Jim Goulart

Game Suspended: Arizona Brewers 2, @Arizona Cubs 1 Things must have been bad -- two outs, bottom of the 9th; the teams only play once more, in Maryvale on August 11th, so they will finish then... Arizona Box Score Just a fantastic job on the mound here -- 18-year-old starter R.J. Johnson averaged just over a walk per inning in his first four outings, but walked none in three scoreless innings here (one HBP) -- way to take to coaching, young man; imposing 21-year-old 6'8", 240 lb. RHP Greg Holle followed with four scoreless, hitless innings, walking two and fanning four; Jody Gerut doubled and singled in four trips, 3B Kyle Dhanani and SS Yadiel Rivera each singled twice, and 2B Nick Shaw tripled... Arizona Game Log Here's how it stands in the bottom of the 9th -- hanging on... AZL Cubs Bottom 9th Wes Darvill singles on a ground ball to left fielder John Bivens. Pin-Chieh Chen walks. Wes Darvill to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jose Sanchez replaces Travis Stortz. Reginald Golden strikes out swinging. With Dustin Geiger batting, Wes Darvill steals (3) 3rd base. Pin-Chieh Chen steals (4) 2nd base. Dustin Geiger strikes out swinging. With Brian Shields batting, wild pitch by Jose Sanchez, Wes Darvill scores. Pin-Chieh Chen to 3rd. So not only are there two outs with a man on 3rd, the count on the batter is at minimum 1-0.

Timely article from Reno on the topic of Latin players and the language barrier -- full text here, excerpt below: *** "People don't realize how hard it is for Latin players to come here and deal with the language barriers and the cultural barriers. It's really different," catcher Carlos Corporan said. "It's hard when you see a guy speaking and all you hear is blah, blah, blah. I would call my mom crying because I was homesick (and) couldn't speak the language. I couldn't even ask for my food." And Corporan had it a bit easier than many other players who come to the U.S. to realize their dream of playing professional baseball. Corporan first came from his native Puerto Rico to play at a junior college in Florida. Though he had to work "twice as hard" to pass his classes, Corporan had the resources through the school to learn the English language he now speaks very well. Corporan later took it upon himself to help other Latin players assimilate. "I saw a lot of the Latin guys didn't have a clue what was going on," he said of his first season in Rookie ball in the Brewers organization. "They didn't know what time stretch was, or when or where they had to go to play."

Final: @Reno (Diamondbacks) 7, Nashville 4 Sounds Lose 7-4, Swept By Reno RENO, Nev. - The Nashville Sounds lost 7-4 to the Reno Aces on Saturday night at Aces Ballpark in the finale of a four-game set to suffer its first losing series sweep of the season. Reno right fielder Chris Rahl went a perfect 4-for-4 on the night, while former Sound Cole Gillespie added three hits and two runs scored. The Aces scored the first run in the opening frame as Gillespie singled to reach base. Brandon Allen followed with an RBI double to left field to plate Gillespie from first base for a 1-0 Reno lead. Reno scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, beginning the damage by recording two walks off Sam Narron to open the inning. Former Sound Carlos Corporan singled home the first run, with Mark Hallberg doubling home the next. Later in the frame with two outs, Rahl knocked a two-run single to center to score Corporan and Hallberg for a 5-0 advantage. The Sounds countered in the next inning scoring three runs to cut the lead to two runs. Brendan Katin crushed a 3-1 offering from Zach Kroenke over the left field wall for the first run, his 15th long ball of the season. Katin's solo shot moved the slugger to second on the Sounds all-time home runs list with 58 career home runs, trailing only Chad Hermansen (92). Nashville scored two more runs later in the inning, thanks to two-run double from Ray Olmedo. Reno advanced the score to 7-3 with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Aces brought home a run on a wild pitch from David Johnson in the fifth, with Gillespie driving home the next score with an infield RBI single in the sixth. Joe Koshansky belted a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning to bring the Sounds within three runs at 7-4. It was Koshansky's team-leading 19th home run and 62nd RBI of the season. Narron (7-5) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks in four innings pitched. Johnson struck out four while giving up two runs in two innings pitched. Donovan Hand made a scoreless appearance, advancing his shutout streak to eight outings (8.0 IP). Chris Smith allowed one hit on one scoreless frame. Kroenke (4-3) picked up the win, giving up three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five innings pitched. Carlos Rosa earned his sixth save of the year, striking out two in a perfect ninth. The Sounds continue their eight-game road trip in Nevada after Saturday's contest, traveling to Sin City to play a four-game series with the Las Vegas 51s (AAA-Blue Jays) beginning at 9:05 PM CT Sunday night. Sounds right-hander Josh Butler (2-1, 5.94) takes on 51s lefty Luis Perez (4-3, 6.24). *** Link while active, text follows: Aces pound Sounds, complete series sweep By Roman Stubbs, Reno Gazette The ball ricocheted off the green-steel beam behind the left field wall, then came back into play, and Brandon Allen and the rest of the 7,297 Reno fans thought they were celebrating his two-run home run in the first inning Saturday night. But the umpire crew called it an RBI double after a few minutes of deliberating. Luckily for Reno, the controversial call wasn't a bad omen in their series finale against Nashville. Chris Rahl went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, and Cole Gillespie added three hits and an RBI single as the Aces swept the Sounds with a 7-4 win Saturday night. Allen's questionable double off Nashville starter Sam Harron scored Gillespie to start the Aces' scoring in the first inning, and Reno (52-63) exploded for four more runs in the fourth courtesy of a Mark Hallberg RBI double to right center, followed by an RBI single by Rahl to center. Nashville got back into contention in the fifth after Brendan Katin hit a solo homer to right and Johnny Raburn and Ray Olmedo drilled doubles off Reno starter Zach Kroenke. But as it did for much of the four-game series, Reno answered in timely fashion, scoring a run in the fifth on a passed ball and another in the sixth after three straight singles by Rahl, Ryan Roberts and Gillespie. Kroenke (4-3) picked up his second straight win after five innings of work, as he scattered six hits and three runs. Kroenke struck out four and walked just one batter. Reno walked just two batters in the four-game set, which marked the first time the Aces swept a team since last season's series finale against Fresno. Nashville Box Score This team's in trouble of fading away; Sam Narron was due for a clunker, but it's nice to see RHP Donovan Hand doing well, similar to Mike McClendon, who was idle here; speaking of which, McClendon will probably get Chuck Lofgren's (really Chris Waters') rotation spot, there don't appear to be other candidates; Mat Gamel 0-for-4, Eric Farris a night off, not much to cling to in this one... Nashville Game Log

Post-Crescent blog -- Second base thoughts

Link while active, text follows: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Profile: No. 22 Kentrail Davis Compiled by Post-Crescent staff writer Tim Froberg Quick hits - Age: 22. - Position: Right field. - Bats/throws: Left/right. - Height, weight: 5-9, 195. - Hometown: Theodore, Ala. - Notes: First name is pronounced "Ken Trell." ... Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round (39th overall) of the 2009 Major League Baseball June amateur draft. ... Left the University of Tennessee following his sophomore season to turn pro. Started 53 games for the Volunteers in center field and two as designated hitter. Hit .308 as a sophomore, with nine home runs and 30 RBI. Hit .330 as a freshman and led the Volunteers in homers (13) and RBI (44). ... Was previously drafted out of high school in the 14th round of the 2007 draft by the Colorado Rockies. ... Rated as the Brewers' sixth-best prospect by Baseball America in its 2010 handbook. ... Started the season at Brevard County in the Florida State League, where he hit .244 with no home runs and 17 RBI in 123 at bats. After 35 games with Wisconsin, Davis was hitting .339 with two homers and 23 RBI. Q&A Q: Was it a tough decision to sign with the Brewers and leave the University of Tennessee following your sophomore season? A: "At first, I had some second thoughts about it, but then I felt like it was the right decision to go into pro ball like I've always wanted to. I have no regrets." Q: Do you feel any pressure being a first-round pick? A: "I don't think there's pressure. I just go out and play. I try and do what led me here. It's baseball, a game I've played my whole life. I try and keep it that simple." Q: Growing up in SEC country, can you relate to Packers football fans up here, considering how intense the college game is in the South? A: "You know, I was never a really big NFL fan, although the Green Bay Packers were a team I always watched. I love college football, but I haven't been around here too long, so I can't compare them. The college football atmosphere in the South is amazing, especially when you're sitting in the student section. It's just crazy. You don't sit down the whole game and people are just screaming. It's pretty cool when you walk into the University of Tennessee stadium — all you see is orange." Q: Were you a fan of Alabama or Tennessee growing up? A: "Where I'm from, you're either an Alabama or an Auburn fan. I was an Alabama fan. I watched their games on TV all the time. I had never been to a college football game until I took a recruiting trip to Alabama. It was great. I had a blast. I still get goose bumps when I go to a college football game." Q: Did you play football in high school? A: "I played in ninth grade — I was a running back — then gave it up to play on the summer baseball traveling teams and in the showcase tournaments. In football, you had to do summer workouts. I really didn't have time for it. I had to make a choice and picked baseball." Q: Some have compared you to a young, left-handed-hitting Kirby Puckett. What do you think of that comparison? A: "Hey, that's fine with me. The guy was a Hall-of-Famer. I've heard that a lot in the past. I was a fan of his. He was a short, stocky guy like me, so I can see the comparison." Q: You've been bothered by a bad hamstring. How's that coming? A: "It's something I've been dealing with all year. I'm a lot faster runner than what I've shown. It (the hamstring) is actually torn. I can't do anything about it right now. The best thing for it is rest, but I want to play every day. Our trainer, Jeff Paxson, has done a good job of keeping me on the field. I can't complain. I could be in Arizona rehabbing it or sitting on the bench." Q: What skills do you need to work on? A: "My defense, making better reads in the outfield. And probably my jumps on the base paths, although being injured probably has a little to do with that." Q: What's your favorite part of Appleton? A: "I like the atmosphere. I started out in the Florida State League, and we'd probably get 100 people per game. Here, we're averaging three or four thousand per game. It's a great feeling playing in front of people. I haven't had a chance to see much of Appleton, but it seems like a nice, quiet town." Q: Do you have a timetable for reaching the major leagues? A: "No, I'm not in control of that. All I can control is my performance on the field. Whatever happens, happens." Favorites - MLB team growing up: "The Atlanta Braves. They were the closest team to my hometown, about five hours away." - MLB player: "Ken Griffey Jr. He was an outfielder and a left-handed hitter like me. He was my idol." - Baseball movie: "Rookie of the Year." - Actor: Denzel Washington. - Hobby: Video games (Call of Duty). The tool box Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom breaks down Kentrail Davis: - His offensive skills: "He has a very quick bat. He can let a ball get very deep in the hitting zone and his hands are so fast that he can still hit the ball very deep. He's got some of the quickest hands I've seen on this squad, and even in pro baseball. If you have quick hands, you have a pretty good chance to be a good hitter. He goes to all fields very well." - His defense: "He runs good routes in the outfield and has a very good first step. His throwing is above average. I see him capable of playing any outfield position in the big leagues. He runs well enough to play center field and he plays the corner positions very well." - His work ethic: "It's excellent. He has a great approach to the game and stays within that approach during batting practice. He works his tail off every day." - His future: "He's going to be a gap-to-gap guy, who hits a lot of doubles. You will see him make some mistakes and hit some home runs, because he's a guy who doesn't try to hit home runs. I think he'll hit near the top of the lineup in the major leagues and be an RBI guy, who will put the ball into play and let his speed work for him. We really haven't seen the speed because he's been hurt, but we know it's there. His legs are really tired. He needs a break and then has to get those legs ready for next year. But offensively, he's right where he needs to be."

Huntsville Manager Mike Guerrero

Stars Falter Early to Tennessee The Hunstville Stars never gathered enough offense to return from a six run first inning deficit in a 9-2 loss Saturday night to the Tennessee Smokies. Stars starting pitcher Michael Bowman needed 41 pitches to get out of the first as he walked two, hit one and allowed four hits in the frame. Saturday's struggle was the first sub-par outing by a Stars starter since the second half playoff race began. Tennessee tacked on to its double digit hit night with three additional runs in the third to make the Huntsville deficit nine before the Stars only offense came in the seventh inning. After collecting the winning hit on Friday, Caleb Gindl added two more RBI Saturday by bringing Lee Haydel around with a home run to right. The stocky outfielders eighth home run of the season was the first Gindl has hit since June 21. Huntsville now sits two games back of Tennessee in the North and will look to get a game back Sunday afternoon. Game two of the Stars current road set starts at 4:00 PM (CDT). Right hander Mark Rogers is scheduled to start for the Stars. Rogers set a July ERA mark of 2.06 and started August well by setting the 2010 Stars high strikeout mark with ten in his last start, a six inning win over Carolina.

Link while active, text follows: Carpenter nails Huntsville Two-game lead for Smokies Adam Greene, sports@knoxnews.com SEVIERVILLE - Tennessee Smokies pitcher Chris Carpenter said he was feeling good before Saturday night's game against the Huntsville Stars at Smokies Park. Nine innings later it was the Stars who weren't feeling so well after a 9-2 loss. Tennessee (26-16) now has a two-game lead over Huntsville (24-18) in the second half of the North Division standings of the Southern League. Carpenter (8-5) was in complete control from his opening pitch. The 24-year-old right hander gave up just three hits spread out over six innings and held Huntsville scoreless. Carpenter fanned eight batters and walked two. "He (Carpenter) stayed on top of the ball, got good movement down and had a good breaking ball and real good change-up," Smokies manager Bill Dancy said. "That shows what he's capable of." Carpenter knew in warmups before the game that he was in for a good outing. "In the bullpen I was feeling good so I just went out and tried to carry it through the game," Carpenter said. "I had all my pitches and that makes it a lot easier when you can throw three different pitches for strikes." The Smokies scored six runs in the first inning, putting Huntsville behind before most of the 6,949 fans in attendance could take their seats. A Brett Jackson double scored leadoff hitter Tony Campana to start the inning. After Tennessee's third batter, Russ Canzler, drew a walk, Huntsville pitching coach John Curtis was already walking to the mound to have a conversation with starter Michael Bowman. The pitching change never came and the Smokies made Bowman pay. Blake Lalli moved his consecutive game hitting streak to 11 with an RBI single. With the bases loaded, Bowman hit Tony Thomas to walk in Canzler. Carpenter added insult to injury by smacking a two-run single into left field to put Tennessee up 6-0. "I just wanted to go up there with runners in scoring position and take a good swing," said Carpenter, who added another single in the fifth. "I tried to hit the first pitch he (Bowman) threw and he threw a strike." Thomas added an RBI-double in the third off Bowman. A single by Marwin Gonzalez scored former Morristown West High standout Matt Spencer. Campana later singled in Thomas to make it 9-0 after three. Bowman (8-9) was left out to dry for one more inning before getting the hook. Bowman gave up 11 hits, nine earned runs and three walks while recording two strikouts in four innings. Huntsville avoided the shutout in the seventh with a two-run home run by Caleb Gindi off reliever Marco Carrillo. The series continues today at 5:00 PM (4:00 Central).

22-year-old Helena LHP Thomas Keeling, the 18th round pick out of Oklahoma St., now has 22 walks and two HBP in 6.2 innings covering eight outings. While RHP Alex Jones did allow all three inherited runners score in a no-out situation in an ugly 8th inning, there are pitchers in Maryvale doing the job, and one needs to be swapped with Keeling. Combined, five walks, four wild pitches, and an HBP in one frame -- Great Falls Bottom 8th Pitcher Change: Thomas Keeling replaces Chad Robinson. Jose Ramos doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Franklin Romero. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Rafael Vera replaces Ryan Hamme. With Rafael Vera batting, wild pitch by Thomas Keeling, Jose Ramos to 3rd. Rafael Vera walks. Randall Thorpe walks. Rafael Vera to 2nd. With Jared McDonald batting, wild pitch by Thomas Keeling, Jose Ramos scores. Rafael Vera to 3rd. Randall Thorpe to 2nd. Jared McDonald walks. Pitcher Change: Alex Jones replaces Thomas Keeling. With Michael Earley batting, wild pitch by Alex Jones, Rafael Vera scores. Randall Thorpe to 3rd. Michael Earley walks. Jared McDonald to 2nd. Jeffrey Tezak hit by pitch. Randall Thorpe scores. Jared McDonald to 3rd. Michael Earley to 2nd. Dusty Harvard pops out to shortstop Shea Vucinich. With Ross Wilson batting, wild pitch by Alex Jones, Jared McDonald scores. Michael Earley to 3rd. Jeffrey Tezak to 2nd. Ross Wilson walks. Andy Wilkins grounds into double play, second baseman Connor Lind to shortstop Shea Vucinich to first baseman Michael Walker. Ross Wilson out at 2nd.

RHP Andy Sauter has been activated from the disabled list, bringing the Wisconsin roster back up to the 25-man limit.

by Brett Christopherson, Appleton Post-Crescent Brewers release Tony Butler Ten days ago, I blogged about Oak Creek native Tony Butler (blog post here) and wondered if his addition to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers roster would resurrect his struggling professional career. So much for that. Just got word this morning the Milwaukee Brewers released the left-hander in a move that could perhaps signal the end to a once-promising career. That the Crew pulled the plug so quickly on Butler isn't surprising. He was abysmal in his two appearances with the Rattlers, surrendering eight earned runs, four hits and issuing four walks in one total inning. That's good enough -- or, should we say bad enough? -- for a 72.00 ERA and a 8.00 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) average. Ouch. The 22-year-old Butler failed to retire a batter in a forgettable outing on Thursday in which he walked three, allowed a pair of hits and was tagged for five earned runs before getting the hook in a 13-1 Midwest League loss to Peoria at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Apparently, that was enough of a look-see for Rattlers coaches and Brewers officials to determine the kid didn't fit into future plans. Injuries and ineffective play have derailed Butler's career since being selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 2006 draft. He opened the 2007 season rated by Baseball America as the fourth-best minor league prospect in the Mariners' system and appeared in 20 games (18 starts) that year for the Rattlers but struggled (4-7, 4.75 ERA) and was dealt that offseason to Baltimore. The Orioles released Butler in June, paving the way for another chance with the Brewers. Instead, Butler allowed 14 hits, 15 earned runs, walked 14 and produced a 9.20 ERA in 11 relief appearances between rookie levels Arizona and Helena (Mont.) and Wisconsin. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Butler during his first go-round at Wisconsin. He's a good, respectful kid -- so here's wishing him the best as he tries to figure out if baseball remains in his plans.

17-year-old 7th round RHP Joel Pierce out of Windsor, Ontario signs. We had been following his summer results closely, after clicking the link, scroll up several posts for my first-hand account, just in case you missed it previously.

Yes! My instinct was A-OK! Welcome aboard, Joel! Long road for a still 17-year-old, but it'll be fun to follow.

We say goodbye to Lorenzo Cain on the Minor league Forum with this Cory Provus pre-game interview.

PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Still lists Chuck Lofgren as Monday's starter, but that won't happen with his DL stint... Huntsville Media Notes *** Rattler Radio Check the blog link just prior to game time for all the notes...

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 65 48 .575 - - 33-26 32-22 8-2 W3 Memphis 62 52 .544 3.5 28 34-23 28-29 6-4 L1 Omaha 60 54 .526 5.5 26 27-27 33-27 7-3 L1 Nashville 59 54 .522 6.0 26 31-26 28-28 3-7 L3 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Tennessee 25 16 .610 - - 14-7 11-9 7-3 W3 Huntsville 24 17 .585 1.0 29 14-9 10-8 8-2 W2 Carolina 19 22 .463 6.0 24 8-10 11-12 3-7 L2 West Tenn 19 22 .463 6.0 24 8-7 11-15 5-5 W4 Chattanooga 17 23 .425 7.5 23 10-12 7-11 3-7 L4 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 26 13 .667 - - 12-7 14-6 8-2 L1 Daytona 27 14 .659 - - 14-6 13-8 6-4 W1 Brevard County 24 17 .585 3.0 27 13-8 11-9 5-5 L2 Lakeland 18 22 .450 8.5 22 11-8 7-14 6-4 W1 * Dunedin 18 23 .439 9.0 21 10-10 8-13 5-5 L2 Clearwater 17 25 .405 10.5 19 11-9 6-16 5-5 L1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 23 15 .605 - - 9-11 14-4 4-6 L4 Kane County 23 17 .575 1.0 - 16-6 7-11 6-4 L1 * Cedar Rapids 22 17 .564 1.5 31 9-8 13-9 4-6 W1 Clinton 21 18 .538 2.5 30 10-8 11-10 7-3 W5 Beloit 20 18 .526 3.0 28 13-9 7-9 7-3 W5 Peoria 19 19 .500 4.0 29 10-7 9-12 7-3 W2 Wisconsin 18 22 .450 6.0 26 12-10 6-12 3-7 L2 Burlington 15 23 .395 8.0 24 11-6 4-17 2-8 L4 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Billings 4 3 .571 - - 3-1 1-2 4-3 W1 * Great Falls 4 3 .571 - - 2-2 2-1 4-3 L1 Helena 4 3 .571 - - 2-1 2-2 4-3 W2 Missoula 2 5 .286 2.0 30 1-2 1-3 2-5 L3 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 24 13 .649 - - 8-7 7-6 6-4 L1 AZL Indians 19 19 .500 5.5 14 7-6 9-5 6-4 L1 AZL Dodgers 18 19 .486 6.0 14 7-7 6-6 5-5 L1 AZL Reds 18 19 .486 6.0 14 7-5 6-7 6-4 W1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 34 22 .607 - - 18-9 16-13 6-4 W3 DSL Cardinals 31 24 .564 2.5 15 21-6 10-18 7-3 L1 DSL Athletics 24 31 .436 9.5 8 14-15 10-16 4-6 W1 DSL Brewers 22 34 .393 12.0 5 13-15 9-19 3-7 L2

Follow Saturday'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) DSL Brewers

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Sam Narron at Reno (Diamondbacks), 8:50 PM pre-game; 9:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at Tennessee (Cubs), 5:00 PM pre-game; 5:15 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Darren Byrd at Bradenton (Pirates), 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link (Marauders' feed) Wisconsin: RHP Damon Krestalude at Clinton (Mariners), 6:40 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Tyler Thornburg at Great Falls (White Sox), 7:45 PM pre-game; 8:00 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Cubs' complex in Mesa; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM; another doubleheader possibility...

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

Brad Nelson is playing in his home state of Iowa for Tacoma this weekend, so the locals caught up with him and ran this feature story.

Although listed as a doubleheader on the DSL scoreboard at MiLB.com, no results for a nightcap have been posted yet.

Final: Arizona Giants 6, Arizona Brewers 1 Arizona Box Score Brewers led, 1-0, after four innings; 20-year-old RH starter Brooks Hall did fine work until he was undone by some bad luck on ground ball base hits and a bit of sloppiness on his part in a three-run Giant 5th, which we'll detail below; RHP Kevin Shackelford's three-run Giant 7th inning came via the more direct route, a three-run home run, with all the trouble coming after the first two men were retired; Washington State RHP Seth Harvey hasn't allowed an earned run since his first relief appearnce of the season, ten mound trips ago... The A-Crew managed only four base hits, one walk, and an HBP; you know the rookie league bats didn't fare well when two of the hits, the walk, and the Brewers' only RBI came from Jody Gerut (Gerut's 27 Maryvale at-bats is approaching his big leaue number for 2010, 71). One item of note -- down 6-1 in the top of the 8th, Demetrius McKelvie hit for 3B T.J. Mittelstaedt; McKelvie took over for Jason Rogers at first base, with Rogers moving over to the hot corner, his first appearance there all season... Arizona Game Log Off of Brooks Hall -- AZL Giants Top 5th Robert Haney singles on a bunt ground ball to catcher Tyler Roberts. With Josh Lopez batting, Robert Haney advances to 2nd on a balk. Josh Lopez flies out to left fielder Derrick Shaw. Johnathan DeBerry singles on a ground ball to left fielder Derrick Shaw. Robert Haney to 3rd. Carlos Willoughby singles on a ground ball to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Robert Haney scores. Johnathan DeBerry to 3rd. Charles Jones walks. Carlos Willoughby to 2nd. Brice Cutspec singles on a ground ball to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Johnathan DeBerry scores. Carlos Willoughby to 3rd. Charles Jones to 2nd. Rafael Rodriguez out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Kenneth Allison. Carlos Willoughby scores. Jose De La Cruz flies out to center fielder Kenneth Allison. Off of Kevin Shackelford -- AZL Giants Top 7th Johnathan DeBerry grounds out, third baseman Thomas Mittelstaedt to first baseman Jason Rogers. Carlos Willoughby called out on strikes. Charles Jones walks. With Brice Cutspec batting, Charles Jones steals (5) 2nd base. Brice Cutspec singles on a ground ball to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Charles Jones to 3rd. Rafael Rodriguez homers (2) on a fly ball to left field. Charles Jones scores. Brice Cutspec scores. Jose De La Cruz walks. Eric Sim hit by pitch. Jose De La Cruz to 2nd. Robert Haney flies out to left fielder Derrick Shaw. Earlier, Hall did a nice job here -- AZL Giants Top 3rd Josh Lopez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kenneth Allison. With Johnathan DeBerry batting, wild pitch by Brooks Hall, Josh Lopez to 2nd. Johnathan DeBerry out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Brooks Hall to first baseman Jason Rogers. Josh Lopez to 3rd. Carlos Willoughby grounds out to first baseman Jason Rogers. Charles Jones grounds out, pitcher Brooks Hall to first baseman Jason Rogers.

And now, the Great Falls report is up, naturally -- Link while active, text follows: Three-run 13th inning boosts Brewers over Voyagers By MIKE TOWNE, Tribune Sports Writer The Great Falls Voyagers and the Helena Brewers went to extra innings for the fourth time Friday night at Centene Stadium. And thanks to a three-run uprising in the top of the 13th, the Brewers won the third of those four meetings. Helena went up 4-3 when Greg Hopkins plated Cody Hawn with an infield single, and Mike Walker added two insurance runs with a home run as Helena earned a 6-3 victory in the first game of a three-game intradivision Pioneer League series. This past Sunday in Helena, the Brewers defeated the Voyagers 10-8 in a 15-inning affair. Great Falls won 4-3 in 11 innings on July 7 in Helena and, two nights later at Kindrick Legion field, the Brewers prevailed 7-6 in 10 innings. Overall, the Voyagers are 3-3 in extra-inning games this summer. Helena scored in the top of the 11th inning to take a 3-2 lead, but Great Falls answered in its half to knot the game up for the second time. A solo home run by the Brewers' John Dishon tied it a 2-2 in the top of the seventh. Robbie Garvey stroked a double down the right field line on Doug Murray's first pitch of the 11th inning. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Carlos George and, after Shea Vucinich drew a walk, scored on an error by catcher Michael Blanke. The ball slipped out of Blanke's hand and rolled about 10 feet as he attempted to make a pickoff attempt at first, allowing Garvey to score. Blanke quickly atoned for his mistake, leading off Great Falls' half of the 11th with a sharp double to right. Pinch-runner Jeff Tezak advanced to third when Rafael Vera grounded out and scored the tying run on a bloop single to right by Randall Thorpe. Thorpe advanced to second on a wild pickoff attempt by Caleb Thielbar and took third on a ground-out by Ryan Lee before Eric Marzec, the fourth Helena pitcher, struck out Michael Earley for the third out. Hawn singled off Murray with out outs in the top of the 13th. He advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on Hawn's second hit in five at-bats. Walker followed with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot. The loss spoiled fine pitching performances by both Steve Upchurch and Addison Reed, who held Helena to two runs on five hits in the first nine innings. Upchurch worked seven solid frames, giving up two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. Reed retired all six batters he faced, striking out the side in the eighth inning and fanning two in the ninth. Upchurch walked Brandon Sizemore with two outs in the fifth and he later scored on a single by Garvey, cutting Great Falls' lead to 2-1. Dishon homered on the first pitch in the top of the seventh inning, tying the game at 2-2. Blanke gave the Voyagers a 1-0 lead in the second, ripping a double to left center and scoring on Thorpe's single to right. In the bottom of the fourth, Andy Wilkins singled up the middle, went to second on a wild pitch and scored when Thorpe doubled to center. Garvey tried to make a diving catch but the ball bounced out of his glove. Blanke and Thorpe each had three hits to lead Great Falls' 10-hit attack. Thorpe drove in three runs. Hawn and Garvey each had a pair of hits for Helena, which also finished with 10. The Voyagers fell to 4-3 in second-half play and 27-18 on the season. The Brewers improved to 4-3 and 23-22 overall. Right-hander Charles Delk (3-2, 3.86) will get the start tonight against Helena. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (0-0, 1.29) is the scheduled starter for the Brewers.

Final: Helena 6, @Great Falls (White Sox) 3, 13 innings No report from the home town newspaper yet, the Independent Record does its best to summarize the road game -- Hopkins, Brewers edge Great Falls in 13th GREAT FALLS — The Helena Brewers pushed across three runs in the 13th inning Friday at Centene Stadium, beating the Great Falls Voyagers in extras for the third time this season. Helena won the Pioneer League contest 6-3, despite recording five errors. With the score tied at 3 in the 13th, a two-out base hit by Cody Hawn began Helena’s winning rally. Some heads-up baserunning by the Brewers 6-foot-1, 205-pound first baseman was the difference. Hawn advanced to second on a wild pitch then made it to third on another ball in the dirt, setting up Greg Hopkins for an RBI infield single. Mike Walker jolted a two-run opposite shot homer on the first pitch he saw off Voyagers reliever Doug Murray to give Helena the extra cushion. Eric Marzec (3-3) earned the win in relief, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five. The Brewers (23-22, 4-3) briefly took their first lead of the game in the 11th, after Robbie Garvey reached on a leadoff double, Shea Vucinich walked and Garvey came home on a throwing error by Voyagers catcher Mike Blanke. But Helena allowed the hosts to come back and tie it in their half of the inning, when Randall Thorpe struck an RBI single to right to bring home Blanke, who had doubled over John Dishon’s head in right field to lead off the inning. Dishon’s second home run of the year, off Great Falls’ Steven Upchurch, tied the game at 2 in the seventh frame. Thorpe led the Voyagers offensively, with a 3-for-6 performance. The two teams proved evenly matched and combined for 20 hits in the contest, one night after each club’s pitchers hurled a one-hitter. Helena Box Score Greg Hopkins ended a 15-inning affair with a home run not long ago, an infield single in a road win isn't quite as exciting, but surely it was enjoyed -- this squad has been involved in some amazing games this season; Brewer pitchers struck out 13 in the 13 innings and walked only one -- just fantastic; there are positives in each of the stat lines for Stosh Wawrzasek, Austin Ross (Ross especially), Caleb Thielbar (in his first Helena appearance of the season after 30 in Wisconsin), and Eric Marzec. It says something about their resiliency here in that five Brewer errors did not lead to a single unearned run. That's three consecutive extra-sweet lines from Ross (stat page). Brewer batters fanned 15 times, drew three walks; Cody Hawn singled twice and walked; 21-year-old CF Robbie Garvey doubled and singled, he's 5-for-9 in the last two games... Helena Game Log 13-inning game logs are always a hoot -- there were no frames with more than a single run until the H-Crew's final at-bat...

Final: @Reno (Diamondbacks) 6, Nashville 2 Sounds Drop Third Straight To Reno RENO, Nev. - The Nashville Sounds dropped its third straight contest to the Reno Aces, 6-2, on Friday evening at Aces Ballpark in the third game of a four-game set. Reno starter Matt Torra (8-6) tossed 8 1/3 innings for the win, holding the Sounds scoreless with only one extra-base hit through the first eight innings. Torra allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and two strikeouts on the night. The loss put Nashville (59-54) six games behind division-leading Iowa in PCL American Conference Northern Division. The Aces did damage in the opening frame, scoring four runs on Sounds starter Marty McLeary to take a quick 4-0 lead. After recording the first out of the game, McLeary surrendered three straight base hits, capped by a two-run single by Reno second baseman Tony Abreu. The Aces added two more runs in the next two innings for a 6-0 advantage. Doug Deeds tripled and scored on a two-out Ryan Roberts single in the second inning. Former Sound Cole Gillespie singled in the next frame and scored on an RBI double from Abreu for the other run. The Sounds were able to only plate two runs in the final inning on Torra before Joe Marte was brought into the game to record the final two outs. Norris Hopper hit a leadoff single followed by Mat Gamel reaching on a Reno fielding error. Brendan Katin then doubled home Hopper from third base for the club's first run, with Joe Koshansky bringing home Gamel on an infield groundout. In his ninth start for Nashville this season, McLeary (5-7) took the loss and allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts in five innings pitched. In his first appearance since returning from the disabled list, Brandon Kintzler tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Carlos Villanueva walked one batter in his shutout inning thrown. Left-handed reliever Mitch Stetter's scoreless inning moved him to second on the all-time games list in Sounds history with 161 career appearances, trailing only Joey Vierra who leads with 238 games. The Sounds will wrap up their four-game series with the Aces with tomorrow night's 9:05 PM CT finale at Aces Ballpark. Nashville left-hander Sam Narron (7-4, 3.50) will take the mound against Aces left-hander Zach Kroenke (3-3, 4.15). *** Reno Gazette: Matt Torra (8-6) has pitched six complete games in his career and owns one of two in Reno franchise history, which came against Las Vegas on July 1. He was pulled in the ninth following Brendan Katin’s double, but received a standing ovation to cap a night in which he threw 106 pitches — 73 for strikes — and walked only one batter. Torra was the beneficiary of a strong defensive effort from Reno, which turned four double plays. The defensive highlight of the night came in the first inning, when Nashville was threatening with runners on second and third with one out. Katin popped up foul down the first baseline and Brandon Allen made an over-the-shoulder catch, then turned and threw a perfect one-hop strike to home plate after Nashville’s Eric Farris tagged up and attempted to score. Catcher Carlos Corporan tagged Harris out for the inning-ending double play and Reno rode the momentum to its 51st win of the season. Nashville Box ScoreOld friend Carlos Corporan hit .382 in June, .333 in July (yes, it's the West Coast PCL, but still), and surely the D-Backs are pleased with the defensive work of the 26-year-old; Mat Gamel a double and single, just assume he's at third base each game unless we tell you otherwise; real nice to see RHP Brandon Kintzler back; scoreless inning here, but Carlos Villanueva must be counting the days until September 1st call-ups... Nashville Game Log Big hole early, not a lot of fun...