Jim Goulart

Former Pony ace off to a "Strong" start at Helena by Pat McCann, Contributing Writer St Croix (MN) Valley Press STILLWATER — Mike Strong has been drafted by three different major league teams, twice pitched for ball clubs located in the city of Stillwater and for the first time is being paid to play baseball. Numbers are playing a big role in his adult life. The former Stillwater Ponies left-handed pitcher recently made his debut for the Helena Brewers in the Rookie Pioneer League. Early indications are that the numbers are looking good. Strong, who won’t turn 23 until November, pitched for Iowa Western Community College and Oklahoma State following high school, the latter located in Stillwater, Okla. Thus far he’s 2-0 in Helena since being selected in the 10th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in June’s draft. “I mean this always has been my dream, but now that’s it’s finally coming true it’s unreal,” Strong said of professional baseball. “It’s a job, but then you can’t really say that. I’ve truly been blessed.” Strong has yielded 15 hits in 26.1 innings with 14 walks, 19 strikeouts and a 3.76 ERA. Five earned runs came in one outing in relief, however. Strong’s last two appearances have been starts, and he allowed only one hit in seven innings July 18 against Casper. “I’m really pleased with it,” the 6-foot, 175-pounder said. “I started four times and all my starts are really good. One time I relieved it was a struggle. I couldn’t locate. “Honestly, Oklahoma State is in the Big 12 so the baseball is pretty good, but the biggest change is pitching to wood bats now. I can attack the strike zone and not get hurt that often, pitch in and out. They’ve got to hit it solid to get an extra-base hit.” Strong was drafted in the 25th round by the White Sox in 2009 and the 22nd round by the Athletics in 2010. He said the added maturity from staying in school was beneficial, as has been the thinner air in Montana because of the elevation. The ball travels farther, Strong said, but that’s a good focal point for keeping his pitches down in the strike zone. Strong’s repertoire includes the standard fastball, change-up and curveball. Rather than tinker with a new offering, he said he’s more concerned at this stage with fine-tuning his arsenal. The mental approach to the game becomes foremost, Strong said, even in the low minors. “I feel comfortable with my three pitches,” he said. “You want to go out there and basically give your team a chance to win. It’s definitely a mental game as much as physical. “The crowd and everything goes into it. As a pitcher the game is on you; when you release the ball the game starts up again. If you give up a couple hits and a run you have to have the mental toughness to slow it back down and get comfortable again.” Otherwise, Strong is dealing with similar issues of men his age, namely looking for a vehicle. He said he hasn’t owned a car since he was in high school. Minor league baseball is dominated by buses anyway, and wiling away the time when you’re not competing. “You’re on a bus all the time,” Strong said. “We had a road trip to Idaho Falls and that was four hours. Then to Casper and that was seven hours, and back to Helena was eight hours. “You basically start off with a movie, but I brought along pillows so I could sleep.” Once again, Strong isn’t forgetting that his job is coveted by aspiring younger players across the country. “We’re only getting paid X amount of dollars and the living conditions aren’t the best,” he said. “But this is something I’ve been doing since I was four years old. It’s not like you’re sitting behind a desk.”

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 59 49 .546 - - 32-24 27-25 6-4 W3 Memphis 54 54 .500 5.0 31 32-21 22-33 3-7 W2 Nashville 53 56 .486 6.5 30 33-24 20-32 6-4 L1 Iowa 47 62 .431 12.5 24 27-25 20-37 3-7 L2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Chattanooga 21 15 .583 - - 10-10 11-5 6-4 L1 Huntsville 17 19 .472 4.0 31 6-10 11-9 5-5 W3 * Tennessee 17 19 .472 4.0 31 10-6 7-13 6-4 W2 Carolina 16 20 .444 5.0 30 9-11 7-9 2-8 L1 Jackson 15 21 .417 6.0 29 7-9 8-12 4-6 W1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 21 16 .568 - - 10-9 11-7 6-4 L2 Clearwater 19 18 .514 2.0 32 13-7 6-11 8-2 W1 Dunedin 19 18 .514 2.0 32 8-8 11-10 7-3 W3 * Daytona 18 19 .486 3.0 31 8-9 10-10 5-5 W2 Brevard County 16 19 .457 4.0 31 5-10 11-9 5-5 L5 Lakeland 15 20 .429 5.0 30 8-10 7-10 3-7 W1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Kane County 21 14 .600 - - 9-9 12-5 6-4 L1 Quad Cities 21 14 .600 - - 13-7 8-7 6-4 W1 Clinton 19 16 .543 2.0 34 11-9 8-7 6-4 W1 Beloit 17 18 .486 4.0 32 8-7 9-11 3-7 L1 Cedar Rapids 15 20 .429 6.0 30 9-8 6-12 4-6 W1 Wisconsin 13 22 .371 8.0 28 5-12 8-10 3-7 L5 * Burlington 12 23 .343 9.0 27 8-10 4-13 3-7 W3 Peoria 11 24 .314 10.0 26 4-11 7-13 2-8 L1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Great Falls 1 0 1.000 - - 1-0 0-0 1-0 W1 Helena 1 0 1.000 - - 0-0 1-0 1-0 W1 Billings 0 1 .000 1.0 37 0-1 0-0 0-1 L1 * Missoula 0 1 .000 1.0 37 0-0 0-1 0-1 L1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 17 15 .531 - - 8-8 9-7 6-4 L1 AZL Reds 17 16 .515 0.5 24 9-8 8-8 5-5 W2 AZL Indians 16 17 .485 1.5 23 8-8 8-9 4-6 L3 AZL Brewers 8 22 .267 8.0 18 4-12 4-10 4-6 L1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 37 16 .698 - - 20-6 17-10 5-5 W1 DSL Brewers 32 20 .615 4.5 16 16-10 16-10 5-5 L1 DSL Cardinals 20 32 .385 16.5 4 13-14 7-18 7-3 W4 DSL Athletics 18 36 .333 19.5 E 11-15 7-21 4-6 L1

Follow Monday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) DSL Brewers

Monday's Daily Menu: Nashville: RHP Amaury Rivas at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Nashville feed from the MiLB main audio page MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at home vs. Carolina (Reds), 6:43 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Huntsville feed from the MiLB main audio page iPad/iPhone: Listen Traditional Broadcast Live Audio Link -- Select the Carolina feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: RHP Hiram Burgos at home vs. Bradenton (Pirates), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Bradenton feed from the MiLB main audio page Wisconsin: RHP Maverick Lasker at home vs. Burlington (Athletics), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Helena: RHP Drew Gagnon at Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): RHP Danny Keller at home vs. the lower case A's; 1:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at the DSL Mariners, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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First posted back on July 1st -- Mike Check by Bob Brainerd, sports32.com (Time Warner Cable) PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRAD KRAUSE A baseball player can possess all the tools, but if the brain is not in concert with the ability, there is an abyss lurking that can drain a player’s soul. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers infielder Mike Walker has been to the abyss, and back. “I was in a situation last summer where I wasn’t doing really well; things started building up in my life,” said Walker, a 14th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers last season out of the University of Pacific. “It was a rough time. Rookie ball kind of sucked for me, to be honest.” http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Walker-throwing-better1-300x200.jpg The world unraveled quickly for the 6-4 standout with the sweet swing from Marysville, California. A three-sport athlete in high school who also played football and basketball, Walker earned Second Team All-Big West honors in his 2009 junior season with the Tigers. Walker seemed like a seasoned pro when he actually began his pro career with the Brewers rookie league team in Helena. “Baseball will play tricks on your mind,” Walker explained. “From July into August I was hitting about a buck eighty (.180) so that’s bad enough, because you’re playing every day, and every day you show up to the yard and think my swing doesn’t feel good, I have zero confidence. The guy on the mound might have average stuff but I’m just not where I need to be right now. It’s caused by being away from my family, being away from my girlfriend in a long distance relationship.” Rather than crash and burn, Walker took a walk away from the diamond life. It was an opportunity to rediscover his swing as well as his passion for the game. “I took some time away from the game during the offseason, a solid two and a half to three months off before I even thought about baseball again,” said Walker. “It gave me some time to put everything in perspective and say I actually do love this game. “I want to maximize my potential and see what I can get out of it and see how far I can go.” http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Walker-running-200x300.jpg Before his personal swoon in Montana a season ago, Walker made his mark by ranking among the Pioneer League leaders in games played (1st, 74) and walks (1st, 60). He also showed flashes of power that have carried over into Midwest League play with the Timber Rattlers, socking 11 home runs during the first half of the season. “I started showing signs of power my junior year of college and it kept developing,” said Walker. “To be honest, home runs are just doubles that go over the fence. They’re just a mistake. The approach that I take is that I try to hit everything to left centerfield or centerfield, and the balls that are going out are just balls you take the same swing on that you just get a little bit out front of. It’s not like I ever go up there trying to hit a home run, but every now and then you run into one.” Walker’s nonchalant approach seems to be paying dividends. He is trying to not try, and in the process, getting back into the swing of things at the plate. “When I start trying the front shoulder starts flying out and your bat path gets a little weird, your swing might get a little loopy,” said Walker. “I tell myself to go up there and swing hard but sometimes the harder I swing I sometimes end up losing bat speed. Instead of just trying to be short and quick and just go right through the ball. “It’s amazing sometimes how much power you can have when you’re not even trying to do it, just trying to stay short and put a good swing on the ball. The ball just jumps!” But if the ball isn’t jumping off the bat, it may be breezing by it. Walker was second in the Pioneer League last season with 78 strikeouts in 74 games…numbers that need some weight loss. “He’s a big guy, and we talked to him the other day about trying to cut down on his strikeouts a little bit because when he puts the ball in play he rarely makes an out,” said Timber Rattlers Manager Matt Erickson. “We’ll try to cut down his swing a little bit with two strikes, but we want him to stay aggressive, try to get ahead in the count. That’s what he really does well for a big man; he’s got plate discipline, strike zone discipline like a little guy. He’s got some juice, some gap to gap power. So when you swing at strikes good things are going to happen for him.” Walker is willing and able to buy into some fine tuning in his bid to be more selective at the plate. “I’m looking for one pitch for the most part until I get to two strikes, so if they want me to cut down my strikeouts I’m going to have to be a little less selective and maybe start hitting some pitches early in the count that I can drive somewhere,” said Walker. There’s always stuff to work on. Striking out is part of that, and what goes into that, that’s a good question. I think it's pitch selection a lot of times; maybe I get a little too selective instead of just trusting my pitch. If I’m looking for a fastball in and I see fastballs on the outer half of the plate, sometimes I’ll just let those go for strike one or two. You can probably swing at those pitches and hit them hard somewhere. “It’s not rocket science, its baseball…a game of trial and error and you’re not going to have great days all the time.” http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Walker-Rising-199x300.jpg Walker had enough eye-opening days with Class A Wisconsin in the first half of the season to earn a roster spot on the Midwest League All Star squad. Walker had a hit, a walk, stole a base and scored a pair of runs for the winning Western Division team. “Beginning of the season you set your goals and you say I’d like to be an All Star, but at the same time four days off would have been nice to be able to rest the body,” said Walker. “But it was an experience that you can’t pass up and I had a blast while I was there and really excited to participate. It was an honor, and if they said you can go to the All Star Game or take four days off. I definitely would go.” All part of the baseball resume building and on the job training for Walker, who sampled his future in professional baseball while he was playing for a former major leaguer at Pacific, Head Coach Ed Sprague. “He played 13 years in the big league for the Blue Jays, and he got me accustomed to what the pro lifestyle was like,” said Walker. “He was kind of the same way as me, kind of hardnosed at times, but he definitely got me prepared for the day in day out grind of what pro ball will be like. For that I’ll always be thankful because if I didn’t have a guy like that it would have been a tougher adjustment for me to step in to pro ball.” Walker admits Sprague, whose father Ed pitched for the Brewers from 1973-1976, was not afraid to “get on me if he didn’t think I was playing up to my standard or to his standard that he had for me.” Player and coach butted heads, but now there is nothing but feel-good vibes flowing Walker’s way, who even joked that his jersey number at Wisconsin, 33, is not to match his former coach’s number in Toronto, but rather, was the fifth choice on his request list when he got to Appleton. Perhaps that tough love in college helped Walker dig out from his baseball baptism last year. “Rookie ball is kind of like a crash course in minor league baseball, because you kind of figure out what it’s going to be like, real quick,” said Walker. “I went back home in the offseason and I was like, man, I’d really like to be back out there playing baseball if I could. “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and as soon as I took that time off, I wanted to be back out there because I missed it a lot.” One thing that isn’t missing now is the 23-year-old’s enthusiasm. Sometimes, even a tad too much, like the time Walker hit a walk-off home run on April 17th against Peoria. “I flipped the bat and got a little bit carried away with that, but I never hit a walk-off before, and it was obvious I got caught up in the moment a little bit,” laughed Walker. “Hindsight is 20-20. At the time I was just having fun, not really thinking about what I was doing. We’ve actually faced them again and they didn’t hit me…yet.” His second “mistake” was leaving his helmet on when he crossed home plate, but the celebratory beating he took from his teammates should be an easy reminder to flip it to the sky the next time he connects to end a ballgame. The fun is back in the game for Mike Walker, and that alone is worth celebrating. http://www.sports32.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Walker-throwing1-228x300.jpg “I’ve been having a blast this year for the most part,” said Walker. “I couldn’t tell you what my stats are because my main goal is just to have as much fun as possible. You can go out there and start counting hits and your average and turn into a stat guy. For me at least, it’s more fun just to get caught up in the game. I like playing more for a winner, a team that wins day in and day out than have good personal numbers on a losing team. Now, I just try to get into the flow of the game and do what I can to have fun. The nightmare is over. Now Mike Walker only has room in his brain to dream about playing in the major leagues. “That is everybody’s goal,” said Walker. “You’re not here unless you want to excel and do well. It might be a long shot, but the dream is still alive.”

Lots of Helena action on the field in this interesting video report on a Pioneer League two-man umpiring crew.

The Helena Independent Record provides a Brewers perspective from a distance for the road game in Billings -- Late rally helps Brewers open 2nd half with win BILLINGS — The Helena Brewers rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning and opened the second half of their season strong with a 6-4 win over the Billings Mustangs on the road on Sunday night. The clubs locked into a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kyle Waldrop drove a two-out line-drive single to center field to plate Ryan Wright and Sean Buckley for Billings. Neither team could plate a run again until Helena’s Robbie Garvey knocked a sacrifice fly to center field with one out in the ninth to score Kenny Allison for the visitors. Yadiel Rivera next dropped a single in right field to bring home Adrian Williams to provide the final margin. Seth Harvey picked up the win for the Brewers with two strong innings of work after relieving starter Andy Moye in the bottom of the seventh. Harvey allowed three hits and no runs, while striking out three. Moye surrendered eight hits and four earned runs in his six innings of work, striking out five. Sean Albury picked up the save for Helena, allowing one hit and striking out two in the bottom of the ninth. Left fielder Ben McMahon led the Brewers’ offense with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate that included a pair of RBIs. Parker Berberet and Kyle Dhanani also had a pair of hits for Helena. Waldrop went 2 for 4 with three RBIs to lead Billlings.

'Tees drop fifth in a row Thornburg K's seven in losing effort By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees VIERA, Fla. -- The Brevard County Manatees losing streak extended to five games as the 'Tees dropped their third in a row to the Bradenton Marauders on Sunday evening, by the score of 6-1. The 'Tees (43-62 overall, 16-19 second half) turned to Tyler Thornburg to snap their current losing streak and while Thornburg did strike out seven in 5 1/3 innings of work, he allowed four runs en route to his third loss as a Manatee. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning as Bradenton (52-56, 22-16) plated two in the frame. Marauders first baseman Kelson Brown led off the inning with a double, but Thornburg was able to retire the next two hitters. Thornburg then walked Robbie Grossman with two outs and Grossman proceeded to steal second and put runners on second and third. The walk would prove costly as Adalberto Santos singled to center to drive in both Brown and Grossman. Brevard County got one run back in the bottom of the fifth as Josh Prince singled with two outs and then stole both second and third, then proceeded to score on a wild pitch. Bradenton scored two more in the sixth and chased Thornburg from the game and then scored two more runs in the seventh. Offensively, the Manatees managed just five hits and for the second night in a row Brevard County had zero extra base hits. Scooter Gennett went 2-for-4 for the second night in a row. Brevard County and Bradenton will close out their four-game series on Monday night at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). Taking the mound for the 'Tees will be Hiram Burgos (3-6, 4.66) and the Marauders will send lefty Nathan Baker (6-7, 3.80) to the hill.

Brad Krause back home for his Timber Rattlers notes and photos from Sunday's game. *** Appleton Post-Crescent with a photo gallery from the Wisconsin game on Canine Day at the ballpark.

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Rattler Radio Post-Game Thoughts

Our daily one-day-delayed Logan Schafer video highlight -- nice batting eye at Greer

Getting To Know The 2011 Sounds: Pitcher Mike Fiers

Peralta tosses seven one-hit frames Prospect fans nine, records sixth straight win for Huntsville By Andrew Pentis / Special to MLB.com Huntsville's Wily Peralta once was a thrower. Now he's a pitcher. The Brewers' No. 1 prospect allowed a lone base knock over seven innings Sunday in the Double-A Stars' 1-0 shutdown of the visiting Carolina Mudcats, yet still seemed somewhat unfulfilled. "It was exciting but," he said, trailing off, "you don't want to give up any hits." The 22-year-old right-hander struck out nine, walked four, made 94 pitches and gave up only Bill Rhinehart's ground-ball second-inning single up the middle. "It was a good hit," Peralta said. "Change-up down [in the zone], he threw the bat head down. It was a good pitch." Peralta had never before held an opposing lineup to one hit for more than six frames. On Opening Day against Jacksonville on April 7, he allowed just a hit over six frames, though he also allowed a run. With Sunday's victory, Peralta (9-6), whom the Brewers signed out of the Dominican Republic in November 2005, extended his winning streak to six. He hasn't allowed a run in 17 1/3 innings. The difference recently? Improved command of his slider and change-up, pitches he did not throw consistently in his first stint at Huntsville last season. "I tried working on them in the bullpen," said Peralta, who also throws a two-seam heater, "and I started commanding my fastball too." Through 20 starts the Stars, the Southern League midseason All-Star selection has 113 strikeouts over 114 innings -- third-most among Southern League hurlers -- to go along with a 3.24 ERA. (He compiled a 3.61 ERA over eight starts at Huntsville in 2010.) "I think I'm more ready than last year," he said of a potential promotion to Triple-A Nashville. "Last year I was still improving my off-speed. This year, I have my off-speed." Just before heading to the showers, Peralta saw Steffan Wilson's solo shot, which broke the game's 0-0 tie. The right-handed hitting cleanup man took reliever Clayton Shunick (0-1) deep to left field. Mudcats veteran starter Justin Lehr yielded three hits over five scoreless innings, but didn't figure into the decision. He fanned five. Huntsville reliever Lucas Luetge allowed a harmless single -- Carolina's second and final hit -- in the eighth, and Rob Wooten took care of the ninth for his sixth save. http://nashville.sounds.milb.com/images/2011/07/31/RyWM3lUW.jpg

Look for the Nashville and Wisconsin media notes here and here later on, respectively. If Huntsville posts theirs, it will be found by placing your cursor over the "roster" banner at the Stars' home page.

Standings note: The Pioneer League standings above reflect the end of the first half. Helena begins the second half of the season with Sunday's game.

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 58 49 .542 - - 32-24 26-25 5-5 W2 Memphis 53 54 .495 5.0 32 31-21 22-33 3-7 W1 Nashville 53 55 .491 5.5 32 33-23 20-32 7-3 W1 Iowa 47 61 .435 11.5 26 27-25 20-36 3-7 L1 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Chattanooga 21 14 .600 - - 10-10 11-4 7-3 W1 Carolina 16 19 .457 5.0 31 9-11 7-8 3-7 W2 Huntsville 16 19 .457 5.0 31 5-10 11-9 4-6 W2 * Tennessee 16 19 .457 5.0 31 9-6 7-13 5-5 W1 Jackson 14 21 .400 7.0 29 6-9 8-12 4-6 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 21 15 .583 - - 10-8 11-7 7-3 L1 Clearwater 18 18 .500 3.0 32 13-7 5-11 8-2 L1 Dunedin 18 18 .500 3.0 32 7-8 11-10 6-4 W2 * Daytona 17 19 .472 4.0 31 7-9 10-10 5-5 W1 Brevard County 16 18 .471 4.0 32 5-9 11-9 5-5 L4 Lakeland 14 20 .412 6.0 30 8-10 6-10 2-8 L1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Kane County 21 13 .618 - - 9-9 12-4 7-3 W3 Quad Cities 20 14 .588 1.0 - 12-7 8-7 6-4 L1 Clinton 18 16 .529 3.0 35 10-9 8-7 5-5 L1 Beloit 17 17 .500 4.0 34 8-7 9-10 3-7 W1 Cedar Rapids 14 20 .412 7.0 31 8-8 6-12 3-7 L3 Wisconsin 13 21 .382 8.0 30 5-11 8-10 3-7 L4 * Burlington 11 23 .324 10.0 28 8-10 3-13 2-8 W2 Peoria 11 23 .324 10.0 28 4-11 7-12 2-8 W1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Missoula 25 13 .658 - - 13-6 12-7 8-2 W1 Billings 20 18 .526 5.0 E 9-10 11-8 5-5 W1 Helena 18 20 .474 7.0 E 9-10 9-10 5-5 L1 Great Falls 17 21 .447 8.0 E 9-10 8-11 4-6 L1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 17 15 .531 - - 8-8 9-7 6-4 L1 AZL Indians 16 16 .500 1.0 24 8-8 8-8 4-6 L2 AZL Reds 16 16 .500 1.0 24 8-8 8-8 4-6 W1 AZL Brewers 8 22 .267 8.0 18 4-12 4-10 4-6 L1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 37 16 .698 - - 20-6 17-10 5-5 W1 DSL Brewers 32 20 .615 4.5 16 16-10 16-10 5-5 L1 DSL Cardinals 20 32 .385 16.5 4 13-14 7-18 7-3 W4 DSL Athletics 18 36 .333 19.5 E 11-15 7-21 4-6 L1

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena

Sunday's Daily Menu: Nashville: RHP Josh Butler at home vs. Round Rock (Rangers), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Nashville feed from the MiLB main audio page MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Wily Peralta at home vs. Carolina (Reds), 7:03 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Huntsville feed from the MiLB main audio page iPad/iPhone: Listen Traditional Broadcast Live Audio Link -- Select the Carolina feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: RHP Tyler Thornburg at home vs. Bradenton (Pirates), 4:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Bradenton feed from the MiLB main audio page Wisconsin: LHP Charly Bashara at home vs. Burlington (Athletics), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:05 gametime Live Audio Link MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Helena: RHP Andy Moye at Billings (Reds), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Idle DSL Brewers: Idle

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Timber Rattlers Profile: No. 23 Matt Miller, pitcher compiled by Mike Woods, Appleton Post-Crescent Quick hits - Age: 22. - Position: Starting pitcher. - Height, weight: 6-6, 220. - Bats/throws: Right/right. - Resides: Zionsville, Ind. - Notes: Selected by the Brewers in the fifth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. … Named a Pioneer League all-star last season. … Ranked among league leaders in wins (tied for first, seven) and ERA (seventh, 4.06). … Held opponents to a .244 batting average, which was tied for the lowest opponent batting average in the league among starters. … Was the winning pitcher in the Pioneer League championship game. Favorites - MLB team growing up: "Cleveland. Both my parents are from the Cleveland area and I grew up watching the team with Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome and David Justice." - MLB player growing up: "Hands down, David Justice. I just liked watching him play. He was an exciting player back in his prime." - Thing about Zionsville: "Probably Lions Park. They have a bunch of baseball fields there and I grew up there playing baseball with all my friends." - TV show: "House." - Thing you own: "My computer or iPod, one of the two. On those long bus trips, I need something to keep me entertained." - Thing about Appleton: "I like the town. It has a good downtown area. I like College Avenue, the restaurants. It has a fairly nice feel to it. It's an intimate town. I've eaten at Lombardi's a couple of times, Fratellos. I really like going down there, plus we have a great fan base." - Thing to eat at a baseball game: "A hot dog, with ketchup, mustard, relish — the whole bit." - NFL team: "Indianapolis Colts. A big Peyton (Manning) fan. The last few years have really been good. I went through the whole Jim Mora phase. That was a long, tough ride." Q&A Q: How'd you end up at Michigan? A: "I was a late bloomer in high school. I didn't have a lot of interest or offers at the end of my senior year. My dad and my pitching coach sent out some videos and, at the end of the season, I got calls from Wake Forest, Kansas State and Pennsylvania. Michigan came down to see me, pretty much because (Indiana) was hosting the Big Ten Tournament. I went up to visit, fell in love with Ann Arbor and everything fell in line." Q: What is the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry like in baseball? A: "I don't think any different than Ohio State-Michigan in any other sport. It gets competitive. If there is one series, when you look down the schedule, you always want to take two out of three, that's the one. That's the one you live for every season." Q: What it's like to attend a game at the Big House? A: "It's loud — 113,000 people. Nobody sits down. You'd better strap it in because the student section is going to be in your face all four hours. Unfortunately, I was there when the football program was at its lowest in years. But I did attend The Big Chill, when the Michigan hockey team took on Michigan State there. That was really exciting." Q: Ever get tired of hearing "Hail to the Victors?" A: "No, never." Q: What was your major? A: "Economics and accounting. At some point I'd like to get my MBA or master's in accounting and do the financial world." Q: Favorite memory at Michigan? A: "Beating Northwestern on Senior Day. We were down 14-0 and came back to win 15-14 in 10 innings. We made ESPN the next day. It was a pretty big story. We went absolutely nuts after we hit a walk-off in the 10th." Q: What was your experience playing high school basketball in Indiana? A: "That was a whole different experience. I grew up watching 'Hoosiers.' We went against Greg Oden and Mike Conley their junior year; got beat up a little in that game. ... But I loved coming out on Friday night, the band playing. We weren't great but we were competitive every game. Our student section was fantastic. We packed the gym on weekends and went at it." Q: So what was it like going against Oden? A: "If the ball was within 10 feet of the basket, it was going down with a dunk. I did all I could to get in his way." Q: Was it hard to believe you two were almost the same age? A: "When you're 16 years old and going up against a guy who looks like he's 30 when he's warming up and you know you have to guard him … I was just lucky not to have to take the tip that night. I know there's a picture of that and I'm just standing there laughing in the background." Q: How did you get the nickname Gumby? A: "That was something my brothers gave me. They gave me a hard time about being long and loose. My body didn't fill out until my senior year. It's always tough when you have two older brothers." Q: What was it like to get drafted? A: "That was exciting, the whole week leading up to it. We lost in the Big Ten tourney, went back to Ann Arbor and, within 24 hours, I was packed and headed down to Tampa for a workout with the Yankees. Then I came up to Milwaukee to do their pre-draft camp. I had an idea where I was going to get taken. My agent, right before the fifth round started, called and said, 'Get ready, kid.' When Milwaukee came up, we just held our breath." Q: How frustrating was your oblique injury earlier this season? A: "It was tough. It wore on me mentally. I came back to the field just a few days later and worked every day. The timing, with the All-Star Game and not wanting to push me, I basically lost a month and a half. But it was a freak injury. There was nothing I could do about it or prevent it. And I think, in the end, it helped me. I started working more on my core and was able to work on my mechanics and delivery right around that time." Q: Do you feel better about those things now? A: "Yeah, a lot better. Since I've come back, I have a whole lot of confidence. We've simplified things and kept the game simple. I'm just working on one thing at a time and trying to put it all together. Everything that we've been working on all year we're trying to put together into a semi-finished product." Q: How'd you spend your first check? A: "I put it in the bank and haven't touched it." Q: What's your most prized sports possession? A: "I came out to close a game in the Northwoods League. I threw three innings, we came back from down three, and I struck out seven in three innings. That ball has been passed around the family." Q: What would be worse, losing your glove or your phone? A: "My phone, hands down. I don't have a special attachment to my glove, like some of these other guys. Gloves are replaceable. There's a lot on phones these days." The Tool Box Timber Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook breaks down Matt Miller: "Matt, obviously, has a good frame, a long, lean guy with all those levers. Good arm action. Good hand speed. What he's learning to do is getting all those long levers to work together for a fluid delivery. The last month, he's done a good job of that. I think what they find out is it's not as hard as they think it is. Keep the game simple, then you can attack the game. If you have too many thoughts involved, you get tentative, and Matt goes in and out of that. "The tools are there for him. He's got all the tools to pitch in the big leagues. It's a matter of trusting it, understanding it and attacking it. His breaking ball the last two, three weeks has really opened my eyes. Early in the season, he was not close to the strike zone with it. Now, he's in the strike zone with it with sharp, tight pitches. He's showing flashes. He's showing some solid, average major league pitches. You get excited as a pitching coach when you know a guy has all those tools to pitch in the big leagues. He's a big guy, looks the part, but you need to see flashes and for me, that's been the positive. Then you tell them, if they can do it once, they can do it twice and over and over. We've seen that the last three weeks."

Photos by Paul Ruhter / Billings Gazette Staff Robbie Garvey, Yadiel Rivera, and Gant Elmore of Helena collide in centerfield while chasing down a fly ball during the first inning against the Mustangs at Dehler Park on Saturday. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/f1/7f1890fb-a751-545e-a8c6-3e5b31e24789/4e34f1c72dae7.image.jpg Mustangs catcher Yovan Gonzalez collides with John Dishon of Helena at home plate during the top of the fifth inning at Dehler Park on Saturday. Dishon was safe on the play to tie the game 1-1. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/c4/8c4fb760-0dfa-5090-aa42-68f09e95ae14/4e34f1c758a91.image.jpg

Final: @Billings 4, Helena 2, 11 innings The Helena Independent Record provides a Brewers perspective from a distance for the road game in Billings -- BILLINGS — Mustangs third baseman Sean Buckley hit his Pioneer League-leading 10th home run of the season off Helena reliever Kevin Shakelford on Saturday night, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Billings. Buckley’s two-run shot to left field came in the 11th inning, breaking a tie and lifting Billings to a 4-2 victory over the Brewers at Dehler Park. Helena (18-20) had eight hits in the contest but failed to get many runs across. The Brewers were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on, compared to just four left on base by Billings (20-18). Brewers outfielder John Dishon continued his hot hitting, going 3 for 4 with an RBI that gave the visitors the lead in the sixth. Helena had the bags loaded with no outs in the fifth frame, but only managed to push one run across the plate to tie the game. Mike Strong, who started on the mound for Helena, lived up to his name through 6 1/3 innings. Strong allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out five. Shackelford was tagged with the loss after relieving David Goforth in the 11th. El’Hajj Muhammad picked up his first win of the season for the Mustangs, striking out three and giving up just a single hit through the 10th and 11th frames. Nobody in the Mustangs’ lineup had a multi-hit game, but seven different players had at least one base knock. Buckley’s home run was his lone hit of the game, after he struck out three times before slamming the game winner. *** Billings Gazette: Clean collision Mustangs catcher Yovan Gonzalez paid the price on Helena’s first run of the game. John Dishon, Helena’s 5-foot-11, 190-pound outfielder, bulled over Gonzalez at home plate on a sacrifice fly hit by Robbie Garvey in the fifth inning. Standing near the back of the plate, the 5-10, 185-pound Gonzalez took the full force of Dishon’s blow just as Kyle Waldrop’s one-hop throw from right field came in. Both players crashed to the ground, and Gonzalez had to take a few moments between home plate and the mound to walk off the effects of the collision. Both players stayed in the game. Was it a clean hit? Mustangs manager Pat Kelly, a former catcher, thought so. “If Gonzalez catches the ball, (Dishon) is out,” Kelly said. “So, yeah, to me it was more than clean. The first question Gonzalez asked me was, ‘Was that necessary?’ I said, ‘I thought so.’ “ Dishon has six hits in the series, three each night. Saturday night he had two bunt singles. Helena Box Score Reliever David Goforth faced just one over the minimum in his three scoreless innings; SS Yadiel Rivera 0-for-5, 2 K's; Billings' 1st inning run off LHP Mike Strong was unearned, as catcher Tyler Roberts had a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at third base... Helena Play-by-Play Check out the futility in the Brewers' 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings -- while two runs were scored, so many other chances wasted: Helena Top of the 4th Robert Garvey strikes out swinging, catcher Yovan Gonzalez to first baseman Nick O'Shea. Yadiel Rivera grounds out, third baseman Sean Buckley to first baseman Nick O'Shea. Parker Berberet singles on a ground ball to right fielder Kyle Waldrop. Kyle Dhanani singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kurtis Muller. Parker Berberet to 2nd. Tyler Roberts walks. Parker Berberet to 3rd. Kyle Dhanani to 2nd. Kenneth Allison flies out to right fielder Kyle Waldrop. Helena Top of the 5th Pitcher Change: Cole Green replaces Tony Cingrani. John Dishon walks. Michael Nemeth singles on a ground ball to right fielder Kyle Waldrop. John Dishon to 3rd. Gant Elmore hit by pitch. Michael Nemeth to 2nd. Robert Garvey out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Kyle Waldrop. John Dishon scores. Michael Nemeth to 3rd on the throw. Gant Elmore to 2nd. Yadiel Rivera grounds out, third baseman Sean Buckley to first baseman Nick O'Shea. Parker Berberet flies out to center fielder Kurtis Muller. Helena Top of the 6th Kyle Dhanani singles on a ground ball to left fielder Drew Poulk. With Tyler Roberts batting, Kyle Dhanani steals (5) 2nd base. Tyler Roberts walks. Kenneth Allison out on a sacrifice bunt, first baseman Nick O'Shea to second baseman Ryan Wright. Kyle Dhanani to 3rd. Tyler Roberts to 2nd. John Dishon singles on a fly ball to center fielder Kurtis Muller. Kyle Dhanani scores. Michael Nemeth pops out to third baseman Sean Buckley in foul territory. Gant Elmore strikes out swinging. Helena Top of the 7th Pitcher Change: Erik Miller replaces Cole Green. Robert Garvey singles on a line drive to right fielder Kyle Waldrop. With Yadiel Rivera batting, throwing error by Erik Miller on the pickoff attempt, Robert Garvey to 3rd. Yadiel Rivera strikes out swinging, catcher Yovan Gonzalez to first baseman Nick O'Shea. Parker Berberet strikes out swinging. Kyle Dhanani grounds out, third baseman Sean Buckley to first baseman Nick O'Shea.