Jim Goulart

The only three hits in the entire Manatee game for Brevard came in their three-run 4th inning. Considering Jeffress' 9th inning difficulty, it's a good thing Dan Merklinger posted zero's for eight innings. Big win for the team on a night when both Erik Komatsu and Sergio Miranda were rested.

And on the 7th day, the Lord said, "Let there be a new Power 50".

Josh Romanski just spun seven more top-notch innings for the Yankees' South Atlantic League farm club, allowing zero earned runs (two unearned) on four hits, just one walk, three strikeouts, while inducing three GIDP's. Note: Romanski was brought out to begin the 8th inning with a 3-1 lead, but left after an error and a double. The reliever did a nice job, and only the unearned run was added to Josh's line. It's Romanski's third consecutive outing of seven (or more) innings, allowing three earned runs coimbined in those 21.2 innings. The southpaw topped out at 89-90 MPH, and displayed outstanding command to both sides of the plate. (It was one of the few MiLB audio links functioning this evening, apparently.) MiLB.com's box scores are all hung as of this post time, but eventually you'll see his efforts detailed in the box score here. We've initiated some conversations with those in the Charleston media and such, and hope to have some details on this mystery release (which is quickly becoming quite the embarrassment for the Brewers' front office) at some point. *** We should point out that for every transaction like this, there usually is an obscure transaction success story such as John Axford or Brandon Kintzler. This thread isn't meant to shame the Brewers, but it's such an extreme case with so little sense to it, we've decided to highlight the proceedings.

Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes Rattler Radio: July 17, 2010: Game Notes July 17, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher July 17, 2010: Lineup

You can't place this anywhere near the possible big fumble of Josh Romanski. Bueno isn't even back in an official uniform as of yet, affiliated or independent, and the Brewers had him for three and a half seasons. At least I think that's what you were hinting at...

Nashville reliever Brandon Kintzler's DL stint is for a strained oblique.

KRISTV.com (Corpus Christi, TX) Astros Audition: Calallen Grad Tries Out WESLACO - Former Calallen pitcher Kristian Bueno will be the first to tell you that being released wasn't easy for him. Drafted in the ninth round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007, the organization let him go in early June following a rehab start with the club's Arizona League (rookie level) team. He'd been nursing a pulled rib-cage muscle. Now, he's hoping the Astros take a chance on him. Bueno pitched Thursday at an Astros tryout camp at Weslaco East High School under the watchful eye of Houston scout Rusty Pendergrass, consistently throwing in the 91-93 mile per hour range. "This is my second tryout with the Astros here. I did the one in the Woodlands on the 10th. It didn't go so good. It was a little rough," he said, noting that he he topped out in the mid-80's during the first tryout. "I worked on some pitching during the week and came out here and I think I had a pretty fair performance." "I hadn't been to one of these since I was 18 and I'm 21 now," he added. "I was just trying to get back into the rhythm of how these things work, warming up quicker on the mound. You only have 15 pitches to really impress somebody." Bueno struggled as a starter in the Brewers system, going winless in 10 starts during his first two seasons for the AZL Brewers. He improved as a reliever in 2009 while pitching for Milwaukee's Pioneer League affiliate in Helena, Montana, notching 22 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. However, he still gave up 15 runs and walked 19 batters. He's hoping he can get a fresh start with the Astros, the team he rooted for growing up. Pendergrass wouldn't divulge his intentions toward Bueno after the tryout. "He's left handed. That's all I will say," he said. "I can't give any secrets away." "It's kind of up in the air right now. We don't really know much now. I'm just hoping I get a chance to play for the Astros," Bueno said. "They know I live in Corpus and Double-A is the Corpus Christi Hooks. I think that would be really cool. To play in Houston, that would be a dream." http://www.kristv.com/images/thumbnails/B1D6E42A85AF7B7491407871161EA53A_250_250.jpg

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 50 42 .543 - - 27-24 23-18 6-4 W1 Omaha 49 42 .538 0.5 53 23-22 26-20 6-4 L1 Nashville 49 43 .533 1.0 52 24-19 25-24 5-5 W1 Memphis 49 44 .527 1.5 51 26-19 23-25 3-7 L2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Huntsville 12 10 .545 - - 5-4 7-6 7-3 L1 * Tennessee 12 10 .545 - - 8-4 4-6 5-5 W4 Carolina 11 11 .500 1.0 48 4-5 7-6 5-5 L3 Chattanooga 10 12 .455 2.0 47 7-6 3-6 2-8 L5 West Tenn 7 15 .318 5.0 44 4-6 3-9 2-8 L2 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 13 6 .684 - - 5-3 8-3 6-4 W3 Brevard County 12 9 .571 2.0 49 9-5 3-4 7-3 W2 Daytona 12 9 .571 2.0 49 8-3 4-6 5-5 L1 * Dunedin 9 12 .429 5.0 46 5-4 4-8 4-6 W1 Clearwater 9 13 .409 5.5 45 7-2 2-11 3-7 L3 Lakeland 6 14 .300 7.5 44 4-7 2-7 4-6 L2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 12 7 .632 - - 6-4 6-3 6-4 W1 Kane County 13 8 .619 - - 9-3 4-5 8-2 W4 * Cedar Rapids 11 9 .550 1.5 49 7-4 4-5 6-4 L2 Clinton 11 9 .550 1.5 49 7-5 4-4 5-5 W1 Burlington 10 10 .500 2.5 48 9-3 1-7 4-6 W1 Wisconsin 10 11 .476 3.0 47 8-4 2-7 5-5 L2 Beloit 8 12 .400 4.5 45 6-6 2-6 3-7 L1 Peoria 7 12 .368 5.0 46 5-6 2-6 4-6 W3 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Great Falls 14 11 .560 - - 6-6 8-5 5-5 W1 Billings 13 12 .520 1.0 13 7-5 6-7 8-2 W2 Helena 12 13 .480 2.0 12 7-6 5-7 2-8 L6 Missoula 10 15 .400 4.0 10 7-6 3-9 4-6 W2 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 15 6 .714 - - 3-3 2-2 5-4 L1 AZL Dodgers 10 11 .476 5.0 31 2-3 2-2 4-5 L1 AZL Indians 10 11 .476 5.0 31 3-2 4-1 7-2 W2 AZL Reds 8 13 .381 7.0 29 0-3 3-3 2-6 W1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Cardinals 23 17 .575 - - 18-3 5-14 6-4 L2 DSL Mariners 23 17 .575 - - 14-6 9-11 8-2 W4 DSL Brewers 17 22 .436 5.5 28 11-7 6-15 4-6 L4 DSL Athletics 17 24 .415 6.5 26 10-11 7-13 3-7 W2

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)

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Marty McLeary at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: LHP Chris Cody at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: LHP Dan Merklinger at home vs. Charlotte (Rays), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link (Select Charlotte Stone Crabs for the visiting feed) Wisconsin: RHP Jake Odorizzi at home vs. Great Lakes (Dodgers), 6:15 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Tyler Cravy at home vs. Orem (Angels), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the lower case A's; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: Idle for the All-Star break -- game is Sunday, NL vs. AL -- we probably won't know until Sunday night which Brewers represented

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July 16 - Chat with Sounds Hitting Coach Sandy Guerrero It's all Home Run Derby talk; we'll get farmhand analysis from Sandy the next time around, we imagine...

Listen to Joe Koshansky's walk-off Nashville blast via this link.

We've asked Helena's Steve Wendt to confirm for us whether RHP Austin Ross does or does not go by "Cody" -- our guess is it's an error that was made when the Brewers submitted information to MiLB.com.

Link while active, text follows: Brewers' skid hits six as late rally falls short By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record Reigning Pioneer League pitcher of the week Red Patterson turned in his best outing of the season on paper, but you wouldn’t have known it from talking to him. The Ogden Raptors starter carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning Friday against the league’s second-best hitting team, a big reason why the Raptors won their sixth straight game and earned their second straight series sweep with a 5-3 victory over the Helena Brewers at Kindrick Field. Despite Patterson’s strong start and longest outing—he gave up just two hits, an unearned run and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings—the humble right-hander who is 3-0 on the season wasn’t overly pleased. “I didn’t feel good out there, I actually had a lot of trouble keeping the fastball down, threw a lot of balls,” said Patterson, who walked two. “Things went the right way, but by no means was that one of my top starts. Great outing ... and yeah, the stats look really good, but from a pitching standpoint there’s still a lot to work on. I got away with a lot of things tonight.” Helena manager Joe Ayrault was impressed with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 29th-round draft pick. “He mixed his pitches well, attacked the zone early in the count,” the Brewers skipper said. “I thought a few at-bats early in the game we gave them away, got ourselves out, but tip your hat to that kid, he threw a heck of a game.” Helena starter Stosh Wawrzasek nearly matched Patterson in the pitcher’s duel, turning in his best performance of the season. It was a scoreless ball game when Wawrzasek left after five innings, in which he had given up just three hits. The Brewers bullpen self-destructed a bit, with Austin Ross getting tagged with the loss in his first professional appearance. Reliever Chad Robinson returned from an injury that had kept him out since July 1. While Robinson got roughed up in the eighth, Ayrault was just happy his right-hander felt good when he came off the mound. Helena got hot late, as has become custom for the third-place squad. A night after bringing the tying run to the plate, the Brewers brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth. After Mike Walker reached on an error by Ogden second baseman Casio Grider, the only miscue of the game, Brandon Sizemore stroked a broken-bat single to center. But strong fielding by the Raptors prevented the Brewers’ rally. “We talked about being ready when the bell rings,” Ayrault said. “Shoot, maybe we’ll play ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ early in the game, I gotta tell the sound guy up there, to get them rolling right from the get-go. But I would much rather have a team that’s a late-inning team anyway.” Now, the Brewers find themselves below .500 (12-13) for the first time this season, while Ogden improves to 15-10 and holds a two-and-a-half game lead in the South Division. “You’re going to have your ups and downs,” Ayrault said. “Hopefully it just bounces back in our court and we get on a hot streak.” Photos by Dylan Brown Independent Record - Helena Brewers Manager Joe Ayrault congratulates Stosh Wawrzasek, pitcher, after striking out a Ogden player in the fifth inning. Wawrzasek threw six no run innings Friday night. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/5/b7/07d/5b707d78-9153-11df-b0ac-001cc4c002e0-revisions/4c41235ccef29.image.jpg Ogden's Casio Grider throws the ball to first base to complete a double play, while Helena's Carlos George slides in to second at Kindrick Field, Friday night. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/6/b1/faa/6b1faadc-9153-11df-8265-001cc4c002e0-revisions/4c41237719440.image.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Wisconsin pitcher Arnett hopes fresh start will pay off on the mound By Ricardo Arguello, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — It's a clean slate for Eric Arnett. The Milwaukee Brewers' 2009 first-round pick out of Indiana University returned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Thursday for his second stint with the team after a tough first half of the season that saw him finish with a 0-7 record in 12 starts, with a 6.87 ERA. He's hoping his recent stint at rookie ball in the Arizona League will help him find more success on the mound for the Timber Rattlers, who lost 6-4 to Lansing in a Midwest League game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday. Arnett pitched well in three relief appearances for Arizona, but did have a rough outing in his only start with the team, finishing his stint with a 2-0 record and a 7.31 ERA. "Really, that's what got me in trouble in the first place," Arnett said about worrying about numbers. "Obviously, this time around, I want to have good numbers, but the main thing is keeping the team in the ballgames and developing as a pitcher to make it to the big leagues. "I'm looking at it as a new slate. Everything in the past is behind you, so now you focus on what you worked on (in Arizona) and get back on track." Wisconsin manager Jeff Isom expects Arnett to return to the mound within "the next couple of days." "It's a new and improved Eric Arnett coming to town," Isom said. Arnett doesn't believe the pressures of being a first-round pick had anything to do with his struggles. "It doesn't matter what round you're drafted in, the first or the 50th, you don't want to struggle," he said. "But everyone in the Brewers organization has talked to me about that kind of stuff and they don't want to put any extra pressure on me. They know that you're going to struggle and you know you're going to struggle and I know that, but you want to do good and perform well for the people in (Appleton) and Milwaukee. "It was frustrating early, but I think I've gotten past that and I'm ready to go on." Arnett says he made some changes to his delivery in terms of ball location and also hiding the ball prior to the pitch. Isom thinks some of those changes should help him. "He worked on some mechanical things in Arizona and from what I'm hearing, they've seen some good things with him," Isom said. "We're excited to get him on the mound, see what he's capable of doing."

Back in May, the Brewers extended their agreement with Brevard County through 2012, as detailed earlier in this thread. It now appears the club may benefit from some negotiated impovements at Space Coast Stadium between the county and the Washington Nationals, who conduct spring training there -- Link while active, text follows: Nationals request upgrades Field replacement tops team's 35-item list for Space Coast Stadium BY MARK DeCOTIS • FLORIDA TODAY The Washington Nationals have submitted a 35-item list of what they believe are necessary capital improvements to Space Coast Stadium in advance of 2011 spring training. Topping the list -- and most likely the only item to be immediately addressed -- is replacement of the original stadium playing surface, drainage and irrigation repair, and new sod for bullpen areas with a starting date of no later than Sept. 20. Time would be of the essence since the work would need to be completed and new grass laid down before the onset of cold weather. County spokeswoman Kimberly Prosser said the county manager's office asked the Nationals to prioritize the 35-item list, which the team did. "The priorities list will go to the Board of County Commissioners later this month for permission to bid," Prosser wrote in an e-mail. "After that, an RFP (request for proposals) would be issued." Five items the Nationals say the county, which owns the stadium, has identified as necessary but most likely will be delayed are: Sidewalk repair; continuing installation of waterproofing system in the concourse area; repairing the batting cage roof; emergency exit light replacement; and updating the structural evaluation of the stadium. The items were submitted in a letter dated May 14, 2010 from the Nationals Director of Florida Operations Thomas Bell to Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten. In the letter, Bell requested improvements be completed by Jan. 15. Bell said the organization would not comment on the improvements issue. Under a lease that expires in 2017, the team pays for stadium operations and maintenance while the county is responsible for capital improvements. The capital improvement money comes from taxes paid by tourists on lodgings -- not local property taxes -- that are earmarked for the stadium and promotional activities. Kalina Subido, [/b]International Marketing Manager of the Brevard County Tourism Development Council, which administers the tourism tax, said the TDC in June recommended the Board of County Commissioners approve $316,000 for 2010-2011 work. The current list of improvements, including field replacement, is estimated to cost more than $2 million. Replacing the field alone is expected to cost about $316,000. The average time from advertisement to opening of bids is 30 days. The stadium hosted its first spring training game in March of 1994. The Nationals, who succeeded the former Montreal Expos franchise, began holding spring training at the Viera stadium in 2005. They are under contract to train there through Dec. 31, 2017. Brevard officials have spent nearly $5 million on the stadium since 2006. Improvements included new seats, canopy and roof replacement, new electronic scoreboard, video board, stadium paint, gate signs, monument sign (front marquee), team store remodel, locker room renovations, padding replacement, fence repairs, ceiling tile replacement, mold remediation, renovated concession stands, new lighting, batting cage upgrades, and sidewalk repairs. Charlie Baumann, president of the Brevard County Manatees, the Milwaukee Brewers Class A Florida State League affiliate that subleases the stadium from the Nationals, lauds the big league team's efforts to upgrade the facility. "They've done a magnificent job in working with the county and improving the stadium to where it enhances the fan experience," Baumann said. "It's a really nice place. We're really thrilled to have the facility we have." The Manatees have input through the Nationals on stadium improvements. "There's always ways to improve the fan experience, we'll let the Nationals take the lead on that one," Baumann said. Here's the list of 35 requested improvements.

Link while active, text follows: 'Tees hurler in a groove Cody Scarpetta hasn't allowed a run this month BY MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY Cody Scarpetta has not been in a giving mood lately. The Brevard County Manatees right-hander has not allowed a run in his last 21 innings on the mound, quite a turnaround from earlier in the season. Scarpetta had allowed 23 runs in 29 innings before beginning the scoreless streak over his final four innings against Lakeland at home on June 24. Since then, he pitched five innings at Dunedin on July 2, seven innings against Dunedin at home on July 8 and five innings against Charlotte at home on Wednesday, all without allowing a runner across the plate. In his last three outings, he has allowed only six hits over 17 innings while striking out 25. "It feels pretty good," Scarpetta said of his streak, attributing it to a mechanical adjustment to his lower body. "Before my leg, my knee would kind of fly open, like a door flying open. We've been trying to stay closed, keeping that knee closed, going down straight down to the ground." Scarpetta, whose father Dan pitched in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 1982-89, was drafted by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Guilford (Ill.) High School. An intimidating presence on the mound at 6 feet, 3 inches and 240 pounds, he's in his first season with the Manatees, the Brewers affiliate in the long-season Class A Florida State League. The FSL is considered one of the most challenging levels, if not the toughest, in A ball. Scarpetta believes the secret to success in the FSL comes down to one thing: executing pitches. And it's his fastball, clocked as high as 96 mph, that he has been executing most effectively. In fact, on Wednesday, his first 42 pitches were heaters. "My big thing, I feel like if I can command the ball, I should have success, and that's what I've been doing so far," Scarpetta said. However, a pitcher doesn't live by heat alone, and Scarpetta is aware he needs to refine his secondary pitches -- his changeup, his curve and his cut fastball. Scarpetta also is aware of maintaining his confidence through the ups and downs of the 140-game season, and his efforts have not escaped notice from his teammates, who have joked with him about it. His next opportunity to both extend his streak and impress his teammates comes Monday at Palm Beach. Pitching coach Fred Dabney, who worked with Scarpetta on the adjustment, credited the pitcher for being able to adapt and make the most of the change. "It was a simple adjustment that took a little bit of time for him to get it down," Dabney said. "Once he got it down, he's taken it and run with it and is getting more consistent every day with it." And now that Scarpetta is comfortable, Dabney can see Scarpetta's consistency and confidence increasing and, with them, his results. "Cody's got outstanding stuff," Dabney said. That may be the case, but there's one more weapon in Scarpetta's arsenal that he is using: his memory, or lack thereof. "I know (about the streak)," he said. "I'm just taking one game at a time. You kind of have to have amnesia going from the last game to the next. You've just got to stay on the routine you've been on, what works for you." And that's obviously working for him. Scarpetta stats Record:[/b] 4-8 ERA:[/b] 3.70 Games:[/b] 17 Innings pitched:[/b] 822/3 Hits:[/b] 73 Runs:[/b] 39 Earned runs:[/b] 34 Home runs allowed:[/b] 3 Walks:[/b] 44 Strikeouts:[/b] 92 [/b] Brevard County Manatees pitcher Cody Scarpetta hasn't allowed a run in his past three outings. (Dennis Greenblatt, for FLORIDA TODAY) http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100717&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=7170325&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Jake Odorizzi -- Brewers Team: low Class A Wisconsin (Midwest) Age: 20 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 9 SO The Scoop: Brewers' 2009 first-rounder Eric Arnett may be experiencing the worst year of his life, but life has been good for the organization's top '08 picks, Double-A second baseman Brett Lawrie and Odorizzi. An Illinois prep product, Odorizzi has hit his stride in the last month, going 3-0, 0.36 with a 32-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last four starts. That's two runs over 25 innings for Odorizzi, who uses a low-90s sinker and curveball to good effect (he's allowing only one home run all year). He ranks second in the Midwest League in opponent average (.202) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.1). *** And where did that glowing review land Jake on the BA Hot Sheet? Take a peek.

The Brewers signed a new DSL catcher, 20-year-old Deivi Mejia, a 6'0", 195 lb. RH Dominican native. Mejia debuted with an 0-for-3 with a walk on Thursday night. For those keeping score at home, the four players formally listed as catchers can be seen at the DSL roster here.

This helps explain why big 6'4", 235 lb. RHP Ryan Bernal, the Brewers' 23rd round pick out of Florida Atlantic, has struggled in his last two outings. FAUOwlAccess.com: Bernal is dealing with a sore back and hasn’t pitched for the rookie league's Helena Brewers since June 30.

Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes Rattler Radio: July 16, 2010: Game Notes July 16, 2010: Tonight's Pitcher

The Nashville media notes also indicate no replacement for Lorenzo Cain has been named for their roster, so the Sounds are now one man short.

Nashville Media Notes: UPDATING THE ROSTER: Catcher Martin Maldonado returns to active duty today for the Sounds after missing the last 2 1/2 weeks with a left ankle sprain suffered in a home plate collision with Memphis baserunner Mark Shorey on June 24th. Prior to his injury, Maldonado was riding his longest hit streak of the season, batting .333 (6-for-18) during a six-gamer. Catcher Anderson De La Rosa was returned to Double-A Huntsville to make room for Maldonado. Right-handed reliever Brandon Kintzler, who has held PCL hitters to a .167 average while posting a 2.70 ERA in 12 appearances, has been placed on the Sounds’ D.L., retroactive to Wednesday. Right-hander Robert Hinton, who finished the 2009 season with Nashville, joins the Sounds today from Double-A Huntsville, where he opened the year by posting a 3-2 record, one save, and a 3.40 ERA (17 ER / 45.0 IP) while racking up 56 strikeouts in 45.0 innings of work. *** Here's hoping Brandon's going to be back soon -- bummer; Hinton deserves the promotion. The still-25-year-old Hinton (26 next month) figures to be a hot property in the minor league free agent market this fall.

Good news -- must have been the equivalent of tickling his funny bone -- quickest return ever from an injury involving a pitcher's elbow.