Jim Goulart

Adam McCalvy's blog post with all the details. Outside of what we may learn from Twitter, about all we'll get from Maryvale.

Elsewhere in the organization's system -- Pacific Coast League: Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals AAA) cap unlikely title run Omaha captures PCL championship following 70-74 season By Jonathan Raymond / MiLB.com *** Southern League: Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks) and Birmingham Barons (White Sox) will decide Southern League Champion in Game 5 Sunday night *** Florida State League: Edwards hurls Daytona to FSL crown Cubs' No. 11 prospect tosses five innings in one-hit shutout over Charlotte (Rays) By Jake Seiner / MiLB.com *** Midwest League: Hader, Quad Cities River Bandits wrap up Midwest sweep Astros prospect tosses seven shutout innings in title clincher over South Bend (Diamondbacks) By Jake Seiner / MiLB.com *** Arizona League: Giants 4, Dodgers 0 in the one-game championship final *** Dominican Summer League: Rangers won the best-of-three finals 2 games to 1 over the Tigers

One down, one to go Chukars win first game of championship series By Jeff Pinkham, Idaho Falls, postregister.com If it wasn't for a pitch count, Idaho Falls left-hander Jonathan Dziedzic might still be dealing. The Chukars starter was efficiently dominant during Game 1 of the Pioneer League championship series Saturday at Melaleuca Field, tossing six shutout innings before handing off to the bullpen. Three relievers followed Dziedzic's lead, helping Idaho Falls grab a 2-1 win over the Helena Brewers and move one win away from its first league title since 2000. "That guy knows how to pitch," Idaho Falls manager Omar Ramirez said. "He doesn't have anything overpowering, a great fastball or a great curveball, but he throws strikes and he knows how to pitch. That's why he was pitching the first game -- we trust that he's going to give us quality innings." He nearly gave the Chukars six perfect innings Saturday. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder who was a 13th-round draft pick this spring out of Lamar University, faced the minimum number of hitters through five innings. After giving up a single to the second batter he faced, he retired the next nine. The next man to reach was Brewers third-place hitter Michael Ratterree, who walked with two outs in the fourth. Ratterree was picked off before cleanup hitter Adam Giacalone saw a pitch. Dziedzic finished by striking out four of the final seven batters he faced and left with a 2-0 lead. "We came in with a good game plan, and whatever I put down he was pretty much hitting the glove," Chukars catcher Frank Schwindel said. "He made it real easy for us to stick to the plan, and he makes it look easy." The same could be said for the trio of relievers who followed. Left-hander Josiel Martinez entered in the seventh and was stung by two Idaho Falls errors to start the inning, putting runners on first and second. The jam got worse when Adam Giacalone dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Martinez got to the ball but slipped, allowing Giacalone to reach and loading the bases. A run scored when Jose Pena grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Martinez got a weak pop to second to end the threat. Glenn Sparkman took over in the eighth and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning, pounding the strike zone while fanning two. The 6-2, 210-pounder easily got the first two outs in the ninth before Ratterree belted a hard single to left. Ramirez didn't hesitate to go to the pen again, calling on lefty Kyle Bartsch. The seventh-round pick made Ramirez's decision pay off, striking out pinch hitter Jalen Harris to end the game. Idaho Falls struggled to generate much offense, getting two runs in the third on a hit-and-run single by Elier Hernandez that drove in Humberto Arteaga and a hard double to left by Hunter Dozier that plated Hernandez. The Chukars finished with just seven hits and four walks, a far cry from their season average of 6.7 runs per game and 10.8 hits per game. Ramirez knows his offense will have to do better to bring home a title. "We've seen better pitching, but it's the moment, too," he said. "You can say whatever you want, but it's the playoffs, and no one wants to make mistakes. Hopefully we can pick it up, and hopefully we don't have to wait until the third game." The Chukars and Brewers take today off before resuming the championship series at 7:05 PM Monday (8:05 Central) at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena, Mont. If the Brewers win, the deciding Game 3 would be Tuesday in Helena.

Pat Sutphin Photo, Idaho Falls Post Gazette Carlos Garcia looks up to the second base umpire for confirmation after getting tagged out by Helena’s Angel Ortega during an attempted steal in the opening game of the Pioneer League Championship Series at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls on Saturday night. The Chukars beat the Brewers 2-1, and the best-of-three series will shift to Kindrick Legion Field on Monday. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/ff/effb4c52-1dcd-11e3-a90e-0019bb2963f4/523550458b725.preview-620.jpg

Chukars take Game 1 behind Dziedzic Royals prospect holds Brewers to two hits over six innings By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com It would have taken a lot to break Jonathan Dziedzic's focus on Saturday night. Just ask the Helena Brewers, who couldn't get anything going against him. "I guess you could say I was zoned in," the Royals prospect said. "I wasn't worried about anything else. I was just taking one batter at a time." Dziedzic allowed two hits and struck out eight over six shutout innings as Idaho Falls held on for a 2-1 victory over Helena in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series. "It was a good way to finish up the season," he said. "I've been just trying to make sure the next start is better than the last." The Royals' 2013 13th-round pick never went more than five innings during the regular season, but he hasn't allowed a run in his last three appearances. "I definitely felt more focused [than during the regular season]," said Dziedzic, who faced one batter over the minimum. "I wouldn't say my arm was better, but I tried to focus extra hard." The 22-year-old left-hander gave up a one-out single in the first before getting Pioneer League MVP Michael Ratterree to ground into a double play. He retired the next eight batters, walked Ratterree in the fourth but promptly picked him off to end the inning. "That came from the bench. I don't know if I would have picked off on my own. It came from [manager Omar Ramirez]," Dziedzic said. "That was huge. Anytime you get out of an inning like that, you save your pitch count. You don't face the next batter, and it gives you momentum going into the next inning, too." He struck out two in the fifth and two more in the sixth before surrendering a single to Renaldo Jenkins, who moved up on a wild pitch before Dziedzic got a grounder to shortstop to finish his night. "It felt like it went by pretty quick," the Lamar University product said. "I looked up and it was the fifth or sixth inning already." The Chukars gave Dziedzic a 2-0 lead in the third as Elier Hernandez delivered an RBI single and scored on a double by Royals No. 7 prospect Hunter Dozier. Helena got on the board right after Dziedzic exited. Back-to-back errors put two men aboard against reliever Josiel Martinez and Adam Giacalone reached on a bunt single to load the bases. A run scored on a double play, but Martinez retired Dustin Houle on a popup to limit the damage. Glenn Sparkman retired the first five batters he faced before Ratterree singled with two outs in the ninth. Kyle Bartsch came on and struck out pinch-hitter Jalen Harris to record his first playoff save. The rest of the series will be played in Helena, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday night. "It was great to get the win, but we still have one more to go," Dziedzic said.

AUDIO: Helena Brewers RHP Chris Razo talks about his first playoff outing and the series with Great Falls

New this season: Helena has media notes; it's a unique link each day, but look for it just prior to game time each day within the "Stats and Scores" banner here.

It'll be a battle of southpaws as Kansas City's 2013 13th round Jonathan Dziedzic, out of Lamar (TX) University, faces the Brewers. He's had a fine season thus far, and tossed five innings of one-run ball and struck out six batters to earn the victory in the Chukars' playoff opener five days ago.

From Chukars (it's a bird) Extra: The Chukars and Brewers played seven times this year, the last coming July 19 at Melaleuca Field. Helena won the season series 4-3, averaging 7.5 runs per game in the four wins. Idaho Falls was also explosive in its wins, averaging 11 runs per game in the three victories. Idaho Falls set its season high for runs in a 17-6 win July 18. The Chukars pounded out 21 hits in that win, including a home run from right fielder Elier Hernandez, who belted three homers and drove in 11 runs against Helena during the regular season. First baseman/catcher Frank Schwindel feasted on Helena pitching this season, batting .481 (13 of 27) with four doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in seven games. Nineteen-year-old shortstop Humberto Arteaga also hammered the Brewers, hitting .382 (13 of 34) with four doubles, five RBIs and nine runs scored. As a team, the Chukars batted .312 with 24 doubles and six home runs and 35 RBIs over seven games.

This is the only game of the series that will be televised by MiLB.TV for subscribers. Looks like a $9.99 fee for a one-time purchase. That would provide both live and archived coverage. If you do watch, turn down the TV sound and listen to Steve's free call.

Helena: LHP Anthony Banda at Idaho Falls (Royals), 8:00 PM Central pre-game, 8:15 gametime; best-of-three series opener; games two and three in Helena Monday and, if necessary, Tuesday Free Live Audio Link Voice of the Helena Brewers Steve Wendt is back on board, and this year he's added Twitter to the mix @steve_wendt. We've been treated to Steve's work for many years now (ten!); he is among the very best at the art of the pre-game interview, especially considering how at ease he makes all these first-time professional ballplayers. *** Follow Saturday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Helena Box Score / Game Log *** Weather.com: Idaho Falls, ID

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It's really time to stop pretending that Huntsville is not the targeted Southern League relocation-to-Biloxi franchise. Here's a video report following up yesterday's articles linked above. Now we already knew this from that video report: Young would not say which baseball franchise he'll buy and move to Biloxi, but WLOX News has been told it's an existing team in the AA Southern League. The Jackson (TN) Generals play in the league's smallest market, and in prior years, had been the subject of their own departure rumors. But unlike the very absent and very silent Huntsville owner Miles Prentice, the Jackson situation has really solidified and stabilized with investment as this 2012 article indicates. This actually isn't our first Brewerfan extensive thread on the Huntsville situation. Back in July 2009, Gord Ash's blunt comments kicked off this mega-thread with multiple updates, including perhaps this most telling post from 2010 (some bare-boned investments have been made since then). *** So, and I type this with due respect to the hard-working staff that keep the franchise running on a shoestring budget and the dedicated among the team's Booster Club, but the issue isn't whether the Stars will be in Biloxi in 2015 (and yes, that situation could still yet fall apart - stay tuned), but whether the Brewers are positioned to be the beneficiaries of the new stadium in Biloxi. In the fall of 2014, it will be time to renew or start fresh with Player Development Contracts (PDC's) across minor league baseball. Here is the current status of AA affiliations, and technically, all those in bold could potentially be interested in hooking up with a great new stadium situation on the Gulf Coast: Eastern League (AA) Akron Aeros - Cleveland (signed through 2014) Altoona Curve - Pittsburgh (signed through 2018) Binghamton Mets - New York (NL) (signed through 2016) Bowie Baysox - Baltimore (signed through 2014) Erie SeaWolves - Detroit (signed through 2014) Harrisburg Senators - Washington (signed through 2014) New Britain Rock Cats - Minnesota (signed through 2014) New Hampshire Fisher Cats - Toronto (signed through 2014) Portland Sea Dogs - Boston (signed through 2018) Reading Fightin Phils - Philadelphia (signed through 2014; owned by Philadelphia) Richmond Flying Squirrels - San Francisco (signed through 2014) Trenton Thunder - New York (AL) (signed through 2022) Southern League (AA) Birmingham Barons - Chicago (AL) (signed through 2014) Chattanooga Lookouts - Los Angeles (signed through 2014) Huntsville Stars - Milwaukee (signed through 2014) Jackson Generals - Seattle (signed through 2014) Jacksonville Suns - Miami (signed through 2014) Mississippi Braves - Atlanta (owned by Atlanta) Mobile BayBears - Arizona (signed through 2014) Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay (signed through 2014) Pensacola Blue Wahoos - Cincinnati (signed through 2016) Tennessee Smokies - Chicago (NL) (signed through 2014) Texas League (AA) Arkansas Travelers - Anaheim (signed through 2014) Corpus Christi Hooks - Houston (owned by Houston; signed through 2016) Frisco RoughRiders - Texas (signed through 2018; owned by Texas) Midland RockHounds - Oakland (signed through 2014) Northwest Arkansas Naturals - Kansas City (signed through 2016) San Antonio Missions - San Diego (signed through 2014) Springfield Cardinals - St. Louis (owned by St. Louis) Tulsa Drillers - Colorado (signed through 2014) Not sure how many truly unsatisfactory ballpark situations exist beyond Huntsville at the AA level. So even if the Brewers don't end up in a spanking new Biloxi stadium, the situation could only improve regardless. While Huntsville's on-site day-to-day management team raves about their relationship with the Brewers' staff, both field and operational, new ownership in Biloxi would have no past relationship with Milwaukee staff, no loyalty. And given eight sub-.500 seasons in the last ten, including the most recent five seasons, new ownership could easily seek a more "sexy" and successful partnership. Baseball Reference - Huntsville Stars All-Time W-L Team Records So Brewers fans just need to watch the Biloxi city council vote later this month, we'll keep you posted.

Adam McCalvy with more on De la Torre.

Courtesy of Stars GM Buck Rogers -- Stars fans, if you’d like to own the game-worn jersey of your favorite Stars player from the 2013 season, our annual off-season jersey auction is now open. Listed below are the sizes, colors, and players’ or coaches’ names. The jerseys are in home white, road gray, and alternate navy blue. All are mesh. Bidding begins at $150 and increases in $5 increments. You can buy any available jersey now for $200 on a first come-first served basis and it will be removed from the auction immediately. The auction will close at 12:00 pm (noon) on Thursday, September 19th. Winning bidders will be contacted for payment and shipping information. If you’re interested in placing a bid here’s what you need to do: 1-Select the jersey(s) from the list below. 2-Email the jersey(s), your name, your bid(s), and your day time telephone number to starsinfo@huntsvillestars.com 3-If your bid gets topped we will notify you via email. We will ship via the USPS “if it fits, it ships” program which means most of you will have a $15 S/H fee. Those outside of the US will have a higher fee which we’ll get you before shipping. If you purchase at least two jerseys you will receive a FREE Huntsville Stars batting practice cap. Please select from either M/L or L/XL sized cap. The BP cap is a New Era 3930 Flex-Fit model. Please forward this on to all interested parties. Again, bidding closes at noon central time next Thursday 9/19. Here’s what’s available: ## SIZE PLAYER OR COACH COLORS 2 L Shea Vucinich All 3 L Adam Weisenburger, Nick Shaw All 4 L Ozzie Chavez, Hector Gomez All 6 XL TJ Mittelstaedt, Eric Patterson All 7 XL Jason Rogers All 8 XL Robinzon Diaz, Micah Owings White & Gray 9 XL Rene Tosoni All 10 XL All 11 XL Darnell Coles Gray & Navy 12 XL Mark Rogers All 13 XL Casey Medlen All 14 XL Jeff Bianchi, Anderson de la Rosa All 15 XL David Goforth All 16 XL Chadwin Stang All 17 XL Alan Williams All 18 XL Thomas Keeling All 19 XL Drew Gagnon All 20 XL Kentrail Davis All 21 XL Mike Walker All 22 XL Andy Moye All 23 XL Kenny Dominguez Gray & Navy 25 XL Eric Marzec All 26 XL Taylor Jungmann White & Gray 27 XL Dan Meadows All 28 XL Brooks Hall All 29 XL Brian Garman All 30 XL Brock Kjeldgaard All 31 XL Johnny Lowe All 32 XL Mark Williams All 33 XL Kevin Shackelford All 34 XXL Arcenio Leon All 35 XXL Shawn Zarraga All 36 XXL All 37 XXL Chris Hook Gray & Navy 38 XXL Frankie De La Cruz, Santo Manzanillo All 39 XXL Mark Williams All 40 XXL Jimmy Nelson All 41 XXL 43 XXL Ariel Pena All 44 XXL Greg Holle All 45 XXL Mike Olmstead, Santo Manzanillo All If you have any questions please email starsinfo@huntsvillestars.com or call (256) 882-2562 during business hours. Rock On!

Sure enough, we had a Brewerfan Player Index Page built back in 2004 for De La Torre, who was originally signed by the Brewers but never suited up for any of their affiliates. Back then, we had him at 5'11", 165. He's now listed at 5'10", 185, which is now reflected on the linked page. He must have been "heightening" back then. http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120101211302/seinfeld/images/thumb/6/6a/Untitled3.jpg/250px-Untitled3.jpg

Looks like newly-waiver-claimed RHP Jose De La Torre has two option years remaining.

Ken Young says baseball stadium will help revitalize, 'add life' to Biloxi by Mary Perez, Biloxi Sun-Herald BILOXI -- The city council could vote by the end of the month whether to back a $21 million bond for a Minor League Baseball stadium in downtown Biloxi. Ken Young, who owns four minor league baseball teams, met with the City Council Thursday about bringing his fifth team to Biloxi. Young is in the process of buying a franchise, and can't yet identify the team. When they move to Biloxi, where they came from will be history and the team will have a new name, new stadium, new mascot and new fans. The site in on U.S. 90, north of the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino on land used as a parking lot. David Staehling, retired director of administration for the city, said the combination of a free site provided by MGM Resorts International, parent company of the Beau Rivage, and a $15 million grant from the state make the project a winner. "The financial leverage on this project is the best thing I've ever seen come to this city," he said. Councilman George Lawrence again said he wants to see the stadium moved to his ward off Fifth Street in East Biloxi. He also continues to maintain that the stadium should be built on city-owned land. "As a business person I look at risk," Young said, and there is always risk coming into a new community. He said the city also needs to look at the chance of success and the other things that will be good for the city by building the ballpark. "It's worth taking this risk," he said. Councilman Robert Deming III asked Young if he knew whether taxes increased in any of the four cities where he has baseball teams to support the stadiums. "The fact is no, none of them had to raise taxes," said Young. He said the stadiums he built in Norfolk and Albuquerque continue to generate surpluses. "The stadium in Norfolk has been the catalyst for major development in the downtown," he said. Young said it takes 16-18 months to get a stadium built and the start of the 2015 baseball stadium is 18 months away. "It's important for us to get moving on it," he said. He already can envision walking into the stadium opening night, feeling the fan reaction and feeling like a kid again. What minor league baseball does for a community, he said, is add to the quality of life and unify a region. "There's nothing better than minor league baseball to bring that out," he said. "The team becomes part of the community." The stadium also could help revitalize downtown Biloxi as ballparks have done recently in Pensacola, Fla. and other cities around the country. With 70 home games, a team brings people downtown and businesses follow. "It adds life," he said. Young started working as a vendor in the stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. when he was still in high school. After graduating from Penn State University he went to work with Aramark in the recreational food division that serves stadiums and concerts venues. He started his own company, Ovations Food Services, and has 40 years in the food service business. He invested in his first minor league team 21 years ago in Norfolk, Va., and was named the 2009 Baseball America Minor League Executive of the Year. Like a business, a baseball stadium needs the right ingredients, he said: "A good stadium, good entertainment-affected baseball and then operate it correctly and you can have a successful franchise - one that the community appreciates." He's done that in Norfolk with the International League Tides, with the Eastern League Bowie Baysox, the Carolina League Frederick Keys and the Pacific Coast League Albuquerque Isotopes. The Biloxi team would play in the Southern League. Tim Bennett with Overtime Sports has been working for years to bring baseball to Biloxi and approached Young before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Bennett was able to get a team in Pearl near Jackson and Young said he was interested in finding a team for Biloxi. The stadium will transform what is now a parking lot into a ballpark where three or four generations of family can share a game, a college baseball matchup, concert or other event, he said. For the baseball purist it can be all about the game. For families, "It's everything going on around the baseball game," he said. They enjoy the music, the scoreboard and between inning contests. When they leave, Young said some of the fans don't know the final score but they know they had fun.His teams have a base run for kids at the end of the game. "Every night," he said. "Kids remember that. It's a Minor League stadium but it's a Major League field." TIM ISBELL/SUN HERALD PHOTO Ken Young hopes a proposed location for a minor league stadium across from the Beau Rivage casino gets the necessary votes. Young thinks the location is excellent for a minor league baseball team. http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2013/09/12/10/02/1ghy1a.AuSt.77.jpeg

September 12th update: They're campaigning, still not constructing, when it comes to potential Biloxi stadium Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times The movement continues to bring a Class AA baseball team to Biloxi, Miss., something perhaps impacting the Huntsville Stars' future, but it remains in the campaign rather than construction process. The issue of a new stadium was addressed today in a private session of the Biloxi City Council, with the Biloxi Sun-Herald reporting that the council could vote before the end of the month to support a $21 million bond issue to help build the stadium. The Huntsville Stars have been reported as one of the more likely teams to be purchased and moved to Biloxi, along with the Jackson, Tenn., franchise, though the summer has been swirling with a variety of rumors that could include a domino effect across the league. The only certainty is that the Huntsville Stars will be doing business at Joe Davis Stadium in the 2014 season. Stars general manager Buck Rogers reiterated that point Thursday morning and Biloxi officials have acknowledged that 2015 would be the earliest a team could move there. Stars majority owner Miles Prentice, visiting with family in New England Thursday, could not be reached for comment. In previous interviews, he invoked a "gag order" he said was issued by the Southern League office not to talk about on-going negotiations. Sources say Prentice is asking upwards of $17 million for the franchise he bought from Huntsville investors in 2001 for a reported $6 million, saying that day, "I'm looking to keep the team in Huntsville forever." Note: That's a telling statement from that source, isn't it, that a dollar figure has floated and linked? Especially when combined with the article in the next post. -- Jim (Mass Haas) Continuation of McCarter article -- Ken Young, who owns four other minor league clubs and would own the Biloxi franchise, told the Biloxi Sun-Herald that it is essential that the city begin making progress toward finalizing plans and starting construction on the stadium. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant pledged $15 million toward construction from funds the state received from its settlement with BP after the Deepwater Horizon accident; that pledge has drawn criticism from those who believe the funds should be devoted to conservation. Biloxi has plans for a $21 million bond issue to fund the remainder of the project, which will take place on land to be leased from the adjacent Beau Rivage Casino. However, the City Council has not provided backing for it. Councilman George Lawrence wants to see the stadium built on public property while Councilman Robert Demming III raised the question of possible tax increases to help fund the park, something Young said was not the case in Albuquerque and Norfolk, other cities in which he owns teams. Young's interview with the Sun-Herald was very much a plea to the community and leaders for support of the franchise, saying that baseball "adds life" to a city and "there's nothing better than minor league baseball to bring (quality of life) out. The team becomes part of the community." Young stressed a sense of urgency, noting stadium construction would take more than a year and that the 2015 season opener is nearly 18 months away.

Here's your Helena pre-playoff audio fix with newly released pre-game interviews via Steve Wendt -- AUDIO 9/8 - 2013 3rd round RHP Barrett Astin out of the University of Arkansas talks about how he has improved this season and his upcoming start in the playoffs; conducted before the two-game series sweep over Great Falls *** AUDIO 9/9: Helena Brewers manager Tony Diggs talks about the upcoming playoff series and the match up with the Great Falls Voyagers; obviously conducted before the two-game series sweep over Great Falls *** AUDIO 9/10: 2013 21st round RHP Tristan Archer out of Tennessee Tech talks about pitching in the playoffs for the first time and the series with Great Falls; conducted after Game One of the two-game series sweep *** By the way, Saturday night's Game One in Idaho Falls will be televised on MiLb.TV at 8:05 Central. If you're not already a subscriber, looks like it'll be $9.99 for you. Small price to pay for Helena friends and family. The game can be watched on archive if you can't view it live. After a travel day Sunday, Game Two and Game Three (if necessary) are in Helena Monday and Tuesday - no TV on those, but we'll be listening to Steve's championship call.

Will at Disciples of Uecker spoke with Blake Lalli, still on the 40-man roster as of this writing

Bernie Pleskoff is THE man -- includes video: *** First look: Brewers 2013 Draft pick Tucker Neuhaus Initial scouting report on Milwaukee's second selection By Bernie Pleskoff, MLB.com

Happy Wednesday Birthday to 26-year-old Huntsville RHP Andy Moye. As for Brewers still playing, Helena SS Angel Ortega turned 20 today. The 2012 6th round pick out of Puerto Rico has struggled offensively but been at times spectacular defensively from the reports we've heard /read. All 109 games of action in his pro career have been exclusively at shortstop.

VIDEO from the early innings - unfortunately, that's when Great Falls did their own damage

Helena storms back and into Finals Ratterree reaches five times to rally to win in Pioneer clincher By Jonathan Raymond / MiLB.com Helena had no trouble winning the opener of the best-of-3 Pioneer League semifinal series against Great Falls. While the degree of difficulty changed in the second game Tuesday, the performance of Michael Ratterree did not. The Rookie-level Brewers fell behind early, 5-1, but stormed back to take the lead in the fifth inning and didn't relinquish it en route to sweeping the Voyagers with an 8-6 victory. Ratterree, the star of Monday's 16-5 win with a three-hit, four-RBI performance, led the Brewers again on Tuesday. The Pioneer League MVP reached safely in all five trips to the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with a double, three walks, four runs scored and even an outfield assist at home plate that denied Great Falls a run. "It was great to get on base for my team every at-bat and give my team a chance to score runs," he said. "We got down early but we were real confident in what our team can do, what our bats can do. We never get down when we're behind." The Brewers clawed back from their early deficit with runs in the third and fourth, then plated three in the fifth and another in the sixth. Ratterree led off the fifth with a walk and crossed the plate on Dustin Houle's single to tally the first run of the fifth. Then Taylor Brennan doubled in two runs to give Helena its first lead of the game. "This is the way they played all year long, always with a never-say-die type of attitude," said Brewers manager Tony Diggs. "They continue to play for 27 outs and that's what we preached from Day 1. It didn't surprise me today what they did. That's their mentality as a team." Designated hitter Jose Pena went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two walks and Adam Giacalone added three hits, including a double, and an RBI. The best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series will begin Saturday. With the postponement of the Idaho Falls-Grand Junction game Tuesday, those two teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader Wednesday, if necessary, to determine Helena's opponent. The Chukars won the series opener, 7-1. Ratterree said his team will be ready for the challenge. "We're real excited about the opportunity to play for a championship together. We've got a bunch of good guys on this team. We all like playing with each other and we want to keep playing, continue to win. We're having fun and we're pretty confident as a group," he said. Michael Ratterree went 5-for-6 with five walks in the two-game series. http://www.milb.com/assets/images/0/6/4/60236064/cuts/ratterree480_hgcmen67_n7enj55j.jpg