Jim Goulart

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VIDEO: Hunter Morris' HR

STARS ROLL TO SECOND STRAIGHT WIN HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- A night after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory, the Huntsville Stars beat the Birmingham Barons for the second straight game by a score of 4-2 at Joe Davis Stadium on Wednesday night. The game was a pitchers duel between Stars starter Evan Anundsen and Barons starter Cameron Bayne until the fourth inning. With the game scoreless and Bayne sending down the first 10 straight he faced to begin the game, shortstop Tommy Manzella and second basemen Scooter Gennett both singled to bring up Hunter Morris. Fortunately for the Stars, the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month for April changed the game with one swing of the bat, crushing a three-run home run well over the left field wall to give Huntsville a 3-0 lead. Neither team added to the score until the eighth inning when the Barons were able to make the game a bit interesting. A double by first baseman Corey Smith and a single by designated hitter Seth Loman off of Stars reliever Dan Meadows began the inning. Catcher Damaso Espino followed up with a RBI single to put the Barons on the board. A RBI groundout off the bat of third baseman Erik Morrison off of Stars RHP Darren Byrd cut the Stars lead to 3-2. The Stars were able to tack on an insurance run in the eighth as the Barons center fielder dropped a fly ball to allow Huntsville right fielder Kentrail Davis to score from third base. Byrd was able to shut the Barons down in order in the ninth for his third save of the season. On the pitching side, Anundsen improved to 3-1 on the season as he shut out the Barons bats through five innings, giving up just five hits while striking out two. For Byrd, the save was his second in as many games. The 25-year-old also hasn’t given up an earned run in his last six appearances. Game three of a five-game series will begin on Thursday as the Stars will send RHP Tyler Thornburg (5-0, 2.21 ERA) to the mound to face off against Barons RHP Nestor Molina (3-3, 4.96 ERA). First pitch is at 6:43 CT.

Sounds' Schafer would run through walls to reach majors By Steve Carp, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL As David Cooper's blast sailed toward the wall in right-center field at Cashman Field, Logan Schafer was in a high-speed pursuit of the ball. The Nashville Sounds' center fielder just missed snagging Cooper's shot, and he collided with the laminated wood fence, the ball trickling away from him. While a dazed Schafer tried to get his bearings, Cooper scooted around the bases for an inside-the-park three-run homer, breaking a 6-6 tie in what would be a 10-8 51's win Monday. Two days later, Schafer was still miffed at not having tracked down the ball, which had traveled approximately 425 feet. "I should have had it," he said. "But I play the game hard. I just try not to be reckless." Schafer, a third-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 and one of the organization's top prospects, knows he has to play that way if he intends to gain a permanent spot in the major leagues. "When I got called up last September, I got five at-bats," said Schafer, who went 0-for-4 with a walk Wednesday in the Sounds' 5-3 victory in the third game of a four-game series that concludes tonight. "But the real stuff I got out of it was learning how the guys up there approach their job." Schafer is learning an important job - that of a leadoff hitter. He is batting .260, and his on-base percentage, the more critical statistic for leadoff men, is .317. Schafer would like that number to be higher. So would Nashville manager Mike Guerrero. "I'm trying to work counts better and draw more walks," Schafer said. "The thing I've had to adjust to most is taking pitches and not swinging at pitches I know I can hit. I'm getting more comfortable with it, but it's something I have to keep working at. "It's a fun spot, but it's also an important position in the order. If I can get on and give our big boppers a chance to do their thing, then I'm doing my job." Guerrero doesn't need Schafer to walk more to improve his on-base percentage. "I think it's about being selective and having a plan up at the plate," Guerrero said. "The other thing is knowing how aggressive to be in a given situation. But he has a good feel for the game, and he's getting better." Schafer, 25, would like to fulfill the lofty expectations Brewers fans have for him. He's trying to stay patient, knowing Milwaukee's outfield is crowded. "My focus is strictly on getting better every day," said Schafer, who played two years at Cal Poly and had been drafted by Boston in 2006 (31st round) and Colorado in 2007 (47th round). "It's all about putting in the work." Schafer's biggest challenge has been staying healthy. He has had injuries the past two seasons, suffering a left groin strain and breaking his right foot in 2010 and breaking his right thumb last year. And running into walls can be hazardous to one's health. "It was absolutely scary the other night," he said of his Monday collision with the wall. "I felt a numbness and a tingle in my kneecap. But after a couple of minutes, it was all right. "Would I do it again? Absolutely. I don't know how to play the game any other way. I'm still mad I didn't make that catch." Logan Schafer was the Brewers' third-round draft pick in 2008. Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal Photo at link

Sounds Use 'Extra' Effort To Defeat Las Vegas, 5-3 Conrad Extends Hit Streak To 13 Games With Another Homer For Nashville Nashville Sounds LAS VEGAS - Sean Halton and Brooks Conrad homered and Jordan Brown drove in a pair of runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 5-3 victory over the Las Vegas 51s on Wednesday evening at Cashman Field. Six of Nashville's seven hits in the game went for extra bases as the Sounds (17-28) snapped a two-game skid and brought an end to the 51s' four-game winning streak. Las Vegas took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Left fielder Danny Perales led off with a double to center off Sounds starter Claudio Vargas, was sacrificed to third by Chris Woodward, and scored the night's first run on a Ruben Gotay sacrifice fly. Halton evened the contest at 1-1 when he belted the first pitch of the fourth inning over the center field wall for his third home run of the season (audio). The solo blast came against 51s starter Robert Coello. The 51s pulled back in front in the fifth against Nashville reliever Donovan Hand. Adeiny Hechavarria singled with one out and moved to second when Adam Lind walked before giving the home team a 2-1 lead when he raced to the plate on Moises Sierra's two-out double to right. Lind was thrown out at the plate on the play following a relay from Corey Patterson to Hainley Statia to catcher Martin Maldonado to keep it to a one-run deficit. Nashville grabbed its first lead of the night in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally against 51s reliever Tim Redding, using three straight doubles to pulled ahead by a 3-2 margin. After Halton grounded into a double play to erase Conrad, who had drawn a leadoff walk in the frame, Patterson worked a nine-pitch at-bat against Redding and fouled off three two-strike offerings before doubling to right to get things started. Brown followed with a game-tying two-bagger to left before scoring the go-ahead run on the very next pitch as Eric Farris also ripped an RBI double to left (audio). The Sounds extended the lead to 5-2 in the top of the eighth inning. Conrad extended his hitting streak to 13 games when he greeted new Las Vegas reliever Bobby Korecky with a homer, crushing the right-hander's 1-0 offering over the left-center wall for his team-leading seventh roundtripper of the year (audio). Conrad has homered in five of his last six contests and recorded an extra-base knock in seven straight games for Nashville. Nashville tacked on a second run in the frame when Patterson tripled to center and scored on Jordan Brown's one-out RBI single. Lind got a run back for the 51s in the bottom of the frame as he greeted Sounds reliever Vinnie Chulk with his second longball in two nights against the Sounds, a solo shot to right that brought the score to its final 5-3 count. Hand (1-0) picked up his first win of the year for Nashville with a solid relief effort behind Vargas. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits while fanning three batters in four innings of work, matching the longest outing by a Sounds reliever this season. In his second start for the Sounds, Vargas worked three-plus innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking two batters and striking out three. He tossed 62 pitches in the outing. Mike McClendon worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to close out the contest with a scoreless frame and earn his fourth save of the campaign. Redding (0-4) was saddled with the loss for Las Vegas after allowing two runs in his lone frame of work and being charged with a blown save. The teams conclude the series with a 9:05 p.m. CT finale on Thursday night. Right-hander Mike Fiers (1-3, 4.13) will make the start for Nashville to face Las Vegas left-hander Aaron Laffey (2-5, 5.04).

Nice mention of Jimmy Nelson at BP here.

In the last five games (contests 41-45 this season), the Manatees have raised their team batting average 17 points, from .219 to .236. You math-heady fans must realize how crazy difficult that is to do. Keep it up, men!

Introducing the Chaos Meter! Don't go anywhere until you're read Chris' Rattler Radio Nine After Nine

Video report (on right of screen) matching the article linked here: Huntsville: Mayor Battle vs. Mayor Morris

Cool thing about a Brewers matinee -- caught the final audio innings of both the Stars' and Rattlers' hold-your-breath wins...

3rd linked interview of the thread from Jeff (via Las Vegas) -- his intro below: Tonight’s interview is with Sounds veteran catcher Paul Phillips…personally I love the part where he tries to put into words what it’s like for a player to put on a major league uniform, whether for the first time or the 100th time.

Having roster fun with Alex in Huntsville

Quick Change Chad -- the latest detailed player feature from Bob Brainerd at sports32.com is on OF Chadwin Stang

Jeff Hem with worthwhile Nashville audio interviews with Manager Mike Guerrero (several specific individual player updates) and Pitching Coach Fred Dabney (who speaks mostly in more general terms, although he does finish up by discussing Wily Peralta -- pre last night's tough start).

Huntsville Media Notes

When IF Edwin Maysonet returns to Nashville officially on Thursday (or Friday) after his option today, the Sounds will need to make a corresponding move. At least we had the Maysonet option situation correct (he had one left, which has now been used up).

At Huntsville, the Brewers activate 40-man roster RHP Santo Manzanillo from DL, where he had been since 4/11 with shoulder tightness. Going to the DL to free up a spot for Manzanillo is RHP Bradley Blanks with an undisclosed injury.

Media Notes: Nashville Wisconsin

Stars’ Morris Named Brewers Minor League Player of the Month HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – He might not win the upcoming mayoral campaign for Huntsville, but Huntsville native and Huntsville Stars first baseman Hunter “The Mayor” Morris won the campaign for the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Month for April. The 23-year-old lefty hit .303 (30-99) with 12 doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in April. He led the Southern League in doubles and was tied for second in all of Minor League Baseball in that category. He also ranked eighth in Minor League Baseball in at bats (99) and 11 th in hits (30) for the month. He was tied for the team lead in hits (30) and tied for second on the team in home runs (2) and RBIs (11). Morris continues to lead the Southern League in doubles with 19, and is still tied for second in all MiLB. He spent most of the 2011 season with the Brewers High-A Affiliate Brevard County, where he hit .271 in 126 games. While at Brevard County, he set a single season franchise record for home runs with 19. He was also ranked third in the Florida State League in total bases (231). Morris was promoted to Huntsville mid-season where he played 4 games with the Stars and hit .353 for a combined .274 in the 2011 season. Morris was named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star in 2011 and was named the Best Power Hitter in the Brewers organization for the second consecutive season by Baseball America. The Stars will honor Morris with a pre-game presentation before tomorrow’s Thirst-Aid Thursday, Grab Some Buds game against the Birmingham Barons at approximately 6:25 p.m. The Stars will play game two out of five against the Barons tonight after a 6-3 victory last night. The Stars are currently three games out of first place in the Southern League. The first pitch is at 6:43 p.m.

This photo tweet from 20-year-old RHP R.J. Johnson gives us a rare glimpse at a Maryvale lineup in a game prior to the start of the formal Arizona Summer League season. Thanks to R.J., who missed all of 2011 with a major shoulder injury. Looks like Josh Butler (elbow) is getting in rehab innings. The catcher "Quiles" you see is 22-year-old newcomer Emmanuel Quiles, the Puerto Rico native with five years of pro ball experience in the Padres' system. Another newcomer, 25-year-old LHP Philippe Valiquette, the former Reds' farmhand with AAA experience, also set to pitch today. The other names should be known to diehards here -- if not, refer to our Player Index.

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

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

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Claudio Vargas at Las Vegas (Blue Jays), 8:50 PM pre-game, 9:05 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 Evan Anundsen 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: RHP Jimmy Nelson at Charlotte (Rays), 5:30 PM gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Charlotte 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 Matt Miller at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 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. 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).

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