Jim Goulart

Nor was Emeigh taken with Komatsu's rag arm. *** While that may be the case, you had this in the same game -- Carolina Bottom of the 2nd Neftali Soto singles on a line drive to right fielder Erik Komatsu. Felix Perez singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Lee Haydel. Neftali Soto to 2nd. Yasmani Grandal strikes out swinging. David Cook singles on a soft fly ball to right fielder Erik Komatsu. Neftali Soto to 3rd. Felix Perez to 2nd. Jose Castro singles on a line drive to right fielder Erik Komatsu. Neftali Soto scores. Felix Perez out at home on the throw, right fielder Erik Komatsu to catcher Anderson De La Rosa. David Cook to 3rd on the throw. Pedro Villarreal strikes out swinging.

AZL Brewers Top of the 8th Pitcher Change: Sundrendy Windster replaces Jake Shadle. Adam Weisenburger singles on a fly ball to right fielder Leonardo Fuentes. Adam Weisenburger out at 2nd, right fielder Leonardo Fuentes to first baseman Ben Thomas. Jalen Harris singles on a ground ball to pitcher Sundrendy Windster. Jalen Harris advances to 2nd, on throwing error by pitcher Sundrendy Windster. Matthew Franco grounds out, second baseman Cristian Paulino to first baseman Ben Thomas. Jalen Harris to 3rd. Malcolm Dowell singles on a ground ball to shortstop Kelby Tomlinson. Jalen Harris scores. Ruben Ozuna singles on a ground ball to second baseman Cristian Paulino. Malcolm Dowell to 2nd. Renaldo Jenkins strikes out swinging. AZL Giants Bottom of the 8th Defensive switch from second base to third base for Brandon Macias. Defensive Substitution: Kevin Berard replaces third baseman Jalen Harris, batting 7th, playing second base. Unfortunately, I read that as Jalen Harris being safe on a play at the plate and then leaving the game. Something to watch for, if he misses more than just a game, we'll reach out to Josh (Agent39) for an update. *** 111 degrees at gametime. Perhaps it's already out there, but I'd love to read a definitive well-written detailed report on the routines, effects, and sheer agony of going through a summer in the AZL -- not just games, but workouts, etc. Must be thrilling to stand out in left field during a 25-minute wild pitch-filled frame. Joel Pierce is from the Great White North, for pete's sake! And yes, it's a "dry" heat.

Brewers suffer first home loss this season by Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record When Stalin Gerson gets into a rhythm, the right-hander is practically unshakeable. The Helena Brewers found that out the hard way Sunday afternoon at Kindrick Legion Field, as the Billings starter dazzled in a dominating performance. Gerson twirled a three-hitter, and has given up just one run through 12 innings of work this season. The Mustangs (3-4) beat the Brewers 7-1 to avoid the series sweep and put a dent in Helena’s perfect home record. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Gerson was pitching for Single-A Dayton earlier this season, where he had allowed just two runs in a dozen innings. But a lack of open roster spots sent the 2007 free agent signee back to Billings, where he pitched a year ago. “He’s got a good fastball, slider and changeup, and when he can get two out of three of those over the plate he’s really tough to hit,” said Mustangs pitching coach Bob Forsch, who knows a good arm when he sees one. Forsch threw a pair of no-hitters when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978 and ’83. The only times Gerson got into trouble were in the fourth and fifth innings. He issued back-to-back walks to Mike Nemeth and Joey Paciorek but was able to work out of the jam, then an inning later gave up a two-out single to Adrian Williams and then an RBI single to Yadiel Rivera that ended his shutout bid. That prompted a visit to the mound from Forsch, but the coach said Gerson isn’t the type who needs advice. “Every once in awhile he’ll get out of sync,” Forsch said. “But he knows if he’s throwing a pitch a certain way what’s causing it and can correct things on his own.” Carlos Contreras and Brooks Pinckard hurled three innings of scoreless — and hitless— relief, putting to rest any concerns Billings had about its bullpen in the first few games of the season. “Our bullpen’s gonna be good,” Forsch said. “It’s just getting them on the mound and learning ... it’s a matter of everbody trying to find their way. But our bullpen was phenomenal last year and I expect this season to be no different.” Gerson picked up his second win of the season, aided by plenty of run support from his teammates. The Mustangs scored in six different innings, had the leadoff man reach base in the first seven frames and pounded out a dozen hits — seven of which went for extra bases. Billings got five doubles to go along with a leadoff triple from Kurtis Muller to start the game and a home run by Drew Poulk to lead off the fourth. By comparison, the Brewers (5-2) had just one extra-base hit, a two-out double by Jason Rogers in the first. Brandon Williamson suffered his first loss of the season, after being peppered for seven hits and four earned runs through five frames. The Mustangs scored three more against reliever Seth Lintz to blow open the game in the seventh. Dayne Read led Billings at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs. But a night after Helena went on a hit parade with 13, the Brewers simply ran into a buzzsaw in Gerson. “He’s one of the better pitchers we’ve seen so far,” said Helena manager Joe Ayrault, who had the opportunity to see the Billings hurler in extended spring training. “He pounded the strike zone and worked his way out of a couple of jams.” The Brewers had their chances. With two out and two on in the fourth, Max Walla stroked a scorcher to left field but Read was able to make a play on the ball that was held up a bit by the wind. The Brewers left just six on base, half their total from two nights earlier, but that was largely because of five 1-2-3 innings. Ayrault isn’t the least bit concerned. “Guys are gonna keep going about their business the same way,” he said. “That’s the thing we ask of champions, is how do they respond. But they’ll bounce back just fine, and we’re going to focus on the positives — we won a series today.” It was the second series victory of the season for the Brewers, who also split a two-game set in Missoula. Their homestand continues today, when they welcome Great Falls. First pitch is slated for 7:05 (8:05 Central). Right-hander Chad Pierce, who was lit up in his only appearance and now owns a 108.00 ERA, takes the mound for Helena. Southpaw Jarrett Casey (1-0) gets the nod for the Voyagers. Three photos of Brewers' interest in the Independent Record photo gallery at the article link, including intimidating 1B / LF Jason Rogers

Media Notes: Nashville Huntsville Wisconsin

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 42 36 .538 - - 22-16 20-20 4-6 W1 Memphis 40 37 .519 1.5 66 23-16 17-21 5-5 L1 Iowa 36 42 .462 6.0 61 19-19 17-23 6-4 W5 Nashville 35 42 .455 6.5 61 23-18 12-24 5-5 W3 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Chattanooga 3 1 .750 - - 3-1 0-0 3-1 W3 Carolina 2 2 .500 1.0 66 2-2 0-0 2-2 L1 Huntsville 2 2 .500 1.0 66 0-0 2-2 2-2 W1 Jackson 2 2 .500 1.0 66 0-0 2-2 2-2 L1 * Tennessee 2 3 .400 1.5 65 0-0 2-3 2-3 W1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Brevard County 2 0 1.000 - - 2-0 0-0 2-0 W2 * Daytona 2 2 .500 1.0 67 0-1 2-1 2-2 L1 Dunedin 2 2 .500 1.0 67 0-0 2-2 2-2 W1 Tampa 2 2 .500 1.0 67 2-1 0-1 2-2 L1 Lakeland 1 1 .500 1.0 68 1-0 0-1 1-1 W1 Clearwater 1 3 .250 2.0 66 1-2 0-1 1-3 L3 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Beloit 3 0 1.000 - - 3-0 0-0 3-0 W5 Kane County 3 0 1.000 - - 0-0 3-0 3-0 W3 Clinton 2 1 .667 1.0 67 2-1 0-0 2-1 W1 Quad Cities 2 1 .667 1.0 67 0-0 2-1 2-1 W2 * Burlington 1 2 .333 2.0 66 0-0 1-2 1-2 L1 Wisconsin 1 2 .333 2.0 66 1-2 0-0 1-2 L2 Cedar Rapids 0 3 .000 3.0 65 0-0 0-3 0-3 L4 Peoria 0 3 .000 3.0 65 0-3 0-0 0-3 L10 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Helena 5 2 .714 - - 4-1 1-1 5-2 L1 Billings 3 4 .429 2.0 30 2-2 1-2 3-4 W1 Great Falls 3 4 .429 2.0 30 1-2 2-2 3-4 W1 Missoula 3 4 .429 2.0 30 1-1 2-3 3-4 L1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 3 2 .600 - - 2-1 1-1 3-2 L2 AZL Indians 3 3 .500 0.5 51 2-1 1-2 3-3 W1 AZL Brewers 2 3 .400 1.0 51 0-2 2-1 2-3 L2 AZL Reds 2 4 .333 1.5 50 2-1 0-3 2-4 L2 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 18 5 .783 - - 9-3 9-2 10-0 W14 DSL Brewers 17 7 .708 1.5 48 7-4 10-3 7-3 W2 DSL Athletics 7 17 .292 11.5 38 3-7 4-10 2-8 L6 DSL Cardinals 6 18 .250 12.5 37 5-9 1-9 3-7 L3

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: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Frankie De La Cruz at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at Carolina (Reds), 6:15 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Carolina feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: RHP Austin Ross in his Manatee debut at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 6:05 PM gametime Sorry, no audio available for this series... Wisconsin: RHP Matt Miller at home vs. Peoria (Cubs), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Chad Pierce at home vs. 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): at the Giants' complex in Scottsdale; 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Athletics, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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You Know, And That blog -- A few thoughts from last night’s Sounds game

Central grad Eric Marzec has sights set on majors By Josh Weir, CantonRep.com (Ohio) staff writer Chris Hook noticed a baseball appear above the outfield fence. Then again. And again. So did the batters in this early season minor league game, since the ball was popping into their peripheral vision. Hook, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitching coach, called his bullpen, from where the ball was rising. “They said, ‘It’s Marzec. He can’t sit still,’ ” Hook said with a laugh. Eric Marzec had been throwing the ball in the air and catching it as he passed time in the bullpen. The Central Catholic High School graduate and Jackson Township native is a man on the move. He hopes in more ways than one. The 23-year-old right-hander entered the Midwest League All-Star break at 2-1 with two saves and a 1.71 ERA in 22 appearances out of the bullpen for the Timber Rattlers — the Milwaukee Brewers’ low Single-A affiliate based in Appleton, Wisconsin. Marzec’s stats are the kind that produce excited calls from family and friends. They even got him considered for the Midwest League All-Star game. “It would’ve been nice, but at the same time, that’s just stuff,” said Marzec, who analyzes his performances with the caution of someone being constantly evaluated. “I want to show these guys I’m good enough to go to the next level. “Hopefully in the next three months, I’ll get the call to Florida and show them what I can do there.” Florida — Brevard County, to be more specific — is where the Brewers’ high Single-A affiliate is located. It represents the next step in a journey he hopes leads to the big leagues some day. SO FAR, PROGRESS Marzec overcame injury problems at Youngstown State to get drafted last year by the Brewers. Now he is trying to overcome the odds of going from 30th-round pick to Major League Baseball player. Marzec is a little more than a year into his pro career after spending last season with the Brewers’ rookie-level teams in Arizona and Montana. The feedback has been positive, whether it is from the Brewers directly or via the agency (Diamond Sports Management) that represents him. “Are we really happy with that draft pick? Absolutely,” said Lee Tunnell, the Brewers' minor league pitching coordinator, who pitched parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the Pirates, Cardinals and Twins. “With the way he’s contributing and the chance he has to move up the line, we feel really good.” Tunnell described factors beyond stats alone that help determine who advances in the minors. How are the players in front of him doing at the next level? How would moving him affect his current team? With the Timber Rattlers located in the midst of the Brewers’ fan base, the organization likes to field a successful product in Appleton. How is he handling hitters as they make adjustments to him through the course of the season? The Brewers like Marzec’s resiliency and the way he has bounced back pitching on consecutive days as a primary set-up man. Hook loves Marzec’s intensity. KEY IS CONSISTENCY For now, most of Marzec’s efforts concentrate on one goal: “Consistency on an every-night basis,” he said. And that can be difficult as a player develops and continually learns to adjust to new challenges, all the while riding the bus to destinations as far away as Dayton. “I was a power pitcher,” Marzec said. “Now that I’m in the pros, I don’t throw hard anymore (comparatively speaking). I throw 90-93. That’s good, but it’s not 97. So you’re not overpowering guys anymore. You have to use your head and pitch.” Hook put Marzec’s fastball at 88-90, a tad below the big-league average of 90-91, he said. “That really doesn’t mean a whole hill of beans,” said Hook, who pitched two years in the big leagues with the Giants. “If you’re able to execute at 88-90, you’re going to get guys out.” Marzec throws a cutter and two variations of a slider. A changeup is on his offseason to-do list. Hook said Marzec’s “breaking stuff can play on the big-league level right now,” but it is imperative Marzec learns how to command his fastball to both sides of the plate. The Brewers want to see Marzec master the ability to move his fastball across the bottom of the strike zone before he moves to high Single-A. “The higher up the level you go, the fewer mistakes you can afford with the fastball,” Tunnell explained. FULL-TIME PITCHING Keep in mind, Marzec is a full-time pitcher for the first time. He batted and played the field in college. “You still see that newness at times,” said Hook, mentioning mechanics. But he lauded Marzec’s ability to make adjustments, a sign of the 6-foot, 190-pounder’s athleticism. In his three years with the team, Hook can’t think of a pitcher who better prepares himself than Marzec. Marzec is up by 8 a.m. every day, something he’s ragged on about by his teammates. Marzec once was told 97 percent of high school players won’t play Division I college baseball, 98 percent of college players won’t make it to the minors, and 99 percent of minor leaguers won’t wear a big-league uniform. He doesn’t know if those numbers are exact, but they have resonated with him. “When I make decisions, I try to think about that,” Marzec said. “Yeah, maybe what I’m doing is out of the norm, but I’m not trying to be like the whole team.” Marzec has places to go. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.cantonrep.com/archive/x438675408/g12c0000000000000009546e901f4e3fea1a12b2ed5f02a4342e6ae30aa.jpg

Why you never give up by Jim Oskola on PostCrescent.com Here's a lesson for all athletes on how good things happen if you just keep working at. And in Tyler Roberts' case Sunday afternoon, working and working and working some more. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Quad Cities River Bandits 3-1 heading into the home half of ninth inning at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday. T.J. Mittelstaedt leads off the ninth for the Rattlers with a home run to make it 3-2. One out later Roberts hits a home run to nearly the same spot over the left field wall to tie the game. "Man, a big confidence booster," Roberts said after the game. "Momentum went back to our side. It's big when you can come through in the clutch like that. That's what we're all here for. That's the difference between us and big league players in a way. When they come through in the clutch, it's all the time." What was Roberts looking for as he faced River Bandits reliever Hector Corpas? "I was looking for a specific pitch or location early in the count," Roberts said. "But I swung through that pitch when I got it. A first-ball fastball. After that, I was just trying to see-the-ball, hit-the-ball. Just dumb it down. Relax and put a good swing on it." What Roberts through patience and hard work at the plate turned that appearance into was a classic battle between a pitcher and a hitter. Roberts' home run - his fourth of the season - came on the ninth pitch from Corpas to him. Yes, things didn't go well for the Rattlers in the 10th inning as they went on to lose 8-3 but in the Midwest League, you learn your lessons as they come your way.

Howell can't keep hot starts going by Jim Oskola, Appleton Post-Crescent GRAND CHUTE — Sunday's Midwest League baseball game against the Quad Cities River Bandits started well for Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitcher Del Howell. No runs, two walks and a single was all the River Bandits got in the first three innings in what eventually became a 10-inning 8-3 win for Quad Cities. The bump in the road came in the fourth inning. A leadoff double by Nick Longmire, a home run to straightaway center field by Jonathan Rodriguez and a double by Chris Edmondson all came before the next three batters were retired. "I think, the first three innings, he did a nice job of mixing and staying down in the zone," Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson said. "Then, in that one inning they put some good swings on him. He was about belt high. Every one of those pitches was up in the zone. He's got to be a guy who mixes speeds and stays down in the zone or stuff like that is going to happen." Howell's inning-by-inning statistics show those bumps in the road. He has pitched only 40 innings this season but batting averages against him are .160 in the first inning, .181 in the second, .307 in the third, .280 in the fourth and .350 in the fifth. "That's one of my problems," Howell said. "I'll be cruising for a while and they'll get two hits back-to-back. I left that one up and they hit a home run." Tyler Roberts, who caught Howell on Sunday, said the southpaw is a great pitcher. "He gets in trouble sometimes when he's not getting the ball down," Roberts said. "The pop-up double off the left-field wall, the batter made a good swing on the ball. It was a great pitch, a good swing and it just got caught up into the wind and it kept carrying. The dude who hit the home run, he just left a fastball up. That's all it was. "He's got good stuff. When he commands the ball down, he's unhittable or they're going to roll over a groundball every time. When he starts leaving it up, he doesn't have stuff like (Tyler) Thornburg or other people. He just can't blow it right by you. He has to craft his stuff kind of like a Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine. They didn't overpower people but they could pitch to both sides of the plate." Howell also has to build his pitch count back up. His last start on was May 10. Since then, Howell made only three relief appearances and, due to the Midwest League all-star break, had not pitched in a game since June 19. "He did what we asked him to do today," Erickson said. "Obviously, with that rough stretch, we try to stay away from that but we didn't help him much with the bats early in the game, either." Working on smoothing out those bumps in the road in the Midwest League can turn out well. When current Chicago White Sox reliever Matt Thornton was with the Timber Rattlers, he, too, would have some lights-out innings and then struggle for an inning. That 2010 American League all-star has carved out a nice career for himself in the majors.

Sounds pitcher counts on experience in Japan to help him get to Major Leagues By Jerome Boettcher, Nashville City Paper Forget a pitch count. Frankie De La Cruz just let it fly. The right-hander didn’t worry about his arm. In Japan, he really couldn’t. If he focused too much on the number of pitches he tossed, he would get left behind. “You can learn how to pitch there,” he said. “I threw 197 pitches one time in the bullpen. You have to throw at least 50 pitches every day in Japan. I think my arm gets ready, a better angle with the ball. I like it because the more baseballs you throw, the more you learn.” After one season — and 1,000 pitches, at least — of minor league ball in Tokyo, De La Cruz has settled into the Nashville Sounds’ starting rotation. It hasn’t been the smoothest of transitions — he is just 2-4 with a 4.08 ERA in 14 starts. But the signs of improvement are there for the ninth-year veteran from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In the second game of a doubleheader against Omaha on Wednesday night, De La Cruz pitched 6.1 innings of the Sounds’ seven-inning 5-4 victory. He allowed four runs (two earned), on seven hits with just one walk and two strikeouts. It was a big win for the Sounds (35-42), who picked up just their second victory in 10 tries against Omaha this season. De La Cruz didn’t allow a run until the fifth inning as he extended a personal scoreless streak to 11 innings. He threw seven innings of shutout ball in a no-decision against Memphis last week. Prior to Wednesday’s game, he had received just 29 runs of support from his teammates. But 13 of those came in one outing, thus he received only 16 runs of support (1.33 per game) in his 12 other starts. Yet, De La Cruz doesn’t blame his teammates for his-below-average record. “I was really struggling in the beginning with my head because I was thinking too much,” De La Cruz said. “Now I am trying to let it go and try to focus on my game and pitch. You learn day-by-day. What I am trying to do now is get people out.” De La Cruz began his career in 2001 at the age of 17 when he signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Detroit Tigers. He spent the next six seasons floating around the minor leagues, jumping into a starting role in 2005. He made his Major League debut in 2007, pitching in six games — all in relief — for the Tigers. But a 6.75 ERA resulted in being sent back down to the minors. Later that offseason, he was one of five players traded to the Florida Marlins in exchange for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. De La Cruz pitched well in Triple-A Albuquerque, with a 13-8 record and a 4.34 ERA. But he again sputtered in a shot in the big leagues, giving up 18 earned runs in nine innings pitched for the Marlins. He was traded to the Padres and actually began the 2009 season on the opening day roster. But he lasted just three games and 3.1 innings pitched, giving up just two earned runs and two hits while walking six. He was sent down to Triple-A Portland, spent the rest of the season there and all but four of his 48 appearances came out of the bullpen. “I was there for no reason,” De La Cruz said. “So when they sent me to the minor leagues, I called my agent and said, ‘Look, man, I want to go to someone else. Oh, let’s go to Japan.’” De La Cruz sputtered in his first nine games with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, so he was demoted to their minor league affiliate. He got into a groove there, striking out 42 batters and walking 21 in 53.2 innings in 39 relief appearances. His ERA was the lowest of his career — 2.52 — and it caught the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers, who signed him in January. “I learned a lot about baseball in Japan,” De La Cruz said. “I think I got the best angle with my arm right now ... and I also have my velocity back.” The 5-foot-10, 213-pound De La Cruz throws his fastball in the 95 to 97 miles per hour range and mixes in a changeup and slider. But control has been an issue. In his first 12 starts of the year, he walked 37 batters for more than three a game. In his last two starts, he has just two walks. “With his kind of stuff, he shouldn’t be 2-4. He’s got better stuff than that,” Sounds manager Don Money said. “Earlier in the year, he was throwing five, six walks a game. Usually that eats up your pitch count kind of quick. ... Hopefully he is on track. His last two outings have been very good.” If De La Cruz can string together some consistent starts, maybe he’ll get his fourth crack at the big leagues with his fourth different team. But the 27-year-old is not obsessing and trying to do too much. He is just letting the ball fly, hopeful he’ll land back in the Majors eventually. “I like to be here. I’d like to be in big leagues better but I like to be here because this is a job,” De La Cruz said. “I see a lot of players without a job because they don’t want to play minor league. This is a job so I really like it here. If something happens, then it happens. But right now, in my head, I pitch here first and see what’s going on.”

Don Money tells us in this audio interview that Chris Bosio will be taking over AAA pitching coach duties from interim Bill Castro (and from Rich Gale prior). Bosio returns to this role from a few years back, he was doing advance pro scout work for the Brewers.

Nashville Audio Archive -- June 26 - Chat with Manager Don "Dinero"

Sessile tweeted a reminder about the increasing frequency of this occurance, partially prompted by Zelous Wheeler's re-emergence. Without a DH, you have to play Wheeler, Farris and Green over Edwin Maysonet as part of the infield roulette.

Missed this last week, so the game info is a bit dated, but Nashville's Stu Paul with a blog post and good advice for any broadcaster.

Correct, as per the Rattler Media Notes.

Looks like Tyler Thornburg gets his first Brevard start this evening...

Congratulations to 2007 10th round draft pick catcher Eric Fryer (Ohio State), who makes his big league debut with Pittsburgh today. Career minor league OPS of .814 (stats). Fryer was traded to the Yankees in February 2009 for LHP Chase Wright, apparently against the wishes of some of the Brewers' scouts. Fryer would then be acquired by the Pirates as part of a package for Eric Hinske in July '09. He is the 7th catcher the Pirates have used this season. Fryer batted .345 at Class AA Altoona and .262 at Class AAA Indianapolis. The move was a surprise since Fryer has been an outfielder for much of his pro career and is not considered a strong defensive catcher.

Look for the Nashville and Wisconsin media notes here and here later on, respectively. If Huntsville posts theirs (last updated on the 23rd), it will be found by placing your cursor over the "roster" banner at the Stars' home page.

Gee, somebody slow down those DSL Mariners -- 14 in a row!

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 41 36 .532 - - 21-16 20-20 4-6 L2 Memphis 40 36 .526 0.5 68 23-16 17-20 6-4 W1 Iowa 35 42 .455 6.0 62 18-19 17-23 5-5 W4 Nashville 34 42 .447 6.5 62 22-18 12-24 4-6 W2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Carolina 2 1 .667 - - 2-1 0-0 2-1 W1 Chattanooga 2 1 .667 - - 2-1 0-0 2-1 W2 Jackson 2 1 .667 - - 0-0 2-1 2-1 W2 Huntsville 1 2 .333 1.0 67 0-0 1-2 1-2 L1 * Tennessee 1 2 .333 1.0 67 0-0 1-2 1-2 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Brevard County 1 0 1.000 - - 1-0 0-0 1-0 W1 * Daytona 2 1 .667 - - 0-0 2-1 2-1 W2 Tampa 2 1 .667 - - 2-1 0-0 2-1 W1 Clearwater 1 2 .333 1.0 67 1-2 0-0 1-2 L2 Dunedin 1 2 .333 1.0 67 0-0 1-2 1-2 L1 Lakeland 0 1 .000 1.0 68 0-0 0-1 0-1 L2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Beloit 2 0 1.000 - - 2-0 0-0 2-0 W4 Kane County 2 0 1.000 - - 0-0 2-0 2-0 W2 * Burlington 1 1 .500 1.0 68 0-0 1-1 1-1 W1 Clinton 1 1 .500 1.0 68 1-1 0-0 1-1 L1 Quad Cities 1 1 .500 1.0 68 0-0 1-1 1-1 W1 Wisconsin 1 1 .500 1.0 68 1-1 0-0 1-1 L1 Cedar Rapids 0 2 .000 2.0 67 0-0 0-2 0-2 L3 Peoria 0 2 .000 2.0 67 0-2 0-0 0-2 L9 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Helena 5 1 .833 - - 4-0 1-1 5-1 W3 Missoula 3 3 .500 2.0 31 1-1 2-2 3-3 W2 Billings 2 4 .333 3.0 30 2-2 0-2 2-4 L2 Great Falls 2 4 .333 3.0 30 0-2 2-2 2-4 L3 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Dodgers 3 1 .750 - - 2-0 1-1 3-1 L1 AZL Brewers 2 2 .500 1.0 52 0-2 2-0 2-2 L1 AZL Indians 2 3 .400 1.5 51 2-1 0-2 2-3 L1 AZL Reds 2 3 .400 1.5 51 2-0 0-3 2-3 L1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 18 5 .783 - - 9-3 9-2 10-0 W14 DSL Brewers 17 7 .708 1.5 48 7-4 10-3 7-3 W2 DSL Athletics 7 17 .292 11.5 38 3-7 4-10 2-8 L6 DSL Cardinals 6 18 .250 12.5 37 5-9 1-9 3-7 L3

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

Sunday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Amaury Rivas at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 6:20 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Wily Peralta at Carolina (Reds), 1:00 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Carolina feed from the MiLB main audio page Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 4:05 PM gametime Sorry, no audio available for this series... Wisconsin: LHP Del Howell at home vs. Quad Cities (Cardinals), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Brandon Williamson at home vs. Billings (Reds), 1:50 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Angels' complex in Tempe; 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: Idle