Jim Goulart

Final: Mobile 3, Biloxi 1, 11 innings Vegas Showdown Ends in Second-Straight Extra-Inning Loss Starter Tyler Wagner flirts with a no hitter on Saturday night Biloxi Shuckers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/3/5/2/122034352/cuts/Wagner2_Rodney_Cammauf_vfwrgwip_r288s5u1.jpg Tyler Wagner took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Saturday night (Photo by Rodney Cammauf) HUNTSVILLE, AL - It was billed as a Vegas heavyweight battle as Las Vegas natives Tyler Wagner and Aaron Blair met as starting pitchers on Saturday night in Huntsville. The top prospects settled for no decisions as Wagner, who had won each of his first four starts, lost a no-hit bid in the sixth inning. The Shuckers went on to fall in a second-straight extra-inning contest, 3-1, in 11 innings at Joe Davis Stadium. The loss ensured the second series lost by the Shuckers, and set them 1½ games behind the BayBears, for first place in the Southern League South standings. Mobile remains the only team Biloxi has dropped a series to through five total to start the 2015 season. Reliever Eric Marzec (L, 0-1, IP, 2 R, 2 H, 3 SO) took the mound for just the second time this season to begin the 11th for the Shuckers, and allowed back-to-back home runs to Tom Belza and Brandon Drury to give Mobile their eighth straight victory. Wagner, the Brewers' No. 9 prospect (7 IP, R, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 SO) had a no-hitter going through 5.1 innings before Belza singled with one out in the sixth. The graduate of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas dropped his ERA down to 1.86 and set season-highs in innings pitched and strikeouts. Blair, who attended Spring Valley High School in Vegas, delivered seven scoreless for the BayBears on two hits while walking two and striking out five. Blair is ranked as the No. 3 prospect for the Diamondbacks and No. 40 in all of baseball, according Baseball America. Mobile (15-7) opened the scoring in the seventh, against Wagner when an RBI single by Sean Jameison brought in Socrates Brito. Biloxi (14-9) tied it in the eighth when Nathan Orf (0x3, R, BB) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tyrone Taylor (1x4) advanced Orf and reached first safely to put runners on the corners for Adam Weisenburger (0x2, RBI, BB). The Shuckers' catcher lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Orf and knot the score at one apiece. Jaye Chapman allowed one hit and struck out one BayBear in his inning of relief, while Wirfin Obispo rebounded from Friday's loss with a perfect, two-inning effort with three punch outs. Edgar Garcia (W, 1-0) blew the save for Mobile, but ended up with the win. Adam Miller picked up his third save of the season after walking one and striking out two in the 11th. Biloxi will send out LHP Hobbs Johnson (2-0, 1.65) in game four of the five-game set, trying to avoid a first four-game losing streak. Mobile will counter with RHP Braden Shipley (2-1, 1.08) Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM, with coverage beginning at 1:55 on 1240-AM WGCM, 1580-AM WPMO and the Biloxi Shuckers Radio Network. Fans can also listen to the game using the TuneIn Radio app or by going to www.biloxishuckers.com. Biloxi Box Score Just three hits for Biloxi batters in 11 innings (four walks); Kyle Wren had a single and two walks, but was caught stealing twice (now 8-for-12 in SB attempts); 1.03 WHIP in 29 innings for Tyler Wagner... Biloxi Game Log

Speaking of Corey, just added this Q&A to our Sky Sox features thread -- Sitting down with Sky Sox reliever Corey Knebel Kevin Henry, Examiner.com

Sitting down with Sky Sox reliever Corey Knebel Kevin Henry, Examiner.com I recently had the chance to sit down with Colorado Springs Sky Sox reliever Corey Knebel. Now in his third professional season, the right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA and two saves in nine appearances (through games of May 1) for Colorado Springs. Overall, Knebel has compiled 20 saves and an 8-3 record with a 2.00 ERA in his minor league career for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He also appeared in eight games last season for the Tigers, recording a 6.23 ERA. Knebel is currently on the Brewers' 40-man roster. Kevin Henry: How would you evaluate the season through the first month? Knebel: I think it’s going pretty well. So far, I’ve really been working on getting ahead early in the count and staying ahead. I’ve been focusing on throwing first-pitch strikes and it’s been working. I think I have a feel for my role on the team and have settled into a routine. Now I’m just trying to put it all together, bear down, and execute. Henry: What were some of the things you focused on heading into the season? Knebel: My changeup and my fastball. I knew I had the curveball so I wanted to focus on my other pitches. In spring training, I worked on throwing strikes with those two pitches. Henry: When you knew you were coming to the Triple-A Sky Sox instead of the majors, what was your mindset? Knebel: I needed to focus on being here. I knew I was going to be somewhere where I could work on my pitches so that became my focus. Henry: Was there any thought about coming to Colorado Springs and the altitude? Knebel: It’s not really something I think about except when I’m doing conditioning. If a ball is going to get hit, it’s not about the altitude. It’s about the pitch. I can’t worry about the altitude. I have to focus on my pitches. Henry: After pitching in the majors, does that make you hungrier to get back to that level? Knebel: Absolutely. I think everyone feels that way, but it’s also not something you think about. You have to focus on what you can do wherever you are and that’s what I am doing. Henry: You’ve been traded twice in the last year. Have you looked at those trades as new opportunities or just part of the business of baseball? Knebel: When I was traded to the Brewers in the offseason, I knew there were plenty of good pitchers on the roster so I wanted to figure out how I could contribute. When I was traded from Detroit to Texas, it was a shock. I didn’t know what was going on or really how I should react to it. When I was traded from Texas to the Brewers, it took me about 3 minutes to react. My first thought was that I was going to miss pitching in Round Rock and for the Rangers organization, but I was and am very glad to be a Brewer.

Final: Colorado Springs 4, Omaha 2 Sky Sox Score Early, Hold Off Omaha In 4-2 Win Five Sky Sox Hits Enough As Stingy Bullpen Secures Victory By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox http://www.milb.com/assets/images/8/5/6/122031856/cuts/05_01_048_pk_n7vcas8w_5s2353m3.jpg Nevin Ashley rounds third after his second inning solo shot, helping the Sox to a 4-2 win on Saturday night. (Photo by Paat Kelly) COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Sky Sox proved that wins come in all shapes and sizes on Saturday night as they defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers 4-2 despite being outhit 14-5 in front of 4,947 fans at Security Service Field. The Sox would get on the board early in what seemed to have the makings of a repeat of Friday night's 16-4 romping of these same Storm Chasers. Friday's home run hero Matt Clark would once again serve as the catalyst for Colorado Springs' offense, plating Pete Orr on a two-out RBI double off the right field wall after Orr reached on a fielding error. Omaha right-hander, and former Sky Sox standout, Clayton Mortensen (2-2, 5.49) would limit the first inning scoring to one before the Sky Sox offense took control in the second. After Tyler Thornburg allowed two runs in the top of the second on four singles and a solo shot by centerfielder Lane Adams, the Sox would answer with three of their own in the home half of the frame. With one out in the home second, Nevin Ashley would take a Mortensen offering to the opposite field, banging a line drive solo shot off of the left field light tower to tie the game at two. A walk by Donnie Murphy would be followed by a Matt Long double to right center, giving Colorado Springs runners on second and third with still just one out. Orr wouldn't miss the opportunity to give his team the lead, lining the first pitch of the at-bat to centerfield to score both Murphy and Long and give his squad an early 4-2 lead. The Sky Sox would make the lead stick as the second inning would see the last of the game's scoring despite nine more combined hits to come in the final seven innings of play. Thornburg would finish his day after 70 pitches due to pitch count limitations. He would allow two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two in three innings of work. Ariel Peńa would come on in relief of Thornburg, tossing one scoreless inning before handing the ball over to right-hander Josh Roenicke (1-0, 0.00) to start the fifth. Roenicke made Sky Sox history as he toed the rubber for the first time in the 2015 season. With his first pitch to Omaha outfielder Moises Sierra, Roenicke became the first player to suit up for the Sox as an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers. He would back his historic appearance with a strong season debut, twirling four innings of scoreless ball on five hits and a walk while striking out three en route to the win. Mortensen settled down after a rocky start to retire his last nine batters consecutively, finishing the night having allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Omaha's bullpen combination of Casey Coleman and Buddy Baumann would maintain the trend, keeping the Sky Sox off the board for the remaining three innings, allowing just one hit in that time. A pivotal moment would come in the top of the seventh as, down by two, the Storm Chasers had runners on the corners with two-out. Already with a homer in the game, Adams would line Roenicke's offering to left field in what looked to be a sure run-scoring extra-base hit. Shane Peterson would lay out, fully-extended to rob Adams of a potential game-tying hit and end the scoring threat. Corey Knebel took the mound in the top of the ninth in a save opportunity, setting Omaha down in order on three consecutive strikeouts to nail down the 4-2 Sky Sox win. The save marks Knebel's third of the young season. The Sox have now won two in a row to improve their season record to 8-14. Drew Gagnon (1-1, 5.68) will look to secure a series victory for the Sox on Sunday afternoon against Omaha righty Aaron Brooks (1-2, 4.43) in the series finale at Security Service Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM MDT (2:35 Central). Colorado Springs Box Score Clean defense helps when you allow 14 hits, two walks, and an HBP, but only two runs. Hey, kudos to Josh Roenicke, impressive Brewer debut for the vet. 30-year-old catcher Nevin Ashley is waiting for his big league debut, he'd be the guy if Martin Maldonado or Juan Centeno was knicked up prior to Jonathan Lucroy's return... Colorado Springs Game Log 10 IP, 16 K, 23 years old -- oh, yeah: Omaha Top of the 9th Pitching Change: Corey Knebel replaces Josh Roenicke. Francisco Pena called out on strikes. Moises Sierra strikes out swinging. Matt Fields strikes out swinging.

Turns out RHP Josh Roenicke was activated from the DL back on April 28th when the Perez announcement took place. Roenicke made his season debut Saturday night.

VIDEO (Friday's game):Colorado Springs' Matt Clark belts his second home run of the night in a 16-4 rout of Omaha *** Love you, Matt. By the way, those Sky Sox fireworks jerseys are insane -- how can that not be distracting to opposing batters with the ball coming off the mound?

PHOTO GALLERY: Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects at the Timber Rattlers game

AUDIO: Pregame interview with Manager Carlos Subero at the link

VIDEO: A 2nd look at the Wisconsin game, via the MyNew32 TV broadcast

Victor Roache has big night, but Daytona pulls out win Michael Parsons, Florida Today Victor Roache's work with Brevard County batting coach Ned Yost IV is paying off in a big way. On Saturday night the left fielder went 3-for-4, including his sixth home run in a 6-4 loss to the Daytona Tortugas in front of 2,311 at Space Coast Stadium. "He has been swinging the bat well," Manatees manager Joe Ayrault said. "He and Ned made some adjustments early in the season and he is sticking with it. Looks real loose at the plate and his pitch recognition is better. He has always had the power." He showed that power not only with his home run, which traveled 398 feet over the right field wall, but a towering triple in the fifth inning ended Daytona starter Nick Travieso's evening and gave the Manatees a 2-1 lead. It looked like that may be all Brevard County starter Hiram Burgos would need as he retired 10 straight in the middle of the game and finished with a season-high eight strikeouts. "That is the kind of pitcher that he is, a true veteran," Ayrault said. "I think the majority of his problems have come in the first inning. Once he works out of them, he is usually locked in." He gave up a run in the first inning on Saturday before settling in. But things unraveled a bit in the fifth inning as a walk, single and hit batter loaded the bases with nobody out. Burgos responded with a strikeout and thought he worked his way out of the jam, but shortstop Angel Ortega's error kept the inning alive. The Tortugas went on to score five runs. "Some tough luck tonight, gets the ground ball he needed and 99 out of 100 times Ortega is going to make that play, he is a great defender," Ayrault said. "It is a tough one." It was another tough loss for the Manatees, who lost three out of the first four in the series with Daytona and had the lead in all three of the losses. The final game of the series will be at Daytona at 5:35 PM (4:35 Central). "They have a good ball club over there and we just have to keep grinding and do our thing, keep getting after it," Ayrault said. Wei-Chung Wang takes the hill for Brevard County today, trying to get on track. He faces a Daytona team that he shut out over six innings in his first start of the season. In his past three starts, he has allowed 14 earned runs over 10 1/3 innings.

Saturday's farmhand birthday: Happy 23rd to 40-man roster member, infielder Yadiel Rivera!

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Colorado Springs Media Notes - It's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Multimedia" banner on the Sky Sox' site. Biloxi Media Notes - Linked on the Shuck Dynasty blog Brevard County Media Notes - It's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Multimedia" banner on the Manatees' site. Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog *** STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division AA - Southern League South Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division *** Sortable individual stat pages: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin *** Weather.com: Colorado Springs, CO Huntsville, AL Viera, FL Grand Chute, WI

Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

DVR Alert! Saturday afternoon's (1:00 PM, added to the original schedule) Timber Rattlers game will be broadcast on MyNew32 TV.

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Colorado Springs: RHP Tyler Thornburg at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 6:35 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link We welcome Dan Karcher, who is the longtime play-by-play voice of the Sky Sox; follow him on Twitter @SkySoxKarch MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Colorado Springs games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. The video of each game is archived online, which is a nice feature. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. NOTE: Notice that on MiLB.TV's page, you can click on "Filter", then "Milwaukee Brewers", and you'll see just the Crew's organizational TV lineup. ********** Biloxi: RHP Tyler Wagner at "home" in Huntsville vs. Mobile (Diamondbacks), 6:55 PM pre-game, 7:10 gametime Free Live Audio Link We also welcome Chris Harris as the very first play-by-play voice of the Shuckers! Follow Chris on Twitter @CHarris731. We'll be looking off to his very promising "Shuck Dynasty" blog. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be radio broadcast. MiLB.TV - Seven of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games, and Biloxi staff indicates it is hopeful it will be eight when the new stadium opens. NOTE: No MiLB.TV from Joe Davis Stadium, sorry folks. ********** Brevard County: RHP Hiram Burgos at home vs. Daytona (Reds), 5:05 PM pre-game, 5:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio, as all games are scheduled to be broadcast in 2015. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: LHP Zach Hirsch at home vs. Quad Cities (Astros), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:05 gametime; rehabbing Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett will be playing for the Timber Rattlers through Monday Free Live Audio Link - WNAM Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. NOTE: Forty-two (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (34) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule so you can coordinate your DVR activity. *** So, for the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sky Sox games, most Shuckers games, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games.

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Chris Harris tweet (no video, unfortunately): Orlando Arcia just turned one of the best double plays I've ever seen. Back hand going toward 3B, no look to second. Unreal.

Final: Mobile 4, Biloxi 2, 13 innings BayBears outlast Shuckers in franchise's first extra-inning game Brooks Hall tossed six shutout innings, dropping ERA to 0.96 Biloxi Shuckers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/3/6/0/121882360/cuts/shuckers_i0cl676o_1ijqjtji.jpg Brooks Hall, wearing the throwback Huntsville Stars jersey tossed six shutout innings Friday night (Photo by Jason Clark) HUNTSVILLE, AL - In the longest game in franchise history Friday night, the Shuckers dropped game two of their five-game series with the Mobile BayBears, 4-2, in 13 innings at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. The BayBears struck for two runs in the top of the 13th inning after the Shuckers rallied to tie the game in the ninth and send the game to extras. The win was the seventh in-a-row for Mobile and second straight over Biloxi, propelling them into first place by a ½ game over the Shuckers. Friday's game was 4 hours in duration and 12 pitchers were used, six on each side. The Shuckers wore throwback Huntsville Stars jerseys that were auctioned during the game, which proceeds benefitted the Huntsville area Alzheimer's Association. Brooks Hall (6 IP, 3 H, 6 SO) surrendered a leadoff double to Tom Belza to open the game, but retired 13-straight BayBears before allowing back-to-back singles to Alex Glenn and Ronnie Freeman in the fifth. The righty from Anderson, South Carolina then sat down the final five batters he faced before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth. Hall, making his team-leading fifth start has a 0.96 ERA which is tied with Mobile's Braden Shipley for tops in the Southern League Biloxi (14-8) had a chance to get on the board first in the sixth when Kyle Wren (1x4, R, SB, 2 BB) singled with one out and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Ryan Gebhardt. With Yadiel Rivera (0x6) at the plate, Wren stole third, but a strikeout to Rivera and a groundout by Orlando Arcia (1x6, RBI, R, SB) ended the Shuckers' threat. Jacob Barnes (2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, SO) came on in the seventh and allowed two runs on three hits in the frame. Rudy Flores started things with a single and moved to second on a one-out single by Alex Glenn. After a Ronnie Freeman groundout put runners at second and third, Gebhardt sent a 3-2 pitch up the middle to bring in two and give Mobile a 2-0 lead. The Shuckers tied the game in dramatic fashion in the ninth. Mobile starter Gabriel Arias, trying for a complete game shutout, walked Wren to start the inning and Wren then advanced to third on a ground out by Rivera. Arcia singled in Rivera and advanced on the throw to get Biloxi on the board and put the tying run in scoring position. Nick Ramirez (0x5, BB) struck out against lefty reliever Will Locante, but Michael Reed (3x5, RBI, 2B) doubled off of Patrick Schuster to tie the game at two and send the game to extras. Damien Magnifico (IP, 2 H, SO) and Jaye Chapman (IP, SO) held off the BayBears' offense until Austin Ross came in and dominated in his two innings of relief, striking out five and extending his scoreless-innings streak to 11. Mobile (14-7) grabbed two runs against Wirfin Obispo (L, 0-1, IP, 2 R, 2 H, BB, SO). After starting the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, Flores singled to right and advanced to second on a passed ball by Adam Weisenburger (0x5). An intentional-walk to Raul Navarro put two on with two out for pinch hitter Gerson Montilla who doubled home both runners before being tagged out trying to make third on the play Wren walked to lead off the bottom-half of the 13th for Biloxi, but would only make it to second on defensive indifference before Ramirez struck out looking to end the game. The Shuckers will try to stave off dropping their second series of the year against the BayBears on Saturday night when they send out the Southern League leader in wins, RHP Tyler Wagner (4-0, 2.05), against RHP Aaron Blair (1-1, 4.01) First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM, with coverage beginning at 6:55 on 1240-AM WGCM, 1580-AM WPMO and the Biloxi Shuckers Radio Network. Fans can also listen to the game using the TuneIn Radio app or by going to www.biloxishuckers.com. Biloxi Box Score An abundance of starting pitcher options on the Shuckers' staff -- RHP Jacob Barnes toiled in relief here, but the schedule has been so odd, will wait to see how the rotation settles... Biloxi Game Log

Omaha Top of the 8th Pitching Change: Brandon Kintzler replaces Chris Leroux. Colorado Springs Sky Sox pitcher Brandon Kintzler left the game due to an injured hand. Pitching Change: Tim Dillard replaces Brandon Kintzler. Reymond Fuentes singles on a line drive to center fielder Matt Long. Cheslor Cuthbert singles on a ground ball to center fielder Matt Long. Reymond Fuentes to 2nd. Francisco Pena flies out to center fielder Matt Long. Jose Martinez strikes out swinging. Matt Fields walks. Reymond Fuentes to 3rd. Cheslor Cuthbert to 2nd. Lane Adams strikes out swinging. *** Maybe a re-occurrence of Kintzler's fingernail avulsion during warmups?

Final: Colorado Springs 16, Omaha 4 Clark Propels Sky Sox In 16-4 Pummeling of Omaha Colorado Springs' Offense Busts Out for 21 Hits to Back Solid Jungmann By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox http://www.milb.com/assets/images/9/8/8/121866988/cuts/05_01_069sm_pk_48xu3gxv_8sv1dckm.jpg Matt Clark drills one of his two home runs of the ballgame, leading the Sky Sox to a 16-4 win over Omaha. (Photo by Paat Kelly) COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Sky Sox had plenty of offensive explosions of their own on Friday night as a 16-4 thrashing of the visiting Omaha Storm Chasers in front of 6,093 lively fans lead to an astonishing fireworks display on Air Force appreciation night at Security Service Field. The Colorado Springs offense would score early and often against Omaha pitching, accumulating 21 total base hits en route to their 16 runs scored. On his way back to Kansas City during his current minor league rehab assignment, Storm Chasers starter and standout Royals reliever Luke Hochevar would struggle mightily in his 1.2 innings of work. The imposing right-hander would allow seven runs on seven hits, a walk and two wild pitches while striking out four before being removed from the game with two out in the home second. Luis Sardinas opened the scoring in the home first, scoring Pete Orr on an RBI single to right field. The base hit would be one four on the night for the hot-hitting shortstop. Matt Clark would follow with the first blast of the night, swatting a two-run home run over the right centerfield fence to score Sardinas and give his team a quick 3-0 lead. The ball travelled an estimated 461 feet and established a new season-high at Security Service Field. The Sky Sox showed no signs of slowing down in the bottom of the second as the team tacked on four more runs on the strength of doubles by Nevin Ashley, Donnie Murphy and Sardinas and singles by Orr and Shane Peterson. None of the hits were cheap as Hochevar was seemingly unable to fool anyone on the brisk evening. Sox starter Taylor Jungmann (1-1, 8.74) worked his most effective outing yet on Friday night, tossing six innings of three-run ball on four hits and three walks while striking out four. The 2011 first-rounder earned his first win of the 2015 season and his first in a Sky Sox uniform. His ability to keep the ball on the ground helped him keep Omaha from a big inning as his steady mix of crisp fastballs and baffling curveballs showed signs of good things to come. Former big-leaguer and 2008 World Series Champion Joe Blanton would come on in the third inning for Omaha, tossing a scoreless inning to keep the score at 7-0 through three. Blanton's luck would quickly run out however as he surrendered four runs in the fourth on six hits with the inning's big blow coming on a Ben Guez two-run shot to left field. The round-tripper was Guez's second in as many days. Clark added to Blanton's woes with his second home run of the game in the fifth inning, giving him four RBI on the game. Blanton would finish his day after four innings of work, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out three. Already holding a 12-3 lead, the Sky Sox offense would pile on four more runs on Storm Chasers pitching in the bottom of the seventh on five singles and two walks. Matt Long's two-out single gave each Sox starter at least one base hit in the ballgame and extended his streak of consecutive games of reaching base safely to an impressive 21. Seven of the nine starters in the Colorado Springs lineup recorded multi-hit games with five of those hitters notching multi-RBI games. Clark, Sardinas and Guez represented the game's hitting heroes as Clark and Sardinas each collected four hits and four runs scored while Guez tallied three RBI and reached base three times. Sardinas' big game was made all the more momentous by a feat not matched by any Sky Sox in nearly 20 years. With two stolen bases already under his belt, the infielder would swipe two more in the fourth inning giving him four on the night. The last Sky Sox player to record four stolen bases in a game was Jeff Husom on August 30th, 1996 against Albuquerque in Colorado Springs. Chris Leroux, Tim Dillard and Corey Knebel would finish off the Omaha offense, combining for three innings of one-run ball en route to the Sox eventual 16-4 blowout victory. The win pushes Colorado Springs to a 7-14 record as the team looks to keep up the momentum in game three of the four-game set on Saturday night. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (0-0, 0.00) faces off with Omaha starter Clayton Mortensen (2-1, 5.52) with first pitch set for 6:05 PM MDT at Security Service Field. Colorado Springs Box Score Great job on the writeup by Ed; enjoy the crooked numbers... Colorado Springs Game Log

Via the prior post, fun comments from catcher Greg McCall about working with the club's "Latin Army", especially the pitchers. *** VIDEO: Here's the second set of Timber Rattler highlights, via the MyNew32 TV broadcast -- watch for Elvis Rubio's throw from right field!

Rattler Radio Blog - Postgame Entry -- OK, stop counting, we've smashed every Link Report record imaginable with the media clips tonight, five more here, including Jake Gatewood post-MRI, and the game highlights with Chris Mehring's calls:

So, for the Rattlers, catcher Carlos Leal reached base all four times (.367/.436/.551 - .987 OPS), and threw out one of two basestealers. TC07, thanks for watching these games -- you're killing it in your comments, much appreciated! *** Extended video interview with Scooter Gennett at the link, not a total rehash of the audio with Bill Michaels you heard earlier in this thread; photo gallery, too: Gennett celebrates birthday with a return to baseball Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/10509488e2abdda0ea88d82cb69b00d371c18deb/c=234-0-3015-3708&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2015/05/02/Appleton/B9317174187Z.1_20150502001833_000_G2FALVBV6.1-0.jpg Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Scooter Gennett gets to second base against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. (Photo: Dan Powers/Post-Crescent Media) GRAND CHUTE – Scooter Gennett turned 25 Friday and the Milwaukee Brewers second baseman received the birthday present he wanted. It was a return to the game he loves following a 10-day layoff. And it came at a venue where he has nothing but good memories. Gennett started a four-game injury rehabilitation assignment with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, playing five innings of the Rattlers' 2-1 loss to Quad Cities. "It was nice just getting back out there playing ball," said Gennett, who spent the entire 2010 season in Grand Chute with the Rattlers. "It's been awhile. I saw some people I remember from 2010 and that was kind of cool. Today was just about kind of easing back into the game. Tomorrow is when I'm supposed to turn the switch on." Wearing a Rattlers' No. 20 jersey and batting leadoff, Gennett had an eventful game before a crowd of 3,456 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. He went 1-for-3 at the plate, scored a run and was credited with a stolen base when he slid around a tag at second base after being caught in a rundown. He also committed two errors, both coming in the top of the fourth and leading to the River Bandits' first run. On his first error, Gennett pulled first baseman Dustin DeMuth off the bag with his throw after making a nice backhand stop of a ground ball. Moments later, he couldn't handle shortstop Luis Aviles' throw to second base with a runner bearing down on the bag. "Two errors, huh," said Gennett. "I knew I had one, but I didn't know I got the second one. It's fine. I'll take all the errors for these guys because it really doesn't matter for me. The one thing with defense is getting back the tempo, the timing. Usually it takes a game or two to get that back. That first ground ball hit to me was a little tough. I had a hard time getting my feet underneath me and almost rolled my ankle on a lip out there." Gennett said he experienced no problems with the injured middle finger on his left hand, which is the reason he's on the Brewers' 15-day disabled list. "There's no pain," said Gennett. "It's just about making sure I take off my batting glove nice and easy so I don't rip the band-aid off. I felt fine." Gennett suffered a laceration on the finger following a bizarre accident while showering in the Pittsburgh Pirates locker room on April 20. Gennett cut the finger on a shower caddie, while reaching for some body wash. "It was definitely the weirdest injury I've ever had," said Gennett with a laugh. "A lot of people are like, 'What really happened?' But I don't lie. I can't lie. It's the truth. My teammates believed me. They were witnesses, so I'm covered. It's one of those things that I'll probably never hear the end of." Gennett — a 16th round selection by Milwaukee in the 2009 first-year player draft — hit .309 with nine home runs and 55 RBI in his 2010 season with the Rattlers. "This feels like home for me," said Gennett. "It's where I spent my first full season of minor league ball and it's pretty nice to come back here. Unfortunately, I'm here because of an injury, but I couldn't have picked a better place." The Cincinnati native was a midseason and postseason Midwest League all-star in 2010, playing for manager Jeff Isom. "I just remember all the fans coming to support us when it was like 20 degrees," said Gennett. "I learned a lot about Wisconsin fans that year. But that's what I remember the most —all the fans out here in the freezing cold with their shirts off. It seems like that was so long ago, but it was only a few years ago. "And you always remember the travel. It kind of sucked at the time, taking those eight-hour bus rides to places like Beloit and Clinton where it smells really bad. At the time, you hated it, but you kind of miss that. You miss all the fun stuff the team does on the bus." Gennett said he'll be happy to talk baseball and share advice with any of his temporary teammates. He recalls when his current Milwaukee teammate, outfielder Carlos Gomez, made the first of three rehab assignments in Grand Chute in 2010 when Gennett was honing his skills as a Rattler. "I remember Carlos coming here," said Gennett. "That was one of the first years we had him. I thought it was really cool and now I'm kind of in his shoes." Gennett played in Grand Chute before the renovation of Fox Cities Stadium, and he's impressed with the upgrade. "I remember it being one of the best facilities in the organization and it's nice to come back and see all the improvements they made — like in the locker room," said Gennett. "It looks like they have a batters eye up now. It wasn't there when I was here and it seemed like the ball would be coming right out of the clouds. "It's nice. The guys — whether they know it or not right now — will be thankful to play here. I know I always was. It's by far my favorite place to play in the minor leagues." Following his four-game rehab stint with the Rattlers, Gennett is expected to be activated Tuesday for the Brewers' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is confident that Milwaukee will rebound from a horrible start to the season. "It's been a little tough, I'm not going to lie," said Gennett. "Obviously, we haven't started the way we planned to. But I think that now that we've gone through that rough patch, we'll be all right. We know we're a good team. Jean (Segura) and Braunie (Ryan Braun) are starting to come back to their normal selves and Aramis (Ramirez) is starting to swing well. "Piece by piece, things are starting to fall into place. There's been no panicking or anything like that. There's good energy and positive attitudes. No one is pointing the finger and that says a lot about our team." Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson said that Gennett will get three or four at bats in today's 1:05 PM game and will then play all nine innings of Sundays series finale against the River Bandits and Monday night's contest against Cedar Rapids. "He looked good at the plate," said Erickson. "He looked like he was in the zone. He stayed up the middle. You didn't see any rust. He's a confident kid with the bat in his hands. Has always been. "On that one error on the backhand, I don't think he got a great jump after it. He could have been a little more aggressive coming after it. I think that's why he had to rush the throw and it was inaccurate."

Nothing will get a pitcher bumped a level more than elite command -- Here is RHP Jorge Ortega's MiLB Player Page. As noted above, the Manatee who was never a Timber Rattler has been stellar. We should have made more of his control last year with Helena in that offensive environment (eight walks in 83 innings). Notable is the lack of strikeouts and also a low ground ball rate -- Ortega is one odd bird at the moment, but for his pro career, including two Dominican Summer League campaigns, Ortega has walked only 45 over 319.1 IP (204 K's, career 1.15 WHIP). Ortega turns 22 in June, should be fun to see where this all leads.

From the Daytona News-Journal: The second game was a different story thanks to Manatees right-hander Jorge Ortega, who went the distance and held the Tortugas hitless through the first three innings. Ortega led Brevard County (10-11) to a 5-1 victory in Game 2. The Manatees erupted for four runs in the second inning to give Ortega (3-1) support. “He threw strikes and a change-up with a little slider,” Marrero said. “He was throwing strikes and getting ahead of our hitters.”