Jim Goulart

Just making sure folks know that was kidding...

Final, Game One: Brevard County 6, St. Lucie (Mets) 5, eight innings (scheduled for seven) Final, Game Two: St. Lucie 5, Brevard County 0 Brevard County Site Doubleheader Summary Manatees Split Doubleheader with Mets Maintain 7.5 Game Lead over Clearwater in FSL North By Tyler Stover / Brevard County Manatees (Viera, FL) For the first time in 10 days, the rain held off long enough for the Brevard County Manatees to take the field at Space Coast Stadium. They won the thrilling opener of their doubleheader with St. Lucie, 6-5, in eight innings, but failed to complete the sweep, dropping the second game, 5-0. The Manatees rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the first game to eventually pull out a victory over the Mets. They tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth inning on Martin Maldonado's RBI double to the center field wall and Eric Farris' RBI groundout. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Caleb Gindl delivered a walk-off single up the middle, bringing home Sergio Miranda for the winning run. John Axford (4-0) maintained his perfect record by picking up the win in relief. He retired the side in order in the top of the eighth inning. The Manatees were able to get the victory despite allowing three home runs to the Mets in the game. Brevard County Game One Box Score Uneven start (four walks, two scored) for Amaury Rivas; Zach Braddock now with a 22-to-2 K/BB ratio in 12 innings, he did allow a solo home run in his two innings here; 26-year-old RHP John Axford's numbers are worth reviewing here, a bump to AA should be forthcoming by the All-Star break; Manatees successfully stole bases in all four attempts (including a double steal), while Brevard catcher Martin Maldonado again gunned down the only attempt against him; Brent Brewer with a late appearance, not at the plate; all Manatee hitters reached at least once, despite 11 K's... Brevard County Game One Game Log Small ball, and a key wild pitch on a strikeout, wins it in extra innings... St. Lucie rebounded to blank the Manatees in the nightcap, 5-0. Eric Niesen (3-2) shut down the high-octane Brevard County offense, scattering five hits and two walks over six scoreless innings to earn the win. Evan Anundsen (5-3) was roughed up for three runs on seven hits over five innings. He was saddled with his first loss since April 23 at Tampa. Eric Farris was the lone bright spot for the Manatee offense, with two hits and a stolen base. Brevard County now heads to St. Lucie for two games to finish out the four-game series. Thursday, Jeremy Jeffress (0-0, 9.00) will make his second appearance and first start since rejoining the Manatees. He will take on Scott Shaw (1-3, 3.57) of the Mets. The Manatees return to Space Coast Stadium on Saturday to open a four-game set with the Fort Myers Miracle, who currently reside in first place in the FSL South Division. Brevard County Game Two Box Score Brent Brewer attempted to start the game, but was pulled after just one inning in the field -- something's not right; Evan Anundsen had one rough inning, allowing three runs -- all four hits (one was an infield hit) in that inning were on ground balls, although we imagine a couple of those were hit hard, including a double; Brevard County Game Two Game Log Anundsen escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 1st; center fielder Logan Schafer doubled up a runner off first base in the 2nd; ground-ball base hits hurt reliever Mark Willinsky as well... John Axford is 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and has struck out 29 batters in 20.0 innings in 2009. (MiLB.com Photo by Dennis Greenblatt) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2009/05/28/oqNHeStH.jpg

Final: Dayton (Reds) 14, Wisconsin 4 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Dragons singe Rattlers By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers DAYTON, OH - The Dayton Dragons collected 17 hits and defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 14-4 Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field. Miguel Rojas and Carlos Mendez each had three RBI for the Dragons. J.C. Sulbaran allowed two runs over six innings for his second win of the season. Dayton (18-28) got to Rattler starting pitcher Efrain Nieves almost immediately. Rojas reached on a one-out bunt single in the first and a single to right by Andrew Means put runners on the corners. Cody Puckett doubled to left to drive in both runs. An error on a grounder to second allowed Puckett to score. Later in the frame, Mendez singled -- the first of his four hits in the game -- to drive in one more run for a 4-0 lead. Rojas homered with two outs in the bottom of the second and the Dragons were up 5-0. Chris Dennis hit a long homer to left-center to lead off the Rattlers third. Dennis, who was 4-for-4 on the evening, would homer again -- another leadoff shot -- in the fifth. But, 5-2 was as close as the Rattlers would get. Dayton put the game away in the bottom of the fifth inning as they plated five runs. Nieves walked Puckett with one out and former Brewer farmhand Stephen Chapman followed with a single. Mendez doubled to center to knock in both runners and knock Nieves out of the game. Kevin Coddington greeted Rattler reliever Brandon Ritchie with a single. Frank Pfister followed with an RBI single. Then, Yen-Wen Kuo doubled to left to drive a run and another run scored on an error on that play for a 10-2 lead. Kuo and Dave Sappelt had back to back RBI hits in the bottom of the seventh. Rojas chased both of them home with a single and the Dragons stretched their lead to 14-2. Jose Duran singled in two runs in the top of the eighth inning to wrap up the scoring. The final game of the series with the Dragons is set for Thursday night. Trey Watten (2-5, 5.45) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Dayton will send Matt Fairel (3-2, 2.68) to the mound. Game time is 6:00 PM CDT. Wisconsin Box Score Chris Dennis, a 20-year-old LH slugger who also takes his walks (48 walks, 83 K's in 270 professional AB's); Erik Miller drew only his 9th walk of the season in 173 AB's -- he also singled twice, if he drew more walks, he'd be an exciting, athletic CF prospect; opponents now hitting .310 against LHP Efrain Nieves - ouch; Nieves and Cody Scarpetta combine to allow 12 runs, 11 earned, in 6.1 innings... Wisconsin Game Log Brett Lawrie called up to Milwaukee in the 2nd inning to fill Rickie Weeks' spot; we'll try and learn more...

Thanks to Chris Mehring for the heads-up -- Link while active, text follows: Brewers' prospect Lawrie hopes playing 2nd was the right move By Rob Lucas Beloit Daily News correspondent Milwaukee Brewers' prospect Brett Lawrie knew learning second base wouldn't be easy, but he didn't think it would hurt so much. The Canadian-born Lawrie took a grounder in the face during a game last week and suffered a broken nose and swollen left eye, but that's been the only blemish during his first season in professional baseball. The 16th overall pick in the 2008 First-Year Player draft has sparkled at the plate and made strides in the field for the Wisconsin TimberRattlers, the Brewers' new single-A affiliate. When he was drafted, Lawrie was announced as a catcher, but he and the Brewers' front office decided to make the switch to second base during spring training. He has seven errors on the year, but none since May 9. "We both (Lawrie and the front office) agreed to it, but catcher wasn't a position I could see myself playing every day," the 19-year old said. "I like catching, but I think this way I can get there (to Milwaukee) quicker." It was during instructional league after last season when the Brewers started working Lawrie out behind the plate and also about the same time he decided catcher wasn't a long-term possibility for him. "I think instructional league drove me away a little bit," he said. "I was blocking balls all day, taking them in the neck and arm. It wasn't fun. Maybe I would have liked it more had I played it as a kid, but I just didn't feel good when the day was done." While Lawrie, like a lot of Brewers' prospects, seems to be without a position, his bat is anything but a question mark. He is hitting .282 with six doubles, four triples, five homers, 29 RBI, 21 runs and 11 steals in 139 at-bats - impressive numbers in a league that notoriously eats up young players. "They will find a spot for me if I can hit and drive in runs," he said. "I'll play shortstop, third base, outfield - it doesn't matter to me." One advantage Lawrie has over his American counterparts is he has been using a wooden bat for a few years. Most American players use metal bats until they are drafted, making it difficult as they adjust to faster and better pitching. It's also difficult for scouts who project how metal bat players will transition to the professional game. With Lawrie, that wasn't a problem. "It was big for me - using a wood bat at such a young age," he said. "You really have to get a feel for the sweet spot. You can miss with a metal bat and still hit well. With a wood bat, you can't miss." Lawrie is a bit more seasoned than most 19-year-olds, too, as he was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in Beijing last summer. Though it was a short-lived experience, it's one Lawrie won't forget. "I can't even explain it," he said. "Everyone was very excited and friendly and wanted pictures with us. It was really awesome." It's been an exciting year for Lawrie as he was a first-round pick, an Olympian, watched his new parent club make the playoffs for the first time since 1982, a member of the Canadian World Baseball Classic team and started his own professional career. Playing for his country in the Olympics and WBC meant a lot to Lawrie, but the most promising thing for his future was seeing the Brewers finally competing for the playoffs again and doing it with a core of young players. "I know the Brewers aren't the Yankees and just buying an All-Star team," he said. "They have good chemistry with a bunch of young guys that weren't in the minors for that long." While he is enjoying his time as a TimberRattler, Lawrie said he is always working hard and trying to improve and get moved up to the next level. "I'm not too worried about it right now," he said. "Obviously, I'd like to move up quickly, but I'm just going to keep working hard and hope I get a chance."

Apparently Angel Salome's recent absences have been due to a minor injuury to his hand when a foul tip got him. We should see him back any time now. Alex Periard (shoulder) is throwing, making progress, and we should see him ease back into action, initially at Wisconsin at some point. 2008's 8th round pick, OF Erik Komatsu, has been slow to come back as he was dealing with a combination of a wrist injury, but more importantly, a concussion. The Brewers are understandably being cautious. Thanks to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com for following up on our inquiries.

Nashville Media Notes: DUFFY TO JOIN SOUNDS FRIDAY: Outfielder Chris Duffy, who was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Friday when recently acquired OF Jody Gerut was activated, cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to the Sounds yesterday. He made Milwaukee's Opening Day roster after attending spring training as a non-roster player. Duffy opened the year by batting .125 (4-for-32) with three RBIs in 19 games for the Brewers. He is expected to join Nashville for its homestand opener on Friday, at which time a roster move will be necessary to activate him.

Brian Shouse to the Tampa DL with a left elbow strain, and LH reliever Randy Choate called up to Tampa, so technically six former Brewers now on the Rays' big league roster.

Brian Shouse to the Tampa DL with a left elbow strain, and LH reliever Randy Choate called up to Tampa, so technically six former Brewers now on the Rays' big league roster.

Zach Jackson back up to the Indians, gets the start Wednesday night.

Zach Jackson back up to the Indians, gets the start Wednesday night.

Thrillin' Joe Dillon back in the bigs with Tampa Bay -- five former Brewers on the Rays' 25-man roster...

Thrillin' Joe Dillon back in the bigs with Tampa Bay -- five former Brewers on the Rays' 25-man roster...

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 25 21 .543 - 12-11 13-10 L2 Iowa 22 21 .512 1.5 11-10 11-11 L3 Memphis 22 21 .512 1.5 13-8 9-13 L4 Omaha 20 24 .455 4.0 9-12 11-12 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 22 20 .524 - 10-11 12-9 W1 Carolina 22 23 .489 1.5 10-11 12-12 W6 Tennessee 21 23 .477 2.0 10-12 11-11 L1 Chattanooga 18 26 .409 5.0 10-15 8-11 L6 West Tenn 17 26 .395 5.5 8-11 9-15 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 27 11 .711 - 11-5 16-6 W4 Clearwater 20 19 .513 7.5 8-11 12-8 L3 Daytona 19 20 .487 8.5 8-9 11-11 L1 Lakeland 17 19 .472 9.0 10-10 7-9 W2 Tampa 19 23 .452 10.0 11-13 8-10 W4 Dunedin 16 25 .390 12.5 5-16 11-9 W1

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. MiLB.com now has Gameday available for AA as well as AAA this season. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_27_nasaaa_tacaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_27_hunaax_tenaax_1 Brevard County Game One: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_27_sluafa_breafa_1 Brevard County Game Two: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_27_sluafa_breafa_2 Wisconsin: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_05_27_wisafx_dayafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572

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):

Midwest League Standings

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Link here for the live audio choices - audio will no longer archive. For the Brevard County series, you can click on the audio link for the St. Lucie (Mets) feed. Nashville: LHP Lindsay Gulin at Tacoma (Mariners), 1:15 PM pre-game; 1:30 gametime Huntsville: RHP Mike Jones at Tennessee (Cubs), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime Brevard County: RHP's Amaury Rivas and Evan Anundsen at home in a double-dip vs. St. Lucie (Mets), 4:00 PM gametime; each game slated for seven innings Wisconsin: LHP Efrain Nieves at Dayton (Reds), 5:40 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime

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

Final: Wisconsin 7, Dayton (Reds) 2 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Rattlers cool off Dragons By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers DAYTON, OH - Heading into Tuesday's game at Fifth Third Field, the Dayton Dragons had won eight of their last ten games. In the game, Michael Bowman pitched eight solid innings and the Wisconsin offense backed him up with three homers for a 7-2 Timber Rattler victory. Corey Kemp got the Rattlers (21-24) on the scoreboard first. He drove a 3-2 pitch from Lance Janke out of the ballpark in the bottom of the first inning. Juan Sanchez, who had singled earlier in the inning, scored ahead of Kemp and Wisconsin was up 2-0. In the fifth, Wisconsin took advantage of a mistake by Dayton starter Lance Janke. He mishandled a bunt by Sanchez that would have been the third out of the inning. Instead, he had to face Brett Lawrie with runners at first and third with two outs. Janke got ahead of Lawrie with two quick strikes. But, the Rattler second baseman turned on an 0-2 pitch and drove it over the wall in left-center for a 5-0 lead. Brock Kjeldgaard led off the Rattler sixth with a homer on to the grass seating in right field to give the Rattlers a 6-0 advantage. Bowman cruised through the first six innings. In the seventh, he hit a bit of a speed bump. Cody Puckett started the inning with a triple. An RBI grounder by Kyle Day drove Puckett in with Dayton's first run. Bowman retired the next two batters without incident. Wisconsin got that run back in the top of the eighth. Kjeldgaard reached on an error and moved to second on a passed ball. Chris Dennis doubled to drive in Kjeldgaard for a 7-1 lead. Bowman pitched a scoreless eighth inning and finished off his outing with a strikeout, his eighth of the night. Bowman walked just one batter and picked up his second win of the season. Dayton (17-28) loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against Rattler reliever Liam Ohlmann, but they only managed one run. Game two of the series -- and eight of the Rattler road trip -- is Wednesday night. Efrain Nieves (2-2, 5.30) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Dayton sends J.C. Sulbaran (1-0, 3.60) to the hill. Game time is 6:00 PM CDT. Wisconsin Box Score Clean defense, three home runs, excellent start by Michael Bowman -- a fine night; Brett Lawrie now tied for 4th in the Midwest League with 32 RBI; Chris Mehring used the word "solid" to describe Bowman's start, but we'll throw an "outstanding" in there; former Brewer farmhand Stephen Chapman was 0-for-4 with three K's; Dayton always draws huge crowds -- the boys played before over 8,600 fans... Wisconsin Game Log Three Dragon runners were successful running on Bowman / Corey Kemp; Chris Dennis threw out a runner from left field trying to stretch a single to a double in the 4th; Kemp and Lawrie's home runs and Dennis' RBI double all came with two outs -- nice...

Final: Tacoma (Mariners) 10, Nashville 7 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for new Brendan Katin photo, text follows -- Sounds Drop Second Straight In Tacoma TACOMA, Wash. - The Nashville Sounds dropped their second straight game to the Tacoma Rainiers on Tuesday evening at Cheney Stadium, falling 10-7 in the second game of a four-game series. The teams combined for 26 hits, including eight for extra bases, and six errors in the high-scoring affair. Both offenses got off to quick starts as the teams exchanged three-run first innings. Nashville right fielder Brendan Katin (3-for-5) provided the big blow in the top half of the frame, blasting his sixth home run of the year - a two-out, two-run shot to right-center. The shot off Rainiers starter Andy Baldwin extended Katin's hitting streak to 11 games, the second-longest by a Sounds player this season (Tony Gwynn, 15G). Tacoma responded to knot the score at 3-3 in the home half of the inning against Sounds starter Tim Dillard. The Rainiers opened with three consecutive singles, the last of which by designated hitter Jeff Clement plated a pair of runs when combined with Katin's fielding error in right field. Former Sound Brad Nelson later tied the contest with a sacrifice fly that brought home Clement in unearned fashion. The Rainiers took a 4-3 lead in the third on a two-out RBI double by third baseman Chris Shelton then tacked on another run in the fourth on a two-out two-bagger by Prentice Redman. Nashville rallied to pull back in front by a 6-5 margin with a three-run sixth against Baldwin. Hernan Iribarren (3-for-5) got things started with an RBI double to right. Erick Almonte tied the game when he scored on a throwing error by former Sound Chris Woodward at shortstop before Carlos Corporan pushed the visitors into the lead with a sacrifice fly that plated Iribarren unearned. Tacoma squared the contest at 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth following several Sounds misfires. Bryan LaHair led off with a single against Nashville reliever Chris Narveson, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third when Corporan's pickoff attempt from behind the plate sailed into center field, then scored on Narveson's second wild pitch of the frame. The Rainiers took a 9-6 lead in the seventh with three more runs off Narveson. Clement ripped an RBI double and Mike Morse delivered an RBI single. The third score occurred when Sounds second baseman Alcides Escobar made his second error of the inning when he misplayed a LaHair grounder. Sounds left fielder Cole Gillespie pulled Nashville back within a pair of runs at 9-7 in the top of the eighth when his double to left off Tyler Johnson plated Iribarren before Clement got that run back for Tacoma in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly that concluded the evening's scoring. Nashville threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs against Randy Messenger, before the right-hander retired Iribarren on a game-ending groundout to secure the victory and record his seventh save of the year for the Rainiers. Tacoma reliever Eric Hull (5-2) notched the win after striking out two batters over his scoreless inning of work. Narveson (1-3) took the loss for the Sounds after surrendering four runs (three earned) in his two innings of relief work. The teams have a quick turnaround for game three of the series as they will meet again on Wednesday at 1:30 PM CT. Southpaw Lindsay Gulin (2-2, 6.81) will take the hill for the Sounds to face Tacoma right-hander Gaby Hernandez (3-3, 4.89). Nashville Box Score Sounds also with 14 hits in a losing effort; Alcides Escobar reached base three times, but two errors at second base as noted -- one fielding, one throwing; if only Brendan Katin had more than seven walks thus far (143 AB's); Hernan Iribarren at .331, three more hits including a double; Angel Salome did not play -- the Brewers need to do a better job with injury updates on 40-man roster players (Angel, Alex Periard); 109 pitches in just five innings for Tim Dillard in a disappointing outing... Nashville Game Log An ugly six errors and three wild pitches in a painful-to-read account of the goings-on...

Final, Game One: Tennessee (Cubs) 8, Huntsville 6 Final, Game Two: Huntsville 7, Tennessee 1 Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary Stars and Smokies Split Two Huntsville Bounces Back From Tough Loss in Opener By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Donovan Hand spun five solid innings to win his first start of the season and Vinny Rottino drove in three runs to lead Huntsville to a 7-1 win over Tennessee in game two and a split in the first of three doubleheaders this week at Smokies Park. The Stars improved to 22-20 and kept the 21-23 Smokies two games behind in the North Division, though Carolina moved to within a game and a half of the top spot after beating Montgomery earlier in the evening. The Stars jumped on Smokies' starter James Russell for four runs in the first inning with the middle two coming on a Rottino double. The southpaw uncorked two wild pitches in the inning that allowed a run to score and needed 42 offerings to get through the initial frame. However, he settled down and retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced, save for a Yohannis Perez single in the fourth. He suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 after giving up four hits, walking one and fanning six. Kevin Melillo's two-run home run in the seventh off of Brian Schlitter, his third in the last four games, finished the scoring for the visitors, who are now 12-9 on the road. Hand, who had made 13 appearances in relief before getting the ball in game two, gave up an unearned run in the first inning and was helped out of further trouble in the frame by inducing Blake Lalli to ground into a double play. He finished his performance by retiring the last 10 batters he faced to earn his third win of the year. He allowed four singles, did not walk a batter and struck out three. Derrick Ellison threw two scoreless, hitless innings to nail down his second save of the season. Huntsville Game Two Box Score Super (and clutch) five innings from Donovan Hand; 30-year-old lefty Derrick Ellison has been more than solid in his relief stints; after failing to homer in his first 35 games, Kevin Melillo has three in five games; 26-year-old Shane Justis has posted an .842 OPS, impressive for a second baseman... Huntsville Game Two Game Log Stars did not score in the 6th, leaving the bases loaded -- scored four in the 1st, three in the 9th... Robert Hinton, who came on to get the last out in the home sixth of the opener, retired the first two batters in the seventh before Russ Canzler scratched out his second infield hit of the game and Ty Wright followed with a single to right field. Jim Adduci then belted a 1-1 offering over the wall in right for his first home run of the season to give the Smokies a dramatic 8-6 come from behind win. Hinton suffered his third loss of the year, as the Stars suffered their third walk-off loss of the season. Huntsville strung together six consecutive two-out hits in the sixth inning against David Cales to grab a 6-2 lead. J.R. Hopf's pinch-hit, run-scoring single snapped the tie and was followed by run-producing hits by Adam Stern, Shane Justis and Jonathan Lucroy. Stars' starter Chris Cody was lifted after five innings with the lead, having allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three. Juan Sandoval took over in the sixth and gave up a two-out, three-run home run to Brandon Guyer, his first of the season, that cut the lead to 6-5. The series continues Wednesday night with right-hander Mike Jones throwing for the Stars against Smokies' right-hander Hung-Wen Chen. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Game One Box Score Fourteen hits for the Stars in seven innings, that's a tough loss; Chris Cody did not walk a batter, lowered his ERA to 2.49, and certainly must have felt pretty good about a four-run lead with two innings to go -- only the game circumstances forced Cody to leave for a pinch-hitter after just 71 pitches, as J.R. Hopf came through to break a 2-2 tie in the top of the 6th with two outs, as Brett noted above; Shane Justis was 4-for-4 with two RBI (5-for-7 with a walk in the twinbill); Juan Sandoval has really struggled, the back end of this bullpen is in iffy shape... Huntsville Game One Game Log

Crowe takes LaPorta's spot for Tribe as insurance With Grady Sizemore's elbow still bothering him, the Indians called up Trevor Crowe as a center-field reinforcement from Triple-A Columbus Tuesday. Top prospect Matt LaPorta was sent back down to Columbus after getting his first taste of the Majors. While the 24-year-old LaPorta, who batted .190 (8-for-42) with a double, a homer and four RBIs in 13 games, will benefit from more consistent at-bats in the Minors, this move was made in large part because of Sizemore's condition. Crowe has the defensive skills to man all three outfield spots and is particularly adept at center, as Sizemore is currently limited to designated-hitter duties. Sizemore, who started at DH for the fifth time in eight games, did not participate in any of the Indians' pregame activities Tuesday. "I hope it's not a DL situation," Sizemore said. "I'm going to take some days off from throwing and then re-evaluate it. It's tough, because no one wants to be out for a long period of time. We're trying to get by without doing that."

Crowe takes LaPorta's spot for Tribe as insurance With Grady Sizemore's elbow still bothering him, the Indians called up Trevor Crowe as a center-field reinforcement from Triple-A Columbus Tuesday. Top prospect Matt LaPorta was sent back down to Columbus after getting his first taste of the Majors. While the 24-year-old LaPorta, who batted .190 (8-for-42) with a double, a homer and four RBIs in 13 games, will benefit from more consistent at-bats in the Minors, this move was made in large part because of Sizemore's condition. Crowe has the defensive skills to man all three outfield spots and is particularly adept at center, as Sizemore is currently limited to designated-hitter duties. Sizemore, who started at DH for the fifth time in eight games, did not participate in any of the Indians' pregame activities Tuesday. "I hope it's not a DL situation," Sizemore said. "I'm going to take some days off from throwing and then re-evaluate it. It's tough, because no one wants to be out for a long period of time. We're trying to get by without doing that."

Manatees-Mets Postponed By Tyler Stover / Brevard County Manatees (Viera, FL) Tonight's game between the Brevard County Manatees and St. Lucie Mets has been postponed due to heavy rain and wet field conditions. It has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Wednesday evening. Game 1 begins at 5:00 PM (4:00 Central), and each game will be a seven-inning contest.

Robert Hinton retires the first two in the 7th and final inning with a one-run lead, and before you know it, a three-run walk-off HR loses it for the Stars in Game One. Of course, the obligatory pitching visit to the mound that never works in that situation preceded it. The Brewers should have moved Rob Wooten up to save all eight games in this series.... Delayed start for the Manatees -- you guessed it, rain. Anyway, time for some big league Brew. Catch you all during the overnight.