Jim Goulart

Final: Brevard County 3, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 0 Dunedin Site Game Summary Jays lose to Manatees for fifth straight time, 3-0 By Tim Livingston / Dunedin Blue Jays Whatever the Dunedin Blue Jays have tried to do against the Brevard County Manatees just hasn't been working. After being swept last weekend in Viera, the Blue Jays are in danger of being swept out of Dunedin Stadium this weekend after dropping the second game of their three game series with the first place Manatees, 3-0. The Jays bats went cold again, as their seven hits yielded no runs, and another night of decent pitching went by the wayside. Starter Andrew Liebel (0-3) got touched for three runs in his five innings of work while taking the loss, but he didn't get much help from the offensive side of things outside of right fielder Moises Sierra, who continued his hot homestand with a 3-for-4 performance. Sierra is 8-for-18 (.444) during the five games so far on this homestand and has smashed two home runs and two doubles. Manatees Starter Amaury Rivas (1-1) got his first win of the year for Brevard County, going the minimum of five innings, scattering three hits while striking out five. The Blue Jays bullpen once again had a solid showing, giving up only one hit in three innings, but the Jays bats just couldn't get going at all. Their best scoring chance was in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Sierra laced his second double of the game down the left field line. First baseman Manny Rodriguez was given the go-ahead from manager Omar Malave to head home, but a great relay throw from Manatees shortstop Brent Brewer cut Rodriguez down at the plate to keep the Jays scoreless. Dunedin will try to break their five-game skid against Brevard County on Sunday afternoon when they host the Manatees for a 1:00 PM (noon Central) start. Brevard County Box Score Yes, it's the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, but how fantastic is a 2.46 team ERA through 15 games -- check out the Manatees' pitching lines here; by the way, the Manatees' .289 team batting average also leads the league; ho-hum, Caleb Gindl two more hits and an RBI; two hour, six minute event even with 17 combined hits (no walks in this one for either team) -- even more impressive when you consider the home team batted in the 9th... Brevard County Game Log Every tidbit from a game story, even from the opponent's point-of-view, helps -- without it, we may be focusing on Brent Brewer's sixth error instead of his big relay throw... Man, what's with guys getting hurt (apparently) on the basepaths tonight -- hot-hitting Steffan Wilson leaves after his second base hit, a double -- Brevard County Top 4th Lee Haydel grounds out to first baseman Manuel Rodriguez. Brent Brewer flies out to left fielder Eric Thames. Steffan Wilson doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Darin Mastroianni. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Brett Whiteside replaces Steffan Wilson. Sergio Miranda singles on a ground ball to center fielder Darin Mastroianni. Brett Whiteside scores. Martin Maldonado pops out to first baseman Manuel Rodriguez in foul territory.

From Friday -- quite a few details of note: Dunedin Site Game Summary Tempers flare in Jays' 5-3 loss to Manatees By Tim Livingston / Dunedin Blue Jays Maybe it was the 11 a.m. start time. Maybe it was Brevard County Manatees starter Mike Jones plunking Dunedin center fielder Darin Mastroianni square in the back to load the bases in the fifth. Whatever it was, Omar Malave was not happy with many things in Friday's series opener, as the Manatees took care of the Blue Jays, 5-3, for their fourth consecutive victory over the Blue Jays. The Manatees had gotten out to a 4-0 lead halfway through the contest thanks to four RBIs from right fielder Caleb Gindl, who smacked an RBI single in the third and crushed a ball over the right field wall for a three-run homer that landed on top of the Blue Jays office roof. In the bottom of the fifth, the Jays got one back on a solo homer from right fielder Moises Sierra, his second of the season. Then, Adam Loewen smacked his first professional base hit in his second at-bat of the day, having been activated from the DL on Friday morning. Third baseman Jesus Gonzalez followed with a single of his own and then catcher Jon Jaspe walked to load the bases. Jones then threw a pitch that got away from Mantees catcher Martin Maldonado, and Loewen came home from third to make it a two-run ballgame. The very next pitch, Jones hit Mastroianni, which raised the ire of Malave. He and Manatees third baseman Zelous Wheeler exchanged words, and that brought home plate umpire Matt Cunningham out to administer a warning to both sides and talk to both managers. Shortstop Justin Jackson was then hit with a pitch, but it was not deemed intentional, as Jones had two strikes on Jackson. Gonzalez scored to make it 4-3. Things stayed pretty calm until the bottom of the seventh inning. After the Jays got two runners on with two out, left fielder Eric Thames stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game, but was called out for leaving the box during the at-bat, raising the ire of Malave once again. Malave would walk down the line to argue with Cunningham, and after about 30 seconds, Cunningham threw Malave out of the game. The small but vocal crowd at Dunedin Stadium voiced their displeasure, as well, but the damage had been done. The Manatees then added their insurance run in the top of the ninth when first baseman Steffan Wilson hit a home run to left-center field to make it 5-3 and set the stage for closer Rob Wooten, who notched his third save of the year. Ryan Page took the loss for Dunedin and fell to 0-3 on the year, as he has a 9.64 ERA in this three starts so far. Jones improved to 2-0 with the win for Brevard County, who won their ninth game of the season to hang on to first place in the Florida State League North Division.

Post-Crescent Blog Post relays a tidbit from Timber Rattlers' hitting coach Matt Erickson about his brief (and only) big league stay in 2004, which came with Milwaukee.

Post-Crescent Photo Gallery Wily Peralta looks solid, doesn't he -- not your prototypical rail-thin Latin pitching prospect... http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=U0&Dato=20090425&Kategori=APC0206&Lopenr=904250801&Ref=PH&Item=3&Maxw=600&Maxh=500

Final: Quad Cities (Cardinals) 9, Wisconsin 8 Wisconsin Site Game Summary River Bandit rally ends Rattler win streak By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers DAVENPORT, IA - The Quad Cities River Bandits scored twice in the ninth inning to complete a 9-8 come-from-behind victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Niko Vasquez drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The loss ended Wisconsin's four-game winning streak. The Timber Rattlers (7-7) scored twice in the second inning. Corey Kemp reached on an error to start the inning, Juan Sanchez lined a double down the line in left and Kemp scored from first. After an infield single by Erik Miller moved Sanchez to third, Shawn Zarraga knocked in Sanchez with a sacrifice fly to right. An RBI grounder by Brock Kjeldgaard in the third inning made it 3-0 Rattlers. Quad Cities (7-7) cut the Rattler lead to one in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice fly by Brett Lilley plated the first run. Rattler starter Michael Bowman appeared to be on his way out of the inning, but a two-out walk, a double, and another walk loaded the bases. Then, Bowman walked Charles Cutler to force in a run. Wisconsin got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth. Erik Miller doubled to start the frame. Zarraga drove in Miller with a single for a 4-2 advantage. Michael Marseco hustled home from second on throwing error to first after a Brett Lawrie grounder in the sixth to give Wisconsin a 5-2 lead. Then, walks finally caught up to the Rattlers. Liam Ohlmann walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but escaped without damage. However, Brian Meadows could not pull a similar escape act in the seventh. The first three Quad Cities hitters reached on a single, a walk, and another single. Meadows forced home a run by walking Alex Castellanos to make the score 5-3. Meadows got the next batter, but Ryde Rodriguez put the Bandits in front 6-5 with a three-run double to left-center. River Bandit pitcher George Brown retired the first two Rattlers he faced in the top of the eighth. But, his walks hurt him much more quickly. Cutter Dykstra and Michael Vass drew back-to-back two-out walks to set up Lawrie. The Rattler second baseman launched a 2-0 pitch from Miller over the fence in right for a three-run homer and an 8-6 Wisconsin lead. Rattler reliever Kris Dabrowiecki made his professional debut in the bottom of the eighth inning and gave up a lead-off triple to Vasquez and an RBI single by Chris Swauger to see the lead drop to one run. But, the rookie out of Northeastern University got a 5-4-3 double play and -- after another walk -- a pop out to end the inning. However, Dabrowiecki fell behind Domnit Bolivar 2-0 to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Then, Bolivar hit a game-tying homer to right-center. Rodriguez followed with a single to put the winning run at first. Dabrowiecki got the second out, but issued one more walk -- the eleventh of the night by Wisconsin pitchers -- to push Rodriguez to second. Bolivar lined the next pitch to the wall in centerfield to drive in Rodriguez with the winning run. Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Trey Watten (1-1, 2.45) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities will send Adam Veres (1-0, 0.00) to the mound. Game time is 1:00 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Throw in six combined errors (five by Quad Cities) and this is one ugly three hours and thirteen minutes; Chris Mehring points out that the Cardinals have only one of their Baseball America top 30 prospects at low-A -- that seems unthinkable... Wisconsin Game Log John Delaney started the game in left field, he grounded out to lead off the 3rd inning, and then was replaced in left in the bottom of the inning -- hopefully just a tweak...

News from the Stars: The Milwaukee Brewers announced yesterday that Stars OF Lorenzo Cain was placed on the 7-day DL. In a corresponding move, the Brewers activated Stars OF Freddy Parejo from the 7-day DL. We don't know for sure if the hamstring is still barking for Lorenzo. He was hitless in the four games since his arrival from Maryvale. If we learn more, we'll pass on the news.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 11 5 .688 - 6-2 5-3 W3 Memphis 9 6 .600 1.5 7-4 2-2 W1 Nashville 9 7 .563 2.0 3-5 6-2 L1 Omaha 9 7 .563 2.0 2-2 7-5 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 8 7 .533 - 5-5 3-2 W2 Tennessee 7 7 .500 0.5 2-2 5-5 L1 Carolina 6 9 .400 2.0 2-3 4-6 L2 West Tenn 6 9 .400 2.0 2-3 4-6 W1 Chattanooga 3 12 .200 5.0 2-3 1-9 L6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 9 5 .643 - 6-1 3-4 W1 Clearwater 8 6 .571 1.0 4-4 4-2 L1 Lakeland 7 7 .500 2.0 5-3 2-4 W1 Tampa 7 7 .500 2.0 4-2 3-5 W2 Daytona 6 8 .429 3.0 3-4 3-4 L2 Dunedin 5 9 .357 4.0 1-5 4-4 L1

Midwest League Standings

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): *** Similarly, here is the link to Chris Mehring's Rattler Radio Blog -- look for his game notes, pitcher bio's, and opening lineup info prior to each TimberRattler game.

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. 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_04_25_iowaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_04_25_hunaax_cngaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_04_25_breafa_dunafa_1 Wisconsin: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_04_25_wisafx_qcsafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572

Saturday'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: RHP Mike Burns at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 5:35 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Huntsville: RHP Jeremy Jeffress at Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime Brevard County: RHP Amaury Rivas at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:00 PM gametime Wisconsin: RHP Michael Bowman at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 5:45 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime

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Journal-Sentinel article on the game, more from Lawrie and Dykstra

Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers get a taste of the future while beating Peoria at Miller Park MILWAUKEE - The dream could be seen as the bus clipped along I-94, filled suddenly with a bunch of gawking ballplayers. It was a jewel, a cathedral of tan brick and olive-splashed steel, rising into the foreground with every inch the giddy group drew closer. For one day anyway, it was home. Really. "You can't explain the wide eyes that we saw when we pulled up and guys were pulling their cameras out and taking pictures," Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said of his players before a slight smirk revealed his own "kid-in-a-candy-store" excitement. "It's no different (for me) than the players," he added. "I was wide-eyed when I came in. But once the game starts, we still have to play out there on the field. It's no different than any other place. It just has a few more decks than what we do in Appleton." "It" would be Miller Park, where the Rattlers played host to the Peoria Chiefs on Friday in a contest that put the finishing touches on a four-game Midwest League series - the first three of which were staged about 90 miles up the pike at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. For the record, Wisconsin beat the Chiefs 5-3, and while the outcome capped a sweep, it certainly wasn't the cherry on the sundae. Friday's game was all about taking advantage of one very awesome perk this new player development partnership between the Rattlers and Brewers provides: The chance to see and feel what a day in the bigs is all about. "This is what I'm going to work for. This is my dream," said Wisconsin center fielder Cutter Dykstra, whose belly-flop dive and snare to retire the first batter of the game drew an approving ovation from the 17,880 fans in attendance. "This is what I'm going to bust it for every day, give everything I've got. I look at it as a goal. Everyone wants to get here, and you've got to work hard to get here." Wisconsin is the Brewers' Class-A affiliate and a crucial organizational starting point as players try to get acclimated to the grind of their first full season - 140 games of professional ball. The next rung is the high-A level, followed by Double-A, then Triple-A and, finally, the majors for those deemed the chosen ones. It can be a steep and treacherous climb, which is why Rattlers hitting coach Matt Erickson tried to convey the importance of soaking up the Miller Park experience while also using the trip as a motivator to reach the ultimate. He would know, too. The former Appleton West standout appeared in four games with the Brewers in 2004. He lived the dream. "When we took our (stadium) tour, we went to the home clubhouse, and I ran over to my locker and jumped in my seat and said, 'This is where I was for four days, fellas!' " Erickson said with a chuckle. "You never know. It could be years away. It could never come again. And I think these people understand that, or we're trying to make them understand that, through work ethic, the possibilities are endless. This is the pinnacle of our profession, and they not only get the chance to hear about it, but today, they get to see it and live it for one day. "It was fun to see the excitement as they came down the highway, as they saw Miller Park for the first time, a lot of them. A lot of flip phones opening. A lot of people taking pictures of their lockers with their uniforms in. A great opportunity to see what the possibility is for these guys." Like a vast assortment of flavored sunflower seeds? "In our clubhouse in Appleton, we have regular sunflower seeds," Isom laughed. "Here, they've got barbeque. They've got ranch. They've got every kind of sunflower seeds you can imagine. They've got gum here. It definitely is motivation for guys to move through the ranks and get to the big leagues. This is kind of the carrot, if you will, dangling in front of them." Dykstra, meanwhile, enjoyed checking out the Brewers' high-tech video room and clubhouse weight room, "with all the protein powder laid out for you," he said. "We were joking when we walked in today, 'We're carrying our bags, but when we get here, we won't be carrying our bags.' " Then there was Rattlers first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard, whose 415-foot blast in the fifth inning easily cleared the right field wall for a two-run shot and gave his team the lead for good. What did he take from Friday's fantasy? "When I hit it and was rounding the bases, I thought I was going to trip," he said with a smile following a three-RBI night. "The only word to describe it is exciting. … Hopefully, it's not the last one (I'll hit) in a big league park. That's the goal, obviously, to make it to the big leagues and stay out here for a long time." Keep dreaming, kid. Keep dreaming.

http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20090425&Category=APC021102&ArtNo=904250643&Ref=AR&Profile=1009&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0 Timber Rattlers pitcher Liam Ohlmann (right) watches his teammates take batting practice at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Friday. Photo for The Post-Crescent by Wm. Glasheen

Appleton Post-Cresent Blog Post with additional quotes and information, click on the link for full text "First time on a big league mound," Cody Adams said. "The mound's plush, it's perfect, like how you'd expect it to be. … I didn't know what to expect. I just tried to go out there and throw strikes." "One of our pitchers got it back for me. He had to trade three balls to get it. Liam Ohlmann, he got that. And I'm very gracious towards him." - Brock Kjeldgaard on retrieving his home run ball

From the Appleton Post-Crescent Blog: The Rattlers announced two transactions prior to the game as determined by the Brewers. Right-hander Pedro Lambertus was transferred to the Helena (Mont.) roster, while fellow right-hander Garrett Sherrill was activated from the disabled list. Lambertus is 0-1 this season with one save and a 4.91 ERA in three relief appearances spanning 3 2/3 innings. It certainly seems more of a roster crunch than a performance issue for Lambertus. He'll be back.

Caleb Gindl a big three-run bomb to go with two singles -- the kid is simply raking Hello our West Virginia friend -- as copied form above, just about every day!

Appleton Post-Crescent Blog Q&A with Farm Director Reid Nichols Click on the link for the full interview, Timber Rattler specifics below -- Q: It's still very early, and this has been your first look at the Rattlers this season, but what are your overall impressions of the club? A: I think in spring training, when we broke camp, we knew they would be an inexperienced, young club. But they're battling. They're playing really good defense. They have good pitching. If they can continue to hang in there, their hitting will come around. We'll scrap. We'll score some runs. I think we're probably a little better than what we've played. But we've done well, pitching and defense. You go from beautiful Phoenix, 80-degree weather, and come to this. So it's pretty hard for guys to make adjustments right away. This is a good league, and you've got young players, so the pitching is usually ahead of the hitting. Q: And your general impressions on the new affiliation between the Brewers and Rattlers? A: I think this is ideal. We were very glad this worked out for us to come here. This is something I think was made for Milwaukee baseball - you've got the Brewers and Appleton, side-by-side. You've got a great baseball community here to support the team. It's a perfect match. Q: Milwaukee's previous low-A affiliate, the West Virginia Power, competes in the South Atlantic League. How does that league compare to what you've seen over the years in the Midwest League? A: It's comparable. The pitching is probably a little bit better (in the Midwest League) because of the weather here. I did a study when we went from Beloit to the South Atlantic League (in 2005), and the temperature wasn't that big a deal. It was a little bit different, but not that much different. So it's not that big of an adjustment. The Midwest League is a good league. Some teams that they'll play here, it's almost like their high-A ball team. Kane County, who's with Oakland, they've got older players and several other teams have a lot older players than we have. But we're developing players, and you're going to see young players coming through our system here. That's just part of how we're doing it. We don't have a Dominican academy - we don't have a fulltime winter presence in the Dominican - which is…we're going to get backed up a little bit and start pushing some of our young Latin players to this level just because of the age restrictions we have at the lower levels. But we are developing players. You're going to see some players who aren't going to be at the big leagues for a while here. But they will be in the big leagues. Q: This is probably a loaded question then, but how many legitimate big league prospects do you currently see on this Rattlers roster? A: (Smiling) That is a loaded question, because anybody who has a uniform on realistically has a chance. Typically any team, you'll get a handful of players. But sometimes none, sometimes five or six. It's up to the guys down there on the field. We hope all of them make it. Realistically, three or four, maybe five make it. It could be any of them. Q: How often do you plan on seeing this team in this season? A: I'll make several trips. My schedule works out where I don't hit (Grand Chute), but I will hit this team again before the (June) draft. But I should be through here five times this summer. Q: What's on the checklist, or what do you hope to accomplish, through these visits? Just continuing to learn more about these guys as players and people? A: I have a really good feel for most of them, just because I was there every day at spring training. We have two winter programs, and part of my job is to keep the facility we have in Maryvale (in Phoenix) open for the winter. And many of the players here were in that program, so I'm pretty familiar with them. My job, and part of the reason I'm here, is just to make sure everything is going smoothly, that we're running things the way we should from level to level. And when a player does have to move, nothing surprises him at the next level because we're all doing it the same way. Getting a good feel from the staff. I spend a lot of time with the staff. Q: The way you see things, is the club we see with the Rattlers right now generally going to be the same club we'll see in September? A: Yeah. Our goal is to really not move players if we don't have to. Let them learn, develop, have a full season under the belt. That's what we'd like to do. It's not our goal to keep players coming through. Q: The Rattlers' Brett Lawrie and Cutter Dykstra are two of the top prospects in the Brewers' system. What are your thoughts on each? A: Lawrie, second base is a new position for him. He played a little bit in high school, but he came in as a catcher with us, so he's learning the position. You see him play, and you know he's going to play in the big leagues at some point. He makes adjustments well and quickly. The staff tells me they tell him something one time, and he makes the adjustment. He's a fierce competitor, and he has baseball instincts. And being as young as he is, that's pretty good for what he does. And the ball jumps off his bat. It's the typical, 'the ball sounds different off his bat,' but it does sound different. Cutter's got a lot of personal issues right now - his father (former big leaguer Lenny Dykstra) is going through some things, and I think that's affected him a little bit. He came highly thought of from the scout who recommended him and signed him, and I think we'll see better things from Cutter as we go, after he gets his feet on the ground and gets situated with his personal life. Q: Have you pulled Cutter to the side and told him to just relax when it comes to those personal matters? A: I would if the opportunity presented itself. But I'm not with him all the time, so it wouldn't mean much from me. (Rattlers manager) Jeff (Isom) has done that, pulled him aside. And when you have a staff member that's here all the time, that's the guys that need to make him understand and make the communication with him. And they've done that. Q: It can be easy to forget at times that many of these players, like Lawrie and Dykstra, are still 19-old kids, right? A: We're raising them. We're their parents away from home, and I realize that. And I try to take the approach with our staff all through our system that you guys are raising someone else's kids, and you have to keep that in mind. Yeah, you want to go out and win the game. We're developing, but we're raising someone else's kids.

Link, text follows: Prospects get taste in Border Battle Timber Rattlers face Chiefs in Class A game at Miller Park By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were like kids in a candy store on Friday. A really, really big candy store. The Brewers' new Class A affiliate, a young club stocked with prospects, made the two-hour trek to 42,000-seat Miller Park to host the Peoria Chiefs in what was billed as a "Border Battle." The game, between Brewers and Cubs affiliates, was an officially sanctioned Midwest League affair, and it gave fans in southeast Wisconsin an opportunity to see the next wave of talent riding toward the big leagues. Players didn't exactly mind the extra road trip. "If this doesn't get you excited, I don't know what does," Timber Rattlers center fielder Cutter Dykstra said during batting practice. "We were walking through the tunnel and all of us had our bags, and it's a pretty long walk. One of the guys said, 'Get to the big leagues, and you won't be carrying your bag through here anymore.'" Baseball history says that only a handful of the players will make the jump from A-ball all the way to the Majors. But the Timber Rattlers are stocked with players with a very good chance, including seven of the Brewers' 30 best Minor Leaguers, as rated by Baseball America. It makes Wisconsin one of the youngest, most prospect-rich teams in the league. That's no coincidence. "We wanted to put our best foot forward," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. The Brewers are in the first season of a four-year player-development deal with the Timber Rattlers, who play about 100 miles north of Miller Park at Fox Cities Stadium. Before the Brewers came to Appleton, Wisc., the team had been a Seattle Mariners affiliate since 1993. Among the Wisconsin hitters to watch are 2008 first-round draft pick Brett Lawrie and second-rounder Dykstra. The pitchers include Wily Peralta and Cody Adams, both of whom pitched in the Border Battle, plus 2008 supplemental first-round pick Evan Fredrickson and big right-hander Cody Scarpetta. The lone Rattler on Milwaukee's 40-man roster and Wisconsin's Opening Day starter, Scarpetta matched his professional best by striking out 10 batters in a win on Wednesday over Peoria. Brewers officials considered altering his schedule so he could pitch at Miller Park on Friday, but instead kept him on his regular routine. "This is just night and day to what we're used to playing with," Scarpetta said, looking around Miller Park. "It's a good thing for our team and our organization." The new partnership was on display to about 20,000 fans on Friday, who paid $10 per ticket or $15 for one ticket to the Border Battle and another for a game in Appleton. Rattlers players dressed in the visitors' clubhouse -- the home digs were off-limits because the Brewers return on Monday -- and Peoria players used an auxiliary locker room. The concept of the Border Battle was first introduced in 2003, when the Brewers-affiliated Beloit Snappers, featuring Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Manny Parra, faced the Timber Rattlers in front of more than 15,000 fans. The event was staged again in '04 with the same two teams, but then went on hiatus beginning in '05, when the Brewers moved their "low" Class A affiliate to Charleston, W.Va. "I've been here before, but it's still a thrill," said Lawrie, who visited after he signed with the Brewers last summer. "This is where I want to be, and where I want to be quickly." With the plethora of prospects, many with less than a year of professional experience, the Timber Rattlers' season will likely focus more on developing players than securing victories. But Brewers officials felt it important to stock the team with players on the way up instead of trying to pile up wins with older free-agent pickups who have little chance of progressing to the Majors. "There was only one move we made there with winning in mind," Ash said. "And that was signing a veteran back-of-the-bullpen guy." That would be Jim Henderson, a 26-year-old who has pitched as high as Triple-A. He was looking for work after the Cubs released him late in Spring Training. He is more than three years older than any other player on the team, and Brewers officials figured it was important to have someone with experience in the closer's role. Milwaukee's affiliates are 2-0 in previous Border Battles. Parra led the Snappers to a 4-2 win over Wisconsin in 2003 in front of 14,447 fans who paid $5 each, and left-hander Dana Eveland, who now pitches for the A's, worked seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 Snappers win in '04. The idea is to reinstate the Border Battle as an annual event, Ash said. Nichols was all for that idea, and so was Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime for myself and the club here," said Isom, a former pitcher who played three Minor League seasons but never advanced above Class A. "We might have five or six guys [make it to the Majors], and that's it. For those guys it might be no big deal, but for the other guys who don't make it, this is something that they'll remember."

Link (includes Brock Kjeldgaard photo from Helena in 2008) while active, text follows: Rattlers defend big club's turf By Mason Kelley / Special to MLB.com When Cody Adams took the mound in the sixth inning, he needed a minute to catch his breath. His Wisconsin Timber Rattlers teammates had just staked him a one-run lead, but he couldn't help but take a look around Miller Park before gathering himself. Adams admitted he didn't truly settle down until Peoria's Michael Brenly grounded out to shortstop. But once he shook off the nerves, he threw three scoreless innings Friday to help the Rattlers defend the Milwaukee Brewers' home field with a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs in the third installment of the Border Battle. "It was unbelievable," said Adams, a 2008 second-round draft pick. "It's what everybody dreams for and hopes to do on a regular basis one day. I just did my best and tried to soak it in without the butterflies getting to me." Before the game, Rattlers players toured the stadium and took batting practice in the park they one day hope to call their home field. Brett Lawrie, one of the Brewers' top prospects, said he was quickly able to get over the nerves of playing in front of a crowd of 17,880. "Obviously, the thought goes through your mind, but you're obviously playing the game at the same time, so you want to keep the focus," said Lawrie, the 16th overall selection in last year's Draft. "It's the same game, just baseball, and we went out there and battled and finally came away with the win." The Border Battle was first held in 2003, when the Beloit Snappers, then the Brewers' Class A affiliate, played the Timber Rattlers. That first game featured future big leaguers like Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. The teams played again the following season before taking a break that lasted until Friday. The Rattlers struck first when former Pioneer League All-Star Brock Kjeldgaard hit into a double play in the first inning that scored 2008 second-round pick Cutter Dykstra. Peoria -- the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs -- plated a pair of runs in the third and another in the fourth to take the lead and set the stage for one of the bigger moments of Kjeldgaard's career. After Dysktra cut the Rattlers' deficit to one with an RBI double, Kjeldgaard stepped into the box with two outs. He slugged a two-run homer to right field and put Wisconsin ahead for good. "With the amount of fans and the excitement that was here, everything surrounding the game, it was a pretty big thrill for me," said Kjeldgaard, who felt like he was missing pitches early in the game. "I was just looking for a pitch to hit." "We needed it," added Lawrie, who contributed three hits. "He came through. I couldn't get it done that at-bat before, so it was good to have him behind me. He got a pitch he could handle and he punished it." Adams, Lawrie and Kjeldgaard all admitted the game was a highlight of their brief careers, a snapshot of what they hope is their future, a chance to join the likes of Fielder and Weeks. Until then, however, they'll continue to enjoy these moments. "It's unbelievable," Adams said. "It takes your breath away."

Final: Wisconsin 5, Peoria (Cubs) 3 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Rattlers win Border Battle By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers MILWAUKEE, WI - The border belongs to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers after a 5-3 win over the Peoria Chiefs in front of 17,880 at Miller Park on Friday night. Wisconsin first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning to put the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ahead for good. Wisconsin (7-6) scored first for the first time in the series. The first three batters of the bottom of the first inning reached to load the sacks. Kjeldgaard lined a hard one-hop shot to short that was turned into a 6-4-3 double play, but the runner at third scored for a 1-0 lead. But, Peoria (5-8) scored a couple of runs in the top of the third. Junior Lake tripled with one out and Rattler starting pitcher Wily Peralta walked Tony Campana. During Josh Harrison's at bat, Campana broke for second. The throw was late, but second baseman Brett Lawrie missed the catch. As the ball trickled into right-center, Lake streaked for home and scored to tie the game. Harrison would knock in Campana with an RBI grounder and the Chiefs were up 2-1. An RBI grounder by Nelson Perez in the top of the fourth inning extended the Peoria lead to 3-1. The Rattlers rallied in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Marseco started the inning with a double. Cutter Dykstra followed with a double to left that drove in Marseco. Two outs later, Dykstra was at third and Kjeldgaard stepped to the plate. The right-handed first baseman drove an 0-1 pitch from Aaron Shafer over the Timber Rattler bullpen in right field for a two-run homer and a 4-3 Wisconsin lead. Kjeldgaard gave the Rattlers a 5-3 lead when he drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jim Henderson closed out the Chiefs with a scoreless ninth. The Timber Rattlers begin a four game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. Michael Bowman (0-0, 4.50) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Gary Daley (1-0, 1.12) is set to go for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:00 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Peoria 0-for-10 with RISP, T-Rats 5-for17; five shutout innings from the bullpen, among them Cody Adams three innings; sometimes you can just sense which low-A kids are going to be solid all the way up the ladder through AAA at least, and infielder John Delaney seems poised for a minimum Adam Heether / Chris Barnwell-type run... Wisconsin Game Log

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Second Baseman Hernan Iribarren Hernan suddenly an occasional # 3 or # 5 hitter, discusses his bunting proficiency as well; fantastic English and communication skills, good for Hernan, still not quite yet 25 years old... Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 2, Nashville 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- Sounds End Road Trip With Last At-Bat Loss MEMPHIS - Joe Mather delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to provide the Memphis Redbirds with a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Friday evening at AutoZone Park in the finale of a four-game series. Despite the loss, the Sounds (9-7) finished a successful first road trip of 2009 with a 6-2 record and split their four-game set against the 'Birds. Memphis first baseman Nick Stavinoha opened the ninth by greeting Sounds reliever Wes Littleton with a single to left. After a groundout and an Allen Craig walk, Mather ripped the right-hander's 2-2 offering up the middle for the game-winning knock. The Nashville offense managed only a season-low three hits in the contest, which featured just eight total knocks between the clubs. It was a pitcher's duel in the early going as Nashville starter Lindsay Gulin and Memphis starter Clayton Mortensen combined to allow zero hits over the contest's first four frames. The Sounds broke through in the top of the fifth. With one out, catcher Carlos Corporan ripped the game's first hit, a triple to right, before Gulin drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Tony Gwynn, who extended the PCL's longest hitting streak of the year to 14 games with an RBI single to left to bring home Corporan with the tilt's first run. Gulin worked five hitless frames to open the contest but departed after throwing 92 pitches. He walked four batters and struck out a pair in his outing. Memphis took advantage of the left-hander's departure as shortstop Tyler Greene greeted Sounds reliever Matt Ginter with an infield single, breaking up the no-hitter. However, he was promptly caught stealing by Corporan. Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman made his second rehab appearance with Nashville when he took the hill in the bottom of the seventh inning. The all-time Major League saves leader got off to a rough start as David Freese led off with a single up the middle before Craig doubled to left. Joe Mather followed with a sacrifice fly to the wall in left, plating Freese to knot the score at 1-1 and leaving Hoffman with a blown save in the contest. Redbirds reliever Jess Todd (1-0) was the beneficiary of Mather's last at-bat heroics, picking up his first win of the year after working a hitless inning and striking out two batters. Littleton (0-2) took the loss for Nashville. Outfielder Cole Gillespie made his Class AAA debut for the Sounds in the contest. He started in left field and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases. AUDIO: Cole Gillespie Catch Have to admit, I've always thought it was Gillespie with a hard "G"; Voice of the Sounds Chuck Valenches pronounces it "Jillespie" here, which may be just a matter of it being Cole's first AAA game -- clarification, anyone? The Sounds open an eight-game homestand on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium with the 6:00 PM opener of a four-game series against the division-rival Iowa Cubs (AAA-Cubs). Right-hander Mike Burns (2-0, 3.71) will man the bump for Nashville to face Iowa right-hander Jose Ascanio (0-0, 0.71). Nashville Box Score Hopefully Trevor Hoffman has all his early season runs allowed out of his system; catcher Carlos Corporan productive offensively and defensively every time he's in the lineup -- take note, Wes Littleton's just not right, apparently since spring training with Boston... Nashville Game Log The polar opposite of the Stars' game log above -- a light snack...

Final: Huntsville 12, Carolina (Reds) 9 Huntsville Site Game Summary More Ninth Inning Magic for Stars Huntsville Takes Seesaw Affair to Close Series in Carolina By Brett Pollock / MiLB.com Adam Stern delivered a two-run single to snap a tie in the ninth inning and propel Huntsville to a wild 12-9 win over Carolina Friday in the last of a five-game set at Five County Stadium. The Stars grabbed the last two games and three out of five to improve to 8-7 and move into first place, while the Mudcats dipped to 6-9. The win was the first for the Stars not decided by a run, though all but two of their games have been decided by three runs or less. Vinny Rottino led off the ninth with a single against Federico Baez, who then fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt by Chuck Caufield and threw the ball into center field, allowing Rottino to advance to third base and Caufield to second. Johnny Raburn walked to load the bases before pinch-hitter J.R. Hopf flied out. Stern then chopped a ground ball off the glove of the second baseman Michael Griffin against a drawn-in infield that chased home Rottino and Caufield and pushed Raburn to third, from where he would score on a Shane Justis fly ball. Robert Hinton then tossed a scoreless bottom of the inning to earn his first save of the season. Baez suffered the loss to drop to 1-2 after throwing a scoreless eighth. Chris Heisey led off the home first with a home run, his fourth of the year, and the Mudcats added another run in the inning on a Logan Parker sacrifice fly. Chris Kroski, who had just one hit in his first 22 at-bats, led off the home second with a long ball and Juan Francisco added a monstrous two-run clout later in the frame, his second of the series, to stake Carolina to a 5-0 lead. Huntsville hopped right back into the game in the third with four runs, highlighted by a two-run Kevin Melillo single and a Rottino sacrifice fly. Carolina answered back in the bottom of the inning with Parker's leadoff long ball that extended the home team's lead to 6-4. Carolina had hit only eight home runs in 13 games prior to slugging four in the first three frames. Stern's two-out walk jump started a five-run uprising in the fourth, as he came into score on a double by Justis that cut the Carolina lead to one. Melillo followed with a walk and scored, with Justis, on a two-run double by Jonathan Lucroy that gave the visitors their first lead at 7-6. Drew Anderson singled with two outs to knock in Lucroy and knock out the starter Misael DeJesus and then scored on a single by Caufield that finished the Stars biggest scoring inning of the season. DeJesus was charged with nine runs, six of them earned, on six hits and four walks. Stars' starter Mark Holliman was lifted from the game after a one-out double by Zack Cozart in the fourth and followed to the hill by Josh Wahpepah, who threw scoreless relief through the sixth. Wahpepah left with two runners on and one out in the seventh and was replaced by Casey Baron, who struck out Shaun Cumberland before a Croski single plated Todd Frazier to cut the lead to 9-7. Pinch-hitter Eric Eymann reached with an infield hit to load the bases and Donovan Hand was brought on to face Heisey, who sliced a single into right field to chase home two runs to get the game tied at nine. Holliman was charged with six runs on eight hits, while walking two and fanning four and not figuring in the decision for a third straight turn. Wahpepah allowed two runs on two hits and three walks in three innings in his longest relief stint of the season. Hand earned his first win with an inning and a third of scoreless relief. The Stars open a five-game series Saturday night in Chattanooga with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander Jesus Castillo. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score Wow, did you get all that -- excellent recap as usual by Brett; 29-year-old Canadian Adam Stern dominant again in the leadoff spot, on base four more times, now 9-for-9 in SB attempts as well; Stern, Shane Justis, Kevin Melillo and Jonathan Lucroy, the top four in the order, combined to reach base 14 times plus a sacrifice fly; no pressure on Lucroy, huh -- just handle the staff and hit cleanup, kid... Huntsville Game Log Hungry? Plenty to digest here...

Final: Brevard County 5, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 3 Brevard County Box Score Except for one particularly ugly inning for Mike Jones (he was fine otherwise), a good day all around; Caleb Gindl a big three-run bomb to go with two singles -- the kid is simply raking; Logan Schafer singled thrice; Steffan Wilson went deep for the first of what should be several this season (even in those FSL ballparks) for a key insurance run; four shutout innings out of the bullpen; on the surface, it sure appears that Martin Maldonando is a more-than-solid defensive catcher, despite a passed ball today; Manatees now 4-0 vs. Dunedin this season... Brevard County Game Log