Jim Goulart

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Within the next 3-5 days, we're submitting and compiling our individual rankings as a staff this weekend. Your guess won't be far off, by the way...

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Pitcher John Axford Very well-spoken, you learn a lot about John here -- nice job again by Chuck Valenches identifying the "hot topic" for an interview segment; surely Brett, Chris, and Steve are doing the same, they just need to come up with a way to bundle those audio packages for us, which would be gold...

It's absolutely fantastic that the Huntsville Times has said, "you know, we really don't need game recaps, let's do an interesting player profile nearly every day whil the team is at home" -- good stuff... Link while active, text follows: Game stress not big deal Past experiences build confidence in new Stars reliever By Brad Shepard For The Huntsville Times Last year at this time, Rob Wooten was pitching in front of nearly 30,000 fans in Omaha, Neb., while millions of home viewers watched his North Carolina Tar Heels in the College Baseball World Series. Back home in tiny Fremont, N.C., the Huntsville Stars relief pitcher also had a day set aside in his honor. So, pardon Wooten if Thursday's Double-A debut in front of 2,023 fans at Joe Davis Stadium didn't exactly birth belly butterflies. These days, it's tough to get him rattled - and that's exactly why he's mowing through the minors. "I think his makeup sets him apart," Stars pitching coach John Curtis said. "There aren't a bunch of guys out there confident with the weight of the game on his shoulders. "He relies on command, action and conviction. He just believes he's going to shut the other side down, and that's important." Since being chosen in the 13th round of the 2008 draft, Wooten has dominated. The former Tar Heels closer who set an NCAA record with 47 appearances as a junior turned around his college career when UNC pitching coach Scott Forbes worked on lowering his arm slot after his freshman year. The minor mechanical adjustment put a frustrating two years of an injury (torn labrum) and inconsistency behind him. Since being drafted, Wooten has proven he's a polished professional. After brief but successful stops in rookie ball and Low-A, Wooten set a High-A Brevard County saves record in half a season this year, converting 18 of 19 opportunities. He was 1-1 with a 1.20 earned run average with 44 strikeouts and 13 walks in 30 innings, and Baseball America recently named him as one of the Brewers prospects on the fast track to the majors. In his Huntsville debut Thursday, Wooten allowed a hit, induced a groundout and closed the game with two strikeouts. "I have to say pitching in an environment like I did in college and playing in crucial, nerve-wracking situations definitely prepared me for what I'm doing now," he said. "When you're pitching in front of 30,000-plus, it's the closest you can get to major-league competition." Less than three weeks ago, he and set-up man John Axford sat in the Brevard bullpen talking about making it to the bigs. Axford was promoted to Huntsville and wasn't here two weeks before getting promoted to Triple-A. Now, Wooten has taken a step up, too. "He called me the night I got moved up and congratulated me," Wooten said of Axford. "I asked him where he was staying in Huntsville, and he said, 'Well, this is where I was staying, but I'll be gone tomorrow. I'm going to Triple-A.' That's pretty exciting for me." Though he doesn't have an overwhelming fastball, Wooten showcases a repertoire that includes an 88-90 mph fastball, a cutter, slider and a wicked split-finger that's his out-pitch against left-handed batters. He has confidence to throw any of those pitches in any count, and it's that fearlessness that makes him valuable. "He's not a 'fireball closer' like Bobby Jenks," Curtis said. "He's closer to a Trevor Hoffman." Wooten gushes at the possibilities of one day being a big-league closer. "We all know Trevor Hoffman is getting a little bit older, but he's the greatest closer of all-time," Wooten said. "Filling his shoes would be extremely difficult, but if they gave me that opportunity, I'd be the happiest guy in the world. But then again if they just wanted me to get one out, I'd still be the happiest guy in the world. "It seems like three or four years ago, I was wondering, 'What am I going to do with my life because it sure won't be baseball,' and one minor change, and here I am."

Final: Albuquerque (Dodgers) 2, Nashville 0 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Lindsay Gulin photo, text follows -- Isotopes Shutout Sounds 2-0 In Series Finale ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Nashville Sounds dropped the series finale 2-0 to the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday night at Isotopes Park. Nashville's shutout loss was the team's seventh this season and third this series to the Isotopes. Jason Bourgeois recorded his 12th multi-hit game in his last 17 contests, but Nashville's batters hitting 3-5 in the lineup went a combined 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts. Jason Schmidt (1-0) took the win, allowing five hits over 7 and 2/3 scoreless innings, while striking out seven. Lindsay Gulin (3-4) threw his third quality start in June, but earned a tough loss, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts over seven innings. The Isotopes loaded the bases on Gulin with no outs in the bottom of the fourth, with Chin-lung Hu leading off with a single, followed by a base hit to left field by Blake DeWitt, and Jamie Hoffman walk. After Dee Brown scored Hu on an infield-ground out, J.D. Closser brought home DeWitt with a base-knock to left field that put Albuquerque ahead at 2-0. Bourgeois and shortstop Alcides Escobar recorded two-out base hits in the top of the sixth inning, but were both stranded when Schmidt got Hernan Iribarren to ground out to third and end the rally. The Sounds loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but failed to record any runs in the frame. Cole Gillespie led off the inning with a base hit to right field, followed by a Martin Maldonado walk, and Bourgeois hit-by-pitch. Schmidt got Escobar to fly out, and then was relieved by Erick Threets, who struck Iribarren to get out of the jam. Scott Strickland struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his 13th save of the season. The first place Sounds return to Music City to begin a four-game series with the Oklahoma City RedHawks at 6:00 PM CT on Saturday night at Historic Greer Stadium. Left-hander Chase Wright (4-5, 3.82) takes the hill for Nashville against Oklahoma City right-hander Bryan Corey (3-2, 4.81). Nashville Box Score 40-man roster first baseman Joe Koshansky's season on a downward spiral, not that is was ever very "high" to begin with... Nashville Game Log

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com Hinton hits milestone Mark Holliman joins Donovan Hand with 6th victory The night after Zach Braddock made Stars history by becoming the first Huntsville pitcher to hit a grand-slam HR (in his first professional at-bat, no less), Robert Hinton made his milestone 100th pitching appearance for the Stars -- the 6th Huntsville pitcher to reach that platform, as the Stars continued to dominate Chattanooga in this series...... The Stars have outscored the Lookouts, 34-14 in this six-game series, while hitting .284........ Nice to see them win on my birthday. Hinton came into the game, in relief of starter Mark Holliman and Casey Baron, looking for his 10th save, after powerful Andrew Lambo turned a 5-0 game into a game within reach for the Chattanooga Lookouts with a monstrous three-run homer almost to dead-center....... Cruising with a two-hitter, it looked like the momentum was shifting in this game when in the 6th, Jonathan Lucroy, with the bases loaded and one out, hit a comebacker right back to pitcher Javy Guerra, who didn't have to move a foot to start a 1-2-3 double play ending a possible big inning....... The omen continued to grow in the top of the 7th when Kevin Melillo's throwing error allowed Joseph Becker to reach for a two-base error. Holliman struck out Josh Bell, but Holliman grazed Eduardo Perez with a pitch, setting the stage for Lambo's big blast. Tommy Giles singled hard up the middle with two out, ending Holliman's night, and Gabriel Gutierrez did likewise off Baron, the new pitcher, finding a hole through the left side of the infield. With runners on first and second, it looked like Chattanooga was going to have another big inning, but pinch-hitter Mike Rose lined out to Freddy Parejo in right. Hinton, the Stars' hot-and-cold closer, took over in the 8th to face the top of the order. After a called strike, Hinton came off the first base side of the mound to field a tough slapper by James Tomlin. It would have been a risky throw. Hinton kept the ball and as fast as Tomlin was able to reach first with the single, he was forced out on Becker's grounder to Johnny Raburn. Hinton finished the inning with four more pitches, then retired the Lookouts in order with a grounder and a pair of strikeouts, using 17 pitches in the 8th....... But no save for Hinton....... The Stars put across a pair of runs in the 7th on a two-run single by Raburn (who had his biggest game this year: 3-for-3 with three RBIs) and a two-run HR by Melillo (his team-leading 8th) that stayed just within the right field foul line in the 8th. Adam Stern continued his stolen base resurgence, picking up his league-leading 27th stolen base with a swipe of third in the 2nd inning. He has four in his last five games after managing only one in the first three weeks of June........ Saturday, the Stars turn back the clock and commemorate 1985 -- the very first successful year of the team's existence when they drew over 300,000 and won the Southern League championship. Josh Butler and Travis Chick return to face each other, as they did in the first game of this series, so that should make the game interesting....... Chick was San Diego's #4 minor league prospect in 2005. Robert Hinton has now moved into 45th place among the Stars' all-time relief list in innings pitched (148), ahead of Mike Maurer. Next is Jack Krawczyk, who has 151 2/3 innings...... Hinton has a few more games to catch up to Scott Huntsman (107), then should cruise past Dave Latter (111) and Steve Phoenix (112) for 3rd place before he's locked behind Maurer and the all-time leader, Derek Lee, who leads with 136 appearances. Shane Justis, 7-for-18 (.389) since the second half started, raised his average to .312, 7th best in the Southern League. The Stars, as a team, are 2nd in the league in batting with a .262 average........ Donovan Hand, who starts against Tennessee when the Stars go on the road, is 2nd among SL ERA leaders (2.34). The Stars are 8th in ERA (4.08). The Diamond Jaxx released former Stars pitcher Patrick Ryan (2-5, 6.62), Friday night...... Also Friday night, Birmingham pitcher Lucas Harrell (8-3, 3.25) was promoted to Class AAA-Charlotte (IL)....... Chattanooga signed Ramon Nivar, a former major leaguer with Texas and Baltimore, prior to Saturday night's game, as a free agent. Holliman got him on a grounder to Melillo in the 6th....... Omar Aguilar picked up his 1st win for Brevard County, tossing two scoreless, hitless innings for the Manatees who picked up the winning run in a 4-3 game in the 9th on a bases-loaded walk to Zelous Wheeler.

Final: Huntsville 9, Chattanooga (Dodgers) 3 Huntsville Site Game Summary Raburn Leads The Way Offensively Holliman Hurls Huntsville Past Lookouts By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Mark Holliman worked 6 2/3 solid innings and Johnny Raburn chipped in with three hits and three runs batted in during Huntsville's 9-3 victory Friday night in the fifth of a six-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars have taken four of five to begin the second half and have outscored the Lookouts 29-6 in so doing to improve to 42-32 on the season, while the visitors dropped to 31-43 overall. Lookouts starter James Adkins retired the first four hitters he faced, fanning three, before walking Vinny Rottino and giving up a base hit to Chuck Caufield that moved Rottino to second base. Freddy Parejo then singled to drive in Rottino with the game's first run and end a 54 at-bat streak without an RBI dating back to June 2. Caufield advanced to third on the throw home and scored when Raburn followed with a hit to make it 2-0. Parejo then scored on a Holliman sacrifice fly before Raburn stole second base and scored on a two-out hit by Adam Stern to complete a four-run rally. Raburn led off the fourth with a single, moved up on a Holliman sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out single by Shane Justis that made it 5-0. Adkins was charged with five runs on seven hits over five innings, while walking three and fanning five. He dropped to 2-6 and remains winless since beating the Stars on May 14. Holliman blanked the Looks on two James Tomlin singles through six innings before Joseph Becker reached on an error, Eddy Perez was hit by a pitch and Andrew Lambo launched a three-run home run to cut the home team's lead to 5-3. Tommy Giles singled with two outs in the seventh spelling the end of the night for Holliman, who was relieved by Casey Baron. Gabriel Gutierrez greeted Baron with a single prior to pinch-hitter Mike Rose flying out to end the inning. Holliman was charged with two earned runs on four hits, while striking out three. He grabbed the win to improve to 6-2 with his fifth straight winning decision. Robert Hinton threw two scoreless innings to close out the game and help the Stars improve to 18-17 at home. Raburn delivered a two-out, two-run single in the seventh that pushed the lead to 7-3 and Kevin Melillo's two-run home run in the eighth accounted for the home team's final runs. Raburn had his first three-hit game of the year and had driven in only four runs all season before tonight. Six different players knocked in a run for the Stars, who squared the season series at seven games apiece. The series wraps up Saturday night with right-hander Josh Butler taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander Travis Chick. Coverage of the game begins at 5:45 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score Mark Holliman's peripherals don't stand out, but he's a perfectly suitable 25-year-old AA pitcher on the fringe of AAA ability -- the wins are fine, it's just not a night you get excited about... Huntsville Game Log

Final: Brevard County 4, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 3 Brevard County Site Game Summary Manatees Walk to Victory, 4-3 End Losing Streak in Dramatic Fashion By Tyler Stover / Brevard County Manatees (Viera, FL) The Brevard County Manatees did not need a clutch hit to win on Friday night. A walk was enough to get the job done, as Zelous Wheeler drew a free pass with the bases loaded in the ninth, bringing home Carlos Corporan with the winning run. It was Palm Beach that jumped out to the early lead on Friday, taking a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning on Paul Vazquez's two-run single. The Manatees bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a wacky play. With two runners on, Corporan tapped an infield single to third baseman Jermaine Curtis. Curtis threw the ball too late and too wide to first base, allowing Chris Errecart to score. First baseman Curt Smith then attempted to tag Corporan out as he retreated to first base, but lost control of the ball while applying the tag, allowing Sergio Miranda to score. The Manatees tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh inning, as Eric Farris started things off by lining a single off of pitcher Thomas Eager. Eager remained in the game, but immediately gave up the game-tying single to Logan Schafer. Omar Aguilar (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to keep the game tied up. In the bottom of the ninth, Corporan led off with a single to right field. After a Brent Brewer strikeout, Lee Haydel was hit by a pitch. Farris hit a potential double play ground ball to second base, but Haydel's slide broke up the play and limited the Cardinals defense to just one out on the play. After an intentional walk to Schafer loaded the bases, Wheeler walked on four straight pitches to win the game. Blake King (5-1) was the losing pitcher for Palm Beach. The teams meet again Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). Brevard County Box Score Evan Anundsen hit two batters, he's shown he'll pitch inside all season, even as a non-fireballer; a day off from the field for Brent Brewer, DH in this one, Zelous Wheeler playing short and batting cleanup; it's crunch time for Omar Aguilar, good outing here... Brevard County Game Log Zelous Wheeler never took the bat off his shoulder in his final at bat, but still delivered the game winning RBI. (MiLB.com Photo by Dennis Greenblatt) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2009/06/26/P3ViUkve.jpg Well, they didn't say the photo was from the game-winning at-bat http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 4, Helena 1 Link while active, text follows: Picture perfect: Osprey put timely hitting, effective pitching and solid defense together for win over Brewers By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian There are openers and home openers, and the Missoula Osprey traded jitters for poise in a 4-1 Pioneer League win over Helena in the first game of 2009 at Ogren-Allegiance Park. Bobby Stone had a long home run and Ramon Castillo scored the go-ahead run on a balk in front of 3,104 fans. Of greater note was the six innings of work by lefty Keny Sosa and the at times spectacular defense played behind him and two relievers. The Osprey squared their record at 2-2, with all of the games coming against the Brewers. Missoula opened with a messy loss at Helena, in which shortstop David Narodowski had an error on the first play of the game. Friday, Narodowski turned two double plays, including a sparkling pivot in the second inning, and deftly handled a slow roller from Hitaniel Arias in the eighth. He threw out Chris Ellington on a grounder to end the game. "We went out this offseason and made some moves," said Stone, who played his first year of pro ball in Missoula in 2008. "And in both of our wins this season our starting pitching has set the tone. Sosa went six or seven. Anthony Smith went five in the other one." Sosa (1-0) scattered four hits and allowed one unearned run in the third. He fanned six, including four straight bridging the fifth and sixth innings. Stone, playing in front of grandparents Mike and Gloria Ogden, turned on a 1-1 fastball from Brewers' starter Adrian Rosario for a no-doubt homer to right in the first inning (video of the HR linked below). In Helena's half of the second, Stone attempted a sliding catch on a liner from Ellington, and had it bounce off him for a single. He made up for that in the sixth, after Helena's Pete Fatse touched Sosa for a two-out, wind-blown triple to right with Missoula nursing a 3-1 lead. The next hitter, Mike Roberts, hit an opposite-field liner that Stone dove at and caught for the final out of the inning. "On the second one, I corrected," said Stone. "I dove head-first instead of feet-first." "Stoney is really a young player - 19 years old," said Osprey manager Audo Vicente. "He came to spring training and really improved. We play him in right field and maybe a little at third. It's good to see him do the little things really well." Relievers Chase Anderson and Ryan Robowski combined for three innings of no-hit ball. Robowski earned his second save. Castillo, who drove in an insurance run in the eighth with a single through a drawn-in infield, scored the go-ahead run after reaching on an error in the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt, who had two hits, moved Castillo to third with a double down the left-field line; Castillo then scored on a balk by Rosario. Keon Broxton, who also had a triple in the sixth, then bounced a single over a drawn-in infield to score Goldschmidt and put the O's up 3-1. David Nick, who had two hits, scored the final run in the eighth. Nick also had a nice play in the eighth, tracking down Josh Prince's grounder up the middle and throwing him out. All in all, a solid outing - as openers go. "It doesn't matter if you're in high school or college, when you sign to play pro, it's different," said Vicente. "The first couple games you're going to be nervous. That's natural. We can't assume we're going to be bad because of one game." NOTES: Missoula catcher Errol Hollinger, playing in front of his parents, threw out Helena's Prince stealing in the first. Prince tied the Pioneer League record with six steals against Missoula on June 25, in an 8-7 Osprey win. The southpaw Sosa has allowed four hits in 13 innings this season, including seven innings at Class A South Bend. Helena Box Score Nice professional debut for 21-year-old LHP Jonathan Pokorny, the 9th round pick out of Kent State; Cutter Dykstra made his season debut... Helena Game Log Missoula Osprey shortstop David Narodowski, back, delivers the out as Josh Prince of Helena tries to steal second base in the first inning of the Osprey's home opener on Friday at Ogren-Allegiance Park. The Osprey won 4-1 to even their season record at 2-2. Photo by TOM BAUER/Missoulian http://www.missoulian.com/content/articles/2009/06/27/sports/sports01.jpg Video link -- not a lot of game action, but the backdrop to these Pioneer League parks is so beautiful -- I'd love to visit Montana some day.

Post-Crescent blog update includes more details on the game, including -- Wisconsin starter Wily Peralta enjoyed a stellar outing of his own in keeping his club in the game. The right-hander, blending a mid-90s fastball with an effective array of off-speed stuff, matched a season- and career-high with 10 strikeouts and scattered five hits through six strong innings in a no-decision. His only miscue came in the fourth when he gave up a two-run homer to left to Josh Vitters. "I thought that was one of Wily's better performances," Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said. "He left a breaking ball up on Vitters. … But other than that pitch there, I thought it was a pretty good outing. He did run that fastball up there pretty good, and threw some quality breaking pitches tonight. "That was his best outing that we've seen." *** Much more, including additional quotes, at the link above...

Post-Crescent blog entry on Cody Adams' status -- "He's not hurt," Isom said. "It was just a chance for us to take him off-line, if you will, and work on some mechanical type stuff." MiLB certainly looks the other way with roster manipulation.

Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers score winning run in bottom of the ninth against Peoria Chiefs at Fox Cities Stadium By Brett Christopherson Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom was pleased in watching his club use a three-run first to propel a 4-1 Midwest League win over the Peoria Chiefs on Thursday. He had to wait a bit longer for the offensive production to kick into gear on Friday, but the end result was just as satisfying. Wisconsin collected six of its seven total hits and scored all of its runs in the final two frames to complete a thrilling 3-2 rally over the Chiefs in front of a boisterous Fox Cities Stadium crowd. The game winner came across with one out in the ninth when Jose Duran slapped a bases-loaded grounder to second and Corey Kemp's slide beat the throw to home as Rattlers players quickly flooded the field in celebration. "I'll take (the runs) when we can get 'em," Isom said with a chuckle after watching his team claim the first two games of the four-game set. "Fortunately, it was at the end of the game tonight. We made that one interesting. It was a fun one to be in." Not for the first six-plus innings. Though wild in issuing five walks, Peoria starter Chris Archer held the Rattlers hitless through all five innings he worked. Reliever Alberto Cabrera did the same for 1 1/3 innings before finally surrendering a single to center to Juan Sanchez. Cabrera then gave up two more hits in the eighth, including a run-scoring triple to right-center by Duran, to trigger what had earlier looked to be an unlikely comeback. "You look at us through the first seven innings, we had runners in scoring position or runners on base non-stop and just couldn't come up with the big hit," said Isom, referring to the 15 runners Wisconsin stranded. "I thought that we did a good job against Archer, even though he no-hit us through five. We took five walks off of him. "We did have a couple of extra base runners because of errors. We just couldn't come up with that big hit. So it was very frustrating for that first part of the game." Duran said the key was knowing that, although the bats were scuffling, the outcome was far from decided. Peoria grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth courtesy of Josh Vitters' 14th homer of the season - a shot to left against Wisconsin starter Wily Peralta. "Obviously, you want to get off to a great start and jump on their pitcher," Duran said. "We just kept scrapping at the end. We put some hits together, it all came together and we got the job done." Among those getting the job done was Steve Braun, whose broken-bat infield single on a first-pitch offering in the eighth - the ball hit the mound and then bounded toward third after hitting reliever Christopher Huseby - scored Duran from third to even the game at 2-2. "I told myself, 'Whatever it takes. Just get him in.' That's my job at that point in the game," Braun said. "The momentum definitely swung right there. You could see it in their eyes, and you could see it in us - obviously, a little bit of life." Not to mention a little bit of resiliency, too. "Getting the big hit from Duran kind of opened up the floodgates for us," Isom said. "It was a tale of two sides to that game right there. The guys did a good job. They didn't give in." On deck Game time: Wisconsin vs. Peoria today at 6:35 p.m. at Fox Cities Stadium. Season series: Wisconsin leads 6-0. Up and throwing: Wisconsin - Efrain Nieves (2-4, 5.88 ERA); Peoria - Chris Carpenter (4-3, 2.60). Corey Kemp (35) of the Timber Rattlers celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning run against the Chiefs at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday. Photo for The Post-Crescent by Wm. Glasheen (On deck) http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20090627&Category=APC021103&ArtNo=906270583&Ref=AR&Profile=1009&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Final: Wisconsin 3, Peoria (Cubs) 2 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Rattlers rally tops Chiefs By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were down 2-0 and being no-hit by the Peoria Chiefs with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning on Friday night at Time Warner Cable Field. Wisconsin scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to beat the Chiefs 3-2. Jose Duran had a pair of big RBI for the Rattlers. Josh Vitters broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. The Peoria third baseman put the Chiefs (38-33 overall , 0-2 second half) in front 2-0 with a two-run homer. That home run was the fourteenth of the season for Vitters. It was also the last run. Peoria starting pitcher Chris Archer pitched five no-hit innings. He walked five, struck out four, and also worked around a pair of errors. But, he had over 85 pitches through five innings and left with the lead. Wily Peralta, the starting pitcher for the Rattlers, struck out 10 over six innings, but was on the losing end of the score until Wisconsin rallied. First, Juan Sanchez broke up the no-hit bid with a clean, one out single to center in the bottom of the seventh inning off Alberto Cabrera. Then, the Rattlers (36-36, 2-0) tied the game with a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth. Brock Kjeldgaard started the comeback with a one-out single. Duran tripled to the gap in rightcenter to chase Kjeldgaard home with the first Wisconsin run of the game. That was all for Cabrera and Chris Huseby was brought on to face Steve Braun. Braun singled sharply off Huseby and Duran raced home with the tying run. Finally, the Rattlers won the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Corey Kemp, Brett Lawrie, and Chris Dennis singled to load the bases with no outs against Huseby. The right-handed reliever got a strikeout for the first out, but he could not get by Duran. The Rattlers third baseman was facing a drawn-in infield and sent a hard grounder to the left of second baseman Ryan Flaherty. Flaherty dove, knocked down the ball, and scrambled to control it. Kemp just beat the throw home to score the winning run. Brandon Ritchie, who entered the game as a reliever for the Rattlers with a runner at first and no outs, picked up the win by keeping the game tied and letting the Wisconsin offense do its thing in the ninth. Ritchie is now 5-0 on the season. The Timber Rattlers and Chiefs continue their series on Saturday night. Wisconsin has Efrain Nieves (2-4, 5.88) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Peoria will counter with Chris Carpenter (4-3, 2.60). Game time is 6:35 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Two big, tall LHP pitchers with 33 combined appearances (and only four starts between them, all belonging to Meadows), Daniel Meadows and Brandon Ritchie, are 16-1, other Timber Rattler hurlers are 20-36; Ritchie's WHIP is a sterling 1.02; Wily Peralta is a prime example of the wonder that is Tommy John surgery -- how exciting is this kid, huh? Wisconsin Game Log

1.55 million dollars (signing bonus) at age 18. Is it any wonder why it's so easy to root for Mitch Stetter ($1,000 bonus out of Indiana State) or Mark DiFelice or Casry McGehee or even Corey Hart (11th round pick)?

Just an FYI, but Tom Wilhelmsen (his Power 50 history for you all) is on the Inactive List for the Tuscon Toros of the independent Golden Baseball League. Jim Rushford is on that squad, Curt Miaso was briefly a Brewer farmhand. Dustin Yount, son of Robin, is on that team as well. Wilhelmsen will be 26 in December. Time flies. The 2001 7th round pick was suspended in April of 2004 and "voluntarily retired" in June of 2005. He reached an injury settlement with the Brewers on a shoulder injury in '06, we believe. colbyjack wrote: I can't believe how long of a leash they have given Jeffress as compared to how they handled Tom Wilhelmsen a few years back, a player who Reid Nichols clearly made it a point to make an example out of him before completely running him out of the organization and the game of baseball. Yeah, there was a lot of backstory there that never made it out, and won't now either, but Wilhelmsen's tale and fall from prospectdom has been long overlooked.

Final: Arizona Brewers 8, Arizona Giants 1 Arizona Box Score 105 degrees at game time; scoreless pro debut for 27th round RHP Ryan Platt out of UC-Riverside; 18-year-old Canadian RHP Stosh Wawrzasek (will Bob Uecker stick around long enough for that name?) with a mighty four innings and check out his 8th inning below; several members of the lineup off to impressive starts; RF Max Walla guns down a man at third base in the 2nd; some of these rookie league half-inning logs can make your head really hurt, the Giant kids had a tough time in this one... Arizona Game Log AZL Giants Bottom 8th Ryne Price triples (1) on a fly ball to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Jonathan White strikes out swinging. Carlos Quintana strikes out swinging. Rafael Rodriguez pops out to second baseman Mike Brownstein.

Final: DSL Brewers / Orioles 8, DSL Marlins 6 DSL Brewers / Orioles Box Score Love what he's doing, but is anybody from the Brewers monitoring the workload of 6'5", 228 lb. LHP Jose Ramos, four innings for the win here (season stats, most recent game lines); RHP's Eliezer Montano (two IP, no runs, four walks) and Edwin Linares (the save, his 4th) also toed the rubber; Brewerfan.net-crowned phenom SS Andres Martinez walked three times, stole two bases, but committed his 6th error; catcher Jhonatan Javier rocked as the DH with a home run, triple, and five RBI (OPS now .954 after 78 AB's); CF Juan Barrini walked and sacrificed... DSL Brewers / Orioles Game Log Ramos not only tossed four scoreless, but he inherited a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 2nd inning and got out of it!

Updates from the Rattlers: RHP Alex Periard has been transferred from Wisconsin to Brevard County. OF Derrick McPhearson has been transferred from Helena to Wisconsin effective Saturday 6/27.

Link while active, text follows: Axford's turning heads Jacob Robinson, Simcoe Reformer(Ontario, Canada) The man knows how to make a debut. With the eyes of the hardcore baseball world placed firmly on Albuquerque, New Mexico Wednesday night, it was a call-up pitcher from Port Dover that helped steal the show. The past month has been a whirlwind for John Axford. The relief pitcher made the jump from High-A ball in Brevard County, Florida to AA ball in Huntsville, Alabama just 15 days ago. Then two days ago he was on the move again, this time to the Milwaukee Brewers' AAA affiliate in Nashville, Tenn. The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star was just hours removed from getting off a plane to join the Nashville Sounds in Albuquerque when he found himself on the mound during a marathon 15-inning game. Two shutout innings and five runs scored by the Sounds later, Nashville took an 8-3 lead and Axford picked up his first win with his new team. With suspended LA Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez in the Albuquerque Isotopes lineup for rehab reasons, the place was packed. Nevertheless, Axford remained calm in hostile territory. "There's been about 15,000 fans at the games, so it's packed and it's loud," Axford said in a phone interview with the Reformer yesterday. "All the fans are boisterous and being noisy and yelling at you, so it's a pretty interesting atmosphere . . . I can't really say I was nervous, I was almost maybe too tired to be nervous with all the travel." Axford had made a brief appearance at the AAA level before when he was a prospect in the New York Yankees organization. The right-hander threw two thirds of an inning for the Scranton-Wilkes/Barre Yankees in 2007, striking out one while allowing two hits and on earned run. Axford referred to that promotion as a "fluke." This time around he wasn't in awe of facing hitters with major league experience. "I was really nervous then, I remember it was only my second outing of professional baseball and the nerves were just hitting me," he explained. "I did manage to strike out the first hitter I faced, and I did that again this time too, but the nerves just weren't there this year. I felt calm when I was out on the mound and I felt confident when I was out there. That was the biggest difference." He always had good movement and velocity on his pitches, but this season the starter-turned reliever has seen his fastball jump to the mid-high 90 MPH range consistently, and strikeouts have increased accordingly. Axford -- a 26 year old that stands six-foot-five and weighs 195 pounds -- has become accustomed to emptying his tank on the mound, and has relished his role coming out of the bullpen. "I've been working on my mechanics a little bit more with the pitching coordinator here in the Brewers' organization -- it's really helped me increase my velocity," said Axford, who struck out nine batters in 7.2 innings pitched during his brief stay in Huntsville while allowing three earned runs and three walks. "I felt sometimes (last year) I would hold something back for later innings where really I didn't have to. My mind just made me think that, and now I feel like the mind is there and focused and I've definitely found a good spot and a good home in the bullpen." His brief stay in Huntsville meant Axford's fiancee Nicole and his parents Brian and Vera Axford needed to re-route future vacations to Nashville, but it was a welcome change of plans. "Brian and I told him before he left that 'this is your year John' and sure enough he went to Brevard County and, looking at his stats, we thought he might get called up for more of a challenge," said Vera. "We were actually planning a trip to go see him in Huntsville and I said, 'I would love to make a trip to Nashville' and that night he called and told us he'd been called up. "We were so excited and so proud." Having been one step below the majors for just a couple days, Axford is unsure of where the rest of his season will take him, but said that believing in himself and his teammates has helped him put together eye-catching results for the powers that be. "I've always been accepting of what the catchers are going to call. These guys up here in double- and triple-A, they know what they're doing and I'm not going to shake them off. If they want a fastball out and away, that's what I'm going to throw," he said. "You've got to have faith in your catchers too, and I definitely do. As long as you have faith in yourself and what you're going to throw and you pitch with conviction, things are going to work out for you." And Nashville -- who currently sits first in the Pacific Coast League's American North Division -- might be as good a team as any to play for. The chance to take that next step seems a lot closer for Axford than it did a month ago. "I always believed he had a gift, and that was his goal," said Vera. "I truly believe it will happen for him."

I know our board has at least one huge Derrick Alfonso fan. That fan will be glad to know that the catcher has swapped spots with another late round draft pick from the 2008 draft, Michael Roberts. Alfonso to Brevard County, Roberts to Helena

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 42 32 .568 - 23-15 19-17 L1 Iowa 39 34 .534 2.5 22-16 17-18 W1 Memphis 34 39 .466 7.5 21-16 13-23 L1 Omaha 28 45 .384 13.5 11-21 17-24 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 3 1 .750 - 3-1 0-0 W1 Tennessee 2 2 .500 1.0 0-0 2-2 L1 Carolina 1 3 .250 2.0 1-3 0-0 L2 Chattanooga 1 3 .250 2.0 0-0 1-3 L1 West Tenn 1 3 .250 2.0 0-0 1-3 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 1 0 1.000 - 0-0 1-0 W2 Dunedin 1 0 1.000 - 1-0 0-0 W4 Tampa 1 0 1.000 - 1-0 0-0 W1 Brevard County 0 1 .000 1.0 0-1 0-0 L7 Daytona 0 1 .000 1.0 0-0 0-1 L2 Lakeland 0 1 .000 1.0 0-0 0-1 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls 2 1 .667 - 0-0 2-1 W2 Helena 2 1 .667 - 2-1 0-0 W1 Billings 1 2 .333 1.0 1-2 0-0 L2 Missoula 1 2 .333 1.0 0-0 1-2 L1

Midwest League Standings Arizona League Standings Dominican Summer League Standings

Here's your Daily Link to Chris Mehring's Rattler Radio Blog. Rather than paste to specific gameday notes links going forward, we suggest you simply go to the main blog and review all that day's posts later in the afternoon, including the pre-game notes. That way you won't miss out on other tidbits like Chris' "Man vs. Food" update today (wonderful Travel Channel show, by the way). Look for the link to Chris' blog to be included in the Nashville links post just above going forward.

Nashville fans willing to pay the associated fee can watch the Albuquerque series this weekend via MiLB.TV. *** This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated a few hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): *** We're going to include the link to Kraig McNutt's Nashville blog in the same post as the Nashville media notes link going forward. *** AAA All-Star voting is here with your MiLB.com online account. Final day to vote -- ends at midnight Friday night.

You out-do yourself every time with these. That Delaney slow-mo is priceless now that we know he's fine.