Jim Goulart

Col. Springs Top of the 9th Ben Guez flies out to center fielder Ryan Strausborger. Donnie Murphy walks. Matt Long homers (1) on a fly ball to right center field. Donnie Murphy scores. Pitching Change: Sam Freeman replaces Jerad Eickhoff. Pete Orr walks. Luis Sardinas grounds out, first baseman Kyle Blanks to shortstop Hanser Alberto to first baseman Kyle Blanks. Pete Orr to 2nd. Matt Clark grounds out, shortstop Hanser Alberto to first baseman Kyle Blanks. *** That 9th inning HR, folks would be the only hit 24-year-old Rangers prospect Jerad Eickhoff would allow. Sky Sox fall to 4-11. One of the reasons the Colorado Springs relationship with the Rockies was strained was a long string of poor records at the AAA level. Yikes... Details early in the AM.

Blue Jays Beat Brevard, 6-3 Dunedin Uses Three-Run Second to Pull Away Brevard County Manatees Dunedin, Fla. –The Dunedin Blue Jays (7-9) got to Hiram Burgos early and were able to quiet the bats of the Brevard County Manatees (7-8) late in a 6-3 victory Friday Night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Roemon Fields reached on an infield single. After a strike out, Fields stole second. Mitch Nay drilled a double to center to score Fields and open the scoring. The Manatees responded immediately. Victor Roache and Garrett Cooper singled to start off the second. After a Cameron Garfield fly out advanced the runners, Paul Eshleman singled to score Roache and tie the game. Angel Ortega dropped down a bunt single to plate Cooper and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. The lead would not last long, however. With one out, Derrick Loveless singled to right field. Burgos (1-2, 3.27 ERA) then walked Jorge Saez and Christian Lopes to load the bases. Major League Rehabber Michael Saunders doubled to right to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 advantage. The next batter, Fields, singled on a liner to left to score Lopes and extend the Dunedin lead to two. Brevard County cut the lead in half in the fourth. With one out, Garfield singled to left. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Saez. Eshleman collected his second RBI of the night with a run-scoring grounder to first. The Blue Jays would pull away in the sixth against new pitcher Stephen Peterson. Loveless and Saez hit back-to-back home runs to start the frame. Peterson would settle down. He retired the next three batters and two via strike out. Peterson also threw a scoreless seventh. Wil Browning tossed a perfect ninth inning to record his fifth save of the year. Tiago Da Silva (2-0, 2.25 ERA) collected the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Burgos was saddled with the loss. He surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walked over five innings. He fanned five. Tristan Archer pitched a scoreless eighth and recorded two strikeouts. The Manatees were held to seven hits and did not have an extra-base hit. Cooper went 2-for-4 and was the only player to record a multi-hit game for Brevard County. The two clubs will play the rubber match of the series tomorrow. LHP Clint Terry (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his first start for the Manatees. He has thrown six scoreless relief innings. At the time of publication, the Dunedin starter was not yet announced.

Todd Rosiak of the J-S with Devin Williams update tweets

VIDEO (Round Rock feed): Luis Sardinas whacks a triple in Colorado Springs' 5-3 Thursday loss to Round Rock *** Three-quarters down Biloxi's Media Notes tonight, you'll find Chris' "audio highlights of last night’s 5-1 victory including the Nick Ramirez three-run homer in the 3rd inning." EDIT: Chris just also added Friday's pregame interview with OF Michael Reed, earlier on the same linked page.

As per this Mark McCarter article, the Shuckers will wear Huntsville Stars uniforms for two different games in Huntsville's Joe Davis Stadium. The jerseys will be auctioned off for charity, which is a nice touch. Imagine one set would be the white, another the greys... *** On a separate note, one wonders what the condition of the field will be for these mini "homestands".

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: Round Rock, TX Jacksonville, FL Dunedin, FL Grand Chute, WI

Via the Manatees -- ML rehab assignment of RHP Jim Henderson has been transferred from Brevard County to Biloxi. RHP Scott Lieser has been placed on the DL with Brevard County RHP Tristan Archer has been transferred to the Brevard County roster from the Helena roster. *** Lieser had allowed 11 runs and 14 hits in just three combined innings over his last two appearances, this likely explains his troubles, but no word on the nature or severity of his injury. Archer, 24, pitched 113 innings at Wisconsin last season.

Follow Friday'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! Tonight's Timber Rattler game will be televised on MyNew32 TV, 6:30 PM air time.

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! All times are Central Colorado Springs: RHP Tyler Cravy at Round Rock (Rangers), 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 Jorge Lopez at "home" vs. Jacksonville (Marlins), 5:35 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime; the Shuckers will be the home team in this series, including last at-bat rights 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: This series from Jacksonville is airing on MiLB.TV, nice. ********** Brevard County: RHP Hiram Burgos at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:00 PM pre-game, 5:30 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Dunedin Feed Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio, as all home games and most road games are scheduled to be broadcast in 2015 No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Orlando Torrez at home vs. Peoria (Cardinals), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime; expect RHP Angel Ventura to also pitch in a tandem role 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.

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

Brewers check in at #1 and at #17 this week! -- guess, then click

Arias' MiLB.com page now lists him as released.

The Brewers have also signed two additional players since the media guide went to print in March. We won't know anything about them until the MiLB pages are created once the team begins play: OF Marcos Pineiro RHP Wuilder Rodriguez (not related, alas, to former longtime Brewer farmhand Guilder Rodriguez, who finally debuted in the majors with Texas last season) Apparently there are a couple of signings pending their MLB-mandated name/age investigations.

Cy Sneed feature linked this AM within our Timber Rattlers thread.

Bob Brainerd's first Timber Rattler profile of 2015, featuring RHP Cy Sneed, via Time Warner Cable's page, which means more really good reads with pun-filled headlines. Cy-chologist on the Mound

For you diehards out there, look for an extensive thread update on the Brewers' Dominican Summer League club heading into 2015's season later today - that's a teaser!

Catching up on Colorado Springs video -- VIDEO: Nick Additon induces a double play to end his day in the Sky Sox's 9-0 win over Round Rock *** VIDEO: Ben Guez hits a two-run homer in the Sky Sox's 9-0 win over Round Rock

Final: Round Rock 5, Colorado Springs 3 Early Outburst Holds in Sox 5-3 Loss to Express Round Rock Scores Five Runs in the First Two Innings By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/8/8/120210588/cuts/04_10_097_pk_landhpnt_ms7350g2.jpg Luis Sardinas' two-out triple in the first sparked the game's first run. (File Photo by Paat Kelly) A close game throughout, Thursday night's contest between the Sky Sox and Round Rock Express would ultimately be decided in the first two innings before a crowd of 7,223 at Dell Diamond. The Sky Sox would strike early, scoring a run in the first inning off of Express starter Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-2, 5.17) on a Luis Sardinas two-out triple and Matt Clark RBI single. The Express would answer however with two runs of their own in the home half of the first. Sox right-hander Drew Gagnon (1-1, 5.65) would get off to a tough start, allowing two hits, two walks and a wild pitch to give Round Rock a lead that they would wind up building upon and maintaining with the help of some tough Sox luck. Round Rock would tally three more runs the very next inning, providing Gonzalez with a 5-1 cushion. Gagnon would allow three hits in the inning but his defense would not make life easy as two fielding errors catalyzed the scoring. The Sky Sox would tack on another run in the sixth when three consecutive singles to leadoff the inning would give Shane Peterson a chance to get his team back in the ballgame. Peterson would ground into a run-scoring forceout to bring the Sox within three. With two outs in the inning, Sardinas would be cut down at home plate in an attempted steal, ending the Colorado Springs threat. Gagnon would finish his day after four innings of work, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits and five walks, while striking out three. Tim Dillard, the recently returned Brandon Kintzler and Chris Perez would team up out of the Sox bullpen to toss four innings of scoreless ball, allowing three hits while striking out four. The Express would also deploy three relievers to finish out the ballgame. Right-handers Kyuji Fujikawa and Spencer Patton would toss two combined innings bridging the gap from Gonzalez to closer Jon Edwards. Patton would give up an unearned run when Matt Long crossed the plate in the eighth inning to pull the Sky Sox within two heading into the ninth. Edwards would shut the door in the ninth to record his fourth save of the young season and secure the 5-3 win for the Express. The Sky Sox will look to leave Round Rock with a series-ending victory on Friday night. Tyler Cravy (1-1, 3.60) will lead the way against Express right-hander Ross Wolf (1-1, 9.00). Colorado Springs Box Score Even with the arrival of Brandon Macias from Brevard County, the Sky Sox roster is currently 14 pitchers, 11 position players, that's a likely benefit heading back to the mountain air this weekend. Macias was 0-for-3 (one K) in his AAA debut, as the box score reveals the bottom of the order really struggled here (0-for-16, two walks, four K's). Luis Sardinas has just two walks (55 AB's), but the numbers are pretty otherwise and he's batting 3rd in this lineup. Colorado Springs Game Log

Final: Biloxi 5, Jacksonville 1 Shuckers roll past Suns and take series in Jacksonville Arcia's three-hit night and Ramirez' homer supplement another great start Biloxi Shuckers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/7/8/120188578/cuts/DSC07628_w15xzifw_p55yfcnt.JPG Nick Ramirez blasted his fourth home run of the young season on Thursday night (Photo by John Shadrick) JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - For the third time in four games, the Shuckers offense backed up a strong performance by its starting pitching, paving the way to a 5-1 victory over the Jacksonville Suns on Thursday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Nick Ramirez supplied a three-run home run in the third and Hobbs Johnson dazzled in five one-hit innings, giving Biloxi a second straight victory. The Shuckers came one out shy of a second shutout in the series, but Biloxi pitching held Jacksonville to just four singles in game four of the set and Johnson picked up the win. The Shuckers have taken three of four in the set and have outscored Jacksonville 17-7 in the series. Shuckers starting pitchers have surrendered just four runs on 12 hits in 22 innings during the current series (1.64 ERA). Johnson (W, 1-0) was limited due to pitch count, but made every delivery count early on, needing only 16 pitches to work through the first two frames. The lefty did not allow a base runner until a two-out swinging bunt single by the opposing pitcher, Austin Brice, in the top of the third inning. Johnson would sit down seven of the next nine Suns that came to the plate to complete his start. The 23-year-old from Rocky Mountain, North Carolina allowed just three base runners the entire night on the single by Brice and walks to Carlos Lopez and Brandon Bantz. He countered those blemishes with a season high of six strikeouts and needed just 73 pitches in his five innings of work. Biloxi (8-5) blasted onto the scoreboard first in the third inning on a three-run shot to right off the bat of Ramirez (2x4, HR, 3 RBI, R). The long-ball for Ramirez was his fourth of the season and tied him with Chattanooga Lookout's outfielder Adam Brett Walker II for the Southern League lead. Yadiel Rivera (1x5, RBI, R) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single to start the frame and Orlando Arcia's (3x4, RBI, R) second hit of the game set the stage for Ramirez who hit a laser over the right field wall on the ninth pitch of the at-bat to give the Shuckers an early 3-0 lead. Arcia continues to keep pace with Tennessee Smokies' first baseman Dan Vogelbach with the longest on-base streak in the Southern League at 13 games. He would finish the night 3-for-4, logging his sixth multi-hit games and second three-hit outing. The Shuckers were at it again in the fourth when a fielder's choice by Rivera scored Adam Weisenburger (0x3, BB, R) and Arcia singled home Johnson. Michael Reed (1x4, RBI) extended his on-base streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh. Damien Magnifico (IP, SO) worked a perfect sixth inning of relief for Johnson and Tanner Poppe (2 IP, H, 2 BB, SO) induced a 1-2-3 double play to wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. Martin Viramontes (IP, 2 H, R, BB, SO) allowed Jacksonville's (6-7) lone run on a two out wild pitch to Brandon Bantz, allowing Zach Cox to score from third. With the win, the Shuckers remain perfect in games that have gone a full nine innings, with a record of 6-0. Rivera committed a throwing error in the seventh, which was just Biloxi's second miscue on the season, and first since the first inning of game two on April 10 at Pensacola - a streak of 84 innings. RHP Jorge Lopez (0-2, 9.00) will look to tie a season-high winning streak Friday night for the Shuckers in the series finale against LHP Matt Tomshaw (0-1, 2.70). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM, with coverage beginning at 5:50 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 http://www.biloxishuckers.com. *** Efficient Johnson leads way for Shuckers Brewers' No. 25 prospect throws just 63 pitches in first 'home' outing By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com VIDEO: Biloxi's Hobbs Johnson finishes a scoreless day with a strikeout of Lay Batista to end the fifth inning in a win over Jacksonville *** Though he wasn't pitching a game in Biloxi on Thursday night, another strong start made it evident that Hobbs Johnson feels right at home with the Shuckers. Having girlfriend Jordan Poythress in attendance didn't hurt either. "I love having her here," the lefty said. "I wish she could be here all the time." With his club serving as the home team at the ballpark of their opponents, the No. 25 Brewers prospect allowed one hit and two walks while striking out six over five innings to help the Double-A Shuckers to a 5-1 win over the Suns at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Johnson (1-0) found an efficient groove early, retiring the first eight batters he faced on his initial trip through the Suns lineup. "It definitely helps going through the lineup once pretty much showing fastball most of the time to all of a sudden start showing some breaking stuff early in counts and still being able to go back to the fastball to put guys away," he said. "(Adam) Weisenburger, my catcher, he called a great game, keeping off guys off balance," he said. "Guys played great defense behind me too. That always helps." Johnson's counterpart Austin Brice singled with two outs in the third inning for Jacksonville's only hit off of Biloxi's starter. The southpaw walked Carlos Lopez to lead off the fourth and Brandon Bantz with one out in the fifth, but only Lopez moved past first base. "If you can get through a lineup the first time through without having to show very many breaking pitches at all, all it does is put more in the arsenal for later in the game or when you actually do get in trouble and need a pitch," Johnson said. "Right then, you can throw something that they haven't seen yet." The North Carolina product needed just 63 pitches to complete his five innings. He finished on a strong note, following Bantz's walk with strikeouts of Isaac Galloway and Lay Batista to end his night. "That's the whole thing you want as a starter is to go deeper in ballgames and allow your team to work behind you, use the least amount of pitches possible," Johnson said. "Hopefully I'll keep on having starts like that and move a little deeper in ballgames as the year goes." While waiting for their new facility to be completed in Biloxi, the Shuckers have fared well in their first home series of the year in Jacksonville, winning three of the four contests. "It's definitely different, but at the end of the day, it's the same ballgame," Johnson said of the team's lengthy road trip to open 2015. "You still show up and play baseball the same way. For us, it's a little inconvenient I guess not having our own place. But outside of that, it's the same game. It doesn't really change how we play." The Shuckers did all their damage at the plate between the third and fourth innings. Nick Ramirez cranked a three-run homer in the third with top Brewers prospect Orlando Arcia and Yadiel Rivera (No. 23) aboard. One inning later, Rivera brought home Weisenburger with an RBI groundout, and Arcia added a run-scoring single to plate Johnson. Miami's No. 17 prospect Brice (0-2) took the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings. *** VIDEO: Orlando Arcia rips a double in Biloxi's 4-1 win over Jacksonville *** Biloxi Box Score Jacksonville batting averages are anemic, in large part due to nine games vs. the Shuckers' staff thus far; Orlando Arcia at second base, Yadiel Rivera at short in this one; Arcia's at .450/.511/.575 after 40 AB's, that's good, right? Because of his "lost" broken ankle season, development-wise, this is Arcia's age 19 season (he's 20). Biloxi Game Log Just need to get Hobbs Johnson's pitch count up to that 85-90 range next time out...

You'd be right...

The Appleton Post-Crescent report on the Timber Rattlers loss focuses on local lad RHP Josh Uhen with quotes (also via video interview), and game coverage with additional quotes (culled from audio available in the Rattler Radio blog link in an earlier post above) and a photo gallery.

The Brewers have signed former DSL Cardinals player Joaquin De La Cruz, who posted ungodly poor offensive numbers in two seasons (check the link). Thankfully, the Brewers will convert the 19-year-old De La Cruz to a RHP. He's listed at 6'2", 195. The young man is not an active Tweeter (and when he is, it's in Spanish), but he is online.

Seven fantastic IP for Manatees' RHP Jorge Ortega, Brewers saw something as they skipped him over Wisconsin. 21 IP, 15 H, just 2 BB, 13 K in '15.