Jim Goulart

DVR Alerts: The next two televised Timber Rattlers games are this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, Tue. 7/1 on MyNew32 TV and Wed. 7/2 on TWC Sportschannel, 7:00 PM airtimes each night.

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Michael Blazek at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the play-by-play voice of the Sounds; follow him on Twitter @jeffhempbp; we'll link to his blog updates at On the Air…and Off MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Nashville 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. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Jacob Barnes at Mississippi (Braves), 4:45 PM pre-game, 5:00 gametime Free Live Audio Link Steve Jarnicki is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars - welcome aboard! Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveJarnicki. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. MiLB.TV - It appears seven of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games (not the Stars). NOTE: Mississippi does broadcast their games via MiLB.TV. ********** Brevard County: RHP Damien Magnifico at Clearwater (Phillies), 11:30 AM pre-game, 12:00 PM gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the proper link based on listed schedule 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 2014. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Preston Gainey at home vs. Burlington (Angels), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM 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. For the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from seven Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games. NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (30) 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. ********** Helena: RHP Jorge Ortega at Billings (Reds), 2:45 PM pre-game, 3:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link There's a new Voice of the Helena Brewers in 2014, as Dustin Daniel (@dustin__daniel on Twitter) takes over for legendary Steve Wendt. We look forward to Dustin building his own legacy moving forward. MiLB.TV -- When the H-Crew makes their way to Grand Junction, Orem, and Idaho Falls (one series each), those games will be available to watch online. ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Idle ********** DSL Brewers: Idle

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The big league club and the stateside farm clubs combined to go 7-0 on Saturday!

Photos by Hannah Potes / Billings Gazette Staff Helena’s Mitch Meyer rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning off Billings pitcher Jeremy Kivel during Saturday’s game at Dehler Park. The Brewers beat the Mustangs, 8-1. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/67/c677fb43-b872-5a16-9a65-7fbf29560b3d/53afa89da1519.preview-620.jpg Tucker Neuhaus watches a foul ball fly during the Billings Mustangs game against the Helena Brewers on Saturday at Dehler Park. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/0e/60ea23b4-51ce-514b-9471-4495ade214df/53af8d60f0dae.preview-620.jpg *** There are other photos from the game at the Gazette article link.

Brewers do it again, top Mustangs 8-1 By Mike Scherting, Billings Gazette The mantra from first-year Mustangs manager Dick Schofield is that consistency will come and go for his team. They’ve have shown consistency the past two nights. It’s just not the kind he or the team want. “Let’s hope not,” Schofield said after Saturday’s 8-1 loss to the Helena Brewers, when asked if his team was settling into what it’s going to be. “I say the same thing every day or night, but it is developing the young players. There’s maybe one, two, maybe three, four, five guys who will play in the big leagues in that room, and you don’t know who it is. It could be the guy sitting on the bench and all of a sudden he shows up at spring training next year and takes off. And you’re, ‘Well, where was that?’ “It’s just the continuing learning process and it’s hard to really know that. You’ll look up in four or five years and they’ll be in the big leagues and you’re, ‘Wow, how did that happen?’ That’s why you just have to have patience.” Those of the 3,441 fans at Dehler Park who stuck it out to the end showed plenty of that, as for the second straight night the Mustangs found themselves down early. Helena scored four times in the top off the first off starter Jeremy Kivel (0-1) and that turned out to be plenty. The Brewers, who moved past the Mustangs into second place in the North division, had an eight-run inning in Friday’s series opener. For a team that entered this four-game stint as the seventh-ranked offense, the Brewers have battered the Mustangs’ pitching, which was ranked second. The Brewers have outscored Billings 21-3 in the first two games of this series. “We’re starting early and we’re swinging the bats well,” said Brewers catcher Greg McCall, who is batting .394 after going 2 for 5 on Saturday night. “We’re finally finding some consistency, and putting together some complete games with our pitching, which has been great all year.” The Mustangs began the series with a 3.40 ERA. It stood at 4.36 after their latest loss. “As frustrating as it is, that’s what it is,” Schofield said. “We’ll come back and we’ll try to whip them tomorrow.” KEY MOMENT: The way Helena’s pitching staff performed, Elvis Rubio’s two-run double, just three batters into the game, was all the Brewers needed. When Dustin DeMuth tacked on an RBI groundout and Mitch Meyer belted a solo home run in the first, the Brewers had more than enough. ON THE MOUND: While Mustangs pitchers combined for 10 base on balls, Devin Williams (1-1) was spectacular in relief for the Brewers, throwing five shutout innings and striking out seven. Helena’s pitchers allowed just five hits, and the one run scored by the Mustangs was unearned. “You do have to at some point in time give the opposing team credit,” Schofield said. “Even if you’re stinking it up, they still have to go out there and get us out.” AT THE PLATE: The Brewers reached double-digits in hits for the second game in a row. They finished with 12, led by two each from Tucker Neuhaus, DeMuth and McCall. Rubio finished with three RBIs, and DeMuth, who raised his batting average to .463, drove in two. Brian O’Grady had the lone Mustangs’ RBI.

Final: @AZL Brewers 10, AZL Padres 6 A six-run 5th inning gave the A-Crew an 8-2 lead, they'd hold on for the victory to move to 6-2 on the young season... Maryvale Box Score With the exception of a shaky 3rd rehab outing for RHP Seth Harvey (Tommy John), the pitchers (RHP's Angel Ventura, Andy Hillis, and Caleb Smith) excelled. Smith lived dangerously, but stranded two of Harvey's three baserunners he inherited, and then closed things out for his first professional save. Ventura has yet to walk a batter in his two starts, covering ten innings. Huge (pun intended for the 6'6" Willis) to see Andy in action coming off his stellar 2013 Helena numbers. Despite fanning 13 times, the Maryvale offense put up their ten spot behind Dominican Summer League products. Six of the starting nine in the lineup have DSL roots, and note the games that LF Juan Ortiz and catcher Leudi Otano had. Clean defense, nice job, guys! Maryvale Game Log AZL Brewers Bottom of the 5th Pitching Change: Malcom Diaz replaces T. J. Weir. Carlos Belonis strikes out swinging, catcher Zach Risedorf to first baseman Jonas Lantigua. Juan Ortiz doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Michael Gettys. Sthervin Matos strikes out swinging. Tanner Norton reaches on a fielding error by third baseman Carlos Belen. Juan Ortiz scores. Yunior Santana singles on a line drive to left fielder Jordan Paroubeck. Tanner Norton to 2nd. Matt Martin hit by pitch. Tanner Norton to 3rd. Yunior Santana to 2nd. Leudi Otano singles on a fly ball to right fielder Mason Smith. Tanner Norton scores. Yunior Santana scores. Matt Martin to 3rd. Daniel Leonardo singles on a line drive to right fielder Mason Smith. Matt Martin scores. Leudi Otano to 2nd. Jonathan Oquendo reaches on a throwing error by pitcher Malcom Diaz. Leudi Otano scores. Daniel Leonardo scores. Jonathan Oquendo to 3rd. Carlos Belonis grounds out, third baseman Carlos Belen to first baseman Jonas Lantigua. *** Monte Harrison was bored.

Final: @Huntsville 7, Montgomery 4 Stars Claim Rubber Match Steve Jarnicki, Huntsville Stars Huntsville, AL - The Huntsville Stars recorded a season high eighteen hits leading them to a 7-4 win over the Montgomery Biscuits Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. With the win, Huntsville claimed three out of five from Montgomery. Montgomery got on the board in the first inning to take an early lead against Huntsville starter Andy Moye (4-0), who ended up earning the win. Cameron Seitzer produced a sacrifice fly scoring Ryan Brett for an early 1-0 lead. The Stars took the lead for good in the bottom of the first inning against Montgomery starter Michael Colla (4-9). With two outs, Nick Ramirez and Taylor Green singled. Josh Prince brought Ramirez and Green home on a two-run single giving the Stars a 2-1 lead. Prince finished the game going 4-5 with 3 RBI. The Stars knocked Colla out of the game in the third. D'Vontrey Richardson hit a two-run homer to make it 4-1 Stars. It was Richardson's fourth home run of the season. Kentrail Davis added an RBI double in the inning to give the Stars a 5-1 advantage. Colla, who took the loss, lasted only 2.2 innings allowing five runs on nine hits. Montgomery attempted to make a comeback against Moye and the Stars. In the top of the fifth inning, Jake Hager hit a two-run double over the head of Richardson in centerfield making it 5-3. Seitzer led off the top of the sixth inning for the Biscuits with a solo home run. It was his third home run in the last two games and his ninth of the year. Moye left the game with a 5-4 lead and with two runners on base in the sixth. RHP Greg Holle was able to bail Moye out. Joey Rickard grounded out to shortstop ending the inning. Moye remained undefeated on the year after pitching 5.2 innings allowing four runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out three. The Stars added some insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Prince and Joey Paciorek each had RBI singles making it 7-4. Jose De La Torre pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings for his second save of the season. It was De La Torre's second two inning save of the series. Prince and Davis each had four hits for the Stars. Paciorek finished 3-5 in the Stars win. The Stars (6-4, 52-28) will travel to Pearl, Mississippi Sunday to start a five-game series with the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A Affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. RHP Jacob Barnes (1-3, 5.18) will start for the Stars. Mississippi will have RHP Jason Hursh (6-5, 3.83) on the mound. The game can be heard starting at 4:45 pm CDT on 92.9 FM, 1450 AM and wtkiradio.com. Huntsville Box Score You can promote, demote, doesn't matter, put on a Huntsville uniform in 2014 and the team will win. Pad your numbers, guys! Eighteen hits and six walks! Kentrail Davis wakes up on his 26th birthday Sunday after a four-hit night. Josh Prince stole his 25th base in 31 attempts amidst his four-hit night. Joey Paciorek added three base knocks of his own. Nick Ramirez, D'Vontrey Richardson and Taylor Green (DH'ing in this one) each reached base three times. Huntsville Game Log

Via Adam McCalvy's story on Carlos Gomez' injury scare: Logan Schafer was absent from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds' starting lineup on Saturday for a game that began after Milwaukee's game ended.

Rattler Radio Blog - Postgame entry Audio interviews with the Taylors (Brennan and Williams), along with Manager Matt Erickson, Star Wars Night photos, and video highlights *** Here's a different perspective on the Wisconsin game highlights via the MyNew32 TV broadcast.

Brevard County -- AUDIO: RHP Mark Williams joins Andrew Luftglass on the Manatees Radio Network to talk about his success in the closer's role AUDIO, Game Highlights: Brevard County wins the most dramatic game of the 2014 season, 6-4 AUDIO: Dave Walkovic chats with Alfredo Rodriguez after he drilled a game-winning, two-run double in the 12th inning

From Friday, you heard this earlier, now watch -- VIDEO: Nashville's Jason Rogers hits an RBI double as the Sounds top New Orleans, 5-0. *** Now on to Saturday's game -- Hunter Morris, 2-for-4, got Nashville on the board in the 1st inning with a two-out single into left field. Later, the 25-year-old slugger connected for a two-run triple in the Sounds' five-run 5th inning to give Nashville a 4-0 advantage. AUDIO: Hunter Morris RBI Triple Starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann (4-4) helped keep the Zephyrs off the board by delivering seven scoreless innings to secure his fourth win with the Sounds. The 24-year-old right-hander limited the Z's to two hits on the night, struck out eight batters, and escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam in the 4th inning with a strikeout followed by a groundout. VIDEO: Taylor Jungmann strikes out Jordanny Valdespin to whiff the side in the third inning of Nashville's 13-0 win over New Orleans Pinch hitter Kevin Mattison batted for Jungmann in the 7th inning and drove a three-run triple to dead centerfield to give Nashville a 10-run advantage. Mattison came in to score via a Pete Orr infield single. AUDIO: Kevin Mattison's Pinch-Hit Triple Newcomer Jason Rogers kept the six-run inning alive with a monster home run to dead center field, which scored two. In his first two Triple-A games, Rogers has a home run, triple, double and four RBIs. VIDEO: Jason Rogers homers for the first time in a Nashville uniform, as the Sounds take on the New Orleans Zephyrs

Includes the audio interview with Garrett Cooper that the Rattler Radio blog included earlier, but in video form -- *** Timber Rattlers' Cooper swinging hot bat Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media GRAND CHUTE — Garrett Cooper is hoping to hit the reset button and start his season over following a tough first half. A reboot would be a positive thing for the 23-year-old first baseman who seems to be regaining his stroke in his return to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Cooper, though, will need good luck and rapid healing over the next few days to keep his momentum going. In Wisconsin's 5-4 loss to the Burlington Bees Friday night, Cooper went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI to raise his batting average to a team-high .357. However, Cooper injured a quad muscle while scoring one of Wisconsin's runs and had to leave the game in the bottom of the ninth inning after drilling an RBI single and rounding the first-base bag. "I came up a little tight when I scored from third earlier and I didn't want to push it and have something tear," said Cooper, who spent the first half of the season at Brevard County, Milwaukee's high Class A affiliate. "I'll be icing it and working with Pax (trainer Jeff Paxson). It should be good in a few days. It was just pretty tight after I rounded first and I didn't want to go all out and risk tearing it. I don't think it will be long term." Cooper, a sixth-round pick by Milwaukee in the 2013 first-year player draft, has been a hard-luck guy all season and could use a break. He injured an elbow early in the season at Brevard County and spent time on the disabled list. Shortly after his return to the active roster, several members of the team, including Cooper, became ill with a virus. Cooper struggled to regain his health eventually went on Brevard County's disabled list a second time for 2 ½ weeks. "I never saw anything like that," said the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Cooper. "It took out 10 to 12 of our guys and put two or three of us on the DL for 14-to-17 days. It was pretty bad. I lost about 15 pounds." Hampered by the injury and illness, the right-handed hitting Cooper never found his swing at Brevard County, hitting just .219 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 105 at bats. He joined the Rattlers on June 12 and Friday marked his first start of the season at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. "It was a tough first half, but injuries happen," said Cooper, Auburn product. "I feel like I'm getting my timing back. Being on time is huge for me. I was able to get my hands extended, get a few hits and knock in a few runs. That felt good." Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson hopes the hot-hitting Cooper can stay in the lineup. Cooper spent the second half of the 2013 season with the Timber Rattlers and showed promise, hitting .287 with two homers and 20 RBI in 122 at bats. "He can drive the ball the other way, to right field and right center," said Erickson. "That's his power source, the middle of the field. We'll see how he is tomorrow and go from there. Who knows?" Shortstop Angel Ortega added a pair of hits for the Rattlers and Wisconsin (41-36, 5-3 second half) rallied back from a 4-0 deficit to make the game interesting with a three-run seventh highlighted by Cooper's two-run double to right and an RBI single by Steve Halcomb. Trailing 5-3 entering the ninth, the Rattlers got a run back on a Michael Ratterree double followed by Cooper's RBI single to right, but couldn't pull even in their first home game since June 12. "Until that seventh, I believe we had gone 15 innings without a run," said Erickson. "I thought it was going to be another tough day at the office, but we got the big inning and got a couple big hits. "Their guy (starter Garrett Nuss) did a nice job. He had a little more life on his fastball than we had seen before and he was getting his breaking ball over Wisconsin starter Clint Terry allowed four of the Bees' five runs and surrendered nine hits in five innings of work. Barrett Astin went the final four innings and allowed a run on three hits.

Sounds manager Sweet on changing pitchers Mack Burke , the Tennessean A look at baseball strategy and current events from the viewpoint of Sounds manager Rick Sweet… Topic: The process of deciding when it’s time to send a starting pitcher to the bullpen to pitch full-time. Sweet Says: “That’s an organizational thing. One thing about the minor leagues, and usually in the major leagues, a manager doesn’t usually (make spontaneous personnel decisions). Usually, he has conversations with his boss—the general manager—and with the pitching coach to talk about (using other starters). You shouldn’t make random decisions based on a couple of outings. When you get to that point, and you think you’ve really and truly tested everything a guy can do as a starter, then you see if he can pitch (out of) the bullpen, or vice versa; if a guy is a bullpen guy and he’s got four (good) pitches, then he could (possibly) be a starter. So, that’s what the minor leagues is all about; you try to find these things and see what works. (The coaching staff) does a verbal report every night, and we all do a computer (report) that goes out to everybody in the organization every night; you don’t miss a report. (The organization) knows everything that goes on, and nothing is hidden; plus, they can get all the box scores and day-to-day (stats). So, (rotation changes) are day-to-day; we don’t make snap decisions, we talk about it. But, the pitching coach has a ton of involvement with the pitching as far as recommendations and ideas.

Small mind -- I'm entertained that the Rattler pitchers were Taylor, Tyler, and Trevor...

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog -- "Tonight’s interview is with Sounds third baseman Jason Rogers, who made his Sounds and Triple-A debut last night by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs after coming up from Double-A Huntsville. He discusses his Sounds debut, his start to the year at Huntsville, his transition back to third base where he played in college and his great and long 2013 after which he was named Brewers Minor League Player of the Year." Fun interview - things have been "crazy" for Jason...

Those moves were OF Kevin Mattison to the DL (always the 7-day DL in the minors), and C Robinzon Diaz to Huntsville.

Just like that (see prior post), Chris McFarland activated today; 2B Francisco Castillo goes from Wisconsin to Helena.

Voice of the Stars Steve Jarnicki points out that Zarraga threw out 47% of would be base stealers from behind the plate and had a catchers' era of 3.64 this season.

Weather.com: Nashville, TN Huntsville, AL Clearwater, FL Grand Chute, WI (Appleton) Billings, MT Maryvale, AZ Santo Domingo, DR

Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale Dominican Summer League Brewers

STANDINGS: (For split-season leagues, 2nd half standings are shown as the default, although overall standings are also available at the link.) AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division Rookie Advanced - Pioneer League North Division Rookie - Arizona Summer League Central Division DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Nashville Media Notes - it's a unique link each day, but look for it under the "Roster" banner on the Sounds' site. Brevard County Media Notes - again, 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

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers