Jim Goulart

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Yes, here's the schedule so that you can all set your DVR's for tonight (or any of the repeated showings) -- 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

Link while active, text follows: Mustangs avoid being no-hit, earn win on walk-off single by Danny Hernandez MIKE SCHERTING Of The Gazette Staff In one of the more unique — or, in the case of the Helena Brewers, more disappointing — endings to a baseball game, the Billings Mustangs came away 1-0 victors Wednesday night at Dehler Park. No-hit for 81/3 innings, the Mustangs got their first and only hit from Danny Hernandez, whose single into right-center scored Dayne Read from second base, ending a brilliant night for the pitchers on both sides. Hernandez, playing in his first home game after joining the Mustangs on Saturday, was mobbed by teammates after he rounded first base and was the recipient of several shaving-cream pies and autograph requests afterward. Like his teammates, Hernandez struggled in his previous at-bats, striking out twice and grounding out. But he stroked a pitch from Seth Lintz (0-3) over the head of Helena second baseman Shea Vucinich and Read, who had opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk, easily beat the throw home from right fielder John Dishon. “It was my first home game and I wanted the crowd to get the feel for me, to like me or something,” said Hernandez, who hit a go-ahead home run for the Mustangs on Sunday in his first game with the team. “It feels good to get that hit. Real good.” If the 2,713 fans on hand were fans of pitching, they got what they paid for. Helena starter Evan Frederickson, who entered the game third in the Pioneer League in walks allowed, showed no signs of wildness in his six innings. He did walk two, but also struck out 12, and allowed just two fly balls out of the infield. Lintz followed with 2 1/3 hitless innings before Hernandez delivered the game-winner. The Helena duo was trying to throw the Pioneer League’s first no-hitter since 2008, when Missoula’s Miles Reagan, Jesse Orosco and Bryan Shaw combined to beat Helena 1-0 on June 30 of that year. “I’m happy with the way I threw, I just wish we could’ve won,” said Frederickson, who was a supplemental first-round pick (35th overall) in 2008 for the Milwaukee Brewers. “I guess they were due for a hit ... no-hitters are pretty rare. It just sucks it had to be a broken-bat little loop like that, they got a little lucky at the end.” A trio of Mustangs pitchers was just as effective. Starter Daniel Corcino had his best outing of the season, giving up two hits and two walks in six innings. He also struck out eight. Pat Doyle threw a scoreless seventh, and Josh Smith (1-2) struck out three in two scoreless innings to pick up the win. “I’ve never really seen anything like that, one hit and win, you know,” Smith said. “But it’s definitely a lot better feeling to come into a close game and pull out a win like that than a blowout or something.” Mustangs manager Delino DeShields could only agree with Smith. “That’s probably a first,” said DeShields, who has 13 big-league seasons as part of his baseball resume. “I’ve seen a few things this year that are, I don’t want to say out of the normal, but there’s been some things I’ve haven’t seen before. But that’s a great win for the kids tonight. They battled. These are the kind of games we’ve got to learn how to win.” NOTES: The game could have had an even stranger story. The Mustangs thought they had a run in the fourth when Billy Hamilton was allowed to score after home plate umpire Gavin Hanson called a balk on Frederickson. But after Helena manager Joe Ayrault argued and Hanson consulted with base umpire Ramon Hernandez, Hamilton was put back on third base. Frederickson then struck out Hernandez to end the inning. Delino DeShields briefly made an attempt to change the umpires’ minds again, but to no avail. Afterward, DeShields said there probably wasn’t a balk, but that he was trying to convince the umpires to stick with their first call. Had the call stood, the Mustangs could have been 1-0 winners without the benefit of any hits. … Mustangs infielder Billy Hamilton had his 12-game hitting streak snapped. He did walk two times, however, and is still 27 for his last 56 at-bats (.482).

Watch the one-minute Billings Gazette video wrap-up -- plenty of Evan Frederickson high-lights, and the unfortunate walk-off single for the Mustangs...

Frederickson fires six hitless frames By John Parker / Special to MLB.com Helena's pitchers -- particularly starter Evan Frederickson -- shone brightest on Wednesday night, but host Billings came away with a 1-0 win. Frederickson struck out a career-high 12 batters over six hitless innings and reliever Seth Lintz took the no-hit bid into the ninth before yielding a walk-off single to Mustangs designated hitter Danny Hernandez. The one-out hit was Hernandez's second in 14 at-bats since joining the Mustangs on Aug. 1. Billings was outhit, 4-1, in the game. A first-round pick by the Brewers in the 2008 Draft, Frederickson began the season as a reliever with Brevard County in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, but struggled with his command. He posted an 0-1 record with an 8.22 ERA and 28 walks in 15 1/3 innings over 12 outings. Joining Helena in late June, the 6-foot-6 southpaw made four relief appearances before moving into the Brewers' starting rotation. He entered Wednesday's action with a 2-2 record and a 5.93 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 22 walks in 27 1/3 Pioneer League innings. On Wednesday, however, Frederickson was utterly dominant. "My fastball, curve and changeup were all working really well," the University of San Francisco product said. Despite the career-high 12 strikeouts, Frederickson said he was actually trying less than usual to whiff batters. "I was just trying to make good pitches and get ahead in the count, not necessarily to strike everyone out," he said. He set down the first nine batters he faced -- five via strikeouts. Billings second baseman Billy Hamilton drew a walk to lead off the fourth, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then moved to third when Frederickson threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt. Frederickson struck out the next two batters to end the threat. "My catcher, Gerald Ogrinc, called a great game for me," he said. "And when [Hamilton] was on third in the fourth inning, I think he blocked three straight curveballs in the dirt. He really deserves half the credit." The 23-year-old left-hander struck out the side in the fifth and worked around a two-out walk in the sixth. The six frames matched Frederickson's longest outing as a pro. Though he issued just two free passes Wednesday, he took over the Pioneer League lead with 24 walks. He also paces the circuit with 11 wild pitches. Lintz, a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft, entered in the seventh. The righty worked around walks in the seventh and eighth, but issued a leadoff base on balls in the ninth to Billings left fielder Dayne Read that would be Helena's undoing. Read moved to second on Devin Lohman's sacrifice bunt, then scored on the Mustangs' lone hit of the game, a looping line drive to right by Hernandez. Lintz fell to 0-3, allowing one run on one hit in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out two, walked three and induced five groundball outs. The Mustangs staff, which has allowed the fewest runs in the Pioneer League, was nearly as dominant. Starter Daniel Corcino gave up two hits and two walks while fanning eight over six frames. Reliever Pat Doyle yielded one hit in a scoreless seventh and Josh Smith (1-2) allowed one hit over two shutout innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. The shutout loss was Helena's second of the season. The Brewers were blanked in Billings, 4-0, on July 1. The two teams struck out a total of 26 times. Evan Frederickson was a first-round pick by the Brewers in the 2008 Draft. (Brevard County photo by Scott Jontes/MiLB.com) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/08/05/nUTlnrIX.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Brewers lose no-hitter, game on final swing By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record BILLINGS — The Billings Mustangs’ first hit against the Helena Brewers came on the final swing and, with that one blooper to right field, hearts were breaking in the Helena dugout. The Brewers carried a combined no-hitter into the bottom of the ninth at Dehler Park on Wednesday, only to have it erased when Billings’ designated hitter Danny Hernandez dropped a one-out, RBI single over second baesman Shea Vucinich’s head. The Mustangs walked off with the 1-0 win, despite just a single hit in the contest. Helena starter Evan Frederickson hurled the best outing of his life but could barely manage a smile after the devastating defeat. “I’m happy with the way I threw, I just wish we could’ve won,” he said. “I guess they were due for a hit...no-hitters are pretty rare. It just sucks it had to be a broken-bat, little loop like that; they got a little lucky at the end.” Frederickson, a supplemental first-round pick in 2008, struck out a career-high 12 batters, including a stretch of six strikeouts in a row that came close to the Pioneer League record of eight. The southpaw who had previously struggled mightily with his command — the main reason he’s in rookie league — walked only two and 59 of his 89 pitches were strikes. Frederickson said he believes his control problems are in the past. “All my pitches were working,” he said. “Fastball, curveball, changeup. It was just a matter of staying positive.” Seth Lintz (0-3), a second-round pick drafted the same year as Frederickson, entered a scoreless game in the seventh in a situation that is both a dream and a nightmare for relievers. The right-hander struck out two and walked three while trying to preserve the no-hitter, which would have been the first combined no-hitter in the Pioneer League since June 30, 2008. Three Missoula pitchers — Miles Reagan, Jesse Orosco, and Bryan Shaw — hurled that one against Helena. Hernandez couldn’t have been happier about being part of history. Or, rather, breaking up a chance at history for Helena. “I was trying to get a hit to make everybody happy,” said Hernandez, who was surrounded by celebrating teammates at first base after his shot sent Dayne Read home. “It feels good to get that hit. (Frederickson) had some good stuff. He was keeping everybody off balance.” Billings manager Delino DeShields was impressed with the lefty out of Oak Hill, Va. “Frederickson, he’s a real good pitcher,” DeShields said. “He’s got a good cutter, he just didn’t let up on us tonight. I just told the guys we’ve got to get into the bullpen.” Mustangs starter Daniel Corcino couldn’t have pitched a much better game, either. Corcino had his longest outing of the season, fanning eight. He threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes. The Brewers had just four hits in the contest, and only two came off Corcino in six innings. Helena had plenty of chances to get on the board, getting runners into scoring position in three different innings and failing to bring them home. The Brewers now have 17 straight scoreless innings this series. Brewers manager Joe Ayrault had nothing but good things to say to his guys after the game. “They played a heck of a game,” he said when asked how he confronted his crew after the tough loss. “Tip your hat to their (Billings) pitchers, they were outstanding. They did a heck of a job, but so did ours. “We’re right there as far as a hitting team, we just couldn’t seem to get runs home.” Josh Smith (1-2) got the win for the Mustangs (24-19, 3-2). Lintz was tagged with the loss for Helena (21-22, 2-3). Billings actually held a temporary lead in the fourth, after Frederickson walked Billy Hamilton, who then advanced on a wild pitch and an error. With Hamilton at third, Frederickson was called for a balk to bring a run home for the Mustangs, but the call was reversed after Ayrault argued it and Gavin Hanson consulted with base umpire Ramon Hernandez. Hamilton also had his 12-game hitting streak snapped. “There’s no way it was a balk,” Frederickson said after the game. “I’m just mad we couldn’t win the game as a team. You throw six scoreless, usually you figure you’re going to get a win.”

Link while active, text follows: Former closer Burgos finds more success at beginning of games for Timber Rattlers By Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — Hiram Burgos had a hard time nailing down saves when he struggled as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' closer earlier this season. But recently, he may have made the biggest save of his professional baseball career — finding success as a starting pitcher. Burgos delivered his finest performance as a Timber Rattler on Wednesday afternoon, celebrating his 23rd birthday by pitching Wisconsin to a 3-1 victory over the Peoria Chiefs. Burgos scattered six hits over seven innings and struck out eight, with only one walk. He allowed just three hits and no runs in his final six innings after working out of a first-inning jam. It was his longest outing in a Wisconsin uniform. Two of the hits were infield singles. "He had a shaky first inning, but settled in and was very efficient," Wisconsin manager Jeff Isom said. "I thought it was an outstanding performance. The way he started, I was just hoping we'd get five innings out of him." Burgos raised his Timber Rattlers' pitching record to 3-5, but he's 5-0 as a starter: 2-0 with Wisconsin and 3-0 with Helena of the rookie-level Pioneer League. Burgos opened the season as the Rattlers' closer, but went 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA and was zero-for-three in save opportunities. He was sent down to Helena on May 15 and put in the team's starting rotation, where he flourished before earning a recall to Wisconsin on July 18. Burgos was solid on July 26 against South Bend, working six innings and allowing one earned run on four hits to pick up the win. He was even sharper Wednesday, finding a groove in the second inning and retiring 12 consecutive hitters at one point. "I see him more as a starter type," Isom said. "He's got four pitches, and the way he pitches, it may be more conducive to that of a starting pitcher, where he's able to settle in a bit." Burgos, a right-hander who was the Milwaukee Brewers' sixth-round pick out of Bethune-Cookman University in the 2009 draft, is happy to fill any role the Rattlers have for him. "Anywhere they want to use me is OK with me," he said. "As a starter, things are going well right now, but I'm comfortable coming out of the bullpen, too. Either way, I have to do my job." As a starter at Bethune-Cookman, Burgos won 21 games and struck out 250 in a productive four-year career. He made seven starts last season for Helena, going 3-2 with a 5.62 ERA in 14 games. "Coming out of the bullpen doesn't bother me, but when you're a starter, you can have kind of your own plan," he said. "You can work a lot of stuff. When you're in the bullpen, you have to attack more. Hitters are more aggressive near the end of the game. You've got to make your pitch and you have to throw strikes." The only time Burgos struggled to throw strikes Wednesday came in the first inning, when he threw 32 of his 103 pitches and allowed the Chiefs' only run on three consecutive hits. "I had problems with my fastball command that first inning," Burgos said. "But I battled back, got through it and kept pounding the strike zone." Burgos throws two-seam and four-seam fastballs, along with a slider, curve and change-up. "He's pretty tough when he keeps the fastball down in the zone," Isom said. "He did a good job today of mixing in a change-up, and he threw that in some big counts. What impressed me the most was that he went seven innings after a 32-pitch first inning." Efrain Nieves and Jon Pokorny followed with scoreless innings. Nieves was credited with a hold, his third of the season, while Pokorny earned his 11th save. Wisconsin starter Hiram Burgos pitches against Peoria at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute on Wednesday. He has won two consecutive starts since returning to the team. Post-Crescent photo by Wm. Glasheen http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20100805&Category=APC021102&ArtNo=8050645&Ref=AR&Profile=1019&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Timber Rattler Photo Gallery from the Post-Crescent

Nashville audio with OF Adam Stern

Link while active, text follows: Coles makes switch from coach to umpire in a pinch Hitting instructor comes to rescue after umpire Roberto Medina's injury BY JIM CAWLEY, FLORIDA TODAY A foul tip off the bat of Jupiter Hammerheads designated hitter Brett Hayes set in motion a rare occurrence in the first inning of Tuesday night's Florida State League game against the Brevard County Manatees at Space Coast Stadium. The ball hit home plate umpire Roberto Medina square in the chin. Medina then stumbled backward and fell to the ground in a seated position. Though he was able to return to his feet, he could not continue umpiring the game, leaving just one umpire on the field. Enter Milwaukee Brewers roving hitting instructor and former major leaguer Darnell Coles. At the suggestion of Hammerheads manager Ron Hassey, Coles -- wearing a Brewers uniform -- agreed to be an emergency umpire on the bases, while base umpire Matt Moisan put on the gear and took over behind the plate. So Coles, who just happened to be in town for the game, slipped on a navy pullover and headed out of the Manatees dugout and onto to the field. "I can't say that I've seen that before," Manatees manager Bob Miscik said. As it turned out, Coles did have to make some close calls. "He had two or three bang-bang plays, but he got them correct," Miscik said. "Both Ron Hassey and I knew that things had changed a little bit . . . You've got to play the game. I think both of us really weren't going to say much if he got it wrong -- but every call, he got it right." Jupiter won the game 7-6. According to FSL president Chuck Murphy, league rules also allow the home plate umpire to continue alone -- either behind the plate or behind the pitcher's mound. Or, a player from each team can be on the field as an umpire. "But that doesn't happen very often because you don't want to risk a player getting hurt out there," Murphy said. A final option is contacting one of two local designated umpires who are on call for the game. The home plate umpire would then continue by himself until the local umpire arrived to join him. But that was deemed unnecessary Tuesday night after both managers agreed on Coles as a replacement. Coles, who was traveling and unavailable for comment on Wednesday, willingly accepted the task, Miscik said. The unique situation wouldn't have happened at the Double-A or Triple-A levels, which use three umpires. At the FSL's Class A-Advanced level and below, just two umpires are used. Tuesday's injury delay spanned 20 minutes. Medina was examined thoroughly by Manatees trainer Tommy Craig -- according to Stephen Smith of spacecoastbaseball.com, who was web casting the game -- before being helped off the field. Medina never lost consciousness, and was not taken to the hospital. But he was watched closely by Manatees staff, including general manager Kyle Smith. "I basically was with him the whole evening," Smith said. "It's very important for us to make sure these umpires get taken care of. They're young, they're trying to climb the ladder just like the players are." Murphy said the league will proceed with caution regarding Medina's return to the field. "He's all right, but he's probably going to have to go through some rehab," Murphy said. "He's had a couple concussions before this, so we're going to watch him very closely and go through all the procedures. He's going to be out for a while."

We should have multiple additional reports from last night's action for you when we return to the forum here at mid-morning. Always fun when real-time (last night) interest in the thread is high -- there's always a spike when the big league boys are off (as they will be again Thursday night), regardless of the level of success / disappointment in the parent club. Back with more then...

Final: @Reno (Diamondbacks) 12, Nashville 1 Sounds Routed In Road Trip Opener Nashville Sounds RENO, Nev. - The Reno Aces rapped out 15 hits en route to a 12-1 spanking of the Nashville Sounds on Wednesday evening at Aces Ballpark in the opener of a four-game series. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Nashville (59-52), which fell to four games behind division-leading Iowa. The Sounds took a short-lived 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lorenzo Cain led off the contest with a single before scoring the game's first run on Brendan Katin's two-out RBI double off rehabbing Aces starter and former Sound Kris Benson. The run would be the only one of the night for Nashville, which was held to just six hits on the evening by a pair of Reno hurlers. Katin finished 2-for-3 for the Sounds' lone multiple-hit effort. Reno tied it in the second when ex-Sound Cole Gillespie drew an inning-opening walk from Chuck Löfgren and later scored on Mark Hallberg's single to right. The Aces blew the game open by plating 11 runs over the fourth and fifth innings. Reno plated six runs in the fourth but five of those scores came in unearned fashion following a one-out throwing error by Nashville first baseman Joe Koshansky. Ryan Roberts and Brandon Allen each belted two-run homers off Löfgren in the frame. The Aces extended their lead to 12-1 in the fifth with a five-run outburst, highlighted by a two-run Gillespie double off Sounds reliever Tim Dillard. Benson allowed one run on three hits over three innings in his rehab start before turning things over to Cesar Valdez (4-7), who tossed six scoreless frames the rest of the way to earn the victory. Valdez allowed only three hits while fanning nine batters. Löfgren (7-6) took the loss for Nashville after giving up a season-high 10 runs (only four were earned) on 11 hits over 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander has logged just one quality start in his last 13 starting assignments for the Sounds. The teams continue the series with another 9:05 PM CT meeting on Thursday. Left-hander Chase Wright (7-6, 4.58) will make the start for the Sounds to face Reno right-hander Kevin Mulvey (5-7, 5.11). Nashville Box Score Lorenzo Cain singled and stole a base; Mat Gamel singled in four trips and Eric Farris was 0-for-4; it's nothing personal against the Chase Wright's, Chuck Lofgren's, Chris Waters' of the world, but this organizational gap in the system that has potential big league starters still short of the AAA level leaves us with a very dry interest in the Sounds -- our attention should perk up tremendously next spring (or hopefully later this month) when some promotions are handed out -- we know the candidates we're waiting on... Nashville Game Log

Final: Arizona Brewers 9, @Arizona Athletics 1 Arizona Box ScoreMore outstanding pitching here -- only 18 years old last May 31st, RHP Michael Schaub was the rare late-round high school pick to sign, we know little of the Californian, but after missing over three weeks in July, he was stretched to two (again scoreless) innings in his second appearance back; sharing a birthday with Schaub (but five years apart) is LHP Charly Bashara (his hometown paper recently discussed his baseball resume here), Bashara with four scoreless, he's been an innings-saver for the A-Crew coaching staff; another undrafted southpaw, 22-year-old LHP Dexter Bobo, struck out six in his three innings as the trio fanned 15 Athletics... The Brewers actually fanned 13 times and drew only one walk, but were obviously more productive at the plate -- three doubles and two triples among the nine base hits; Nick Shaw (.996 OPS, what a summer), playing SS for the 6th time in 28 games, tripled, singled, and drove in two; T.J. Mittelstaedt, coming off a strong July and hitting cleanup here, singled twice with the team's only other multi-hit game; catcher Jhonatan Javier, DH'ing in this one, had the other triple and was HBP; it was not a fun return to the desert for 3B Kyle Dhanani, down from Brevard County, 0-for-4 with four K's and the club's lone error; 106 degrees at game time... Oh yeah, in our "what do we do with Jody Gerut" report, Gerut went 1-for-5 with a double and drove in two... Arizona Game Log Four A's errors meant four of the Brewer runs were unearned, but we'll take 'em...

Detailed interview with Huntsville Pitching Coach John Curtis Wily Peralta, Andre Lamontagne, Chris Cody, Nick Green, Jeremy Jeffress are discussed...

Talent and ExperienceBy Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars It’s not often Double-A teams can brag about having both talent and experience in the middle of the order. But the Huntsville Stars have been on fire recently because they have exactly that in Drew Anderson and Chris Nowak. Neither started the year with the Stars, but they have a good shot at finishing it in the Southern League Play-Offs. “It helps to have guys who have been around to help some of the younger guys, to show them what it takes to prepare each and every day,” Anderson said. “It’s nice to have Chris behind you, you’re going to get some better pitches to hit; they don’t want to pitch around me too much knowing that Chris can swing it really well.” In his last 10 games with Nowak batting behind him in the order, Anderson is hitting at a .342 clip. The 29-year old former Nebraska Cornhusker is not considered a prospect like Brett Lawrie and Caleb Gindl, but he’s the type of player every team needs if they want to make a run at the Southern League title. Last year Anderson was a Southern League Mid-Season All-Star. This year he started the season in Triple-A Nashville before being reassigned to Huntsville on May 26. Initially he played first base but he went on the DL on June 11. Anderson was activated on June 26 and saw his playing time increase by leaps and bounds when Lorenzo Cain earned a promotion to Nashville on July 2. The Cain promotion opened up a spot in the outfield that Anderson has held down ever since. He also brings major league experience to the table, having been called up in September of 2006 by the Brewers. “It was awesome, it was the reason I’m still here now, just trying to get back,” Anderson said. “It was the pinnacle of my playing career so the goal is to try to find a way to get there and stay there.” Anderson said the experience in the major leagues was worth every second of playing in the minor leagues. He’s is a left-handed slugger (five homers in 43 games) who can hit lefties (.308 batting average vs. LHP), but it’s been the addition of Chris Nowak that has made Anderson’s presence in the middle of the order all that more valuable. It was fortuitous for the Stars that the Rays’ organization released Nowak right about the same time first baseman Steffan Wilson went on the disabled list. The Stars picked up the 6’5’’ power hitting corner infielder right away. “I was actually watching that game (when Wilson got hurt) and I’ve had that happen, a dislocated shoulder,” Nowak said. “I know it stinks but an opportunity came open for me so it’s kind of a blessing in disguise I guess.” Since Nowak arrived in Huntsville on July 14, the Stars are 12-7 and he’s driven in 15 runs in the 18 games he’s played. The 27-year old slugger had been with the Rays’ organization ever since they drafted him in the 19th round in 2004. “They’d put me on the phantom roster, so I got the word out that I was probably going to be released in a couple days,” Nowak said. “The Brewers picked me up right away so it’s nice to stay in organized baseball with an organization as good as the Brewers.” Whether veteran leadership in a game as individualized as baseball really matters is up for debate, but Nowak says it certainly doesn’t hurt. “There’s a bunch of young guys on this team, to have some veteran guys in the clubhouse is definitely a plus,” Nowak said. “We’ve been there, done that, so hopefully we can bring a championship back here.” If Nowak does help Anderson and the rest of the Stars bring a championship to Huntsville, it will be the height of irony. He was named the Southern League Championship Series’ MVP in 2007 when the Biscuits won the title. Who was the opponent in that series? You guessed it, the Huntsville Stars. *** Nice write-up, Aaron -- that's actually the first time we've read about the nature of Steffan Wilson's injury.

PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes Primo pitching matchup detailed...

Final: @Wisconsin 3, Peoria (Cubs) 1 Burgos celebrates birthday with a win By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - Starting pitcher Hiram Burgos gave the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers a gift on his 23rd birthday. The right-hander toughed out a shaky first inning and settled in to pick up his second win as a starter with the team. Burgos allowed a run on six hits and struck out eight over seven innings in a 3-1 victory over the Peoria Chiefs Wednesday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field. Hunter Morris and Cameron Garfield provided the offense for the Rattlers in their second straight win over the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Burgos walked the leadoff hitter to start the game, but the Rattlers defense turned a 6-4-3 double play to clear the bases. Then, Peoria put together back-to-back hits that placed runners at first and third. Brandon May sent a slow grounder to third that was fielded cleanly by Cutter Dysktra. But, the Chiefs (55-50 overall, 17-19 second half) took a 1-0 lead when Dykstra tripped and had no play when he got to his feet. After that play, Burgos retired the next 12 batters he faced and let the Wisconsin hitters get back in the game. Morris evened the score in bottom of the fourth inning. He lined a home run to right field to start the frame. That was the fifth homer of the season for the Wisconsin first baseman. The Rattlers (44-62, 18-20) scored their winning runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-out rally. Kentrail Davis doubled with two out and none on base. Chris Dennis and Khris Davis walked to load the bases and chase Peoria starting pitcher Frank Batista. Garfield greeted Peoria reliever Ronny Morla with a sharp single to center that scored both Kentrail Davis and Dennis for a 3-1 lead. Burgos began the season in the Wisconsin bullpen before being sent to Helena in the Pioneer League after a loss to Beloit on May 15. He went 3-0 in five starts for the Helena Brewers before being recalled to the Rattlers late in July. Burgos is 2-0 as a starter and has allowed two earned runs in 16 innings since returning to the Rattlers. Efrain Nieves and Jon Pokorny each tossed a scoreless inning out of the Wisconsin bullpen to close out the Chiefs. Pokorny worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his eleventh save. Game three of the series is Thursday night. Wisconsin has Eric Arnett (0-8, 6.27) as the scheduled starting pitcher. Peoria counters with Su-Min Jung (6-3, 3.84). Game time is 7:05 PM. Thursday is a WIXX Thirsty Thursday. Fans may purchase 22 oz sodas and 16 oz. beers for $2 during the game. There is a special Thursday postgame fireworks display scheduled. After the fireworks, fans may play Launch-A-Ball and win great prizes from area businesses. If you can't make it out to Time Warner Cable Field, you can tune into the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM. The Miller Lite Pregame show starts at 6:45 PM. *** The Rattlers have their own staff select a Player and Pitcher of the Month. July's winners are detailed here. *** Wisconsin Box Score You wouldn't know it by looking at his YTD or even July numbers, but Khris Davis had been really struggling the last couple of weeks, so his double, single, walk here is nice to see; but this game was all about the men on the mound -- it's actually pretty easy to be excited about all three hurlers today, as Chris detailed RHP Hiram Burgos' success above, LHP Efrain Nieves extended his scoreless inning streak and folks have been pointing out fellow southpaw Jon Pokorny's ridiculous peripherals for weeks and weeks now... Wisconsin Game Log Huge two-out hit for Cameron Garfield -- we never see him referred as Cam, as in Neely, so Cameron it is; guess the Peoria staff had an issue with the ball and strike calls here... Wisconsin Bottom 6th Cutter Dykstra grounds out, third baseman Matthew Cerda to first baseman Justin Bour. Hunter Morris grounds out, pitcher Frank Batista to first baseman Justin Bour. Kentrail Davis doubles (13) on a fly ball to center fielder Anthony Giansanti. Chris Dennis walks. Peoria Chiefs Pitching Coach David Rosario ejected by HP umpire Nick Mahrley. Khristopher Davis walks. Kentrail Davis to 3rd. Chris Dennis to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Ronny Morla replaces Frank Batista. Cameron Garfield singles on a ground ball to right fielder Nelson Perez. Kentrail Davis scores. Chris Dennis scores. Khristopher Davis to 2nd. Joseph Paciorek grounds into a force out, shortstop Logan Watkins to second baseman George Matheus. Cameron Garfield out at 2nd.

Adam Heether no longer on the A's 40-man roster, designated for assignment.

Rattler Radio: August 4, 2010: Game Notes August 4, 2010: Today's starting pitcher I think many forget Hiram Burgos was a 6th round investment... August 4, 2010: Lineup Day off for Scooter...

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 62 48 .564 - - 30-26 32-22 7-3 L1 Memphis 60 51 .541 2.5 32 34-23 26-28 6-4 L2 Nashville 59 51 .536 3.0 32 31-26 28-25 5-5 W3 Omaha 58 53 .523 4.5 30 25-26 33-27 5-5 W2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Huntsville 22 16 .579 - - 12-8 10-8 8-2 W5 * Tennessee 22 16 .579 - - 14-7 8-9 6-4 L2 Carolina 18 20 .474 4.0 29 8-10 10-10 3-7 L2 Chattanooga 17 20 .459 4.5 29 10-9 7-11 5-5 L1 West Tenn 16 22 .421 6.0 27 8-7 8-15 4-6 W1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Daytona 26 12 .684 - - 14-6 12-6 8-2 L2 Tampa 24 12 .667 1.0 33 10-6 14-6 6-4 W4 Brevard County 23 15 .605 3.0 30 13-8 10-7 7-3 L1 Lakeland 17 20 .459 8.5 25 11-8 6-12 7-3 W3 * Dunedin 17 21 .447 9.0 24 9-8 8-13 5-5 L1 Clearwater 15 24 .385 11.5 21 9-8 6-16 3-7 L1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 23 12 .657 - - 9-8 14-4 7-3 L1 Kane County 22 15 .595 2.0 - 15-4 7-11 6-4 W1 * Cedar Rapids 20 16 .556 3.5 33 9-8 11-8 4-6 L5 Clinton 18 18 .500 5.5 31 10-8 8-10 5-5 W2 Beloit 17 18 .486 6.0 29 10-9 7-9 6-4 W2 Peoria 17 18 .486 6.0 31 10-7 7-11 7-3 L2 Wisconsin 17 20 .459 7.0 29 11-8 6-12 4-6 W1 Burlington 15 20 .429 8.0 28 11-6 4-14 2-8 L1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Billings 2 2 .500 - - 1-0 1-2 2-2 W1 * Great Falls 2 2 .500 - - 0-1 2-1 2-2 L2 Helena 2 2 .500 - - 2-1 0-1 2-2 L1 Missoula 2 2 .500 - - 1-2 1-0 2-2 W2 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 22 12 .647 - - 7-6 6-6 6-4 L2 AZL Dodgers 17 17 .500 5.0 18 6-6 6-5 6-4 W2 AZL Indians 17 18 .486 5.5 17 7-6 7-4 5-5 W1 AZL Reds 17 18 .486 5.5 17 7-4 5-7 5-5 W4 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 31 22 .585 - - 18-9 13-13 6-4 L2 DSL Cardinals 30 22 .577 0.5 20 21-4 9-18 6-4 W1 DSL Athletics 23 29 .442 7.5 13 13-13 10-16 5-5 W1 DSL Brewers 21 32 .396 10.0 10 13-14 8-18 3-7 L1

Follow Wednesday'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

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chuck Lofgren at Reno (Diamondbacks), 8:50 PM pre-game; 9:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Amaury Rivas at home vs. Carolina (Reds), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Cody Scarpetta at Bradenton (Pirates), 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link (Pirates' feed) Wisconsin: RHP Hiram Burgos at home vs. Peoria (Cubs), 11:45 AM pre-game; 12:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link Helena: LHP Evan Frederickson at Billings (Reds), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at the Athletics' complex in Phoenix; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM; there is a good chance this will be a doubleheader; if so, we'll let you know...

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Reminder as you plan your minor league day, the Rattlers audio begins at 11:45 AM Central, although I imagine a few of you will also keep an eye on Wrigley Field, despite the lack of playoff impliations there. We'll have Wednesday's Link Report up just in time for the Wisconsin game.

Manatees lose series finale, 7-6 By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees VIERA, Fla. - One pitch was ultimately the difference on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium as Jupiter's Kevin Mattison crushed a grand slam to right field in the sixth inning off of Trey Watten to lead the Hammerheads to a 7-6 victory over the Brevard County Manatees. The grand slam came after the Manatees (50-57, 23-15) rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first inning, to take a 4-3 lead in the third. Josh Prince, Erik Komatsu and Sergio Miranda all had RBI singles in the inning. for the Manatees. Brevard County starting pitcher Kyle Heckathorn went five innings and gave up three of the six hits that he allowed and all three runs, in that first frame. The top of the first was prolonged even more when home plate umpire Roberto Medina was struck underneath the chin by the back swing of a Jupiter hitter. Medina left the game and both managers agreed to have Brewers roving hitting instructor Darnell Coles work as the base umpire and Matt Moisan moved behind the plate. Watten came in for Heckathorn in the sixth and allowed three consecutive base runners to start the inning. Jupiter manager Ron Hassey was ejected by Moisan after he argued that there was obstruction by Manatees third baseman Peter Fatse, when Watten's throw to second got past Fatse, but Hassey argued that he was in the way of Thomas Hickman and that prevented him from scoring. For the Hammerheads the arugment wouldn't matter, as Mattison tattooed the 2-0 offering by Watten over the right field wall for a grand slam to give Jupiter (36-69, 14-23) a 7-4 lead. The Manatees escaped the inning, not allowing anymore runs. Brevard County wasn't out of it yet as a sacrifice fly by Miranda and a RBI single by Scott Krieger made it a 7-6 game. The tying run was on second with two outs, but Sean McCraw flied out to end the inning. The Manatees would not have another runner reach the rest of the game as the Hammerheads took three out of four games in Viera. Angel Salome had three hits, while Prince, Miranda and Kjeldgaard had two each. Miranda also drove in two runs and McCraw had Brevard County's only extra-base hit. The Manatees will look to regroup and hit the road for an eight-game road trip. It will start with a four-game set against the Bradenton Marauders beginning on Wednesday at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). In the series opener, Cody Scarpetta (6-8, 3.59) will take the mound for the Manatees, while the Marauders will counter with Nathan Adcock (8-6, 3.63).