Jim Goulart

3-3 after six innings, and Lindsay Gulin can thank David Johnson for stranding two of his three baserunners in what was a no-out jam. Omaha Bottom 5th Kila Ka'aihue walks. J. R. House singles on a line drive to center fielder Tony Gwynn. Kila Ka'aihue to 2nd. Travis Metcalf walks. Kila Ka'aihue to 3rd. J. R. House to 2nd. Coaching visit to mound. Pitcher Change: Dave Johnson replaces Lindsay Gulin. Brian Buchanan singles on a ground ball to left fielder Cole Gillespie. Kila Ka'aihue scores. J. R. House to 3rd. Travis Metcalf to 2nd. Tommy Murphy strikes out swinging. Ed Lucas strikes out swinging. Irving Falu grounds out to first baseman Erick Almonte.

The Nashville site's audio link is working now (wasn't earlier). Lindsay Gulin playing Houdini after his two-run first inning in a 2-2 game thus far. Escaped a 2nd and 3rd, no-out jam in the 2nd and a 2nd and 3rd, one-out jam in the 3rd. Omaha Bottom 2nd Brian Buchanan doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Cole Gillespie. Tommy Murphy singles on a line drive to left fielder Cole Gillespie. Brian Buchanan to 3rd. With Ed Lucas batting, Tommy Murphy steals (9) 2nd base. Ed Lucas strikes out swinging. Irving Falu pops out to first baseman Erick Almonte. Tug Hulett flies out to left fielder Cole Gillespie. Omaha Bottom 3rd Brayan Pena grounds out, third baseman Mat Gamel to first baseman Erick Almonte. Kila Ka'aihue walks. J. R. House singles on a line drive to center fielder Tony Gwynn. Kila Ka'aihue to 2nd. With Travis Metcalf batting, wild pitch by Lindsay Gulin, Kila Ka'aihue to 3rd. J. R. House to 2nd. Travis Metcalf pops out to third baseman Mat Gamel in foul territory. Brian Buchanan flies out to left fielder Cole Gillespie.

It's a "Woot"-Off! We'll post the Brevard press release when available, but closer Rob Wooten is the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week.

Wisconsin Press Release: MEADOWS RECOGNIZED AS PITCHER OF THE WEEK Appleton, WI: The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers along with the Midwest League announce that Dan Meadows has been named the league's pitcher of the week. The southpaw appeared in three games last week and in ten innings allowed only one run while striking out nine batters. Meadows picked up two wins during the week to improve his record to 4-0 for the season. On the year, he has pitched in eight games and has a 3.26 ERA. Making his first start since August 28, 2008, Meadows threw five shutout innings at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium against South Bend on May 10, 2009. He struck out five and allowed only three hits to the Silver Hawks.

Tony Gwynn with a leadoff home run (yes, over the fence, not inside-the-park), he's really played well. And would it be another day without the audio link not working for another affilaite broadcast -- sigh...

Jim over at Bernie's Crew with a feature highlighting hot players from the past week.

Jim Breen of Bernie's Crew with a nice job (again), this time focusing on the three Wisconsin pitchers he saw during his recent T-Rats' game.

Also from Adam: For the first time, the team also named a baserunner of the month at each affiliate, as selected by the coaching staff. The winners were Alcides Escobar (Nashville), Adam Stern (Double-A Huntsville), Logan Schafer (Brevard County) and Brett Lawrie (Class A Wisconsin).

To make room for RHP Wes Littleton's return to the Nashville roster, fellow reliever Juan Sandoval is transferred back to Huntsville after four AAA appearnances. This should mean a corresponding move will be announced later today for the Stars to free up a spot.

Link, text follows: Wes Helms wonders why Milwaukee Brewers fans are still cheesed at him By JOE CAPOZZI Palm Beach Post Staff Writer DENVER - Wes Helms is anxious to see the kind of reception he'll get when the Marlins arrive in Milwaukee for a three-game series that starts Tuesday. Helms, a former Brewer, was booed mercilessly on his last two visits to Miller Park. "Last year, I stayed in my (hotel) room," he said. But this will be his first visit to Milwaukee since his home run on Sept. 28 helped the Marlins knock the Mets out the playoffs, which sealed a post-season spot for the Brewers. Helms' home run was shown on the scoreboard that day at Miller Park, where fans erupted in a thunderous ovation. "I can probably eat all the cheese I want (in Milwaukee) next season," he said after the game at Shea Stadium. On Sunday, Helms wasn't sure if he'll get cheers this week, let alone any cheese. "I don't know what they're going to do. They might throw rocks at me," said Helms, who is puzzled by the recent chilly receptions he has received. He played well in his three seasons as a Brewer (2003-05). "I can understand Philly booing me because I struggled there, but Milwaukee? I had good years there," he said. "I never said anything in the paper. I never did anything, so I don't know. Part of the game, I guess." Helms is looking forward to one thing: "Actually, I'll leave my room on my off-day."

Adam McCalvy: Catcher Mike Rivera, on the DL with a sprained left ankle, will begin a three-game rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Monday. The Sounds are in Omaha on Monday, then play home games on Tuesday and Wednesday. If all goes well, Rivera will re-join the Brewers in time to start Thursday's game against the Marlins at Miller Park.

Link Report Bonus Link while active, text follows: Sounds aren't hitting at gate Team disputes drop from '08 attendance By Maurice Patton THE TENNESSEAN A month into the 2009 baseball season, announced attendance for the Sounds is off by a third compared with last season, mirroring a trend seen in virtually every ballpark of the Pacific Coast League. The Sounds' announced average attendance of 3,463 per game for the first two homestands of the season is one-third less than the announced average attendance of 5,283 over the same period last year. But Sounds officials insist that the news is not all bad. Methods for compiling announced attendance can vary from team to team. Some count tickets collected at the gates while others offer estimates based on the appearance of the crowd in the stands. Some teams count all their season tickets sold then add single game sales on top of that to arrive at an attendance figure. Sounds officials say their actual attendance figures actually show an increase over last year, though the organization refused to provide those numbers. "We cannot assess how business was done with the previous ownership, but based on the numbers we've been provided, the number of people in the park to this point is up from last year," the team said in a statement. Only one PCL team - New Orleans - is averaging better announced attendance this season than it did last year. And, in the midst of challenging economic times, the PCL is taking note. "We've had a number of conference calls, because of the economy this year and because of the amount of energy and effort that is having to go into all aspects of selling, relative to our franchises," PCL President Branch Rickey III said. Although the struggles are league-wide, each team faces unique problems. Advertising and sponsorship sales are down with some franchises, while season- and group-ticket sales are down with others. "That's not to say we're not all being affected," Rickey said. "But I think it's been surprising to our clubs to hear that not everybody's being affected in the same way." The Memphis Redbirds, one of the PCL's perennial attendance leaders, have lost about 25 percent of their season-ticket base from 2008 - mostly because of a drop in corporate sales, General Manager Dave Chase said. "I think sports tickets are an easy item to cut from the budget," he said. "There's probably a significant number of those tickets that aren't being used anyway, so it's an easy cut to make. "One of the biggest factors, though, is what is that base. Our base is one of the biggest in the league. We were at about 5,300 season tickets last year. So there's more room for us to lose." Although a number of PCL teams would not address season ticket sales, variances among those reporting went from Memphis' 25 percent loss to a 10 percent gain for Portland. "But almost every one of our clubs is anticipating that this year's walk-up is going to be increased over previous years," Rickey said, referring to tickets sold on the day of a game. Nashville's total season ticket sales for 2008 were not available, but more than 500 packages have been sold for '09. Nearly half were sold since the team's purchase from Chicago-based AmeriSports by MFP Baseball was finalized in late February, and after stadium enhancements costing upward of $2 million. "Is it where I'd like it to be yet? No," Sounds co-owner Frank Ward said. "Do I take it as a positive sign we're getting the fans back? Yes. "I'm encouraged. Everyone I talk to is comfortable with the ballpark, happy with the improvements. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback. I think they've been happy with what we've been able to accomplish in a short period of time. But I'd like it to be a lot better."

Midwest League Standings

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis 17 11 .607 - 9-4 8-7 L1 Omaha 17 13 .567 1.0 8-7 9-6 L1 Iowa 16 13 .552 1.5 9-6 7-7 W1 Nashville 16 15 .516 2.5 6-9 10-6 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 14 12 .538 - 5-7 9-5 W4 Tennessee 14 12 .538 - 5-4 9-8 W1 Carolina 12 18 .400 4.0 6-9 6-9 L1 Chattanooga 12 18 .400 4.0 7-8 5-10 L1 West Tenn 10 17 .370 4.5 5-8 5-9 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 22 8 .733 - 10-3 12-5 L1 Clearwater 16 14 .533 6.0 7-9 9-5 W3 Daytona 13 16 .448 8.5 6-8 7-8 L2 Dunedin 13 16 .448 8.5 4-9 9-7 L2 Lakeland 12 17 .414 9.5 9-8 3-9 L2 Tampa 12 17 .414 9.5 5-10 7-7 W2

Follow Monday'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_11_nasaaa_omaaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_11_cngaax_hunaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_05_11_clrafa_breafa_1

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):

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Link here for the live audio choices - audio will no longer archive. Sorry, no audio for this Brevard County series. Nashville: LHP Lindsay Gulin at Omaha (Royals), 10:50 AM pre-game; 11:05 gametime Huntsville: TBD (likely LHP Chris Cody) at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 PM gametime Brevard County: TBD (likely RHP Josh Butler) at home vs. Clearwater (Phillies), 6:05 PM gametime Wisconsin: Idle

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Final, Game One: Omaha (Royals) 3, Nashville 0 Final, Game Two: Nashville 5, Omaha 3 Nashville Site Doubleheader Summary Link for Jason Bourgeois photo, text follows -- Sounds Split Sunday Twinbill In Omaha OMAHA, Neb. - The Nashville Sounds split a doubleheader with the division-rival Omaha Royals on Sunday afternoon at Rosenblatt Stadium, capturing the nightcap by a 5-3 count after being shut out 3-0 in the opener. The game two victory snapped a three-game skid for the Sounds (16-15), who continue to play well on the road with a 10-6 mark away from Greer Stadium. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois led the way offensively on the afternoon, finishing 4-for-7 with a pair of hits in each contest. Nashville pushed across the second game's first run in the opening frame. Tony Gwynn led off with a double, moved to third on an Alcides Escobar sacrifice bunt, and score on Mat Gamel's sacrifice fly, which accounted for the third sacker's team-leading 31st RBI of the year. Omaha knotted the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on Irving Falu's two-out RBI single. The Sounds reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a Joe Koshansky sacrifice fly and extended the advantage to 3-1 an inning later on catcher Patrick Arlis' RBI single. The Royals pulled back with a run in the bottom of the sixth when Brayan Pena and Kila Ka'aihue opened the frame with back-to-back doubles off Sounds reliever Chris Narveson before Nashville added a couple of two-out insurance runs in the seventh against Dusty Hughes. Erick Almonte ripped an RBI double before Bourgeois contributed a run-scoring single. Falu wrapped up the afternoon's scoring in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out solo homer off Chris Smith, the shortstop's first roundtripper of the season. Matt Ginter made a spot start for the Sounds and allowed one run in three innings of work in a no-decision. Narveson (1-1) picked up his first win of the year in relief of Ginter and Smith closed out the game to record his team-leading sixth save. Hughes (0-1) took the loss in his first decision of the year for Omaha after giving up four runs in three innings of action. Nashville Game Two Box Score Looks like reliever Wes Littleton was squeezed onto the roster again -- we'll have to learn the corresponding move; contributions from everyone here, Mat Gamel and Joe Koshansky sacrifice flies important, and two-out RBI's from Patrick Arlis, Erick Almonte and Jason Bourgeois later... Nashville Game Two Game Log In the opener, veteran Omaha right-hander Brandon Duckworth combined with reliever Roman Colon on a five-hit, seven-inning shutout to hand the Sounds a 3-0 defeat. Duckworth (2-1) struck out seven batters over 6 2/3 innings of work in his victory as Nashville was blanked for the third time this season. Colon inherited a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the top of the seventh and induced a game-ending lineout from Alcides Escobar to preserve the victory and nail down his first save of the year. The Royals took a first-inning lead when Tug Hulett reached on a one-out single and later scored on a Ka'aihue sacrifice fly. Omaha increased the advantage to 3-0 against Sounds starter Tim Dillard in the fifth with two unearned runs stemming from a pair of Nashville fielding errors. Tommy Murphy opened the frame by reaching when first baseman Joe Koshansky failed to handle his grounder. Cory Aldridge followed with a bunt single up the third base line and Mat Gamel committed his first error in 15 games by throwing the ball into right field, allowing Murphy to score. Falu then delivered an RBI single to right to bring home Aldridge. Dillard (5-1) took a hard-luck loss for Nashville to snap his season-opening win streak at five. He allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits over six innings of work, his fourth quality start of the year. Nashville twice had the bases loaded in the opener but failed to get a runner across home plate. Its best scoring chance came in the fifth when it loaded the bags with one out against Duckworth before the right-hander induced a fielder's choice grounder from Cole Gillespie that forced Hernan Iribarren at the plate then retired Tony Gwynn on an inning-ending groundout to escape the jam unscathed. The teams wrap up the five-game series with an 11:05 AM finale on Monday morning. Left-hander Lindsay Gulin (1-2, 8.64) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Omaha southpaw Bruce Chen (1-1, 4.82). Nashville Game One Box Score Love the fact that Tim Dillard is starting again... Nashville Game Two Game Log

From Saturday: Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Michael Garciaparra Discussion of unusual umpire call as well... From Sunday: Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Shortstop Alcides Escobar Variety of topics, worthwhile listen (aren't they all?)

Final: Wisconsin 4, South Bend (Diamondbacks) 1 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Rattlers get first road win By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers SOUTH BEND, IN - Daniel Meadows tossed five shutout innings in a spot start and the Wisconsin Timber Rattler offense gave him four runs to give Wisconsin its first road victory of the 2009 season. Wisconsin beat the South Bend Silver Hawks 4-1 Sunday afternoon at Coveleski Stadium. Michael Vass gave the Timber Rattlers (11-18) a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Corey Kemp walked to start the frame. Erik Miller followed with a single and the pair pulled a double steal to get into scoring position. Vass lined a single to left-center to drive in both runs. Wisconsin added two more runs in the second inning. Cutter Dykstra started the inning with a single. Michael Marseco sacrificed Dykstra to second. Jose Duran tripled into the right field corner to drive home Dykstra. Then, Brett Lawrie was robbed of extra bases on a great catch in center by Brendan Duffy. Duran scored on the sacrifice fly and the Rattlers led 4-0. Meadows wrapped up his outing after a scoreless fifth inning. The lefty struck out five and did not walk a batter before turning the game over to the bullpen. The Hawks (16-14) broke through with an unearned run against reliever Brandon Ritchie in the bottom of the seventh. Justin Parker reached on an infield single and went around to third on a throwing error on the play. An RBI grounder by Rossmel Perez drove in Parker. Ritchie got the final out of the seventh and the first two outs of the eighth, but another error -- with a runner on base -- extended the inning. Rattler closer Jim Henderson entered the game to face the tying run at the plate. He threw one pitch and got a force out to get out of the eighth. Henderson allowed two hits, but no runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn his eighth save of the season. The Rattlers are off on Monday. The return to action on Tuesday evening in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to start a four game series with the Kernels at Perfect Game Field. Efrain Nieves (1-2, 6.10) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Ryan Chaffee (0-1, 3.60) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Edgar Trejo (0-for-4) spelled Brock Kjeldgaard at first base; Shawn Zarraga returned to action a bit Saturday and was your starting catcher here, so he definitely avoided a disastrous leg injury last week; way to place yourself on everyone's radar, lefty Daniel Meadows... Wisconsin Game Log Fundamentals, baby -- CF Erik Miller hits two cutoff men and earns himself two outfield assists...

Final: Clearwate (Phillies) 8, Brevard County 6 Brevard County Box Score Steffan Wilson a three-run homer and Caleb Gindl a two-run triple, but Amaury Rivas surrendered a first-inning grand slam, two unearned runs in the 2nd inning, and a two-run HR in the 4th; Zelous Wheeler with his 7th error at third base; Manatees were 3-for-3 with RISP and stranded only three... Brevard County Game Log HBP - single - walk, the precursor to a grand slam...

Starting to fill in the "TBD's" above -- Nashville Media Notes GINTER MAKES FIRST START: Right-hander Matt Ginter makes his first start of the year when he takes the ball for Nashville in today's second contest. He has opened the year by posting a 2.38 ERA (3 ER / 11.1 IP) in eight relief outings and spent the majority of last season as a starter in the Cleveland Indians organization, going 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) for Triple-A Buffalo plus four additional starts for the Tribe (1-3, 5.14). Ginter becomes the 8th different hurler to start for the Sounds in 2009.

Nick Tyson up, Michael Bowman down at Wisconsin -- click on Chris Mehring's player links for stat pages. Bowman had fared pretty well in four starts, with OK (decent) peripherals, unable to limit the unearned runs when defense fails. So this is a bit of a surprise. Tyson needs to show he can pitch well outside the Pioneer League.

Rattler Radio Blog: May 10, 2009 Starting Pitcher (LHP Daniel Meadows) -- we love 49th round draft picks (seriously) May 10, 2009: Game Notes TREND SPOTTING: Wisconsin has played two error-free games in May. They are 2-0 in those games. When the Rattlers commit at least one miscue in the field this month, they are 0-7.