Jim Goulart

Storm Chasers struggle, silenced by Sounds By Tim Perera / Omaha World-Herald Correspondent The Omaha Storm Chasers were stymied for the second time in three games by Nashville's starting pitching. After a five-hit, 12-strikeout performance over eight innings by Mike Fiers on Saturday, Jimmy Nelson held the Chasers to two hits through seven shutout innings as the Sounds dealt Omaha a 7-0 loss Monday in front of 4,231 at Werner Park. Nelson, who struck out nine, improved to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.80. Both of Nelson's victories this season have come against the Storm Chasers. Nelson said he learned a little bit about the Omaha batters after watching Fiers on Saturday. “I was behind the plate charting him, so I got to see how he pitched these guys,” Nelson said. “I just saw his sequences to certain hitters and how he kept everybody off balance.” Omaha manager Brian Poldberg said there wasn't much his club was going to do offensively with the way Nelson was throwing. “He kind of shut us down. Fastball. Slider. He was pretty good,” Poldberg said. Omaha starter Jeff Lamb worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning after allowing a leadoff single to former Storm Chaser Irving Falu and issuing walks to Eugenio Velez and Sean Halton. Lamb was able to get out of the frame unscathed when he forced Hunter Morris to pop out to second and Robinzon Diaz to ground to short. Nashville loaded the bases again in the third inning with no outs, but this time Lamb wasn't able to escape. Diaz grounded a 2-2 offering inside the third-base line to clear the bases and give the Sounds a 3-0 lead. Diaz scored two batters later on a Hector Gomez grounder to make it 4-0. Lamb threw 71 pitches through the first three innings and lasted just 4 1⁄3, surrendering four runs — two earned — on six hits with four walks. Three Omaha errors didn't help the Storm Chasers' cause. “Pitching was behind and in trouble, and when we had a chance to make a play, we didn't do it,” Poldberg said. “Poor defense and pitching struggling is not a good combination.” The Sounds (9-9) added three more runs in the sixth off Chasers reliever Cory Wade to stretch the lead to 7-0. Wade's night ended after 2 2/3 innings, having allowed three runs on four hits. Donnie Joseph pitched the final two innings for Omaha and didn't allow a run. However, he issued four walks to bring the Chasers' total for the game to a season-high eight. Omaha and Nashville are scheduled to complete their series at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday.

Sounds' Nelson finds best form of season By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com Deliver, rinse, repeat. For Jimmy Nelson, it all clicked Monday night. The top Brewers prospect found his best form of the season, allowing just two hits while striking out nine and walking one over seven innings as Triple-A Nashville trounced Omaha, 7-0. "I felt pretty good from the first inning on," Nelson said. "I was able to keep my delivery more consistently than I have all year. I was able to get through the whole game and make the adjustment when I came off a pitch here and there. We had good defense behind me all day, and they put up seven runs for me, so that definitely helps." Nelson didn't allow a Storm Chaser on the basepaths until the third and faced just one over the minimum through his first five frames. Omaha's biggest threat came when Nelson walked Brett Eibner and advanced him with consecutive two-out wild pitches in the sixth. The University of Alabama product buckled down to induce a flyout by No. 16 Royals prospect Christian Colon to end the frame. "You're always fine-tuning things, no matter where you are in your career," Nelson said. "Whether you're 20 years old or 40, you're still working on stuff. For me, it's keeping my direction to the plate and not pulling off stuff and spinning toward first base. I felt something during the first inning when I was doing warmups. It helped me keep my direction toward the plate, and I was able to do that and repeat that consistently." Consistency was the theme of the night for Nelson's offense too. The Sounds put up a four-spot in the third with three runs crossing on Robinzon Diaz's double. Nashville added three more in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Sean Halton. "It's kind of a double-edged sword," Nelson noted of the run support. "It's relief and you feel comfortable, but at the same time, you can't get too comfortable. You still have to stay focused. You can't just give away at-bats or pitches. You almost have to pretend in your head that it's still a 0-0 game, so you go out there and execute your pitches." Nelson finished strong in the seventh, retiring the side in order and striking out Brian Fletcher to cap his longest outing of the year. "I felt something mechanically that I did a lot better job [with] today than I have the whole season," he said. "That translated to me being able to command my pitches a lot better than I have the whole year so far. I'm just going to keep repeating that now that I felt it, and now that I know what I was doing and just try to keep that consistent." Omaha's John Lamb (0-4) allowed four runs -- two earned -- on six hits while striking out four and walking four over 4 1/3 innings. Jimmy Nelson made four appearances for the Brewers and posted a 0.90 ERA last year. (Andrew Nelles/AP) http://www.milb.com/assets/images/8/6/2/72935862/cuts/AP725599894939_uwpenp1u_u6mrbrqs.jpg

Great news, see link for additional details and thoughts -- Huntsville's Buck Rogers to be named GM for Biloxi's new minor league baseball team

Just one day later, this article -- Biloxi minor league baseball club to introduce team's general manager Tuesday Hopefully it's Buck... And today, this -- Buck Rogers to be named GM for Biloxi's new minor league baseball team By AJ Giardina, WLOX BILOXI, MS - WLOX has learned from a reliable source that Buck Rogers, the Huntsville Stars general manager, will be named the GM of Biloxi's minor league team on Tuesday afternoon at 1:00. Rogers has built a reputation over the past 13 years for over the top promotions. He held a "Car Survivor" contest where fans could win an automobile by living in it. His wife Babs, is the Stars assistant general manager and she has family in Biloxi. WLOX will be covering the Biloxi baseball news conference and we'll get to know the real Buck Rogers. *** That's great news for Buck, a longtime friend and supporter of what we do here at Brewerfan. Congratulations! Buck will move on to very new (and welcome) challenges, working within a brand new facility to an energized fanbase. While not etched in stone, based on Buck's longtime praise for his relationships with Brewers staff, it is as close to a given as can be that the Biloxi ownership group will lock in Milwaukee as its partner for at minimum the 2015-16 seasons. As for Nashville, we have not gone digging for news yet. Surely Sounds ownership wants to see a competitive AAA club on the field. That being said, being associated with a successful big league club has its allure, and if the team in Milwaukee goes on to make this a magical campaign (15-5 is a good start), then that can't hurt as a selling point.

The guys at Brevard have placed some VIDEO online, nice. Not the most advantageous camera angle, but it's more than we've ever seen from the 'Tees prior to this. From Saturday's 3-1 win vs. Dunedin -- Tyrone Taylor launches a solo home run in the third inning to give the Manatees a 1-0 lead With the game tied at one in the eighth inning, Cameron Garfield delivered with a two-run single. The 'Tees would hold on to win, 3-1 *** From Monday, back to AUDIO -- RHP Tanner Poppe joins Justin Rocke on the Manatees Pregame Show Game highlights - The Yankees hold off a late Manatees charge to win, 2-1

Final: Mobile 2, @Huntsville 1 Stars Lose Pitcher's Duel Huntsville, AL - The Mobile BayBears' Andrew Chafin (1-0) outdueled the Huntsville Stars' Drew Gagnon (2-1) in an outstanding pitcher's duel as Mobile edged the Stars 2-1. The difference in the game was a one-out solo home run off the bat off Michael Freeman in the Mobile 3rd. Freeman's solo shot to right broke a 1-1 tie and was his second of the season and second in the series. Outside of the home run allowed to Freeman, Gagnon was outstanding. Gagnon turned in a quality start pitching seven innings allowing two earned runs on five hits. He also struck out a season high six. Gagnon was the tough luck loser Monday night as the Stars offense could only muster three hits. With the Stars trailing 1-0 going into their first at bat, Greg Hopkins tied it on a solo home run to left field. It was Hopkins' second home run of the season. The lefty Chafin who entered the game with just 1 earned run allowed in 17.1 innings dominated the Stars. At one stretch of the game he had retired thirteen consecutive hitters. The Stars had a chance to tie it in the seventh when the bases were loaded with two outs. Pinch hitter Shawn Zarraga lined out to center to end the Stars threat. Chafin worked 6.1 innings allowing just two hits. He walked three and struck out five as he earned his first decision of the year in four starts. The BayBears now lead the Stars two games to one in their five game series. Mobile improves to 10-8 while the Stars are 11-7. Huntsville sill enters Tuesday's game in first place in the Southern League North standings. The Stars and BayBears play game four of their five-game series Tuesday night. The Stars will have RHP Taylor Jungmann (1-1, 3.18) on the mound while Mobile will start RHP Mike Lee (1-2, 5.82). The game can be heard starting at 6:15 PM with Steve Jarnicki on 92.9 FM, 1450 AM and http://www.wtkiradio.com. Huntsville Box Score Before 720 committed members of the lame-duck Huntsville baseball community on a 79-degree evening, RHP Drew Gagnon fanned six in seven innings - his previous strikeout high had been three. Tough-luck loss for Drew here. RHP Kevin Shackelford only needed 14 pitches over his two scoreless frames (one hit allowed). Gagnon had one of the three Stars hits (Huntsville pitchers raking), but you'll see a lot of sorry batting averages in the box score. Stars hitting .229 after 18 games, which is actually good for 6th in the ten-team league. Huntsville did draw five walks, though, and continues to lead the league in that worthwhile category. Huntsville Game Log The best opportunity -- Huntsville Bottom of the 7th Jason Rogers flies out to left fielder David Peralta. Mitch Haniger walks. Michael Ratterree walks. Mitch Haniger to 2nd. Pitching Change: Blake Cooper replaces Andrew Chafin, batting 9th. Adam Weisenburger pops out to second baseman Garrett Weber on the infield fly rule. Shea Vucinich walks. Mitch Haniger to 3rd. Michael Ratterree to 2nd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Shawn Zarraga replaces Drew Gagnon. Shawn Zarraga lines out to center fielder Mike Freeman.

This set of three posts from Monday's Link Report discusses the upcoming DL stints for RHP Johnny Hellweg and OF Kevin Mattison in Nashville. Nothing official yet, so any conjecture on other moves (Jungmann, Bradley, Prince?) up the chain, would be just that at this point, conjecture. As for this thread, let's wait for the official moves.

Grade 2 shoulder strain for Kevin Mattison as per the above interview, out 2-6 weeks. Both he and Johnny Hellweg to be placed on Nashville's DL.

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog -- "Tonight’s interview is this week’s “Mondays with the Manager” with Sounds skipper Rick Sweet, and there’s a lot to cover. Sweet gives updates on Johnny Hellweg and Kevin Mattison, who both left yesterday’s game with an injury, and how the Sounds can manage tonight and tomorrow with a short-handed bullpen since Alfredo Figaro was recalled to the Brewers and Rob Wooten, who was optioned by the Brewers, who won’t join the team until Thursday in Oklahoma City (Wednesday is an off day)."

Via Jeff Hem tweet -- Sounds manager Rick Sweet said Johnny Hellweg has right elbow discomfort & is on to Milwaukee for an MRI.

Manatees blog -- Keepin’ it Close: ‘Tees Excel in One-Run Games

Chris Mehring wrote a feature story on the Timber Rattlers' players answers to cold, wet, weather preparation. Future Brewers gut out roofless, heatless home games

Brevard County Press Release -- Link includes VIDEO of the Postgame Interview we linked to last week Jed Bradley named FSL Pitcher of the Week Brevard southpaw hurled six shutout innings in win over Lakeland VIERA, Fla. – The Florida State League announced on Monday that Brevard County Manatees left-handed pitcher Jed Bradley was named the league’s pitcher of the week for the period of April 14-20. On April 16, Bradley threw six shutout innings and earned the win as the Manatees defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 1-0 at Space Coast Stadium. The southpaw threw 76 pitches with 52 of them going for strikes, while allowing just two hits, striking out five and not issuing a walk. Entering play on Monday, Bradley has the fourth highest strikeouts per nine innings pitched ratio in the FSL as he is averaging 8.80 strikeouts per nine innings. In three starts thus far in 2014, Bradley is 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA and has 15 strikeouts versus just two walks in 15.1 innings of work. Bradley was the 15th overall selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech.

Via Nashville's Media Notes -- FIGARO CALLED UP; MAY ACTIVATED: Sounds pitcher Alfredo Figaro was called up today and will join the Brewers in Milwaukee. Figaro made seven relief appearances with Nashville for a 5.00 ERA (5er/9.0ip) and eight strikeouts. The 29-year-old will take the spot left by Rob Wooten, who was optioned to Nashville after establishing a 8.31 ERA (4er/4.1ip) in four appearances with the parent club. Wooten is expected to join the Sounds on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Catcher Lucas May has been activated from the disabled list and has yet to appear in a game for the Sounds this season.

Jeff Hem spoke about Johnny Hellweg with Lee Warren of MinorLeagueBall.com - the text is here. As Jeff hinted at last night, Hellweg left with a possible injury (although the course of the game and Hellweg's performance to that point also justified his removal, so we'll see...)

Weather.com: Omaha, NE Huntsville, AL Tampa, FL Burlington, IA

Sortable individual stat pages: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin

STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Southern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division

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

Monday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Jimmy Nelson at Omaha (Royals), 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 Drew Gagnon at home vs. Mobile (Diamondbacks), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:30 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). Mississippi does host MiLB.TV broadcasts - be among those hoping Steve's audio link synchs up nicely with your MiLB.TV investment. ********** Brevard County: RHP Damien Magnifico at Tampa (Yankees), 5:30 PM pre-game, 6:00 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. All home games and many road games are scheduled to be broadcast. When road games are only available via the opponents' audio feed (or not at all), we'll let you know that. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: LHP Tyler Alexander (with RHP Taylor Williams in tandem) at Burlington (Angels), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 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. DVR Alert: Next local TV game is Mon. 4/28 on MyNEW32.

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Jon Morosi tweet -- Remember this on Brewers/Pirates brawl: If suspensions are issued, teams must play short those roster spots while served. So if Maldonado gets, let's say, three games and the Brewers need another catcher, they would have to jettison another player off the 25-man to make room. This is where Weeks' total positional inflexibility really hancuffs the Crew again.

If Maldonado is suspended more than one game (and the Brewers probably don't want to risk Lucroy getting hurt if the suspension is even one game), then they'll need to free up a 40-man roster spot to bring up a catcher (Robinzon Diaz or Matt Pagnozzi). Rather than having to expose a player to waivers, wonder if they could place Tom Gorzelanny on the 60-man DL at this point. Gorzelanny would miss all of May, but you figure his rehab assignment (whenever that might begin) could be stretched to 20 days, although that wouldn't be his first choice, surely.