Jim Goulart

Nashville LHP Chase WrightStill just 27 years old, it's probably off to winter ball as he'll head to minor league free agency again this offseason...

Final: @Arizona Reds 6, Arizona Brewers 5, ten innings Arizona Box Score The A-Crew retains its three-game lead with six to play despite losing its third staright game, something done only once before all season; the 6'8" RHP and native of New York State, Greg Holle, the Brewers' 11th round pick out of TCU, has been effective in each of his six outings this year, although this was his first stint in ten days -- Holle allowed one run (unearned) in the middle four innings; the game was tied at 4-4 after four innings as Holle inherited a bases loaded, no out situation from RH starter R. J. Johnson when Johnson issued all three of his walks to start the 4th -- runs would score on a sac fly and grounder; effective RH closer Seth Harvey took the loss when a leadoff double spelled trouble in his 3rd inning of work... The Brewers opened the game with a walk and three singles to plate two runs, and should have scored more, something they'd rue later on; a Nick Shaw RBI double and Yadier Rivera sac fly scored single runs in the 2nd and 3rd, respectively; Shaw doubled in a game-tieing run in the 9th to send the game to extras; for the game, Shaw was on base four more times to lift his OBP to .462 while slugging .493 -- not a small sample either, 150 AB's; 20-year-old CF Kenny Allison reached three times, as did T.J. Mittelstaedt, who played RF in this one... Arizona Game Log After Shaw's big double in the 9th, the boys couldn't grab the lead despite a nice opportunity -- AZL Brewers Top 9th Kyle Dhanani called out on strikes. John Bivens singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kurtis Muller. Kevin Berard singles on a ground ball to shortstop Junior Arias. John Bivens to 2nd. Nick Shaw doubles (13) on a line drive to right fielder Juan Silva. John Bivens scores. Kevin Berard to 3rd. Kenneth Allison reaches on a fielder's choice out, third baseman David Vidal to catcher Yasmani Grandal. Kevin Berard out at home. Nick Shaw to 3rd. Jason Rogers grounds out, third baseman David Vidal to first baseman Jaren Matthews. The "losing" rally -- AZL Reds Bottom 10th Yasmani Grandal doubles (1) on a line drive to left fielder John Bivens. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Jeff Taylor replaces Yasmani Grandal. Junior Arias out on a sacrifice bunt, first baseman Jason Rogers to second baseman Nick Shaw. Jeff Taylor to 3rd. Seth Harvey intentionally walks Kurtis Muller. Adam Muenster reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by first baseman Jason Rogers. Jeff Taylor scores. Kurtis Muller to 2nd.

Link while active, text follows: Melbourne couple to remarry at Brevard County game Couple overcomes fight against cancer, wins wedding at Manatees' game BY HILLARD GROSSMAN, FLORIDA TODAY If diamonds are a girl's best friend, as Marilyn Monroe once sang, then a much bigger diamond should thrill Amber Lopez . . . even if it's shaped for baseball. Amber (formerly Miller) and her husband Paul will be getting married -- well, actually remarried -- Saturday at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, just before the Brevard County Manatees face the Clearwater Threshers in a Florida State League baseball game. "Our first dance will be on the dugout -- that part might be weird," Paul said. He and Amber, both 28, will have plenty to laugh about this time around in what has become a made-for-TV type of reality ceremony. It was because, in a large part, of their close friend, Lizzy Farray, who wrote the winning essay in the Manatees' "From Home Plate to Happily Ever After" contest earlier this spring. Last summer, Paul faced a crisis when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer just four months before the couple's meticulously planned wedding, which was to be followed by a week-long honeymoon cruise to Rome. Instead, the Melbourne couple decided to rush through a ceremony at Florida Tech with about only 10 people in attendance. They later spent their honeymoon being serenaded by nurses as Paul underwent chemotherapy. "Our wedding ceremony was so quick. There was no music, no rehearsal, no cake, but I did put my (wedding) dress on," Amber said. "Hardly anyone, especially his family (from Edgerton, Kan.), could make it that fast, and it was on a Friday at 1 p.m., so everyone was working anyway and couldn't make it. We had spent a year planning our wedding, so it was kind of sad." That date was Aug. 28, a strange coincidence in that this year's baseball wedding also is on that date. And it's also a coincidence that Paul and Amber had met on a softball diamond in Cocoa Beach. "It's like magical," said Paul's sister, Jamie. Lizzy just happened to be flipping through bridal magazines getting ready for her upcoming Oct. 30 wedding when she saw the Manatees' contest ad. "I immediately thought of Amber and Paul, because of so many things they've been through," Lizzy said. "Their story is a true fairytale. Things that you never think people can overcome, and look at them, how strong a couple they are. "I mean, we had spent hours putting centerpieces together in the evenings, the invitations were already made, the bridesmaids outfits were on hold. . . . for her to sacrifice all of that and for him to live for this day, their story was way better than one I could have come up with for me." Originally, Lizzy was supposed to be a bridesmaid at Amber's Nov. 7, 2009, wedding at The Tides on Patrick Air Force Base. "I'm her maid of honor now," Lizzy said. "I got promoted!" Pain[/b] to surgery [/b] Paul had worked in baseball as a groundskeeper in Norwich, Conn., for the Connecticut Defenders, a San Francisco Giants farm team. He and Amber were engaged on Christmas Eve of 2008. The following July, as he was working on the field one day, he felt a wince of pain in his groin area that would not go away. "Doctors up there told us not to be worried," Amber said. Paul was given a painkiller and additional tests. Three days later, his urologist discovered a mass in his left testicle but, still, there was no reason to be concerned, doctors told them. "They had ordered an ultrasound, but we even thought about skipping it since they weren't too worried about it," Amber said. Paul's family, who had come from Kansas to Norwich, had even gone home. Then, the urologist saw something he didn't like. He called in another doctor and they scheduled a biopsy. "I figured, if anything, no way was it cancer. Then, the doctor walked out and told me he needed surgery right away," Amber said. "I started bawling. I didn't know what to think. Does he need chemo? I felt so isolated." Doctors had to remove his left testicle. Paul remained in Norwich and finished the season for the Defenders, manicuring the field at Dodd Stadium. "We didn't know whether to postpone the (Nov. 7) wedding or move it up," said Amber, a physical education teacher at Surfside Elementary in Satellite Beach. "We were trying not to think the worst. . . . I bawled. In the back of my head, there was always that, 'What if?' " So she began calling local churches to see whether anyone could perform a short-notice wedding, and found the Rev. Douglas Bailey at Florida Tech's Catholic Campus Ministry. "We talked about it on a Monday, I got down here on Wednesday, and by that Friday we were getting married," Paul said. That was Aug. 28, 2009, just 12 days before his first chemo treatment. "Nurses were laughing with us in the infusion center," Amber said. "They asked, 'Why don't you have your honeymoon here?' " Chemo was tough [/b] Paul underwent two months of chemotherapy, five consecutive days at a time, then off for two weeks. "After the first round, I figured, if this is all there is to it, I should be fine," Paul said. "Then, after the second session, I was sitting here reading the newspaper, and my hair started falling out. I saw Amber crying." Dr. Lee Scheinbart at MIMA in Melbourne took care of them both, answering questions and consoling them. Nurses would even sing for Paul. Then, Nov. 7 came around -- the day they had planned to be married. The day those gorgeous centerpieces Amber and Lizzy had designed would have drawn "oohs" and "aahs" from more than 150 invited guests. "I had chemo that day," Paul said. "I laid in bed without any hair. It was tough, but knowing I was (already) married to her, it really wasn't that hard (to accept)." Love, it seems, can handle the pain. "There were many times I'd ask him, 'Should I take the day off?' " Amber said. "He'd say, 'No, go ahead.' He made it easy (for me), even though I knew he was struggling." 'A reality check' [/b] Today, Paul is in remission, "medicine-free." It's part of a five-year plan in which doctors believe he will be completely cured. The cruise line accepted their written cancellation. So did the DJ they had hired. The old invitations are stored in a room, along with the centerpieces. The transition has been easy. Well, most of it. "Manny," the Manatees' mascot, came to Surfside Elementary one day to surprise Amber in front of her students. "I used to wear a T-shirt that read, 'Soon to be Mrs. Lopez, Nov. 7, 2009,' then all of a sudden last August, I was no longer Miss Miller," Amber said. "The kids were confused. Now, suddenly I'm Mrs. Lopez. "So, when Manny (told them) I was getting married again, the kids were really confused. One little girl came up to me and asked me, 'Are you going to marry the same boy?' I told her, 'Yes, I am.' " Amber's tears are now of joy. "Our rings still say Nov. 7," she said, laughing. Now, they're getting new rings, a new dress, a tux, and even new invitations, courtesy of the Manatees. Fifty friends and family members will be their guests in the owner's skybox on Saturday night (the rest will pay for a game ticket). They even were rewarded with a wedding planner and a professional photographer. "We're excited," Amber said. "We (had) time to focus and plan the wedding." "I think everyone in Kansas is excited -- it's a small town," Jamie said. Saturday, Aug. 28, will be the anniversary of their rushed marriage. But they don't want to look back. "A lot of people take so many things for granted, especially when they're first married," Paul said. "My decision to come back here for all the tests and the surgery, instead of staying with my family, shows the tremendous love I have for her. "This was a reality check. We're married; I'm alive. I wouldn't want to go through it again, but it was all worth it. It helps to see what's important. It's kind of weird the way it worked out." And if it rains Saturday? "Then, we'll get married in the rain," Amber said. For this couple, it seems nothing can stand between them and happily ever after. Paul and Amber Lopez share a tender moment in their Melbourne home. The couple will marry a second time, after rushing their first wedding because of Paul's cancer diagnosis and treatment. He is now in remission. (Photo by Christina Stuart, FLORIDA TODAY) http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100822&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=8220310&Ref=AR&Profile=1005&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Link Report Bonus: So battlekow's dog was one of 129 on hand...

Our usual early Sunday note: The links below should be updated with game notes just prior to the starts of the respective games -- PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes *** Rattler Radio Blog

VIDEO REMINDERS: Here's why some of you diehards will want to spend $6.95 and subscribe to MiLB.TV for the next 30 days -- Yes, this current series for Nashville at Iowa is pretty much a must-sweep (oh, well, that's gone), and then there is the series in Oklahoma City starting on the 30th. (This is another reason why OKC would be an intriguing AAA home for the Brewers, all their home games are available for viewing online.) But -- Beginning August 27th and running through the 30th, all four Helena Brewer games at Idaho Falls will be available for viewing, as the Chukars (a bird, by the way -- photo) are the only Pioneer League team to televise. You'd be able to watch the games live and/or archived. So for a very modest sum, many of you might choose to peak in on the Helena kids, and catch a glimpse of some of the more recent signings.

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 73 54 .575 - - 36-29 37-25 6-4 W3 Omaha 71 57 .555 2.5 15 33-27 38-30 7-3 W1 Memphis 70 58 .547 3.5 14 40-25 30-33 6-4 L1 Nashville 66 61 .520 7.0 11 35-30 31-31 5-5 L1 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Tennessee 35 20 .636 - - 21-9 14-11 6-4 W1 Huntsville 29 26 .527 6.0 10 17-11 12-15 5-5 W1 Chattanooga 26 28 .481 8.5 8 12-15 14-13 7-3 W5 West Tenn 26 30 .464 9.5 6 13-12 13-18 4-6 W2 Carolina 24 31 .436 11.0 5 11-16 13-15 3-7 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 34 19 .642 - - 17-9 17-10 6-4 W1 Daytona 33 22 .600 2.0 14 18-9 15-13 4-6 L1 Brevard County 32 24 .571 3.5 13 16-12 16-12 5-5 W1 Lakeland 27 27 .500 7.5 10 14-11 13-16 6-4 L1 Clearwater 25 31 .446 10.5 6 15-13 10-18 5-5 W2 * Dunedin 23 33 .411 12.5 4 12-16 11-17 4-6 L2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 33 19 .635 - - 11-14 22-5 7-3 W1 * Cedar Rapids 30 23 .566 3.5 - 16-12 14-11 5-5 W1 Kane County 29 24 .547 4.5 16 16-10 13-14 3-7 L1 Clinton 28 24 .538 5.0 17 14-12 14-12 5-5 L1 Beloit 27 24 .529 5.5 14 14-11 13-13 6-4 W1 Peoria 25 25 .500 7.0 14 12-13 13-12 5-5 W1 Wisconsin 25 29 .463 9.0 12 15-13 10-16 5-5 L1 Burlington 17 34 .333 15.5 4 11-14 6-20 2-8 L1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Helena 10 9 .526 - - 6-5 4-4 6-4 L1 Billings 9 10 .474 1.0 19 4-4 5-6 5-5 W1 * Great Falls 9 11 .450 1.5 18 5-3 4-8 3-7 L1 Missoula 9 11 .450 1.5 18 5-7 4-4 4-6 L2 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 31 18 .633 - - 10-11 12-7 6-4 L2 AZL Dodgers 27 22 .551 4.0 3 10-9 12-7 7-3 W2 AZL Reds 25 24 .510 6.0 1 9-8 11-9 6-4 L2 AZL Indians 20 29 .408 11.0 E 7-13 10-8 1-9 L1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 43 28 .606 - - 23-13 20-15 7-3 L1 DSL Cardinals 39 32 .549 4.0 E 24-11 15-21 5-5 L2 DSL Athletics 32 39 .451 11.0 E 17-19 15-20 6-4 W2 DSL Brewers 28 43 .394 15.0 E 17-18 11-25 3-7 W1

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Tab or New Window". Choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. 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 Marty McLeary at Iowa (Cubs), 12:50 PM pre-game; 1:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Wily Peralta at Birmingham (White Sox), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP R.J. Seidel at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 12:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link (Cubs' Feed) Wisconsin: RHP Nick Bucci at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 1:45 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Matt Miller at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Reds' complex in Goodyear; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: Season complete

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Final: Idaho Falls (Royals) 16, @Helena 2 Ouch! Brewers chucked 16-2 By Brett Billings/Helena Brewers On a night when just about anything that could go wrong did, the Helena Brewers lost at home to the Idaho Falls Chukars 16-2. LHP Evan Frederickson (2-3, 5.67) took the loss and only recorded 1.1 innings. Frederickson struggled with his control walking six batters and allowing six runs on two hits. Seth Lintz worked three innings in relief and allowed five more runs on five hits. Chad Robinson entered the game in the fifth inning in an attempt to control the damage. He was effective for the most part, but left the game in the sixth with an apparent injury after surrendering two runs. Alex Jones finished his inning with a strikeout to the only batter he faced. Jimmy Nelson tossed innings seven and eight. He allowed two runs but neither were earned. Thomas Keeling closed out the game, and the only thing that hadn't gone wrong for the Brewers did in the ninth. With two outs, a ball in the dirt rolled up newcomer catcher Rafael Neda's arm and onto the press box to score the Chukars' 16th and final run. Helena's only runs came in the sixth inning. Cody Hawn singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Mike Walker singled in Brandon Sizemore, who also singled earlier in the inning. The Brewers will go for the series win tomorrow night at Kindrick Legion Field. Chad Blauer is penciled in to start for the Chukars. The Brewers will send Matt Miller to the hill. First pitch is at 1:05 PM (2:05 Central). *** Link while active, text follows: Brewers blown out in loss to Chukars Helena Independent Record After a strong series against Casper and excellent command over the last few games, the Helena Brewers pitching staff fell apart on Saturday night in front of 964 fans at Kindrick Legion Field. Brewers pitchers issued 11 walks to Idaho Falls batters as the Chukars won 16-2 to match their largest margin of victory this season. It was just the Chukars’ fifth win in 16 games through the Pioneer League’s second half. Helena’s Evan Frederickson (2-3) got the start and the loss, after walking six and giving up six earned runs off just two hits through 1 1/3 innings. Seth Lintz wasn’t much better in relief, giving up five earned runs on five hits while walking a pair in three innings of work. As Helena hurlers struggled, Idaho Falls’ pitching was strong. Brennon Martin picked up his fourth win of the year, throwing five frames of shutout ball while giving up four hits and striking out six. The Chukars struck out 13 Brewers batters in all. The southpaw Martin got plenty of run support from his teammates, who already had jumped out to an 11-0 lead after five frames. Idaho Falls outhit Helena in the contest, 14-9, and five different Chukars had multi-hit games. Malcom Culver made it 13-0 in favor of the visitors when he went deep for the third time this year in the sixth. Murray Watts also had a homer in the game. Helena didn’t get on the board until the sixth, when Cody Hawn scored on a wild pitch and Greg Hopkins came home on Mike Walker’s RBI single. Hopkins and Hawn were each 3 for 4 at the plate. The Brewers saw their newest catcher for the first time, after Rafael Neda was promoted from the Arizona League Saturday. Neda comes in to replace Gerald Ogrinc, who is day-to-day after suffering a broken nose on a play at the plate in Friday’s 4-3 win. Helena (10-9 second half, 29-28 overall) hosts Idaho Falls (5-16, 21-38) again today in the third game of the series. Helena Box Score Evan Frederickson turns 24 years old in one month, think about that for a moment -- ugh, what a pick, almost historically awkward, at least we all agreed with the pick when it happened, no wait, it was actually almost universally panned; at least Seth Lintz won't be 21 until February; poor Chad Robinson just can't catch a break regarding his heatlh; Cody Hawn sure has seen a lot of action as a designated hitter lately; 2B Shea Vucinich was rockin' until August came -- 9-for-67 this month (.134, including 3-for-his-last-36)... Helena Game Log "A ball in the dirt rolled up newcomer catcher Rafael Neda's arm and onto the press box" -- now that's a ricochet!

Final, Game Two: Arizona Dodgers 6, @Arizona Brewers 3, seven innings as scheduled Arizona Game Two Box Score Brewers out-hit, 11-5, trailed 5-1 after five innings; RHP Brooks Hall couldn't duplicate his last stellar start, as he allowed a triple, seven singles, and walked two in 4.1 innings, surrendering five runs (four earned); second base leadoff man Nick Shaw doubled twice and walked in four trips, as he seems to save his very best efforts for when it's my turn to detail an A-Crew game -- so here we go again, Shaw's line: .329 / .453 / .473 (.925 OPS); T.J. Mittelstaedt had an RBI double late, but little else of note for the boys here; last season's DSL stud, C/DH Jhonatan Javier (stats), has only seen sporadic playing time (17 games) and he committed error # 6 -- we weren't holding particularly high hopes for the soon-to-be 23-year-old entering the season... Arizona Game Two Game Log

Link while active, text follows: Smith's shot lifts I-Cubs to victory By RICK BROWN, Des Moines Register Micah Hoffpauir has a new nickname for Marquez Smith "Nice job, Little Babe Ruth,'' Hoffpauir told Smith after the Iowa Cubs rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Nashville 4-3 before an announced crowd of 9,481 Saturday at Principal Park. Smith's three-run homer in the sixth inning tied the score. Hoffpauir scored the winning run in the eighth inning on a wild pitch. "Wow, man, I didn't think I was going to make it,'' Hoffpauir said. "The ball took a really good kick back to the catcher. The pitcher (Chuck Lofgren) blocked the plate pretty well. It was a lot closer play than I thought it would be.'' Nashville threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with one out against Iowa's Brian Schlitter. But Schlitter got Martin Maldonado to hit a grounder to Hoffpauir at first, and he went home for the force out. Schlitter than struck out Brendan Katin on four pitches to earn his 13th save of the season. Smith has now hit safely in 10 straight games, with six home runs and 15 RBIs. He was 14-of-28 during Iowa's eight-game road trip to Fresno and Sacramento that preceded Saturday's game. He had five doubles and four home runs on the road trip. Babe Ruth numbers. "It's pretty funny,'' Smith said of Hoffpauir's nickname for him. "He's been joking around with me lately. I've been hitting the ball pretty well.'' Iowa drew blanks against Nashville starter Chase Wright over the first five innings, scratching out three hits and just once getting a runner to second, when Bobby Scales doubled with two out in the fifth. Wright had extended his streak of scoreless innings against Iowa to 18 this season when the southpaw took the mound to start the sixth. Wright was chased by singles from pinch hitter Jim Adduci and Ty Wright, and saw his scoreless innings streak evaporate into the Principal Park night air when Smith deposited reliever Mitch Stetter's two-strike pitch over the fence in left. "It was a slider,'' Smith said. "With two strikes, I wasn't trying to do too much. He threw me a slider earlier in that at-bat and fooled me on it. I was just trying to find something and get the barrel on it.'' Iowa went on to bat around in the inning, but didn't score again. Matt Camp grounded out to first with the bases loaded and two out to end the threat. The Cubs took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Hoffpauir scored on that wild pitch, and loaded the bases after that. But Adduci struck out looking to leave the bases full of Cubs. Then it was Nashville's turn to load the bases, in the ninth. And that's where they stayed when Schlitter mowed down Katin. Iowa improved to 73-54, passing last season's victory total. The Cubs also improved to 13-8 on games played on travel days. The Cubs have now hit at least one home run in 17 of their last 21 games.

Don Money Pre-Game Audio Discusses Mat Gamel's "heavy feet", Eric Farris isn't the same (post-injury rehab), Tim Dillard is in the rotation the rest of the way, and a bit more...

Joe Koshansky's home run audio is available via this link. You could make a case that LHP Mitch Stetter (stats) has had the least productive season, based on pedigree, in the entire chain this season.

Yeah, I had seen a report out of Birmingham listing Cody, but then trusted the Stars' media notes and MiLB.com instead, which listed Lamontagne. With Wily Peralta now slated for today, you wonder if something's up with Andre.

Missed Opportunity Dooms Barons in 2-1 Loss Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons couldn't capitalize with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning Saturday night and ultimately fell to the Huntsville Stars 2-1. Eddie Morlan (3-2, 3.46) entered the game for the Stars with the bases juiced in the seventh inning and needed just two pitches to get his club out of the jam unscathed. Tied at one a piece, Jim Gallagher led off the inning with a hit up the middle and moved to second base when Christian Marrero was hit by a pitch. Josh Phegley's sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a bag and allowed the Stars to intentionally walk Cole Armstrong with first base open. The intentional walk ended the night for Stars starter Chris Cody and set the stage for Morlan who got C.J. Retherford to line out to shortstop and John Shelby III to flyout to right field to end the threat. The Stars took the lead the next inning on a Drew Anderson RBI double (audio) to center field off Henry Mabee that scored Zelous Wheeler who had hit a triple moments earlier. Mabee (2-6, , 3.99) took the loss while giving up the one run on two hits. He tossed 1.2 innings. The loss spoiled another solid outing by Charlie Leesman who was going for his White Sox farm system leading 14th win of the season. Leesman lasted six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits. He allowed just two runners to reach scoring position, but Wheeler made him pay for the first one when he drove a line shot to right field that plated Lee Haydel from second base in the third inning to give the visitors a 1-0 lead (audio). Cole Armstrong tied the game in the fifth inning with his fifth home run of the season, a solo blast to right field (audio). Robert Hinton picked up his fourth save of the season. He retired the final three batters of the ninth inning in order after allowing a leadoff single to Gallagher (final out). Cody allowed just one run on three hits during his 6.1 innings. The two teams will play each other for the final time in 2010 on Sunday. Johnnie Lowe (5-4, 4.07) will try to give the Barons their third-straight home series win opposite Wily Peralta (1-1, 2.15). The 5:05 PM contest will feature a special Bark in the Park promotion and will be followed by a special world premiere of ESPN's 30-for-30 documentary, "Jordan Rides the Bus."

Link while active, text follows: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Player Profile: pitcher Damon Krestalude By Post-Crescent staff writer Jim Oskola No. 27 Damon Krestalude - Age: 21 - Position: Pitcher. - Bats/throws: Right/right. - Height, weight: 6-4, 185. - Hometown: Port St. Lucie, Fla. - Notes: Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round (518th overall pick) in June, 2008. …Graduated from Port St. Lucie High School in 2008. …Born on June 5, 1989, in Middletown, Conn. …Went 1-4 with a 3.15 ERA, 16 walks and 28 strikeouts in 14 games with the Brewers' Arizona League team in 2008. … Spent most of the 2009 season with Helena in the Pioneer League, going 3-4 with a 5.35 ERA, 28 walks and 50 strikeouts in 15 games. … Was pitcher-of-the-week in the Pioneer League for the week of June 29, 2009. … Also appeared in two games for Brevard County in 2009. … Had an ERA of 4.83 with the Rattlers before missing much of June with an injury. … Has struggled since then, with an ERA of 9.11 Q&A Q: What was it like when you got the call from the Brewers stating that they had drafted you? A: "It was great. It was a dream come true. That's all I've wanted to do since I was little is play professional baseball, get to the major leagues and be a major league baseball player. That was my dream. To have the first part of it coming true and becoming a professional baseball player is a dream come true. I had a few other teams look at me. I had gone to the pre-draft workout up in Milwaukee. I knew the Brewers were pretty high on me. They called me a few rounds before they took me in 2008. They took me, we negotiated and we got it done." Q: Was there any thought of going the college route? A: "I was going to be going to a junior college in my area with the thought of being able to be drafted every year. It was there. It was an option, but I felt going the professional route was the best option for me." Q: You were born in Connecticut and raised in Port St. Lucie, Florida. What's it like living in Florida as opposed to a place like Wisconsin, where we have snow for several months out of the year? A: "It's nice. I like it. I've had the chance to experience both types of heat. I've experienced the humid Florida weather and playing in the Arizona league the dry heat. I guess growing up in Florida, I kind of prefer that. It's not too much to play in either one of those, but I prefer the Florida heat." Q: Have you ever had to deal with a hurricane? A: "Back in 2004, it was a busy year. I think we had like four hurricanes hit that same year. I think we had two within like a two-week span where they hit right around Port St. Lucie. We were out of school like two months. So I've lived through it. It's a little scary but there's a little bit of excitement there. All in all, you're hoping everybody stays safe and your house and belongings stay intact. That's the scary part. I guess being a young kid, getting out of school for a couple of months isn't bad." Q: What's the fun part about pitching? A: "I'd say the competitive atmosphere. You know the ball is in your court. Nothing can happen until you release the baseball and you have total control over that. It's basically you're the man in control. That's a big feeling to have out there on the mound." Q: Which do you prefer, starting or relieving? A: "Whatever the capacity is, I like having the ball. Right now, I'm in a starting role. That's fine with me. I like it. Being able to be in a routine every five or six days is real nice." Q: What do you do on the days you're not pitching? A: "You're always preparing. You hear the saying that your only day off as a pitcher is the day you're pitching. The days in-between, you're getting your workouts in. You're getting your long toss in. You're getting your bullpens. You're mentally getting prepared. You have your duties up in the stands. Basically, you're doing all that to build up to your start. Once you go out there, everything you've prepared for, you're just letting it go on the mound that day." Q: How does charting pitches up in the stands help? A: "You're back there and you're doing the charts basically for the coaches but also it's a great opportunity to get your own perspective and scouting report for that team that you might be pitching against next. You can get an idea for how their hitters work, how an approach is that we're taking that might not be the best or might be a good approach against this team. It gives you an upper hand." Q: Earlier this year you played at Miller Park. What was that like? A: "It's fantastic. Whenever you get the opportunity to play in a big-league stadium and prepare and have basically that day to be treated like big leaguers, having the meal pregame and postgame. Being out in that stadium was amazing. It's just a little taste. Hopefully, I'll be experiencing that a lot more at the end of my career." Q: Other sports besides baseball? A: "I played basketball one year. It wasn't too great. My buddy Adam asked me to play, so I played. Then, my freshman year in high school, the football team wanted me to come out. We didn't really have that great of a football program at my high school. They said, 'Oh, you're pitching. You can be the quarterback.' A couple of tackles there and I was over it." Q: Off the field what do you do for fun? A: "I just like to relax. Baseball is kind of my life. I love watching it and learning from it. I'm kind of a student of the game. The more I get to watch, whether it's on TV or going out and watching games, I love to do it. When I'm away from baseball, I just like to relax and kick back, fish a little bit. I like to bass fish. We were out one time and the biggest bass I ever caught was on my last cast. We were out and I said, 'One more cast.' You usually don't catch anything. I threw it in and this thing was six-seven pounds. That's a pretty big bass for me down there. Nothing too crazy but that's my fishing story." Q: Your favorite player? A: "Growing up, I liked Paul O'Neill. He was an outfielder but his competitive and warrior-type demeanor I liked. As a pitcher, I look at the Chris Carpenters and Adam Wainwrights but Greg Maddux is the type of guy I can kind of model myself after. He wasn't a real overpowering guy and I'm not a real overpowering guy. He was more of a command guy. That's who I try to emulate." Q: Favorite team. Any sport. A: "Growing up I was a Yankee fan. I've got to root for Milwaukee now. The Brewers, I'd say, but growing up, I was always a New York Yankee and New York Giants fan because my family is from up north. I was kind of born into it." The tool box Timber Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook breaks down Damon Krestalude: - Ups: "He's a very cerebral type pitcher. He's a command guy. He throws four pitches. His strength, obviously, is carrying out a game plan. He's not a velocity guy by any means. He's a four-pitch guy. He can throw any four pitches for strikes. He's a front-to-back guy. He can throw a fastball and changeup, go back-and-forth in the strike zone, has a little cutter and a curveball that he does a good job with. To me, he's just a complete pitcher who knows how to pitch. The good things that I see from him is that he's calm and collected and has a good idea every time out. He's got a big-league mind going some times. He can really carve up a lineup when he gets all his stuff going." - Downs: "There is a lot of stuff going on with his delivery. It's part of his deception. He's not a hard thrower so he has to rely on deception and being able to command the strike zone. With that, there's a lot of things going on with his delivery so it takes some time sometimes to get that back in order. Out of spring training, though, he had a little injury where he was off for six weeks, it was fine. He came back off the injury and he's having a hard time getting that rhythm and timing back. The negative with trying to have deception and having a lot of movement with your delivery is that it can get off kilter at times. That's where he's at right now. Would I like for him to be able to simplify his delivery? Yes, but part of that is giving in to a little bit of his deception. We've got to find a way to get him back on track and get him to be able to repeat his delivery more often."

Link while active, text follows: New Space Coast Stadium field will be a mix of materials BY MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY Replacing the original, 16-year-old playing surface at Space Coast Stadium shouldn't be complicated. After all, all crews will have to do is dig up the old stuff and replace it with new stuff. But there will be lots of new stuff: 103,000 square feet of turf/sod, 60 tons of infield clay, 4,500 tons of sports field sand, 6 tons of clay conditioner, and 125 tons of warning track stone, all to cover the 158,500 square feet that comprise the baseball field. The stadium is used during spring training by Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals, who lease it from Brevard County, and in the summer by the Single-A Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League. The Nationals' lease runs through 2017, and they have made overtures to at least two other locations in Florida this year. On April 2, they toured City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, which the Boston Red Sox will leave following spring training in 2011 in favor of a new facility in Lee County. And on July 26, as Brevard officials were mulling whether to approve the new playing surface, Nationals president Stan Kasten wrote to Osceola County officials expressing interest in possibly moving the team's spring training site. Kasten would not comment on the letter. The new field, which the Nationals have been seeking for two years, is necessary because of its age, the uneven surface caused by years of mowing, and its increasing inability to absorb water. To that end, workers will inspect and perform necessary repairs on the drainage and irrigation pipes that lie below organic material that has built up through 16 years. That material prevents the field from draining properly in times of heavy rain, turning the whole place at times into a swamp. "To be honest with you, we're not 100 percent sure what's underneath (the playing surface)," said Thomas Bell, the Nationals' Viera-based Director of Florida Operations. "Our groundskeeper says there's been some modifications. We're really interested in getting it out and inspecting everything, the irrigation, the drainage." Specifications call for removing the existing turf and organic material below it to a minimum depth of 6 inches. "Years of cutting the lawn, it just builds up," Bell said of the material. "The core sample they took, they estimate 8 to 10 inches of organic material that does not allow the field to percolate, which is one of the reasons we are having so much water intrusion into the building. It doesn't percolate through the field, it goes into the stadium. It will remedy that issue. It also will remedy . . . especially focusing on third and first base, you'll see these enormous crowns that we take out, but every year you get this steeper and steeper grade." The cost to replace the field is estimated at $295,954. The Brevard County Commission recently approved spending $316,000 in tourism tax money to replace the field and perform other work. Bids were due to the county Facilities Department by 2 p.m. Thursday. Work is scheduled to begin at the conclusion of the Manatees' season next month. The Nationals are hoping for completion by mid-to-late October or early November to allow sufficient grow-in time for the Certified 419 Bermuda sod. Bid specifications call for completion in 75 days. "It will promote the best growth, it will give us a nice, level playing surface and it will help the field percolate which will help curb some of the water intrusion into the building," Bell said of the project. "That's really what we're trying to do." The stadium field will be replaced in stages with the outfield being completed first. The crushed stone warning track will be dug out to a minimum depth of 4 inches -- and replaced -- and will maintain its width of 15 feet upon completion. The infield will be the final piece in the puzzle, with workers replacing the clay and leveling it to the level of the outfield turf. The current sod from the entire field will be recycled, most likely being used to build several new sports venues in the county in a project spearheaded by Rusty Buchanan of Space Coast Sports Promotions. Locations of the venues and their use still are being discussed, according to Buchanan. Pitcher Jason Bergmann, who appeared in 24 games at Space Coast Stadium as a Manatee in 2004 and who has participated in spring training with the Nationals every year since their inception in 2005, can speak to field conditions. "I never viewed the playing surface as a detracting factor from the field, I always felt it was a well-manicured field," said Bergmann, who now is pitching for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, N.Y. "The grounds crew did a tremendous job with the amount of rain that field takes every year. I never had any problems with the playing surface, it was well-manicured grass, it kind of felt like a little golf course you were playing on." Keeping the field, especially one in its rambunctious teenage years, in that good shape takes a lot of work, keeping the six full-time members of the grounds crew busy throughout the year. Thus, assistant grounds crew director Ken Berger of Melbourne is looking forward to the new surface. "As far from a standpoint of working on a new field, it's going to be nice to work on a smooth surface again," Berger said. "You don't see the ups and downs, the undulations, and rolls the field has unless you're a ballplayer or probably a groundskeeper." The fact there are undulations and rolls on the field is a creature of 16 years of rain, mowing, top dressing, and everything else inherent in maintaining the surface. The grounds crew most likely won't be involved until contractors are finished and the fine, final touches are necessary to bring the field into compliance with Major League Baseball standards. Then the white glove treatment begins all over again.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/images/2010/08/22/cubs10822.jpg Brevard County’s Sean Halton safely slides back to third past the tag of Daytona’s Ryan Flaherty in the top of the first inning at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach on Saturday. Daytona News-Journal Photo by Nigel Cook

Rattler Radio Blog: Chris' game related notes (no Scooter, Kh. Davis, or Garfield -- hopefully the bottom five in the order come up big tonight) include a fun post on the Dayton Dragons and their current 24-game home losing streak.

Saturday's game on the 21st concludes the season schedule for the DSL Brewers, as Link Report followers will know. Could we see players brought to Maryvale for the final two weeks of their regular season? Possible, but unlikely... In order to put the Brewer individual statistics in perspective, it may be easier to link to league-wide offnsive and pitching stats, which you'll find below. Note that you can click on specific categories to sort among the 34 (34!) league teams. League Batting Stats Not adjusting for ballpark variances, the Brewer bats were actually 11th in league OPS at .663, not bad. Not surprisingly, the high-spending Yankees ranked 1st and 2nd with their two clubs. The Brewers did strike out more than any other club, but you'll find them in the upper-middle of the league in most of the key categories. League Pitching Stats With the pitching, The Brewers also led the league in another "bad" category, and that was walks allowed, and by a fairly wide margin. The D-Crew pitchers were 29th in WHIP, 27th in ERA. But they also fanned the 8th most batters, so there's "stuff" to build on. Individual DSL Brewer Stats Other than the courtesy of having 23-year-old reliever Rigoberto Almonte pitching in his homeland this season (now with the Rattlers), the team was indeed very young -- of those that saw action, only two players, one of them RHP Rolando Pascual, 21 years old in his 5th year in the system, is currently over 20 years old. Pretty amazing. CF Ruben Sanchez (stats) just turned 19 years old this week. Here was the team's one offensive "star" all season -- he should fill out his current 6'2", 180 lb. frame, and he's a LH bat that plays a premium position. Well done, young man, and nice signing, Brewers' management. Other than that, the bigger bonus players (1B Hitaniel Arias, and OF's Jose Pena and Jose R. Garcia) all had difficult-to-middling seasons. You can find some promise among their numbers in certain categories, but certainly no breakouts. 20-year-old 6'6" Ronny Puello led the team in OPS at .795, but seems to be destined to LF / DH, so he'd really have to justify his long-term status with over-the-top production. Deceivingly, the team's young pitchers may have more hope for future growth than the position players despite the overall team stats. As you click the individual team stats link just above, focus on those pitchers with good K-to-BB and K-to-IP ratios and low WHIP's. 6'0" RHP Eduard Reyes (stats) turns 20 this week and had wonderful peripherals over nine appearances (seven starts). Two other RHP's, Jose Cepeda and Jefffrey Saba, showed enough to be interesting despite low strikeout rates. The other 21-year-old arm other than Pascual is LHP Manuel Ruiz, who will be 22 in December. But he's a 6'5" LHP who was among the few strikeout hurlers on the squad, 44 in 28.1 innings. Based on that, he's one of the few 2010 DSL Brewers who can be penciled in (inked in?) to be stateside next spring. And we should shout out to battlekow's just-turned-17-year-old Venezuelan RHP, Osmel Perez (stats). So we hope you enjoyed the Link Report DSL updates from bk and myself this season. We anticipate that next year's Maryvale squad will have a less "American" look, and we also won't see the sheer number of signings we saw this past offseason, because now the nucleus of a club no longer being built from scratch is in place. Saturday's game will adjust the stats linked here, but feel free to chime in with any additional thoughts, thanks.

PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes

VIDEO REMINDERS: Here's why some of you diehards will want to spend $6.95 and subscribe to MiLB.TV for the next 30 days -- Yes, this current series for Nashville at Iowa is pretty much a must-sweep, and then there is the series in Oklahoma City starting on the 30th. (This is another reason why OKC would be an intriguing AAA home for the Brewers, all their home games are avilable for viewing online.) But -- Beginning August 27th and running through the 30th, all four Helena Brewer games at Idaho Falls will be available for viewing, as the Chukars (a bird, by the way -- photo) are the only Pioneer League team to televise. You'd be able to watch the games live and/or archived. So for a very modest sum, many of you might choose to peak in on the Helena kids, and catch a glimpse of some of the more recent signings. You're welcome!

The Maryvale Brewers will complete their August 17th suspended game with the Indians on August 26th -- I believe I indicated earlier the clubs weren't facing each other again this season. The teams will split hosting duties in the doubleheader, as the locale shifts to Goodyear.