RBI double to clear the bases. Matos now has 18 RBI in 12 games in the Pioneer League. The Brewers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth when Gregory Munoz hit an RBI single up the middle to score Edgardo Rivera from second. Play would be suspended in the top of the fifth due to lightning. The Brewers had a 4-3 lead at the time and were just two outs from taking home the win. Luis Ortega (2-4) replaced Sneed after the delay, giving up five runs on six hits in just a third of an inning of work. That would end Grand Junction's scoring for the night, but it would be enough. After dropping the lead down to one, the Brewers made a late rally in the ninth. Brandon Diaz and Tucker Neuhaus were both hit by pitches to put two men aboard with one away. Gavin Glanz then entered the ball game and threw one pitch to end it. Sthervin Matos grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to give the Rockies their 20th victory of the year. The Brewers now head North to take on the Great Falls Voyagers in a two-game series. First pitch from Centene Stadium on Wednesday is set for 7:00 p.m. Helena Box Score Brandon Diaz went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Diaz also added two stolen bases, both of 3B. Tucker Neuhaus was 1-for-3 as well. Sthervin Matos was 1-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Mitch Meyer was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Cy Sneed's final line was 4.1 IP, 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout Helena Game Log It was a rough 6th inning for Luis Ortega as Grand Junction scored five runs to take the lead. Grand Junction Top of the 6th Hamlet Marte singles on a line drive to center fielder Brandon Diaz. Max George homers (3) on a fly ball to center field. Hamlet Marte scores. Wilson Soriano singles on a ground ball to center fielder Brandon Diaz. With Wes Rogers batting, Wilson Soriano steals (8) 2nd base. Wes Rogers grounds out, pitcher Luis Ortega to first baseman Sthervin Matos. Wilson Soriano to 3rd. Forrest Wall singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mitch Meyer. Wilson Soriano scores. With Yonathan Daza batting, Forrest Wall steals (5) 2nd base. Yonathan Daza doubles (6) on a ground ball to left fielder Edgardo Rivera. Forrest Wall scores. Henry Garcia called out on strikes. With Randy Reyes batting, Yonathan Daza steals (6) 3rd base. Randy Reyes singles on a line drive to left fielder Edgardo Rivera. Yonathan Daza scores. With Luis Castro batting, Randy Reyes picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, pitcher Luis Ortega to first baseman Sthervin Matos to shortstop Gregory Munoz to first baseman Sthervin Matos. Helena climbed back within one run in the 7th. Helena Bottom of the 7th Pitching Change: Alex Rodriguez replaces Taylor Black. Gregory Munoz grounds out, pitcher Alex Rodriguez to first baseman Henry Garcia. Francisco Castillo doubles (4) on a fly ball to center fielder Wes Rogers. Brandon Diaz called out on strikes. Passed ball by catcher Hamlet Marte. Francisco Castillo to 3rd. Brandon Diaz to 1st. With Tucker Neuhaus batting, Francisco Castillo scores on a balk. Brandon Diaz advances to 2nd on a balk. With Tucker Neuhaus batting, Brandon Diaz steals (12) 3rd base. Tucker Neuhaus singles on a ground ball to second baseman Forrest Wall. Brandon Diaz scores. Pitching Change: Hunter Brothers replaces Alex Rodriguez. Sthervin Matos grounds into a force out, third baseman Luis Castro to second baseman Forrest Wall. Tucker Neuhaus out at 2nd. Sthervin Matos to 1st. Mitch Meyer triples (2) on a line drive to left fielder Wilson Soriano. Sthervin Matos scores. Mitch Meyer out at home, left fielder Wilson Soriano to catcher Hamlet Marte to third baseman Luis Castro to catcher Hamlet Marte.

I think the earliest possible would be age 21 even if he developed into an absolute beast. Most teams typically don't rush the development of Dominican teenagers. Dominican players have a lot of pressures and distractions as they start their professional careers. They are trying to develop as baseball players while also becoming accustomed to living (and communicating) in the United States, not to mention being away from their families. With Miguel Sano the Twins sent him to both levels of Rookie ball for his first two seasons and then were basically advancing him 1-2 levels a year. Without the injury he likely would have been in MLB by his age 22 season (unless he would have been a September call-up this year in his age 21 season). If Gilbert Lara developed into a top-50 prospect in baseball, I think this could be a realistic progression. 2015 - Age 17 - Rookie (AZL Maryvale) 2016 - Age 18 - Rookie (Helena) / Low-A (Wisconsin) 2017 - Age 19 - Low-A (Wisconsin) 2018 - Age 20 - High-A (Brevard County) / AA (Biloxi) 2019 - Age 21 - AAA (Nashville or Fresno or somewhere in between) / MLB (Brewers)

Very well done Brad (and staff)! The list certainly appears considerably deeper than those from the pre-season. A lot of young guys on that list that I am looking forward to watch develop. As far as the name goes, maybe a BF.net naming contest? My submissions are "Miller Park Future Forty" or "Brewers Back Forty". Sorry if those are a lame start.

McCalvy article on Gilbert Lara including mention of his assignment to instructs this Fall and the possibility of him skipping the DSL level next season. Lara pays first visit to Miller Park By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- Gilbert Lara attended his first Major League Baseball game on Monday. The Brewers hope it's the first of many. Lara, the 16-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic who signed a record-breaking contract earlier this month, visited Miller Park for the first time and took a round of batting practice. It was general manager Doug Melvin's first look at a player in whom the Brewers have invested $3.1 million, nearly four times more than any other international signee in franchise history. "Impact bat," Melvin said. "He's 16 years old, coming in here and hitting balls into the second deck. The last round, he said, 'I'm going to go to right field,' and he started hitting line drives to right field." Zack Minasian, the Brewers' pro scouting director, and special assistant Craig Counsell were among the club officials who looked at Lara in January, when the Brewers emerged as clear favorites to formally land him at the opening of the international signing period on July 2. Lara was the fourth-best prospect available per MLB.com's rankings. Because of his age, Lara will not be eligible for the Dominican Summer League until next season, but Melvin suggested that he may be advanced enough to skip that level entirely. The Brewers will make that determination after evaluating him in their instructional leagues -- in Arizona this fall, followed by a similar program in the Dominican Republic over the winter. Lara was wide-eyed at Miller Park. "I feel really good to be sitting in a big league stadium with big league players," he said, with Eduardo Brizuela, the team's director of Latin American operations, serving as translator. Lara wants to stay at shortstop, though some have speculated that as his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame continues to fill out, he could wind up at third base. Melvin compared his frame with younger versions of Alex Rodriguez, Alex Rios and Juan Gonzalez. Lara said that he models his game after Rodriguez's. "He's a very humble young boy," Brizuela said. "He carries himself very well. He comes from a good family, and his trainer, Jaime Ramos, is one of the big agents down in the Dominican Republic. He's a guy that has trained him very well and has shown him how important family is and how you work hard to get where you want to be." That process formally began on Monday. "I'm hiding a little bit of my emotion," Lara said. "I'm really happy to be here right now, really excited to be here." Before Lara, the richest international bonuses in Brewers history went to shortstop Franly Mallen and outfielder Nicolas Pierre, each of whom signed for $800,000 last year. Before that the record was the $750,000, given to pitcher Rolando Pascual in 2005 during a period in which the Brewers closed their Latin American academy and focused on signing fewer but higher-profile players. Also, this Tweet contains a few seconds of video of Gilbert Lara taking BP and this Tweet mentions that one of those balls ended up below Bernie's Slide.

Final: Grand Junction 11, Helena 7 4-0 lead not enough for Brewers By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-21) surrendered a 4-0 lead on Monday to the Grand Junction Rockies (19-15) on their way to an 11-7 loss. The Brewers scored two runs in both the first and third innings to take an early 4-0 lead. Francisco Castillo led off the first with a single and would later score on a wild pitch. He would also lead off the third, cranking a double and scoring two batters later. He was 3-for-5 with two runs scored to jump out of a week-long slump. Grand Junction grabbed the lead in the fourth with five runs on four hits off Jorge Ortega (1-1). Randy Reyes crushed a three-run home run off Ortega for the first three runs of the inning. Ortega pitched three and two-thirds, giving up five runs on five hits, walking and striking out one. After taking a 5-4 lead, the Rockies would never trail again. They added three runs in the fifth including a two-run homer from Kevin Padlo. Luis Aviles hit his first professional home run in the eighth. It was a leadoff solo shot off Alec Kenilvort. Aviles was 2-for-5 in the ballgame continuing his transformation at the plate after spending the spring working with Manny Machado. Ryan Deeter pitched the last inning and two-thirds for the Brewers, extending his streak. Deeter has not allowed an earned run in his first two season of professional baseball over 15 appearances. The Brewers and Rockies will face off in the finale of their four-game series Tuesday at Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena had five players with multi-hit games, and 12 total hits (4 extra base hits). Lead-off hitter Francisco Castillo was 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base and two runs scored. Tucker Neuhaus was 1-for-5 with a stolen base, but unfortunately that was overshadowed by four strikeouts (went down once swinging and three times looking). The rest of the Helena squad combined only had three strikeouts on the night. Catcher Jack Cleary was 3-for-4 with a walk. Mitch Meyer was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Shortstop Luis Aviles was 2-for-5 with a homerun and a stolen base. Unfortunately Aviles had plenty of struggles in the field, recording three errors (two throwing and one fielding) to bring his season total to 15. Helena Game Log

Cliff Lee on the mound tonight pitching versus the Giants. For what it's worth at least 1/3 of the teams in baseball have a scout there according to this Jerry Crasnick Tweet:

Very exciting detective work, Mass! Looking forward to potentially seeing something play out. Also, as you have documented the Brewers are long overdue on a trade with the Marlins!

Brewers get even with Grand Junction, win 4-2 By Helena Independent Record The Helena Brewers broke open a tie game with two runs in the eighth inning Sunday, beating Grand Junction 4-2 at Kindrick Legion Field. Tucker Neuhaus doubled down the left-field line to advance Brandon Diaz to third, putting two in scoring position with no outs. Natanael Mejia’s RBI single brought Diaz home, and Eric Williams laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Neuhaus. It was a solid outing for Helena starter Brandon Woodruff, who pitched five innings of shutout baseball. He allowed just five hits while striking out a pair. The Rockies (18-15) entered the eighth inning trailing Helena 2-0, then tied the game with two runs off reliever Devin Williams. Henry Garcia had an RBI single to put the visitors on the board, and he later scored the tying run on a wild pitch. But after Williams (2-4) was charged with the blown save, he was able to come back and get the win thanks to his offense. Williams struck out Omar Carrizales to end the game. Following a four-hit night in the previous game, Carrizales was just 2 for 5 Sunday. Grand Junction closer Marc Magliaro (0-1) took the loss. Denver’s Kyle Freeland got the start for Grand Junction and was perfect through the first 10 batters he faced. Diaz had the first hit against Freeland, the eighth overall selection in the 2014 draft. Through four innings, Freeland allowed only two hits. Tucker Neuhaus, playing third base, was the only Brewer with multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Helena catcher Greg McCall is still out with a knee ailment, while outfielder Elvis Rubio was also rested one day after getting hurt in the series opener against Grand Junction. The Brewers improved to 13-20 with the win. They’ll take on the Rockies in Game 3 of the series tonight, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

This article out of Jacksonville contradicts the previous reports that Biloxi is facing a $10,000 per game penalty from the Southern League for any games they are unable to host next season. Southern League Notebook: Biloxi's stadium plan runs into problem By The Florida Times-Union The Jacksonville Suns are supposed to help inaugurate the new baseball stadium in Biloxi, Miss., next year when the Suns and the Southern League’s newest franchise meet in a five-game series starting April 20. But that series and possibly Biloxi’s entire 35-game home schedule for the first half of the 2015 are in jeopardy. Biloxi was awarded the franchise rights of the Huntsville Stars, the affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Biloxi did its part by planning a state-of-the-art $30 million ballpark. But last week when bids for construction of the stadium opened, both were at least $5 million over budget. City officials went about trimming the cost and came up with a new construction schedule, one that calls for a 12-month schedule to build the park. But that would put the completion date well past the end of the first half of the 2015 schedule. There was an erroneous report that the Southern League protected its interest in the contract with the city of Biloxi, by imposing a $10,000 per game penalty for missing any scheduled games due to the stadium not being ready. But Southern League president Lori Webb said that the league did not have such an agreement. “I think that was in the agreement between the city and the ownership group,” Webb said. “That’s not something that the league office has. We have no such agreement. I’ve heard a number of different dates that they’re talking about for the completion, so I’m not sure which one to believe at this point. I just know that as soon as they say go, they’re going to go as fast as they can to get it built.” One solution would be for Huntsville to remain in its current location one more year. The Stars have another year remaining on their lease. “I’m hoping that the new ballpark in Biloxi is completed in time. However, I am aware that they are having some serious problems,” Suns owner Peter Bragan Jr. said. “We would try to help Biloxi with the schedule any way we can.” If that meant Jacksonville hosting Biloxi in the April 20-24 series, the Suns would likely agree. That would result in Jacksonville starting the season with a 20-game homestand. “I sure hope we would be in first place after that,” Bragan quipped.

Final: Helena 4, Grand Junction 2 Brewers even series with 4-2 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-20) scored two late runs to top the Grand Junction Rockies (18-15) 4-2 and even their series record at a game apiece. The Brewers pitching staff came up with one of their top outings this season, shutting out the Rockies through the first seven innings. Brandon Woodruff had his best start of the year, pitching five innings of shutout baseball, striking out two and giving up five hits. The 8th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Kyle Freeland, was perfect through his first 10 hitters for the Rockies before Brandon Diaz came up with an infield single in the fourth. Freeland pitched four innings, giving up two hits and striking out three. Helena broke the scoring open with two runs in the fifth off reliever Logan Norris. Mitch Meyer, Luis Aviles and Edgardo Rivera came up with three consecutive two-out hits in the frame to score two runs off the righty. The Rockies would tie it up in the eighth with two runs off reliever Devin Williams. Henry Garcia ripped an RBI single to center to score Omar Carrizales and later scored on a wild pitch. Helena immediately responded with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Tucker Neuhaus put a double down the left field line to advance Brandon Diaz to third and put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Natanael Mejia came up with an RBI single to score Diaz and Eric Williams laid a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to bring in Neuhaus. Devin Williams closed out the ninth, striking out Carrizales to end the game. The Brewers and Rockies will go at it on Monday night in game three of their four-game series from Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena managed eight hits on the day, but only two hits came off 2014 first rounder, LHP Kyle Freeland (back-to-back singles by Brandon Diaz and Tucker Neuhaus in the 4th inning). CF Brandon Diaz was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. 3B Tucker Neuhaus was 2-for-4 with the lone extra base hit for the Brewers, a double in the 8th inning. It was just a two man pitching show for Helena, as they held the Grand Junction to just two runs on nine hits. Brandon Woodruff's final line was 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Over 4.0 IP Devin Williams allowed 4 H and 2 ER. He did issue 3 walks while striking out 5. He also had a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. Helena Game Log Grand Junction ties the game by scoring two runs in the 8th inning against Devin Williams. Grand Junction Top of the 8th Omar Carrizales singles on a ground ball to center fielder Brandon Diaz. Yonathan Daza flies out to right fielder Mitch Meyer. With Henry Garcia batting, Omar Carrizales steals (8) 2nd base. Henry Garcia singles on a line drive to center fielder Brandon Diaz. Omar Carrizales scores. Luis Castro grounds out, pitcher Devin Williams to first baseman Alan Sharkey. Henry Garcia to 2nd. With Nate Causey batting, Henry Garcia steals (1) 3rd base. With Nate Causey batting, wild pitch by Devin Williams, Henry Garcia scores. Nate Causey walks. Kevin Padlo strikes out swinging. Helena answers by putting up two runs of their own in the 8th inning. Helena Bottom of the 8th Brandon Diaz walks. Tucker Neuhaus doubles (8) on a fly ball to left fielder Omar Carrizales. Brandon Diaz to 3rd. Natanael Mejia singles on a line drive to right fielder Yonathan Daza. Brandon Diaz scores. Tucker Neuhaus to 3rd. Alan Sharkey lines out to left fielder Omar Carrizales. Eric Williams out on a sacrifice bunt, first baseman Henry Garcia to pitcher Marc Magliaro. Tucker Neuhaus scores. Natanael Mejia to 2nd. Mitch Meyer flies out to center fielder Denzel Richardson. Devin Williams closes out the game with a strikeout to preserve the Helena win. Grand Junction Top of the 9th Wesley Jones grounds out, second baseman Francisco Castillo to first baseman Alan Sharkey. Max George flies out to center fielder Brandon Diaz. Denzel Richardson doubles (6) on a ground ball to left fielder Edgardo Rivera. With Omar Carrizales batting, Denzel Richardson steals (7) 3rd base. Omar Carrizales strikes out swinging.

Final: Grand Junction 6, Helena 5 Late rally comes up short for Brewers By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (12-20) lost 6-5 in heartbreaking fashion to the Grand Junction Rockies (18-14) on Saturday night at Kindrick Field in Helena. The Rockies struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning. Randy Reyes and Luis Castro would come in to score on a wild pitch and RBI single from Omar Carrizales. Carrizales was 4-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. The Brewers then homered in the second and third innings to take a 3-2 lead after three frames. Jack Cleary hit a solo homer in the second off Carlos Polanco, his first home run of professional baseball. Brandon Diaz then had a two-run shot in the third to give the Brewers their first lead of the game. Polanco (4-3) pitched a season-high seven innings in the start, giving up three runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four. After tying it up 3-3 in the fifth, the Rockies would take a 6-3 lead with three runs on three hits in the sixth, knocking Javi Salas (0-2) out of the ballgame. The Brewers would make a late run at it, trailing by three going to the bottom of the ninth. Eric Williams and Mitch Meyer would score in the inning and Dionis Hinijosa stole third with two outs to put the tying run just 90 feet from home for the Brewers. Gregory Munoz grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game and give Helena their 20th loss of the year. Gregory Munoz was 3-for-4 on the night with a run scored. The Brewers and Rockies will face off in game two of their four game series Sunday from Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena Game Log With the tying run on third and winning run on first, Helena's ninth inning rally fell just short. Helena Bottom of the 9th Pitching Change: Gavin Glanz replaces Cristian Quintin. Sthervin Matos pops out to shortstop Luis Jean. Eric Williams singles on a ground ball to center fielder Omar Carrizales. With Jack Cleary batting, Eric Williams advances to 2nd on a balk. Jack Cleary walks. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Edgardo Rivera replaces Jack Cleary. Mitch Meyer grounds into a force out, second baseman Forrest Wall to shortstop Luis Jean. Eric Williams to 3rd. Edgardo Rivera out at 2nd. Mitch Meyer to 1st. Dionis Hinojosa singles on a fly ball to right fielder Randy Reyes. Eric Williams scores. Mitch Meyer to 3rd. With Alan Sharkey batting, wild pitch by Gavin Glanz, Mitch Meyer scores. Dionis Hinojosa to 2nd. Alan Sharkey walks. With Gregory Munoz batting, Dionis Hinojosa steals (2) 3rd base. Gregory Munoz grounds into a force out, shortstop Luis Jean to second baseman Forrest Wall. Alan Sharkey out at 2nd.

Tough to say since he is pitching again, but his rehab starts haven't been spectacular.

I would consider this to be an ominous start in Biloxi. Unfortunately the delay in having a completed facility could turn into a significant distraction next season for the AA players. They face the potential of having a season spent with a lack of adequate training facilities and a heavy travel schedule in the midst of trying to develop as players while making the second most difficult jump in professional baseball (from A+ to AA). From a City of Biloxi standpoint, I would also be concerned that unless done quite skillfully, value engineering the facility and trying to expedite the construction schedule could have some very negative effects on the final product.

AZL Brewers SS Jake Gatewood replaced after batting in the second inning of tonight's game. Hopefully it is not injury related although that would seem to be the most likely scenario.