hsvstarsfan

Logan Schafer and Martin Maldonado, Saturday, became respectively, the 199th and 200th former Huntsville Stars to graduate to the majors. Schafer struck out against the Astros' David Carpenter in the top of the 9th. Maldonado came in as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the 9th and handled a foul pop that inning.

See you in Huntsville, next year, Hunter!

We had no power tonight (Thursday). Peralta lost the game before we got to the 3rd. That's 8 in a row now -- the longest since the tail end of the 2009 season. They're going to have to pull themselves out of this mess.I told friends during their hot April start that they were playing way above their abilities. On paper, they were terrible. I was right.

The Stars have now lost 9 off 11 extra-inning games going back to 2009.

The ball hit above the yellow line out in CF where for many years one of the speakers was planted. The ball bounced back, possibly after hitting an old mount. Oddly, Birmingham manager Bobby Magallanes, coaching at third, never protested, but Seth Loman, who connected on the hit, did, and the third base ump apparently had enough of him and threw him out during the next half-inning. BTW, the loss ended a 7-0 start AT HOME for the Stars -- the longest streak in their history from the start of a season. They won 6 straight at home at the start of the 2008 season.

Martin Maldonado was hit in the knee by a pitch in the 8th inning and taken out of the game. Don't know how serious. I wasn't there tonight. This came one inning after he hit a 3-run HR in the Stars' 7-run 7th vs. Birmingham.

This comes almost a year to the day after the Stars' last one-hitter -- an 11-1 victory at Chattanooga (on April 10)! Oddly, the Stars were involved in another one-hitter a year before that! On April 12, 2009 at Joe Davis Stadium, a leadoff hit in the 1st (a double by Adam Stern) was all the Stars could get in a 3-0 loss to Mobile. This was the 15th one-hit victory fashioned by the Stars since 1985, and the 6th since the Stars became a Milwaukee affiliate.

In Jacksonville, Brandon Jones tonight hit 3 doubles in a game in his first three at-bats. He's the 23rd Huntsville Star in history to do hit 3 doubles in a game, and the 12th since the Stars became a Milwaukee affiliate. Taylor Green and Caleb Gindl turned that trick last year.

Five Huntsville pitchers combine to allow just three hits, the fewest in the Stars' Brewer era. Matt Ford and three relievers allowed just four hits in the 2004 opener vs. Montgomery. It's the fewest hits given up by the Stars in an opener since 1989 when Will Schock, Steve Maye, and Joe Klink, carried a no-hitter into the 9th. They beat Greenville, 3-1 with a one-hitter, April 7. Sean Halton and Taylor Green drive in 2 apiece and collect 5 of the Stars' 7 hits.

The last time a Stars pitcher took a no-hitter this deep was 2004, when Matt Ford went five vs. Montgomery in a game the Stars eventually won, 5-4. Peralta goes 5 1/3 before Mattison's triple.

Peralta allows his first baserunners in the 3rd, but gets out of two on, two out situation as he gets ss Chris Gutierrez to fly out to Caufield. Wily has thrown 44 pitches in 3 innings. Both runners reached on walks.

Jacksonville pitcher Dallas Trahern threw 25 pitches in the 1st inning.

Huntsville opening up against Jacksonville for the first time since 2003, first time IN Jacksonville since 1999, the Stars first season as a Brewer affiliate. The lineup:Haydel, cfMiranda, 2b Lucroy, cGreen, 3bHalton, 1bJones, lfCaufield, rfSanchez, ssPeralta, p. Back-to-back doubles by Taylor Green and Sean Halton followed one out walks to Miranda and Lucroy. Stars lead 3-0 in the top of the 2nd.

I won't be happy till we have a honest-to-God scoreboard that is fully operational. We fans, who still show up, deserve it.

Why are you having your game broadcasts from the seating bowl this season? Very simply, to add to the fan experience. First, they've got to have fans.