Jim Goulart

Final: @Reno (Diamondbacks) 3, Nashville 2 Sounds Drop Second Straight In Reno Nashville Sounds RENO, Nev. - The Nashville Sounds lost their second straight game to open their road trip on Thursday evening, falling 3-2 to Reno at Aces Ballpark. The loss combined with an Iowa victory earlier in the evening dropped the Sounds (59-53) to a season-worst five games out of the division lead. The Sounds grabbed a first-inning lead when Eric Farris (2-for-4) reached on a one-out double off Reno starter Kevin Mulvey and scored the contest's first run when Mat Gamel (2-for-4) followed with an RBI single to left. The Aces tied it at 1-1 in the third when Mulvey reach on a one-out single off Sounds starter Chase Wright and came around to score on Ryan Roberts' two-out RBI double to center. Nashville reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Gamel led off by tattooing Mulvey's 2-1 offering over the wall in right-center for his ninth home run of the season (audio link can be found here). Reno came back to grab the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth, making it a 3-2 contest. Tony Abreu and Ed Rogers opened the frame with back-to-back singles off Wright to put runners on the corners for catcher Ed Easley, who reached on a fielding error by Sounds third baseman Erick Almonte that allowed Abreu to score. After Mulvey sacrificed the runners to second and third with only one out, Wright walked Doug Deeds on four pitches to load the bases. Roberts (2-for-3) continued his solid night by lifting a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Easley with the go-ahead run in unearned fashion. Neither team scored the rest of the way. The Sounds had runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh frames but went 0-for-4 in those situations as Reno held on for a one-run victory. Each starting pitcher turned in a quality start in the contest. Mulvey (6-7) held the Sounds to two runs on eight hits over seven innings to pick up the victory, while Wright (7-7) took a hard-luck loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits over six frames. Sounds manager Don Money was ejected from the game by first-base umpire Will Robinson in the seventh inning after Adam Stern was called out at first base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. It marked Money's first ejection in his two seasons as the Nashville skipper. Carlos Rosa closed out the Reno victory by retiring all six batters he faced to notch his fifth save of the year. Mike McClendon struck out a season-high five batters in two innings of relief work for the Sounds behind Wright. The teams continue the series with another 9:05 PM CT meeting on Friday. Right-hander Marty McLeary (5-6, 7.13) looks to continue his recent success on the hill when he mans the bump for the Sounds to square off against Reno right-hander Matt Torra (7-6, 4.14). *** Link while active, text follows: Aces: Reno on track to break even By Chris Gabel, cgabel@rgj.com (Reno Gazette) Aces manager Brett Butler posed the question before Thursday's game as to whether his team could go 22-9 the rest of the way, thus getting the Aces to the breakeven point. It would seem like quite a feat for a team that had played just .438 ball to that point. But if Butler continues to get the type of pitching he received a few hours later, it would not be out of the realm of possibilities. Kevin Mulvey allowed two runs in seven innings and Carlos Rosa picked up the two-inning save with a pair of unblemished frames in Reno's 3-2 victory over Nashville. It was rare pitcher's duel in front of 4,763 at Aces Ballpark, where just twice before had the home team come out on top in a game that featured five or fewer combined runs. "It's great to pitch in a game where your team has a chance to win and even better when you really have a chance to determine the outcome," said Mulvey, who gave up eight hits but did not walk a batter and brought his ERA back down below 5.00. "It's great to come out on top in a one-run game." Mulvey was backed by diving plays from shortstop Ed Rogers, whose started a nifty double play, and outfielders Cole Gillespie and Brandon Allen. Newcomer Tony Abreu also made his presence felt. The Aces lost a defensive wizard when shortstop Pedro Ciriaco was traded away last weekend, but they welcomed a comparable replacement to the roster in Abreu, who joined the team earlier Thursday after he was sent down from the majors. Abreu had a pair of hits, scored a run and flashed the leather -- as well as some skin. Abreu barehanded Rogers' toss from behind second base to turn a pivotal double play in the second inning. "He's just so comfortable out there, and in the batter's box," Butler said. Abreu, who made a three-game rehab appearance with the Aces in early June, was sent down after the Diamondbacks received three players in a deal with Pittsburgh that sent Ciriaco to the Pirates along with catcher Chris Snyder. He was a career .312 hitter in the minor leaguers entering the season and is now hitting .438 with Reno this year. "It was good to help everyone win," said Abreu, who was acquired from the Dodgers organization in a trade late last season. For Rosa, it was his fifth save. KEYS TO THE GAME KEY NUMBER: 1 -- It was the Aces' 10th one-run victory of the season, bringing their record to 10-13 in such games. KEY PLAYER: Tony Abreu picked up a pair of hits and flashed the leather at second base in his first game with Reno since he was sent down from the big leagues. KEY PLAY: Nashville third baseman Erick Almonte booted a ball that could have started a double play but instead opened the door for a two-run inning that proved the difference. (Photo by Vince Alonzo/RGJ) The Aces' Ed Rogers gets a piece of the ball during Thursday's game against the Sounds. Reno won, 3-2. Martin Maldonado is the Nashville catcher. http://cmsimg.rgj.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=J7&Date=20100806&Category=SPORTS03&ArtNo=8060406&Ref=AR&Profile=1018&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0 Nashville Box Score Reliever Mike McClendon seems to have a real future in Milwaukee, with other young relievers having established the way to go in the big league bullpen; Eric Farris 9-for-9 in SB attempts, you all remember his 70-for-76 at Brevard last season -- be sure to check out the pre-game audio we posted; Mat Gamel's swing currently in an ultra-sweet mode... Nashville Game Log

Eric Farris a nice job with Stu in his pre-game interview

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio with RHP Andre Lamontagne, who would go on to toss six no-hit innings Thursday night

Andre Lamontagne is the lead and graces MiLB.com's home page this morning -- Lamontagne tosses six hitless frames By John Parker / Special to MLB.com A long night in Huntsville ended with several heroes for the Stars. Making just his second start of the season, Andre Lamontagne tossed six hitless frames as Huntsville beat the visiting Carolina Mudcats, 5-3, in 13 innings Thursday night. Brett Lawrie tripled to tie the score in the 12th and Dayton Buller delivered a walk-off two-run shot in the 13th. Lamontagne struck out five and walked a pair in the longest outing of his pro career. An 11th-round pick out of Oral Roberts in the 2009 Draft, the Brewers prospect began the 2010 campaign with Class A Wisconsin, where he went 2-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 16 relief appearances. He was promoted to Class A Advanced Brevard County on June 1 and then assigned to Double-A Huntsville on July 10. "It's been a pretty exciting season for me, getting to play with these different teams and now being in a playoff race in Huntsville," Lamontagne said. After going 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in six relief outings for the Stars, he has allowed just two hits over 11 shutout innings in two starts. "They told me back in the spring that I would probably go into the rotation at some point," he recalled. "But that was when I was with Wisconsin, so I wasn't sure it would happen." The 24-year-old retired the first 14 batters he faced before issuing back-to-back walks with two outs in the fifth inning. Mudcats infielder Carlos Mendez fouled off four straight Lamontagne pitches after falling behind 0-2, but succumbed on the seventh pitch, striking out to end the threat. Carolina went down in order in the sixth, all on groundouts. Lamontagne collected 10 groundball outs and a pair of flyball outs. He threw 71 pitches -- 47 for strikes. "I was trying to approach things a little differently than I would in a relief appearance," he said. "I was really trying to pound the strike zone and make them hit it. I knew I was on a pitch count." Lucas Luetge took over in the seventh and yielded a leadoff double to the Mudcats' Dave Sappelt. Sappelt moved to third on a groundout, but was stranded there after Luetge notched back-to-back strikeouts. The Stars, who had been held to just one hit through six frames by Mudcats starter Scott Carroll, got on the board in the seventh on Chris Nowak's RBI double and Lee Haydel's run-scoring single. Carroll was charged with two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings. He fanned five and walked two. Eddie Morlan pitched a perfect eighth for the Stars and Robert Hinton quickly got two outs in the ninth before things unraveled. Sappelt, who leads the Southern League with a .352 batting average, singled to left. Luis Terrero followed with a towering home run to tie the score, 2-2. Carolina scored a run on Brandon Yarbrough's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th, but Huntsville answered on Lawrie's RBI triple in the bottom of the inning. The former first-round Draft pick leads the league with 15 triples this season. Taylor Green led off the 13th with a perfect bunt that rolled until it hit third base. After Lee Haydel went down on strikes, Buller homered to left. Chris Cody (6-7) earned the victory for the Stars, allowing one run on one hit over four innings. The left-hander has made 16 starts for Huntsville this season. Mudcats reliever Lee Tabor fell to 3-1 after giving up two runs on two hits in a third of an inning. The Stars have won six of their last seven games to keep pace with first-place Tennessee in the Southern League's North Division, one game behind.

Wow, what a game -- each and every one of the audio calls had an emotional element, huge ups and downs based on the critical situations in the game. Again, wow... Buller provides the heroics as Stars walk-off in 13 inningsBy Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars Andre Lamontagne tossed six no-hit innings, but it was Dayton Buller who led the Stars to victory as he smashed a two-run walk-off home run in the 13th inning as Huntsville (23-17, 56-54) prevailed 5-3 over the Carolina Mudcats (19-21, 49-60) Thursday night. Lamontagne was the story early in the game as he dominated the Mudcats. The second year pro out of Oral Roberts University retired the first 14 batters he faced before issuing back-to-back walks in the fifth inning. But a visit from pitching coach John Curtis settled him down and Lamontagne struck-out Carlos Mendez to end the inning. He worked a 1-2-3 sixth frame and finished with a line of 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, and 5 K’s. Lamontagne threw 71 pitches, 47 of them for strikes. He got 10 ground-outs and two fly-outs in his second career Double-A start. The only problem was that his opponent Scott Carroll was just as good. The former Purdue quarterback gave up a one-out double to Brett Lawrie in the first and that was pretty much it until the seventh inning. Zelous Wheeler started things in the seventh with a single to right field. Drew Anderson reached first at the expense of Wheeler as he was forced out at second base. Chris Nowak ripped a double down the right field line; Luis Terrero had trouble handling the ball in the corner and would be charged with an error (audio). Anderson scored on the play to make it 1-0 Stars but Nowak was not credited with a RBI. He advanced to third and Lee Haydel drove him home with a single to center (audio). The 2-0 lead looked to be quite safe. Lucas Luetge lost the no-hitter when he surrendered a double to Dave Sappelt. But he and Eddie Morlan provided the bridge to Robert Hinton in the ninth. Hinton retired the first two batters he faced and it appeared that the Stars were on their way to a combined one-hitter. Sappelt ended those dreams when he singled to left. Terrero proceeded to surprise everyone by blasting his second homer of the year to tie the game at two (audio). It would remain that way until the 12th inning when Carolina got to Chris Cody for a run. Cody was his own worst enemy as he jumped ahead of Mike Costanzo 0-2 and ended up walking him. After making Devin Mesoraco look foolish on two straight pitches where Mesoraco’s bat went flying out of his hands; Cody hit him with a pitch that brushed his jersey. Sean Henry bunted the runners over and Brandon Yarbrough stroked a sacrifice fly to left. A strong throw from Haydel made the play at the plate bang-bang, but a good slide from Costanzo gave Carolina the 3-2 lead (audio). It wouldn’t last as Cody helped his own cause by smacking a single to left field to start the bottom half of the frame. Caleb Gindl bunted him to second and Brett Lawrie laced a triple to the right-center field gap to score Cody (audio). It’s Lawrie’s league-leading 15th triple of the year. Unfortunately the Stars could not get him in from third as reliever Jerry Gil got to pop ups to end the inning. Cody worked a 1-2-3 13th and was rewarded for his efforts in the bottom of the frame. Taylor Green stunned everyone as he laid down a perfect bunt against new pitcher Lee Tabor (3-1) that hugged the third base line until it hit the bag for an infield single. One out later Buller hit his second homer of the season to end the game and give Cody (6-7) and the Stars the dramatic victory (audio). Lawrie, Wheeler and Buller all tallied multi-hit games for the Stars. The victory clinches the series for Huntsville. It’s the Stars’ third consecutive series win and sixth series victory out of their last seven. They didn’t gain any ground as the Smokies won as well so Huntsville remains one game back in the Southern League North Division. Huntsville looks to take the series finale Friday night at 7:00 PM. Wily Peralta (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will be making his third Double-A start. Join us on the Stars Radio Network beginning at 6:45 PM central time for the Window World Pre-Game Report.

Link while active, text follows: Mustangs held to 1 hit for second consecutive night MIKE SCHERTING Of The Billings Gazette Staff The way the last 22 innings have gone, it’s hard to believe the Billings Mustangs, who were 5-0 losers to the Helena Brewers Thursday night, could walk away claiming victory in the three-game series. But that’s how Mustangs manager Delino DeShields tried to look at things after his club was one-hit by Helena pitching for the second consecutive night in front of 3,358 fans at Dehler Park. Helena starter Matt Miller, who entered the game fourth in the Pioneer League in ERA, allowed one hit in seven innings and Jimmy Nelson sealed the Mustangs’ fate with two perfect frames. The night before, the Mustangs’ Danny Hernandez delivered the game-winning hit and spoiled a Brewers’ no-hit bid on one swing with one out in the ninth for a dramatic 1-0 Billings win on a run-scoring single. And although Billings won the series opener 5-3 on Tuesday night, the Mustangs were held to one hit over that game’s final four innings. Which means Mustangs hitters finished the series just three for their last 65 at-bats, but still came away victorious in two of the three games. “We won the series,” DeShields said after praising Helena’s pitching. “I mean, that’s really all we can ask for. Three (wins) would have been nice, but two out of three, we’ll take it.” The Mustangs bats showed little inspiration on a night the players wore yellow jerseys for a LIVESTRONG promotion. For Miller, silencing the Mustangs is nothing new: In three starts against Billings, the 10th-round pick from the University of Michigan is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He’s allowed just seven hits in 19 innings in those three games and has thrown 15 straight scoreless innings against Billings. He improved to 6-1 overall with his latest victory and lowered his ERA to 2.16. “He just hits his spots and he mixes pitches really well,” said Mustangs catcher Chris Berset, who was a teammate of Miller’s at Michigan. “And he’s a competitor out there.” Billy Hamilton had the lone hit for the Mustangs, a third-inning single. He stole second and eventually reached third base but was stranded there when Miller got Devin Lohman to pop out. Hamilton reached second base in the sixth on a walk and stolen base, and Oliver Santos was the only other Mustang to get past first. Santos got to second in the second inning when he reached on a Brewers error and then stole second. Miller and Nelson combined to retire the last 12 hitters they faced. “You sense a little frustration because no one wants to get one-hit, everyone wants to get a hit,” Berset said. “We just have to stay together. The guys are great, they’re all mature, and we’re just fighting through it. We’ll come out of this sooner or later. We’ll just explode for eight runs in an inning, so we’re looking forward to that.” NOTES: Helena had 12 hits, three from Robbie Garvey. Brandon Sizemore drove in two runs. … When the Brewers scored a run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead, it ended a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings against the Mustangs. Helena had last scored in the first inning Tuesday in game one of the series. ... The Mustangs’ shutout of Helena on Wednesday night was the fifth of the season for the Billings pitching staff. That ranks first in the Pioneer League; Great Falls, Orem and Idaho Falls each have two shutouts.

The Billings Gazette video report from Helena's 5-0 win -- very complimentary of Matt Miller, no doubt...

Link while active, text follows: This time, Brewers make one-hitter count with victory By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record BILLINGS — Clapping could be heard from outside the Helena Brewers’ clubhouse after Thursday’s game. This one-hitter felt so much better than the last. Helena one-hit the Billings Mustangs for the second straight night, only this time the Brewers walked away with a 5-0 win in the Pioneer League contest. The previous night, the final hit proved the dagger in Helena’s devastating defeat at Dehler Park. A strong performance from Helena starter Matt Miller helped the visitors avoid being swept by Billings (24-20, 3-3). The right-hander improved to 3-0 against the Mustangs, 6-1 overall, after giving up just a single to Billy Hamilton. Miller didn’t allow a single run while striking out four and walking two in seven innings. “To have back-to-back pitching performances like that is excellent,” said Helena manager Joe Ayrault, referring back to Evan Frederickson’s sterling performance Wednesday. “(Miller) is very aggressive, mixes his pitches well and kept hitters off the plate when he needed to.” Ayrault said the coaching staff has continued to stress the importance of pitching and defense, and it has been evident in this second half. “Elvin Nina’s been doing a great job working with these guys everyday and reminding them of our goals,” Ayrault said. On Thursday, the Brewers’ bats came back alive a night after getting just four hits in a shutout. Helena started things off early, scoring runs in the second, third and fourth innings before tacking on insurance scores in the ninth. The Brewers got multi-hit games from Greg Hopkins, Mike Walker and Robbie Garvey, and Brandon Sizemore’s two-run double gave Helena (22-22, 3-3) the extra cushion at the end. “Obviously our hitters were fired up after last night,” Miller said. “They wanted to come out and defend our pitchers.” The Brewers still managed to strand 13 runners, including leaving the bags loaded in the sixth after being issued three straight walks. Miller admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect after seeing how Wednesday’s game went. “It was very important (to come out strong),” the fifth-round pick said. “I was expecting their hitters to come out a little heated tonight after being held until that last inning.” But Billings never could quite get anything going, even with Miller out of the game. Jimmy Nelson, a second-round pick this year, closed the contest with two shutout innings, retiring six straight. Billings starter Stalin Gerson was tagged with the loss, after giving up seven hits and three runs (two earned) over five innings. He walked one and struck out three before giving way to Mike Henry, the newest member of the Mustangs’ pitching staff. Henry struggled mightily with command in his debut, walking five in two innings and at one point throwing eight straight balls. The bright spot for Billings remained Hamilton, who had two stolen bases after reaching on a hit and a walk to improve his Pioneer League-leading total to 26 thefts. Hamilton has been on a tear at the plate as well, with a league-leading 59 hits, 16 of those coming in the last week. The Brewers head to Great Falls for a three-game set before returning home to Kindrick Legion Field to play host to the Mustangs. Miller will get to see Billings again in that series, something he’s OK with. “I’ll have three straight starts against them,” he said. “I’m pretty familiar with that lineup by now.” Photo by BOB ZELLAR/ Billings Gazette Billings’ Oliver Santos, right, tags out Helena’s Mike Walker at third base during Thursday’s game. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/c/4c/dce/c4cdce68-a122-11df-ad30-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c5ba9c8d2251.image.jpg

Link while active, text follows: BREWIN' WITH KUEHN: Garvey recalls Wild West rodeo days By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record Before Robbie Garvey was a Brewer, he was a cowboy. The newest outfielder for the Helena Brewers, who had appeared in 16 games for Helena through Wednesday, only took up baseball seriously beginning in high school. Before that, Garvey was tearing it up in rodeo arenas as a bull rider while growing up in Las Vegas. The youngster took up the sport when he was around 11 years old. “My family was always involved in the country scene, and I had a buddy who was riding steers,” said Garvey, who came to Helena after beginning the season in the Arizona League. “I thought, man, I want to do that.” The 2009 free agent said he became “real good” at riding bulls after taking part in a rodeo program for kids called “Little Britches.” But, Garvey said, family issues and other personal problems would cause him to stop riding. He had tried his hand at tee ball and Little League, but quit after the first year because he didn’t like it. When he walked away from rodeo, he initially gave football a shot. Garvey went on to play both baseball and football at Arbor View High School in Las Vegas and was named first team all-state in both. “I was always the type of person who had to be involved in something,” Garvey said. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Garvey came to the realization that he was too small to play football in college. He attendeded the Junior College of Southern Nevada and he decided to pursue a career in baseball, a sport entirely different from his hobby growing up. “Bull riding is 100 percent adrenaline and pure stupidity,” he said. “Baseball is calm and relaxed and very in the moment.” Garvey entered Thursday’s game against the Billings Mustangs batting .265 with three stolen bases, then went 3-for-4 to up his average to .292. For the full season, Garvey is hitting .324 in 145 AB's with ten stolen bases in 12 attempts. A place to call home Brewers catcher Tony Pechek feels right at home in Helena. Even though he’s only 23 years of age, Helena is already the sixth stop in Pechek’s baseball career. The 2009 free agent spent his first professional season in the Arizona League, but prior to that played ball at four different colleges. Pechek first attended Wichita State, saying it “was the best opportunity for me. It’s a premier spot to go out of high school.” Pechek only got 23 at-bats in Wichita, and the following fall was once again the third-string catcher and a backup at first base. “I was going to play a little more, but not catching, so I left for (Central Arizona College) a JuCo in Arizona, which was the right choice at the right time.” He then transferred to Creighton, in Omaha, Neb. “I got to play at Rosenblatt Stadium, so it was a cool experience,” he said of the site of the annual College World Series. “It just didn’t really work out, the coaches and I didn’t see eye to eye. I got sick in the fall and didn’t get to practice much, didn’t hit well in the spring. I left there and ended up back at home.” His final season was at Colorado State-Pueblo, where he hit .390 with eight home runs, the second-highest mark on the squad. Pechek got his first professional homer on July 23 at Ogden, with his parents in the stands to see it. He followed that up with another long ball the following day. Pechek, the only position player on the Brewers’ roster who is a switch hitter, was hitting .267 for the Brewers, before being sidelined with a sprained left wrist after catching 13 innings in a 15-inning victory over Great Falls. He is day-to-day. Finally healthy Helena pitcher Eric Marzec has had more than his share of bumps and bruises. The right-hander had his career at Youngstown State interrupted when, as a senior, he collided with a teammate going for a fly ball while Marzec was playing center field. He had a concussion, bleeding on the brain and four broken bones in his face. The injury caused Marzec to miss more than three weeks of games and classes. It wasn’t the first time he’d been hurt, either. He broke his wrist while batting his junior year and never returned to the mound. After his junior season of high school, he had a stress fracture in his hip that required surgery and he was on crutches for six months. Marzec said he finally feels healthy again, and the pitcher is 2-3 for the Brewers, with a 2.40 ERA. “Through college and high school I was a two-way player, playing outfield and pitching,” he said. “I got hurt a lot, banging into walls, hitting and whatnot. Up here I’m just focusing on pitching, and it’s nicer to just be able to focus on doing one job at a time.” Marzec said he feels ready to go each night, and said adjusting to pro ball hasn’t been difficult. The 30th round draft pick played in the Northwoods League, a summer league comprised of the top college players across the country. “It was very similar to pro ball and you’re playing every night,” said Marzec, whose dad played professional hockey and mom played collegiate volleyball. Marzec grew up playing football, soccer and basketball in addition to baseball and still hits up the golf course for 18 when he has the time.

Link while active, text follows: Rattlers try to put tough loss to Chiefs behind them By Jim Oskola, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — If not for the postgame fireworks going off outside following Thursday's game against Peoria, the only time you would find the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers locker room at Fox Cities Stadium any quieter would be during the offseason. That happens when the Peoria Chiefs, a team Wisconsin was tied with in the standings before the game, smack you around to the tune of 13-1. "You tell them there's another game tomorrow," Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said. "The sun will come up tomorrow and we're playing at 7:05. As a baseball player, you have to be able to flush the games like this and be ready to go again." While a win on Thursday and a win tonight would have evened Wisconsin's second-half record at 20-20 before getting on the bus for a seven-game road trip, tonight's game is still an important one. "It's a chance for us to take the series," Isom said. "It's going to be the big one. Either we go .500 in the series or we go 3-1. That's going to be the main focus after tonight's game." Cutter Dykstra, who had one of Wisconsin's four hits, said that it is frustrating that the Rattlers can't get on a roll where they would rip off six straight wins. "That's just the way the game is," he said. "Every day is so different. Just learning to deal with failure, you've got to come back and get them the next day. That's the way game is. You're going to have games where the bats aren't there and the pitching's not there. "They just beat us tonight and they beat us bad. We've got them again. That's the beauty of the game. We can go out there and do the same to them just as easily." When a team is down 2-0 early in the game, the team can still do things, but when the score becomes 6-0, the approach changes. "It's tough mentally when you're a position player and you go up to the plate and you're down 6-0," Isom said. "You try to just bang out your hits but at times you're trying to hit a six-run home run and you know that's not going to happen." *** The Rattlers' 13-1 loss to Peoria on Thursday marked the 13th time the pitching staff has allowed 10 or more runs. Eric Arnett's last two starts have been struggles. Arnett has allowed 13 runs (10 earned) in nine innings. Offensively, the Rattlers are batting .224 in their last 11 games. It's tough to win games with a team batting average that low. The Rattlers will end their seven-game homestand Friday night when they send Del Howell (2-4, 4.76 ERA) to the mound. Peoria will counter with Marcus Hatley who will be making his Midwest League debut. A victory on Friday will give a the Rattlers a winning homestand with a 4-3 mark.

The game summary from the wild Huntsville loss Wednesday night, including audio (yes, Taylor Green's grand slam as well), has now been posted.

Stars lose wild one against Mudcats By Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars (22-17. 55-54) rallied from seven runs down to force extra innings but fell in 10 frames to the Carolina Mudcats (19-20, 49-59) by a final score of 10-9 Wednesday night. The game started as a pitcher’s duel. Amaury Rivas retired the first 10 batters he faced while Carolina starter Matt Klinker sent down the first nine batters to come to the plate for the Stars. Rivas walked Jake Kahaulelio in the fourth; then ran into some bad luck. Dave Sappelt hit a chopper up the middle that Zelous Wheeler gloved. It looked like the Stars were going to be able to turn two, but Brett Lawrie got in Wheeler’s way, preventing Wheeler from tagging the bag and everyone was safe. Wheeler’s failure to tag the bag was ruled an error. Luis Terrero made the Stars pay with a double down the left field line, driving in Kahaulelio and moving Sappelt around to third (audio). A ground-out scored Sappelt to make it 2-0 Mudcats (audio). Eric Eymann followed with a single up the gut, scoring Terrero, but Eymann was cut down at second base to end the inning by Anderson De La Rosa as he attempted to advance on the throw to the plate (audio). Huntsville struck back against Klinker in the bottom of the frame as Lee Haydel led-off with a single and Lawrie doubled him home (audio). Rivas appeared to be on his way to an easy fifth inning as he retired the first two batters. Klinker was somehow able to loop a single in to shallow right and Kris Negron ripped a triple down the line to make the score 4-1 Carolina (audio). The sixth inning is when the game got crazy. Carolina loaded the bases against Rivas with nobody out. Eymann cleared the bases with a triple and just like that it was 7-1 (audio). That was it for Rivas as Mike Guerrero brought in Nick Green. An error by Chris Nowak on a sharply hit grounder to the right side scored Eymann and it was 8-1 Mudcats (audio). Green got out of the rest of the inning with no further damage. Rivas went 5+ innings, giving up eight runs, four of them earned, on seven hits. He walked two and struck-out eight. The seven-run deficit seemed insurmountable considering Huntsville was facing the man with the best ERA in the Southern League. Yet they wasted no time rallying in the bottom half of the frame. Pinch hitter Patrick Arlis singled to left and Haydel drew a walk. Lawrie ripped his second double of the night, driving in Arlis and moving Haydel to third (audio). A single to center off the bat of Zelous Wheeler scored Haydel and moved Lawrie to third base (audio). Drew Anderson drew a walk and Klinker was removed from the ballgame. New pitcher Ruben Medina immediately surrendered a RBI single to Nowak and the Stars pulled to within four (audio). With the bases still loaded, Taylor Green unleashed a grand slam home run to tie the game at eight (audio). No one would score again until the 10th inning. The Stars did have their fair share of chances though. They got the lead-off man on in the eighth and ninth but failed to score. Carolina got to reliever Jim Henderson (4-4) in the 10th. With one away, the pesky Sappelt singled to center. Henderson struck-out Luis Terrero but on strike three Sappelt was able to steal second base. The right-hander was one strike away from getting out of the inning unscathed. Brandon Yarbrough wouldn’t let him though as he singled to center, driving in Sappelt to make the score 9-8 Carolina. Yarbrough advanced to second on the throw home (audio). Eymann drew a walk and Jose Castro picked a perfect time to get his first hit of the night as he singled to center to drive in Yarbrough for a very important insurance run (audio). Chris Cody entered and got the Stars out of the inning with no further damage. Huntsville refused to go down quietly though against Carolina closer Federico Baez. Haydel started the rally with a single to center. One out later Wheeler blooped a singled down the line, advancing Haydel to third. Anderson drew his third walk of the contest, loading the bases for Nowak. The big slugger smacked a sacrifice fly to draw the Stars to within one (audio). Green, who already had a grand slam on the night, just missed an extra base hit as he still drove the ball a long ways towards right-center field despite breaking his bat. Unfortunately, Terrero was able to chase it down and the Stars fell one run short. The loss breaks Huntsville’s five game winning streak and moves them one game back of the Tennessee Smokies in the north division. They look to clinch the series against Carolina Thursday night as they send Andre Lamontagne (3-0, 2.76 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is at 7:00 PM central time on the Huntsville Stars Radio Network.

Rattler Radio: August 5, 2010: Game Notes August 5, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher August 5, 2010: Starting Lineup Scooter Gennett idle... August 5, 2010: Second Half Western Division Playoff Races

A recent point made in our Josh Romanski thread got me thinking -- I've always contended that Doug Melvin (and staff's) roster management at the highest levels has been pretty superb, at least in terms of tracking "ones that got away". Is there even one among all the alumni links in the first post in this thread? Some would argue Marco Scutaro -- pre-dates Melvin, but find yourself the movie "A Player to be Named Later" (even if only for Mrs. Scutaro's blue jeans http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif) Craig Breslow's had a fine bullpen career, and will probably be around for ten more years -- his 2004 release from High Desert was pretty justifiable. Nelson Cruz will spur debate, of course -- but the Rangers exposed him to waivers after the Kevin Mench trade and every team in baseball passed on picking him up. I guess you could argue, then, that he got away from Melvin twice, as he should have been claimed back. Grant Balfour -- when he's been on, as in 2008 and 2010, the return of Seth McClung pales, so perhaps? The return on the Sabathia acquisition was so franchise-changing, you can't argue on any of those dealt to Cleveland, even if one or more of LaPorta / Brantley / Bryson come up big someday. You can't argue the R.A. Dickey types years after the fact, you can only be happy for a guy like him. *** For me, you have to look at two San Diego relievers. Mike Adams to the Mets for (the now late -- lightning strike in 2008) Geremi Gonzalez in 2006? Too quick to give up on him. Joe Thatcher's inclusion in the Scott Linebrink deal bothered me more than losing Will Inman and Scott Garrison, as was well-documented ad nauseum back in the day. So those are my two "ones that truly got away", and each is a non-closing reliever, so how painful can they truly be? Your thoughts?

There is a commitment to follow this thread through for the full 2010 season, similar to what we did for the Will Inman / Steve Garrison / Joe Thatcher thread (actually, we tracked them for a season and a half before they "graduated" only to the alumni thread). So for about five more starts, we'll be providing detailed updates. Next year, there will only be a mention if there is significant news. Feel free to bypass the thread until it fades away this fall. I do find it a bit ironic in that we finally see some quotes and such in the most recent update, and that becomes the time you question the thread's current validity. No need to reply, I see your point of view, as hopefully you do likewise. And actually, I probably will place a post in the Alumni thread later on as to who really qualifies as "one that got away". It's a very tiny number -- maybe two players at most qualify in my mind, and it's way too early (by about four years) to say Romanski is one.

Link while active, text follows: Romanski getting second chance By KEVIN PEARSON, Special to The Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise After two years of sitting on a bench and watching other people live his dream, Josh Romanski can finally appreciate the joy he gets every time he steps onto a pitcher's mound. For the first two years of his professional career, Romanski was not afforded that opportunity. A highly rated fourth-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008, his career stalled before it ever really got started because of two serious injuries. But now, after being released by the Brewers and signed by the Yankees in what he described as a much-needed fresh start, Romanski truly has found happiness whenever he enters his windup. "I've been in some interesting places mentally over the past two years," said Romanski, a former star pitcher and outfielder at Norco High who was the 2005 Riverside County Player of the Year. "It feels good to be back on the field and competing again. "I don't think I realized how much I loved the game of baseball until I was able to get back on the field after the injuries and really just soak it up. Hopefully I'll be able to play this game for a long time now, because I really enjoy doing it." It's a feeling that for too long was replaced by the pain Romanski felt in his body. After an All-America career at the University of San Diego, Romanski signed with the Brewers for a $247,000 bonus. But almost as soon as he arrived at rookie-level Helena (Mont.), Romanski needed surgery for a hernia. He didn't throw a pitch that season but did have 15 at-bats as designated hitter. In 2009, Romanski entered spring training figuring to be among the top prospects in the lower levels of the Brewers' farm system, but he failed to escape spring training without another serious injury. A lingering elbow injury from his college days turned out to be a stress fracture in his pitching elbow. He had a pin put in to stabilize the joint, leaving him out for the season. "When you get hurt and miss a lot of time like that, especially with me missing the season before, you really take a step back and look at everything," Romanski said. "You question yourself and wonder if baseball is going to be for you." While Romanski believed baseball was for him, the Brewers thought it was time to move on. "He knows it was part of baseball," said Romanski's father, Andy. "He's worked extremely hard to get himself back on the field, but that's how Josh has always been." Romanski was released after spring training this year, even though the club had invested a quarter-million dollars and two surgeries in him and he was finally healthy. Romanski went back to Norco and, during a high school tournament this year, threw a bullpen session for some area scouts. The Yankees liked what they saw, and by the end of the week he was on a plane to extended spring training in Tampa, Fla. Since arriving in the low-Class A South Atlantic League in June, Romanski has fared well on the mound. His fastball is back in the low 90s. His curveball is still sharp and complements his cutter and change-up. "It looks like he hasn't missed a beat," said Charleston manager Greg Colbrunn, a former major leaguer who hails from Fontana. "His presence and his ability to pitch inside has stood out. He doesn't nibble. He goes after the hitters." Romanski's long-term future could be as a starter or as a lefty specialist, but for now he is being left in the rotation in order to get experience. The Yankees did extensive research on his medical history before signing him and had no reservations, having considered drafting him. "He has all the weapons to be a starter because he can change speeds," said Mark Newman, the Yankees' senior vice president of baseball operations. "He can't say 'It's 2-0, here it is, try and hit this,' because he doesn't throw 96. But there are a lot of guys who have success with his kind of fastball because they can locate both sides of the plate and hitters have a difficult time reading them. Josh is well down that road right now." But for Romanski, the road he is trying to travel down is just beginning, even if it's the second attempt at that journey. "Every time I get on the mound, I want to go after it," Romanski said. "I want to throw my best game every single time. Not that it wasn't like that before, but I think I have a mental edge when I take the mound because of where I've been the last two years. Now it's time to get on the mound and go after it until they don't let me anymore." 2008 Photo / University of San Diego Josh Romanski, a college All-American, is now with the Yankees' Class A Charleston team after being released by the Brewers. http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2010/07-19/romanskib_300.jpg

PDF document: Huntsville Media Notes

Here's the link to the full Florida State League standings. Notice the 2nd half dominance of the top three teams in the North over the rest of the league -- the Manatees have played well, but it's a dogfight with the Yankee and Cub squads.

The John Curtis interview we linked to this week discussed the Chris Cody / Andre Lamontagne rotation swap.

From Buck Rogers: The Stars are one game out of first place, behind the Tennessee Smokies. The Stars travel to Kodak, TN, to face the Smokies this weekend in a five-game series that will have the winner sitting in the driver's seat. Then the Stars come back to face the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in a critical series. The Diamond Jaxx have control of the wild card scenario IF the Tennessee Smokies finish the 2nd half in first place. The Southern League playoff guidelines state that if the same team win's both halves of the season then the 2nd half playoff berth goes to the team with the best overall record on the season. Currently the D-Jaxx own us by 1.5 games. If the Stars are to make the playoffs, then one of two things need to happen: 1-Win outright, get into - and stay in - first place. 2-Have Tennessee finish in first and the Stars have the next best overall record. There are 31 games remaining in the 2010 regular season. After tonight only 20% of the season remains and the Stars are in a dogfight for a playoff berth.

PDF document: Nashville Media Notes

The Sounds are done with both Omaha and Memphis. PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 63 48 .568 - - 31-26 32-22 7-3 W1 Memphis 61 51 .545 2.5 31 34-23 27-28 6-4 W1 Nashville 59 52 .532 4.0 30 31-26 28-26 5-5 L1 Omaha 59 53 .527 4.5 29 26-26 33-27 6-4 W3 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Tennessee 23 16 .590 - - 14-7 9-9 7-3 W1 Huntsville 22 17 .564 1.0 31 12-9 10-8 7-3 L1 Carolina 19 20 .487 4.0 28 8-10 11-10 4-6 W1 Chattanooga 17 21 .447 5.5 27 10-10 7-11 4-6 L2 West Tenn 17 22 .436 6.0 26 8-7 9-15 4-6 W2 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 25 12 .676 - - 11-6 14-6 7-3 W5 Daytona 26 13 .667 - - 14-6 12-7 7-3 L3 Brevard County 24 15 .615 2.0 30 13-8 11-7 7-3 W1 * Dunedin 18 21 .462 8.0 24 10-8 8-13 5-5 W1 Lakeland 17 21 .447 8.5 24 11-8 6-13 6-4 L1 Clearwater 16 24 .400 10.5 21 10-8 6-16 4-6 W1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 23 13 .639 - - 9-9 14-4 6-4 L2 Kane County 22 16 .579 2.0 - 15-5 7-11 6-4 L1 * Cedar Rapids 21 16 .568 2.5 33 9-8 12-8 5-5 W1 Clinton 19 18 .514 4.5 31 10-8 9-10 6-4 W3 Beloit 18 18 .500 5.0 29 11-9 7-9 6-4 W3 Wisconsin 18 20 .474 6.0 29 12-8 6-12 4-6 W2 Peoria 17 19 .472 6.0 30 10-7 7-12 7-3 L3 Burlington 15 21 .417 8.0 27 11-6 4-15 2-8 L2 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Billings 3 2 .600 - - 2-0 1-2 3-2 W2 * Great Falls 3 2 .600 - - 1-1 2-1 3-2 W1 Helena 2 3 .400 1.0 33 2-1 0-2 2-3 L2 Missoula 2 3 .400 1.0 33 1-2 1-1 2-3 L1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 23 12 .657 - - 7-6 7-6 7-3 W1 AZL Dodgers 17 18 .486 6.0 16 6-7 6-5 5-5 L1 AZL Indians 17 18 .486 6.0 16 7-6 7-4 5-5 W1 AZL Reds 17 18 .486 6.0 16 7-4 5-7 5-5 W4 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 32 22 .593 - - 18-9 14-13 6-4 W1 DSL Cardinals 30 23 .566 1.5 18 21-5 9-18 6-4 L1 DSL Athletics 23 30 .434 8.5 11 13-14 10-16 5-5 L1 DSL Brewers 22 32 .407 10.0 9 13-14 9-18 4-6 W1

Follow Thursday'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

Time Warner Cable Sports 32 for you locals -- Minor League Baseball: Peoria Chiefs @ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Thursday, August 5: 7-10pm LIVE Friday, August 6: 12-3pm Saturday, August 7: 12-3pm Sunday, August 8: 7-10pm

Thursday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at Reno (Diamondbacks), 8:50 PM pre-game; 9:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Andre Lamontagne at home vs. Carolina (Reds), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP R.J. Seidel at Bradenton (Pirates), 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link (Marauders' feed) Wisconsin: RHP Eric Arnett at home vs. Peoria (Cubs), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Matt Miller at Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the frosted mini-Athletics; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Mariners, 9:30 AM