Jim Goulart

Please note the following from the Rattler Radio Blog: If you listen to the Timber Rattlers on the internet feed see below information for IMPORTANT NEWS!! There have been issues with the internet feed the last few nights and the station engineer gave me the story and a few tips on how to listen to the games. The story: The station has moved to a new provider for the internet feed. The new provider is supposed to be able to automatically take out the commercials and go back into programming. There have been a few problems with that on their end, but here are the fixes he suggested. #1: There is a new link or try the Main WNAM page and click on the big LISTEN LIVE button at the top. #2: Download the Silverlight and Adobe Flash programs and start running them on your computer. #3*: Be Patient. If you go to the link and there is dead air, hang with it the programming should come back on. #4**: Test it out before the game. *-This is the most important one. My blood pressure started to go up after I was at the new link and heard nothing for 45 WHOLE SECONDS! The NERVE! **-This one is mine…but it makes sense. If you are in the listening area, feel free to tune in on AM1280, WNAM. __________ We'll post this for a few nights, the link in the Daily Menu matches the link Chris suggests.

Saturday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the new 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 $39.99 season-long package ($9.99 to pay for a single month). We imagine the audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Hiram Burgos at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:28 PM pre-game, 6:43 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Huntsville feed from the MiLB main audio page I-Phone friendly audio link Alex Cohen is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. It's fantastic that Huntsville is returning to what will be a traditional broadcast format this year. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. MiLB.TV subsciption note: Huntsville road games in four locales (Mississippi, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Pensacola) will be broadcast. ********** Brevard County: RHP Brooks Hall at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:30 PM gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Dunedin feed from the MiLB main audio page Once again this season, Brevard does not have its own audio coverage. It appears two teams in the Manatees North Division (within which the majority of games are played) have audio, and all six teams in the South Division have audio (at least for their home games), so there will be opportunities to listen to approx. 70% or Brevard's games this season, just all from the opponent's perspective. There are no Florida State League games on MiLB.TV this year. *** Wisconsin: RHP David Goforth at Peoria (Cubs), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime; if form holds, we'll see RHP Chad Pierce in the tandem 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. MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of only two (Great Lakes) Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV; Chris' call provides the audio. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, all Timber Rattlers home games, and 24 Stars' road games (one Helena series this summer, too).

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

Nashville: AUDIO: Brooks Conrad Two-Run Homer AUDIO: Hainley Statia Game-Winning Single

Photo: Gary Krambeck, QCOnline.com River Bandits Luis Mateo (4) tries to tag out Wisconsin Timber Rattler's runner Greg Hopkins (10) as he slides in safe at second base during the second inning Friday May 25. http://photos.qconline.com/bignails/05-20-12_05-26-12/05-25-12/Bandits25/Bandits25_014a.jpg?TB_iframe=true&height=1250&width=400 Only if you must, not the photo quality Brad and also the Post-Crescent guys provide: Thursday's Gallery Friday's Gallery

Stars thrown for first loss of series against Barons By Bill Bryant, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- One night after a throw that got away actually led to a Huntsville Stars victory, another one led to two of the runs Birmingham scored Friday. That -- and a late solo homer -- proved to be enough, though, as the Stars dropped a 3-1 decision to the Barons in front of an announced crowd of 1,821 at Joe Davis Stadium. An errant throw by pitcher Kyle Heckathorn on a two-out bunt by Tyler Saladino in the second inning proved to be the only real miscue the Huntsville starter made in the game. The ball sailed over the head of first baseman Hunter Morris, who collided with Saladino, and Damaso Espino and Kenny Williams both raced across home plate. On Thursday night, a Jesus Sanchez wild pitch in the ninth inning had led to one Barons run, but Saladino got tagged out at the plate on the same play to end the game. "I probably should have just ate the ball, but I just wanted that out," Heckathorn said. "I lost my footing and the ball got away from me. It was just a mistake." Heckathorn (2-4) proved to be otherwise effective, striking out six and allowing only five other hits in his five innings of work for Huntsville (26-22). Given that he'd surrendered 12 runs in his last 6-plus innings, it made for considerable improvement. "Heckathorn battled his butt off," Stars manager Darnell Coles said. "He gets the loss, but he was quality tonight. He had a chance to give in (after that error), but he kept battling." Huntsville didn't get many opportunities to score against Birmingham starter Pedro Hernandez (6-1), who allowed six hits in six innings. Domnit Bolivar hit a long solo homer to left-center in the bottom of the second to partially answer the two runs by the Barons (23-26), but the Stars got two runners on base only one inning thereafter. In that inning, the fifth, Huntsville trailed by a run and had one of its leading hitters in Scooter Gennett at the plate with runners on second and third and one out. The second baseman lined the ball hard to left field, but it hung up long enough for Williams to catch it and double off an eager Josh Prince, who'd strayed too far from the bag at second. "(Prince is) a pretty good base runner. He was anticipating that the ball was going to fall," Coles said. "He was just a little too aggressive, and I generally don't question our guys' aggressiveness." Birmingham added its insurance run in the ninth when Erik Morrison homered off of Stars reliever Dan Merklinger, the only blot on his four-inning, five-strikeout pitching line. "They didn't give us a whole lot tonight," Coles said of the Barons. "Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap."

Via Adam McCalvy: Assistant general manager Gord Ash said the Brewers expected to get back a bit of Minor League shortstop depth on Saturday, when offseason acquisition Jeff Bianchi comes off the Triple-A DL. He is batting .346 in the Minors this season and had been sidelined by a forearm strain. *** So in the prior post, the Sounds make room for Edwin Maysonet, and now they backfill the roster for Maysonet's return to the Brewers. Welcome back to Jeff...

Offense Foils Stars Winning Streak HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- The Huntsville Stars had a three-game winning streak snapped on Friday night as they lost to the Birmingham Barons by a score of 3-1 at Joe Davis Stadium. The Barons got all the offense they needed in the second inning. Designated hitter Damaso Espino doubled to lead off the frame and advanced to third on a single by left fielder Kenny Williams Jr. Both runs scored after a ground ball off the bat of shortstop Tyler Saladino prompted a throwing error at first by Stars starting pitcher Kyle Heckathorn to put Birmingham on the board 2-0. Unfortunately for the Stars, the only scoring they’d be able to manage was in the bottom half of the second as designated hitter Domnit Bolivar hit a solo home run to lead off the inning. For Bolivar, it was his first round-tripper of the season. Huntsville was silenced the rest of the way by a slew of Birmingham arms that were led by starting pitcher Pedro Hernandez. The southpaw improved to 6-1 on the year after giving up just one run on five hits through six innings. Reliever Dan Remenowsky also pitched two scoreless innings and closer Ryan Kussmaul earned his fifth save of the season with a smooth ninth inning. The Stars offensive struggle wasted a strong effort by Heckathorn, who fell to 2-4 on the year after giving up just two runs (one earned) in five innings pitched while striking out six. Reliever Dan Merklinger also pitched well, giving up just one run on a solo shot by Barons second basemen Erik Morrison in the ninth inning while striking out five in four innings of work. The final game of a five-game series between the two teams will begin on Saturday as the Huntsville will send RHP Hiram Burgos (0-1, 4.76 ERA) to square off against Birmingham LHP Matt Wickswat (1-2, 9.00 ERA). First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

Giving away his Bruce Wayne secret identity, our new Link Reporter is the proud creator of TRatsBaseball.com and the photographer extraordinaire we've linked to often. Thanks for jumping on board!

To make room for SS Edwin Maysonet's return to Nashville, veteran IF Andy Gonzalez has been transferred to Huntsville. The Stars will need to make a correpsonding move on Saturday to free up a spot for Gonzalez.

Please note the following from the Rattler Radio Blog: If you listen to the Timber Rattlers on the internet feed see below information for IMPORTANT NEWS!! There have been issues with the internet feed the last few nights and the station engineer gave me the story and a few tips on how to listen to the games. The story: The station has moved to a new provider for the internet feed. The new provider is supposed to be able to automatically take out the commercials and go back into programming. There have been a few problems with that on their end, but here are the fixes he suggested. #1: There is a new link or try the Main WNAM page and click on the big LISTEN LIVE button at the top. #2: Download the Silverlight and Adobe Flash programs and start running them on your computer. #3*: Be Patient. If you go to the link and there is dead air, hang with it the programming should come back on. #4**: Test it out before the game. *-This is the most important one. My blood pressure started to go up after I was at the new link and heard nothing for 45 WHOLE SECONDS! The NERVE! **-This one is mine…but it makes sense. If you are in the listening area, feel free to tune in on AM1280, WNAM. __________ We'll post this for a few nights, the link in the Daily Menu matches the link Chris suggests.

Media Notes: Nashville Huntsville Wisconsin

Much deserved -- Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet No. 12 JIMMY NELSON, RHP BREWERSTeam: high Class A Brevard County (Florida State) Age: 22. Why He's Here: 1-1, 1.13, 2 GS, 16 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 Ks. The Scoop: Before the season ever began, some Brewers officials would point out that Nelson could match highly regarded 2011 draftees Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley pitch for pitch. Right now he's topping them pitch for pitch. Pitching for the same Brevard County team, Nelson leads the trio in ERA (2.13), strikeout rate (8.81 per nine innings), walk rate (2.27 per nine) and WHIP (1.07). Nelson is especially nightmarish for righthanded batters. They are hitting an ugly .157/.181/.230 against him.

Not a healthy time in the Huntsville locker room these days (illness-wise)

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.

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

Certainly appears that the MiLB home office is allowing clubs to play loose and free with the 7-day DL, often as more of a taxi squad than an actual injury list. That being said, it makes the formal re-assignment of stud LH relief prospect Alan Williams to Helena's extended spring roster from Brevard County last week all the more puzzling. If not for family (temporary inactive list or such) or health reasons (DL), then one can only speculate, and that often leads to the negative, so I won't do so in print here. Get back soon, Alan!

From Brevard: LHP Jed Bradley reinstated from the DL (groin strain) and is starting tonight for the Manatees at Dunedin. LHP Connor Whalen placed on the DL retroactive to 5/24. C Brent Dean placed on the DL retroactive to 5/23. C Parker Berberet has been transferred from Wisconsin to Brevard County. *** From Wisconsin: C Cameron Garfield rejoins the Rattlers from extended spring (knee rehab going back to 2011).

Follow Friday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Huntsville Brevard County Wisconsin

FYI -- Jeff Hem indicated big Seth McClung did fly back to Nashville from Las Vegas a day early to rest, so no travel excuse for Big Red tonight.

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! All times are Central Nashville: RHP Seth McClung at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the new 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 $39.99 season-long package ($9.99 to pay for a single month). We imagine the audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:28 PM pre-game, 6:43 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Huntsville feed from the MiLB main audio page I-Phone friendly audio link Alex Cohen is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. It's fantastic that Huntsville is returning to what will be a traditional broadcast format this year. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. MiLB.TV subsciption note: A total of 24 Stars' games (in Jacksonville and Tennessee) will be broadcast. ********** Brevard County: LHP Jed Bradley at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:30 PM gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Dunedin feed from the MiLB main audio page Once again this season, Brevard does not have its own audio coverage. It appears two teams in the Manatees North Division (within which the majority of games are played) have audio, and all six teams in the South Division have audio (at least for their home games), so there will be opportunities to listen to approx. 70% or Brevard's games this season, just all from the opponent's perspective. There are no Florida State League games on MiLB.TV this year. *** Wisconsin: RHP Chad Thompson at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime; if form holds, we'll see RHP Mark Williams in the tandem 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. MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of only two (Great Lakes) Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV; Chris' call provides the audio. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, all Timber Rattlers home games, and 24 Stars' road games (one Helena series this summer, too).

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

Randomness: Yes, that was a fun night -- another all-victory night, back -to-back, even if it was 3-0 instead of 5-0. Stick with our affiliate announcers for full broadcasts when you can, but it's pretty easy to follow box scores and sample the audio choices we link to at critical junctures, especially when the big boys are idle. Within a single hour, I was able to join Chris for the critical mid-game rally that broke open a 5-5 contest, saw that Huntsville was coming down to the wire and caught Alex's closing call there, and then picked up with Jeff for the beginning of Mike Fiers' dominant run after his first inning trouble. *** If Marco Estrada was missing just one start, I'd be fine with a Manny Parra and committee night next Tuesday. But it's going to be 4-to-5 starts minimum. Fiers makes so much sense on so many levels given his 40-man status, and he really showed us something tonight. Yes, Ben Hendrickson debuted in LA back on June 2nd, 2004 (as a then really young Adam McCalvy wrote up for us!), and it wasn't quite the disaster some remember. Too bad the rest of his career was... Then again, a Tyler Thornburg debut would be sweet! Mass Haas odds for next Tuesday: Mike Fiers - 60% Manny Parra - 35% Tyler Thornburg - 4% Ben Hendrickson - 1% *** Sounds 27-year-old lefty reliever Victor Garate was hitting 95 on the stadium gun last night. He re-tweeted Jeff's notation on that, which I get a kick out of. Unfortunately, lefties are hitting .414 (12-for-29) against him this season. *** That HBP forearm DL injury has to be really upsetting to SS Jeff Bianchi about now. *** Brooks Conrad's Nashville OPS this year is 1.374. His MLB OPS is slightly lower. *** Where the heck is the 2011 version of Martin Maldonado? A 2012 slash line of .198 / .256 / .353 has his OPS down exactly 200 points from last year. Plus six errors already in 2012. *** Hang in there, Jim Henderson. *** Never belittle calf injuries. They must suck. Huntsville's Khris Davis has missed a lot of time with his. *** None of us said it out loud in April when rosters were announced, because you always want to give the kids all the benefit of the doubt, but no one, no one, could have predicted the incredible success the Rattlers have had thus far. The core of this team basically flat-out stunk last year in Helena. The list of prime prospects is short (at least it was to start the season). Talk about team chemistry both on and off the field, these guys are having a blast and we're enjoying the ride -- kudos to Matt Erickson and staff. *** My Larry King ending: Munchos are under-rated as a snack chip.

Your most nutritious two-and-a-half-minutes each day -- the time you take to digest: Rattler Radio's Nine After Nine

Sounds Edge 51s In 10 Innings In Series Finale Nashville Overcomes Early Four-Run Deficit To Earn Series Split Nashville Sounds LAS VEGAS - The Nashville Sounds plated a run in the top of the tenth inning to record a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Las Vegas 51s on Thursday evening at Cashman Field in the finale of a four-game series. With the victory, Nashville (18-28) notched consecutive road wins for the first time all season and gained a split of the four-game set with the 51s. The Sounds finished 4-4 on their West Coast road trip. Nashville, which notched its eighth last at-bat victory of the year, plated the winner in the top of the tenth against Jim Hoey. After Andy Gonzalez drew an inning-opening walk, Jordan Brown and Eric Farris reached on consecutive bunt singles to load the bases with one out. Following a Hainley Statia strikeout, Martin Maldonado hit an RBI fielder's choice to third to plate Gonzalez with the go-ahead run (audio). The 51s threatened in the bottom of the tenth, putting the first two men on base with a pair of singles against Jim Henderson. The Sounds right-hander recovered to strike out the next two batters in succession before inducing a game-ending flyout to left-center from Travis d'Arnaud, who had homered twice already in the game. Henderson (3-1) picked up the win with two scoreless innings of work and ran his scoreless streak to 24.0 consecutive innings to open the year for Nashville. Hoey (0-2) took the loss after giving up the winning run in his lone inning of action for Las Vegas. Red-hot Brooks Conrad went 3-for-4 on the night with three RBIs and another homer for Nashville to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, which includes an extra-base hit in each of his last eight contests. The veteran is batting .418 in 19 games this season. Las Vegas got off to a quick start against Sounds starter Mike Fiers, plating four runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning including a pair of back-to-back homers. Anthony Gose led off with an infield single and Adeiny Hechavarria drew a walk to get things started. After Gose advanced to third on a passed ball, he trotted home with the night's first run when Fiers committed a balk on a pickoff attempt. Adam Lind then belted his third home run of the series, a mammoth two-run shot to right on a 3-1 fastball from Fiers. d'Arnaud followed with a wind-aided solo homer to right, his eighth longball of the season. Conrad brought Nashville back within a run in the third when he extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a three-run homer to center off Las Vegas left-hander Aaron Laffey. The two-out blast, Conrad's eighth of the year and sixth in his last seven games, plated Logan Schafer and Maldonado to reduce the Sounds' deficit to 4-3 (audio). Fiers, who took a no-decision after tossing a season-high 104 pitches over seven innings, recovered nicely after his rough start by retiring 19 of his final 20 hitters faced. Included in the stretch was a Sounds season-best 15 straight hitters retired from the final out of the first frame through the first two batters of the sixth inning, when d'Arnaud ended that run by slugging his second home run of the evening, a two-out solo homer to right-center that upped the Las Vegas lead to 5-3. Nashville knotted the contest at 5-5 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Erick Almonte led off with an infield single and advanced to second on third baseman Mike McCoy's throwing error on the play. Farris followed with an RBI single to center to pull the Sounds back within one at 5-4. Later in the frame, Schafer ripped a two-out, game-tying single to right to plate Statia (audio), who had reached on a fielder's choice then stole second to get into scoring position. Gonzalez gave Nashville its first lead of the night at 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning when his second double of the game drove in Conrad (audio), who had opened the inning with a single to greet 51s reliever Jerry Gil. The pair of two-baggers extended Gonzalez's season-best hitting streak to eight games. The back-and-forth scoring continued in the home half of the eighth when Las Vegas posted back-to-back doubles off Sounds reliever Rob Wooten to knot the score once again at 6-6. With one out, Anthony Gose hit a ball to right and hustled to second for a two-bagger as Caleb Gindl was slow to play the ball. Hechavarria followed with a liner to left that was just missed by a diving Conrad, bringing Gose plateward and chasing Wooten from the contest. Victor Garate came on for Nashville and got out of the inning with no further damage to keep it deadlocked. Nashville was unable to cash in on a two-out, bases-loaded opportunity in the top of the ninth as Las Vegas reliever Chad Beck induced an inning-ending flyout from pinch-hitter Corey Patterson to stifle the attempted Nashville rally. The Sounds return home to Music City on Friday to host the Round Rock Express (AAA-Rangers) in the 7:05 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Right-hander Seth McClung (1-4, 5.12) will toe the rubber for Nashville and face Round Rock left-hander Martin Perez (3-4, 5.72), the Texas Rangers' top pitching prospect. Nashville Box Score Nashville Game Log